Long before the first mortal set foot upon the soil of Alkainos, there was only the Void. From that silence came the Veda Gate, a single radiant point that unfolded into a colossal golden portal. Through it entered Agramanthon, a primordial being shaped like a drifting, star-speckled leviathan. His presence seeded the darkness with light. When he exhaled, the heavens formed in a cloud of scattered constellations.

A second being emerged soon after. This was Xanthos, one of the Vedovi. The Vedovi are ancient, unknowable intelligences who predate matter, time and thought. They take no shape mortals could recognise and no emotion mortals could understand. Xanthos shaped the raw power released by Agramanthon into a realm for the gods that would one day follow. Agramanthon, hearing the call of the Vedovi, died and his body became the foundation of the mortal world. His soul could not pass back through the Veda Gate, so Xanthos reshaped it into Eiduron, the liminal realm that would become the Afterworld.

When the mortal world was complete, Kain stepped through the Veda Gate. Kain was the first of the gods created by the Vedovi in the shape of mortals yet capable of sculpting reality. In time other gods arrived, each given authority to guide and test mortal souls. They shaped mountains, seas and

living creatures, but they could not create life in the true sense. Their purpose was to steward the world and to return worthy souls through the Veda Gate to the Vedovi.

The Three Realms

The cosmology of Alkainos rests on three interwoven realms.

The Mortal Realm is the physical world crafted from Agramanthon’s body. Solid, finite and bound by laws, it is the home of mortals and the theatre where divine and primordial influences play out.

The Realm of the Gods is a metaphysical world formed from the energy of creation. It reflects the nature of the gods who inhabit it and changes subtly with their moods, rivalries and shifting power.

Eiduron is the Afterworld created from Agramanthon’s soul. It is fluid and mutable. Souls who travel here shape their surroundings through memory and emotion. Some pass on, some linger and transform, and a few become powerful enough to challenge the will of the gods.

The three realms overlap like reflections on water. They are separate yet close enough that events in one ripple through the others.

The Proto God and the Great Error

Before the pantheon existed, the Vedovi tried a different approach. Their first attempt to oversee creation was a single divine being, now known only as the Proto God. To this figure they gave all the power they believed a guardian would require. It was too much. The Proto God grew unstable and dangerous. The Vedovi withdrew their favour and attempted to unmake their creation, but they failed to erase it entirely. Instead they created a pantheon of gods to divide that power across many hands and restore balance.

The Proto God did not fade. It lingered in the shadows of reality, watching the new gods take the place it once held. Over centuries it learned to influence events in secret. It nurtured the divine fractures that would one day shake the pantheon. Its long game still unfolds and its ultimate purpose remains hidden even from the gods it hates.

The Veda Gate and the Return of Souls

At the heart of the divine realm stands the Veda Gate, the same portal that opened the universe. It is the boundary between mortal existence and the unreachable realm of the Vedovi. Through it the gods themselves first arrived. Through it mortal souls return when judged worthy.

The gods believe the Vedovi stand on the far side, waiting to receive purified souls. Yet the Vedovi have been silent since creation. Their intentions remain unknown. Whether they are guardians, distant surveyors or something far colder is a mystery that troubles even the oldest gods.

The Pantheon of Alkainos

The gods of Alkainos, known collectively as the Vortumni, were shaped by the Vedovi to guide the mortal world and judge the souls that rise from it. They are powerful, but not perfect. They carry ambition, fear, jealousy and compassion. Their rivalries have shaped the history of Alkainos just as surely as any mortal king. Below is an overview of the major gods as understood by scholars, priests and storytellers across the realms.

Kain

Kain is the first of the gods and the most powerful among them. Often depicted as shifting between male and female forms, Kain embodies the creative spark that gave shape to the Mortal Realm. Kain is the steward of life, the guardian of mortal destiny and the central figure of most organised faiths. Although revered, Kain is not immune to doubt. The birth of Kaelion, Kain’s child, fractured the trust among the divine and created divisions that still define the pantheon.

Naevira

Naevira is the goddess most closely associated with wisdom, insight and the subtle forces that shape the world. She is calm in nature and quiet in judgement, but her union with Kain brought forth Kaelion, an event that destabilised the divine order. Many gods still look upon her with a mixture of awe and suspicion, unsure how she managed what should have been impossible.

Kaelion

Kaelion is the only child of the gods and the greatest anomaly in cosmic history. He inherited both the creative gift of his parents and the instability introduced by the unknown figure who secretly enabled his birth. Kaelion loved mortals deeply and taught them magic in secret. His compassion set the world alight with possibility, but it also ignited a war among the gods. His exile changed the balance of power forever. Some mortals still whisper prayers to him, though his name is forbidden in many temples.

Demorax

Demorax is the judge of souls and the ruler of Eiduron. She is the unseen guide who leads mortal spirits across the Veil. Depictions of her tend to vary. She is sometimes shown as a hooded figure and sometimes as a stern warrior. Her domain is balance, justice and the quiet work of shepherding souls to their final fate. Her imprisonment, engineered by the hidden Proto God, has caused a rising instability in the Afterworld. Strange echoes now spill into the Mortal Realm.

Xanthos

Xanthos is the Gatekeeper, the guardian of the Veda Gate. Some believe he is not truly a god at all but one of the Vedovi who remained close to creation. His guidance shaped the early divine order and he has always stood slightly apart from the rest of the pantheon. He rarely interferes in mortal affairs. Even the gods hesitate to question him, for his knowledge extends back to the moment the Veda Gate first opened.

Agros

Agros represents war, strength and the raw will to survive. He is the patron of warriors and defenders, but he is also the spark that ignites conflict. Agros respects honour but cares little for peace. In many myths he is seen clashing with gods who prefer diplomacy. His followers believe that struggle reveals truth and that victory is the highest form of devotion.

Cyadroma

Cyadroma was once the goddess of compassion, mercy and healing. Her nature darkened when she fell in love with a mortal who died before her eyes. That grief twisted her power and she became the Mother of Darkness, gathering followers who believed pain could purify the world. Her actions helped create a dark empire that nearly destroyed the continent. She was defeated, but some fear she still lingers in the deeper shadows of Eiduron.

The Hidden Gods and Lesser Powers

The pantheon includes many lesser deities, spirits and avatars. Some govern winds or rivers. Others embody virtues, fears or memories. Their nature changes over centuries as mortals shift in faith and need. These gods appear in local stories and seasonal rituals, but few hold the same weight as the great Vortumni who shaped the course of history.

A Living and Growing Mythology

The cosmology of Alkainos is not a fixed relic. It is a living framework that continues to grow as new stories take shape and old ones deepen. The origins of the Veda Gate, the ambitions of the gods and the hidden hand of the Proto God are threads that will develop over time. Some details will sharpen. Others may shift as new tales emerge from different corners of the world.

Like the myths of any real culture, the lore of Alkainos evolves alongside the stories told within it. As more histories are uncovered and more legends are written, the divine landscape will change. This article reflects the understanding of the pantheon as it stands today, but it is only the beginning of a larger and continuing work.

If you follow the world of Alkainos, expect these ideas to grow, twist and settle into new forms as future tales unfold.