"What once was hundreds, began with six."
"Unlike the lesser gods who came after, their crowns had been theirs since birth."
"They came from the godly realm beyond, gifted this newly shaped world to govern."
"They created all creatures, they crowned all they chose, they were a pantheon unlike any have seen or ever will see."
These six gods started this world. It was newly created for these siblings. In the beginning when they came to their new world, it had no mortal to speak of. They came together to created mortal based off themselves.
Morossa, the Scorpion God of Burial, Creator of All Invertebrates, and Judge of the Afterlife.
Pengaia, the Swan God of Seasons, Creator of All Birds, and Mother of Nature.
Doragon, the Dragon God of Storms, Creator of All Reptiles, and Bringer of Life and Terror from the skies.
Xortus, The Axolotl God of Death, Creator of All Amphibians, and Guider of Lost Souls.
Barmacu, The Barracuda God of Dominion, Creator of All Fish, and Leader of Order and Chaos.
Kuluga, The Stag God of Emotion, Creator of All Mammals, and Source of All Feelings of the Heart.
I've kept thinking about what's mentioned as the old gods. Some of the Bishops of the Old Faith, found and claimed their crowns. But who made those crowns to bestow?
They created all manner of crowns they gave personally to those they chose, or simply spread across the world to find. The deemed what they saw the lesser gods would embody, allowed them to develop their own beliefs and gospels. The Old Gods however never wanted for more power and devotion, unlike the lesser gods. For they started at the top, and stood together as equals.
Pengaia was the eldest and leader of this pantheon. Loved and respected by her siblings, gods, and mortals alike. Mother of Clauneck, Kudaai, and Clemach. She who sent her rainbow crow Lomasi to retrieve the warmth of the sun, and made all crows in Lomasi's blackened image. Pengaia controlled the earth and nature. The world rotated itself, but she controlled the shift of it's axis, allowing the changing of the seasons.
Till tragedy struck the great pantheon. Mortals and gods began to discourage one of the Old Gods. They blamed Kuluga as the God of Emtion, for their sadness, their anger, their despair, and thus raged against him. He felt these emotions, they burned inside him. Kuluga thought it unfair the emotions he gave, the positives all went to his siblings, while he was blamed to the negatives. It was as if they'd forgotten he gave them happiness, hope, and love. His beloved sister Pengaia tried to console him. She knew not what it was like to be hated, for she was loved by all. In that moment, the rage of all others filling him. His own rage flooded and consumed his sense of reason. Blinded by emotion, unconscious of what followed, Kuluga struck down Pengaia.
The entire world was horrified by what occurred. None thought any but the lesser gods could be killed. Upon regaining himself, Kuluga despaired by what he had done. Killing his loving sister in cold blood, he and his siblings mourned, shedding the god tears. The many of gods feared they would be next, and united against Kuluga for his act of betrayal. Having believed him now slain as well. The lesser gods turned to distrust and their own self preservation. Some united in their own pantheons, others stood alone. After the Old Gods grieved, they decided to choose a new God of Seasons to fulfil Pengaia's duty. They bestowed a fragmented piece sister's crown to her high priest, Yngya. A promising lamb, dedicated to Pengaia's memory, proclaimed the god of winter.
The rest of the Old Gods however had different fates.
Doragon thought the world was now unworthy, given it drove one of her siblings to slaughter another. She return to the godly realm, her storms now ceasing.
Xortus could not bring himself to pass his sister beyond, and so decided to step down. Death could not leave this world as it was required. Xortus then bestowed the Red Crown to a young disciplined and ambitious Narinder. Xortus is rumored to still be immortal and wanders the world as a shapeshifter.
Barmacu retreated into the depths of the ocean, so deep none but him could reach. Influencing leadership and dominion from the trenches.
Most to this day believe Kuluga meet his end long ago. But as all still feel emotion to this day, some wonder if apart of him still lives on.
Kuluga is who I had in mind to be the raising final boss of Cult of the Lamb 2. He had been hidden, bidding his time, feeding on and bottling all emotions, both his and others' to strengthen his power. His boss form and second phase final form both look different then his past self here. The crystals on his neck and antler embody emotions. His necklace will shift and swap colors with the hanging crystal to symbolize what he's feeling.
Yngya was later killed by the Bishops of the Old Faith, causing the seasons to stop changing.
Each of them I tried to go for a distinguished vibe. Morossa is a judge of the afterlife and wears a robe, Pengaia is nature based and is dressed in her own wings, Doragon has a European style going on with the cape and armor, Xortus I went for a death priest and gave him pink death teeth, Barmacu I wanted to have a pirate-ish outfit, and Kuluga had fur-like robes with armor mixed in.