Herders, Gods of Werjen

> "Herders, Herders, what have you done?
> The moon is falling. What next, the sun?"
>
> "Fear not mortals, our beloved flocks.
> We will shield you, protect you from harm,
> Pull you in with our mystic crooks,
> And shelter you in our arms."

Over eight hundred years ago, the Herders felled Greesh the Creator when he sought to destroy Werjen, his own creation. However, the demigods paid greatly for their victory. Their power was severely diminished, and so was their presence on the world. Many mortals now openly question whether or not they survived the historic battle. Despite the drastic decline in overt displays of Herder might, entrenched clergies who call themselves oracles enforce the religious law of the land.

Altrites

The Altrites control most of the continent Serlista, with the exception of the far east and the northwest. They rule their flocks benevolently, but demand obedience in return. Their territory includes the two largest cities on Werjen, Resh and Tiren Arno. Biern, Lainaris and Rossil comprise the Altrite Alliance.

Rossil, "Lord of Minds"

Like the other Altrites, Rossil was created by Greesh to serve a specific task on Werjen. He was ordered to contact Greesh should an emergency arise, and was given the telepathic power to do so. Rossil was distrusted by the other Herders until he assisted in destroying Greesh on the surface of Arredov. In present day, Rossil promotes the study of arcane lore and legend. The Herder has passed a small slice of this knowledge to the Psions of Tiren Arno, a powerful group of spell casters that have long helped to defend the Vayaleese flock.

Biern, "Lord of Morality"

Biern enforced Greesh's spiritual authority and strict code of conduct. He often governed his own flock from afar, while traveling across the world and seeking out dissent. The other Herders, especially the Centrites, disliked his constant intrusions. On his travels, Biern always wore a large amulet, given to him by Greesh, that instilled him with power and filled his mind with the urge to enforce Greesh's decrees.

Lainaris, "Twothorn"

Originally created with the simple purpose of of providing Greesh's followers with sustenance, Twothorn immediately assumed the responsibility of enriching the world with new plants and animals. As she added complexity to the world shaped by Greesh's clumsy hands, she earned respect from Herders and mortals alike. Although she remains allied with the Altrites, she keeps mostly to herself, preferring to remain hidden in the Xanabist Forest. Just as her Herder brother, Rossil, passed psionics to the Vayaleese, Lainaris gifted her faithful with a potent variety of spell casting. Animism, predominantly used for healing, is her lasting gift to mortal kind.

Nantels

Originally part of the Altrite Alliance, the Herders Eidelis and Hrul broke away when the other Altrites refused to come to Hrul's aid during a bloody war with Thractis. Like the Altrites, the Nantelian Herders demand unquestioning devotion from their flocks.

Eidelis, "The Ancientmost", "Eiphris"

As the first Herder created by Greesh, Eidelis is the eldest among her brothers and sisters. Indeed, were it not for her inspiration and prophetic gifts, her siblings would never have been created. Like all Herders, Eidelis was given responsibility for governing a flock, in her case the Eklini. She constructed a huge coastal city for them, Eklinhof, built right into a tall oceanside cliff on a remote northern island.

Hrul, "Lord of Discipline", "God of Sacrifice"

When Greesh decreed that only the Humans would be allowed to remain in Resh, Hrul took the Janish and Perian flocks far away into eastern Serlista. There he buried himself deep in the ground. When the moon Arrezal exploded, he cast many tendrils up through Werjen's crust in anticipation of the potent residual dust that would descend. To the mortals on the plains above, his tendrils appear as magnificent crystalline spires. Around the largest, most vibrant spire, a town sprung up. The town grew into Spireguard, the center of civilization in eastern Serlista.

Centrites

The Herders Oble, Hirloa, and Thractis care little for individual mortal lives. They view their flocks as slaves, existing only to help them achieve personal glory and useful for destroying the flocks of the other Herders. The Centrites and their flocks are isolated on the continent Yoon. They frequently pit their flocks against each other in contrived battles to ensure that they remain militarily sharp. On several occasion in recent years, at the behest of the Centritian Herders, hordes of Soliks and Praeops have made forays into Serlista. Their favorite target is the wealthy city of Resh, though they have failed to ever breach the walls.

Oble, "The Conjurer"

Along with the other Centrites, Oble was forced to relocate to the remote continent of Yoon to quarantine and guard over his unruly flock. Greesh taught him the art of sorcery, to allow him to easily control the brute strength of the Soliks. The Herder chose to pass a small amount of this divine knowledge to his followers and even to the flocks of the other Centrite Herders. As a result, the variety of spell casting known as sorcery is commonly practiced all over the continent Yoon.

Thractis, "The Brute", "Old Crow"

Greesh crafted this Herder to possess single-minded aggression and ruthlessness, both of which are constantly required to demand the respect of the Praeops. He is despised by the Altrite and Nantel Herders for his unending belligerence. Thractis is also blamed for causing the moon Arrezal to partially explode, an event which left the world blanketed in unnatural residue.

Hirloa, "Gift Giver", "Great Destroyer"

Like the other two Centrites, she was created solely to watch over a pugnacious flock. In her case, it was the Drydin. Obsessed with exercising total control over her mortal followers, she created a vast, prison-like lair for them in Mount Lechis, in southwestern Yoon. Eventually, convinced that her flock was becoming weaker with each successive generation, she did the unthinkable. Hirloa trapped her flock within the mountain and intentionally drenched them in toxic residue. The Gift Giver harbors special hate for Lainaris and frequently spawns great wyrms to seek out and annihilate her sister's favorite creations.