Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye

The World of the Dark Eye is home to numerous otherworldly entities, commonly divided between gods and demons. This thread is meant to give you an overview of the different gods and demons of the setting, which your characters might have heard about or even actively worship.

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The gods of Aventuria reside in the sphere of Alveran, where mortals who have proven themselves worthy in life dwell when they die. There are twelve gods, as well as numerous demigods, each of whom represent different virtues and aspects. They all have servants in Aventuria, active priests and members of the clergy of each church, who can often draw from their gods strength. The priests of the gods can, as a result, perform miracles dedicated to the aspects and virtues of each god, by calling upon a force known as karmic energy. Mages however can not become priests of a god, as the procedure that gives them the blessing of their patron also removes their arcane energy. There are regions of Aventuria that follow different gods and beliefs, but the Cult of the Twelve Gods has its followers in a majority of the cultured parts of Aventuria, even if the importance among the gods themselves can vary from nation to nation. Gods are capable of directly interfering with the way things work in Aventuria, but such involvements are extremely rare and most gods do their work exclusively through their followers instead of leaving their home in Alveran.




King of the gods and god of kings, Praios is the unquestioned ruler of the twelve gods. He is the master of light and the sun, the god of laws and rightful rulership. Truthfulness is sacred to Praios and his priests are bound to it. Known as a strict, unforgiving and uncompromisingly lawful god, Praios demands these virtues in his followers, who in return demand respect and obedience from Aventuria’s commoners. As the most influential of the churches, the Church of Praios has temples in almost every major city of Aventuria and followers among all sorts of honest people who intend to uphold law and order. He is especially popular among the nobility and ruling elite, which further cements his importance. Magic is viewed with suspicion by Praios and his followers and many mages have found themselves on the wrong end of an investigation lead by Praios’ inquisition. Griffins are the holy animal of Praios and they serve as his messengers to the mortals of Aventuria. The church of Praios is also among the churches with military might, as they have the Sun Legion, elite knights in direct service of the church, as well as the Order of the Banray, a less organized order of fanatics, dedicated to enforcing Praios’ laws without compromise. The head of the church of Praios is known as the Envoy of Light.

Priests of Praios command the light. With their karmic energy, they are able to bring forth blinding rays of sunlight, to the point where they can kill demons or demon cultists with their powers, but they can also force people to tell them the truth. They are responsible for maintaining the law, in its purest, most uncompromising form, serving as judges, juries and, occasionally, executioners. They also hunt down heretics and guard dangerous demonic artifacts that are too powerful to be destroyed.




Boron is the god of sleep, dreams, mercy and oblivion, but especially the god of death. A silent, menacing god, Boron is not worshipped as ardently as Praios in most regions of Aventuria, unless a loved one has died. Priests of Boron are honest and quiet people who are known to be solitary and serious. They tend to the dead, whose souls are judged over by Boron. Furthermore, the priests make sure that the dead don’t rise as undead and they also tend to those who have gotten insane, granting them shelter and support. In the southern nation of Al’Anfa, Boron is worshipped as the king of gods, seen as more important than even Praios. This opinion has caused a rift between the Al’Anfanian church of Boron and the more popular Puninan church of Boron, which is active in most regions of Aventuria and submits to the authority of the church of Praios. The holy animal of Boron is the raven. As one of three divine churches, the Puninan church of Boron also has a military order to serve it, the Golgarits, who follow Golgari, the collector of souls and who fight against undead. The Al’Anfanian church of Boron has the far more numerous Raven Guard, elite warriors strictly loyal to the city state. The head of the Puninan church is the Raven of Punin, while the head of the Al’Anfanian church is the Patriach of Al’Anfa.

Priests of Boron can control sleep and dream with their karmic energy. This can be used to ensure peaceful sleep for those who need rest, but also to instill nightmares in enemies. They are especially potent against the undead, whom they can outright kill with their karmic energy, as well as to prevent them from rising in the first place. They are guardians of death, watching over graveyards and supporting those who grief. They also care for those who are mentally sick or disabled, tending to the insane and either giving them a home or trying to heal them.




Rondra is the goddess of war and thunder, the fiercest warrior among the twelve gods. Her domains are courage, bravery and honour, virtues that can be found in most of her priests. Every priest of Rondra is a warrior and they are known as the most skilled fighters in all Aventuria. Due to this, the church thrives in times of war, where their code of honour and emphasis on noble and fair battle tactics puts them apart from the common soldier or mercenary. Beyond being warriors, the priests of Rondra also watch over duels and tourneys. They are respected, sometimes even feared as a military might without ties to any kingdom of Aventuria, a fact that has subjected them to diplomatic turmoil with nations or even other churches in the past. The holy animal of Rondra is the lion and the head of her church is the Sword of Swords.

Priests of Rondra are the best warriors in Aventuria. As such, they don’t wear traditional robes, but heavy armour. Their karmic energy is used to strengthen their fighting powers, make them ignore wounds and to instill divine bravery and fury in common soldiers. As warriors, they guard the human kingdoms from threats and serve as advisers and generals in major battles.





Phex, the Cunning One, is the crafty god of merchants, but also, and more infamously, the god of thieves, as well as the god of stars. He is a clever and mischievous god, who is known for practical jokes and who loves a good challenge to prove his skills as the best among all thieves. His priests come in two forms. There are those who worship the mercantile aspects of Phex, valuing honourable trade and the healthy pursuit of profit and then there are those who often appear little better than common thieves, even if the priests of Phex would never stoop so low as to steal from those who have nothing themselves. They have a strong code of honour despite their fundamentally lawless ways and a priest of Phex is usually found giving his spoils to the poor instead of hoarding them. In Tulamidya, Phex is also worshipped as the god of magic and seen as one of the most important gods, whereas priests of Praios and, indeed, all law-abiding folk view him and his followers with suspicion. Phex’ holy animal is the fox. The head of the church is known as the Moon, but their identity is unknown. It is said that whomever uncovers the Moon’s identity shall ascend to the position themselves.

Priests of Phex are thieves and merchants. Their karmic energy allows them to move unseen, to change their appearance temporarily and to open locks with ease. Merchants among the priests can use their powers to bless a contract or to gain better trading deals. A darker cult of priests who hunt and kill demon cultists also uses Phex’ energy for offensive capabilities, as assassins in service of the Twelve Gods. However, Phex is a fickle god and it is known that he tends to leave his followers just as quick as he comes to their aid if it amuses him.




Travia is the goddess of hearth and home, hospitality and faithfulness. Known as a strict, yet warm-hearted goddess, marriage is sacred to her, as is tending to the needs of the poor. As a result, almost every Aventurian had an encounter with the church of Travia before, who has temples in almost every larger town or city throughout the entire continent. Known to be sociable and generous, the priests of Travia are popular, especially among the poor of Aventuria, who always find a warm meal or a place to sleep inside the walls of the temples. The goose is Travia’s holy animal and harming one is considered a sacrilege among her followers. Unlike all other churches, the church of Travia has not one, but two leaders, a man and a woman, who are married and rule over the church as the Holy Couple.

Priests of Travia watch over marriage and tend to the poor. Their karmic powers can bless a marriage. They can also conjure simple meals for the starving, cleanse food and water from poison and give their blessings to a home, to keep it safe from intruders.




Rahja is the goddess of love, beauty, rapture and lust. Unsurprisingly a very popular goddess, her temples function as the social centre of every city they are located in. Open-minded and easy-going, priests of Rahja are well respected and almost always of breathtaking beauty. Artists, dancers, yet also prostitutes pray to Rahja and her temples are occasionally seen as part drug dens, part high-class brothels, which brings them into conflict with the more orderly churches of Praios and Travia. This is not even a prejudice, as the priests of Rahja are known for being promiscuous and for experimenting with drugs. Rahja’s holy animal is the horse and the head of her church is called the Beloved of the Goddess.

Priests of Rahja are devoted to beauty and lust and many of them outright serve as courtesans. Their karmic energy is used for peace, to settle disputes and to revert the effects of age, rejuvenating body and mind.




Firun the Grim is the god of winter and hunting. A cold, harsh and utterly unforgiving god, he is popular in the colder norths of Aventuria, but often belittled in the south, where temples towards him are few and small. Due to being seen as a cruel and unapproachable god, few openly pray towards him, yet hunting is considered sacred to him and he is often asked to bless upcoming hunting trips. Firun’s followers are serious and silent people, often without mercy or compassion and borderline wild in their worldview. The civilized world of cities stands against all the god and his priests consider sacred and his most ardent followers are found as hermits in the untamed wilds. His holy animal is the polar bear and the head of his church is known as the White Man.

Priests of Firun are rare and can mostly be found on the outskirts of civilization. They are hunters and priests of winter, who can command the cold with their karmic energies, conjuring snow storms, but also easing the harmful effects of the cold. They can also bless a hunt, so that it may be successful.




The goddess of wisdom, science and magic, Hesinde is the most intelligent and well-read of the gods, as much as the followers of Phex claim otherwise. Temples to Hesinde function as public libraries and all manners of scholars worship her. Mages also see Hesinde as the highest of gods and worship her ardently. She is a quiet and solitary goddess and her followers are either the same, solitary bookworms who dedicate their life to studying what has been written before them, or bold explorers, who seek to increase the knowledge of the world. Her holy animal is the snake and the head of her church is called the Magister of Magisters.

As a goddess of wisdom, Hesinde offers her karmic energy to those dedicated to study and increase their own knowledge. Her priests can decipher ancient texts and understand foreign languages. Due to Hesinde’s affinity for magic, her priests can also uncover and identify magical effects on another person or object.





Ingerimm is the god of artisans, fire and smiths. Among dwarfs, he is known as Angrosh and revered as the sole god of their religion, the creator and father of the dwarven race. He values craftsmanship above all other things and his followers are often talented in some aspect of it. Blacksmiths are seen as most favourable among Ingerimm’s followers. His priests command fire and perform miracles at the forge, albeit practicability is seen as more desirable than beauty by those who worship him. Unlike the other gods, Ingerimm does not have an animal that is holy to him, though some of his servants worship the hungry fire as his metaphorical holy animal. The head of the Church of Ingerimm is known as the Flamekeeper.

Priests of Ingerimm are craftsmen first and foremost. While they are capable of conjuring and controlling fire, most of them use their talents for crafting, creating work of otherworldly beauty, or blessing the tools of a craftsman. That being said, fire is holy to priests of Ingerimm and if they desire, they can wield it against enemies.




Lady Peraine is the goddess of agriculture and healing. Seen as a goddess for peasants, she is not considered to be very powerful, yet her servants are numerous and temples or shrines to her can be found in every single city of Aventuria, wherever people live off the spoils of the land. Her priests are honest, simple and down-to-earth, people who care for the commoners of Aventuria, especially farmers and those who live outside of fortified cities. Healers worship Peraine, who, as it is claimed, was the one to teach the mortal races about healing and medicine. The holy animal of Peraine is the stork and the head of her church is called the Servant of Life.

Priests of Peraine directly serve in small villages, often outright working on the fields, or as healers in regions where proper medicine is hard to come by. As such, Peraine’s karmic energy is used to increase fertility of crops, animals and people, but also to heal, especially when disease is involved.




Efferd is the god of the sea, the patron god of fishermen and sailors. Temples towards him can be found in every port in Aventuria, yet surprisingly also in the most arid regions of the continent, where his followers pray for rain. Seen as a mercurial god, Efferd is both, the calm aspect of the sea, providing food and life for countless people, but also the cruel, harsh and storm-plagued sea, which is why those who pray for him are equal parts grateful for what he gives and trying to appease him. These aspects can be found in his priests, who can be pleasant and generous, yet are also notoriously short-tempered and unforgiving. Efferd’s holy animal is the dolphin and the head of his church is the Keeper of Circles.

Priests of Effered control the water in all its ways. The more powerful of them can conjure storms, but also appease them, they can control water as a dangerous weapon, or can conjure it out of thin air. This has made them especially revered in the Khom desert, where they are often the only ones saving those who are dying from thirst.




Tsa, the Young Goddess, is the goddess of life and rebirth, renewal and change. She is the youngest of the twelve gods and the most innocent, yet also the one who stands against the old order the most. Her followers are free-spirited travellers, who are outspoken pacifists and defenders of the rights of the poor and downtrodden. Often, they are opposed to the ruling elite of Aventuria, preaching for peaceful change. They don’t have much of a structure in their church and most priests of Tsa are wanderers, who are unsurprisingly welcome wherever they go. Tsa’s holy animal is the lizard. As the only of the twelve churches, the church of Tsa does not have a head, or any actual rank among them to begin with.

Priests of Tsa follow a variety of professions, celebrating life in all its ways. Just like Tsa is a peaceful goddess, they would never use their karmic powers to harm someone else. Instead, Tsa, like Rahja, can calm down those who quarrel, instilling harmony in others. Tsa’s karmic energy can also be used to heal, even to the point where her priests are the only ones who can properly regrow a lost limb.




Though the cult of the Twelve Gods worships only the twelve main gods and their demigod children, there is a thirteenth god. The Nameless One was once the most powerful of the gods, yet his cruelty and lust for power drove the other twelve against him. In a series of terrible wars, he was defeated, yet even with all their power, the gods were unable to kill him. Instead, he was chained to the Wall of Stars beyond the sphere of Alveran, defeated yet unbroken. Ever since, he and his servants work to free him, to bring on what they believe to be the end times, followed by the golden age of the Nameless One. He is violently opposed by all other gods and even the archdemons, since his ultimate goal is to rule over them as well. In fact, there are demon cultists and even priests of the twelve gods who would be more willing to work with each other than with a priest of the Nameless One, especially if it means stopping one of them. Their goals are almost exclusively aimed towards freeing their master, which they plan to achieve by sacrificing souls to him to strengthen him until he can break his chains. Some give up their souls, parts of their bodies or even their entire lives willingly for this goal, but most of these souls are collected unwillingly. Naturally, this means that being a member of the Cult of the Nameless One is punishable by death in every single society of Aventuria and his cultist and priests have to operate in secret. Priests of the Nameless One are extremely dangerous, commanding powers not even the other priests of the twelve gods have at their disposal. The holy animal of the Nameless One is the rat. While the cells of his cult often operate independently and there are several High Priests who each see themselves as the true chosen one of their god, there is one individual that can be seen as the highest priestess of the Nameless One in Aventuria, namely the ancient High Elf Pardona, known as the Tongue of the Nameless One.