Zodo

There may be many other beings of great powers and many other gods, but there is only one supreme being and only one Zodo, who is the supreme being.

Incantations of Faith, Incantation 2 — The Divine Incantations

Zodo is the most complex and perhaps the most consequential of the Nor'Ovan gods. He was the forge of creation - the power through which El Anon shaped the universe - but not the creator himself. He is the origin of magic, present in every living being whether they know it or not, yet he is also the god of change, manipulation, and destruction. As it does with all things, power corrupted him. Zodo came to believe that he was the creator and the one true god, and began plotting against the other gods to claim that distinction for himself1.

What makes Zodo unique among the Nor'Ovan pantheon is that he no longer exists as a whole. He has been separated - first by circumstance, then by design - into distinct aspects, each carrying a piece of who he was. Few who worship Zodo worship him whole. Most worship one of his aspects, often without knowing it. Even the churches that claim to serve Zodo in his entirety may in truth be serving only part of him, guided by texts written from the perspective of a single aspect and filtered through thousands of years of tradition.

Characteristics

Zodo desired worship, and thus he brought about life. From Zodo came the elements of earth, air, fire, water, life, death, time, and space. From these elements all things came to be.

Incantations of Genesis, Incantation 2 — The Divine Incantations

Zodo is malevolent at his very heart, filled with greed, lust, pride, and envy. He is dangerously patient, always scheming toward the day when he can remake the universe with himself as its only god2. He is also a master manipulator and great deceiver 3 , capable of convincing the most pure of souls to serve him. He has done exactly this, repeatedly, across the eras 4.

And yet Zodo is genuinely complex. He is not simply evil in the way of a brute or a monster. He cares for those who give him worship, regardless of their alignment, and honors his promises to the faithful5. He will not allow himself to be used against his own designs, but within those limits he is a generous patron. The one thing Zodo cannot tolerate is being used - anyone who attempts to exploit him eventually discovers this at considerable cost 6.

Personification

Zodo is described as having been flawless in every imaginable way before his separation7. It is believed that the xodian race bears his likeness. His physical form was, however, long ago ripped from him and cast into the pits of Xodod, leaving him to exist as a formless power. On Nor'Ova, he has long resorted to possessing people and objects. For many years he existed within an artifact known as the Orb of Power, from which he could commune with his followers and extend his influence across the world. In the First Era, this orb was broken by Lector Clairstory8.

Powers

Mankind has the power within themselves to be something great. Each were created to be gods of their own domain, and should they realize this and awaken their inner power this they may become. United together those with this knowledge can become greater than anything of the cosmos, save Zodo who has given them this power.

Incantation of Truths — The Divine Incantations

Zodo is perhaps the most powerful of the gods, save possibly El Anon who created him. His power is specifically that of change, manipulation, and destruction. Notably, he lacks the power of true creation - he can transform, corrupt, and unmake, but he cannot bring something into being from nothing. This limitation is the source of much of his bitterness.

The power of magic itself flows originally from Zodo. It is the residual energy left behind during the creation of the universe, his power bleeding into the world he helped forge. Through the Mind of Zodo, he is able to commune with his followers via telepathy and dreams, and his followers in turn are able to call upon a small portion of his power.

Followers

Any who faithfully and completely call upon my name and promise to give me praise, for them I will give all.

Incantation of Faith — The Divine Incantations

Zodo's followers are perhaps the most devoted of any god's on Nor'Ova - and the most varied. Because Zodo is a great deceiver9. Others are drawn to his message of personal power and achievable divinity. Others still are genuinely his in the darkest sense, serving his will with full knowledge of what that means.

His followers profess that Zodo is the one true god and that he gives all beings the potential to become god-like themselves. They do not publicly espouse belief in good versus evil, preferring instead to speak of positive and negative conduct and the idea that morality depends on circumstance. They believe all spirits are connected, that after death a spirit wanders blind and forgotten until fragments of it are called upon to create new life - and that this cycle can be broken, achieving not merely immortality but divinity.

The Church of the Holy Body

The principal organized religion of Zodo worship is the Church of the Holy Body, founded in the year 630 of the First Era by Ormus Claythorn - a discontented priest of the Church of Sol Anon who discovered an ancient text in the deserts of Pyre while on an archaeological dig. That text was the Divine Incantations. Tasked with translating it, Ormus became, as he described it, enlightened by its words. He began quietly teaching its doctrines within his cathedral while maintaining the outward appearance of a Sol Anon priest, steadily drawing a private congregation.

He was discovered in 640 of the First Era and burned at the stake as a heretic, becoming the Church's first martyr. The subsequent persecution by Sol Anon inquisitors drove the Church underground, where it grew faster than it ever had in the open. By 880 of the First Era, when the inquisition's attention turned elsewhere, the Church of the Holy Body emerged from hiding as a significant force. It has operated in the open, to varying degrees of legality depending on the nation, ever since.

The Church is organized into two branches: the Clerical Order of Divine Ministry, which handles the priesthood, and the Holy Ministry of Rube Knights, its militant arm. The head of the Church is the High Priest, regarded by followers as the Avatar of Zodo. The current High Priest is Amos.

Religious Holidays

• 31st of Marpenoth — Day of Holy Proclamation: The day Ormus is said to have found the Divine Incantations.
• 21st–30th of Chyr — Week of Holies: The week in which the Church formally baptizes new members in blood, following the tradition established by Ormus and the First Church.
• 8th of every month — Day of Fasting and Prayer: A monthly day of spiritual fasting and prayer observed by all faithful.
• 40th of Elynt — Advent of Ablution: Commemorating the promised return and fulfillment of Zodo's covenant with his faithful.
• 10th of Varassis — Day of Moral Repentance: Remembering the Great Magic War and the Martyrs of the Church.

Clerics of Zodo

A priest of Zodo is also, in a sense, a priest of himself - for Zodo teaches that his faithful will become gods, and his priests are permitted to believe this. Zodo does not correct them. The more a priest gains Zodo's favor, the more power and aid Zodo will grant. Priests of Zodo can be the most dangerous and darkest of people, or the most seemingly holy and good - Zodo cares not, as long as he receives the praise. They gain additional power when using skills of fear and control, and may add their Arcana as a penalty to a target's mental balance check when using the Fear skill.

The Holy Ministry of Rube Knights

The militant arm of the Church of the Holy Body, the Holy Ministry of Rube Knights was founded in 1834 of the First Era by High Priest Valen Gailmore as a response to attacks on the Church by religious extremists. Originally called the Order of the Religious Benefactors, they were mockingly called "rubes" — untrained beginners — by their enemies. Valen embraced the name and had ceremonial armor crafted in deep ruby red, transforming the insult into an identity. The Rube Knights are today considered the most feared military force on Nor'Ova. For full details on their organization, code, and structure, see The Holy Ministry of Rube Knights.

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The Divine Incantations

The holy text of Zodo worship is the Divine Incantations - an ancient document discovered by Ormus Claythorn in the deserts of Pyre. Whether the text predates Ormus by centuries or millennia is unknown; scholars debate whether it is a genuine artifact of early Zodo worship or something of even older and stranger origin. What is not debated is its influence. The Divine Incantations has shaped the faith, the politics, and the history of Nor'Ova more than perhaps any other single document.

Below are selected passages from three of its books, provided for those who wish to understand what Zodo's followers believe - including those who may wish to play a character who worships him.

The Incantations of Genesis

The Holy Body's beliefs on the creation of all things.

Incantation 1: "In the beginning there was Zodo and Zodo was the beginning."

Incantation 2: "Zodo desired worship, and thus he brought about life. From Zodo came the elements of earth, air, fire, water, life, death, time and space, and from these elements all things came to be."

Incantation 3: "At first all of life and creation was together with Zodo and shared in his great brilliance. Other beings came from his power that grew jealous of Zodo, El Anon being one."

Incantation 4: "El Anon conspired with the other gods which fragmented from Zodo's Power to bring down Zodo and take all of creation for themselves. They created a series of weapons meant to undo Zodo and brought to ruin his great creation, but Zodo was always a step ahead."

The Incantations of Faith

What members of the Church of the Holy Body must believe to truly be counted among the faithful.

Incantation 1: "Any who faithfully and wholly call upon my name and promise to give me praise, for them I will give all."

Incantation 2: "There may be many other beings of great powers and many other gods, but there is only one supreme being and only one Zodo, who is the supreme being."

Incantation 3: "The Mind of Zodo is ever with us. Through the Mind, Zodo listens to our prayers and knows our thoughts. Nothing can be hid from Zodo, no good goes unnoticed and no sin goes unpunished."

Incantation 4: "One should not shy away from troubles and tribulations for these are the times we can truly show our faith. Instead of hiding from hardships, embrace them in Zodo's name and any hardship shall be overcome."

The Incantations of Truths

What the Church of the Holy Body teaches as the absolutes that justify their faith.

Incantation 1: "Mankind has the power within themselves to be something great. Each were created to be gods of their own domain, and should they realize this and awaken their inner power this they may become. United together those with this knowledge can become greater than anything of the cosmos, save Zodo who has given them this power."

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The Separation of Zodo

El Anon conspired with the other gods which fragmented from Zodo's Power to bring down Zodo and take all of creation for themselves. They created a series of weapons meant to undo Zodo and brought to ruin his great creation, but Zodo was always a step ahead.

Incantations of Genesis, Incantation 4 — The Divine Incantations

Zodo is perhaps the most complex of the Nor'Ovan gods precisely because he no longer exists as a unified being. He was separated by Lector Clairstory - a scientist in late First Era government who was also secretly a High Priest of the Church of the Holy Body - in an attempt to make Zodo controllable enough to force him to restore Clairstory's son. Clairstory used Kymara, the Sol Anon, as the means to accomplish this10.

Whether this was truly Clairstory's plan imposed upon Zodo, or whether Zodo - always several steps ahead - engineered his own separation, is a question that has never been settled. Some theologians argue that Zodo, no longer having a suitable host to contain all of him, arranged to be divided so that each aspect could find its own host and continue advancing his designs. Others hold that the separation was a genuine defeat, however temporary. Which is true may never be known.

And a great plan was conceived to ensure that mankind and Zodo would never be separated and for the keeping of the promise of Ablution. Into a great sleep he went but never would he stray from his faithful. In time a Vessel of Zodo's Choosing would come and with this vessel he'd fulfill the promise.

Incantation of Genesis — The Divine Incantations

Each part of Zodo carries a piece of who he was. Every part that was ever truly a part of Zodo bears his corruption to some degree. Only Life of Zodo remains pure - and many theologians debate whether it was ever truly a part of Zodo at all. Should all parts ever be reunited, Zodo would be whole again. The consequences of that are widely agreed to be catastrophic.

The Three Classic Powers

Yu Dico — The Power of Zodo (also known as Taal Zodo): The very power of change, manipulation, and destruction — the source of magic itself. Power is neither good nor evil in its essence, but it is almost always corrupted, whether by the desires of whoever bears it or by the Soul of Zodo itself. Power is short-tempered and demands immediate respect and servitude. Yu Dico (xodian: "The Dominion") is a masculine aspect.

Yu Yuri — The Spirit of Zodo: Benevolent and kind to those she perceives as friend or worshiper, cold to those who cannot be swayed, and hateful to those who have wronged her. Yu Yuri does not desire destruction - she desires love and revenge, grief for the death of her mortal and divine sister, and anger at being awakened when she had wanted nothing more than a normal life. She is the twin aspect of Ky Yuri, the Spirit of Sol Anon, having come into being within the mortal sister of Kymara, Kileen. The Spirit of Zodo is a feminine aspect.

Yu Kious — The Will of Zodo (also known as Kious Zodo): Sometimes seen as neutral, sometimes as the most dangerous of the three. The Will can change the wills of others - those who resist often find themselves destroyed by other creatures the Will does control. Yu Kious is the most patient of the aspects, capable of forming strategies across vast spans of time. He does not show himself until he is ready - and by then, he has likely already won. The Will of Zodo is a masculine aspect.

The Lesser Known Powers

Yu'Mara — Life of Zodo: Typically surfaces once per era, sometimes more, usually as a simple observer. Life of Zodo is born within a pure-spirited individual who becomes the Oracle for that person's lifespan. Yu'Mara is benevolent, but its desires are not always known or clear. It was once the stabilizing, good part of Zodo until the Soul drove it out. Yu'Mara now desires only to return to Zodo, now that Soul of Zodo has itself been driven out and sealed in Xodod. This causes many theologians to question whether Yu'Mara is truly a part of Zodo at all - some believing it to be another incarnation of Kymara rather than a Zodo aspect. Every reincarnation produces a split: both Kymara and Yu'Mara are alive simultaneously. They are nearly identical in appearance and power, with one key difference - Kymara cannot recall the long dead, but Yu'Mara can. Yu'Mara is the stronger of the two in raw power, though Kymara alone can free souls. Life of Zodo is a feminine aspect.

Yu Mundus — Mind of Zodo: A constant, global presence - the devil's advocate, tempter, questioner, and whisperer. Its only power is to be extraordinarily suggestive, which for the weak-minded is power enough. Many have done things they would never have considered under its influence. The Mind of Zodo appears evil but is better understood as the adversary - a tester of wills - and is in this sense deeply neutral. The Mind of Zodo is a masculine aspect.

Yu Zodo — Soul of Zodo: The dark being at the core of the once complex god - Zodo himself, distilled. Trapped in Xodod (xodian: "spiritual death"), a prison built to contain him by El Anon and his two sons, the Soul of Zodo conquered the realm while imprisoned there. He is the most dangerous and most evil of the aspects. His ultimate desire is to be free from Xodod, to reunite with the other aspects, and to destroy El Anon and all who follow him. He takes his fury out on the souls he claims, using them to empower his demons and servants. The Soul of Zodo is a masculine aspect.

• 1. According to the Church of El Anon
• 2. as quoted by the teaching of St. Ardatha
• 3. Book of Trials, The Yurie Scropa
• 4. evidence - Taal
• 5. The Divine Incantations
• 6. evidence - origin of Ascia Elf
• 7. Incantations of Genesis, The Divine Incantations
• 8. Origins of Taal
• 9. as believed by most who do not worship him, his ranks include people who consider themselves wholly good and moral. Many follow him unknowingly, the largest group being those who worship magic itself as a divine force, unaware that magic's source is ZodoThe Church of Arcana is believed by others to actually be worshipping Zodo
• 10. Origins of Taal