☆ A gathering may or may not be attended - it is up to you
☆ If you decide to go to a gathering, you must have a leader, general, or shaman with you
☆ Every half-moon the supreme leader and at least one of the shamans are required to speak with the gods
☆ Deceased cats are buried by family members, not withered
☆ Before they take their soldier assessment, rookies, cadets, and cookies all speak to the gods and are chosen to follow one specific god or goddess
The Empire of the Gods believe in a multitude of ancient beings - gods and goddesses. They come from ancient civilizations around the world - Greece, Egypt, those viking ships that sailed the seas. Through this comes similar and clashing ideas, colorful stories, and a working empire. But for a cat to be successful in the Empire, the have to know their gods. They are as follows:
Greek☆
Zeus is the god of the skies - of thunder and lightning, of storms and clouds. He is considered the ruler of the gods if you will. The god sends rain naturally of course as the plants need to grow, but you can tell when Zeus is angry - the skies are blown into a rage. All the Empire can do is wait it out. Zeus is also considered the god of rulers by some, and he appears in stories most often directing a famous leader. (He is the cat in front)
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Poseidon is the god of the seas and of water in general - oh, and don't forget the horses! Poseidon can't help if there is a thunderstorm at sea - it's not his fault, it's Zeus', but tsunamis, tidal waves, hurricanes (with a little help from old zeusy of course) - you know you've angered Poseidon. Poseidon is generally a pretty laid-back god, appearing in a lot of stories trying to convince Athena to be his mate or hanging around horses - his very own creation.
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Hades is the god of death and to some destruction and is ruler of Erebos. Of the three brothers - Zues, Poseidon, and Hades - Hades is considered to be the most unlucky. It is said a sign of his anger is when cracks oopen up in the ground - which doesn't happen but for the occasional huge slip up - despite his reputation, Hades isn't quick to anger. It is also believed that if you see him a few days before you die, you will end up in the Isles of the Blessed. He usually doesn't appear in stories but when he does he is almost always the 'bad guy'.
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Demeter is the goddess of plants. to cats, this may not seem useful and as so, she is not well respected by general soldiers. However, medicine cats believe that Demeter has blessed them when they find a certain herb they were looking for, or a herb that will help their clanmates. When Demeter is mad - which is usually only in leaf-fall and leaf-bare (because of the whole Persephone-Hades thing) the herbs wilt, leaves fall, and crops die. Who knew a plant goddess could be so powerful? She usually appears as a protagonist or nature-protector in stories.
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Hera mates and birth, and is also the mate of Zeus, making her the technical queen of the gods. Hera is a no-nonsense molly - if she's mad, you know it because she will personally see to it that your life sucks and will tell you she hates you to her face. Especially if you are a demigod, and especially if your father is Zeus. Then she will probably turn you into another animal. She is well respected, especially by queens who wish for good birth. She rarely appears in stories but when she does...you can imagine it yourself. She is the cat in the back.
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Apollo is the god of healing, and also of plagues, and is sometimes seen as the god of the sun when he isn't actually. He is a cat that could sit back and laze in the sun all day if he felt like it, and go and challenge someone to a battle, race, or music fight the next. If he is angry, Apollo lets you know by sending plagues down on cats like rain drops. He has a small anger span, though, and usually lifts these plagues or gives the shamans the herbs to heal the empire soon after his anger. He usually appears in stories as challenging someody, or arguing with his sister, Artemis. He is the cat on the right.
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Artemis is your mysterious goddess of hunting, bachelors, and is sometimes called the goddess of the moon - but, like Apollo isn't the god of the sun, she is not the goddess of the moon. And yes - her brother is the annoying Apollo. Artemis leads a band of mollies who are technically immortal as long as they have never had an interest in toms. They hunt down mythical creatures. However, Artemis, in her anger, could definitely unleash badgers, dogs, or foxes if empire cats have been over-hunting or harmed an animal who wasn't bothering anybody. She usually appears in stories as calm and collected, and always moving and hunting. She is the cat on the left.
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Dionysus may seem a minor god, but he is one to watch out for. Sure he is the god of grapes - a fairly useless item to cats - but he is also the god of insanity, and with a flick of his tail can make even the most level-headed of cats through their caution to the wind, or make the most sane, insane. He is prone to turning cats he is mad at into dolphins. Dionysus rarely appears in stories, but if he does, it is usually as a party guy or an insanely powerful god.
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Hephaestus is your usual god with a lame back leg - he loves labor and fixing things. A den broken? Stone chipping? Call on Hephaestus and he'll get the job done. Hephaestus isn't a particularly common god to hear about in the Empire, but it is said he has blessed the strong to be able to lift heavy things. Oh - and he is immune to fire. He usually appears in stories, well, fixing things.
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Ares is not your friendly neighborhood vigilante. He is a bloody god of war, appreciating every wood, every drop of red fluid, loving to reside over battlefields as the battle happens. With this in mind, he is also the mate of Aphrodite, goddess of love, and to see this vicious tom capable of love is too much even for some of the other gods. But when Ares and Aphrodite combine their powers of war and jealousy - goodbye common sense and your life. If he appears in stories, he is usually fighting or with Aphrodite.
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Aphrodite is the goddess of love and jealousy. She can make a cat fall in love with anyone, and especially likes to toy with cats she dislikes emotions, and make others jealous of love. She is the mate of Ares, and you could probably see why they get along - jealousy leads to anger which leads to fighting which can sometimes lead to war. Fun, right? Aphrodite usually appears in stories helping cats realize true love - so far from the actual truth of what she really does.
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Hermes is the god of messengers and travel. If your in Hermes' favor, you may find yourself easily getting a gift for a loved one, having an uninteresting patrol, being safe on your way to gatherings or other territories, being able to give a message without getting hurt. And if you're on Hermes' bad side - flip all of that to the worst possible scenario. Hermes is usually pretty laid back and appears to common cats the most often. Sometimes you can see him heading for a morning run. When Hermes appears in stories, he usually is helping a cat get somewhere or talking to snakes to benefit a cat. Oh, right - he can talk to snakes.
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Athena is the goddess of wisdom and warfare. No, not war - of fighting strategically and smartly, not barreling into cats head on, hoping brute strength will get you a victory. Athena is rarely seen by any cat, and doesn't really grant cats anything - she just seems to be there. But you are lucky if she appears to you - it means she respects your intellect, or wants to help you win a battle you will lose with brute strength. She often is a background character in stories, never really playing a big role.
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Hestia is a minor goddess of fire and communities. She is very hard to make mad, but when she does, she usually talks to Zues, who produces a thunderstorm, which causes lightning, which strikes the ground, which is a chance that Hestia takes to start a fire. She can also cause discord in a community, but rarely takes this second action as it can end up breaking up a clan, when more cats together mean stronger worship. Hestia, like Athena, is usually a background character in stories or doesn't appear at all.
Egyptian☆
Ra is the Egyptian leader of the gods and the god of the sun and of leaders. If this god ever appears to you, you know you are in for a real treat - or Ra just sees you as a capable leader. He is old beyond the ages, but just and fair. It was he who helped Osiris and Anubis to create the scales in the Temple of Justice and he who wears the crown of Pharaoh. He often appears in the Empire Pharaoh's dreams, guiding them to honor if he deems them worthy - or straight to the jaws of Set if he does not. He often appears in the background in stories, bringing up the sun everyday or fighting the snake of chaos, Apophis.
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Osiris is the one and only Egyptian god of death. While this title also gets thrown on Anubis as well, Osiris is the true god, and the owner of the wonderful Feather of Truth and Ammit the Devourer. Despite dealing with death, Osiris is quite a friendly god, and will always lead Egyptian believers to the Temple of Justice if need be. Just don't touch his fur - his body can get incredibly cold. He usually appears in stories as a majestic figure in the Temple of Justice, but doesn't do much else.
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Horus is god of birds, though this is often specified t be birds of prey because he is a falcon, and is also the god of honorable fighters and warriors. Horus is a strictly trained warrior himself, and if you recieve training from him you are likely to be the best warrior around. However, Horus does not honor the warriors that are not honorable, and his temper at those who break the laws of honor is great. However, Isis and Ra are usually able to hold Horus back from inflicting any damage on the Empire or certain cats. Horus often appears in stories as the savior - the warrior who kills the monster and is rewarded in gold and jewels and whatnot. Horus really hates all his gold and jewels.
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Isis is goddess of magic and miracles. She is considered to be the calmest god, but her anger can come out in twisted ways. Ever heard of karma? That's probably Isis, pulling your strings. Bad luck? Good luck? Miracles? All Isis. The paranormal? Probably her way too - her way of saying 'We're out here, and we're watching you.' But who knows? Isis is also the Egyptian gods' ambassador, and frequently checks on Anubis and Osiris in the Temple of Justice, on StarClan, the Underworld, Valhalla, the Dark Forest - you name it. She is usually seen messing around with magic in stories. Oh - and she is the goddess of healing and salves too.
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Bastet is goddess of cats and the 'Fighter of Ra' - she, along with Sekhmet are actually the ones fighting Apophis, not Ra. She is heavily revered by the Empire's Pharaoh, and is considered the mother of cats - thought to have started the race. She is the most helpful god, and also the most sly and the sneakiest - she can squeeze into small spaces others couldn't. Bastet is usually in the background of stories or in the front, fighting whatever enemy is next besides Horus.
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Set is the god of chaos and antagonists. Because of this, it is no surprise the handsome tabby is the most disliked out of Egyptian gods. It is said he whispers in the ears of tricksters and those destined to be traitors, and his influence is as strong as Noble's personality. Set is incredibly suave, handsome, persuasive, and is a great thief and distraction. He and Bastet constantly butt heads. He is often the cause of problems in a story, and is very rarely not in one.
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Ma'at is goddess of order, the yang to Set's yin. Ma'at has never been seen by a living cat, and like so, her appearance is only known through the accounts of other gods - and who knew how accurate those were? Ma'at is constantly working with other gods, to calm them down, fire them up, scold them if they aren't doing their job properly, and also concentrating on trying to keep the Empire stable. With Set on the radar as well, Ma'at has a nearly impossible job, but she handles it to the best of her abilities. Ma'at isn't in any original stories, but many the cats make up in the Empire contain Ma'at giving out advice to Thoth to give out to others in general.
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Anubis is god of dogs, god of graves, and god of grave protection. He is also considered by some the god of death, though this is a fake title, as Osiris is the god of death - though Anubis certainly works with the blue god. If Osiris is not there to lead souls to the Temple of Justice, Anubis will. Anubis is the one that weighs the souls' heart against the Feather of Truth. Despite being in bad light sometimes - dogs, jackals, foxes, and most canine creatures Anubis rules over are threats to cats - Anubis is seen as the one god who does not get mad and lets the Empire be - a great blessing or a tragedy, depending on the cat you ask. Anubis is in stories weighing hearts or as a back-up fighter behind Bast, Horus, Isis, and Sekhmet.
☆
Sekhmet is goddess of the great cats and the desert. Make her mad? Ooh, look - the territory is on fire! Or you'll recieve a massive heat wave. And Sekhmet is
very easy to make mad. The goddess appears as a lioness, and other than her fiery wrath, not much is known about her, other than that she fights Apophis alongside Bastet. Sekhmet only appears in stories fighting by Horus' side.
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Thoth is god of knowledge. It is said he gets all of his knowledge from Ma'at, but in reality, that isn't true. Ma'at surely gives him advice and some knowledge when she has the time, but Thoth is able to grab any random fact from the air and give it as knowledge to those down below. The stork is also said to bless fishing trips. Thoth appears in stories as your 'wise guy' - the one the hero goes to for guidance before fighting the battle.
Norse☆
Odin is the god of rulers, outlaws, wisdom, and war. He, like Ra guides a Pharaoh, guides the Thane of the Empire. Being the god of outlaws as well as wisdom makes Odin smart and wily - though he only helps those outlaws with good intentions. He is also the Norse god to call upon when you need spiritual help in a war. It is also said that Odin wears his eye patch because he traded one eye for all the wisdom in the world, long ago.
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Thor is the famous god of warriors and thunder. Don't believe Zeus is causing all of those lightning storms? It's probably Thor, then. He usually sends lightning storms to where he has heard that Loki has been, though these are commonly rumors, and all the Empire gets is rain and thunder - better than actually having Loki in your area. Thor is said to be loud, boastful, and great fun when he isn't fighting with his brother.
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Loki is your not-so-friendly god of mischief, tricks, and cunning schemes. He's smart and strategic, elusive, and bathes in chaos. While Loki doesn't encourage chaos, he certainly uses it to try out a new trick or the like. He's not as bad as everyone makes him seem, though - sure, he almost killed a lot of cats a lot of times, but he truly cares for his brother and the safety if Asgard.
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Balder is the god of youth and joy. Not much is known about him, other than that he is one of the happiest cats there is, and that cadets and rookies revere him and the fun he creates.
☆
Heimdall is the god of bridges and guards. Camp guards and those heading into unknown territory will sometimes call upon the strength and solid will of Heimdall to let them face the challenges they meet - or to let them get past all challenges. However, Heimdall is also the only god that never gets mad at the Empire and is jolly good fun when you get him talking.
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Tyr is the silent, solemn god of codes, laws, and justice. He sacrificed a paw to bind Fenrir in ropes, and helped make some of the Empire's rules before delivering them indirectly to Noble. Tyr's anger is great and noticable - swift justice will be delivered by the powerful tom if you break a rule, whether it be a scolding to an exile.
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Freya is the beautiful goddess of mates, fertility, and beauty. Along with her twin brother, Freyr, she helps the Empire prosper. She watches over kit births and mate-ships, and will help push cats from their true loves. Unlike Aphrodite, she doesn't mess around with jealousy, and instead, when she gets angry, will stop watching over births and mates, and let the cats help themselves.
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Freyr is the god of harvests and prosperity. Like his sister Freya, his is kind and helpful, especially in hunting, herb harvests, and den materials. Also like his sister, when he gets mad, he will let the Empire flounder for themselves, though he almost immediately feels bad and goes back to help them again.
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Njord is the god of peace. With his sister Nerthus, he helps the Empire keep peace within itself, though he can't help anything coming from outside the Empire. Not much other than this is known about Njord and Nerthus.
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Nerthus is the goddess of peace. With her brother Njord, she helps the Empire keep peace within itself, though she can do little about outside threats. Not much other than this is known about Nerthus and Njord.
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Hel is the feared goddess of hiding spaces, death, and greed. Encounter her, and you're sure to come away scarred - or not at all. She is ruthless and rarely never mad - but there is little she can do to affect the living cats of the Empire. The molly, luckily for everyone who meets her, is an attack first, think later type of cat, so if you meet her, run. It'll take her a moment to follow you!
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Fenrir is the wolf god of, well dogs, wolves, foxes, and cunning. Long ago, the gods worked together to bind this cunning beast to stop his supposed plans for the domination of Asgard, and to stop him from killing so many cats with his underlings. Because he is bound on a secret island that only rises out of the sea once a year, no living cat has ever seen him since the vikings roamed the earth. The wolf is still .able to send his minions to harass the Empire, though.
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Asariel is the god of spirits and peaceful deaths. He is a kind soul, and not a real god - just a spirit of a cat in the favor of the gods that once died. He is the one to lead spirits to Hell, Folkvanger, or Valhalla - whichever he deems your spirit worthy of - and he is always fair in this reckoning. Asariel is said to be quiet but friendly, and will have a conversation with your spirit. He also makes sure all burials are proper and all treatment is going as it should in the afterlives. He is an ambassador, much like Isis as well.