The Keepers

There are four keepers, each one representing one of the four forces of the world of Avern, Magic, Nature, Life and Death. Each of these are among the firstborn of the gods, and are somewhat more worshipped than any others among the pantheons. Even after the Abandonment, the four Keepers are often whispered about, and some old ones remember what they were. Common sayings related to them exist, even if the origin has been forgotten. During the harvest, Charin is invoked, and her symbol is often etched on farming equipment even if it has been forgotten why it is done that way. Four holidays are named after the Keepers. Each of the Keepers is the sovereign of their own realm beyond the physical plane. The Keeper of Stars resides in the Astral plane, the Keeper of Nature resides in the Physical plane, the Keeper of Life resides in the Upper planes in the Halls of the Souls, and the Keeper of Death resides in the Lower planes, in the Halls of the Dead. The Keepers are all neutral in their outlook on life, the four aspects being neither good nor evil, nor aspects of lawfulness or chaos.

Worshippers of the Keepers feel that those that worship the other deities are incredibly small minded and do not understand the broadness of the universe. Of all the Keepers, the Mother of Elves is perhaps the best known. After all, her children all take from her name.

There are those that worship the four keepers together. When these are found, they use a holy symbol that combines all four of the symbols of the Keepers. Usually it is an hour glass laid over a spiral background with a leaf to the right and a seven-pointed star to the right. There is debate among people as to if the Maker and Unmaker are really two of the Keepers, but it isn’t so in reality, of course.