For time immemorial, various cultures on Nave have worshiped or otherwise tied concepts and forces—ranging from the physical to the abstract—to the entities known as Gods.

This practice is not without good reason, for divine influence has been both readily observed and speculated upon, and hushed whispers tell of direct communication with or even manipulation of the Gods being possible through devices such as the lost Armillogion. Some even believe new Gods can be created with enough concentrated belief.

Most religious worship on Nave is externally quantifiable as a polytheistic belief in a “world of gods”—a Pantheon—with apparent similarities between the cultures. For instance, in Tindrem prior to The Irruption the main gods were Zelua and Camulos, Gods of Wisdom and War respectively, and they both had much in common with their Nordveldian counterparts.

Many of the celestial bodies of the solar system have been named after the Gods, though whether or not these planets, moons, and stars are the physical manifestations of the Gods which share their names remains a matter of intense theurgic as well as astrological debate.

Some of the Gods are considered to be Ancient or Old Gods and most of these—although usually seen as important and powerful—aren't commonly worshiped directly.

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Prior to The Irruption, surviving fragments of ancient, presumably Shinarian philosophy—well-guarded in one of the great vaults of Clerus Magica—were still being copied and studied in modern Tindremene theology, calculus and science of matter. Although not completely translated or understood, according to these, “nothing existed before Arkhe and Ma”, as Arkhe was the beginning and Ma the space to be filled.

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The Ancients believed that all things—including hypothetical things or abstract concepts—must have a True Name, and the name of this hypothetical “nothing” was Mu. And as Mu symbolizes a thing, a concept, this in turn presented the Ancient thinkers with the paradoxical mystery: “Mu existed before Arkhe”. As this obviously couldn't be possible, what then, did Mu mean?

It seems that for a very long time the Mu paradox had no obvious solution. Whole incomplete chapters are filled with accounts on conflicts and listings of separatist cults. It even threatened to completely shatter the ruling Ancient Theurgy, until finally a solution was found.

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There are several versions of what became known as Ogloab's Axiom, but it is usually presented something similarly to the following:

A man who has been honest and righteous for all his life is asked the question “Have you stopped stealing 
from the offering shrine?”

The answer "yes" is wrong because it implies he used to steal from the shrine and then stopped, but the
answer "no" is also wrong because it suggests that he is still stealing from shrine.

The correct answer is "Mu", meaning "your question cannot be answered because it depends on incorrect
assumptions".

Ogloab the Arbiter (year unknown)

Thus it was agreed that Mu is not just nothingness—it is an absence of anything, including meaning, so complete it collapses within itself. The name can be interpreted as “un-ask”, as in “You are asking the wrong question, unask it.” Yet another reading is “not even wrong”; an answer to a question or an argument based on assumptions that are known to be incorrect, or on theories that cannot be falsified or used to predict anything.

Some Ancient scholars theorized that if Ma is all-encompassing, Mu must also be the answer to what exists outside Ma. Further, if Arkhe and Ma are eternal, Mu is how to properly address what exists after them. There are no accounts on Mu being worshiped as a God or power, rather it was widely feared for its qualities as a metaphysical paradox—Mu has enormous implications as it is the “Destroyer of Significance”, “Undoer of Significance”, or “Vitiator and Invalidator”.

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The Mu-symbol is however sometimes used in the calculus of the Ancients, but it is not a number like how for instance Ma can be translated to zero. It isn't even similar to an empty space where a number is supposed to be written or the absence of a number. If used in an equation, it seems to mean that the inputs are invalid, or that the result is “not a number”; the equation is meaningless.

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This section is an analysis of evolution in the settings of Mortal Online and Mortal Online 2, written to explain the processes of evolution and how deities can and have interfered with it to players.

While its implications are canonical and some in-world theologians are aware of The Rule of Dawning, it is not written from an in-world standpoint, and should be both read as well as referenced accordingly.

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On Nave, life is based on evolution. While somewhat different from real-world evolution, it follows the principles of natural selection, adaptation and genetic drift. This means a creature will develop according to its environment. What most obviously differs from real-world evolution is the speed of this evolutionary process; it is progressive and could be said to have a memory.

To be more specific, “genes”—which take the form of Sheut from an in-world perspective—may sometimes change and adapt during a creatures actual lifetime, meaning for example that an individual that develops extraordinary strength during its life may actually pass this on to its offspring. This process is somewhat similar to the old theories of inheritance of acquired characteristics or pangenesis.

For instance, putting a flock of wolves on an isolated island would not only produce a new wolf-race, it would probably lead to a new type of wolf-species in a matter of only a few generations. This quick adaptation comes with a price though, as overspecialization breeds in weakness.

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The Gods or rare magic have historically interfered with the evolutionary process, although it is now forbidden by the Gods themselves by the ancient Rule of Dawning. However, if one were to break that rule, this kind of manipulation must still obey certain primary rules of nature, and it costs a lot of energy. In essence, the more a creature is to be changed, by forcing evolution in a certain direction or by speeding it up or reversing it, the harder it becomes and the more energy is required.

If a God for instance wanted to create an entirely new type of creature from nothing, the energy cost would be tremendous. Conversely, modifying or combining already existent species according to their hereditary possibilities would be much cheaper.

Due to the nature of Sheut, creatures may undergo relatively dramatic changes in a short time. Over some generations, a species may re-shape its arms to fins to adapt to a life underwater for instance, although naturally adapting by evolving an extra pair of limbs would be very rare as there would be no rudimentary limbs to start from: it would have to happen as a result of a mutation or as an atavism—characteristics from a much earlier stage in evolution would appear again.

On the other hand divine intervention, life-manipulation rituals, or controlled breeding opens up the possibility for recalling such features on a wider scale, although that knowledge together with the conscious creation of new species are regulated and forbidden by the Gods as mentioned earlier.

Before the Rule of Dawning, several creations came into existence as a result of forced manipulation by the Gods themselves or by intelligent beings wielding great power. These manipulated creatures combined different traits from various evolutionary branches, giving rise to beings such as Griffins and the Murnahās—more commonly known as Minotaur.

Those that weren't overly specialized for their “purpose” managed to survive the ensuing events and produce offspring. Over time, this led to the emergence of new species and races as they too adapted to the environment. Moreover, many “intelligent” creatures—in this case referring to conscious beings—were also brought into existence through similar events that required even greater power.

Apart from the “natural” creatures of the world, so-called magical beings also exist. They could be said to follow the same evolutionary rules as the natural ones—but as most magical creatures exist only temporary or are powered by a magical or divine source—the energy cost of modifying them is much less than for permanent creatures, allowing for far more flexibility. This is true for both spirit beings and artificial life such as the undead.

Finally, there are truly ancient creatures in the world that were created when not even the primary rules of life and nature where set in stone among the Gods.

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The following is a highly incomplete list of reasonably well-known deities and deity-like entities, as well as what information on them is accessible in the wake of various disasters such as the recent Tagmaton Irruption.

It should not be interpreted as the Pantheon of any specific culture, as those Pantheons are both reasonably exclusive and very often fluid in terms of which Gods are included.

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Also known as Ankha or Anğa, Akana “The Earth Mother” is a Khurite deity whose flesh is sometimes described as the earth and soil which provides a way for life to flourish, very notably excluding the cold rock below. All life is said to have a connection to Akana, with the connection being stronger among wildlife and weaker among their domesticated cousins.

She is the warm sister of Tjaka Baarve, and also one half of the Khurite Feng, itself made whole alongside Jumal “The Sky Father”.

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Mentioned here as the Alvarin religion is not well-understood by those outside of the clade, the Anam are said to be the spirits or essence of nature which reside in all things.

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An unconfirmed Tindremic Goddess who may be associated with Light and Justice.

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The Tindremic God of Fortune, Caerus is celebrated in Tindrem through the Raffle of Caerus, a yearly event in his honor demonstrating the fickleness of Fortune. His will is represented during this event by Krampos Buccus, a maddened man wearing the head of a Urial.

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Camulos is the Tindremic Old God of War, and is frequently honored in statues, the most prominent of which is one of the Colossi Geminus, massive statues on either side of Tindrem's Arx Primoris. Notable also is the extremely ancient statue of Camulos in the fallen monastery known as The Undercroft.

As these statues depict Camulos holding a greater moon, there has long been speculation that he is the larger of Nave's two visible moons, or at the very least charged with keeping it in the sky.

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Carpo is the Tindremic Goddess of Autumn. She is celebrated annually during the ten-day Feast of Carpo which takes place in the Gardens of Tindrem, with the gardens themselves decorated by autumnal flowers and branches in colors of orange, red, and yellow.

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Chronos—also known as Khrónos, Cronos, or Krónos—is the deity which lends its name to the material Cronite. Little else is known at this time about the deity.

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A Tindremic deity known as the God of Insects, some believe the Tagmatons to be tools through which it conducts its influence. The asteroid belt Crepitea shares its name, and perhaps the countless asteroids are a parallel to the uncountable insects on Nave.

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No known records documenting the nature of Echidna itself have survived The Irruption, though the jungle region in the southeast of Myrland known as the Stairs of Echidna has inspired much speculation.

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No known records documenting the nature of Erebeus itself have survived The Irruption, and depictions of the planet which shares its name are frequently inconsistent.

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A bird-like Khurite deity whose scope is Justice, commonly associated with a legendary defeat of a "Evil Serpent" which itself is often depicted as a Dragon. In some tales, Geeredh is the lover of Tjaka Baarve and their children are the mortal Śyenah.

Statues depicting Geeredh are a common sight in Morin Khur which historically acted as the only permanent Khurite settlement on Myrland, and prior to The Irruption equipment styled after the deity were often seen among the most elite of Khurite guardsmen due to his association with Justice.

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Also known as Tenger or Deywos, Jumal “The Sky Father” is a Khurite deity associated with most non-carrion birds, but is said to have a particular divine connection to birds of prey. These birds are seen as his messengers or even avatars.

Jumal is one half of the Khurite Feng, made whole alongside Akana.

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A Sarducaan beetle deity who rolls Sunna across the sky to usher in day and night.

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No records documenting the nature of Maal itself have survived The Irruption, however now-ancient Tindremic maps of Herabalter make note of a Mount Maal, a volcano, and its flow into the northern coast, Maal's Tongue, on the continent. This—coupled with the rare and fiery-red mineral Maalite borrowing its name—may indicate some connection between Maal and volcanos, lava, and/or magma.

Further, Maal may have some connection to depictions of the planet which shares its name.

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Mors is the Tindremic God of Death. For unknown reasons during the Imperial Campaigns—long before The Conflux—the Tower of Descensus and its many Huérgar-excavated tunnels were constructed as a temple to the deity.

There have been some recent questionable reports from adventurers claiming to have found an object described as a polyhedron with the sigil of Mors upon it, and when interacted with the object vanished—in its place appearing a legion of the walking dead.

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Often worshiped as a goddess, Nave is the vessel whose boundless blessings serve to enable survival for myriad life and is seemingly always in the eyes of the other Gods.

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No reliable records documenting the nature of Nemesis itself have survived The Irruption, though one highly unverified claim in a journal written by an adventurer at some point in time after The Conflux states they were told by a rumor monger that it was or is a Goddess of Death & Revenge venerated by the Risar.

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Nyx is a Primordial or Ancient Godess of War that the Tindremenes associate with the largest of Nave's three moons. The Tindremic Old God of War, Camulos, is frequently depicted as holding the moon aloft and demonstrating his control and dominance over both Nyx herself and her domain of War.

The uncommon black—and sometimes purple-hued—mineral Nyx seemingly borrows her name.

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The Oghmir Goddess of Stone & Metals, she is associated with the creation or lineage of the Huérgar people. Accounts of this event among the Huérgar vary, with some suggesting the great Motsoghmir—first of the Huérgar ersu or kings—being her son. A more popular version of the tale suggests that Oghma transformed an entire tribe of cave-dwelling Humans led by Motsoghmir into the first Huérgar.

In comparison to Tecton, worship of Oghma is much more popular among people who favor the subsurficial domain as opposed to the lowest reaches of Nave.

There exists a inaccessible Temple of Oghma in Tindrem, perched high on the cliffs above the mostly-fallen pillars of Vica Levita, though it is unclear if the temple is still occupied or in use after The Irruption.

Lastly, there have been some recent questionable reports from adventurers claiming to have found an object described as a polyhedron with the sigil of Oghma deity upon it. When interacted with, the object vanished—in its place appearing a legion of Minotaur, or as they're known to the underground Huérgar: Murnahās.

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Ophion is a Primordial or Ancient God of Wisdom that the Tindremenes associate with the middle of Nave's three moons. The Tindremic Old God of Wisdom, Zelua, is frequently depicted as holding the moon aloft and demonstrating her control and dominance over both Ophion himself and his domain of Wisdom.

Tindrem's gardens once contained an ornate fountain depicting the God with his scaled hands holding an ewer, and the Tindremenes have a traditional horn instrument made of Messing called an Ophis or “serpent”. This instrument is said to mimic the horn-like calls of Dragons, though it's also said that it sounds remarkably similar to calls made by the Sator.

Further, some speculation is possible about a relationship with the Sator and perhaps even Dragons based on his name itself as well as some objects and materials which share its prefix.

Among these materials are the fabled Ophiosquami, Ophiodermi, Ophium, and Ophiocorni—the scales, hide, teeth, and horns of Dragons respectively—as well as a green stone favored by the Sator called Ophite.

Perhaps the strongest terrestrial connection to Ophion can be found in now-ancient Tindremic maps of Herabalter, which make note of a Mount Ophion in a mountain range on the west side of the continent.

Lastly, there have been some recent questionable reports from adventurers claiming to have found an object described as a polyhedron with the sigil of this deity upon it, and when interacted with the object vanished—in its place appearing a legion of Sator.

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No records documenting the nature of Pontos itself have survived The Irruption, however now-ancient Tindremic maps of Nave make mention of the Flow of Pontos, a massive flow of water erupting from the ocean somewhere north of Herabalter.

Pontos may have some connection to depictions of the planet which shares its name.

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By all appearances and evidence, Skadi is a Kallardian Goddess of Snow & Ice. She is also associated with the incredibly dense silvery-white metal Skadite, a very rare mineral known also as Skadi, and a massive ice floe on the northern coast of Nordveld called the Shards of Skadi.

Further, some connection between the magical school of Harmonism and Skadi may exist, for such magic was suspected to have been employed by Ingunna the Drummer, Noaid of Skadi during the sacking of Tindrem's harbor in 29 AD.

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While no reliable records documenting the traditions and culture surrounding Sunna worship have survived The Irruption, it is not difficult to understand why worship of the ever-present, life-enabling, and warmth-providing Sunna has historically occurred.

Indeed, there is little doubt that Sunna the deity is Sunna the sun.

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An obscure spirit, deity, or historical figure associated with at least one forest that may rest or have rested at some unknown point in history on the southern border of Nordveld and/or the northeastern border of Sarducaa.

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No records documenting the nature of Taranis itself have survived The Irruption, though symbols associated with the deity may indicate a connection with lightning, thunder, and storms.

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Also known as Tarch or Tarğ, Tark “The Darkness” is a Khurite deity with a number of roles and associations, not least being the underworld below the earth or soil itself in both the abstract and literal senses.

The spirits of Tark are said to be present in most reptiles—but particularly the Cold Broods—and she is known to infect the soil above with her coldness in the form of frost and permafrost. This belief has extended into the names of some underground life, such as the air-purifying lichen Tark's Breath.

Tark is also said to be the arbiter of the Etherworld, though some Khurite tribes attribute this role to Tjaka Baarve instead, or attribute the role to both.

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Also known as Tekton or Thraukhthon, Tecton is a cthonic Tindremic Old God that is said to precede over the underground—as in bedrock and subterranean matter beneath the living soil, not to be confused with the spiritual or physical “underworld” and/or their denizens.

Tecton is often implicitly blamed for earthquakes, and Tekton is even a word for earthquake in the Tindremic languages. Commoners frequently use the words somewhat interchangeably—“It's Tekton again.”—meaning most would simply say he is the God of Earthquakes.

Regarding Tecton's Fault, the uneducated populace of Tindrem has been known to think of “Tecton's Fault” as “Tecton's Error”, a factoid being propagandized by myths where Tecton is the agent of this faux pas in his clumsy interactions with Nave. Perhaps this is even where the name originates from, whether or not it upsets scholars who have several other theories on how the name of the deity or the fault came about.

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No records documenting the nature of Thalassa itself have survived The Irruption, however now-ancient Tindremic maps of Nave make mention of the Mouth of Thalassa, an unusually massive whirlpool somewhere to the south of Sarducaa.

Borrowing from its name are a common water snake, the Lesser—and perhaps Greater—Thalassa Snake, and Thalassa may have some connection to depictions of the planet which shares its name.

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Themis is a Tindremic Goddess, though no records documenting her nature have survived The Irruption outside of a questionable tale involving child sacrifice.

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Also known as Tas Araat'n or Kerkes, Tjaka Baarve is a legendary vulture-like bird-creature of Khurite mythology said to be the “Cleansing Wind” that sweeps the earth, enabling new life albeit not seeding it directly. Associated with carrion birds, she is also the “Devourer of Corpses”.

She is sometimes said to be the arbiter of the Etherworld, though some Khurite tribes attribute this role to Tark instead, or attribute the role to both.

Lastly, she is the envious sister of Akana The Earth Mother, and in some tales the lover of Geeredh with their children being the mortal Śyenah.

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Zelua is the Tindremic Old Goddess of Wisdom and is frequently honored in statues, the most prominent of which is one of the Colossi Geminus, massive statues on either side of Tindrem's Arx Primoris.

As these statues depict Zelua holding a lesser moon, there has long been speculation that she is the smaller of Nave's two visible moons, or at the very least charged with keeping it in the sky.

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Historically, official Tindremene sculptors were charged with crafting statues of the Gods in the classic Tindremic sculpting style, with their faces only rarely shown and gender only hinted at.

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The “No-God” thought experiment is an analysis of the divine metaphysics in the settings of Mortal Online and Mortal Online 2, first written to explain some of the fundamentals behind what exactly a God is and how one might be created to players.

While its implications are canonical, it is not written from an in-world standpoint, and should be both read as well as referenced accordingly.

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Imagine founding a cult centered around an entity known as the “No-God”, a being that is not a God. You manage to gather a significant following of believers who share the conviction that any and all traditionally acknowledged Gods do not exist, thus there are no other divine entities to contend with.

Concepts such as “belief” and “sacrifice” hold tangible power on Nave, directly influencing the metaphysical realm and empowering or even creating the subjects of these practices.

As your cult gains momentum and acquires more devotees, the “No-God” ascends to the Pantheon, or the group of acknowledged deities. This development poses an existential threat to the established Gods and the entire divine realm. After all, the defining paradoxical characteristic of the “No-God” is that it fundamentally rejects the notion of being divine and refutes the existence of any other divine beings.

In contrast, many of the established Gods hold deep connections to various aspects of existence, including agriculture, time, war, knowledge, mountains, famine, sanity, and so on. The emergence of the “No-God”—fueled by an ever-increasing number of followers—incites immense upheaval.

Chaos ensues, enveloping not only the Pantheon but the world itself. If the “No-God” amasses a critical mass of believers, its power becomes formidable, capable of reshaping or even obliterating the very fabric of the world and everything that has been brought into existence.

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