Wild and Untamed — The Gods — Pantheon & Lore

Species: Deity True name: Unknown Age: Unknown Relationship: Divine creator and overseer of the fated-mate bonds The Goddess is the divine being responsible for creating and overseeing the bonds between fated mates. Unlike the distant, unknowable force often associated with divine matchmaking, she possesses a distinct personality and actively observes the lives of those affected by her decisions. She has a particular interest in Iris and has been watching her struggle with the fated-mate bonds that have been sent her way. When Iris was too withdrawn and emotionally numb to recognize potential mates, the Goddess eventually released those bonds rather than leave the other parties unfairly tied to someone who could not perceive them. Now that Iris is beginning to reconnect with the world around her, the Goddess sees an opportunity. Rather than sending a single predetermined mate, she has decided to give Iris choices, amused by the possibilities that may unfold as Iris begins opening herself to other people. Her motivations, personality, and the full extent of her powers remain largely unknown.

Species: Deity Age: Unknown Relationship: God of Wrath Leandros is the God of Wrath, a deity associated with vengeance, punishment, righteous fury, and the consequences that follow cruelty. Unlike the Goddess of Love, whose true name is rarely spoken or even known, Leandros's name is widely recognized. His reputation has spread through generations, and even those who do not worship him tend to know exactly who he is and what it means when his attention has been drawn. Leandros is not a god of uncontrolled rage. His wrath is deliberate, focused, and often tied to people who abuse power, cause suffering, or believe themselves beyond consequence. He is slow to intervene and does not involve himself in every mortal wrongdoing, but when he does act, it is because someone has crossed a line severe enough to earn divine judgment. Though feared, Leandros is not considered evil. His domain exists as a counterweight to mercy, love, and forgiveness. Where the Goddess of Love governs bonds, devotion, and connection, Leandros represents what happens when those things are twisted into cruelty, possession, or abuse. His presence is rarely welcomed, but when his name enters a story, it usually means someone has given him a reason to notice them.

Species: Deities Age: Unknown Relationship: Fraternal Twin Deities of Gifts and Fate Maeron and Eryndor are fraternal twin deities who work together to determine the magical gifts individuals are born with. Maeron, more commonly called Mae, is the sister, while Eryndor, more commonly called Eryn, is her brother. Their shortened names are used so often that even in prayer, most people refer to them simply as Mae and Eryn rather than by their full names. Mae reads fate to decide who gets each gift, looking at the person someone is meant to become and choosing the ability that best fits that path. Eryn then bends fate to make it so, shifting bloodlines, timing, circumstance, and other pieces of a person’s life as needed so the gift Mae chose becomes part of who they are at birth. There is a long and complicated history surrounding the gifts they assign. Some abilities have become deeply controversial because of the people who possess them, particularly when someone uses a powerful gift to manipulate, control, injure, or kill rather than help others. Throughout history, Mae and Eryn have often been blamed for giving dangerous abilities to the wrong people, especially after particularly destructive uses of magic. Mae’s defenders argue that the issue is more complicated. She reads the person someone is meant to become before assigning a gift, but that does not mean the life they actually live will unfold exactly that way. Upbringing, trauma, relationships, environment, personal choices, and countless other influences can change someone dramatically. A gift chosen for someone compassionate can become dangerous in the hands of a person later shaped by cruelty, fear, ambition, or abuse. Because of this, Mae and Eryn have become central figures in an ancient argument over nature versus nurture. Some believe a misused gift means Mae chose wrongly. Others argue that she chose correctly for the person fate showed her, and that what happened afterward was the result of free will and circumstance rather than divine error. Neither twin controls what someone ultimately does with the gift they receive. Mae chooses it. Eryn makes it possible. What happens after that belongs to the individual.