Dormant Ones

The controlled yet rapid expansion of the population soon led to the return of the Essences, entities with divine power who lay dormant for centuries, hibernating until the day when enough people prayed for aid, favor and power.

The Essences are vague aspects of reality rather than deities with strict portfolios based on mortal desires. Essences are conduits of natural laws that govern mortal lives. The followers of an essence are people who have embraced a particular natural law by which to live, thrive, contribute to the world and impact other lives.

Instances of essences manifesting in avatar form are nearly non-existent. The will of an essence is inherently known to the strongest of its mortal champions, while commoners perceive it only as routine factors of daily life. A farmer who sees dark clouds in the sky may predict an oncoming storm, while a cleric of Vereo may discern patterns in the shapes of the clouds, the smell of the air and speed of the wind as instructions to find a long lost relic, or a sign of great trouble ahead.

Five essences are known to exist, though worshiping Naj since the time of the Swell has become a mostly fruitless endeavor on top of being considered a major taboo.