The Twelve

 Men are wont to suffer  And forget wherein they've sinned   Ne'er hearkening back on tragedies past   Lest the Twelve might humble them  Thralls are they to sadness As were their bygone kin With bonds of woe athwart their breasts And that which dwells within

Yet loved they are withal No thoughts to wrath portend For men are treasured by the Twelve Whose mercy knows no end

--Unknown

The Twelve refers to the pantheon of the realm of Eorzea. They are the cornerstone of culture among the Wandering Races, upon which all Eorzea's civilizations have been built and now abide. Though accounts of their history and their nature differ in the fine details from tale to tale, their theology is consistent enough to give credibility to their worship.

Origin
The Twelve are believed to have emerged from several different sources, in a certain order, and that their emergence ties in with the development of Eorzea. Whatever their provenance, however, they have been worshiped for at least as long as there have been Men on the land; relics from the Allagan Empire reflect the continuing reverence of the dozen deities dating back even beyond the time of Allag.

It is written that, indeed, the gods emerged into being during the very formation of the land they rule, and before the Wandering Races arrived, enjoyed it in peace with their servants the Moogles. Some were born from the Whorl; others of divine marriages; still others shaped by the hands of other deities. Their manner of birth, however, means little between them, and therefore means little to theology--though it can give rise to interesting parallels with the Primals worshiped by the beastman tribes.

Nature
The Twelve are classified by Raimdelle's Bestiary as belonging to the Transcendent Kingdom--but unlike the other beings often listed there, they are truly transcendent, existing beyond the bounds of summoning, and seldom if at all manifesting to mere mortals.

That being said, it is written that the Twelve embody the astral and umbral facets of the six elements of Eorzea's Nature.

It pleases the gods to serve as the patrons and matrons of city-states, of tradesmen and artisans, and of callings. They are indeed benevolent, mindful of the needs of their devoted; and with the arrival of Nald'thal, they saw fit to create the seven heavens and hells.

The Pantheon

 * Althyk
 * Nymeia
 * Azeyma
 * Menphina
 * Thaliak
 * Llymlaen
 * Nophica
 * Oschon
 * Rhalgr
 * Byregot
 * Halone
 * Nald'thal

Creation of Eorzea
''This is a copy of the account Lewphon of Sharlayan spent much of his career to syncretize and compile. His efforts to reconcile the varying versions of the creation account have greatly informed our pages on the Twelve.''undefined

In the beginning there was neither light nor darkness. Only the Whorl. And it was not until Althyk emerged thence in his nakedness, did time take its first step forward. With Him, the Keeper also carried weight, and with weight were the realms of land and firmament defined.

Yet Althyk would not alone overlong, for soon from the Whorl did another step forth. Her name was Nymeia, and She was but a mewling babe who could do naught but weep, and soon Her tears had created a vast lake. Althyk, seeking companionship in the empty realm of His creation, took the young goddess under His wing and cared for Her as one would a daughter. As Nymeia grew, however, so, too, did their love for one another, until it could no longer be contained, culminating in a divine coupling which resulted in the birth of two holy daughters--Azeyma, the sun, and Menphina, the moon--and with their advent, was day and night conceived.

So did countless cycles of light and darkness pass before from the Whorl, once again, did another step forth. Thaliak--bearer of wisdom and knowledge--looked upon the silent and unchanging lake left by Nymeia's tears and coaxed from it a river to carry that water to the far corners of the realm. Azeyma, drawn to Thaliak's sagacity, professed her love to the new deity and begot Him two daughters--the first being Llymlaen, who took the water created by Her grandmother and expanded it into the world's seas. The second daughter was lonely Nophica, who, wanting for companionship, created Her own playmates, and thus brought life into the world.

It was not until life had spread throughout the land and newly created seas that a new god appeared, though whence the others did not know, for the Whorl lay dormant. His name was Oschon, and where He wandered did towering mountains rise from level plains. With the formation of these spires did cold wind flow from on high down to the warm seas and back up again, carrying life that was once reserved for land and water into the skies.

Those winds did bring love into the heart of Llymlaen, yet though She longed to be with Oschon, His wanderlust prevented the two from ever being joined overlong, and lo did they never beget children of their own. This was a time of great creation, but also of great chaos. Oschon's mountains rose and fell at His whims, Thaliak's rivers flowed hither and thither, and Llymlaen's seas ever expanded, swallowing entire swathes of land before the gods even knew they were gone. To bring order to this chaos, Nymeia pried forth a mighty comet from the heavens and gave it life, directing it down to the world that it may destroy the excess Her sons and daughters had wrought, while bringing harmony once again to the realm.

And for many days and nights was the world calm, the gods content in the order which now reigned supreme. That is until the Whorl woke from its slumber and beckoned forth two final deities--Byregot and His younger sister Halone. It was feared that the untamed and ambitious siblings might once again usher chaos unto the world, so to see that they were properly disciplined, Nymeia quickly made them wards of Rhalgr, the Destroyer.

A builder by nature, Byregot resented His new stepfather who could teach Him only of destruction, choosing instead to spend most of His time in the tutelage of Thaliak. The Scholar bestowed upon His eager student the knowledge He would use to forge the tools and techniques of creation. Though more open to Her new father's teachings, Halone, too, grew restless, longing to test Her strength. An opportunity arose when Oschon invited the young goddess on one of His journeys. It was during these travels that Haloen's ambition slowly transformed into a lust for battle. While on the road, She would challenge every creature She met, honing Her skills and methodically devising new techniques for killing.

When Nophica, mother of the life, learned of Halone's wanton destruction of Her creations, She was angered beyond words and swore revenge, but the Fury ignored the Matron's challenges, widening the rift between the two. Oschon, feeling responsible for this rift, devised a plan to calm Nophica. From within the mountains of His creation, Oschon summoned a fount of magma which spewed forth onto the land. Upon cooling, the magma took the form of the Twelfth and final god--the dual aspected Nald'thal. With Nald'thal, Oschon had provided a god to oversee the souls of those who met their deaths and provide them with peace in the afterlife. Satisfied that Her creations would no longer wander the void aimlessly, Nophica agreed to a truce with Halone.

And with the advent of the Twelfth and final god was the pantheon complete. But before They could call an end to Their toil, They first required a realm in which They could reside and watch over Their myriad creation. to this end, They created the seven heavens, and to there did They finally retreat, bequeathing rule of Eorzea to mankind.

((Footnote))
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