The Nine Divines
Chapter 3
The Nine Divines
Everycreature had relaxed upon learning that they were now going to learn about the more benevolent forces of Tamriel: The Aedra. It had been a nightmare and a half to learn about the Daedra and their Princes who were beings that made past villains like Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis look like chickens compared to bears. Not that they did see some of the similarities between Equestria's foes and these dark gods. Cozy Glow and Mephala were both manipulators who spun lies to get their own way. Tirek and Mehrunes Dagon didn’t just look the same but acted in a similar manner and had been a familiar threat that Equestria and Tamriel had faced multiple times. And Chrysalis would get along well with someone like Boethiah both for their acts of deception, hunger for chaos, and outright disgust for weakness.
“Hopefully these Aedra really are just as powerful as the Daedra or at least are more helpful,” Silverstream said the announcer went on about how the Daedra were not just forms of chaos, but also forms of change. It was ironic that the beings who played no role in the creation of Nirn used it for amusement compared to those who did and took care to look after the world’s inhabitants.
The golden fiery dragon appeared again and everyone was in awe once more upon seeing one of the avatar forms of Akatosh himself. Smolder couldn’t help but compare this being similar to one of the top Dragon gods of ancient times from her memory of history: Bahamut. All mortal life on Tamriel and Nirn owed their existence to the Aedra, meaning “Our Ancestors” in Elven tongue, who gave a large part of themselves to creation so that it could flourish and continue to watch over their creations today.
The next image showed what appeared to be a map of the star system that the entire void of space around Nirn was like. A message at the top showed that this is what a race called “the Dwemer” interrupted the planets around their own to be. Each of these was named after one of the many Aedra to the point that it was believed that these were representations of their physical bodies after spending their powers in the creation of Mundus and Nirn. Circling around Nirn on an upper slanted left axis were two major bodies on opposite ends in rotation: Akataosh and Julianos. A secondary body, similar to a moon, called Stendarr was rotating around Julianos. On the upper right axis was only one body called Kynareth that circled Nirn all on its own. Below Nirn there were three bodies of mass, each different sizes, that rotated among each other depending on the size while circling under Nirn. The largest was Zenithar, followed by Mara, and then Dibella. Finally, above Nirn, but circling like a halo to the side was Arkay.
Unlike the Daedra, the Adrea could technically be killed which is why some find them unworthy of worship. After all, it made more sense to worship a god that couldn’t die compared to one that could.
“Just how weak did these Adrea become that even they can die?” Gallus asked in awe.
“I kinda feel bad for them,” Ocellus said with a sigh.
A church dedicated to the Aedra appeared and the narrator explained that the mindset of such things was a minority. Most of Tamriel worshiped Aedra which the six thought was a good thing to do, even Smolder despite her beliefs. After all, it was them who had worked so hard to give them life that the least they could be given was thanks and praise. A series of nine objects on pedestals were seen in the back of the church, with high reverence for each of them clearly on display. It was these nine that were worshiped the most as they were among the most powerful. Despite not being able to walk among mortals, they were still able to influence events and empower mortals with their blessings and protections.
They were the Divines.
“Only nine? Compared to the number of Daedric Princes that seems low,” Smolder pointed out.
“Numbers aren’t everything,” Sandbar pointed out.
Akatosh
The first of the Divines was the first born among the Aedra and the most powerful among them. He was the Dragon-God of Time and is the Chief Leader of the Divine. His glass window showed a two headed figure with the head of a golden dragon on the left and a golden bearded man on the right while wearing a golden robe and an hourglass in his hands.
“Ha! Top god of the Divines is a dragon! Woohoo!” Smolder shouted as she held her hands up.
“God can control time? Must have a lot of watches,” Yona thought out loud.
“So does this mean that dragons also worship him? We know they exist in this world too,” Ocellus asked as she wrote down more notes.
“Gotta admit, being able to control time would be cool,” Gallus pointed out.
“So you could have all the time in the world to do your homework assignments?” Sandbar asked with a grin.
“Exactly.”
Unsurprisingly, they showed the golden dragon again as the narrator explained that Akatosh was seen as the divine protector of the Empire. It was Akatosh who took pity on mankind from their elvish captors and sought to free them. Drawing his own divine blood, he crated an item and gave it to St. Alessia to free her people using the power of the dragon blood. This item was known as The Amulet of Kings.
“Oooooh!” Everyone said in unison as the grant ruby appeared before them.
Silvertream’s eyes went wide and stars appeared from inside. “It’s so pretty!”
“It’s so delicious!” Smolder moaned with her mouth watering.
“You do realize that it’s made of dragon’s blood right?” Sandbar asked, eyebrow raised.
“Eh, I bet it adds a sweeter flavor to it,” Smolder said with a shrug.
Since the Ayleids used the Daedra as a means to control their power, the Amulet of Kings marked the beginning of a pact between mankind and the Divines that saw the gates of Oblivion shut and its inhabitants forbidden to step foot on the mortal plane. With the Ayleids weakened, St. Alessia led her forces to crush their elven overlords and free her people which the six cheered for.
"Now if only that could happen to Caesar!" Silverstream shouted as she imagined the bald-headed jerk getting ripped apart by a dragon.
Akatosh blesses those who worship him and his most devoted followers with increase in magicka and increased speed. According to the Ten Commands, Akatosh says the following:
“Serve and obey your Emperor. Study the Covenants. Worship the Nine, do your duty, and heed the commands of the saints and priests.”
“Yona like it. Sounds patriotic and dutiful,” Yona claimed.
“It also advises you to listen to those with wisdom,” Sandbar pointed out.
“A bit more preachy than you would hear from dragons in our world, but not bad,” Smolder said while giving a thumbs up.
Stendarr
The next one was shown to be wearing a lot of green in his robed figure and even had his face and beard of a similar color. He was the God of Righteousness and Justice. Stendarr not only inspires kings, rulers, and judges but he is also the patron god of the Imperial Legion. Representing justice, it is no surprise Stendarr is worshiped by the most law-abiding citizens and organizations. One of those groups is the Vigilants of Stendarr, who formed after the Oblivion Crisis to seek out and destroy all influence of Daedra to prevent another disaster from their hands. Part priest and part warrior the Vigilants of Stendarr wander around looking for any Daedric influence, artifacts, or cults and destroyed them with utter ruthlessness as seen by two members using maces and magic to destroy a Daedra.
One of them even cried out, “May Stendarr have mercy on you! For the Vigilants have none to spare!”
While the six were all praising such a group in their head, they kept quiet about it in fear of angering their Daedric Prince warden who had been silent so far and the group intended to keep it that way.
Stendarr’s chapels held his shrines which showed a goat horn pouring water out of it. Those blessed by Stendarr and used shields were said to have better protection from them as if he was blocking blows himself.
Sendarr’s commandment is as followed:
“Be kind and generous to the people of Tamriel. Protect the weak, heal the sick, and give to the needy."
“Sounds like my kinda god,” Sandbar said with a grin.
“Sounds heroic!” Silverstream claimed.
“Sounds like he would be the god of a lot of knights and the Royal Guard,” Ocellus suggested as she wondered if the Imperial Legion that was mentioned was similar to Equestria’s Royal Guards. Despite the name, they were technically also an army. It made her wonder why the name had never changed to split the group into those who acted as guards for the royal family and those who for actual military action.
Arkay
The next Divine showed his glass image wearing a mix of red and yellow while holding a staff in his hand. Bearded with brown and surrounded by red, Arkay is the Divine associated with the cycle of Birth and Death as well as funeral rites. The son of Akatosh, Arkay is known as the "Mortal’s God" for he is the one that bring every mortal life (human, beast and elf) into the world and he is the one that gathers them when their time is at an end.
“So he’s a death god?” Gallus asked with wide eyes. “Huh, doesn’t seem like a grim reaper type to me.”
“Well, he’s also the God of Birth as well,” Ocellus pointed out. “We changelings believe in an endless cycle of birth and death with all of us reincarnated after our own lives have ended. An unending change where all our lives always change upon death.”
A graveyard was soon seen. Because of his nature, Arkay was seen with both joy and sorrow. The cycle of birth and death was one that was endless but necessary for the world. Everything that begins must have an end and all that ends always has a new beginning that follows. Those who are blessed by Arkay at his shrines gain an increase in fortitude. His commandment states:
“Honor the earth, its creatures, and the spirits, living and dead. Guard and tend the bounties of the mortal world, and do not profane the spirits of the dead.”
“I guess knowing that there is an afterlife makes death a lot less scary,” Sandbar said with a shrug. “Of course, I don’t want to have my funeral for a long time.”
“What are pony funeral customs anyway? I hear you have three of them depending on the race of the pony?” Ocellus asked curious as she began to write a side note with interest in learning more about the culture of Equestria.
“Yeah, it goes back to the traditions of the three tribes,” Sandbar explained as he happily continued while feeling like a teacher himself. “Earth ponies like myself go with a regular burial in a casket to become one with the earth once more. Pegasi cremate their dead and spread their ashes so they can fly forever in the winds. Unicorns preserve their bodies in glass caskets and seal them in tombs so they can look beautiful in death. I don’t know if Alicorns have one or not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the unicorn one since I hear a favorite pastime for the nobles is to pick out their tombs and decorate them with fancy looking decorations.”
“Sounds similar to what we hippogriffs do for the higher class like myself,” Silverstream said with a smile. “Our bodies are surrounded by a large silver bubble and put on display in one of our holy underwater graveyards with others. It’s so our relatives can visit us and see us in a peaceful state to know that we’re no longer in pain and are sleeping well.”
“What about the non-rich?” Sandbar asked.
“Put on a funeral boat and it’s burned while sailing out to sea so that the ashes can become one with the water.”
“Griffins don’t really go out of their way for such a fancy means for our dead,” Gallus shrugged. “We just have a wake and bury the body in a grave. That’s it. Nothing special.”
“Kinda the same for us dragons, but we bury our dead in the mountains with whatever jewels and treasures we had in our lives so we can take them to the afterlife. Only the burial is first and the funeral is second. Except if the Dragon Lord dies. Then we have a week-long mourning session,” Smolder explained.
“Yaks funerals last for three days. Day of mourning for the loss of a loved one. Day of joy to celebrate their life. Day of rest to place them in a rock tomb to sleep forever,” Yona said.
“Hmm, all of these are interesting,” Ocellus replied as she wrote them all down.
“Why such a curiosity for our morbid celebrations?” Gallus asked.
“Well, before Throax became king, changelings just threw their dead into a large hole and let them rot,” Ocellus answered with a saddened tone. “If you had to mourn, you did so privately without anybody. Even rulers were not exempted from this.”
“Wow, that’s horrible,” Silverstream claimed with a teary-eyed expression.
“Talk about disrespect,” Gallus snorted in disgust.
“Yeah, but now that we’re trying to change our culture and way of life, we’ve been looking for a means to properly give our dead a respectful farewell. We’ve tried a few different methods and nothing yet has stuck so I wanted to take these notes and compare them with our past attempts,” Ocellus claimed.
“What would you have as your funeral rite if you were to, heaven forbid, pass away?” Gallus asked.
“Hmm, I guess a combination of Yona and Sandbar’s. The three days to mourn and celebrate my life sounds nice and a nice burial sounds pretty good,” Ocellus claimed before shrugging. “But I hopefully never have to implant such a thing until I die of old age.”
Mara
The female Divine that appeared before them next had her glass window covered in light green, yellow and red. She was a beautiful female with a loving gaze in her eyes as she opened her arms out as if to hug you for comfort while you looked upon her yellow hair with a smile. Mara was the Goddess of the Earth and Compassion and was also the wife of Akatosh meaning that Arkay was her son. The chapels devoted to the Mother Goddess were said to be where most weddings in Tamriel took place despite their technically being a different Goddess in terms of Love. Regardless, her worshipers were among the most benevolent of people who were dedicated to uniting all beings with love and friendship while only showing hostility to those who showed intolerance.
“Sounds perfect for Equestria!” Sandbar claimed as the others all agreed. “Friendship! Love! Tolerance! Benevolence! Kindness! This is what I love to see! This alone makes Tamriel better than the Wasteland because there are people who preach and follow such things!”
“Not to mention having a divine being that encompasses friendship and love is a bonus,” Silverstream pointed out.
Everyone nodded in agreement. The fact that there were not only divine beings that represented what the power of Friendship preached, but also had a long number of followers who obeyed these teachings, made Tamriel a far better place than The Wasteland. After all, the closest thing that was to such a organization was The Followers of the Apocalypse and they weren’t even a major power compared to the NCR, Brotherhood, Legion, or Mr. House who all had their own selfish problems.
The Shine of Mara showed a large circle with runes on it and Mara’s face in the middle. Those who are blessed by the love of Mara are said to be loved back by those who they love in return. It also doesn’t help that those healing themselves and others will be healed faster by her loving grace. Mara’s commandment states:
“Live soberly and peacefully. Honor your parents, and preserve the peace and security of home and family.”
Everyone agreed that she was the best Divine so far.
Zenithar
The next Divine was in yellow and gold and looked like a humble man in his glass portrait but his eyes held intelligence and wisdom. Zenithar was the God of the Hardworking and to those dedicated to crafts. His spheres were wealth, labor, and commerce which was a surprised to the others as none of them could think of a god in their own world that was dedicated to the purpose of earning money. It was a very specific thing and yet it made sense.
“All societies need a steady economic system and hard workers to keep it going,” Ocellus said with a nod. “I guess since the Divines are all about order it’s not surprising there is a god for it.”
As if to give an example, the screen showed an obvious merchant in his store surrounded by armor, potions, weapons, cheese, and coins. It was those who were skilled in business, trade, craft, and banking that benefited most from Zenithar, but he blessed all laborers from those who used their brains to those who used their might. Zentihar did not bless those who made money through bloodshed and dishonest means such as mercenaries and scam artists, but by those who worked for the sweat of their own brow.
“So I guess he looks down on the greedy then,” Smolder said before huffing. “Well, he’s not going to favor us dragons.”
“Or giffins,” Gallus muttered while crossing his arms.
When Zenthar’s shine appeared, which was basically a large smith’s anvil with his symbol on it, it was revealed that his blessing to any pilgrims under his name got the most powerful weapon he could give them: a silver tongue. A useful tool when bartering for prices and goods. His command was thus:
“Work hard, and you will be rewarded. Spend wisely, and you will be comfortable. Never steal, or you will be punished.”
“I have a feeling that Professor Applejack would be a worshiper of Zenithar,” Silverstream said which made the others nod.
“Professor Rarity too! She works just as hard even though she uses cloth instead of apples,” Yona pointed out.
Talos
The next Divine was not originally a god, but a man. In fact, he is considered to be the greatest hero and leader mankind has ever had. Dressed in a battle robe and levitating a sword, Talos is the God of War, Heir to the seat of Sundered Kings, and a Dragonborn.
“Dragonborn?! But he’s not a dragon!” Smolder pointed out in confusion and surprise.
“Maybe he’s half-dragon?” Gallus suggested. “Like one of his parents are a dragon and the other is a human?”
“But dragons are really big and humans aren’t bigger than them. So how would...they...,” Silverstream blushed and poked her talons together. “Y-Y-You know? M-M-Mate?”
This made the other five all blush as “vivid” images began to appear in their heads.
“L-Let’s just ignore this for now,” Ocellus whispered as a statue of Talos when he was a man appeared on screen.
Talos’s original name, when he was mortal, was Tiber Septim and he would forge the greatest Empire ever seen. His deeds were legendary and so great, that the Divines themselves raised him to become one of them upon his death. Thus the former “Eight Divines” became the “Nine Divines”.
His tale was so great and well known that the narrator explained it would take too long to explain his story but there was a promise to talk about it in detail later much to their relief. The way he was spoken and displayed made it seem like he was equal to the amount of reverance as Princess Celestia and Luna were back home. It turned out that Tiber Septim was the first person to unite all the regions of Tamriel into one glorious empire. Even the elves, high and mighty as they were, fell under his rule.
“So kinda like the uniting of the three tribes to create Equestria, but obviously with more bloodshed,” Sandbar said with mixed feelings. On the one hoof, it was nice to see a united world where everyone was working together peacefully for the better of all. On the other, the unspoken question of what it cost to form such a world echoed in his mind.
However, it turns out that Talos’s so-called godhood was not all accepted by those who worshiped the Divines. It was a divided subject among both man and elves especially if Talos even became a god at all, as many elves found it insulting to think that a man, even as great as Tiber Septim, could stand in league with their great ancestor gods.
“And this is where war is fought, right?” Smolder asked as a legion of elven warriors prepared for battle to decide a religious argument. “Saw that coming.”
Talos’s command then appeared on the screen right in front of a great statue of him:
“Be strong for war. Be bold against enemies and evil, and defend the people of Tamriel.”
“I guess that’s not so bad for a war quote. I mean its preaching against fighting evil,” Ocellus pointed out.
“Yeah, but who's to stop some creature from just declaring anyone they don’t like evil for their own purposes?” Gallus asked.
Kynareth
In the next glass window, it showed a woman holding her hands out while sky blue robes were her color, a blue dove flew near her body as her winy hair blew in the air. Kynareth was the Goddess of Elements, especially air itself, and a patron to sailors and travelers. According to legends it was Kynareth who first agreed to the creation of Mundus, even before Akatosh himself. Her power created the very space needed for it to function and she is said to be among the sky itself in all of its heavenly glory. The group gasped in amazement as a great dragon, bigger than any even seen in Equestria flew near the moon while emblazoned with purple fire.
It turned out that dragons had once enslaved mankind much like how the Ayleids did so. Taking pity on them, Kynareth blessed mankind with the ability to use the “Thu'um” aka the Language of the Dragons. Using it, they saved their species under the harsh rule of a specific dragon known as Alduin, but the narrator didn’t provide anything more than that.
“Wow, dragons sure are jerks in this world,” Silverstream huffed before wincing and turning to Smolder. “No offense.”
“Eh, none taken. These aren’t dragons back home so I don’t feel any obligation to root for them,” Smolder said as she turned away. But I do feel bad. Shit. Dragons ruling over others is something I hear about all the time as a dream for some. But ever since I came to Equestria I dread it.
She had a feeling that when dragons were going to be talked about more in the series, the young dragoness herself wasn’t going to like what she heard.
Thankfully, the narrator didn’t continue on the history of dragons and went back to talking about Kynareth. Her shrine was some kind of shell with a cross like design and jewels on it which granted an increase in stamina. Her command stated:
“Use Nature's gifts wisely. Respect her power, and fear her fury.”
“Man, compared to the Daedra, these Aedra really are more helpful to humanity,” Sandbar stated.
“YEAH BUT THEY AIN’T AS FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING NOW ARE THEY?!”
Nobody said anything to the mad god and instead just continued to watch in silence for the next Divine.
Dibella
Like Kynerath, this Divine was also blue but had lighter tones of green and white with her robe in the window of her image. Flowers were in her arms and her hair was that of a mix of green and silver. It turned out that this Divine had dozens of different cults that were divided into multiple aspects of what she represented. Some were for women only, others were for artists, and a few were for...erotic pleasures.
“Wait, what?” Every creature said as their eyes widened.
Dibella was the Goddess of Beauty and Love, and not just the emotional kind but the physical as well which made the group start to sweat and blush. The “Houses of Dibella” were a mix of chapels and...pleasure centers that attracted many to their teachings. One of her near naked followers was shown, praying to an erotic statue of Debilla who was almost nude save for the skimpy clothes around her breasts and between her legs that made the two boys of the six turn around. Ocellus even huffed by turning into a blanket and wrapping herself around a confused Sandbar’s head.
Naturally, the houses held various sexual rituals ranging from carnal acts of simple mating to outright orgies. Unlike the other divines, Dibella was to be worshiped in a more personal manner with such "prayers" being only between you and her so long as those acts were not done in a malicious manner.
“So basically, instead of praying you are banging?” Gallus joked which earned him a swipe from Silverstream.
“Are we sure that this isn’t the House of Sanguine?” Smolder asked, deadpan.
Dibella’s other shine was that of a flower with a bowl in the middle. Those who received her blessing (in more ways than one) gained confidence and were said to be better talkers with more persuasive tongues. Her commandment stated:
“Open your heart to the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love.”
“No comment,” was all everyone said as Ocellus soon returned to her normal form before the screen began to change.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Sandbar asked.
“I...I just don’t want you to get perverted thoughts is all!” Ocellus huffed while turning away.
“I don’t know why you think that I would. I’m not attracted to anyone but ... um...” Sandbar blushed and turned away himself but Ocellus soon caught notice.
“You’re attracted to someone?” Ocellus asked with her own blush increasing so hard it was covering her face. “W-W-W-Who?”
“Um...well...”
“Hey, let’s focus on the video!” Gallus said, which made the two snap out of their gazing moment and refocus on the screen.
Julianos
The last Divine’s window was in all sorts of colors, but he held a green beard while holding a large triangle in his hands that levitated. He was the God of Logic and Mathematics, and dominated intellectual arts and studies under his sphere of influence. This included all forms of literature, law, history, and science.
“I think we found Ocellus’s god,” Smolder joked but Ocellus was too interested in hearing the narrator to pay attention.
“That or Dibella for her crush on Turtle Butt Boy,” Gallus whispered to her which made them snicker.
However, Julianos was not just reversed by those of science but by magic as well. Magic was just as intellectually driven as the other arts so wizards worshiped him greatly. A grand school of magic was shown in all of its golden and mystical glory which made the others interested as some of it reminded them of their own School of Friendship. It was also those who worshiped Julianos that were the keepers of the mystical Elder Scrolls. Those who worship him and are blessed by his shines, which were large black pyramids, increased their magicka pool greatly. His commandment was:
“Know the truth. Observe the law. When in doubt, seek wisdom from the wise.”
“Wait, I thought Mangus was the God of Magic?” Silverstream asked as she recalled something from earlier. “Didn't he work with Lorkhan originally to create the realm of Mundus?”
“Oh, yeah I remember that,” Ocellus said as she went back to her notes. “But that was nine Divines we went through. Not ten. So where is Magnus? Did he not lose his powers or did something else happen to him?”
“Maybe he is missing like Lorkhan?” Yona suggested.
“Or he’s an Aedra but not one of the Divine?” Sandbar asked.
It turned out that there were many more gods out there besides the Daedra or Aedra but it was these two groups that played the most influence over the mortals of Tamriel. Chaos vs Order and Light vs Dark. The everlasting conflict between these two pantheons and everyone else in the middle and everyone had a side they picked.
But there was also more to Tamriel than her divine beings. The mortals had influences over themselves after all. And among those were various organizations that each held sway in terms of combat, magic, and even thievery.
But that was a story for another day.
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Glad to see this story update. I enjoyed the Students' reactions to the Divines. Nice to see them get a look at some part of the setting that doesn't disturb them, like the Daedra or the stuff from the Fallout world. XD
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I don't know...Debella might have been a bit much for them...
This was a pretty fun one, since most of the Divines seemed to have something nice or interesting about them for the students to enjoy. I epically liked how they all shared how their different races had funerals since it was something else for them to bond over.
Mara certainly did sound like the perfect God for Equestria to worship since she represents everything they strive for. Also the discussion of Applejack and Rarity worshipping Zenithar was good too.
I wonder if Yona believes in the concept of "time is made of circles", since that is why clocks are round.
Ocellus and Silverstream don't let their crushes get those kinds of thoughts except for them. I especially liked Sandbar and Ocellus' talk afterwards, when Sandbar almost let his crush on her slip out.
i feel i should point out that the Dragon Tongue is actually known as Dovahzul, the Thu'um is simply the use of Dovahzul in a Shout...
The Khajiit would disagree, even more strongly than the elves.
Damn, i feel sorry for the mortals. It is very likely that they get screwed over eventually by one god or another.