The Coil

The Coil, also known as the False Unity, the Unity Reborn, and other titles, is the group of ten demigods that took the place of the Unity after their demise. Unlike the Unity, their practical importance extends to modern times - the Coil is thought to help hold the world together by maintaining the framework set up by their predecessors, since they are now the only deities standing between Halse and universal entropy.

Modernity and the Coil
To fill the void left by the Unity after the Second Cataclysm arose a group of demigods sharing their patronages and some of their powers. The Second Cataclysm killed off the vast majority of mortals, but lifted some to godhood, and these few became the Coil. The true identities of these mortals has been lost to time, but traditionally half of them are thought to be faeries, and the other half dragons.

The true extent of their abilities is still unknown. Their interaction with mortals is limited, although blessings of followers are frequent and oracles called Bridges and/or Speakers serve as their high priests/priestesses. They have no clear names in deference to the Unity, but are addressed with titles.

Each god is affiliated with an idol, a mystical summon creature who is said to appear to those destined for important fates. Idols are often honored as conduits for prayers and sacrifices meant for the Coil, similar to the roles of Bridges and Speakers, but are said to be inhabited by the suspended souls of special individuals chosen by the Coil to be their servants, and are openly portrayed as beings of violence.

Overview
Most members of the False Unity oppose another specific member of their circle - They are complements to each other, but are also fundamentally in conflict. An affinity for one demigod leads to a decrease in affinity for its complement.

While each deity oversees several domains, oftentimes mortals will anthropomorphize individual aspects when praying to them; i.e., the Accursed One's personification of sadness.

The Consuming One
Believed to have been a male dragon. A stoic, impassive god of destruction, he represents the inevitable obliteration of all things in the endless march of time.

Depicted as a legless, wingless wyrm with black pits for eyes and a decaying body, often curled around a staff or scroll. A famous detailed sculpture of him in Nedevara features descriptions of historical events throughout time written on his scales.

His idol Chronos is an ancient skeletal being, the last living member of a race that lived during the time of the Blossoming.

Favored groups: Historians, writers, museums, the elderly, demolition experts, extinct species, the Ruined Symphony

The Nascent One
Believed to have been a female faerie. The goddess of creation, outer space, and the patron of existence. Those who blaze new trails and bring new things into being are favored by her for their ingenuity and willingness to create, as are those who study the heavens.

Usually illustrated as a sprite playing with the stars and planets.

Her idol Genesi is her twin sister, who is actually a clone created by the Nascent One in her youth.

Favored groups: Astronomers, inventors, engineers, explorers, children, architects, adventurers, the Servants of the Artist

The Crimson One
Believed to have been a male faerie. The Crimson One watches over all matters related to love and faith, and positive emotions in general. He loves all life, even those who hate him or are seemingly unworthy of love, and continuously prays for the well-being of all people.

He is generally depicted as an attractive, scantily-clad faerie holding a staff and smiling, and/or holding out a hand as though to offer support. As indicated by his title, red is his blessed color.

His idol Amata or Amatus is a faerie who frequently switches between female and male avatars.

Favored groups: Lovers, mortals in love, light mages, clerics, friends, matchmakers, therapists, artists, prostitutes, pacifists, the Scythes of Passion

The Accursed One
Believed to have been a male dragon. All negative emotions are embodied in him, especially despair - the total loss of faith - and hate. He is considered a patron of warriors, soldiers, and dark mages for the bloodlust that his unending rage inspires, and an opponent of divine grace. "Evil be thou my good" is the modus operandi of his most devoted followers.

Depictions of the god usually display a vicious dragon wielding instruments of torture or performing vile acts.

Ira, his idol, is also a dragon, and was the Accursed One's spouse in life. The god tortured his mate, formerly a high priest of the Unity, with profane dark magic, corrupting his soul and destroying his ability to cast light magic in exchange for eldritch powers.

Favored groups: Soldiers, killers, dark mages, sworn enemies, torturers, mourners, artists, mortals with grudges, survivors of catastrophes, prisoners, monsters, the Path of Odia

The Ignited One
Believed to have been a female dragon. The true patron of knowledge. She stands for shedding light on the unknown and enlightening the mortal races with knowledge. Themboldese myths hold that she can see forever into the past and future, in addition to knowing all the mysteries of the universe. The Ignited One knows all of your secrets, and continuously writes them on her sacred scrolls.

Luster, her idol, is the soul of Halse's Sun.

Favored groups: Students, scholars, scientists, lighthouse keepers, philosophers, apologists, diurnal creatures, creatures with eyes, the wealthy, the lucky, librarians, prophets, the Midnight Sun

The Hidden One
Believed to have been a male faerie. The Hidden One is a god of shadows, secrets, and nothingness, and as such it is considered bad luck or sacrilege in most cultures to depict the Hidden One in any way, or even to build temples in his honor. On the rare occasions that mortals do so, they interpret him in four forms to reflect his patronage of the four moons of Halse. Common legends say that he was born without wings.

His idol Nix is a shadowy figure whose shape is difficult to discern.

Favored groups: Professions that work in the dark, illusionists, dark mages, groups of four, thieves, the disabled, nocturnal creatures, the poor, spies, secret keepers, destroyers of knowledge, the Moonshades

The Chaotic One
Believed to have been a female dragon. She is the goddess of life, perpetually breathing living energy into the flora and fauna of Halse. As the beauty of life is impermanence and randomness, so is hers. Nature and all elements found in it (fire, water, earth, lightning, etc.) are sustained in this deity.

The goddess' idol is Aria, the tree of life.

Favored groups: Anima mages, parents, animals, plants, beastmasters, healers, shamans, naturalists, anarchists, rebels, druids, conservationists, professions related to nature, the Lifewardens

The Fettered One
Believed to have been a male faerie. He is the patron of death and destiny, both of which are inescapable. Followers of the Fettered One treat all living beings with the same dignity, as the god himself is the ultimate leveler of society who sees all life as worthy of his deathly touch regardless of size or importance. Laws are also sacred to this deity, as they bring finality and order to a chaotic world, just as he does.

His idol Dirge is his dead child.

Favored groups: The dead, the ill, rulers, executioners, hunters, guards, police, lawmakers, morticians, the Death's Head Kin

The Liberated One
Believed to have been a female dragon. As her title implies, she is the goddess of freedom and individuality, as well as the immortal souls that animate the flesh of all creatures. She promotes the uniqueness and individuality of each person. One could say authenticity to one's true self is her domain.

Her idol is Hirune, a tripartite being with the forms of a dragon, faerie, and human.

Favored groups: Spirit mages, gray mages, summoners, Socii, hermits, outcasts, artists, adventurers, isolationists, neutral parties, jacks-of-all-trades, one-of-a-kind creatures, Justiche's Children

The Bloodied One
Believed to have been a female faerie. Embodying, among other things, the Fae's collective regret and shame for creating a cursed world in the Cosmic War, the Bloodied One oversees matters of morality and mortality. She favors groups, rather than the individual, given that her patronages pertain heavily to how mortals relate to each other. Blood, both physiological and genetic, is her domain. Common religious belief states that she guarded the gates of the High Realm with a magic scythe until being grievously wounded by a Fair One, and was the first to support the Spectres.

She is usually depicted on her knees in bloodstained robes and broken or torn wings, crying tears of blood with either an angry or stoic expression.

Kin, her idol, is a redeemed Exalt whose myriad open wounds bleed constantly, never to heal.

Favored groups: Formal mages, blood mages, families, communities, flagellants, orphanages, butchers, diplomats, suicidal mortals, moral objectors, peacemakers, nurses, midwives, leeches, the Visceral Hunters

Devotions
Spectropaths pledge lifelong allegiance to a member of the Coil, taking a godshade into their soul. This is called a devotion, and influences the combat abilities and refuge affiliation of the individual in exchange for something important of theirs. To join a devotion, one must undergo the arduous process of becoming a spectropath. Switching between devotions is far from unheard of, but this a long process that increases with difficulty the longer one has been in service to a god. The circumstances of the switch varies depending on patronage.

Non-spectropaths sometimes declare themselves in service to a god as well, but this is a lesser devotion that doesn't involve the same sacrifice for power.

They are also affiliated with the god's particular idol. Very powerful spectropaths can briefly summon instances of the idols to fight for them in battle.