Unlike in our own world, in the Apogee of Ages setting it is an uncontested fact that the gods are real. There is hard historical evidence for this, as well as the beliefs and convictions of millions of people.

However, beyond that the gods exist and have an impact in the world, there is very little consensus regarding them. Even the number of gods is contested, though the majority of people agree that there are 19 divinities. Their domains are broadly agreed upon, though some of the finer details and associations are very much up for debate.

There are as many different ways of expressing one's faith as there are different people in the world. However, for most people, spirituality is fundamentally social, and often tied to location, history and culture. Information about how people practice religion in a certain place can broadly be found on the page for that location, but certain major strands of religious thought have been pulled out and given their own pages too:

• Favourism
• Ferfydden Church
• Common Church
• The Eightfold Church
• Western Cultic Faith

The Gods in Light are the main gods of the world, and worshipped by the majority of people. They are seen as having a broadly positive influence on the world.

Their names are given here in Callelan, although different languages have their own names for the gods.

Grave, forge, twilight
God of the underground. In many places she is also revered as a god of home. She is particularly favoured by those who make the underdark their home. Emelia is also a god of secrets, codes and thinking on your feet. Sometimes also seen as a goddess of death.
Common motifs: spiders, repeating patterns, darkness, crystals, knives

War, tempest, order
God of the sea, also associated with youth and a patron of music. Sometimes worshipped as a god of trade due to his association with sailing, and consequently the patron of many canals. Sometimes seen as the god of luck, but sometimes also seen as the god of justice.
Common motifs: ship’s steering wheel, musical instruments (most commonly the drum), tattoos, paper and ink, seals (the animal)

Nature, light, peace
God of nature, she is particularly associated with growing things, forests and the hunt. Favoured by those who live in the countryside or have a connection with nature, rangers in particular. Sometimes seen as a fertility goddess.
Common motifs: wolves and dogs, trees, fruit, wings, bow and arrow

Forge, knowledge, life
God of creation, though whether she created the world or merely things in it is up for debate. Patron of strange and unloved things, invention and beauty. Seen as a particular patron of transgender people. Frequently associated with Columare.
Common motifs: multiple eyes and multiple hands, quicksilver, scientific instruments, birds

Trickery, knowledge, twilight God of magic and outsiders, Stolb is one of the stranger gods to place. Some mythologies suggest that Stolb was originally separate to the other seven gods. Often associated with betrayal and trickery, Stolb is nonetheless an important part of the pantheon. Favoured by swamp witches and mad wizards. Common motifs: toads, strangely shaped limbs, hats, staffs

War, life, nature
God of war, battle and glory. Kherkush is a remarkably straightforward god, but he does have a sensitive side as the patron of sports and cooking. He is almost universally agreed to be the creator of dragons.
Common motifs: dragons, lizards, battleaxes, scales, baked goods and barrels.

Life, trickery, grave
God of travel and health, she is also the patron of travellers and nomads, which has led some cultures to revere her as the god of trade. Tserbishka is something of a contradiction, being both a goddess of healing and trickery. She is, as you might imagine, particularly beloved of quack doctors.
Common motifs: horses, a healer’s staff, bottles of medicine and potions, stolen goods

Tempest, light, peace
God of passion and the elements, Fyendela is nonetheless seen as a god who works towards a peaceful outcome - even if violence or sacrifice is needed to get you there. She is known to have some connection to the feywild and the shadowfell, and may come to the aid of travellers trapped in these realms.
Common motifs: foxes, storm clouds, lightning and fire, roses

Less is known by the general population about these eight gods, and their worship is generally discouraged where it is not outright banned. There are some small communities who do focus their worship entirely on these gods, but they are generally regarded with caution and suspicion. There is a general agreement that each of the eight has a rough correspondence with the eight Gods in Light, though the nature of this correspondence is unclear.

The names of the Gods in Shadow are either lost to time or simply unspoken, but they are known by a variety of euphemisms. Those commonly in use in Verskia are:

• The Labyrinth, god of prisons and being trapped
• The Sonorous Drum, herald of ill fortune and judge of souls
• The Dark Mother, maker of monsters, she who seduces
• The Unmaker, who reduces all things to dust and speaks with horrors
• The Betrayer, who turned their back once and now waits
• The Destroyer, who seeks and glorifies only violence
• The Poisoner, who poisons hearts as well as bodies
• The Sleetstorm, who sinks ships and ruins crops

In addition to the traditional eight gods and their counters, there are three further gods. They are known collectively by a number of names - the titans, the balance gods, the outsider gods to name but a few - but the term ‘Gods in Between’ has gained popularity of late.

Although it’s not banned anywhere, worship of these gods exists rather on the fringes. Most theological interpretations cite them as being in some way important, but they are shadowy mysterious figures. It has been noted throughout history that any society which tries to include these gods in their state worship will tend to fall soon after, so they have developed a reputation as bringers of misfortune.

While conventional religion is incredibly varied across the world, worship of the three Gods in Between is remarkably uniform across the world. However, along with their theology, one thing that all followers of the Gods in Between share is a tendency to secrecy, so not a huge about about their theological beliefs is known to outsiders.

The secrecy and uniformity has led to worshippers of the three being referred to as a cult. Although intended as derogatory, the name seems to have stuck with a certain amount of pleasure from its members, particularly those affiliated with the Trickster.

The three Gods in Between do not have names, but do have three common epithets. It is common to depict them with their faces hidden, though this is not universal.

The Arbiter (life, nature, forge, twilight). The Arbiter makes things grow.
Common motifs: blossom, shepherd’s crook, scales, filled circle with a horizontal line.

The Trickster (light, tempest, trickery, knowledge). The Trickster keeps things changing.
Common motifs: feathers, dagger, playing cards, filled circle with the lines of a diamond

The Preserver (grave, peace, war, order). The Preserver keeps things safe.
Common motifs: crystals, spear, book, empty circle.