The Cult of the Six
"They knew following their great work that when all was complete they could rest. Tal looked upon his creation and nodded, for their eyes were bright with wonder. Het looked upon her creation and wept, for they would live and love and die. Mir looked upon his creation and smiled, for they would grow and their works with them. Dom looked upon his creation and snarled, for they would be prone to bravery and defiance. Vul looked upon its creation and was content, for they would be forever hunting for the depths of wisdom. Kyn looked upon their creation and laughed, for they would leave lives full of tales and song."
- from The Dictate of the Six, Book the Seventh: Creation
Overview
The Cult of the Six is the generic name for the pantheon of six major gods worshipped by humanity. They are not an exhaustive list of worship but are widespread enough to be considered the major gods of human religious beliefs with numerous other minor gods filling regional or cultural spaces in the complicated religious patterns of human society.
Religious writing names the six as the original conscious beings of Aelios and the architects of it's creation from "a sea of formless dreams" represented by either a literal sea or some metaphor of infinite darkness with the Tower as cornerstone and guiding light to their work. As part of this work the gods created humanity and bestowed upon it the unique aspects of its creation compared to the other species present on Aelios.
Tal
Tal is the god of life, light, and magic and is considered the head of the pantheon. Devotees that prioritize Tal involve the clergy of the six, typically referred to as Brothers of Tal, religious users of magic, and many secular functionaries and bureaucrats. Worship of Tal typically involves either small material sacrifices of items that relate to light or the pursuit of knowledge.