As is widely known both IC and OOC, Siderea was created by three particular deities: the High Star, the Great Fade, and the Vast Glow. The truth of their identities (Frenzael, Asena, and Humilia, respectively) is what makes Siderea such an interesting place: being created by the two primal forces of Entirety itself and a Superior Being explains just about everything about Siderea's weirdness and ludicrously powerful populace.
As the story goes, the Creators hailed from elsewhere, with many theories suggesting that they created Entirety itself (true!). The High Star had already created much, but the Great Fade and Vast Glow desired to create alongside them. Siderea, thus, was created as a sandbox for them all to experiment, learn, and have fun in together.
For some ambiguous and surprisingly short amount of time they loosely ruled over Siderea, but the Great Fade and Vast Glow noted that the High Star was becoming weary of being seen as above all other life. They thus devised a plan to allow themselves to enjoy their creations without having to feel separate from them: they would ascend one god for each zodiac, creating a pantheon of deities given enough power to protect and nurture Siderea forevermore.
After the Catasterismi, the Creators remained present on Siderea for some millions of years later, guiding the gods, enjoying all of creation, and trying to get ol' Frenzy to loosen up a little. Though they certainly enjoyed themself, they could not abate the pain of their primordial wound: their own existence and divinity. In the end they decided to reincarnate themself, and following this decision the Great Fade decided to follow her own path and make use of the creative inspiration the High Star's life had left her with. Her visits became fewer and further between until only the Vast Glow remained. Somewhat recently even the Vast Glow has all but vanished from Siderea, leaving the planet entirely within the hands of the Siderean pantheon.
Despite their absence - and the awareness of this being common in the case of everyone but the Vast Glow due to the High Star and Great Fade having left so early on in Siderea's history - the Creators nonetheless have still had a massive impact on Siderea's culture. Though the gods are focused on more heavily - especially in day to day life and common prayers - the Creators are still worshiped and revered in their own right.
In terms of identity, for the vast majority of Sidereans by their appellations. Though the Creators typically just used their true names for each other - the only reason anyone on Siderea is aware they have true names - Sidereans quickly came up with their own names for them, based on their roles, personalities, and assumed pasts:
Frenzael, the High Star, was named for being the light that appeared amidst the void, the Something that appeared one day amidst Nothing and became Entirety. They are considered the core of the trio and the central figure of Siderean lore, which is kind of funny because that's like the opposite of what Frenzael's ever wanted. F. But this is because it is they who emanate the light through the fade, giving life to all around it.
Asena, the Great Fade, is what existed before existence itself. She cradles all that comes into being and gives it a home, watching over it as it grows and comes to surpass her. Though she could swallow all back unto the abyss from whence it came, in her great mercy Entirety - and Siderea - continues to exist.
Humilia, the Vast Glow, only exists because the High Star and Great Fade do, which is literally true. The star emits light and warmth, which can only be light and warmth when contrasted against the void. She exists in the space between the two, carrying their feelings to all her glow reaches.
On Siderea, the Creators' true names are only known with confidence by the gods and the scant few immortals that remain from the time period where the creators still walked the earth. Others technically know due to various tomes of forbidden lore and ancient rumors, but there are just as many false names floating around that it's hard for scholars to be certain. It isn't a subject of incredible interest, anyway, and more of a curiosity; given that up until recently Sidereans have mostly been stuck on Siderea, there's no real purpose in knowing the Creators' true names and their epithets are titles of respect and reverence, anyway. Interest has been renewed since Siderea's become open to other worlds, however, as those who seek the beyond wonder if they could learn the origins or even locations of their Creators out there somewhere... which the gods aren't particularly pleased with and try to suppress to what extent they can, hoping to preserve the Creators' privacy.
Speaking of the gods, despite their closeness to the Creators and common knowledge of their true names, they still refuse to use said true names even when given permission to do so. For the gods, calling the Creators by their true names sort of feels like if you called your parents by their actual name instead of "mom" or "dad" or whatever. It feels less informal and close and more like caustically formal. Like, you only call your parents by their actual name if you fuckin' hate them and have basically disowned them (or are just pretending for humor). Though not all of the gods view the Creators in a parental sense as such, it still has that kind of vibe to them. Unless they're actively ordered to do otherwise - not really a thing that happens - the gods use the Creators' epithets as a sign of respect and affection.
There are a couple notable exceptions to this to be aware of, however. In the case of the Risen Star - Istra - the whole issue there was treating Istra as a successor to the High Star rather than a new person entirely. As such, some of the gods (particularly Scorpius) came to simply use the name Istra for them. When speaking about them, though, all of them use the name "Risen Star" in order to safeguard their identity. In En2rety, Astrid would fall under this as well were the gods not putting an effort into sounding fancy for 2gnis. Dicros are called "Fallen Star" (with Orchid getting the endearing moniker of "Fell Star"), but will likely have this apply to them as well. Probably more Dicro than Orchid, considering Dicro doesn't like being looked up to and Orchid is Orchid.
The other elephant in the room is Alison in En2rety, who's since become the new Great Fade. This, of course, isn't known to the public, but the gods and their aides needed to figure out something. Led by Leonis and his dad energy, most of the gods took to calling her "Little Fade". As time went on, though, and Alison further defined herself as someone distinct from Asena, they gradually changed over to just calling her by name or at least being comfortable doing so when asked. Many of them still use "Little Fade" as a term of endearment, however, like the god version of calling someone "kiddo" or "squirt".
The High Star
True Name: Frenzael Bon Moel
Domains: Birth, the present, the mind, the sky, water, creation, writing/art/music, reality, law, architecture, guidance, science, technology.
Symbology: "Earth", anima mundi, stars, day, up, points, the brain, water/weather, waves, hands, eyes, keyboard instruments, weaving, stairs, bells, mountains, heights, electricity.
Colors: Blue, Yellow, Black, White
Associated Stones: Aquamarine, Euclase, Gold, Hauyne, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone, Paraiba, Sapphire, Topaz, Turquoise
Associated Animals: Cats c'mon, sea life (especially cetaceans and octopi), familiars, animals known for creating (beavers, bees, termites, etc.), peacocks, amphibians.
Associated Attire: Tight clothing, capes, mantles, jewelry, accents & filigrees, turtlenecks, gloves, boots, a lot of coverage but a lot of accentuation, color popping (usually against monotones), dual tones.
Frenzael's story is pretty central to Siderea's mythology. They helped created Siderea at the behest of Asena and Humilia, who both wanted to experience the act of creation for themselves and sought to heal Frenzael's budding misery by spending time with them and just fucking around instead of doing important creator deity stuff. This worked well enough for a time, especially once the Siderean pantheon (whom Frenzael granted [their power]) was ascended. In the end, though, they wished too greatly to be truly part of their creation, sought reincarnation, Risen Star things happened, yadda yadda they're a twink in a maid outfit now and Siderea hasn't been the same since.
Frenzael's death is often the central point of division in religious sects. While the generally-accepted belief is the correct one - that Frenzael reincarnated themself willingly after having lived a good life - some believe Frenzael was assassinated or even actively driven to suicide, be it by the other Creators (usually Asena) or the gods (who greedily sought dominion over Siderea). Some believe their supposed suicide was a cover story and that they still live, perhaps walking among Sidereans to this day. The Risen Star sometimes plays into this as well, with some believing the Risen Star remains somewhere on Siderea or intends to return someday to reclaim their rightful throne.
Their death has colored culture in more ways than one. Many zodiacs are innately immortal or have the capacity to achieve immortality with a little effort, and yet the planet isn't overrun with them and very few remain from the days where the Creators roamed the world. This is because the lesson of Frenzael's death resonates strongly: there comes a time when one has lived enough, and it's time to become something new. Many of these immortals even choose to only live as long as ordinary mortals, made keenly aware of the burdens of immortality and not frowned upon by society as a whole for growing weary of life and deciding to be done. Unless someone plays a significantly important role in society it's rather frowned upon to keep living forever, as this spits in the face of the High Star's ideals and the cultural idea that change is good, stagnation is misery, and ends are only new beginnings.
Prayers to Frenzael are typically made when seeking inspiration or guidance for creative pursuits, or when expressing gratitude for existence itself. Worship of them is particularly popular among aquatic populations, especially in the capital city of Istra. As you might have expected, this is because the Risen Star's chosen name for itself made Frenzael's favorite pretty clear and the city's been coasting on that high since. Cetans in particular tend to be devout toward them, so much so that when Cetia led the Great Cetan Exodus so long ago much of the population followed after her. The other two zodiacs Frenzael created - Libras and Ophiuchi - hold Frenzael in high esteem as well.
It's not clear what exactly happens to prayers and sacrifices made to Frenzael in modern times. Does all of that energy simply dissipate into the Greater Soulstream, or does it somehow end up filtered into Dicro and/or Istra...?
(It would probably explain why Orchid was so powerful even before attaining godhood, wouldn't it?)
The Great Fade
True Name: Asena
Domains: Death, the future, the body, darkness, space, the abyss, change, transformation, creativity, potential, destruction, chaos, liminal spaces, monsters, caverns, mystery, sensation and lack thereof.
Symbology: "Hell", prima materia, the moon, evening/night, down, gaps, the body, darkness, bones, percussion/strings, cutting, velvet, alcohol and mind-altering substances, doors/thresholds, fins, fire, autumn, geodes.
Colors: Black, Purple, White
Associated Stones: Alexandrite, Amethyst, Bloodstone, Charoite, Hematite, Iolite, Moonstone, Obsidian, Onyx, Pearl, Silver
Associated Animals: All mammals and monsters really bc she's a fuckin furry, reptiles, nocturnal animals, deep-sea creatures.
Associated Attire: Draping clothing, hoods, prints, shit you only see in certain lighting, sparkles, excessive clothing on main hot girl shit also on main sometimes, tattoos, clothing windows or otherwise eye-catching places for skin to pop up (fingerless gloves, etc.)
As gods of death and destruction and chaos tend to be, Asena is probably the most controversial figure in Siderean lore. Not quite as much as you'd think, though. Once again, the popular interpretation is the correct one: that Asena - while embodying the necessary evils of existence and being a bit naughty in her own right - is a loving goddess who paradoxically became so enamored with creation that she went off to continue her work after her beloved Frenzael embraced death. Needless to say, Frenzael and Asena are often viewed as two halves of a whole, bolstering the Siderean view that they are the progenitors of Entirety itself.
Asena has been more or less the driving force behind Siderea's existence. It was her desire to create (not that Humilia didn't, but she mostly was just gay and down for whatever) that led to Frenzael helping her make Siderea, and it was her idea to ascend a pantheon of gods (who would come to define Siderea thereafter) in order to let Frenzael relax. Her carefree methods of creation has made Siderea an incredibly unusual place that tends to fly in the laws of physics, rife with "plot holes" filled in with whatever ideas Sidereans themselves end up coming up with. This is seen best with the gods, whom she was responsible for the bulk of ascending work with Frenzael and Humilia just kinda throwing in some bonuses. While this is all a story for another post, they are potential incarnate with so much left to the imagination that the gods are among the most powerful beings in all of Entirety, held back only by their equally inexplicable consistency and integrity of character.
While not as strictly defined as Frenzael's death, Asena's subsequent departure from Siderea is fairly universally accepted. She went off to make a certain other furry planet and a hell school for demons afterward, though obviously these facts haven't exactly been carried back into the lore. Naturally, speculation is common, with most believing she went off to create more things as she in fact did with the second-most popular school of thought being that she chose to reincarnate herself as well. After her initial departure she still stopped in from time to time, but these visits became fewer and further between to the extent that the gods haven't seen her in likely millions of years.
Prayers to Asena are incredibly varied due to the many interpretations of her character and how much wiggle room her domains have. Some believe that it's best to specifically send petty and selfish prayers to her because she's a mischievous and casual enough deity that she might just grant them. She is often consulted over matters of death, change, loss, protection, and guidance, especially in terms of traveling through dark and spooky places. It's also common to pray to her when one's gotten themself into some situation or another they find too shameful and embarrassing to discuss with anyone else - a sort of god of last resort, whom they figure exists outside of Siderea so it'd be like their little secret right??
Dedicated worship of Asena is extremely popular in the abyss and Siderea's more unusual and free-spirited places, particularly Dschubba. She's rather popular in the Godless Lands as well, though usually by cultists who have... different interpretations of her and her desires. She's most popular among her created species (Ariens, Tauruses, Geminis, Cancers, Leos, Scorpios, Sagittarians, and Capricorns), especially Geminis, Sagittarians, and Scorpios. She's naturally quite popular among local abyssal creatures the Cetans, and Arachne has something of a penchant for her too thanks to all she represents that makes her respected among the Araneans.
The Vast Glow
Domains: Life, the past, emotions, light, flora, family, friendship, love, health, healing, weather, sleep, dreams.
Symbology: "Heaven", viriditas, the sun, morning, left/right, circles, the heart, light, flowers, wind, bioluminesence, rainbows, wind instruments, chimes, feathers, spring.
Colors: White, Green, Pastels
Associated Stones: Celestine, Chalcedony, Diamond, Emerald, Fluorite, Jade, Moonstone, Opal, Pearl, Quartz
Associated Animals: Plants, fungi, birds, insects, woodland animals, other small animals.
Associated Attire: Loose clothing, silk, chiffon, lace, frills, transparency, flowiness, veils, shawls, robes, sentimental accessories, flowers, sweaters, light colors, knits, comfort above all.
Humilia has always been seen as a lesser Creator in comparison to Frenzael and Asena, but never in a derogatory way. She, in fact, has actively embraced and driven this narrative, both out of her natural humility and to serve as a lesson that one need not be a supreme entity of creation to create. She is much beloved by the populace, and while she created few zodiacs the importance of they and the systems tied to them cannot be understated. Virgos can control nature, Aquarians can control weather, and Pisceans are capable of taming the collective unconscious of the planet. The Dream Sea is entirely of her own design, and many of her original creations in terms of flora and fauna have become cornerstones of Siderean medicine.
After Frenzael died and Asena left, Humilia remained behind, thus being the only one to witness as the Risen Star... rose. Her actions during the Risen Star saga are about the only controversy Humilia has to her; while the common narrative is the simple truth that she so desperately loved the High Star that she would hide the Risen Star out of fear of losing them, certain sects paint her as dangerously obsessed or as some sort of grand conspirator wishing to raise a new High Star to her liking to make up for being a lesser deity. Some even think that rather than Istra having been yeeted off into space, Humilia vanished with them, be it in a happy "and they lived happily ever after" way or something more sinister.
Such theories, however, are very much in the minority. Her fate not being explicitly-defined in those early influential writings suggests there was no "fate" to write about and that she is the final Creator to remain on Siderea, watching over it while the gods do the legwork. This is the closest theory to the truth: after Asena founded Hell College, Humilia was invited to work at Heaven College. She took this as her cue to finally leave Siderea, although she still regularly responded to prayers and visited at least yearly.
This changed abruptly at a point coinciding exactly with Heaven College's fall from grace into bigotry and hostility. While Humilia can still answer prayers through her lingering nature as Empathy, she suddenly stopped showing up for anything or actively communicating with the gods. After some time she offered a vague and hasty explanation to the pantheon that explained absolutely nothing other than that she couldn't talk right now because she needed to keep Siderea safe but she'd be back someday!!, serving only to worry the gods further. As far as the mortal populace knows, all is well and good, but the gods can only wonder what transpired that would cause Humilia fear. Even the Great Cetan Invasion at last opening Siderea's doors to the rest of Entirety didn't make her say a peep, despite the fact that it would seemingly mean there's no reason for Humilia to avoid them anymore...
Worship of Humilia is very common throughout Siderea given her greater presence throughout history, particularly among her created species and Ophiuchi. She's prayed to as frequently as any of the gods, if not so, particularly for things regarding health, agriculture, nature, love, solace, interpersonal connections, and personal problems. Many pray to her simply to vent their thoughts and receive some warm fuzzies in return, which she's always encouraged. Any places of worship dedicated to her are typically overgrown and practically indistinguishable from the surrounding wilds, as per request: the best way to show one's devotion to her, she's insisted, is to show love for each other and the planet they live on.
In En2rety, having obtained the full extent of her powers again after Ara's snapping, was able to quickly patch up any holes the Cetans left upon their return to continue hiding it from 2gnis' bloody conquest. This eventually changed thanks to Astrid and company, and 2milia subsequently went no-contact much harder this time to avoid having 2gnis becoming suspicious that she had been conspiring with them this whole time. The pantheon whipped up a pretty good narrative about how they had been abandoned and sabotaged by their Creators that, combined with some ass-kissing and the shiny distraction of teaching Orchid how to become God, has meant that all is as well as it really can be in a place like En2rety.
In Al2rety, following Coris' betrayal of the empire 2milialt made a pretty grand and public return, explaining herself and also the greater threat facing Entirety. With Al2sena's aid she created First Heaven from the moon and the Cosmos and has doubled down on the walls shielding Siderea from the rest of Entirety, albeit this time with greater purpose and transparency. This is the only other real point of controversy around her, as Sidereans are hardly universally thrilled about suddenly being the rebel base for some war they've never heard of, but 2milialt has been through enough already that dealing with some frowns for pulling out a gun is child's play to her at this point.