This lore breakdown is a helpful resource for understanding the Empyrean series! This lore guide includes spoilers, so please read AFTER you’ve finished Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm.
Includes info from Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, so this guide is spoiler in nature.
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Overview
In the Empyrean world, people believe in and worship more than one god. There are six gods and goddesses.
While everyone knows of all the gods and goddesses, certain ones are more prevalent and worshipped in different regions. For example, in the Morraine province: the closer one gets to Basgiath, the more prominent the god of death and goddess of war become and near Basgiath, their temples are disproportionately larger than the other gods’.
Most of the main isles are devoted to one specific god, with the exception of the isle of Deverelli which doesn’t worship any of the gods.
Dedication
According to the “Guide to Appeasing the Gods,” most deities allow temple attendants to choose their timeline of service. Only two require a lifetime of dedication: Dunne and Loial, for both war and love change souls irrevocably.
In the 200’s, Navarre outlawed the practice of dedicating children to a favored deity and it was banned even earlier in Poromiel. The decision to serve the gods for life must be made after the age of majority and of one’s free will. Parents used to dedicate their infants to a particular deity’s service because they thought the touch of the god would help that child.
When dedicated to Dunne, specifically, one’s hair changes from their natural color to silver (Unnbriel) or dyed white (Aretia).
Note: We are under the impression there is a difference between the banned practice of magical dedication (like they do on Unnbriel and what Papa Sorrengail tried to do for Violet), and dedicating oneself spiritually to a god or goddess (like the “Guide to Appeasing the Gods” text references and what the high priestess in Drathius did, who dyed her hair silver vs. it magically turning silver).
Dedicating oneself to temple work and becoming high priest or priestess isn’t just a noble pursuit, it is the closest anyone who is not bonded to a dragon can get to touching the power of the gods. Only those touched by the gods can wield the god’s wrath.
Dedications can only be completed on people whose futures are certain. If a priestess starts the process of the dedication, but then it is revealed that the child’s future is uncertain and still has dangerous paths to choose from, the rest of the dedication is refused. An incomplete dedication still means that person is touched by the god and can still be accepted and earn mentorship from the god’s attendants. Hair that fades into silver-tips regardless of length is a sign of an incomplete dedication.
The Gods and Goddesses
Amari – Queen of the Gods
Artistic depictions give her high cheekbones and an oval face. There are often Cherubs, which are rosy-cheeked angel children with wings, depicted with Amari – they’re usually carved at the feet of her statues.
Fun Fact: It’s been stated that Rhi’s characteristics are similar to Amari’s!
Known places of worship for Amari:
- One of the most noted landmarks in Aretia is its Temple of Amari
- And the Continent as a whole – because the isles call it Amaralis because the Continent’s people hold Amari above all other gods and goddesses (whereas each of the isles worship one specific god.)
Malek – God of Death
When someone dies, their soul is sent to Malek. He has the power to condemn a soul to an eternity of torture and does not do kindness or allow souls to wander about.
It is customary to burn the items of the deceased in tribute to Malek because it is a grave offense to keep the belongings of the dead. It’s believed that they belong in the beyond with their owner and Malek (“He who does not burn for Malek will be burned by Malek”). This burning of belongs is traditionally done in a temple, but any fire will do. For instance, Basgiath War College has a “Burn Pit” with the sole purpose to burn the belongings of dead cadets. When offering to Malek, the fire should never be left unattended
“We commend their souls to Malek” is said out of respect for the deceased.
Notable locations in tribute to Malek:
- A Temple of Malek in Chantara
- Bay of Malek: The only thing we know about the Bay of Malek is that it’s a large body of water, which lies between the coasts of Krovla and The Barrens, and connects to the Arctile Ocean
Dunne – Goddess of Strength and War
There is no goddess more wrathful than Dunne. Entering Her temple will slice the soul from any attendant who has shunned Her grace.
Dunne requires a lifetime of service from her attendants because war changes the soul irrevocably.
Her emblem is two crossed swords gripped in the center by a claw. Dedicated high priests and priestesses have this emblem tattooed on their forehead.
Notable locations connected with Dunne:
- Dunness River located in Braevick
- Chantara’s Temple of Dunne (the region around Basgiath War College heavily favors Dunne and Malek, so her temple is extra big here)
- The Temple of Dunne in Aretia (which Violet will defend at Aaric’s request)
- Isle of Unnbriel exclusively worships Dunne
Zihnal – God of Luck
It’s believed that Zihnal gives what he sees fit and that sometimes the best gift the god of luck can give is his absence.
It’s said that everyone may want wisdom, but they NEED luck. Prayers to Zihnal are common when someone needs luck on their side. Oh and showing disappointment at the luck given can be seen as offensive.
Notable locations for Zihnal:
- Temple of Zihnal in Chantara
- Isle of Zehyllna exclusively worship Zihnal
Loial – Goddess of Love
This is the only other deity that requires a lifetime of service from their attendants, because love fundamentally changes the soul.
We know the least about Loial – in fact, we don’t visit her isle, the Isle of Loysam, where the residents exclusively worship her.
Hedeon – God of Wisdom
It’s important to understand that knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Scribes do not worship Hedeon like you might expect, because they are careful not to ask for what should be earned. In other words, they believe it is their own responsibility to gain wisdom, not hope for it to be given to them.
The god of wisdom is the trickiest to placate. Hedeon seems to only answer those who do not pray to him.
Notable areas that favor Hedeon:
- The province of Calldyr, where many citizens preach loyalty to the god of wisdom
- Isle of Hedotis exclusively worships Hedeon
Dragons & Gods
We know that dragons don’t care about their humans’ gods as Tairn says in Fourth Wing, “Dragons pay no heed to your puny gods.”
Our interpretation of this is that dragons believe themselves and their power to be superior to these gods.
Invoking the gods’ names
In everyday life, people on the Continent have expressions that invoke the gods’ name, like:
“What in Dunne’s name…” || “There’s no way under Amari’s sky that…” || “Thank Dunne/Amari/Zihnal”
The phrases and usage of the different gods is pretty flexible, depending on the person’s personal preferences and the situation at hand.
Need More?
We’ve got 80+ hours of podcast episodes deep diving the first three books of the Empyrean series, lots of bonus episodes, live Q&As, plus our interview with Rebecca Yarros during her Onyx Storm tour!
