| Category | Pacts |
| Members | see below |
| Period | 20 Temporal 1 - present |
The Balance was established in the Year 1 of the First Epoch. The founders were Arcana and Silvanus. A faction of Higher Powers, it is comprised of neutral deities (neutral, lawful neutral, and chaotic neutral alignments). Their principal objective is to preserve the equilibrium of divine power across the Mortal Systems.
This group arose from Higher Powers contravening the Mandate of the Heavens, a decree prohibiting direct intervention in mortal affairs. During the Horgon Era, the most notorious deity to violate the mandate was Poseidon, who on two occasions decimated mortal populations and disrupted the realm's harmony. One of The Balance's initial acts was elevating Talos to demigod status as a means of curtailing Poseidon's power.
The construction of an Entropy Arch (and its use at Sapthiladân ) sparked much discourse among The Balance's four preeminent members — the nature goddess Aredhel, the primordial lord Geb, the death goddess Kebechet, and the goddess of magic, Arcana. Of this esteemed group, Arcana had witnessed the employment of Entropy Arches during the Creation War. The primordials utilized them to open rifts between worlds and the heart of the universe, where Chaos is said to be boundless, a realm far predating anything created from it in the past 14,000 years. The leaders of the Chaotic core, the primordial lords, were numerous. They engaged in a monumental war to undo Creation. Chaos's objective was the destruction of all, returning it to its primal state. They deemed the bestowal of Chaos with structure and form, the establishment of order in lifeforms, and world-building as unnatural and abhorrent. They named this principle Law.
The Balance endeavors to prevent another catastrophe like the Creation War from unfolding. At times, they are hesitant to take decisive action. This was the case with the Black Tide War — a conflict not between Law and Chaos, but rather between Good and Evil, two vastly different entities. The casualties in that struggle were staggering, with hordes of undead scattered across extensive territories. It was rumored that at one juncture, the undead outnumbered the living by a ratio of three to one. Athena, a goddess of Law and Good, took it upon herself — and without the approval of The Balance — to discreetly intervene in mortal affairs in an effort to restore the previous state of affairs. She countered Thasmudyan's mortal pawns with her own. Since then, The Balance, possibly out of a sense of shame for allowing the situation to spiral out of control, has adopted a more proactive role in preserving equilibrium in the mortal realm.
from the Godspawn Saga
Over the ages, more deities have been admitted to The Balance. To maintain equilibrium among the Higher Powers, this group must preserve divine power greater than any other deity or pact of Higher Powers. When this opposing pact gains excessive power, a new Higher Power is elevated by The Balance. The subject, if they consent, traverses the Temple of Ascension, becoming a deity. They acquire a Divine Domain, ascending as a Cult Power. Their chosen divine domain typically mirrors or matches that of the opposing pact. This is The Balance's method of re-equilibrating the pantheon, ensuring no particular god, ethos (law, chaos, neutral) or morality (good, evil), becomes overly dominant.
When a Higher Power abuses their station, such as intervening in mortal affairs, they may face censure. Doled out by The Balance, this punishment can diminish a deity's divine power and rank. When Neld-Rac utilized a spell to impact the entire mortal population of Bal-Kriav, The Balance penalized him by reducing his status from lesser power to minor power. Neld-Rac's punishment was severe, with some considering it excessively so, as it persisted for 250 years (cf. Duplicity Period ).
Who are they to determine sentencing? There will be a reckoning for this severe punishment.
Neld-Rac, "The Duplicity Punishment"
The Balance also maintains vigilance over those who endeavor to disrupt the stability of the realm through world-altering actions and those who seek to manipulate the flow of time. They monitor deities such as Chronos and his capacity to alter time, as well as those who attempt to misuse the timeline.
One of the powers of The Balance is dispatching special individuals through the Temple of Ascension, elevating them to the status of a Higher Power. Jurmalon, Aredhel, and Thasmudyan were all Ascended by The Balance. Additionally, they promote celestials to the divine realm, exemplified by Lokestant.
Some revere The Balance, favoring the collective ideals of the group over the individual interests of a particular deity. The most formidable group of enforcers for The Balance are the Nature Protectorates.
In every significant region of Midrêth, a high-ranking druid designated as a Nature Protectorate oversees the occurrences within their respective territory. They may intervene to maintain the equilibrium or enlist the assistance of others to prevent the scales from tipping too far from the center.
Oakenbeard, "Keeping the Balance"
| God | Epoch Joined | Date Joined | Alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcana | First Epoch | 20 Temporal 1 | Lawful Neutral |
| Geb | First Epoch | 5 Brightstar 355 | Chaotic Neutral |
| Kebechet | Third Epoch | 31 Witchrite 1600 | Chaotic Neutral |
| Aredhel | Third Epoch | 14 Bloom 1685 | Neutral |
| God | Epoch Joined | Date Joined | Removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silvanus | First Epoch | 20 Temporal 1 | 14 Bloom 1685 |