Tavaludan polytheism

Tavaludan polytheism, also known as Zovatêle (/zoʊvɐtɛli/; Tavadal: 𐐄𐐜𐐒𐐂𐐋𐐦𐐌𐐉⸣, "way (of the) gods") is a   system of beliefs originating in Tavaluda. It is the largest religion in Tavaluda, and is the of the nation.

Theology
The theology of Zovatêle is an extremely complex system of, , , and beliefs, separated into three main categories: the "Existential"; the "High"; and the "Low", "Lesser", or "Common" gods.

Existential Gods
In mainstream belief, there are four "Existential Gods", who are considered to have come before and created all of the High Gods, as well as the universe itself, and, in having created the universe, became one with their respective elements of it;

Dug̊-Vêmus
Dug̊-Vêmus (Tavadal: 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐒𐐦𐐟𐐢𐐗⸣, romanized: dug̊-vêmus⸣, /duʔ vɛmus/) is the primordial "Space" God of Zovatêle, representing the existence of location, and the space within which things can exist.

In Zovatêle, Dug̊-Vêmus created and became all of the - the spaces within which everything that exists resides. Due to this, Dug̊-Vêmus is considered by some to be at the top of the hierarchy of gods, for having initiated the existence of the universe.

Dug̊-Veda
Dug̊-Veda (Tavadal: 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐒𐐉𐐓𐐂⸣, romanized: dug̊-veda⸣, /duʔ vidɐ/) is the primordial Chaos and Change God of Zovatêle, representing and  in the Universe.

In Zovatêle, Dug̊-Veda created and became the Mavu̇sotusavedal ("Great Ever-change") - the embodiment and existence and promulgation of change in the , which, when tempered by the Orderly nature of Dug̊-Wolas, is.

Dug̊-Wolas
Dug̊-Wolas (Tavadal: 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐏𐐜𐐌𐐂𐐗⸣, romanized: dug̊-wolas⸣, /duʔ woʊlɐs/) is the primordial Cosmic Order and Stability God of Zovatêle, representing resistance to, and the slowing of change in the.

In Zovatêle, Dug̊-Wolas created and became the Vedoglu̇sunal ("Great Change-slower") - the embodiment of resistance to and retardation of change in the , which, when tempered by the Chaotic nature of Dug̊-Veda, is.

Dug̊-Nus
Dug̊-Nus (Tavadal: 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐔𐐢𐐗⸣, romanized: dug̊-nus⸣, /duʔ nus/) is the primordial Life Spark God of Zovatêle, representing the beginnings and emergence of life in the.

In Zovatêle, Dug̊-Nus created and became the Nusofadal ("Great Life-Fire") - the embodiment of the very existence of life in the universe.

Fivers
In the Đêkodukek ("of the Fifth") sect, colloquially called the Dukîne ("Fivers"), there is believed to have been a fifth Existential God, called Dug̊-Nêmus. In this sect, Dug̊-Nêmus is considered to be the Existential God of the "Void", opposite to Dug̊-Vêmus, and the S̄êcînoput ("Total Creator") of the other four Existential Gods. "⁅𐐟𐐂𐐒𐐛𐐗 𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐉𐐋 𐐎𐐦𐐗 𐐥𐐢𐐔𐐉𐐄 𐐋𐐦𐐞𐐡𐐎𐐗𐐂𐐌 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐘𐐦𐐙 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔⁆ 𐐟𐐦𐐓 𐐥𐐦𐐗𐐋𐐛𐐗𐐡𐐎𐐖𐐂𐐔𐐉 𐐓𐐂𐐌, 𐐒𐐜𐐌𐐜 𐐦𐐌𐐂𐐔𐐉𐐎𐐉 𐐋𐐦𐐝𐐌𐐂𐐖𐐟𐐂 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐐𐐍 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔 𐐟𐐂. 𐐎𐐂𐐙𐐦𐐌𐐡𐐎𐐉𐐥𐐂 𐐔𐐉𐐌𐐜. 𐐤𐐍 𐐟𐐂𐐒𐐛𐐗 𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐉𐐋 𐐎𐐦𐐗 𐐥𐐢𐐔𐐉𐐄 𐐋𐐦𐐞𐐡𐐎𐐗𐐂𐐌 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐘𐐦𐐙 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔, 𐐀𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌 𐐎𐐦𐐗 𐐑𐐦𐐎𐐜𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌, 𐐀𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌𐐉𐐋 𐐋𐐦𐐑𐐦𐐎𐐜𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌‧𐐞𐐍𐐌𐐟𐐂‧𐐢𐐀 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐘𐐦𐐙 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔; 𐐎𐐦𐐗 𐐑𐐦𐐎𐐜𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌𐐉𐐋 𐐋𐐦𐐝𐐌𐐂𐐖𐐟𐐂, 𐐓𐐉𐐎𐐗 𐐋𐐦𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐟𐐂, 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐐𐐍 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔 𐐟𐐂. 𐐏𐐦𐐎𐐂𐐌, 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐜𐐑𐐦𐐎𐐜𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐂𐐌, 𐐋𐐦𐐌𐐡𐐔𐐉𐐌𐐜𐐎𐐉𐐎‧𐐑𐐦𐐎𐐜𐐓𐐢𐐎, 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐔𐐦𐐟𐐢𐐗⸣, 𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐡𐐥𐐦𐐖 𐐇𐐦𐐎 𐐓𐐢𐐤‧𐐒𐐦𐐟𐐢𐐗⸣, 𐐞𐐍𐐌𐐟𐐂𐐥𐐂 𐐔𐐂𐐎𐐉𐐥𐐂 𐐎𐐦𐐗 𐐟𐐂𐐒𐐛𐐗 𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐉𐐥𐐂 𐐞𐐢𐐝𐐂𐐔𐐉𐐌𐐜 𐐋𐐂𐐋𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐔 𐐟𐐂𐐒𐐛𐐗𐐦𐐌𐐜𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐜𐐋𐐢. 𐐎𐐡𐐎𐐜𐐒𐐉𐐥𐐂 𐐟𐐂𐐄𐐢𐐎𐐡𐐗𐐂𐐗𐐜𐐎𐐦𐐞𐐦𐐓𐐉𐐎 𐐔𐐉𐐌𐐜, 𐐥𐐍𐐗 𐐟𐐂𐐎𐐂𐐙. “Mavu̇s kîket kês gunez têpîksal puxas̄êc tatakan” mêd gêstu̇sîkr̊ane dal, volo êlaneke têxlar̊ma puxac̄å tatakan ma. Kacêlîkega nelo. G̊å mavu̇s kîket kês gunez têpîksal puxas̄êc tatakan, fêdal kês đêkopêdal, fêdalet têđêkopêdal-pålma-uf puxas̄êc tatakan; kês đêkopêdalet têxlar̊ma, deks têkîkma, puxac̄å tatakan ma. Wêkal, tatakođêkopêdal, têlînelokek-đêkoduk, dug̊-Nêmus⸣, kîkîgêr̊ yêk dug̊-Vêmus⸣, pålmaga nakega kês mavu̇s kîkega puxanelo tatakan mavu̇sêlopêdotu. Kîkovega mazukîsasokêpêdek nelo, gås makac. 'Old tales say that all came from four, but from whence did these come? I find it only falls to reason that if all came from four, the three and the first one, the three come from the one who first began; and from where, or what, does the one come? A Profound Void, a First Before, a Fifth Existential God, Dug̊-Nêmus, opposite to Dug̊-Vêmus, which was once nothing and everything both.'" In a 1714 thesis, titled Origins of Location, the founder of the sect, and priest Yoku Segolotuk (1687-1755), aimed to open a further discussion on the intricacies of the Zovatêle, particularly the origins of the Existential Gods.

Segolotuk proposed that, of the four, Dug̊-Vêmus came before and created the rest, and that Dug̊-Vêmus had been preceded and spontaneously created by another, fifth, supreme Existential God, titled Dug̊-Nêmus, which roughly translates to "Void". Segolotuk asserted that Du̇g-Nêmus explained the origin for the Existentials, and provided a clearer and more rational timeline for the Zovatêlek.

The Fiver sect, as well, is noted for having a more system of governance than the typically  nature of Zovatêle; this is typified by the system of layered council governance; from those overseeing individual temples, to those overseeing regions, and, finally, a general assembly overseeing the nation, composed of Mêlolînîkeleke (wise leaders).

High Gods
The high gods typify those gods which can be found in other polytheistic systems and their pantheons, such as the Zahavan pantheon.

Within this level of "High Gods", there is a hierarchy and an order of power, typically based on age and genealogical origin. Typically the children of a god will typify a concept or concepts that are within the domain of their parents, although not always.

Such examples include Kus̄-Fus and Kus̄-Nus, the High Gods of Death and Life respectively, who are the spontaneously-created descendants of Kal-Falîsilok (The Old Man, The First Life), Kal-Daranal (The Great Deer, Father of All Prey), and Sês-Likal (The Great Wolf, Mother of All Predators), created to regulate the birth and death cycle of all living things.

Notably, examples of the children of gods having unrelated domains are often newer gods which have been brought into worship in more recent times, or more ancient gods for whom either their domain's meaning has changed over time, or a cultural tie that existed between the parent and child gods' domains has been lost.

Lesser Gods
The majority of lesser gods are not considered all-good or even all-powerful, often considered to be mortal creatures that had attained a state of "godhood" sometime during their lifetimes.