The Twelve
The Twelve is the pantheon of gods for Eorzea. Their nature is explored in the Lv. 90 Myths of the Realm alliance raid series. They are the pillars upon which religious faith in Eorzea firmly rests[1].
Pantheon
Worship
It is customary for individuals to choose a singular patron deity of the Twelve they worhsip above all others. This decision is generally influenced by the divinity’s association with a number of key factors, including a person's origin (homeland, race, or clan), nameday and other special dates, or the nature of ones occupation or calling in life. For example, many Miqo'te of the Seekers of the Sun clan will follow the teachings of Azeyma, the Warden and goddess of the sun. Sailors and pirates of will often pray to Llymlaen, watcher of seas and goddess of navigation to see their ships safely to port, and artisans will pray to Byregot to guide their hands.
Even each of the major city-states is identified by its chosen patron deity, and sizable religious institutions are founded upon a more dedicated form of worship. For example, city of Ishgard adopted Halone not only as its guardian goddess, but also installed her as the central figure of the Ishgardian Orthodox Church — the nation’s official religion.
Although the people of Gridania have taken Nophica as their goddess, no denomination has ever been founded upon Her worship. This is due in part to the relationship the elementals of the Twelveswood and the near-religious faith Gridanian society places in the mediations of the Elder Seedseer and her Hearers[2].
Ul'dah's chosen patron deity is Nald'thal, with the Order of Nald'thal being the main religious group in the city-state.
Lore
Origin
Belief in the Twelve, a pantheon of gods and goddesses each represented by one of the six elements upon which all creation is founded, has served as a cornerstone for civilization in Eorzea for millennia. Though theologians remain unsure of the exact origins of Twelve worship in Eorzea, studies of relics from the Allagan civilization tell us that even five thousand years ago at the peak of the Third Astral Era, the twelve deities were already ingrained in society — as they are today. Not only is the year divided into twelve, and twelve-year cycles used in modern astrology, city-states still choose a patron deity to serve as a guardian over their lands, with that deity becoming a focal point of cultural development[3].
Creation Myth
There are several creation myths from the different tribes and peoples across all of Eorzea, however one of the most widely accepted is from Lewphon of Sharlayan, who became noteworthy for compiling information to create a cohesive theory known as the Creation of Eorzea:
According to Eorzean creation myth, there was nothing in the beginning, neither light nor darkness, only the Whorl. From this emerged Althyk who carried with Him weight and gravity to define the land and the heavens. Nymeia emerged next, but a mewling babe whose tears created a vast lake. Together, they begot Azeyma, the sun, and Menphina, the moon. Thaliak later emerged from the Whorl, and had two daughters with Azeyma: Llymlaen and Nophica, the latter of whom filled the world with life.[4]
Oschon came, but not from the Whorl. This time of creation was also a time of chaos, however, and to bring order to the gods, Nymeia created Rhalgr to destroy the excess creation and bring harmony to the realm. The Whorl brought two final gods, Byregot and Halone. Halone devised the way of warfare, killing Nophica's creations, and so Oschon created Nald'thal to oversee the souls of the dead and assuage Nophica's anger. With their pantheon complete, the gods created a realm in which They could reside, the Seven Heavens, and bequeathed Eorzea to mankind.[4]
While the Twelve are generally assumed to be myths by most scholars in the late Sixth Astral, the Seventh Umbral, and early Seventh Astral eras, beings claiming to be the Twelve are eventually encountered by the Warrior of Light. These beings insist they are not primals, and do not seem to temper those exposed to them.
True Origin
This section contains spoilers for the Myths of the Realm alliance raids..In Myths of the Realm, it is revealed that the Twelve reside in the Omphalos, a phantom realm above Mor Dhona, where they claim they are intending to take over Hydaelyn's role as supreme deities following her demise and test the Warrior of Light in combat. In reality, they do not harbor any ill will. It is later revealed that their true motives for the combat challenges were to drain their aether and eventually perish. The Warrior of Light helps them achieve this goal following a final challenge against Eulogia, an amalgam of the Twelve. However, Oschon reluctantly decides to stay on Etheirys as a wanderer instead of a god.
Deryk (Oschon's human form) reveals that each of the Twelve were created from the souls of Venat's former companions in the World Unsundered prior to the Final Days and the Sundering. They aimed to "return to the star" (i.e. perish) once they believed their duties were fulfilled, similar to other Amaurotines. The divine forms of the Twelve are overseen by the Watcher (NPC) in Mare Lamentorum, who was also one of Venat's companions.
Relationships
Based on the Creation Myth and the descriptions of the Twelve[5], following relationship chart occurs:
Additional Information to the chart:
- While the Description of Oschon states that Nald'thal is his brother, the Creation Myth states that Oschon created Nald'thal out of Magma.
Heaven and Hells
For every six controlling Elements there is a corresponding Heaven and Hell, with an additional seventh Heaven and Hell to rule over them all. Each deity of the Twelve is associated with one of them.
Character Creation
The Twelve are part of the process of creating your character. In Final Fantasy XIV players can choose from twelve patron deities, each of which represents a moon (or month) of the Eorzean Calendar.
| Icon | Deity | Element | Aspect | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Halone, the Fury | Ice | Astral | First Astral Moon (January) |
 |
Menphina, the Lover | Ice | Umbral | First Umbral Moon (February) |
 |
Thaliak, the Scholar | Water | Astral | Second Astral Moon (March) |
 |
Nymeia, the Spinner | Water | Umbral | Second Umbral Moon (April) |
 |
Llymlaen, the Navigator | Wind | Astral | Third Astral Moon (May) |
 |
Oschon, the Wanderer | Wind | Umbral | Third Umbral Moon (June) |
 |
Byregot, the Builder | Lightning | Astral | Fourth Astral Moon (July) |
 |
Rhalgr, the Destroyer | Lightning | Umbral | Fourth Umbral Moon (August) |
 |
Azeyma, the Warden | Fire | Astral | Fifth Astral Moon (September) |
 |
Nald'thal, the Traders | Fire | Umbral | Fifth Umbral Moon (October) |
 |
Nophica, the Matron | Earth | Astral | Sixth Astral Moon (November) |
 |
Althyk, the Keeper | Earth | Umbral | Sixth Umbral Moon (December) |
Elemental Resistances
The Deity you chose during character creation affected your character's elemental resistances. The total elemental resistance of each deity was 330. There was a 4 point difference between high elemental resistance of 54 and low elemental resistance of 50. These resistances came in the form of 
fire, 
ice, 
wind, 
earth, 
lightning, and 
water.
| Deity | Fire
|
Ice
|
Wind
|
Earth
|
Lightning
|
Water
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halone | 50 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Menphina | 50 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Thaliak | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 50 | 54 |
| Nymeia | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 50 | 54 |
| Llymlaen | 53 | 50 | 54 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Oschon | 53 | 50 | 54 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Byregot | 52 | 52 | 52 | 50 | 54 | 53 |
| Rhalgr | 52 | 52 | 52 | 50 | 54 | 53 |
| Azeyma | 54 | 53 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Nald'thal | 54 | 53 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Nophica | 52 | 52 | 52 | 54 | 53 | 50 |
| Althyk | 52 | 52 | 52 | 54 | 53 | 50 |
References
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea, Volume I, page 16.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea, Volume II, page 23-28.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea, Volume I, page 17.
- ↑ a b Encyclopædia Eorzea Volume I, page 18
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea Volume I, page 16-18