All the deities who had been networking were pushed by Tyche towards Týr. After all, the Church of Mercy was not suited for direct confrontation, and it didn't seem out of place for Týr to take the lead.
The victory in counterattacking the Underdark brought joy to the entire North. With the impending war against the orcs, this victory came just in time. With the support of the Three Gods of Justice and the Goddess of Mercy, the city-states of the North felt more confident in facing the orcs.
Lathander took the initiative to visit Tyche, hoping to share in the benefits of the Underdark, but was sent away by Tyche under the pretext that the orcs were about to march northward and the God of Dawn needed to deal with them.
The dispute in the Underdark was ultimately an internal matter among the elves. Eilistraee had long since fallen at Tyche's feet, subtly considering herself a subordinate deity. The Dark Maiden was acutely aware that Lolth, now a greater deity, was no longer someone she could match. For her dream of saving the drow elves from evil, Eilistraee chose to cling to Tyche as soon as she ascended.
Tyche did not disappoint Eilistraee; rallying the Three Gods of Justice and Worgin, she managed to suppress Lolth's arrogance, further solidifying Eilistraee's resolve to stick with her.
Corellon had no objection to his daughter becoming Tyche's subordinate, and with Tyche's tacit approval, Eilistraee's status as a subordinate deity was established.
With the backing of a greater deity, Eilistraee was not inclined to show kindness to those deities who were hesitant when approached but flocked in droves when benefits were offered. The deities who were turned away had no choice but to seek help from Týr, who mediated the situation, gaining both practical benefits and reputation.
Seeing Týr's reputation soar, Lathander couldn't help but feel anxious. After several discussions with Chauntea, he decided to act prematurely.
As a goddess born shortly after Shar and Selûne, Chauntea was more pragmatic. This pragmatism allowed her to maintain her status as a greater deity without being suppressed by Ao.
Having been a greater deity for many years, Chauntea had even touched the barrier before Selûne and Yeager.
After exhausting all possible methods, Chauntea set her sights on Silvanus and Yeager. Whether it was nature or death, combining these with her existing Earth domain offered hope for a breakthrough. The essence of death was in Yeager's hands, and this deity, who was almost born at the same time as Chauntea, had many allies and was not weaker than her. Seizing the death domain seemed impossible.
However, Silvanus, who possessed the Nature domain, was different. Although he was also a greater deity, Silvanus didn't have a host of allies like Yeager!
In comparison, Silvanus became Chauntea's primary target.
To gain Silvanus's trust, Chauntea even relinquished parts of her domain, transferring the Forest and Wilderness domains of the Nature pantheon to the Earth Goddess.
A long-term plan was set to strike decisively at the critical moment. After finding a way to become an Old God, Chauntea's desire to strike at Silvanus became irresistible.
As a neutral party, Chauntea would not actively participate in Ao's and the gods' contention. However, if a new Old God emerged among the greater deities, the situation would change drastically!
Greater deities and Old Gods were not comparable. Once an Old God appeared, a deity like Chauntea, who was neutral and had an unclear stance, would be forced to choose sides. Regardless of which side she chose, Chauntea would become cannon fodder and would have to fight desperately. Who would care about the impact of losing the Earth domain?
If she wanted to maintain her current dignity and freedom, becoming an Old God before the war was the only option. At least until it was absolutely necessary, no side would want to antagonize an Old God Chauntea! And once the war began, Chauntea could choose to join the advantageous side; no one would refuse an additional heavyweight in their camp!
Regardless of which side won, Chauntea could remain in a position of comfort and continue to enjoy her glory.
Chauntea's calculations were indeed shrewd. With Lathander controlling Mount Celestia, she could ascend to Old God status as soon as she obtained the Nature domain.
However, Týr's sudden rise in the Underdark disrupted her plans. If Lathander's position couldn't be maintained, ascending to Old God status would be impossible.
Thus, Chauntea had to adjust her plan; first, slay Silvanus, then use this to intimidate Týr and reclaim the sovereignty of Mount Celestia.
Several major battles were happening simultaneously!
In the Underdark, Tyche and Eilistraee took the initiative to confront the drow deities! The Three Gods of Justice were preoccupied with the invading orc deities and couldn't provide much assistance! Chauntea and Lathander seized this opportunity to attack Silvanus's divine realm!
The human deities hadn't reacted yet when the commotion in the Wild Plains shocked the opposing deities.
Under the combined assault of Chauntea and Lathander, Silvanus struggled to defend himself. The Rage deities took advantage of the chaos to join the fray.
Talos's subordinates blocked the Nature deities led by Mielikki, but everyone knew that the outcome hinged on Silvanus, whose situation was clearly dire!
Chauntea also had a hand in the Nature domain, and her Earth and Fertility domains temporarily neutralized Silvanus's home-field advantage; Lathander and Talos attacked together, overwhelming Silvanus with their combined might!
The orc chief god, Gruumsh, laughed loudly, sending out all his avatars to block Týr and Corellon. His goal was simple: as long as he could temporarily hold them off, Silvanus would be unable to survive the combined assault of three greater deities. Silvanus's fall would undoubtedly cause turmoil within the Pan-human deity pantheon, reducing the pressure on the orc deities and increasing their chances of victory.
With this belief, Gruumsh gritted his teeth and endured the relentless attacks of two greater deities, managing to hold off Corellon.
In the Underdark, Lolth's avatar twisted in agony; her spider-like lower half had vanished! Eilistraee and her brother Vhaeraun were evenly matched, unable to defeat each other; the drow warrior god Shevarash and the undead revenge goddess Kiaransalee faced off against Lin Su and others.
The resourceful Reincarnators had no trouble dealing with the lesser deities Shevarash and Kiaransalee. The slime monster god Ghaunadaur, coerced by Lolth, did little and started slacking off after losing two avatars, leaving only one avatar to play along with Gwendolyn and Lu Kui in a sham battle.
Seeing the right moment, Tyche suddenly hurled the Spear of Destiny into Lolth's chest, "It's over; I'm waiting for the feast to begin."
With the last avatar destroyed, Lolth completely lost her ability to resist.
The drow elves' tradition of betrayal influenced their deities as well. Apart from Shevarash, Vhaeraun and Kiaransalee also turned and fled when the situation turned unfavorable.
Shevarash didn't hold out for long, leaving all his avatars behind in the combined assault of Eilistraee and the Reincarnators. The divinity within Lolth's avatars was claimed by the Dark Maiden, who, as a reward, had to purify the remaining divinity for the Reincarnators.
With Lolth dealt with, Tyche stepped in to replace Corellon.
Týr, invigorated, charged at Gruumsh and unleashed a barrage of attacks. Gruumsh, already weakened by fighting both Týr and Corellon, was no match. Corellon had a history of defeating Gruumsh single-handedly, even blinding him in one eye. Gruumsh had fought desperately to hold off Corellon.
Gruumsh's last avatar was also destroyed by the Spear of Destiny, bringing the war to an end. With the loss of their only greater deity, the orc deities, unwillingly but inevitably, admitted defeat and left. The orc war god, Voryn, dared not provoke two greater deities and ordered the orcs to retreat from their invasion.
The surge in faith brought joy to the human allied forces, but the human deities who had repelled the orcs soon faced internal division.
The deities of the Good and Evil factions turned against each other, unable to influence the divine war in the Wild Plains.
Chauntea and Lathander invaded Silvanus's divine realm, and the addition of Talos made Silvanus's situation even more precarious! The moment Corellon joined the fray, the Elven Queen Angiris quietly appeared from the Oak Father's divine realm!
The pressure was now on Chauntea!
Silvanus, with his home-field advantage, gradually turned the tide. Angiris's Defense and Wisdom domains fused perfectly with Corellon's, countering the encroachment of Lathander and Chauntea while also blocking Talos.
Emerging from the fray, Silvanus immediately drove his divine realm towards Chauntea's nearby divine realm!
The violent collision of two greater deity realms annihilated the weaker avatars still engaged in battle. Bloodlust Mara was the first to withdraw from the war under the combined assault of the Nature deities, taking the Unicorn Goddess Lari with him before his avatar dissipated.
The North Ranger God, Caelum Storm, the Lion God, Noban, and the newcomer Spring Goddess, Xhianglia, joined forces against the Winter Maiden, Euruil, gaining the upper hand! The Forest Goddess, Meri Kae, and the Ocean Goddess, Ambari, were evenly matched, but Ambari had no need to exert herself fully for Talos. The watchful eyes of the Elven deities made Ambari uneasy, forcing her to consider retreat.
Silvanus's divine realm forcefully intruded into Chauntea's, and the supplicants, inspired by their two main deities, charged at their opponents.
Chauntea no longer needed to expend effort countering Silvanus's divine realm rules; the roles of prey and hunter were now reversed.
Dense tree roots coiled and twisted, like chains, firmly grasping Chauntea's trembling divine realm!
In her temple, Chauntea's hidden essence felt a jolt of terror. The World Tree easily found her hiding place, and the powerful deity avatars engaged in battle were moving the battlefield towards her location.
At this moment, Sarenrae was entangled by the suddenly arrived Mystryl, while Shar glared at Yeager and demanded, "I thought we had an understanding; what made you change your mind?"
The Keeper of Death remained silent, the bone hand adorned with gemstones within the black robe ignited with pale flames. Seeing that the situation was untenable, Shar returned to her divine realm, ignoring Chauntea's plea for help.
Talos had no intention of standing with Chauntea and Lathander. Seeing the tide turn, the opportunistic Storm God struck back, killing Chauntea's last avatar and taking all the remaining divinity as he left the Wild Plains.
The young Morning Lord was no match for the old dog; he didn't last long before following in Chauntea's footsteps, leaving all his avatars behind in the combined assault of three greater deities.
In the sky, a star shone brightly, almost outshining the sun! Then, this radiant star disintegrated, turning into a meteor shower that streaked across the sky.
Lathander hadn't even had time to mourn Chauntea's fall when he heard a crisp cracking sound.
The black-haired girl appeared as if no one was around, approaching the Morning Lord's essence and said softly, "Don't worry about Taya being lonely; I'll send you to join her."
Lathander resisted fiercely, but he had lost all his avatars and was at his weakest. A delicate hand pierced Lathander's chest, extracting the radiant divine spark from his dimming divine flame.
"Lord Yeager, a pleasure to cooperate."
Throwing the Morninglordship to Tyche, she chuckled, "Lathander's church hasn't disbanded yet; Amanthar can take this opportunity to seize faith."
Yeager's Dusk and Morning domains fused, and the ancient Sun God Amanthar awakened from the remnants of consciousness within the divinity, reappearing in the guise of Lathander!
As for the remaining domains, they were Tyche's spoils of war. The Birth and Spring domains overlapped with Angiris's, and Corellon wouldn't mind exchanging Chauntea's Fertility domain for them.
The Vitality, Rejuvenation, and Self-Protection domains synergized with Tyche's existing domains, enhancing her Health and Protection domains.
A brief fluctuation occurred in the faith lines connected to Lathander, but the gods were all distracted by the commotion on Mount Celestia, attributing it to the Morning Lord's weakened state.
Silvanus, now possessing both Nature and Earth domains, moved his divine realm to Mount Celestia. With the cooperation of Týr and Corellon, the massive oak tree replaced Mount Celestia's position. The Nine Heavens were transformed into nine massive independent planes, supported by the oak tree, while Corellon broke through the barrier under the stimulation of primal forces, becoming an Old God free from the constraints of faith!
At the exit of the Underdark, Eilistraee thanked the Reincarnators for their help and headed to congratulate her father on his ascension.
The black-haired girl appeared quietly and said, "It's time for us to leave."
An invisible barrier surrounded the siblings, "What happens next is not for you to be involved in. Until the situation calms down, do not return to this world. If Ao discovers our relationship, he will not spare you."
Lin Su nodded, "His reach is not that long; there are rules among the Reincarnators that he won't openly target us. Even if he becomes a Great One among the Dominions, the Celestial Realm won't be his personal domain; we still have a way out."
"Who will emerge victorious is still uncertain. To be safe, we can't touch any tasks related to this world anymore."
Lin Xiang felt a bit embarrassed and scratched her head, "You should find these useful."
The divinities of Creativity, Sports, and Youth left by Lathander were stuffed into Lin Su's hands.
"Next time, I'll take you to meet my sons. Don't worry; I won't let you guys suffer."
Lin Su was stunned, "What! You have sons! And more than one!"
"This is a longer story; wait for me to tell you slowly."
The power of the Creation Gods guided the Reincarnators back, and Lin Xiang's figure disappeared from the Faerûn world, heading towards the boundless expanse of the starry sea.
As Eilistraee's de facto but unrecognized main deity, Tyche took on the task of transferring the Dark Maiden's divine realm to the newly reborn Mount Celestia—Asgard.
The exchange of domains proceeded smoothly. Angiris needed the Birth and Spring domains of the human side to perfect her own domain. With Chauntea's fall, she could absorb many of Chauntea's followers. With the help of the Forest Goddess Meri Kae, who had gained the Orchard domain, they could firmly dominate the agricultural sector.