Materia

Materia is a universe in the multiverse. Materia has a large and diverse world with many different cultures and gods.

Creation
The God and The Goddess first created five ur-deities: Suzaku, The Phoenix; Genbu, The Serpent; Seiryu, The Dragon; Byakko, The Tiger; and Taiia, the Sun. Together they built the world by creating overlapping spheres. First, Suzaku created a ball of molten fire. Then, Genbu surrounded it with a sphere of earth. Third, Seiryu surrounded that with a sphere of water to form a vast ocean. Finally, Byakko surrounded that with a sphere of air and clouds. Meanwhile, Taiia formed herself into a sphere of light and held herself aloof, not wanting to participate in the creation of the other deities.

Once the world was created, the gods each raised a continent above the ocean surrounding the central Amory Ocean, populated their continent with sapient mortals, and created a pantheon of new gods to watch over their charges. Suzaku created the southern equatorial continent of Maar and created a pantheon of desert gods led by Ra. Genbu created the northern polar continent of Nordica and created a pantheon of warrior gods led by Odin. Seiryu created the eastern ring-shaped continent of Adara and created a pantheon of vain gods led by Zeus. Byakko created the western temperate continent of Gallia and created a pantheon of adventurer gods led by Pelor.

Taiia, however, once again held herself aloof and created the archipelago Shimaji on the opposite side of the world from the Amory Ocean. She also refused to create a pantheon of gods to place between herself and her mortals, instead choosing to be worshiped by them directly. Taiia guarded her worshipers jealously and even created an area of deadly storms called the Maelstrom between Shimaji and the Amory Ocean so that they would remain isolated from the rest of the world. The Shimajin, although they worshiped Taiia, also began an animistic practice of worshiping spirits -- spirits of everyday things, of astral phenomena, and of their ancestors. When she learned that her followers were splitting their worship, Taiia grew jealous and vengeful. She fled from Shimaji, plunging the nation into an eternal night. Those Shimajin who repented, Taiia led across the ocean to a new continent she created called Hesperia, where she warned her last remaining faithful that she is the only one true god and they shall not worship or believe in anyone but her. Meanwhile, on Shimaji, the Shimajin who refused to follow Taiia prayed to Amaterasu, their spirit of the sun, to end the eternal night. With enough worshipers, Amaterasu was able to form a new sun for Shimaji and save the Shimajin from darkness.

Each pantheon has a sun god, so each continent has its own sun. Once every 400 years, on a day the inhabitants call Sunday, four suns cross the sky of each continent. Taiia holds herself aloof and refuses to participate, and Amaterasu no longer trusts other gods or outsiders and keeps to herself and her charges on Shimaji.