The Beleaguered Gods are the Old Gods of Tarras who survived The Usurpation of the Old Gods and returned to the world after twelve centuries of death-like entombment. Their return marks a pivotal moment in the history of Verden, challenging the dominance of the Akkosian Pantheon that usurped them.
The confirmed Beleaguered Gods include:
On the 8th day of August (as recorded in The Lord of Secret Lies), several of the Beleaguered Gods awoke in the temple of death after their 12-centuries slumber. However, they found that Hood had been killed by Likos, and they were betrayed by Titus Arrakis, who stripped them of their divine powers and banished them to the desert.
The Beleaguered Gods' true return to power occurred during The Battle of Avalon, when Vlad Dashing, Zeekon, and Alam Ka'enat Kyandr appeared at Avalon during its siege by an elven army. The three gods:
This victory marked The Beleaguered Return as a major event in the divine politics of Tarras.
The Beleaguered Gods were led by The Stone Council, a leadership group that included Crone and other Old Gods. The Stone Council's full membership and their current status is not fully known.
The return of the Beleaguered Gods represents a fundamental shift in the divine order of Tarras. Unlike the Akkosian Pantheon that usurped them, the Old Gods have direct connections to humanity and have demonstrated willingness to personally intervene to save mortal cities like Avalon.
Their return also demonstrates the vulnerability of the Akkosian gods - if the Old Gods could survive the Usurpation and return, the current pantheon's hold on power may not be as secure as believed.