Ascension

First things first, this is deliberately left vague. Mortals and common-folk DO NOT know any of this, except vague rumours and theories. This page is purely for the player's benefit and (Metagaming Alert!) should not be used for furthering a PCs agenda. 

 
Ascendancy

Ascendants were individuals who had transcended death. They formerly had been called First Heroes. Ascendants could become gods if they gained sufficient following among mortals but they were not gods by default. They were more or less immortal, but could be killed. They had access to magic, even if they were not mages prior to their ascension.

Ascension is achieved via a mysterious process, involving the Towers of the Anath, a series of completed flat and smooth 'towers' that populate the land.

"The other ascendant lords will work together against any who buck the trend, they are forced to, it is their very nature, and today they see us, see me, see you. Time is short for us Coril, we must act first."
Morrowdorn, Speaking to Coril Sevenswords, on the walls of Ran.'

Thrones

 A Throne was the physical representation of a certain type of power in the world. When someone sat on a Throne, they immediately became Ascendants, wielding the power given to them by the Throne. Frequently, these Ascendant beings were worshipped as gods. Typically, this power was magical in nature, as evidenced by the presence of Thrones in many Warrens.

Hint: Thrones are not exclusive to the Warrens, however, an example is the Ritual of Undeath, which created the Throne of Everlasting Life and gave birth to the Arch Lich and his council of 13 Lich Lords

Hint: A 'Throne' does not necessarily need to take the form of a chair, instead it can be in many other forms. For instance, the Throne of Dawn is the command chair of the Chariot of the Dawn. 

Gods

A God was an Ascendant, who had gained control of a Warren, accessed its power through a Throne, and has gained the worship by mortals. While the gods were described as "immortal", in this case, immortality does not last forever.

According to Aloi, Scholar of Warrens, "All gods fall at mortal hands. Such is the only end to immortality, and the gods themselves. Worship begets purpose, and of course, Power, but it attracts attention, both good and bad."

Worship is the critical ingredient to a gods influence and power, and without they are just powerful ascendants sitting on a Throne. Using the influence of their believers, they can affect the world at large, increasing their holdings directly by force or just playing the game from afar.

Worshippers who die initially find themselves in Sorrow's realm, finding themselves judged for their actions and beliefs. Those who worship the gods will then be 'forwarded' to the specific god of worship, who will then siphon off the remaining power left in the soul, before sending them on to reach finality at Sen's Grace.

Sen's Deck

The Deck consisted of a series of cards depicting the members of the pantheon. The Deck accurately portrayed the pantheon, with new cards added as necessary for new members. Most cards represented entities with specific roles in Houses, with a few non-aligned cards that were without a House. During a reading, these cards might be animated.

According to Relvardo (the Reader):

"... the High Houses of the Deck relate to certain warrens and as such they present a kind of window looking in on those warrens—conversely, of course, things can in turn look out from the other side, which is what makes a reading so... risky. The Deck is indifferent to barriers—in the right hands it can reveal patterns and relationships hidden to mortal eyes."

During a reading, cards were shuffled then dealt one at a time, with the resulting divination dependent on which cards came out. The First House sets the course for the entire reading, with the following expanding on the finding. 

With increased skill, different patterns could be used to lay down the Deck.
For example, in a spiral pattern, working through the entire deck, the last card could signify either an apex or an epiphany depending on how it placed itself.Another pattern would be to lay in blocks (which way the local powers would oppose each other). 

(High) House of the Deck

A High House, or House, was an elemental grouping of cards within the  Deck of Sen. In general, the cards within a High House represented Ascendants who held certain positions within that elemental realm.

Certain positions in houses may be static, and stay with a single member for centuries, whereas other roles (Herald of Death, Warden of War, Weaver of Life for some examples) may change semi-rapidly between followers who reflect the card's position.