1. Sure, but not the kind where there are wizards tossing fireballs at each other, make it more subtle.
2.I had an idea for these five deity-ish characters, they were essentially the monarchs of a certain kind or group of animals.(i.e. The Raven Lord(crows were also among his subjects), The Ursine Warlord, The Eagle King(was the leader of the group, Hawks also members of his court), The Wolf Chief(Foxes were under his jurisdiction as well), etc.) They ended up sort of being like the Istari from Lord of the Rings but they didn't have any real reason for being there, they would fight among themselves and turn mortals into their servants in exchange for immortality.
3.Not necessarily, you can explain as much as you want and leave the rest to the reader's imagination.