Lore of Arvendon: Religion

Religion 

The Gods and the way we relate to them have a large impact upon every individual within Arvendon.  There is power in belief and faith is often rewarded directly by the divines. Who you worship is just as important as how you worship, and there are many different traditions across many different cultures. Information about the Deities we worship and where they come from is not a matter of historical fact, but belief. How a God is described and the stories told about them are used as compasses for people's behaviors and morals. It is with that understanding that we must first start from the origin of all things, at the very beginning of existence. 

The First Spark 

  Long ago there was both nothing and everything. A single state of being, an organized cacophony of chaos and order, ebb and flow, there but not there. The concept of time was not present, it simply didn’t exist. Who knows how long or how short the beginning was, but one thing is certain though, and that is that it ended. 

  At some point the amorphous energy that had been everything began moving forward, and the river of time began flowing. With time now existing structure started to form from the chaos, spiderwebbing like crystalized ice into form and function throughout the void. In this way two opposing forces took shape, the positive and the negative. Ever attracting, forever repelling, their existence was the catalyst that created the very first realm, the world known as Ilu 

The Unified Realm of Ilu 

  Every being, creature, object or entity in this world was formed of negative and positive energy. Some beings were entities of pure positivity, others negativity. We call those concentrated aspects Gods and Devils now but back then they shared the same space as all the other creatures of Ilu. What a great space it was, for Ilu was home to everything in existence. It was a fantastical place full of impossible geography and exotic inhabitants. There was upside down oceans, suns wrestled with moons, holes funneled earth from one hemisphere to the next in the blink of an eye. It was truly a unique and beautiful place where mortals first came into being. 

The Children of the Gods 

  The gods felt lonesome in this wide empty world of Ilu. They first played at creating animals and beasts, and those entertained them for some time and brought great joy. Eventually, however, they sought the company of a free spirit. They dreamed of creations that could act, think, and engage on another level. To that end the first races of being were born. Shaped from clay and stone came the dwarves. Carved from trees and grown from the soil came the elves and the satyrs. Plucked from the wind and pulled from the sea came the aarakocra and tritons. One after another life was crafted to the delight and whimsy of the Gods, but the Devils of Ilu grew jealous. 

  The negative energy of the Devils was antithetical to creation. They could destroy, not create. They could corrupt, not inspire. They tried to make their own children and could only manage hollow mockeries of the God’s creations. In spite they cursed the lesser beings with death, strife, conflict and worldly desires. They delighted in tormenting the fragile beings and thrived off the anger and despair they created. This act enraged the Gods, and was the start of the endless war between light and dark. 

The Shattering 

  The battles upon Ilu were fierce, never before and never again has a conflict of such a scale existed. At the start the vengeful Gods held the upper hand, they lead their children into the fray and were overwhelming the Devils and their pets. Mortals proved then their limitless potential for growth in the struggle against evil. Mighty heroes exceeded all expectations and the Devils recoiled in shock and amazement. Losing the war and struggling to survive the malevolent dark creatures changed tactics. They began approaching the mortals with glamours and disguises, luring them with honeyed words and grand promises. They appealed to the creatures hidden desires, tempting and corrupting them, rotting the support for the Gods from the inside out. This strategy proved very effective and soon both sides fielded vast armies of lesser beings tearing each other apart with sword and blade. 

  The power of gods clashing with ancient archfiends was devastating, and the conflict began to take its toll upon Ilu. Continents were destroyed overnight, seas boiled and skies ran red with blood. Eventually Ilu couldn’t withstand the constant assault of opposing forces any more. In a final climatic battle upon the floating chunk of rock that used to be the northern half of the planet Ilu shattered and existence broke apart violently. The gods and devils were forcibly separated into their own planes while the mortals were isolated into theirs. Contact with the “Outer Planes” was stifled and for a time mortals were truly alone.  

Ancient Worship 

  In the dark times of the Great Quiet people were lost and confused. While mortals had always maintained their free will, they had never been absent from their patrons' sides. Forced to make their own way in these alien landscapes many people turned to superstition and comforted themselves with eccentric rituals. After a time the Gods reestablished contact through miracles and prophets, but by then many people had turned their backs on their now distant parents, and instead fabricated their own system of beliefs and ideals. It was a time of false idols and shamanistic witchcraft, some of which survives to this day. 

  In the modern world these ancient religions and rituals have mostly been abolished or forgotten, though a few have persisted and been enveloped into the culture. Many sayings, holidays, and superstitions can trace their lineage back to some point during the great quiet, from the winter festival Holly Fest to the simple act of knocking on wood to dispel bad luck. 

The Pantheon of Arvendon 

  The Gods we worship have been with us since The Shattering, supporting and guiding us. Sometimes they are quiet and callous, other times they are comforting and reachable. With the advent of the Great Invasion by the Empire of Illumination many lesser deities retreated in the face of the Luminous Emperor. During the first War for Survival the Emperor struck down Irdon, a demigod that took the mortal form of a human to fight against his evil. This act caused the formation of the Council of Celestials, a joining of many gods to pool their power within Arvendon so as to resist the god-killer. 

  Which celestials joined together and which decided to abandon Sanctuary is not certain, all we know is what we can piece together in the aftermath. Besides the Council, which features heavily in every aspect of Dyadra culture, there are but a few major deities that are still active and present. Their followings are modest in comparison to the Council, but their acolytes are no less devout.  

The Council of Celestials 

  Often depicted as a collection of beings grasping hands in a circle, or as a parent embracing a child, the Council is a single entity comprised of many. It’s voice and timber change cadence constantly and everyone that’s ever received a vision of them has seen something different. 

  The Council and their church take an active part in the secular business of the Dyadra Kingdom and the Union as a whole. Their priests are incredibly influential and their champions are the law. The Star Sword paladins are hand-picked to act as Avatars for the Council. They dispense justice, protect the innocent and zealously root out corruption wherever it is found.  

  No other gods are officially recognized within the borders of the Dyadra Kingdom. They believe all celestials merged into one during the Unification and that to worship any other deity is simply to worship the Council by any other name. They tolerate foreigners worshiping their own Gods within their borders with quiet condescension and silent disapproval. 

  As a formation of Gods of Light and Life the Council has many aspects and people that worship every facet of their being. Some focus on their radiance, others their compassion. Every possible domain falls under the purview of the Council of Celestials. The symbol of the Council is a constellation of stars. 

Nel, the Silent Goddess of Death 

  Nel is always thought to dress as in mourning. She is wrapped in black, finely embroidered silks with a dried boquet of flowers in hand. No one has ever seen under her black veil, man or god. She does not speak, and moves with slow deliberate purpose. 

  Nel was not always the shepherd of souls, she took that role upon herself when her children were cursed with mortality in Ilu, and she has fulfilled that duty ever since. She impartially guides the dead to their final resting places, and it is said she will do the same for everything else when time comes to an end. 

  In the Union Nel could be considered the second most influential goddess behind the Council, as the Kingdom of Alm are devout followers of hers. They worship her as the inevitable end and pay homage to her as they loan their ancestor’s spirits from their resting places with their necromantic ways. No Almian believes they can escape or cheat Nel with their undeath, they are taught that all things must end by her clerics from an early age, they merely wish to cherish their time on this plane to the limits of their abilities. It is through the supervision of her following that the necromancers perform their rituals in Alm. They oversee the proceedings to ensure that everything is done according to tradition and that no unnecessary cruelty is involved in the process. 

  To worship Nel is to worship inevitability. No matter the journey or the hardship everything comes to an end eventually. Her followers are fatalists, their goal is not to bring anything to a close but rather to help ease the transition from existence to non- existence and to console those left behind. Most grave wardens and tomb guardians are followers of Nel. They work not for the benefit of the dead but for the benefit of the living that suffer pain and grief when confronted with the harsh truth of mortality. 

  Clerics of Nel often wear black robes and wear veils or masks like their Mistress, her symbol is a Scythe and her domains are Death and the Grave. 

Votnir, Lord of the Forge 

  Pictured as bearing a beard of fire, a bald head and radiant glowing eyes the god of craftsmanship and war is thought to be monstrous in size and massive in brawn. He wears a thick apron over his barrel of a bare chest and carries his trusty hammer Sfyri, which he uses to ply both his trades of smithing and death dealing. 

  A devout vassal of Zerus the All-Father, when Zerus formed the Council of Celestials  Votnir stood aside to serve as the weaponsmith for the gods. He toils tirelessly for eternity arming the forces of light in their fight against the forces of evil. Votnir embodies loyalty, discipline, stubbornness and craftsmanship. He is the patron god of any that seek perfection in form and as such he has a devout following amongst athletes, warriors and tradesmen. 

  The Goliaths of the Radiant peaks are known worshippers of Votnir, though his clerics and acolytes can be found throughout the entirety of the Union. Followers of Votnir are stoic and capable, they believe everything in life is a trial sent by him to temper them, and that they must rise to the occasion to become better beings. Priests of the forge god have been known to deliberately put constraints upon themselves to incite growth as craftsmen and warriors, such as using only one hand for a year or creating a blade without fire. They seek perfection and mastery of their craft and tend to be very highly specialized in what they do. 

  Clerics of Votnir often shave their heads to pay homage to their god. They are usually very physically fit and often have a specialized trade. They value honor and loyalty and have a distinct distaste for inaction, laziness, and indecision. A follower of Votnir would rather be wrong than late and they are often perceived as hotheaded or impulsive. His symbol is a hammer striking an anvil and his domains are War and the Forge.  

 Isias, Mother of Beasts 

  Known for being wild, natural, and unhindered Isias is never portrayed as wearing clothes. Her form is always part beast, with the impressive arms of a bear, the legs of a cheetah and the tail of a lioness. She walks on two legs and is often depicted as being surrounded by wild animals. 

  Isias was the first Goddess to create and shape life in Ilu. She made the beasts, the plants that sustained them, and the cycle of eat and be eaten. To do so she herself had to become the final link in that chain, forever being both predator and prey, mother and daughter. Part of her exists in everything that lives and dies within Arvendon. She has no concern for the false constructs of rights, honor, tradition, society. All are meaningless to her; what matters is the continuation of the cycle. 

  The satyrs and minotaurs of the Noxwood have been loyal followers of Isias for as long as any record has existed. They believe that she resides within the deepest parts of the forest and that it is her presence that skews the birthrates of the woods so heavily female. They consider the northern woods to be both holy ground and otherworldly. The fact that the barrier between the mortal plane and the Fey Havoc is so thin there has solidified that opinion for believers. 

  Followers of Isias are often seen as blunt, crass, and unsympathetic. They have no sense of shame, duty, or honor and do not value unearned loyalty. They are unhindered and free, ignoring or deliberately defying social norms to challenge the usefulness of such structures. They value cunningness, decisiveness, action, confidence, force of will and strength of body. Seen as savage and hedonistic, Isias’ worshippers can be stunningly insightful and are always forthright with their desires and emotions. 

  As a Goddess of life many clerics of Isias work as midwives in the Union, blessing infertile couples and delivering children into the world. They also lay the dead to rest, preparing and delivering the mortal shell of the body back to the earth once the soul has been taken by Nel to its final resting place. In Satyr culture the deceased are buried in the trees so that their energy may feed the forest and return to the tribes as sustenance at a later time. Maintaining the cycle is very important to her worshippers and they have a special distaste for the undead. 

  Her symbol is that of a simple circle and her domains are Life and the Grave. 

Obus the Huntsmaster 

  The patient tracker of the gods Obus is always considered to be wielding a bow and wearing a mantle of leaves and twigs. His long green hair is tangled behind him and his two prominent horns curve high above his brow. His skin is weathered, dark and tattooed head to foot with glowing green runes.  He wears no shirt, simple leather trousers with fur-lined boots and a hearty belt covers his stomach. 

  Obus is the pathfinder of the gods. He navigates the cosmos with his unerring sense of direction. Nothing can escape him once he starts tracking it, his steely determination carrying him on the path for as long as it takes to catch his quarry. It is said that after the Shattering it was he that found the mortal plane again, and that it is he who guides the angels of Elysium to the circles of Hell to wage war on their enemies. 

  As the God of the Hunt and Safe Passage Obus values patience, measured responses, deliberate action, moderation and responsibility. He is a serious-minded perfectionist and rarely takes to humor. He dislikes wasting time or resources and is a being of few words, letting his actions speak for themselves. There is a special friction between him and Fimjir, as the trickster god likes to test the patience of the grim-faced hunter. 

 Followers of Obus can be found throughout Sanctuary. Many that worship other deities will pray to him when they are lost, or trying to collect meat for their family, or seeking patience in the face of adversity. Bounty hunters, trackers, coachmen and surveyors have a special kinship with him and many carry the symbol of his arrow to guide them. 

  Clerics of Obus are traditionally minimalists, taking the least number of actions and resources needed to complete any given task. They foster community and growth through adversity and are often austere. When challenged, however, they will rise to the occasion immediately and hold nothing back, inherently highly competitive. Normally patient and cautious, when in action an Obus devotee is swift and decisive, every strike made with purpose and confidence. 

  As the apex predator of the outer realms Obus’ domains are nature and war. 

Ceris, The Divine Muse 

  The visage of the Goddess of music and tales is said to be unremarkable compared to her voice. Few can describe exactly what she looks like or even what she might resemble but all that hear her are awestruck without exception. When statues are made of her they are muted in tone, making her a simple woman wearing simple clothes, usually of the race of the artist. She is always shown singing and often will be carrying an open book in her hands. 

  Originally Ceris was the keeper of history. She gathered knowledge and distributed it through mortal’s mouths. All events and all records passed through her and she remembered them all. When mortals were separated from the gods they had to learn to record their own histories and make their own tales. By the time Ceris reconnected with the Material Realm they had invented music as a means to tell stories. Ceris was instantly infatuated with the concept of melody and poured all her considerable power into becoming the patron of music. She still collects and records tales, but no longer concerns herself with telling only the whole truth. 

  It should come as no surprise that the God of Music is worshipped by bards everywhere. Few performances take place without some kind of prayer or offering for her blessing and many a sleepless night composing has been dedicated to her. She is popular in the People’s Republic which has become something of a melting pot for musical talent as of late. Some well-educated individuals remember her original role as the keeper of knowledge and will offer her a prayer when researching ancient history, but they are few and far between and fading with each passing year. 

 Ceris’ influence is present wherever there is music. From the grandest orchestra of Miletus to the lowliest drunk whistling in the gutters of Lekani Ceris is everywhere. Her worshipers and clerics do not stay in one place for long, and are often seen as capricious and flighty, moving from town to town seeking enlightenment through melody and prose. What clerics she does have are promotors of peaceful resolutions to conflict. They act as diplomats and mediators and are kindhearted people opposed to violence unless necessary.  

  The symbol of Ceris is a G clef musical note and her domain is Peace. 

Fimjir, The Fool of Elysium 

  Universally considered to be dressed as a jester in his true form, Fimjir is partial to tricks and illusions and so has had many different descriptions throughout history. Most tales say his face is that of a crescent moon, or that he wears a mask with a pointed chin under his pointed jester’s cap. He is often depicted as wearing a suit or tailed tuxedo, with white gloves and a permanent grin. It is believed that he can never be looked upon straight on and that his face is always directed away from you one way or the other, much like the crescent in the sky he represents. 

  Fimjir is an interesting being as he has been at odds with his fellow gods many times throughout history. His penchant for practical jokes and his refusal to conform or accept responsibility have made him many enemies amongst his peers. No blows have ever been traded but it has come close upon several occasions. If it wasn’t for the trickster god’s cunningness and quick wit there would most certainly have been a reckoning by now. The fact that he has a great deal of influence and power over the Mortal Realm also has something to do with it.  

  As the God of the Moon and Fortune people pay homage to Fimjir without even knowing it. Any request for good fortune falls under the trickster god's authority, and he is a fickle benefactor. The Lunar Brotherhood of the People’s Republic has been making great strides in converting the populace of Deliverance to the worship of the Great Crescent. Though their teachings don’t seem to coincide exactly with Fimjir’s more traditional clerics. 

  The aspect most overlooked by the Lunar Brotherhood and modern depictions of Fimjir is his role as the God of Contracts. Deals with Fimjir are unbreakable and he takes great delight in offering tempting exchanges that nearly always play out differently than expected. His word is binding but he chooses his words carefully to provide loopholes and caveats. It is because of this aspect of his that Fimjir has been suspected in the past of being responsible for the existence of Curses in Arvendon, which many scholars have refuted by pointing to the existence of curses Pre-Shattering. 

  Clerics of Fimjir are eccentric and illusive. Many masquerade as priests of other deities and delight in causing chaos wherever they go. They act on impulse and are unpredictable at best. The only way to rely on one is to form a contract with them, which had better be worded airtight or they will chuckle as they contort the terms of their agreement to suit their whimsy. 

  The Symbol of Fimjir is a Silver crescent and his domains are Twilight and Trickery. 

Otix, the King of the Sea 

  Wearing a large crown of coral and carrying a golden harpoon Otix has the lower half of a kraken and the upper half of a man. His hair is seafoam and his arms are covered in scales. He has an ornate signate ring inlaid with large pearls and a fierce demeanor. 

  Ancient horrors lie in the depths of the deepest oceans, and wherever these creatures rear their ugly heads Otix is waiting. He has combated the terrors of the deep since time began, before the Devils of Ilu started converting them to their cause. He protects the surface world and in return he was given dominion over the water.  

  Otix is worshipped, respected, and feared by all who live near the vast ocean of Arvendon or set sail upon its fickle waters. His constant struggle with the creatures of the deep is blamed for any bad weather or unfortunate water hazards, and his benevolence is credited when weather is clear and travel safe. Many people make their living trading and fishing in his domain and they would be foolish not to pay him at least some degree of lip service. 

  Clerics of Otix are some of the most superstitious and oldest practitioners of faith in the Union. Many of them don’t even remember how they started the customs and rituals they practice today, but they firmly believe in their effectiveness and will stubbornly cling to their old ways regardless of modern advancements in magic and science. As a patron Otix is passionate and wild. His clerics are both full of energy and weathered veterans. 

  The symbol of the sea god is his coral crown, and his domain is The Tempest. 

The Forgotten and the Ascended 

  As the centuries and millennia have passed since The Shattering gods have come and gone in the distant outer planes. Some have gone silent over generations, others are forgotten as another takes its place, perhaps some perish in the war against hell, or maybe they simply lose interest in mortals and move on. Whatever the case may be there are many forgotten and lost gods throughout history. The formation of the Council a few hundred years ago has caused many deities to go silent, most likely because their voices are now a part of the many that come from the mouth of that Council. 

 Here are a few of the noteworthy gods that have gone silent in recent memory. 

• Zerus the All Father: First of the gods and progenitor of the others, believed to have been the one to form the Council of Celestials. 

• Kemera the Great Crystal Mage: Master of the Arcane, she has been silent for years 

• Voztarr the Spectral Archive: Took over as the repository of knowledge and secrets from Ceris after the Shattering, unreachable. 

• Io the Divine Artist: The god of beauty and color, mate of Ceris, has not been seen for some time. 

• Irdon the Mortal God: Defeated by the Luminous Emperor, has not been seen since 

• Taemis the Shrewd: The god of commerce used to be very vocal and powerful but not anymore. 

• Gammos, Grandmother Winter: Has not been worshipped for a long time and is mostly forgotten 

• Ezone the Passionate: The god of love has been missing since the felling of Irdon