Religions

[yxanthymir]

The Old Faith

The pantheon of the Old Gods originates from primitive divinities created by early humans to explain the violent and dangerous world in which they lived. These gods, along with many nature spirits, are worshiped and honored by devotees of the Old Faith, though their rites lack the bloody sacrifices that defined the religion in its earliest days. 

Followers of the Old Faith believe the gods live in the world. Their myths describe heroes’ encounters with these beings in deep forests, caves, or ruins, and even other realms such as Hell and the Underworld. If the gods remain in the world, they rarely reveal themselves to mortals these days. 

Followers of the Old Faith use a variety of symbols to indicate their religious affiliation. Oak leaves, acorns, sheaves of wheat, the Green Man’s face, and circles of menhirs are most common.

Father Death - God of death and fear.

The Horned King - God of the beasts and exploration.

The Maiden in the Moon - Goddess of mystery and magic.

Old Man Winter - God of winter, solitude and ice.

Revel - God of joy, hilarity, drunkenness, and pleasure

The Queen of Summer - Goddess of love and romance, passion, creativity, and joy.

The Seer - God of secrets, prophecy and wisdom.

The World Mother - Goddess of birth, harvest and health.

 

The New Faith

The Cult of the New God has become the most powerful religion in the Empire. The symbol of the New God is a circle, usually depicting a snake or dragon eating its own tail. The cult began with one person, Astrid, who was born in the late second century. A philosopher, theologian, and priest of one of the Empire’s mystery cults, she proposed the Four Truths that have become the central tenets of the faith.

• The mortal soul is eternal. Death is a door to the next life. 

• Cruelty, selfishness, and greed stain the soul, dooming it to the torments of Hell. To avoid the horrors of the afterlife, mortals should lead good lives, and be kind and virtuous in all things. 

• The divine depends on mortals, not the other way around. 

• Anything circumventing the migration of the soul is an abomination. Undead, spirits loosed from the Underworld, efforts to extend mortal life through magic, and the like draw the hateful eye of the Demon Lord.

 

Witchcraft

Witchcraft has been around since humans first crawled out from their caves. A religion steeped in old magic, its devotees commit themselves not only to the Lord and Lady, the deities of this religion, but also to customs that have been passed down through the ages. Students of witchcraft normally use their power to help others, to guide them, and to protect them. Witches are most common in rural areas and anywhere the Cult of the New God has not yet taken root.

 

The Faerie Queen

Not a god, but sometimes worshiped as one by mortals and many elves, Titania the Faerie Queen (known to some as the Queen of Summer) watches over the hidden kingdoms and the fair folk who live in her realms. She rules from a grand palace in the heart of Alfheim, where she has remained since her consort and husband, Oberon the Elf King and Robin Prince, was slain by the Troll King
in the time before humanity. Although few have seen her, the handmaidens who speak for her and tend to her needs claim she walks in gardens under the light of the moon, always searching for her lost love among the shades that sometimes gather in the quiet places of her domain.

 

Small Gods

Small gods include all the other deities and powers worshiped in and around the Empire, and they are characterized by small and isolated congregations. New faiths spring into existence all the time, many built upon the teachings of a raving lunatic or a charlatan working to squeeze a living out of his or her misguided followers. Sometimes, though, the sermons hold truth, and power comes from offering prayers to a mysterious being.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by yxanthymir (see edit history)