Old Belief

The **Old Belief** is a polytheistic religion that was once dominant in Avamorica, Raskev and some other regions in ancient times, but has since been largely supplanted by other religions such as Elveta, Geranism, Natrakhsan and Christianity. The religion bears some similarities to the Common Inecurian Mythology, but the Old Belief is unlikely to be related to CIM in any way; it is most likely that concepts were only loosely borrowed between the two, or that the similarities are merely coincidental. It is impossible to say with any certainty which belief system preceded the other.

The Old Belief is thought by scholars to be a combination of Titan-worship - that is, the interpretation of ancient Titans as divine beings - with some kind of religious reverence of the Theysmarel, or a long-dead related species unknown to historians. The religion exhibits all the typical characteristics of Titan-worship, but has a very specific human-animal hybrid design for its deities that is replicated nowhere else in Inecuria save for in the Theysmarel and Miaran, the latter of which could not have possibly been a source of inspiration for the Raskevites and native Avamoricans, since they live so far away.

The deities of the Old Believer pantheon are all a mix between a human and some animal; other hominid races never appear, even when a deity is associated with a non-human race or is even considered their creator. These deities are capable of wholly taking on the form of the animal they are associated with when it suits them, but they never appear as full "pure" humans; they always have their animalistic physical traits.

The name "Old Belief" is a literal translation of what the religion is referred to as in both Raskevite (*Stastema*) and native Avamorican, or Walmórícing (*Halthorn*). Old Believers only came to refer to themselves as such in approximately the 9th century AD, but references to those who follow the "old ways" can be found in historical sources dating back to the 4th century BC.

## Divine Family

The Old Belief is polytheistic, but the number of how many deities is not set in stone and varies with regional traditions. Old Believers are generally accepting of the regional fluidity of their faith, and have no problem with certain communities recognising specific deities that others do not. However, all Old Believers worship the three core deities - a trio often referred to as the "Divine Family" - and would consider another Old Believer a heretic if they refused to recognise and worship all three.

The Divine Family are the only gods in the Old Believer pantheon to be considered wholly morally good. The other gods possess varying degrees of virtue and evil, but all three members of the Family have no evil whatsoever in them - however, this does not make them incapable of mistakes, and they are certainly capable of righteous anger against those who wrong them.

Since most extant Old Believers are Raskevite, this page will use the Raskevite names for these deities.

### Laikera, Deer-Mother

Laikera, also sometimes known as Laikava, is the Deer-Mother. She is wife to Kelvikas and mother to Taksyava.

### Kelvikas, Lynx-Father

Kelvikas is the Lynx-Father. He is husband to Laikera and father to Taksyava.

### Taksyava, Wolf-Daughter

Taksyava, also frequently known as Taksaiva, is the Wolf-Daughter. She is the daughter of Laikera and Kelvikas.