Slovan Gods

The Slovan Gods are small in number but influence every aspect of life. The religion can be traced back to early paintings over 60,000 years ago. The religion has never spread beyond Slovan peoples as it bears an interesting kind of charm. It is not a religion that you would ever want to indoctrinate someone into. Despite it's odd charms the Slovans remain devout to it, around 6.6 million of them.

The myths of the Slovan Gods begin with a world, new and untouched. As three sisters wonder onto this desolate rock each noticed something coming from the ground behind them. Fudai, the goddess of nature, saw that as she walked life sprang up behind her sprouting animals and and plants of all kinds. To Fundai's left walked Ghoad, the goddess of luck, and behind her sprouted small shoots of fire and precious metals. To Ghoad's left walked the nameless one. In written accounts there is a name for the last goddess, but speaking it aloud will alert her to your presence. This is not something you wish to do as where the goddess of death and demons walks demons spring to life and obey her commands. She is the most revered of the trio as she is seen to have power over life and death. It is said that she was responsible for creating humans as she commanded a demon to "make something more entertaining than yourself."

Each goddess has temples across the Slovan lands, and outside each is a depiction of their beauty. Each of the statues remains faceless as it is said that they only ever take on faces to talk with mortals. In these temples Monks who have trained their whole life to exemplify a specific goddess tend to the temples as well as supporting the community around them. Monks are tasked with making sure that no person goes untouched by kindness through their life.

There are countless Slovan temples across the land as the people seek to glorify their goddess to give them what we can in service to the cause. The cause is the eternal fight with the true basilisk. The basilisk is the ancient form of evil that is said to have formed when the three sisters crossed paths and out of the intersection of their trails came a small egg. The three cared for the egg and raised the creature as their own. They soon learned that it was the pure essence of the planet. The visitors were not welcome for interrupting the state of piece and thus the three goddesses began the never-ending fight to keep the true basilisk from destroying the humans and the worlds that they created; however they cannot kill the true basilisk as it would destroy the foundation on which they built their wonderful creations.

Though the three goddesses are engaged in battle at all times they still are able to grant miracles through their divine powers, though they are rare and only in extreme circumstances. One such example was as a monk of Ghoad fell from the sky after being dropped by a demon they sprouted wings and that is said to be how Aarakocra were made.

Outside of caring for communities monks also serve the important role of leading the candle ceremonies. These ceremonies is a ritual that is preformed on the spring and fall equinox to empty the heart and soul of power to aid the goddesses in their eternal struggle. The candle ceremony begins at noon on the equinoxes as the populace has gathered in and around a temple of their choice. Each person lights their candle after pledging allegiance to one of the three goddesses. These are the only days that the name of the nameless one, Maot, may be spoken free of consequence, but only during the ceremony. After the pledge has been made it is expected that the person follows and praises the goddess they chose until the next ceremony, unless a goddess visits them personally. Once pledges are made everyone in unison turns the candles over so the flame eats up the candle until all is consumed. This process takes about 20 minutes, and no hands have ever been burned through this ritual.

The sacred site of the religion sits in the west of Alikakia and is a simple piece of ground that bears three footprints, said to be where the goddesses crossed paths.