Lore

The culture and lore of Utherial is ancient and diverse, comprised of numerous religions, languages, behaviors, and value systems. These vary widely between the four empires occupying the mainland (Burgland, Wehrmer, Chun, and The Cold Lands).

## Religion

### Maderism

Maderism is the oldest and most popular religion in Utherial. It centers on the cult of the Mother and is widely accepted as a monotheistic religion. According to the holy texts of Maderism, the realm and all its people were created by the Mother, whose name is unknown.

The church of Maderism is located in Efgul, on the western coast of the Mainland. Small parishes exist in most villages and are led by local Eneras, or holy women, whose role is to collect tithing and channel the blessings of the Mother to the local population. Eneras are often colloquially known as Sisters.

According to oral tradition, the Mother and her many children engaged with and shaped the physical earth. For example, the Northern Mountains of the Cold Lands are sometimes said to be the Mother's Children, who she punished by transforming into mountains, because they were so indifferent to the people of the world.

Recently, however, certain groups within Maderism have argued that Maderism is in fact a polytheistic religion. A common saying is "Hell and the Mother" and, while traditionally hell has been identified by religious scholars as a location of death and darkness, key figures within the church now believe that hell refers to a male God. The primary figurehead of this belief is Axtul Imonen, a high ranking member of the church residing in Efgul.

#### Holy Days

There are four holy days recognized by the church of Maderism:

* Iful - the festival of the sun occurs at Midsummer
* Astoani - the planting festival occurring after the ground thaws. The exact date is communicated by the Church via couriers to local parishes.
* Medsis - the festival celebrating the healing light of the mother. This is celebrated at the first snowfall, and so the date varies by location
* Ecseral - the feast that honors death as an integral part of life. This occurs at the turning of the year.

#### Healers of Driety

The healers of driety are a group within the church of Maderism. Traditionally comprised of young unmarried women, the healers dedicate their lives to the medicinal arts in all its forms, and incorporate a combination of magic, herbal remedies, and prayer. In previous years, the Healers of Driety traveled the countryside to provide aid to poor, rural villages. However they were often mistaken for hedge witches due to their unconventional methods and faced significant harm, culminating in the Culling Day. Since then, the Healers stay confined within their compound walls and welcome travelers to them.

The healers are named in honor of the Mother's fabled horse, Driet, who was her loyal companion.

### Taclutism

Little is known about the monotheistic religion originating in the Chun Empire due to the strictly controlled borders and outright prohibition on bards. However,the annual Missive of Compliance sent by the Chun Emperor to the King of Bolburg makes heavy reference to the unnamed God worshiped by followers of Taclutism. Thus, it is widely accepted that Taclutism plays a fundamental role in structuring Chun society.

### Children of Eulasni

While not yet recognized as a formal religion within the realm, the Children of Eulasni have been active for over two hundred years. Their origin is estimated to be somewhere in the far north of the Mainland, in the unincorporated villages beyond Bolburg borders. The estimated three thousand followers worshop a prophet named Eulasni, who they believe will bring about a Red Age of prosperity. They have interpreted the rise in meteors falling across the land as a herald of this new age as fire from the sky is one of the proclaimed signs of coming. They further believe that, before the Age of Prosperity begins, Utherial will be beset by dragons, walking stone, and rain that falls upside down.

## Origin of the Realm

There are numerous accounts of the origin of the realm, derived both from the primary religious texts as well as oral traditions documented by traveling bards. They include:

* **Remdus the Beast**: A wolf born out of the relationship between stars and darkness. As he grew, Remdus became lonely and began howling for a companion, which made the stars weep stardust - this stardust eventually banded together to form Utherial.
* **Hell and the Mother:** A recent mythos emerging from sects within the church of Maderism, the myth of Hell and the Mother claims that Hell was a God, and he and the Mother were lovers. The myth further claims that Hell was the first God, and so is responsible for the creation of the realm.

## Mythology

Apart from the two primary religions of Utherial, the numerous villages each carry their own oral tradition of fantastical creatures, origin myths, and magic. Due to the agrarian nature of society, there is little travel or exchange of ideas - thus, the vast majority of these myths are known only to the villages in which they were born. However, this has changed in recent years due both to the growing influence of Bards and their efforts to document these oral histories, as well as the rise of standing armies during the Seven Years War, as soldiers were often conscripted from rural villages.

Below is a catalog of origin myths and creatures as documented by Beardsley the Bard:

* Merpeople of the Western Sea: inhabitants of the Sunken Islands
* Sunken Islands: hundreds of miles west of the mainland, the Sunken Islands were once a thriving society heavily involved in trade of precious stones, aquatic life, and other sundries. It is rumored that the sunken islands were built by the inhabitants out of materials such as straw and clay, and due to the growing population and added weight, eventually sank.
* Magic Veil of Wehrmer: Many believe that the southern island of Wehrmer, which has never succesfully fallen to invaders despite numerous attempts, is protected by a magic veil that turns any ship passing through it to metal.