Gods

Preacher

Pastor

Reverend

Elder

Deacon

Bishop

Archbishop

Resident

Doctor

Major deity(s)

the Lawful deities, Azuth/Mystra/Jergal/Retskcirt

the Day godess, Zya

the Engineer deities, Maest/Kupe/Yalc

Minor deity(s)

deities of Brewing, Redic/Daem

god of Couriering, Ydal'm

goddess of Apprenticeship, Ecivona

Elevated human(s)

42 teachers

7 deified humans

Afterlife

The Afterlife is decided by which prophet is followed, and their beliefs.

#### Principles

In general, the religion is focused on world domination, harmony with magic, and to a lesser degree, becoming divine.

On a personal level, people focus on honoring parents, avoiding impurity, and sometimes the advancement of traditons.

#### Ethics

Good people are expected to be holy and virtuious.

Evil is defined as greed, blasphemy, and lust.

Taboo subjects are supernatural, names of the dead, but never incest.

#### Attitudes

The spirit world includes cursed souls, guardian spirits, and more rarely elementals. The average person is cautious about any spirits, and sometimes greatly fears them.

The highest art forms are sacrifice, instrumental music, but never sculpting.

Outsiders are outright discriminated against, and more usually feared.

### **Rituals**

#### Prayers

The divine will sometimes hear a sibling's petition, if the person is of holy ancestry and royal.

The divine will often speak during times of war.

The divine will always speak to people of working class.

The divine will often speak in holy locations.

#### Rituals

Rituals are usually structured, limited to 16 people, and take place at a clergy residence.

Preparation involves speech taboos, self-sacrifice, and hexing.

Rituals include artifact use, singing, and sometimes an archaic language.

The ritual calendar is set according to a mythic cycle. Rituals begin at midnight and mostly last to the next sunrise.

#### Symbols

The most important symbol consists of a open blue eye and an swarm of darkness. Lesser symbols are a sword and a coin.

The most common liturgical colors are blue and black. The highest religious ranks wear silver, and gold is reserved for holy days.

### Special Rites

#### Holy Days

There are 33 holy days in a calendar year. 18 holy days focus on martyrs. 10 holy days celebrate new priests.

Celebrations usually include witch hunts and mass scale executions, although sometimes public sentencing.

#### Adulthood

Coming-of-age rites require defining your aligence, publicly declaring beliefs, and often going on a pilgrimage.

#### Marriage

Marriage is to strengthen political ties, automatically ended after 7 children are born, and men can have multiple wives.

Initiating or arranging a marriage is usually a feminine role, and not a income-earner's role. Marriages usually include auspicious date selection, and more rarely highly formalized rites.

#### Death

Death rites require more than 3 days seclusion for kin, clergical supervision, but never more than 17 days of mourning for kin. Bodies are burned on a pyre.

Death rites require extensive eulogies, sacrificing animals to accompany the deceased, and sometimes less than 6 days of receiving visitors. Bodies are buried at sea.

###

### Clergy/Leadership

#### Structure

The religious heirarchy is branching, strong, and religious roles are specialized. Primary functions are to lead the community, investigate sins, and to commit genocide of supernatural.

#### Clergy

Clergy are men and women who are noble and well trained in military skills. To join a religious order requires being schooling, and often born into a specific family or appointed by military leaders.

#### Lifestyle

The average clergical lifestyle is solitary, although some live in a social manner. Clergy are expected to be lawful, and display their status with symbols, and more rarely a tattos.