Religion

In Ardthra, there are a wide variety of gods who are worshipped. Though there are many gods worshipped, only the major deities of each pantheon are outlined below.

## Dwarven Pantheon

The Dwarven pantheon is organized in a strict hierarchy, with Moradin being lord of all gods and, in fact, all dwarves. All dwarves worship Moradin ahead of all others, though they typically pick another deity to pay respects to as well. Beneath Moradin are his three children (which were the first beings he forged into existence), and then the lines descend from there.

**Moradin:** The forge father is the creator of the dwarves and their most venerated deity. He is seen as being responsible for everything, so prayers are given to him in all matters. Crafters are especially drawn to the worship of Moradin, and he draws followers even outside of the dwarves. His symbol is a forge.

**Baladek:** Moradin's oldest son, he is the god of tradition and knowledge. His main job is to chronicle the history of the world and pass that knowledge onto dwarves. Scholars and the few dwarven spellcasters that exist worship him. His symbol is a tome inscribed with the dwarven rune for knowledge.

**Hanseath:** Moradin's youngest child, he is also known as the Bearded One for his massive beard that obscurs most of his face. He is the god of revelry, brewing, and singing. Seen as the blacksheep of Moradin's family, he put aside more "serious" matters to assure that all dwarves have festive lives. His influence is why dwarves celebrate their victories also as fiercely as when they are fighting to achieve them. Many bards and brewers worship him. His symbol is a golden tankard.

**Korga:** Moradin's only daughter. Created as a protector of his future progeny, the dwarves, Korga is a master of warfare and tactics. Shrines to her can typically be found in all dwarven barracks. Many soldiers, adventurers, and guardsmen worship her. Her symbol is a warhammer inscribed with the dwarven rune for victory.

## Elven Pantheon

When the elves first arrived on Ardthra from the Feywild, they were assisted by primal creatures of great power who they venerated as gods. Since the ascendance of Arun though, the high elves typically worship their ancestors as well as Arun. The wood elves still hold on to the worship of a whole pantheon of ancient, magical beasts.

High elves tend to show reverence to their ancestors by keeping shrines in their homes that venerate their elders. These worshipped elders are usually someone from the family who completed great deeds in their life, and their worship begins as soon as these people are dead. It is a great source of pride in high elven communities to have an ancestor who distinguished themselves in some way. Some high elves will even go through great lengths of genealogical study to attach themselves to some far off elven ancestor who is highly regarded.

The wood elves worship the ancient beasts under open skies by performing special ceremonies and sacrifices. They will sometimes even sacrifice captives of other races to gain the boons of such beasts.

**Arun:** Known as the Harbinger, he became a living god in his time, performing many miracles. He was one of the original elves that came through the Feywild, and he had an unnaturally long life, even for an elf. Upon reaching his 2,000th birthday, Arun started manifesting his power. He strode into the hold of the evil spriggans and blasted them away with powerful magics. He then systematically went through the forests of Dothraynma and smote all the enemies of the elves. Citing a vision, he then led his faithful out of the forest and established the capital of Vesperyn, using his magics to pull the marble from the ground and form it into a towering spire to command his new empire. He spent the rest of his days fighting the enemies of the elves encountered in every corner of the world, and his empire spread over the whole world. Eventually, Arun died and ascended to another form of godhood. Though the empire began to fall with the lack of his physical presence, the powers he imbued his followers with continued to protect the elves. His symbol is a rearing unicorn, the form he sometimes takes to speak with his followers.

### Ancient Beasts of the Wood Elves

The wood elves give worship to the beasts fairly equally, depending on what task they are undertaking, but most druids will choose one of the beasts to specifically worship. Below are the five most commonly worshipped of the beasts.

**Bastran:** The white stag is the protector of nature and the forests of Dothraynma. He kept a constant vigil over the borders of the forest and maintained the health of the forest to provide a bounty of flora and fauna for the elves. Many wood elf rangers worship him to keep them vigilant in their protection of Dothraynma. His symbol is stag horns.

**Falgrin:** The fire dragon who stokes the sun each day to keep it burning. He is responsible for the day light that gives refuge from the foul creatures of the night. Those who fight against the darkness and keep vigil against monsters tend to worship Falgrin. His symbol is a wing made of flame.

**Rethadon:** The great wolf inspires vigor and courage in those who wage war. He ran through the forests with the elves devouring the foul creatures that dwelled there. Some of his most devout followers are said to be able to transform into wolf-like creatures to strike their foes with his power. His symbol is three claws.

**Shalamatra:** The massive owl who keeps a constant vigil during the night time when the most vile creatures prowl the world. Shalamatra helped to fight against the creatures of night when the elves were in their infancy as a race. Their symbol is an owl silhouetted by the moon.

**Vistilus:** The massive purple shark keeps constant vigil over the seas to keep away the horrors of the deep from the elven lands. He even transformed the sea elves to fight by his side. His symbol is a shark fin.

## Chaotic Pantheon

The chaotic gods are worshipped by the creatures of chaos such as the goblins, orcs, and lizardmen. Some cults to these gods also exist in more civilized lands.

**Asmodeus:** The ruler of the Nine Hells, he is the lord of all devils and fiends. There are a number of human cults devoted to Asmodeus in order to gain powers for themselves. His symbol is three inverted triangles arranged to form a long triangle.

**Cthulhu:** The slumbering god of madness, he is biding his time before he comes forward and consumes the whole world in his nightmare. His tendrils of madness snake out from his slumbering bodies and drive creatures to madness. In their madness, they perform rituals to help awaken their sleeping god. His symbol is his tentacled face.

**Gruumsh:** The one eyed orc god created the orcs and inspires them to devour everything in their way. His is responsible for the insatiable hunger, lust, and bloodlust that consumes every orc. His symbol is a bleeding eye.

**Sess'innek:** A demon lord from the abyss who organized the lizardmen and gave them their cunning intelligence. His symbol is a green-scaled, clawed hand.

**Xylmus:** The ever-shifting lord of the Abyss is the ultimate power behind chaos in the world. He is responsible for creating many different chaotic creatures in the world, including the goblins. His symbol is swirling lines that are drawn differently each time.

## Gnomish Pantheon

The rock and deep gnomes worship the dwarven pantheon, but their chief deity is Rizzlesprong the Splendid. The forest gnomes worship the great beasts along with the wood elves.

**Rizzlesprong:** The splendid one was a master illusionist who disguised himself as a dwarven god and made his way into the court of the dwarven gods. He served as part of the dwarven pantheon for many years before Moradin finally discovered his treachery. Impressed by his cunning and arts, Moradin chose only to crush his left arm as punishment, but he then let Rizzlesprong remain as part of the dwarven pantheon. He is the patron god of tricksters, rogues, and wizards in gnomish society, and he is seen to embody everything that is good about gnomes. His symbol is a cloak and dagger.

## Halfling Pantheon

The halflings have their own pantheon of gods, but they will many times adopt certain gods of their neighbors as their own and integrate them into their own worship. Most halflings priests seek to serve their communities and make sure everyone is happy and healthy. They conduct communal ceremonies and festivals once every month or so to keep the gods appeased and the people content.

**Blippa:** The god of farming, he is responsible for successful crops and bountiful harvests. Some of the largest religious festivals in halfling society take place at planting and harvesting time, where many offerings are given to Blippa. Farmers are the most typical followers of Blippa. His symbol is a sheaf of wheat.

**Crassen:** The god of tobacco and fire. He is who gave fire to the halflings so that they could light their hearths and stave off the cold. As such, he is seen as the god of comfort and safe homes. Festivals of Crassen always include a contest to see who can blow the most creative smoke rings. His symbol is a lit pipe.

**Perci:** The god of sneaking and mischief is a popular god within halfling society. Since halflings are so small and typically pacifistic, being able to hide and sneak away from a fight is of paramount important. Festivals of Perci generally involve village-wide games of hide and seek accompanied by all manner of harmless pranks. His symbol is a grinning face.

**Renya:** She is the god of travel. As such, she is an important god in halfling society, as most halflings do not travel more than a few miles from their homes their whole lives. Every halfling who travels gives a prayer to her before setting out. Adventurers make up a great deal of her worshippers. Her symbol is a walking stick with a red ribbon on top.

**Yondalla:** She is creator of the halfings, and she is typically depicted as a female halfling wearing armor with a crook and shield with flowing red hair. She protects her children by ensuring that they spend some of their time thinking about defense instead of a comfy bed and good book. Her temples are found in every halfling settlement, but they are unusual in that they are typically well-hidden and disguised to look like halfling homes. However, they are stuffed with supplies and weapons in the even that the village needs to hold out against invaders. She is worshipped by every halfling, and her symbol is a cornucopia on a green shield.

## Human Pantheons

Humans typically have beliefs based on where they are born, though there can be overlap in some border regions. Some humans in Krat, for example, venerate the dwarven pantheon. Those to the north in Vludrecht still practice the first religion of humans, the worship of the old gods. Navelorn and most of Krat practice Olorism. Zurini mostly worships the Eater of Sand, but some also worship Olorism.

### Old Gods

The first religion of humans, the worship of the old gods have been mostly abandoned by all those outside of Vludrecht and certain areas in Krat. The Vluds, however, are devout worshippers of the old gods. Each king of the Vluds is still anointed by priests of the old gods in a long ceremony that imbues the leader with aspects of each of the gods, granting them divinity.

Worship of the Old Gods include following many humanoid gods as well as some ancient creatures/entities. People who worship the Old Gods are known as the First People, referring to the religion forming when humanity was in its infancy. Priests of the Old Gods are largely decentralized and operate in every corner of Vludrecht and Krat. These priests, known as shamans, are simply called to service and offer their services. There are some temples in the larger settlements, but most villages have stone cairns or simple shrines they pray to. There are religious ceremonies and festivals, but there are no set days of worship as practicing the religion of the First People is a deeply personal experience. When meeting, First Peoples will beat once on their chest and then offer a hand to clasp in a showing of kinship. It is common to ask for a blessing from a certain god for the person before leaving depending on what task they are undertaking.

There are hundreds of different gods in this pantheon, but below are listed some of the most commonly worshipped.

**The Ancient Feather:** A primordial creature and a massive, four-winged roc that soars high above Ardthra. Its four wings beat the air, causing the breezes of the world and also some of the windstorms. It is the creator of all rocs in the world. Many sailors pay tribute to the Ancient Feather before setting out for long voyages. Its symbol is four feathers.

**Bolfnar:** The god of war and strength, he is represented as a tall man with hundreds of scars. He is the ultimate warrior and has never been bested in combat. He is always attended by his three war wolves that help him overcome his enemies. He abhors cowardice and weakness of arms. Soldiers and warriors follow him typically. His symbol is a wolf's head flanked by crossed spears.

**Brorilsted:** The keeper of the home and the bringer of merriment is typically shown as an older bearded man resting on a throne beside his twin daughters. He is said to live in that moment after a long journey when a traveler finally hangs their cloak in their own home. Brorilsted is focused on family as well as home, so he is a revered figure to expectant mothers. Tavern owners and innkeepers also tend to worship him, as he also embodies the spirit of celebration and comfort. He is also the god of civilization, and as such he has helped in the creation of many bastions of humanity within the unforgiving climes of the snowy north. Sometimes he will send his twin daughters Toryl and Helvia to smite those who threaten civilization itself. His symbol is a fireplace containing a burning fire.

**Eddenroth:** A primal dragon deity who is responsible for the death of every mortal creature of Aedrith. He is depicted as being an ancient skeletal dragon. Once creatures die, their souls serve Eddenroth until they are repurposed later. Though he collects the souls of creatures as they die, he doesn't do so with malevolence. He simply completes the circle of life that is required to give life meaning. His followers do their best to maintain the cycle of life, and they will not use resurrection magic unless it directly furthers the objectives of Eddenroth. Liches and necromancers are particularly repugnant to him. His followers tend to have a fatalistic view of the world. He does, however, help mortals from time to time as he will take someone before their time to end suffering. Most of the people who worship Eddenroth do so because they see what is the definite end for everyone, and they would like to punish those who try to escape it. His symbol is a wing made of bone.

**Froily:** The goddess of life, nature, and healing is depicted as a beautiful woman wreathed in flowers and dressed in a green gown made of grass. She is closely associated with spring time, especially the early thaws after winter. Hers is the power that brings the world to life each spring. She is also the patron deity of healers, and she has been known to heal sick and wounded people in their time of greatest need. She is also worshipped by rangers and druids who live among the forest. Without Froily, the world would stay in a state of perpetual winter in the icy grasp of Eddenroth. Froily's followers aren't exactly pacifists, but they will do everything they can before resorting to violence. Her symbol is a green leaf.

**The Gray Wolf:** It is a primordial creature depicted as a wolf that is ten times taller than a man. It is formed half of mist and can appear suddenly from a large fog. It contents itself by devouring groups of creatures that it ambushes once every few months. Some have attempted to hunt the Gray Wolf, but their weapons simply sail through the creature as it rips them to shreds. Its symbol is a wolf's head surrounded by mist.

**The Great Serpent:** A primordial creature depicted as a large wingless dragon. All who sail the dangerous waters are wary of the creature, and they make certain to bring sufficient tribute. Sometimes the serpent will simply destroy ships out of anger or boredom, but it has been known to offer safe passage for the right price. Some who have sailed in the Frozen Sea have seen the serpent and lived to tell the tale, though the price was great. His symbol is a curved serpent under a wave.

**Haverge:** Also known as the Sea Titan, is the god of the seas and exploration. His guiding hand has helped the humans colonize the areas in and around Vludrecht. Most boats will have his symbol carved in some prominent place during their construction, as he is said to keep sailors safe from the worst monsters and storms found out at sea. Haverge is typically depicted as a towering, horned humanoid with blue skin who lives in the deepest parts of the oceans. He is one of the most widely worshipped and respected gods, due to the importance on sea travel to the lives of nearly all humans. Other than seafaring exploration, he also values those who create a legacy for themselves. What use is discovering a new land if your feats are not the subject of bard songs? Haverge's symbol is a cobalt-colored anchor.

**The Hungerer:** This primordial creature fell from the sky, forming the massive crater in the southwestern corner of Revelin. It is a creature of immense power that is slumber at the bottom of the crater, simply waiting until it awakens and begins eating the whole planet. Its symbol is a crater.

**Kopa:** A trickster god who delights in deceit, he is usually depicted as a humanoid with a shifting mask. He is the patron god of thieves and some politicians. When he grants his boon, his faithful can tell outlandish lies that are readily believed. Some can even change their appearance entirely. Some assassin orders also pledge themselves to Kopa for his boons. He values those who hide their true selves at all costs. His symbol is a pale mask.

**Limmerund:** He is responsible for creating and maintaining the planar tethers that connect the material plane to all other planes. Limmerund is depicted as an old man tattooed with mystical ruins, and his eyes are swirling vortexes of energy. If not for his work, the world would be overwhelmed with energy from the other planes, which would destroy all life on Ardthra. He values those who practice magic, but he shuns those who threaten to destabilize reality by channeling too much magic. Most of the magical creatures of Ardthra were created by Limmerund. He also marks certain creatures at birth, which leads to them becoming sorcerers. Mages of all sorts worship him, and some form cults whose sole purpose is protecting the planar tethers and portals of the world. His symbol is a portal surrounded by four crystals.

**The Ravening Wings:** It is a primordial creature that has existed for as long as Ardthra has. It dwells in all the shadows of the world, and as twilight approaches, it rises up and begins to pull down the sun. If not for the tireless intervention of Solfar, the Ravening Wings would devour the sun entirely and plunge Ardthra into unending darkness. When the end of the world comes, Solfar will be defeated, and the sun will be consumed. All the creatures of Ardthra will fight against one another in total darkness during the end times. Its symbol is a black sun.

**Solfar:** The god of the sun, he is depicted as a humanoid made of pure fire. Each dawn, he hops astride his shimmering mount, a fiery phoenix, and ascends into the sky, fighting back the shadows that claw at the sun. He wars against the Ravening Wings fiercely each night, their warring lighting up the morning sky. Once the shadows are beaten back, Solfar throws his mythical spear, Dawncaller, at the sun and then uses his magical tether to drag it high into the sky. Being the god of the sun, Solfar is the enemy of shadow and darkness, as well as all creatures that dwell there. Purity is a trait that he values greatly. His teachings send followers out to destroy all the creatures who make their home in the dark places of the world. He is also worshipped by farmers, since they could not feed their kinsmen if not for the sun rising each day. His symbol is a blazing sun.

**Teztine:** The god of the mountains and permanency, he is depicted as a towering, vaguely humanoid figure composed entirely out of stone. It is said that Teztine moves about the world and settles for millennia before moving on, and the mountains are vestiges of his former resting places. Some especially large mountains are thought to be Teztine himself slumbering. It is a tradition in Vludrecht for any building to have Teztine's symbol carved into it in order that it should prove to be sturdy and stand the test of time. His symbol is a mountain peak.

**The Tunneler:** A primordial creature, it is depicted as a worm-like serpent. It lives in the bowels of the Underdark, tunneling the thick crust of the World Turtle's shell. The labyrinthine tunnel systems used by the drow, deurgar, and other Underdark creatures were created by the Tunneler. However, the Tunneler can sometimes destroy its own tunnels or change their courses, which makes navigating the Underdark a dangerous undertaking. Its symbol is a cave entrance.

**The World Turtle:** In the beginning, there was the World Turtle. After swimming through the Astral Plane for eons, it became tired and began to rest. During its rest, many creatures came by to feed off the World Turtle. Eventually, the old turtle could take no more, and he died. The energy of his life force floated for a while before coalescing around his thick shell. There is no way to be certain of the events that followed, but the Old Gods arrived and saw an opportunity. They began to weave the energy hanging around the shell, and with it they formed the Material Plane, what mortals call Ardthra.

### Olorism

Olorism was founded by the prophet Zalaster the Farseer in the kingdom of Navelorn. He was originally persecuted by the king of Navelorn, and he was publically executed in the capital to the witness of thousands of spectators. This only served to martyr him and energize his cult, which spread like wildfire during this turbulent period in Navelorn. To gain more support for his claim to the throne, Fendrick the Bastard Prince converted to Olorism before he took over Navelorn's throne by force. From that point forward, Navelorn outlawed the old gods and installed Olorism as the kingdoms sole religion. The majority of Krat's citizens are also Olorists.

Olor's followers devote their lives to mastering the three virtues. By cleansing their souls, they will ascend to the King's Star and dwell with Olor for all eternity in pure bliss. If they fail to cleanse themselves, they are sent to the astral plane upon death where they float formlessly until the time that they are able to come to fully embrace the three virtues. When they are ready, they are reincarnated and can live their lives again to attempt purity of the soul. Those who are especially devout followers of Olor are said to be twice-lived, meaning that they have most likely lived before and have come back to join Olor at the end of their life.

Priests of Olor exist in most major settlements and exist to help followers better themselves so they can meld into the essence of Olor upon death. These lowest level of clergy have the title of priest. The clergy who manage multiple villages or large towns are known as ascendants. The leader of the church is known as the Star Prophet, and they receive visions from Olor himself.

The Star Prophet selects five different ascendants to make up the Prophet Conclave, who gain the title of prophet and work to advise the Star Prophet. The conclave's most important duty occurs when the Star Prophet dies. Unlike other followers, the Star Prophet is too important to his followers, so he does not ascend to live with Olor. He is instead reborn immediately upon his death. It is thusly the duty of the Prophet Conclave to search Ardthra for the reincarnated Star Prophet when he dies.

Olorists visit temples once a week to receive the blessing of Olor and share fellowship with their fellow Olorists. At the close of each temple day, each Olorist takes a clay tablet and scratches how they failed the three virtues during the previous week with small ceremonial knives. They then exit the temple and smash the tablets on the streets. Baked into the tablets are a few copper coins. The coins are left on the street for the less fortunate to take after the ceremony has ended.

A typical greeting between Olorists is to hold the right hand over the heart and point with the left one toward the heavens. Telling people to go with the light of Olor or live with the virtues are typical sayings as followers leave each other.

Olorists will typically work on each virtue, but many will pick one in particular to work on at a given time. Some have been known to devote their whole lives to one virtue with the intention of working on the others in their next life.

Though he doesn't take physical form, Olor sometimes sends down beings made of pure energy called Solistars to carry out his will upon the material plane.

**Olor:** Unlike the old gods, Olor never takes humanoid form. He is simply an unknowable entity existing in the cosmos, though he can be seen at night as the brightest star (The Star of Kings). Only good emanates from the deity, and all evil in the world is seen as in direct opposition to Olor. His symbol is the Star of Kings.

**The Virtues:** The three virtues are charity, duty, and honesty.

* **Charity:** This is a useful tool to keep oneself humble and aligned upon the path of the virtues. Material wealth can cloud a person's judgement, so Olorists are encouraged to give all that they can to those who are less fortunate.
* **Duty:** One should devote themselves to their chosen purpose, as there is a purity in hard work. However, the ultimate duty is to following the three virtues and maintaining ones purity to reach ascendance upon death.
* **Honesty:** The prime virtue. Lies and deceit are flagrant affronts to Olor, who is a being of pure goodness. Commiting deceitful acts is the foundation of evil and upsets the cosmic order of the world.

### The Eater of Sand

The Eater of Sand is a deity worshipped by the inhabitants of Zurini on the continent of Sokor. He is a giant, vaguely humanoid figure who towers at least fifty feet tall and walks the sands of Sokor meting out justice and judgement upon those who deserve it. He is a stern god who does not allow for interpretation or nuance.

When Zurini was first established, he appeared to the fledgling settlement and handed them the Tablets of Law. A few scared guardsmen fired upon him, and he turned them to red sand and ate their transformed bodies, much to the horror of those in attendance.

Priests of the Eater of Sand, called magi, dress in black and red robes and smear muddy sand on their faces as they go about their duties, which include making sure that everyone is following the Tablets of Law. Any who are found guilty by the magi (usually an impromptu trial held by several magi if the matter is complex) are subjected to the appropriate punishments without a second word. The Grand Magi oversees the church in Zurini and is second in power only to the sultan, though many say that he has even more power than the sultan and is the real power in Zurini.

Those who worship the Eater of Sand are called Sand Eaters. Though they do not, in fact, eat sand, they do perform a yearly ritual where they cut themselves over the sand and they consume the sand made muddy by the blood. This ritual effectively cleanses themselves of their transgressions against the Eater of Sand so that they will not incur his wrath. They meet at temple three times a week where the Tablet of Laws are recited and they give offerings to the Eater of Sand. It is during these days also that penalties for breaking the Tablets of Law are given out by magi.

Sand Eaters greet each other with a short bow with both hands raised in front of them. They will say sands favor you as they leave each other.

Though the Eater of Sand is an authoritarian and strict deity, he does provide his followers with his boon. Many times in Zurini's history, an overwhelming horde of orcs have marched on the city only to be torn apart by vicious sandstorms that appeared from nowhere. Following the Tablet of Laws is also said to make a devotee extremely prosperous, and anyone who does well financially is said to be sand blessed.

The Eater of Sand demands a strict tribute from his followers. They will leave this tribute in the sands on the edge of the village every ten days. Any who are traveling outside of Zurini must save their tribute for when they return to the deserts of Sokor. Any who steals this tribute is said to incur the wrath of the Eater of Sand.

The Tablets of Law: The following laws were given when the Eater of Sand appeared in Zurini. Each law is a minor, major, or prime law. Breaking these laws results in different punishments.

Minor Laws: Breaking these results in a public flogging and being locked in the stocks for three days.

* Do not lie.
* Do not be wasteful.
* Do not strike someone without cause.

Major Laws: Breaking these results in a hand being cut off and half of the person's wealth being seized and given as tribute to the Eater of Sands. If both hands are cut off and another law is broken, the offender is executed and his entire wealth is given as tribute.

* Do not steal.
* Attend temple services whenever they are held.
* Do not break contracts.

Prime Laws: Breaking these results in execution and all the offender's wealth is given as tribute to the Eater of Sands.

* Do not worship any other gods.
* Do not take a life without cause.
* Give one third of your wealth as tribute to the Eater of Sands every ten-day.