Religions of Oacca-Seri

The Deities of the realm of Oacca-Seri are manifested and materialized by civilizations of beings by a combined belief in a higher power. This causes deities to reflect the cultures which created them. Similar to the deities, the afterlife is manifested by belief causing many different possible afterlives, with some, for example, believing your soul will be sent to a heaven or hell and others such as Plonkstomp the Mad believing your life will be cycled back into the lands you lived upon.

## The Stars

In the beginning the sky was empty, completely blank except for the sun and the moon, however, when the belief in high powers began that all changed. Constellations of pantheons began immerging, a star per deity. In modern day, some constellations are un-named and forgotten, some say these are the ancient deities whos names were lost in the sands of time.

## Oacca and Serai

Commonly thought to represent good and evil, these two most ancient of deities actually represent dichotomy. Over time, these two deities adapted to the fundamental dichotomies of sentient life, and gradually, Oacca became associated with good and Serai became associated with evil. These deities also lend their name to the planet which they make up. Their existence pervades every aspect of life, and some say that all magic stems from these two primordial forces. For several thousand years, both deities have been locked in the core of the earth in an eternally futile struggle. As of 1329, the Church of Dei Nihil has begun attempting to free Serai and destroy Oacca, in an attempt to eradicate magic from the world of Oacca-Serai entirely

## Conceptuals

The Conceptuals are primordial beings not bound to any particular religion. They represent the fundamental abstract ideals at the core of all sentient existence; light and dark, death and life, good and evil, law and chaos. Conceptuals appear in various forms across different religions, but would still exist without them. The four main classifications are Fiends, Divines, Twyll, and Slyuagh. Note that “Conceptual” is an academic term and these beings are generally referred to by their individual type.

## Death

   Death is a complex process in Oacca-Seri due to the unique nature of religion and belief in the realm. The souls of all beings are infused with inherent constructive magic that responds to belief, and an individual’s afterlife tends to reflect their beliefs. However, before religion, and in animals and other beings without religion, the constructive energies that form the soul are recycled back into the world, ever lingering, waiting to be used. However, as an abstraction, death also takes many forms. Multiple deities that preside over death and afterlife exist, but death itself also takes many forms. As one of the oldest beings to arise as a manifestation of the collective subconscious, Death is one of the wisest and most powerful. Taking the form of a roiling black cloud, a giant fly, an undertaker, and many more, Death converses with religious figures, makes bargains with powerful wizards, and ushers the souls of particularly important individuals to their iron palace, located at the apex. They are capable of bringing the dead to life and instantly killing, though they never do; as death is an unbiased and unpredictable force, so too is Death. Death’s personality has been described as off-putting yet caring, particularly interested in necromancy and other wizardry. Death is not bound to any religion, as they are an abstraction; there are, however other gods of death that are slightly less powerful than Death themself.

## Djvotlaie

Djvotlaie is a religion originating from the Northan peoples in Oma, mostly practiced in the kingdom of Ottinsgard. There are only two deities, Chaernos and Baelos, representing evil and good, respectively. They are considered to both be necessary to the survival of life, and followers of Djvotlaie, known as Djvotites, preach that balance is the path to happiness. The main tenet of the religion is that through a balance of selfish acts and selfless kindness, one can fulfill themself spiritually and physically. They teach that nothing in nature is permanent, and that it is impossible to align oneself morally. There is only one afterlife, known as the everstretching plain, an infinite field of grain in which ascended followers sit in complete content. If an individual does not ascend in their lifetime, they are reborn in a new body according to this religion. The deities take a very involved approach, constantly attempting to guide the flow of history how they see fit. It was revealed in the research of Plonkstomp the Mad that Caernos and Belos were in fact alternate identities the same god, changing with the tides of time.