I am going to approach this mostly as "which gods are available" as you would need to know that before creating any details about the religion.
Trokair's gods are generally divided into two antagonistic groups: the Gods of Law and the Gods of Chaos. There are neutral deities who do not belong to either group but they are lumped in with Law due to Chaos's aims.
The gods of Law are personal and mostly benevolent. They are worshipped across all peoples and lands, though perhaps known by different names or guises. They are led by a trio of powerful deities:
- Ro, the Righteous One, LG god of hope, paladins, altruism
- Deidra, the Mistress of Time, LN god of time and the cycle of life (birth, marriage, death)
- Horde, Lord Tyrant, the Dead God, LE god of war, nobility, and undeath
Other gods of Law include Kyrie, goddess of Magic and the sun; Mel, god of medicine; and the racial deities of halfling (Yondalla), dwarves (Moradin) and elves (Corellon).
The neutral gods are few. Karla, the Gray Witch, is the TN goddess of secrets (and secretly also the goddess of balance between Law and Chaos). She was a mortal spellcaster who managed to ascend to godhood through unknown means (the gods of Law are not sure how she managed). While many wizards pay homage to Kyrie as god of Magic, those who seek hidden or forbidden knowledge turn to the Gray Witch. Derrgan, the Wandering God, is the TN patron of art, music, travel, and the earth. He was once a god of Law but stood to the side during their war with Chaos so Ro cursed him to forever walk the earth. Finally, Yelir is a LN god of chaos. He is the god of contradictions and his clerics choose opposing domains (law and chaos; life and death; fire and water). These neutral gods stand with the gods of Law by necessity as the gods of Chaos would see them destroyed along with everything else.
The gods of Chaos are formless and innumerable. Occasionally, one will take a name and guise and turn its attention to the mortal realm. Cults form to worship it and receive its power. But as a manifestation of Chaos, its plans are direct and bent to destruction. Such gods include Erythnul, Nerull, and Gruumsh as well as dozens of lesser known powers like the Face of Fear. There are creation-aligned gods of chaos who do not appear as obviously evil as these, but their ultimate aim is also the destruction of the current universal order, so one does not advertise their affiliation with them. Their cultists include cancer mages and those unnamed wizards that are always stitching new beasts together from multiple creatures (like the owlbear or wolf-spider).
It is known that the gods of chaos created the matter of the elemental and material planes. In the beginning, it was a formless, roiling mass of infinite creation and destruction. The gods of Law imposed form and order on the mass, creating the planes as they are known today. Chaos hated this imposition of Law and they seek to destroy it and return creation to its formless birth. The mingling of chaotic and lawful divine energies created the spark of life and creatures emerged in the planes.
Finally, we will note an incident of divine importance. Horde, god of war and kings, once sought to unite all creation beneath his banner. His conquest threatened the very existence of the gods of chaos, so they joined as one to slay him (an act secretly orchestrated by Karla). Horde's death shifted the balance against the gods of Law, giving birth to the Abyss and the countless demons. But the coordinated efforts of the gods of Chaos planted a seed for Horde's rebirth; it took root at the last stand of humanity against the demons; and He arose as the Dead God with the founding of the Duchy of the Black Hand (also secretly orchestrated by Karla).
Ro's church rules over Aelonia in fact if not in name. They are like the early medieval Catholic Church in the scope of their control and navigating the labyrinthine church hierarchy is more a game of politicking than a field of faith. Ro's adherents preach that he is the One True God and all other so-called divine powers are creatures akin to angels who have sought to usurp his place atop the cosmic order. It is only Ro's boundless mercy and patience that keeps him seeking their return to the flock rather than destroying them outright. Ro's faithful are the Jesus-freaks of Trokair, always ready and willing to jump into a discussion of why Ro and his Church are so awesome and you should join. Of course, Ro's church embodies his aspects of hope and altruism in such charities as orphanages, soup kitchens, and habitat-for-humanity-style homebuilding. And his dominion over paladins leads Ro's followers to heroic heights in adventuring to combat evil. As annoying as they are preachy, no one thinks the world would be better off without them.
Deidra's church is so omnipresent as to go unnoticed. Her priests handle births, deaths, and everything in between. Whereas Ro's followers are eager to proselytize, Deidra's followers are concerned with putting food on the table, educating their kids, and living their own damn lives. The most likely adventurers from among her clergy are those devoted to hunting down undead threats. Undeath, particularly prior to Horde's rebirth, was seen as a deviation from the natural cycle of life. A common saying among her adherents was, "It's a crime to live past your time," some adding, "but it's only a shame to die early." Even with the shake-up of Horde's current rebirth into an undead god, Deidra's church continues to hunt any undead who threaten the living. Horde may champion a state of life after death but even he does not look kindly on mindless or bloodthirsty undead menaces.
Horde's church is small yet influential, given he is the patron of nobility and war. Every ruler and royal pays homage to Horde, for one occupies a throne at his pleasure. Horde demands a strict hierarchy and expects each to fulfill his purpose. The common folk labor and pay their taxes to the lords. The lords maintain their forces in defense of the common folk and pay taxes to their king. The king rules over the land to the benefit of all and pays homage to Horde. While many common folk see Horde as an awful god who empowers kings to tax them to destitution, flaunt their power, and cater to their every whim, in truth every ruler lives in constant fear of Horde. Among the common folk, the symbol of Horde is displayed as a black gauntleted fist bearing a ruby red eye. Horde is always watching and ready to strike down rebellion. Among the royals, however, the symbol is a black sword held by the thinnest thread over a crown (the fabled Sword of Damocles). Since his rebirth, Horde's church now also includes undead clerics.
Derrgan's clergy wander the land, never staying in one place too long. They share news, trade trinkets, and try to spread a little joy and wonder. Once each year, on the festival celebrating Derrgan's arrival on the earth, his clerics amass at a predetermined location to sing, dance, race, and debate who traveled the furthest (both overall distance and furthest afield from their previous meeting). It is believed that Derrgan often attends this festival in disguise.
Yelir's clerics are solitary figures who slowly go mad from the mere contemplation of their god's existence.
No comments:
Post a Comment