Introduction
Aerith is a world very polytheistic, with many gods and
goddesses in its pantheon. Different
gods have followings of different sizes, and some are considered
more important than others, but no one faith is dominant over
the others. Except in
the case of certain evil and chaotic deities, most people are
content to leave things this way.
The pantheon is divided into two general spheres; the
“Greater Gods” and the “Lesser Gods”.
The Greater Gods exist outside of Aerith, and represent the
more abstract concepts, things like love, war, wisdom, etc.
The Lesser Gods are the gods of nature and the elements, who
are confined to (and part of) Aerith.
Often, the Lesser Gods are called ‘spirits’ and the
Greater Gods ‘gods’. The
religions of the Lesser Gods is somewhat spiritualistic, and Druids
are priests who hold all the Lesser Gods and things of the earth as
sacred.
Most of the people of Aerith are dedicated to one faith or
another, and the general belief is that if one is faithful to their
god in life, their soul will be protected by him in the afterlife,
and they will continue to serve in whatever other world the Greater
Gods live. Devotees of
the Lesser Gods believe their souls will remain in Aerith, and may
even be reborn again, if they wish.
At an early age, before a child has been
married or chosen their path in life (or had it chosen for them,
more often), they may be sent a vision by a god, calling them to his
or her service. Very
often, children are called by the gods that they have been raised to
favor, and noble families with many children may send them to be
raised by priesthoods for this very reason.
Once chosen in this way, the child usually goes to live among
the priests of that god and becomes one of their order.
Most priests stay within the various temples of their order,
but some are told to go out into the world, some to spread their faith,
others to lead pilgrimages, or for whatever other reason their god
may decide.
To give their priests power and protection in the world, most deities grant their priests the ability to cast spells. This is handled as per the typical AD&D™ rules. Below are some examples of gods and followings; there are presumably many more, I just haven’t gotten round to making them up.
Followings:
Osam the Blind: This enigmatic (and perhaps mythical) soothsayer lived sometime in the 500's or 600's. He supposedly predicted many things, including the names of future Emperors (even though the Empire would not exist for hundreds of years) and the names of future prophets, but this is not known for certain. Many of his predictions were written down in enigmatic poems by his followers, and only a few authentic ones are known to exist to this day. Osam is not considered an "official" Prophet by the Holy Synod or the Conclave of Sulaninor.
"Official" Prophets:
Sulan: The first of the "official" Prophets, Sulan was born in A.M. 1074. In 1134 he established a school on the island that is now known as Sulanor. His revelations, contained in The Book of Sulan, dealt briefly with the creation of the world and the "age of daemons", but focused primarily on the early history of Men. Though he did not deal with it directly in his book, Sulan's concept of Magic was that it was a universal force accessible to anyone, and that the gods granted portions of their power to their priests. This philosophy of Magic prevailed for the next thousand or so years, and gave rise to the mighty Battle-Magi who united the known world under the Charter of Enlightened Empire. Followers of Sulan are plentiful, and have no aversion to other forms of Magic.
Telim: Telim lived around the turn of the 3rd Millennium. His book, the Tel'hann, focused more on the structure of the higher planes, and on the nature of the gods and reality. Most importantly, though, he taught that Magic is always granted by some higher power. Thus, any who practice arcane magic (magic not granted by any god) are in actuality being given their power by daemons. At the time, the Battle-Magi of the Empire had become an oppressive ruling class, and Telim's teachings implied that they were under daemonic influence. The resulting strife was one of the major factors in the downfall of the Empire, and since that time the secrets of the Battle-Magi have been lost. Followers of Telim are still plentiful, and view arcane-magic users with extreme distrust or even hatred.
Lozan: Lozan lived around the year 3000. His teachings were written down by followers, but were never compiled into a single book. Lozan taught that the Pact of Inom forbade humans and demi-humans from fighting one another, and that the proper way to live is at peace with all living things (except the Cursed Races, of course). He taught that Magic is a natural extension that originates from within all souls, and that there is "light" and "dark" Magicks. "Light" Magicks come from all natural creatures and plants; "dark" Magicks originate from Daemons, undead, and the Cursed Races (such as orcs). Many rangers and druids favor the teachings of Lozan, but he has nowhere near the number of followers among the majority of the populace as Sulan and Telim do.
Other followings:
Socres: Socres was a philosopher who died in A.M. 2689. During his life, his teachings went largely unnoticed, and it was not until many years later that learned men began to accept his ideas. He taught that the universe is ordered, and that it conforms to rules that can be discovered and utilized. He performed many experiments to test his hypothoses, and recorded the results in several journals. Because he lived in the time of religious fervor surrounding the Unholy Crusades of Xilea, he kept these ideas secret, and his journals were not discovered for many centuries. Though he never opposed the doctrines of Sulanor, his philosophy made no attempt to explain the gods or Magic. The details of his life are all but unknown, for he wrote little about himself. It is known that he died in A.M. 2689, possibly murdered by fanatics as a heretic. Learned men in advanced countries have begun a new calender, the Ano Socres(A.S.), in his honor, based on the year of his death. It is currently the year A.S. 1521.
Xor: Known as The Apostate, Xor tore the world apart in a terrible war in the A.M. 3700's. His teachings, recorded in the Book of Xor, are lost, having been officially burned by the Synod after the Apostasy. From secondary sources, he is believed to have been violently atheistic, although he did at times claim to be a Prophet of Thoth. He was at least a wielder of powerful arcane Magicks, and supporter of dark gods and Cursed Races. Even the mention of his name is still considered extremely taboo. Xor was killed by his former best friend, Balur, as described in the famous epic poem, The Legend of Balur.
Greater Gods:
Thoth, God of Wisdom
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: Eye; book
Patron of: scholars, doctors, scribes, and other men of learning.
Major spheres: Divination, Healing
Minor spheres: Charm, Guardian, Protection
Weapons/Armor allowed: any non-bladed, i.e. quarterstaves, maces, etc.
Alignments allowed: Any, though most are partly neutral
Granted Powers: Prophecy
Other notes: Priests of Thoth are extremely rare, and as they are often of opposing alignments there is no central Temple. Thoth grants to his few priests knowledge and insight that their world is often unprepared for, and that will shift the balance of forces back to a more neutral position. For example, Sulan was a priest of Thoth, and his insights into the workings of magic made it possible for people other than priests to use it, changing the course of history.
Inom, God of Light
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbols: the True Sword, the Guardian Star
Patron of: Paladins, Kings
Major spheres: Sun, Protection
Minor spheres: Divination, Healing, Guardian, Combat, Creation
Weapons/Armor allowed: Quarterstaff, flail, man-catcher, club
Alignments allowed: any good, though chaotic good clerics of Inom are rare
Granted Powers: Turn Undead, Lay on Hands (1x/day at 3rd level)
Other notes: The Temple of Inom is located on the Isle of Sulanor. Inom is usually considered the most noble of gods, and his priesthood, while small, is very influential. By tradition, the Priests of Inom crown Emperors, as well as many Kings. The Knights of the Holy Order of the True Sword (the Paladins) are the greatest mortal warriors on Aerith. Yet the following of Inom is not terribly large, restricted mainly to noble families and such; his principles are too far removed from the daily lives of most people.
Rhôn, God of War (Blood)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbols: skull, fist
Patron of: warriors, necromancers, anyone willing to shed blood for the blood god.
Major spheres: Combat, War
Minor spheres: Healing, Protection
Weapons/Armor allowed: broad sword, bastard sword, mace, battle axe, morning star, any other non-bladed
Alignments allowed: any evil
Granted Powers: Inspire Fear 2x/day, Incite Berserker Rage 1x/day (at 5th level)
Notes: Rhôn has no Temple, and once again his followers and priests are few, yet have great impact on Aerith. Elite units of warriors, fanatics, and necromancers are often drawn to worshiping Rhôn. His priests are wont to begin hideous wars and have caused great suffering. A very few have led hosts to battle for noble purposes, only to betray those who began to trust them.
Sagus, God of Common Soldiers
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbols: boot, shield, open hand
Patron of: common soldiers
Major spheres: Healing, Travelers
Minor spheres: none
Weapons/Armor allowed: ANY (typically whatever their fighting unit is issued)
Alignments allowed: LN, LG, NG
Granted Powers: Cure Light Wounds 1x/day/level
Notes: Priests fight as normal soldiers and are given no preference over others, except for chaplains, usually one per large unit, who is traditionally treated as a junior officer. Followers of Sagus distrust and dislike the more bloodthirsty followers of Rhôn, but will fight with them when ordered. Nearly all professional armies and conscripts in Aerith are followers of Sagus, and many noblemen and Kings who have disrespected the holy days of Sagus have found themselves without an army (if they are lucky!).
One popular story among soldiers is that once there was a nation known as Khôr-lahal, whose King and his elite warriors were followers of Rhôn. When, on Fallen Comrades? Day, one of the few holy days of Sagus when soldiers are required to put aside their arms, the King of Khôr-lahal saw an opportunity to attack his foes without fear of heavy losses, he attacked with the warriors of Rhôn and slaughtered the enemy. He awoke the next day to tidings that his vast armies, for the most part followers of Sagus, had turned against him, and the hosts of his neighbors and allies were marching upon his capitol unbidden by their lords. The war was over quickly.
Myrtha, Goddess of Deceit and Treachery
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Symbols: knife, poisoned cup (upside-down goblet)
Patron of: traitors, frauds, assasins
Major spheres: Chaos
Minor spheres: Combat, Necromantic
Weapons/Armor allowed: knives, daggers, darts, any other easily concealable weapons no larger than a short sword
Alignments allowed: evil
Notes: The followers of Myrtha are few, as are her priests. Most followers of Myrtha are solitary, unable to confide in others for fear of being exposed. The few Cults of Myrtha are usually interested in starting revolutions for what they may believe to be righteous causes. Priests of Myrtha are often the instigators of such revolutions. They are also known to act as spies and saboteurs to help the larger forces commanded by priests of other evil gods.
Ilithyia, Goddess of Life (Mother Goddess)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbols: stork, cradle
Patron of: mothers, midwives
Major spheres: Healing, Protection, Creation
Minor spheres: Wards, Sun, Guardian
Weapons/Armor allowed: quarterstaff
Alignments: any good
Notes: Most, if not all, midwives worship Ilithyia, and look to her for guidance. Many expectant mothers also pay homage and make sacrifices to her in order to ensure a healthy baby. Priests of Ilithyia are usually female and almost always serve their community as midwives as well as organizing prayer activities for her followers. Priests and followers of Ilithyia are encouraged to bear as many children as they can, and as a result most are married and have children. Many believe Ilithyia to give birth to all souls before they are born into their physical bodies.
Nemesis, Goddess of Justice
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbols:
balance, broken sword
Patron
of: Judges, Lawgivers
Major
Spheres: Law, Combat
Minor
Spheres: Wards, Charm, Divination
Weapons/Armor
allowed: bastard sword, warhammer, battle-axe, quarterstaff
Alignments
allowed: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good
Granted
Powers: Detect Lie 1x/day/level
Notes: Young priests of Nemesis, known as Inquisitors, roam the world freely, administering justice and upholding law wherever they wander. This means cooperating with local authorities as often as it does violating local laws (if they are not up to the Inquisitor’s high standards). As they grow older, the priests settle down in a place they feel needs their legal aid, and become known as Arbitors. They are stern and unforgiving (but always fair) judges. The Temple of Nemesis is located on the island of Sulanor, and her priests work closely with those of Inom and Thoth, the better to spread Law and Justice to all.
Symbols: Rider, Staff of Calydon
Patron of: Travelers, Wanderers, Those Who Are Banished
Major
Spheres: Travelers, Protection
Minor
Spheres: Creation, Guardian, Healing
Weapons
/ Armor Allowed: Any
bludgeoning, short swords, and knives
Alignments
Allowed: Any good, Lawful Neutral, or True Neutral
Duties:
Rite of Assistance
Granted
Powers:
Direction
– A priest of Calydon instinctively knows the fastest route
between any two locations. This
sense does not, however, account for weather or politics.
Notes:
As with many of the gods, priests of Calydon are not a common
sight. Followers of the
Wanderer do not have an easy job.
They are often called to act as guides for passing bands of
travelers, and by the Rule of the priesthood, they must always honor
a proper request unless already in the process of honoring a
previous one. Because
of their unique talent for traveling, they are rarely found in one
spot. Temples do exist,
though there is no guarantee that any priests will occupy them at
any given time, and often when they are priests they are too old to
be anything but a hindrance in traveling.
The Way of the Road is difficult and any priest who follows
it finds no rest for a very long time.
Alignment: NE
Symbols:
Patron
of: Thieves and others who feel their interests are best served with
a lack of
morals,
remaining hidden, and knowing more about the enemy than he knows
about
you.
Major
Spheres: Divination, Thought
Minor
Spheres: Combat, Healing, Travelers
Weapons/Armor
allowed: Only what can be concealed or hidden (knives, daggers,
etc.) Also anything
that doesn’t appear to be a weapon (quarterstaves used as walking
sticks, etc.)
Alignments
allowed: LE, NE, CE
Granted
Powers: Hide in Shadows – 1x/day the priest can vanish into the
shadows, with a
95%
chance of being missed by a casual search.
Notes:
The followers of Nargonath include thieves, corrupt officials,
greedy merchants,
cold-blooded
and pragmatic mercenaries, and even some scheming nobles and
kings.
There are few organizations which worship him other than some
theives’ guilds or groups of political conspirators, and no
central, organized temple. He
attracts many intelligent followers who believe that knowledge is
power and in operating unseen, leaving others to take the blame.
Priests of Nargonath are rare, and usually end up as
mercenaries or in other less-than-reputable occupations.
King
of Death, Lord of Decay, He Who Has No Name, etc. (not allowed for
PCs)
Alignment: Neutral
Symbols:
black
Patron
of: fools who wish to extend their worthless lives
Major
Spheres: N/A
Minor
Spheres: N/A
Weapons/Armor
allowed: N/A
Alignments allowed: N/A
Granted Powers: N/A
Notes: Despite
the fact that this god represents what amounts to pure evil, and
that the Inquisitors of Nemesis are ever vigilant in exposing those
who worship him, small cults are usually found to exist in every
major city. If these
can be contacted (and they almost always can be, by rich or
desperate people), they are said to be able to cheat death, cure
uncurable illnesses, even bring back those recently dead.
But the prices for these “miracles” are very, very high,
and sometimes worse than the alternative.
Sometimes the price is simply money, other times it is
strange quests or rituals. Always
its purpose is strange and unknown to all but the cult.
The priests (who perform these “miracles”) are very few
in number, but it is whispered that they do not die, and exist on
Aerith for some unknown (and probably very evil) purpose.
Atheos, God of Agnostics, Atheists, Disbelievers, and Skeptics
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: none
Patron of: Agnostics, Atheists, Disbelievers, and Skeptics
Major spheres: N/A
Minor spheres: N/A
Weapons/Armor allowed: N/A
Alignments: N/A
Notes: There are many people who never choose to follow any god, either because they don?t believe in them, or because they don?t care. When these people die, their souls find themselves in Atheon, plane of Atheos, God of Agnostics, Atheists, Disbelievers, and Skeptics. Here they remain, and spend much of eternity discussing their various differing viewpoints on the nature of existence.
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Lesser Gods
Sollux,
the Light of the World
Symbols:
Sun, flame
Patron
of: all light-dwelling creatures
Major
Spheres: Sun, Elemental Fire
Minor
Spheres: Creation, Protection, Guardian
Weapons/Armor
allowed: any
Alignments
allowed: any
Granted
Powers: continual light, 1x/day/level
Notes:
In the Tel’han, it is told how Sollux at once fell to his
knees and worshipped Inom
as
the savior of Aerith, and in return for his devotion Inom granted
him the power
of
Light, and placed him above all else in Aerith, to circle in the sky
eternally
as
its guardian and representative of Inom.
Arâtor, the Cultivator
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: wheat stalk, sickle
Patron of: farmers
Major Spheres: Plant, Animal
Minor Spheres: Creation, Elemental Earth, Healing
Weapons/Armor allowed: sickle, scythe, flail, any other farm-implement-derived
Alignments allowed: any
Vane, Spirit of the Wind
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: clouds, compass rose
Patron of: sailors, guys who operate windmills
Major spheres: Weather, Elemental Air
Minor spheres: Healing, Plant, Creation
Weapons/Armor allowed: non-bladed
Alignments allowed: any neutral (NG, LN, TN, CN, NE)
Crom, Lord of Iron (Steel)
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: forge, hammer, mountain
Patron of: blacksmiths, miners. (Crom is popular among Dwarves)
Major Spheres: Elemental Earth, Combat
Minor Spheres: Travellers, Protection
Weapons/Armor allowed: whatever the priest can forge for himself out of iron or steel
Alignments allowed: any neutral (NG, LN, TN, CN, NE)
Notes: Priests of Crom are required to take the blacksmithing NWP
Naré, Keeper of the Waves
Alignment: True Neutral
Symbols: fish; anchor
Patron of: sailors, fishermen
Major Spheres: Elemental Water, Weather
Minor Spheres: Healing, Plant, Creation
Weapons/Armor allowed: non-bladed
Alignments allowed: any
Sylva,
Mistress of the Wood
Alignment: Neutral
Symbols:
tree, leaf
Patron
of: Elves, unicorns, other denizens of the forest, and honest
woodcutters
Major
Spheres: Animal, Plant, Summoning
Minor
Spheres: Healing, Creation, Protection
Weapons/Armor
allowed: weapons with useful non-killing purposes (bows, knives,
axe,
flail,
etc.)
Alignments
allowed: any neutral (NG, LN,
TN, CN, NE)
Granted
Powers: Quench Fire 1x/day/level
Zvergengötter
(Dwarven gods)
Stahlhard,
Master of the Forge
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbols:
Hammer, tongs
Patron
of: Blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, armorers, and others who deal with
metals
Major Spheres: Elemental Earth, Combat
Minor Spheres: Travellers, Protection
Weapons/Armor allowed: whatever the priest can forge for himself out of iron or steel
Alignments
allowed: any good or neutral (LG,
NG, CG, LN, TN, CN, NE)
Granted
Powers: shape metal 1x/week/level
Notes: Priests of Stahlhard are required to take the blacksmithing NWP
Stahlhard
is believed by some to be another name for Crom, but this is unknown
Maur,
Heart of Stone
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbols:
pick, trowel
Patron
of: masons, builders, stoneworkers, miners
Major
Spheres: Elemental Earth, Combat
Minor
Spheres: Travellers, Protection
Weapons/Armor
allowed: any derived from mining or masonry equipment; picks, mauls,
hammers,
etc.
Alignments
allowed: any good or neutral (LG,
NG, CG, LN, TN, CN, NE)
Granted
Powers: sense ore 1x/month/level, stone shape 1x/month/level,
stoneskin
1x/month/level
Schlachtvutan,
the Battlerager
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbols:
double-bladed axe, wildly colored hair and tattoos
Patron
of: Zvergen soldiery, Battleragers
Major
Spheres: N/A
Minor
Spheres: N/A
Weapons/Armor
allowed: special
Alignments
allowed: any
Granted
Powers: special
Notes:
The closest thing Schlachtwutan has to priests are the (according to
the dwarves)
divinely
inspired Battleragers, who are fighters as specified in the
Battlerager kit
in
the Dwarves’ handbook. The
Council of Sulaninor is wary of this god, unsure
if
he may be a form of Rhôn or allied with other dark powers,
and unsure what
they
would do if he was.
Ugkok
the One-Eyed
Symbols:
Eye (distinguishable from Thoth’s Eye by the lack of an iris)
Patron
of: Orcs, other Cursed Ones
Major
Spheres: Combat
Minor
Spheres: Healing, Necromantic, Charm
Weapons/Armor
allowed: any
Alignments
allowed: any evil
Granted Powers: cause light wounds, 1x/level/day
Ieru - The One God
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbols:
Patron of: All
Major Spheres: N/A
Minor Spheres: N/A
Weapons/Armor allowed: any
Alignments allowed: any
Granted Powers: none
Notes:
Ieru (pronounced Jeru in Salanic toungues) is a god who has just
recently begun attracting followers. Although adherents claim
that he has sent priests who can perform miracles, this has yet to
be established by reputable authorities. Ieru's priests are
self-selected and are granted no powers by their god.
Followers of Ieru claim he is the one and only true god, and that
the rest are representations of evil. As a result, the Council
of Sulaninor has ruled the following of this god as heresy. In
Alst Dunon, Ieruites are regularly given to the Worm Zaraghk in the Marnde
Esparnum [Grand Arena] for the entertainment of the
masses. They have yet to mount significant resistance to their
persecution.