And thus did the Gods become wrathful against the sins of the Emperors, and smote his kingdom into ashes."

- Opius Falerius Maximo "A History of the Empire"

Some General Guidelines Regarding Religion in Taranche

The gods of Taranche take an active interest in the world.  To this end, they have specific roles to play in the affairs of individual mortals and entire races alike, the events of which they dictate requiring honor and prayer.

The mortal races are not insignificant.  They are charged with the great task of bringing themselves back full circle -- to the heartfelt understanding of truth through faith in the gods.  It is the priests who carry the heaviest burden, for it is they who must ensure the faith remains strong.

Most of the people of Taranche worship more than one god on a daily basis, even if they dedicate their entire lives to one god.  A weaponsmith might take Oranus as his patron deity, but also pray to Rabirius for assistance before forging a blade.  A weapon forged for use by a castle guard might also involve prayers to Ausonius.

Many folks make offerings both to deities they revere and appeasement offerings to deities of markedly different alignment and interests from their own to ward off spite, divine whim, and holy vengeance.

In addition to the Gods mentioned below, most dwarves (both Imperial and Barbarian) will offer a prayer to the spirits of their dead ancestors, particularly the founder of their Clan.  The ancestors are seen as intermediaries between the individual dwarf and the gods.

The Gods Themselves

The pantheon of Taranche is for the most part notable for their ability to transform themselves to local circumstance.  The deities worshipped in any given region may vary, given the proclivities of the people who live there.  In addition, the way each god is perceived and the way the pantheon is worshipped can vary widely.  Each of the barbarian races worship many (though never all) of the same gods as the Imperials, though with different names and in some cases even differing genders.

The barbarian races also venerate gods who were simply not recognized as such by the Imperial people.  Such beings are still gods in their own right, however, and grant their worshippers what blessings they do as normal.

Lastly, it is also not uncommon for people to venerate local deities, household gods, deified heroes, and even elemental spirits and demons.  These minor deities are often more widely worshipped in their local areas than the major deities themselves.  Local gods rarely have any dedicated priests, but are rather served by lay worshippers.

The gods aren't just "bigger tougher monsters".  They are the raw, powerful engines which keep the world of Taranche running.  Admittedly, not all gods are created equal... but all true gods are immortal and indestructible.  A player character has no hope of ever defeating a god in combat.  Period.

The gods do not utilize avatars, although they may manifest their power in a worshipper.  Note that there are a few exceptions to this rule; in most cases the exceptions are local gods, such as Sherlyndria, a local goddess of rural Soravia, who is incarnate in a truly gigantic and magnificent apple tree on the outskirts of Sherlynsfyrd, Shushaz, a local dwarven god who is incarnated in Mount Shushaz, or Ubriel the White, a local Choyen god who is incarnated in the being of a large and truly magnificent stallion.

* Uttering the name of this god is something Khazak dwarves in general will not do, except when an individual is declaring a Blood Oath.  Even writing down his name in full is something that is just not done.  To a Khazak, casually mentioning Zarazen's name is akin to standing up in the middle of a church service and yelling the word "fuck" at the top of your lungs nine or ten times.  A blood oath, on the other hand, is made at the top of a dwarf's voice, in public, and includes the name of the god.  There are no priests or temples of this deity.