| Gods and Religon |
Stop the Press! This Isn't Right! |
Introduction
What follows is information about the different gods and how people worship them. Descriptions of their personality and appearance are to give players an idea of how they might be portrayed. While interactions with the gods are common, most people have not encountered them with any frequency. Even those who have had direct encounters with the gods have only seen what the god wanted them to see.
Atheists don’t really exist in the Novitas setting. The gods are real, and over the course of a lifetime odds are good you’ll see it for yourself at some point or have interacted with others who have had encounters with the gods. This does not mean that the gods are universally loved. Much like ancient Greece, the gods are meddlesome and have their own hopes or goals that don’t always have what is best for mortals in mind. So, while everyone speaking in good faith will acknowledge the presence of the gods, not everyone will acknowledge the value or importance of them. |
The Sept
The leaders of the Sept’s faithful are known as Septons. In some areas (such as Vlean) female Septons are referred to as Septas, but this is far from universal. Septons lead the faithful of the Sept demonstrating the teachings of each of the seven gods. As far and away the dominant religion in Novitas, Septons are a very common sight. Most Septons can be identified by large seven pointed stars (commonly called a Sept star) on their tabards. Though others are welcome to wear such symbols typically only septons wear them as a large central image. Other faithful are more likely to wear jewelry or other smaller Sept star images.
Worship of the Sept varies greatly from nation to nation and community to community. In some places temples to the Sept are commonplace with prayer services on a regular schedule. Other locations the worship of the sept is a daily activity done in the moment as relevant; A blacksmith prays to the Craftsman at work, that night they go to the local tavern and pray to the Soldier while playing cards, when someone catches their eye at the bar they pray to the Elemental. The next day the blacksmith needs new plans to build something they have never tried before so they pray to the Scholar for guidance. They pray to the Knight that the customer will keep their word for the sale, to the Mother to heal burns from the forge, and to the Stranger for a peaceful night’s rest.
To worship just one of the Sept is unusual. None of them function without the rest. Each one of the Seven is an important cog in the functioning of the world and they all freely acknowledge this. None of them desire individual worship even from their Chosen. The Chosen of the Seven are simply beings empowered to carry out the task that a member of the seven is in charge of. However, this does not deter some from dedicating themselves to just one of the gods. These most loyal followers still worship the other members of the Sept, they attempt to show favoritism to one and deference to the rest. Most often this occurs for someone employed in a profession closely associated with one of the seven.
The Dark Three
It might seem counterintuitive that some people would choose to worship the Dark Three. When their goal is to destroy everything that exists, who would want that? The first thing a Dark Three worshiper will say to that is: “Why do you think the Three want to destroy everything? That’s Sept propaganda. After all they could have destroyed everything by simply continuing to fight during the Sundering, but they stepped aside for the continuation of the world. What else is the Sept lying to you about?” Further answers vary heavily from individual to individual and even from god to god. Worshippers of each of the gods that compose the Dark Three are generally worshippers of just the one god, however they know the situation they are in. Outnumbered by the forces of the Seven followers of the Dark Three have a tendency to band together for common cause. Were the Seven defeated odds are good that the agents of the Three would turn on each other quite rapidly, but that has not come to pass… yet. Worship of the Dark Three is done in secret in most communities. Only in very specific settings are they able to be worshiped openly. Gersh and the Dellin Tribelands are the only places on Novitas where worship of the Dark Three isn’t generally considered a capital offense. Most of the citizens of Novitas consider worship of the Dark Three to be very much the same as admitting to being a serial killer, regardless of the truth of the matter. Followers of the Dark Three will call that Sept propaganda but this is rarely heard over the gathering bells of the mob preparing to enact justice. So with all this, why worship one of the Dark Three? Power is one of the most common answers. Feeling helpless in society can lead some to turn to easy access for becoming more powerful. Hearing about the falsehoods spread about the Dark Three, some stumble their way deeper, driven by curiosity only to find out what they’ve been doing when it’s too late to turn back. Some are indoctrinated into worship of the Three through familial ties, raised on the idea that the Dark Three are not the monsters they are portrayed as. Some people just want to watch the world burn. The best answers though always come based on which of the Dark Three is being followed.
Draconus
Varganien Worship
The Decade
After the Sundering the people of Vargainen lost direct contact with the gods. Unlike on Novitas where the gods developed avatars and communicated in dream and portent, they gave no direction at all to the people of Vargainen. With that lush paradise rapidly turning to desert and dangerous threats emerging in the form of the Veilwalkers the inhabitants of Vargainen concluded that the old ways were a failure and that it was time for something new. Followers of the Sept found artifacts of the Dark Three that helped them survive the harsh desert climates and allowed them to fight the otherwise impervious Veilwalkers. And so they came to the conclusion that all of the gods were needed for true harmony with their environment. After all, even the Seven when they defeated the Three did not destroy them, but rather opted to lock them away. Perhaps they represent a necessary evil. Some are even convinced that there are as many parts to the Dark Three as there are to the Sept. However, they say, due to the imbalanced nature of the gods these other aspects of the Dark Three have not revealed themselves yet. Thus the concept of the Decade was born. The people of Vargainen worship both the Seven and the Three at the same time. They still hold Draconus as worthy of contempt for abandoning the world in its time of need. This is not to say that they think the Dark Three are “good” but rather that they see the Dark Three as having good aspects to them. Likewise they see the Sept as having negative aspects to them as well. Worshippers of the Decade feel that each of the 10 gods have good aspects (which they call Hasanni) and bad aspects (which they call Sharunni) which collectively are worthy of respect and fear. Few individuals worship all 10 of them though. Instead their society encourages people to select to worship either the Sept or the Dark Three and they strive to keep the worshipers in equal numbers. Those who worship the Sept make their home in Kash’Allum. Those who worship the Dark Three make their home in Munta’Saf. Together the two cities work together for the embetterment of all. They don’t always agree or even get along, but they never rise to the level of conflict common on Novitas. So far the gods themselves, both the Sept and the Three have not publicly made their positions on this worship known. Many in Novitas find this concept to be nothing short of heresy in the meantime and not everyone has been welcoming to the Vargainen travelers as a result. The Decades Reinterpretation of the Gods All things are cyclic and are bound by the fundamental nature that comes from The Decade. The duality of all things is described as Hasanni, the good and Sharunni, the bad. Nox is the nature of disease and rot. Nox is necessary to return things to the earth, so that it may be born again. Nox is viewed as a reaper, who harvests the field of life and this is its Hasanni. Yet, Nox also creates horrifying corrupted corpses and corrupts sparks. The ravenous undead and suffering are its Sharunni. The Mother is the warm embrace that comforts us in our darkest moments. It is the tender touch to the spark that heals the body and breathes life back into the dead. This grand mercy is the Mother’s Hasanni. The Mother is the nature of life. However, the Mother denies death and thus does not allow the cycle of the Well to continue; this is the Mother’s Sharunni. The Knight is virtue and order incarnate. The Knight is putting one’s own life at risk for the safety of others. The Knight protects those who cannot protect themselves. This righteousness is the Knight’s Hasanni. The Knight’s Sharunni is facism and bondage. The Knight creates order unrelenting, which snuffs out creativity and growth. Grak is savagery and willpower. Grak is standing strong in one’s convictions despite overwhelming odds, or even challenging great odds to better oneself. It is most divine to push oneself to being the best version that one can be and this is Grak’s Hasanni. Grak’s Sharunni is his lust for bloodshed and battle. Forever improving oneself in battle will lead to cutting down promising sparks before they have fully blossomed. The Elemental is wild behavior and beauty made form. The Elemental’s Hasanni is everything that is physically beautiful in the world. She painted the sky a wondrous azure hue and gave us cool dew in the mornings to lay upon. The Elemental is also unrelenting expansion and growth. She is unending passion, which causes infidelity and heartbreak. This unsatisfiable hedonism is the Elemental’s Sharunni. The Soldier is strategy and completing one’s goals no matter the cost. The Soldier’s Hassani is his ability to meticulously plan, finding all weaknesses in a particular path and best serving to bring spoils to his followers. The Soldier’s Sharunni is victory at any cost, which the people of Vargainen find distasteful. If it were not for this ideal then Vargainen may still be whole today. The Scholar is knowledge and intelligence. The Scholar’s Hasanni is his ability to draw logic and reason through rigorous study. The Scholar inspires people to focus and think of new solutions to problems. The Scholar’s Sharunni is devious schemes and manipulating the will of those less intelligent for personal gain. Darkness is wisdom and envy. Wisdom is Darkness’ Hasanni for there is no entity with as much wit and cunning as Darkness. Darkness maneuvers the divine realm with a web of schema that would rival the Scholar’s cognitive abilities. The nature of Darkness is the insidious and precise corruption of everything. Darkness’ Sharunni is covetous envy. Darkness wants to take everything for itself and turn it to it’s image, but cannot create anything of its own. The Stranger is the guide of the dead and the keeper of secrets. The Stranger’s Hasanni is holding the hand of the frightened during their final moments. She guides sparks with a loving embrace towards the Well, so that the cycle of life in Novitas may continue. The Stranger’s Sharunni is her nature to conceal to the point of detriment. The Stranger will take secrets of enemies and allies alike to the grave. The Craftsman is creation and obsession. The Hasanni of the Craftsman is his ability to forge connections between individuals and communities. The Craftsman’s Shuranni is his obsession with perfection to the point of inaction. As nothing can ever truly be perfect, this type of mindset would lead to forever questioning one’s own works and progress.
The Entity
The power and scale of the Entity is unknown, but what it is known is that it is unrelenting. That is the trouble with change - it does not end. The Entity is cancer incarnate. It is the changing of flesh, bone and sinew into bubbling masses of oily tendrils. Whatever this ever-contorting primordial Entity is, it exists beyond the scope of the known world.
Other
There are other beings with powers comparable to the gods. Some turn to these sources in the hopes of answering their hopes and dreams but there are no Chosen of any of these other beings.
The High Fae are incredibly powerful, capable of altering the world on a grand scale with little effort. This has led to more than one cult of a particular High Fae or another over the years. It’s rare that these cults end well for the followers though, the Fae are alien and fickle creatures. What one wants in a moment could change rapidly and what was pleasing before might be a terrible insult now resulting in a horrible fate sometimes worse than death.
In some parts of the world Animism is practiced with worshippers praying to physical embodiments of concepts such as different animals or plants. From the game's perspective these characters would be treated as a type of Druid. What this entails exactly is different from place to place and practitioner to practitioner.
Gersh and the Dellin Tribelands also sometimes practice Ancestor Worship where notable figures in the family stick around as spirits to guide their descendants to greatness. Some particularly dedicated descendants might be in tune with these ancestors and in game this would manifest as that character being a Medium.
It is entirely possible that the shattered god Illumitas was the origin of other gods beyond the Seven and Draconus, and it is entirely possible that other gods beyond the Dark Three and “the Entity” exist who originate from elsewhere.
Categories: [[!Chosen | Setting
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