RELIGIONS ACROSS THE WESTLANDS
INTRODUCTION
There are certainly more than a few beliefs that exist across Dark Earth, but to provide an insight on what religions currently reign in this age of sword and sorcery, The Westlands provides a perfect introduction. These can also be serve as inspiration for when building your character for Moss, Stone & Steel.
THE GREEN FAITH
The Green Faith is the prevailing faith practised by the majority of people within Westland. It is worshipped predominantly by the humans and the gnomes, but is an accepting religion that welcome all who believe in the virtues written within The Creator’s holy book – The Green Book.
Though there have been twelve prophets who were chosen to spread the divine word of the one true God, the most revered is the first – Graen. For it was with he that The Creator brought forth the commandments for order, honour and kindness to a world that lacked any such virtues. The main symbol of The Green Faith is the Tree of Life – the apple tree that miraculously grew above the burial of Graen.
Graenicians worship in the severe control and taming of magic because they believe it is a seductive power that can pervert the mind, heart and soul to invoke wicked deeds that lead to a path of chaos and destruction, as it was during the Age of Endless Night. The occult, and the immutable variability of sorcerers and warlocks that lurk about The Dark Earth are enemies of the Green Faith. It is of no surprise that Graenicians find themselves at odds with the worshippers of The Black Faith; a magic embracing religion, which dominate the lands to the bottom of Dark Earth. Nor is it hard to believe that the Green Church have founded or sanctioned Orders of warriors whose sole purpose is to eradicate the practitioners of witchcraft and worshippers of heresy, such as the Green Templars or the Knights of the Grinning Moon.
The Green Faith has even embarked on crusades of epic proportions to eliminate the threat of any return of sorcerer driven societies.
MOTHER NATURE
On of the very few religions that have survived the ages within Westland. It is a staunchly protective religion devoting itself to the sanctity of nature. It is known to be worshipped specifically by many druids found furtively across The Ivory Isles and the coasts of Humberland. Worshippers of The Great Mother belief that all nature is a gift granted by The Great Mother – a supreme matriarch who maintains balance in nature. From granting fertility to all living things to flourish, to summoning storms and catastrophes to ensure the natural order of Dark Earth. Though the teachings are benevolent enough, such as healing the wounded, kindness to animals or the growing of plants, the druids who worship them can take the isolationist ideals to the extreme. People who may stumble upon their domain can be met with maiming or death, or the people who worship the Great Mother are denied to ever venture out of their forest to be forgotten by the world, or even some Archdruids can declare savage raids to exterminate nearby settlements (or even other druidic tribes!). Becasue there is no uniform of worship, the teachings of The Great Mother can be interpreted by Archdruids however they wish. This can be found by what little evidence they leave for reciting their prayers found on rune stones or etched in trees.
GODS OF UMBER
The prevailing religion of the humans of Humberland. Umber is the name of the Otherworld that the Gods of the Humberland folk dwell within. There are three main Gods: Silvanus is the God of the wilds and life. Morrigan is the Goddess of war and death, and The Dagda is the God of protection, who oversees the other two Gods and maintains balance through His divine will. Together they rule Umber and watch their chosen people, the people of Humberland – watching as they protect their lands and family, by any means necessary. Because of their faith and their societal hierarchy, the pale folk of Humberland are fiercely protective and isolationist, untrusting of outsiders and incredibly ferocious should a foreign power come to conquer their land, lives and freedom. However, due to recent trading and friendly missionaries from The Westlands who come unarmed and respectful, it is known that a scant few tribes have converted to the Green Faith. But even then, their understanding of the Green Book’s teachings are heavily blurred with their own cultural traditions.
SANTHIAGA
Santhiaga is a Goddess to the people from the Isles of Shar, a staunchly matriarchal society ruled by an Empress and governed by nine Queens; one for each dominion. It’s a faith that has a weak following across the world, but even so there are a handful of enclaves across Barantine and The Ivory Isles to which exist the church of Santhiaga. Like the God of Graen, they believe in a higher power for order and kindness. But unlike the Green Faith, She contrastingly demands her followers to visit disobedience with violence and denouncement with death (often such deaths being creative and slow). Santhiaga (also known as The Mighty Maiden or The Mother of Worlds) is a Goddess of war as well as protection. Her divine book of commandments named the Jadastyn, preaches Her worshippers to protect each other and to forever be vigilant against the very world they inhabit. But those who deign to desecrate the true faith or vanquish Her followers are to be met with a brutal end. Whereas the Green faith practice mercy to their enemies, Santhiaga commands death. Where the Green Faith promotes freedom to explore and understand, The Santhiagan faith demand arrogantly proud reservation.
THE BLACK FAITH
The main faith of humans and arctani across Pune, Polaris and Hagon. Often called the Black Faith; black symbolising power and mystery. It is a monotheistic faith towards the worship of a single god, named Sothan – the Everwatching Lord of Eternity, and it is believed He is the creator of all life in the universe. Worshippers of the Black Faith believe in the Sabled Tome, which is their own holy book. It is a book with a thousand said to hide the secrets of the universe, and decrees the promotion of the use of magic to advance the world into an age of everlasting paradise, particularly for its worshippers. . It is an ancient tome that was brought forth by the only prophet of Sothan, Tamolet, who decreed that magic is not an element to be worshipped as a divine element, but to be taken control of, dominated and used to it’s fullest extent; a means to freedom to those powerful enough to wield it. It’s fair to say the the Sothan Faith is more liberal with how magic is used, and has led to formation of the Hagonic Empire who value the strongest wielders of magic above their all else, and the strongest users often who focus their acquisition for power of magic by whatever means necessary have committed heinous acts. These worshippers are forever at odds with the Graenicians, but even so, The Republic – being a more liberal land than most others in Westland – has a few enclaves where Sothani worshippers may convene (this is far more present in the capital cities like Ryton and Sandahar)
THE GREAT MAW
The prevailing belief that many Sodians adhere to is called The Great Maw, and it is not a religion as such, but a destination. The Sodians live a harsh existence in Vulcanys, and they believe that the after-life would be little different. Each tribe worship a Champion from their ranks. Usually it is the biggest, most ferocious warrior in their tribe, and they remain so as their champion, until another from within or without conquer their tribe takes their place by slaying them. It is believed by almost every tribe that if they offer enough prayers and gifts to their champion, then that champion will become a dragon in the next life, who will lead the rest of them to glory as they battle the endless seas of other sodians in the afterlife who are vying to become the sole victors The Great Maw. Even when slain in the afterlife, they are reborn and cast into the fray of everlasting battle once more. When the sole victorious tribe wins across the universal battlefield, they will ascend to eternal peace and boundless pleasures, whereas all other tribes will be swallowed by The Great Maw. Sodians can be found across the known world, either as raiders or as mercenaries, particularly across the Westlands. Without a doubt many of these people believe wholeheartedly in The Maw.
BAPHOMET
There exists indeed the doors to the Hells. An eternal realm of damnation where souls are tormented, tortured, punished again and again, forever. Where sin is the only value. And Baphomet is the guardian of the Penultimate Gate. Once He was worshipped by entire empires who wished to become lords of Hell by spreading chaos and sinful acts to garner his favour and gain power both in this world and the next. Baphomet is said to be the God of Chaos and the deity who created demons – the lesser beings of fiend-kind. His tenets decree the corruption of everything, and manipulates the minds of mortals to do so. The end result is to engulf the world in hatred and sin so He may swallow the world, as he has done to many others, under his rule. There are certainly a few cults and secret societies who give prayer to the Lord of Chaos throughout Westland. They lurk in the shadows of the realm, sneering at the light and scheming against the goodness of the land. They are bent on breaking the world in their Master’s name. For if they do not, He will break them when their souls are delivered to his gate.
FANTASY BOUND STUDIO 