Religions of Winterweir
Contents
Alacarn[edit]
The original uniter of the continent, Alacarn was a beautiful warrior Queen that managed to bring the entire land underneath her rule. Alacarn is a patron of women and women love plus war. Her cult is very popular even a thousand years after the destruction of the Old Empire by the forces of the Netherdeep. Apparently, according to her cultists, she ascended to Demigod status after her death.
The Great Twelve[edit]
The Twelve Great Gods are the most majorly worshiped deities in all of Alacarn. They were originally thousands of smaller gods were merged by Alacarn's niece, Empress Kalinka, into twelve cults through some judicious book keeping. The Great Twelve are worshiped sincerely by most citizens, but most pray to them for material success than genuine reverence.
- Heton: King of the Gods. The god of Knowledge, Rulership, and Law. Heton's followers tend to be nobility or scholars. He is also the God of the Sun. He and Sybus directly came from the Chaos.
- Sybus: Queen of the Gods. Goddess of the Moon, Sex, Love, and Mysticism. She is worshiped by many who seek the powers of magic plus by those who seek love. She is a fickle goddess though that often makes loves to mortals according to legend.
- Kaalon: The God of the Dead and Underworld. The kindest and gentlest of the gods. Kaalon is also the God of Healing and Medicine. Kaalon's faithful take care of the proper disposal of the dead and also counsel the bereaved. All souls go to his Vault after death.
- Obaq: The Forester. God of Nature, Animals, and Wilderness. Obaq is a solitary god that is revered by the Valken above all others.
- Filanti: The Fire Goddess. Goddess of Craftmanship and Inspiration. She is Paalok's consort.
- Vaasti: Goddess of the Night, Illusion, and Deception. Kaalon's consort, both of them spend more time with other lovers than one another. She favors thieves, politicians, merchants, and those who lie to gain power.
- Tyros: The God of Justice. Chief God of Winterweir, Tyros' symbol is a large hammer and he is considered a war god in addition to the lord of enforcing the law.
- Vulthoom: God of the Oceans and Athletic Prowess. A homosexual god along with Veethor, Vulthoom is the patron of physical perfection in addition to the master of the waves. Vulthoom is said to be the physically most beautiful of the gods, though this infuriates Sybus.
- Veethor: The God of Merchants and Wealth. Veethor is the Lord of Commerce and venerated by all those who do business. He is also the god of Greed and his clergy functions as a banking system as much as anything else.
- Demae: The Harvest Mother. She is married to Obaq but her true consort is Kaalon as their union created the human race amongst most other mortal species. Her gentle nature matches Kaalon's in most respects. However, she is one of the few gods who practices human sacrifice.
- Paalok: God of War, Thunder, and Storms. The Six Armed God is said to be the lord of Chaos and Destruction. Believed to be an evil god by many, he is worshiped by all who wish to claim victory in battle and farmers who are suffering drought. Paalok is genuinely beyond good and evil.
- Wynessa: Goddess of Luck and Fortune. The fickle mistress of adventurers and gamblers. Anyone can be a priest of Wynessa, you just proclaim yourself to be one.
The Divine Order[edit]
The Divine Order is a foreign religion from the Southern Continent of Saiya. The Divine Order preaches that all gods are part of a single entity called the Supreme Throne. The Divine Orders priests and priestesses are all eunuchs who practice severe taboos in order to perform their magic. Almost all followers of the Divine Order are missionaries from Saiya or their converts in the region. Most people in Winterweir find the religion quite strange but a few are drawn to it due to its promises of an eternal paradise for believers and equality for all members.
They desire to transcend physical life and become immortal beings of light.
The Church of Liberty[edit]
An Anti-Religion. The Church of Liberty worships the Divinity of Mankind, which is a euphemism for their spiritual potential rather than an actual deity. The Church of Liberty is little more than a front for the Secret Police of Amania. The Free Republic of Amania has long desired to conquer Winterweir and often sends its agents abroad to upset their activities. Ironically, almost no one believes in the Church of Liberty sincerely even amongst its priests. It's purely a propaganda tool.
Immaculate Doom[edit]
The worship of the Fallen Celestial Malaxas who dwells in the Netherdeep. The Immaculate Doom believes in mutating ones body with magic and discovering new heights of pleasure as well as pain. They're a deeply twisted and messed up cult that engages in Demon worship and human sacrifice plus all manner of warped perversions.
Small Gods[edit]
Almost anything can be worshiped in Winterweir. Ancestor veneration and tiny gods that are personal to one's own people are very common. Most worship them in addition to the Great Twelve in the form of idols or tiny little shrines. Characters are free to create their own small gods.
Shamanism and Animism is not unknown in Alacarn.
Role of the Gods[edit]
All Gods exist in the Dream Lands but no one knows if these gods were created by humanity's psychic potential or whether they existed beforehand. Nevertheless, the most powerful gods are capable of manifesting from the Dreamlands and visiting worshipers. Likewise, they can also appear in avatar form.
