The Mechanics of Worship (En Khoda Theos Kirk)

Thinking about Guru Favion and his general struggles with the politics of his religious organization, plus the presence of Kenza Demetrious, led me to thinking about how the various religions actually practice. Aoine (and the Druids) come with a sort of mental shorthand that works fine (though it’s probably worth codifying to some degree at some point) and Giselle as a Thief-Champion of the Midnight Sun has raised a whole set of similar questions for that religion.

It’s easy to default to some sort of generic version of Christianity, but even modern Christianity is pretty tame compared to medieval sects and practices – and I have consistently described the En Khoda Theos Kirk as having much more in common with Buddhism and Shintoism than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. In any case I also just started thinking about all the sorts of “strange” ways that a religion focused on the four elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water) would practice and worship – especially when there is magic to sustain and protect you.

So, just a short selection of ideas:

• Buried Alive for an Earth Meditation, Dust/Sand Baths as a Purification
• Going Skyclad as an Air Devotion, Levitating or Flying as a Meditation.
• Fire Bathing as a Fire Purification, Fire Walking as a Devotion.
• Water Breathing as a Water Devotion, Submersion or Bathing as a Purification

But from basics like that we can look to things like various forms of dhauti in yogic cleansing as a further example of the lengths that worshippers will go, and while I don’t see those who follow (the Great Elemental Dragons as quite following the path of ascetism or forms of self-mortification (that actually seems a bit more like the Old Faith to me) – this is found mainly among the oracles and mystics of the En Khoda Theos Kirk that are always looking for a more efficient (or consistent) way to achieve the trance states that they need for enlightenment.

I also think that some of the stranger forms of worship, devotional practice, and purification come from adapting what was originally a religion and spiritual practice of the Dragonborn to humans. So, similarly, when we look at the Svastika and the Warforged of the Great Fleet practices can look very strange.

That said, I tend to think that both the En Khoda Theos Kirk and the Old Faith are the folks sacrificing people to drakes and dragons (or were ‘in ancient times’) – some apologists suggest that this was originally offering up servants to Dragonborn, or something related to the ancient and extinct Serpent Men of Ith.

Religious Languages

Overview of Language Mechanics

Religious Languages: These languages are not considered to be within the same family at all and knowledge of one provides no ability to speak or understand another unless noted in the description. Smaller cults may either use one of these if they have strong ties to one of the larger religions, but they often use Nonhuman, Scholarly, or Magical Languages in their liturgy instead.

• Aleph: Thought to be among the eldest of mortal languages, first spoke in the Vale of Myrten. It is religious language of the Society of Light – the mortal equivalent of Enochian and it is both beautiful and haunting to listen to. Its purity is considered of great import to the Society, and no matter what nationality, no matter what tongue a member of the society considers native, all will learn at least the rudiments of Aleph so that they may follow the chants and songs of the Lightbringers. The written form is not considered any more a secret of the faith than the spoken language. (C)
• The Black Speech: The formal ritual language of a variety of evil cults, the exact provenance is unknown. It has clear links to Sh’aur as well as Enochian, though it is dissimilar to Aleph. It has been adopted (with minor variations) by goblins, trolls, and giants for use as a liturgical language as well, though usually in a more primitive form that includes elements of the Dark Tongue. (S)
• Ishkhavara: The liturgical language of the En Khoda Theos Kirk, as well as a common language among the Dragonborn, Ishkhavra is one of the oldest languages known, with examples of Old Ishkhavara dating back to the era of the Second City and Ancient Ishkhavara predating that. It is an exceedingly difficult language to write, given the thousands of logograms involved. (S)
• Khoisa: The fount from which the Khoisa languages sprang from, Khoisa is now a language used only in the rituals and prayers of the priests and priestesses of the Khementi Religion. It is considered a great secret of the religion that only the clergy may learn and it’s written hieroglyphics are both beautiful and complex. (C)
• Ogham: A poetic language of metaphors and twisting runes written in wood and stone, Ogham is the religious language of the Old Faith, considered a great secret of the druids and known only to those who have been initiated into the Mysteries of the Old Faith. Rangers and Bards both will learn this language after a certain point in their own studies. Certain creatures of Faerie also speak it due to their long association and friendship with the Old Faith, notably the Sheppards of the Forest and their kin. (Glyphic)

Vajra, the Dragonblessed

Some individuals, known as Vajra by members of the En Khoda Theos Kirk, have the favor of the Great Elemental Dragons. The reasons for this favor are often unknown, as the goals and motives the Powers involved are often obscure and misunderstood. They can be found among all races, and even among the learned and the wise of the En Khoda Theos Kirk there is no agreement of the Vajra are born or made. There seems to be no requirement made upon the Vajra by the Great Elemental Dragons, or if there it is, it is unknown even to them. While Vajra are often found within the En Khoda Theos Kirk, there are some that follow the Old Faith and other religions – as well as the rare individual who has fallen to Dearth. These cursed individuals are often considered to be the greatest of enemies by the En Khoda Theos Kirk and they are hunted down ruthlessly.

Vajra of the Great Dragon of Air

Marked by the constant but faint breeze which accompanies them, Vajra of the Air invariable have hair in shades of white or silver, while their eyes are a brilliant, electric silver or rarely clear as crystal. They leave no scent in their passage, though the breezes which surround them mirror their moods in temperature and intensity.

• Ability Score Increase – They have a bonus of +1 to Dexterity.
• Spiritspeaker – All Vajra can speak El’aum, the language of elementals and the world of life and growing things.
• Innate Resistance – Missile Weapons, Thunder
• Unending Breath – The Vajra of the Air never run out of breath, sustained by their Great Dragon even when incapacitated or unconscious.
• Innate Cantrips (Constitution) – Gust, Message, and Thunderclap
• Innate Spells (Constitution) – Dust Devil, Levitate. Innate Spells may be cast once and are then restored after a Short or Long Rest. They also count as memorized spells for the Vajra, and spell slots (if any) may expended for further uses as desired.
• Windlords – At 11th level, a Vajra of the Air may add Investiture of Wind to their Innate spells.

Vajra of the Great Dragon of the Earth

Marked by the dust that constantly sloughs off them which accompanies them, Vajra of the Earth invariable have hair in shades of brown or bronze, while their eyes are a brilliant, glowing topaz or bronze. For some, their skin takes on a rough, rocky texture in shades of stone. They smell of freshen turned earth and loam, though earth and stone leaves no sign of their passage.

• Ability Score Increase – They have a bonus of +1 to Strength.
• Spiritspeaker – All Vajra can speak El’aum, the language of elementals and the world of life and growing things.
• Innate Resistance – Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing Damage
• Tremorsense – The Vajra of the Earth have Tremorsense out to the distance of 60 feet.
• Innate Cantrips (Constitution) – Mold Earth, Magic Stones, and Resistance
• Innate Spells (Constitution) – Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp, Spiderclimb. Innate Spells may be cast once and are then restored after a Short or Long Rest. They also count as memorized spells for the Vajra, and spell slots (if any) may expended for further uses as desired.
• Stonelords – At 11th level, a Vajra of the Earth may add Investiture of Stone to their Innate spells.

Vajra of the Great Dragon of Fire

Marked by the constant but the smoke and steam which accompanies them, Vajra of the Flame invariable have hair in shades of red or copper, and their eyes are a brilliant, glowing ruby. For some, their skins takes on an ashen or blackened appearance. They often smell of various forms of smoke and fire.

• Ability Score Increase – They have a bonus of +1 to Intelligence.
• Spiritspeaker – All Vajra can speak El’aum, the language of elementals and the world of life and growing things.
• Innate Resistance – Fire Damage
• Darkvision – The Vajra of the Flame can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Their ties to the Great Dragon of Fire make their Darkvision unusual: everything they see in darkness is in a shade of red.
• Innate Cantrips (Constitution) – Control Flame, Create Bonfire, and Produce Flame
• Innate Spells (Constitution) – Burning Hands, Pyrotechnics. Innate Spells may be cast once and are then restored after a Short or Long Rest. They also count as memorized spells for the Vajra, and spell slots (if any) may expended for further uses as desired.
• Flamelords – At 11th level, a Vajra of the Flame may add Investiture of Flame to their Innate spells.

Vajra of the Great Dragon of Water

Marked by the constant but faint breeze which accompanies them, Vajra of the Waters invariable have hair in shades of blue or sapphire, while their eyes are a deep sapphire. Their skin is often dappled in glistening dew and they smell like a newly fallen rain or the aftermath of a storm.

• Ability Score Increase – They have a bonus of +1 to Wisdom.
• Spiritspeaker – All Vajra can speak El’aum, the language of elementals and the world of life and growing things.
• Innate Resistance – Acid Damage
• Seamaster – The Vajra of the Waters breath both air and water and cannot drown, and they have a Swimming speed equal to their normal movement speeds.
• Innate Cantrips (Constitution) – Shape Water, Acid Splash, and Poison Spray
• Innate Spells (Constitution) – Fog Cloud, Melf’s Acid Arrow. Innate Spells may be cast once and are then restored after a Short or Long Rest. They also count as memorized spells for the Vajra, and spell slots (if any) may expended for further uses as desired.
• Waterlords – At 11th level, a Vajra of the Waters may add Investiture of Water to their Innate spells.

Rumors continue to persist that there are other Vajra that are blessed by the other Great Dragons, with similar though different abilities.

En Khoda Theos Kirk – Part 2 (5e)

So, I was hoping that there would be rules for Elemental Domains in the Elemental Evil adventure and was disappointed. That said, one of my players is playing a Dorje of the Great Dragon of the Air so I’ve been coming up with Domains for these four Domains of the En Khoda Theos Kirk.

Part One

The Dorje of the En Khoda Theos Kirk are highly attuned to the Mysteries of the Great Elementals. Each Dorje chooses (or, perhaps more accurately, is chosen by) one of the Great Dragons and leads their Kirks or Vihara in the worship, veneration, and contemplation of that particular Great Dragon.

At 1st level, like other clerics, all Dorje are trained in the use of Light and Medium Armor, Shields, and Simple Weapons. They are also granted the Blessing of their Great Dragon, and the player is allowed to choose one Blessing, and then gain later features as they advance in level.

Blessing of the Great Dragon of the Air

• Bonus Cantrip: Gust
• Extra Weapons: Blowgun, Warfan
• Feature: Missiles always have Disadvantage to Attack. Additionally, if unarmored, the Dorje gains half their Wisdom bonus as an AC bonus.
• Bonus Spells at various levels:
  • 1st – Absorb Element, Thunderwave
  • 3rd –Gust of Wind, Warding Wind
  • 5th – Fly, Windwall
  • 7th – Conjure Minor Elementals, Stormsphere
  • 9th – Control Winds, Conjure Elemental

Blessing of the Great Dragon of the Earth

• Bonus Cantrip: Mold Earth
• Extra Weapons: Warhammer, Maul
• Feature: The Dorje is unencumbered by metal armor, and may add their Wisdom bonus to any Bludgeoning damage done with melee weapons.
• Bonus Spells at various levels:
  • 1st – Absorb Element, Earth Tremor
  • 3rd – Earthbind, Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp
  • 5th – Erupting Earth, Meld into Stone
  • 7th – Conjure Minor Elementals, Stoneskin
  • 9th – Conjure Elementals, Transmute Rock

Blessing of the Great Dragon of the Fire

• Bonus Cantrip: Control Flame
• Extra Weapons: Shortsword, Warspear
• Feature: The Dorje has Advantage on saves against Fire or Flame, and they may ignore the Fire damage equal to their Wisdom bonus each round.
• Bonus Spells at various levels:
  • 1st – Absorb Element, Burning Hands
  • 3rd – Agannazar’s Scorcher, Flaming Sphere
  • 5th – Melf Minute Meteors, Fireball
  • 7th – Conjure Minor Elementals, Fire Shield
  • 9th – Conjure Elementals, Immolation

Blessing of the Great Dragon of the Water

• Bonus Cantrip: Shape Water
• Extra Weapons: Longknife, Trident
• Feature: The Dorje has Waterbreathing for themselves and does not suffer from an penalties for moving or swimming through water, even if wearing Medium armor.
• Bonus Spells at various levels:
  • 1st – Absorb Element, Ice Knife
  • 3rd – Blur, Melf’s Poison Arrow
  • 5th – Sleet Storm, Wall of Water
  • 7th – Conjure Minor Elementals, Vitriolic Sphere
  • 9th – Conjure Elementals, Cloudkill

Elemental Wrath

At 2nd Level, the Dorje can use their Channel Divinity ability to summon the ferocity of the Great Dragon that they serve. When rolling specific damage types (Earth – Acid, Fire – Fire, Air – Thunder, Water – Poison) they can do maximum damage instead of rolling their damage.

Dragon’s Scale

At 6th level, when the Dorje or a creature within 30 feet of them takes a specific type of damage (Earth – Acid, Fire – Fire, Air – Thunder, Water – Poison) the Dorje can use a Reaction to grant them Immunity to that instance of damage.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, the Dorje can imbue their weapons with the essence of the Great Dragon that they serve. Once on each turn, when the Dorje hits an opponent with weapon attack they can deal an additional 1d8 damage based on the Great Dragon they serve (Earth – Acid, Fire – Fire, Air – Thunder, Water – Poison). When the Dorje reaches 14th level the damage increases to 2d8.

Dragon’s Roar

At 17th level the Dorje can use an action to channel the presence of the Great Elemental Dragon that they serve, causing those around them to either become awestruck or frightened. This affects all hostile creatures with a 60′ radius, causing them to become Charmed (if attempting Awe) or Frightened (if attempting Fear) on a failed Wisdom saving throw. This effect last for one minute, or until Concentration is lost, which ever come first. If a creature makes their save, they are immune to this ability for the next 24 hours.

First new official rules for 5e – and they are free!

So, I “picked up” the free PDF of the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion and on the one hand I like it a fair amount and on the other hand I’m kind of disappointed. The new races are fine, though the Genasai are very different in my game world, and I’ve never used the Snervnebblinglinelfnanfa….. whatever they are, Deep Gnomes – and while I’ve never used the …bird people… as a race in my game world, I can see them having a place (I have other flying races that have played a much more significant role – Winged Folk anyone?). I certainly never had the Goliath’s, but I actually like them – just not sure about that damage reduction ability (it seems very fiddly to me).

The meat is the new spells, especially the new cantrips and the Investitures. I’m very happy with everything I’ve seen there and will actually be updating a couple of bits here and there on other races abilities to reflect these new cantrips.

My big disappointment is the lack of character class options – specifically the lack of Cleric domains and Wizard schools with an elemental focus. The Monk could also have seen some love here, along with the Sorcerer and the Warlock, but there was no love to be had for anyone.

So sad.

In any case that just means that I need to belly up to the bar and come up with my own Cleric domains for the En Khoda Theos Kirk (given that I have a cleric of the Great Dragon of the Air in the game now), and start thinking about how I would handle the Wizard’s Arcane Tradition (and a Warlock Patron and a Sorcerer bloodline).

That said, I’m really looking forward to gaming this week after recovering from the plague last session and it ending up being cancelled.

TTFN!

D.

The En Khoda Theos Kirk – Part One (5e)

Part Two

Also known as the Cult of the Elements or the Dancing Kirk (church), or the Kirk of the Four Great Elemental Dragons, the En Khoda Theos Kirk is the formal name for the religion or mystical philosophy that is focused individually upon the elements as they manifest through the Great Dragons of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. It is the closest to formal worship or veneration or organized contemplation and study of the Great Gods (or at least a portion of them) that exists and is thought to be among the oldest of the organized religions, primarily practiced by the Dragonborn and the Warforged of the Iron Court but with a strong minority following of humans from Ith and Atlan. Human worship is loosely organized into a great congregation that is known as the Quatrefoil, while the Warforged have a highly organized and ruthlessly efficient organization known as the Svastika, that serves them as a state religion even if the analogy is a weak one.

There are five basic roles recognized within the religion of the En Khoda Theos Kirk; there are the Drakein (trans. “those who see clearly”), the common body of sworn and allied faithful who pursue the mysteries of the Great Dragons; the Maikoiran, the prophets; the Kenza, the warriors and champions, the Dorje, the priesthood; and the Vajra, the mystics – all of whom are devoted to the Great Dragons. Unlike other religions there is no formal pursuit of a status beyond that of the Drakein, there is only the Call of the Great Dragons, and the trials and process of moving deeper within the faith can be terrifying. Similarly, there is no real organizing authority within the religion and for the various authorities both secular and religious this is also of the most frustrating parts of dealing with the En Khoda Theos Kirk. Strange as those outside of the religion find it, Dorje-led Kirks, Kenzan Fighting Orders, solitary Vajran mystics, and Maikoiran secret societies all coexist and somehow manage to operate without much conflict – and this is the essence of the Quatrefoil, known also as the Dancing Kirk and the Union Stoicheion. For the Svastika, this is the state religion of the Iron Court, but again, more a philosophy than what most humans and other races think of as “religion”.

The Drakein are the gathering of the faithful in the greater congregation of the Kirk. While all of the Great Dragons are venerated, most faithful have one (or perhaps two) of the Great Dragons that are the most meaningful for them and that are granted the majority of their attention. The Drakein are taken from all walks of life – across social class and profession (Normal Worshippers).

The Maikoiran are the distinctly not a portion of the Dorje, the Kenza, or the Vajra – though many within those other groupings also followed this path for a time, or continue to follow it as a part of their service. They are dancing oracles, seers, and often tantrics who are viewed as touched by the Great Dragons, and are highly respected by the Drakein and others. The Maikoiran are organized into a bewildering series of secret societies and fellowships that provide support for themselves and Dancing Kirk as a whole (Bards, Clerics, Sorcerers, Warlocks).

The Kenza are the champions of the Dancing Kirk – lay brethren who are charged with the protection of the faithful and the guardianship of the various kirks and shrines. The Kenza are fierce and dedicated warriors who are associated with various fighting orders to whom they owe allegiance to. Common fighting orders include: The Thousand-Forged Dragons, The Storm Dancers, The Five-Fold Avalanche, and The Claws of the Dragons (Clerics, Fighters, Monks, Paladins, Rogues, Wizards).

Dorje serve the Great Dragons as a whole as part of the Quatrefoil, the Dancing Kirk. They serve as advisors and healers for their communities but only have formal authority within whatever kirk (temple) or vihara (monestary) they belong to. The two assemblages, kirk and vihara, are seen as distinctly different rules of conduct and behavior, but also as essentially co-equal and serving different purposes – kirks for the Quartrefoil and vihara for the individual Great Dragons. (Clerics).

Vajra are rare individuals who have been chosen and blessed one of the Great Elemental Dragons – they are generally seen as champions of that individual Great Dragon. They are often solitary in nature and wander looking for enlightenment and challenge, though a fair number tend to isolated shrines deep in the wilderness – a rare few even take up residence in an actual kirk and end up taking formal vows as a Dorje (Class Independant).

The Great Elemental Dragons

The Great Dragon of Earth and Metal: Also known as the Body Stoicheion, and often represents both stability and fertility.

• Symbol / Color / Animal: Square or Rectangle / Brown / Stone Drake
• Place of Worship: Underground or Stone-built Kirk or Vihara
• Divine / Worshipper Alignment: True Neutral / Neutral (Any), Lawful (Any)
• Common Manifestations: Finding a gem, a stone or gem shattering, earthquakes
• Common Professions: Warriors, Smiths, Craftsmen, Midwives.

The Great Dragon of Air and Sky: Is known as the Breath Stoicheion, and represents the ideals of curiosity and intellect.

• Symbol / Color / Animal: Downward Triangle / White / Storm Drake
• Place of Worship: Open Air Kirk or Vihara
• Divine/Worshipper Alignment: True Neutral / Neutral (Any), Chaotic (Any)
• Common Manifestations: Whistling winds, still air, tornados
• Common Professions: Sages, Sailors, Travelers, Wanderers.

The Great Dragon of Fire and Flames: Known as the Spirit Stoicheion, the Great Dragon of Fire represents both passion and consumption.

• Symbol / Color / Animal: Upward Triangle / Red / Fire Drake
• Place of Worship: Kirk or Vihara with Furnaces or Firepits
• Divine / Worshipper Alignment: True Neutral / Neutral (Any), Chaotic (Any)
• Common Manifestations: Fires flaring, fires dampening, explosions
• Common Professions: Performers, Tantrics, Artists.

The Great Dragon of Water and Seas: Consider by the some the most fearsome, the Great Dragon of the Sea is also known as the Blood Stoicheion, and stands for both mystery and adaptability.

• Symbol / Color / Animal : Circle / Blue / Sea Drake
• Place of Worship: Kirk or Vihara with Springs, Pools, Fountains, etc.
• Divine / Worshipper Alignment: True Neutral / Neutral (Any), Chaotic (Any)
• Common Manifestations: Water going still, water running abnormally, whirlpools
• Common Professions: Mages, Diplomats, Psychics.

So who does my character worship..?

So, ckutalik over at Hill Cantons has a nice post about religion and gaming. Now, what many folks don’t know about me is that at one time I seriously considered a career as a minister, though my Calling found another expression eventually. With that piece of information in place, you can imagine that religion and spirituality play an important place in my game worlds.

I’ve really run the gamut. In the old days, the very early days, I took a page from Katherine Kurtz and ran with a direct analog of the Catholic Church – which was also rather nice because I used the Deryni in my game world as well. The “Old Faith” was an amalgam of Celtic myth and modern NeoPaganism, and pretty much all real world religion existed in one form or another – there was the “Church of the Divine Couple” for the Egyptian mythology, and the Northmen worshipped the Norse and Finnish Deities. Pretty much if it was in Deities and Demigods I was willing to include it. I also ran with the Greyhawk deities as they came out, the Forgotten Realms deities when they came out, and I have always used the Cthulhu Mythos as well as the Moorcockian Courts of Chaos. For the nonhumans I pretty much ran with whatever the “flavor of the day” was, though it was always somewhat oddly incorporated at times to try to make sense of the multiple different, “hard polytheistic”, pantheons.

But currently, religions and spirituality have gone through a handful of more recent evolutions as I’ve tried to get away from “ripped from reality” and more “inspired by reality” combined with “entirely fabricated”…

To start with big bag guys, the ones that pretty much everyone agrees are worth banding together to fight against are the Five Demon Emperors and the servants of the Dearth as worshipped by what is commonly known as the Cult of Shator under the auspices of the King in Yellow. These are combination of the Great Old Ones or the Outer Gods of the Cthulhu Mythos. Their very existence, even as a thought, brings corruption and destruction to multiverse. More than unbridled Chaos, more than simply Entropy, they are literally Nothingness made manifest. (Evil)

One of the oldest human religions is known as the Heptarchy by sages, a pantheon of seven deities made up of the Lady Night and her children, and the Twin Brothers of the Perihelion (and their dark triplet) and the Three Sisters of the Perilune. Found in both urban and rural settings, the Heptarchy is quite popular, though each deity maintains it’s own religious hierarchy. Relationships between the deities and their cults vary, but are generally neutral or good as none of the deities are in active conflict or direct opposition – save perhaps the relationship between the Midnight Sun and his two brothers.

There is the Old Faith – a pantheistic worship of nature, it’s cycles and its elements, the manifest spirits of which are often referred to as “the Old Powers” by both humans and the gnomes. The Old Faith is highly organized, with twin orders of male and female druids, along with the a variety of warrior societies (most famously the Rangers) organized into lodges. (Generally Neutral)

Then there is the Society of the Light – a religion originally inspired by Augustine’s notion of the “City of God” and then mixed in with healthy doses of early Jewish, Christian, and Islamic custom and belief along with a good dash of Sikhism. It is marked by a hierarchical relationship of mortals and the Sarim (the ruling angels), overseen in the Mortal Realms by the Council of Devas in Kistath. It has a multiple Rules, and one significant heresy (the Trinitarians) based on the actual spiritual and physical union of mortal and angels. (Mostly Lawful Good and some other Goods and Neutrals)

In opposition to the Society of Light there is what is often termed “the Horned Society” – the cults and organizations devoted to the Fallen (Angels) in what is in many ways a mirror image of the SOL. The War in Heaven and the Fall was fundamentally one of philosophical difference in how to pursue the War Without End against the Dearth. (Mostly LE, some other Evils and Neutrals)

In Thule, the worship of the Freyja the All-Mother is most popular. The pantheon, the Æsir, is greater than just the All-Mother, but after the Ragnarök there were few survivors and Freyja was the greatest among them and took the high seat of Hliðskjálf. Her servants, the Valkyrja, continue to choose the worthy among the slain to serve her as einherjar in Valhalla. (Generally Good and Neutral)

The Khemeti are also known as the Church of the Divine Couple, the Khemeti are among the eldest of the organized religions – perhaps not even originally of humankind. It is said that the Khemeti arose out of the Great Chaos at the beginning of Creation when Ptah and Ma’at created a sense of Order and Logic in the random Chaos. Currently they are worshipped primarily in Kistath, they have a very small Cult in the Heartlands and are essentially nonexistent in Thule. (Lawful)

The elves have, at their heart, a spirituality that is governed by “Li’vicor” or the idea of “Ruling Passion” or “True Will” – while at the same time having an appreciation for the universe that is similar to the pantheistic view of the Old Faith combined with a respect for the “E’lin” (the “Elect”) who seem to have a special relationship with what the Old Faith would call the Old Powers. (Good)

The dwarves don’t speak of their spirituality or religion, but seem concerned with “forging their souls” and “anvil of the world” by those outsiders that they trust enough to speak about such things with. They also have a great venerance for the living stone and their ancestors, how this all fits together is unknown. (Lawful)

There is also the En Khoda Theos Kirk – the Dragonborn’s Kirk (Church) with its worship of the four “Great Dragons” that are generally thought to encompass various aspects of the natural world and the elements. A complex religion, there is no higher authority than each kirk’s Dorje (priest), and it is a deeply contemplative religion that focuses on meditative practice, often in a monastic or other secluded setting. Primarily followed by the Dragonborn it is also followed a surprising number of members of other races and small Kirks can be found in most major cities. (All Alignments)

The Teotl is the pantheon of the Old Gods of Ith. A bloody state religion marked by human sacrifice and the veneration of the Ithian Serpent Folk. Of all the major human religions, it is the one that is closest in some ways to the philosophies of the non-human races and has it’s roots in the mysticism of the Serpathians.  (Neutral and Evil)

The goblins, ogres, and trolls worship the Formorians, a collection of beings known as “the Goblin Court”. Generally hateful and destructive, the Goblin Court is still opposed to Dearth and Arras-Kol, the Great Goblin, is ever vigilant for the seeds of corruption in his children. (Evil)

The Lords of Chaos – The greatest of the powers of Chaos, sometimes known as the Wyld, often accept worship and service in exchange for favor. With some of their members being corrupted by the Dearth (known as the Forsaken, Tiamat and Typhon), they are quick (perhaps overly quick) to act against the Five Demon Emperors. (Chaotic)

Then there are the Godlings, sometimes known as the Disparate Names, a mixture of demigods, quasi-deities, and lesser deities that work alone, in conjunction with, and in opposition to themselves and the other pantheons. They are commonly described and organized in what is called the Lords Tarot, though this may be a purely human invention rather than a true reflection of the Godlings actual relationships (All Alignments).

Finally, opposing and at the same time including the Dearth are the Bel En Khoda – the Thirteen Great Gods. These are almost like reified Platonic Forms. Though, truthfully, this isn’t worship (save in the Shadowlands where the Unborn are revered above all), but their presence is always acknowledged, by everyone with any level of mystical or magical knowledge, and many mystical or spiritual organizations are essentially organized around a philosophical allegiance to one of them even if it doesn’t exactly qualify as “worship”. (All Alignments)

I’ll probably detail those out more in future posts.

TTFN!

D.