Religion

The inhabitants of Arkadell all believe a common theory of polytheism. Many gods and beings of high power exist within the world. Creation of the Old Ones by the Void is what had formed the beginning of the world and the rise of gods that followed.

The Void
Long before the dawning of creation, centuries ago, all that existed, and all that would ever exist, was the Void. The Void is believed to be the creator of what begun for Arkadell, the Nether, and other planes of existance. By its power it bore three children known as the Old Ones, becoming a barrier between the realms afterwards. However, when the three children became corrupt, it was the Void that chose a mortal leader from each race to descend to godly power.

The Old Ones
Polemos- The first to be borne from the Void was Polemos, the embodiment of rage, war, discipline, and control. Polemos believed that all mortals should be ruled entirely. Made to think a certain way, to follow orders, to revel in the joy of battle or the hunt. Polemos created mortals who would think as it did, who would be honorable yet powerful, and who would shame all others. These mortals became the first orcs, whose homeland was Urmmosh, seated upon a dormant volcano.

Thelo- The third borne and the youngest, known as Thelo, became the embodiment of freedom, desires, beauty, and magic. Thelo believed that mortals should be free to govern themselves, unharmed and uninfluenced by The Old Ones. Thelo is credited with the creation of the elves, a powerful and noble race of individuals, tall and regal, highly intellectual, and innately magical.

Symvitas- The second borne from the Void, Symvitas, the embodiment of balance, order, and compromise, decided to reconcile with its siblings by creating two new races, humans and dwarves. The Humans would be adaptive, like the elves, would gain pieces of their intelligence, and would also take to the hunt and do battle when needed, like the orcs. Similarly, the dwarves, a proud race, stout, and brimming with strength and ingenuity, made a home in Balgathnar, a living being to its inhabitants.

Human Gods
Zethos- God of the sky and heavens. The most popular god amongst men. Humans believe that he is the cause of the weather, sun, and moon. Everything in the skies is his work. There are several of temples dedicated to him throughout the world. Zethos is kind of a benevolent god, and is pleased with almost any sacrifice as long as no sentient being is harmed. He is allied with most gods and goddesses, but dislikes the god of war and destruction. Common encounters with Zethos depict him as an eagle.

Luperion- God of the moon, battle, death, and afterlife. Luperion is typically worshipped by those of the Kazian Kingdom. He is depicted to be a wolf that has taken on human form and takes control of the sky after the sun sets. Luperion is the completion of the Sky Gods to the Kazians, offering a diety that controls the night instead of the day, which is the domain of Zethos. Kazians believe that worshipping Luperion will bring success to their hunts and battles. It is typical of soldiers to spend the nights before battle in prayer to Luperion, wishing for victory. June 8th, the Day of Souls, is a holiday which followers commonly come together in worship.


 * The first encountered worship of Luperion was in the ancient city of Kaza during the reign of Alaris II. During the mid-1300's of the Second Age, there was a plague which hindered the cultivation of livestock in the city. As the land around the city was not fertile enough for farming to sustain the entire population of Kaza, the Kazians were forced to return to their nomadic ways of hunting after many years of the simple raising of livestock. The first years were difficult and lack of gain from their hunts caused many Kazians to die of starvation.


 * It is widely believed that Luperism, or the worship of Luperion, was started by a Zethosian priest in Kaza named Algherii de Grana, who envisioned Zethos, the God of the Sun, sending a wolf to the people of Kaza to watch over them during the night. De Grana began to preach these visions to the people of Kaza, telling them to hunt at night instead of day and to follow the tracks of the wolves instead of avoid them. This tactic worked, and the hunters of Kaza returned every morning with large bounties of deer and elk from the forests. Some accounts say the hunters even came across packs of wolves during their hunt, who appeared to acknowledge the hunters' presence and lead them straight to the herds of game.


 * Due to the success of the original lessons, De Grana's teachings continued well past the end of the Plague of the Beasts, and they became so popular, that in fact the worship of the wolf, Luperion, as De Grana named him, in Kaza surpassed that of Zethos. King Alaris II made Luperiism the official prayer designation of the Kazian Army in 1355 SA.

Hydres- Goddess of the sea. While she goes by another name in Elven cultures, both elves and humans believe that this particular goddess is the sole ruler of the sea, and that she bestows favor or ire on those who sail her waters. Most human or elven sailors will perform a sacrifice to her before taking a long journey, typically by throwing aboard items of high value along with prayer.

Sorthen- God of destruction whom punishes those who oppose him. Most humans believe that all evils of the world are by his doing. Though he has a small yet fervent band of worshippers, his followers often believe him to be the strongest of all gods. These worshippers believe that Sorthen can bestow the power to both control death, and escape it.

Elven Gods
Iljika- God of nature, whom is also credited by the elves to be the creator of the world. It is believed by elves that if one reaches a state of peace with nature, Iljika will reward you in the afterlife. Iljika deplores violence against any living being and requires tribute to be made whenever harm is inflicted by one to another. He despises all gods of war or destruction, especially having a strong hatred against Emun'durg, the orcish god of hunting.

Ilwitho'ole- Goddess of the sea, bringer of great storms to those who reject her. She is also known by the elves as Hydres, but this is due to the blending of cultures between elves and humans. She is thought of being a more harsh goddess in comparison to Hydres, being more prone to fits of rage if she is not paid proper tribute. She has been known to bring the rage of the sea upon the unsuspecting sailor and causes frequent hurricanes and typhoons.

Astire- Goddess of balance. Elves believe it is Astire who keeps the world in a constant state of balance through a system known as karma. Followers believe that every action one takes, no matter how small, has the potiential to change the universe. Astire is very friendly with other gods, believing that even war and destruction serve as large a purpose as creation and harmony.

Dwarven Gods
Hamtur- God of wealth. HEIL HAMTUR! Dwarves believe that praising Hamtur will grant great success and fortune in mining ventures. They also believe that Hamtur's hand will help guide dwarven smiths and let them create exceptional armor. In tribute, those who worship him are expected to give a percentage of their wealth back, by throwing them into the sacred lava fires.

Rohun- God of war. Rohun the Great was a powerful dwarven leader, and upon his death was pronounced a god. Rohun demands sacrifice before each battle. As a result, his spiritual leadership is said to be the cause of every major dwarven victory.

Farengahr- God of the earth. Dwarves believe Farengahr created the world and continues to maintain it. It is him who dwarves believe to create all minerals and stone which the dwarves mine, and all fires, earthquakes, and mudslides are attrituted to invoking his wrath. Worshippers believe that overmining and ill-respect of resource will bring about such chaos.

Drsilict- God of creation and/or life. According to ancient scripts, Balgathnar was viewed as a living being, brought forth from the crust of Arkadell by the god Drsilict, or the dwarven God of Life, and was instilled with an extreme sense of greed. He in turn tasked Balgathnar with the burden of carrying the world's entirety of precious ores and jewels, protecting them from those who wished to take them. Due to his very nature, Balgathnar held the innate knowledge of mining, of digging and refining items from the very earth he had once come from. From this, he took the ores and jewels given to him, and buried them deep within Arkadell, including his own body, so that no other being could take them.

Orcish Gods
Kraag- God of war. Worshipped as the main orcish deity and is appeased through sacrifice. He is the most worshipped of the orc gods and demands regular sacrifices of prisoners. Great glory in battle is given to those who are faithful to him. Kraag is one of the three ascended that the Orcs worship. As Kraag is the ascendant of war, orcs may offer him gifts in return for his favor in an upcoming battle. Kraag was believed to be able to fell three foes with the single swing of his axe. Eventually he died by being struck by lightning, causing the orcs to believe he ascended and making him the first ascendant.

Emun'durg- God of hunting, whom brings great feasts and health upon worship. He demands a portion of all slain beasts, and in return bestows bountiful game on the worshipper. Great famines are attributed to Emun'durg, and are believed to be caused by a severe violation of his trust.

Krull'nuk- God of knowledge. The Skyrender Clan is one of the only clans to worship him.

Gro'Kash- The god of the D'Arok Dragonbred tribe. It is said that each orcish tribe has their own patron deity, but very little is known about each of them. Gro'Kash is said to bestow great honor upon the families of those who serve him faithfully.

Dravari Gods
Avulae- Dravar worship the first empress of their people, Avulae. She is seen as the sun, and as both light, fire, and order. While their goddess is the one of light, it does not mean dravar hate the darkness, or see it as evil. They believe that darkness is only seen from light, for without light, Darkness takes no shape, it is formless. The dravar have a holiday every cycle of the sun that involves the eating of gold, and gems, along with animals or people alike, they paint themselves in blood, and they pray in songs to Avulae. To the dravar, the end and start of the cycle of the sun also is on the first day of summer often times. Dravari men and women also will find their mate often times on this day, Which is why the sun is also often times involved with words such as love in the Dravari language, the word being Aevenya. Dravar do not bury their dead, yet instead burn their bodies and mix the ashes with glass, making a statuette of their lost family member so that they may have a place to rest during the night, so that in the day their souls may walk the world and look after their families. Dravar cities are made with gems openly seen, so that Avulae's eye, which is the sun may look upon their beauty, it is also why buildings are large, as well as statues.

Demigods and Others
Sarathos- Sarathos has gained many followers in all races. In human lore, he is believed to be brother to Sorthen and ruler of the Nether. He is said to punish all evil souls for eternity. Ancient Temples have been discovered in Burundia and the Ruudenfell Mountains. A current temple exists in Ntk-Xed-Kil. A small shrine exists south of Kaza. There are believed to be many more undiscovered temples and shrines throughout Asmalur. Encounters with Sarathos describe him as a Red Knight.


 * Sarathos worship has fallen greatly since the first age. The first well recorded examples of Sarathos worship comes from ancient temples made of Netherbrick scattered throughout Asmalur that can be dated to the late first age. Currently it is a mystery on how such ancient civilizations acquired the brick since the first documented use in civilization was 1480 2A when Ntk-Xed-Kil first commercialized it. Historians link the connection between the Sarathos Temples of the First Age with the Hold in that both used materials only found in the Nether and that the Hold's government has made a deal with Sarathos in the way that early followers did but this accusation is denied by the Derelict family. With the decline of Sarathos in the Third Age most follow him in secret as part of a cult.


 * The followers of Sarathos believe in the Four Pillars of the Nether.
 * 1. Quartz - A symbol of the beauty of the Nether. Wisdom.
 * 2. Glowstone* - The light which shines throughout the Nether. Insight.
 * 3. Netherrack - The Fire which burns throughout the nether. Power
 * 4. Soul Sand - A mystical sand that occurs in the Nether. Soul.
 * Some sects believe that obsidian is the 2nd pillar, it being the pillar of Strength.
 * All worshipers share the phrase "Blood for the Lord" referencing the Blood Harvest a holiday in which sacrifices are made to Sarathos.

Hanian- A final and extremely central belief of witchcraft is the belief if Hanian, a powerful force which represents nature and its chaotic powers. Hanian is a gender-less being, though some witches have suggested that it is more feminine because nature is a symbol of motherhood. Witches hold that all of nature is chaotic, that it is neither good nor evil, black nor white. This belief in turn, makes most witches believe that the Craft is meant to be neutral, and no coven recognizes true good or true evil. Because of this, covens are often believed to be evil, when in reality they wish no to view such forces as good and evil. Hanian, then, is a force that represents this shade of grey. Hanian exists within nature, within everything. It is the force that binds together all life, the force that is responsible for their power. Each witch connects with Hanian differently and on different levels. The central goal of most witches is to grow in their connection to Hanian, and thus grow in their closeness to the natural world.

This growth is known as Attunement. Attunement is the process by which a witch or warlock grows closer to the natural world. Each of the five ranks within the coven are based on a witch’s level of attunement. When a witch grows more attuned, it is believed that they have a better understanding of the natural world, may see and communicate with the calon, and may grow in their individual power. This growth in power can result in the manifestation of special powers known as The Nine Gifts.

Cults
Ehodism- A cult brought in by a human priest named Eramus Dominai, which had a very short time of popularity in the eastern Kazian Kingdom. All affiliation with this foreign organization was terminated in the priest's death due to mild persecution and a lack of another priest to take over. Most traces of this cult have vanished and it has long since been out of the public's mind.