Nature Religions

These are the main categories of the ancient nature religions.

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Astralists, or the Star-Watchers

The "ancient cosmic religion" is one guided by the stars. Astrological beliefs and astronomical science blend as they study the cosmos from their observatories to find portents, wisdom, and cosmic harmony. They live in mountains or plains where the night sky is most visible, and they follow the stars' patterns. They believe that all cosmic phenomena have meaning and power over the world, and that the entirety of creation is written in the galactic expanse. They use powerful magic to see deep into space, and thus they have knowledge others do not. They know of galaxies, blackholes, novae, cosmic radiation, cosmic voids, nebulae, and other parts of the cosmos imperials have not detected yet. They can see the planets hidden to the naked eye, and they know even of the smaller orbital bodies such as mesoplanets and centaurs. They believe the stars, especially constellations, are the primary guiding force of the universe, and they worship them not as divinities, but as inmortal figures and legends. Their zodiac is as follows:

Constellation	Title	Meaning	Dates
Nautano	The Sailor	The hero's sailor friend, the one who sails the ship. Capability, navigation, confidence, and support.	Pugnamens 1 - 31
Hemerodromus	The Courier	The messenger who carries words through the cosmos. Communication, understanding, and movement.	Apertamens 1 - 30
Cleptor	The Thief	The thief who stole light from the sky. Cunning, unseen help, lost things, and resourcefulness.	Fertilimens 1 - 31
Baiulus	The Bearer	The bearer of the sky. Strength, vastness, diligence, constance.	Reginamens 1 - 30
Hospesta	The Visitor	The one who came from the stars. Foreignness, outside perspective, thinking outside the box.	Barbatamens 1 - 31
Origo	The Source	The source of the universe, the fountain from which it flows. Originality, parenthood, starting from the beginning.	Magnamens 1 - 31
Sapiente	The Wise	The sage who led the hero to the end of the universe. Guidance, wisdom, and teaching. Being a mentor. Listening.	Messimens 1 - 30
Fortian	The Hero	The hero who sailed the stars and saw all that is. Doing what must be done, bravery, determination, facing adversity.	Equumens 1 - 31
Cantora	The Singer	The singer whose voice could make stars dance. Finding strength in unexpected places, beauty in what one is, and connection to the stars.	Epulamens 1 - 30
Vacca	The Cow	The cow whose milk makes the galaxy. Nourishment, community, steadiness, and knowing one's place in the cosmos.	Hiemmens 1 - 31
Serpenta	The Snake	The dangerous snake protecting the core of the galaxy. Adversity, tribulation, and hardship that can be overcome with cleverness. Deception.	Portamens 1 - 31
Balaena	The Whale	The whale that swims the cosmic void. Solitude, self-reflection, greatness, and patience.	Purumens 1 - 28

They also honor the elemental spirits of the planets, mesoplanets, centaurs, sun, the moons (of Shem and other planets), blackholes, nebulae, galaxies, asteroids, meteors, comets, and other cosmic phenomena. They see meaning in all of these and find guidance from them.

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Domicilists, or the Planet-Watchers

Among the "ancient cosmic religion" there are those who believe the stars are not the dominant force, but that the planets are. These are otherwise the same as the astralists. In fact, the astralists and domicilists even believe the same thing about the meaning of the constellations and planets. They only argue over which is the primary focus.

Planet	Title	Period	Meaning
Colos	The Messenger	Hiemmens 17 - Portamens 5	Swiftness, movement, communication
Behial	The Warrior	Portamens 6 - Portamens 29	Conflict, strength, prowess
Jahur	The Temptress	Portamens 30 - Purumens 23	Presence, enticement, attraction
Sallit	The Blue Jewel	Purumens 24 - Pugnamens 20	Wisdom, chaos, love
Kruurach	The Stone Giant	Pugnamens 21 - Apertamens 14	Toughness, determination, stoicism
Avagen	The Eye	Apertamens 15 - Fertilimens 9	Surveillance, confusion, invasiveness
Inoxuil	The Mindflayer	Fertilimens 10 - Reginamens 3	Pain, tribulation, cruelty
Gallyneg	The Happy Marble	Reginamens 4 - Reginamens 27	Happiness, stories, creativity
Weptaram	The Marshal	Reginamens 28 - Barbatamens 22	Authority, center, greatness
Thurudrill	The Duke	Barbatamens 23 - Magnamens 16	Patterns, loudness, energy
Mytoth	The Duchess	Magnamens 17 - Messimens 10	Neutrality, elegance, status quo
Daialoth	The Ice Giant	Messimens 11 - Equumens 4	Coldness, distance, stasis
Parsadus	The Knight	Equumens 5 - Equumens 28	Honor, malleability, hardness
Unim	The Wanderer	Equumens 29 - Epulamens 22	Secrets, mystery, journey
Ane	The Daughter	Epulamens 23 - Hiemmens 16	Recursion, return, prodigality

They also have special connection with the mesoplanets and centaurs. Consult the GM for information on these.

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Marinists, or the Seafarers

The Seafarers are a set of ancient cultures along the coasts and on the islands of the Talunese region who live by, on, and in the sea. They worship the sea (personified as the Sea Mother or Ati Thi. Their lives depend on the sea and their ability to sail, fish, and trade. They make sacrifices to the sea, honor her in song and story, and believe that she is the source of life and the world. They also honor elemental spirits representing her many facets: the living things within the sea, the sand and salt, the wind, the waves, the depths, the currents, the rivers that feed her, the coasts, the rocks and reefs, the sun and moons and tides, the seaside marshes and forests, the dunes, and so on. These elemental spirits are considered the children of Ati Thi, shaped by her, part of her, but not the whole of her. They are appeased or honored as needed, while Ati Thi is worshiped and honored all the time. Among their most common customs is the sacrifice of part of any fishing catch to her (except in the hardest of times) and the sacred laws against harming dolphins.

The examples of some of the elemental spirits they honor include the following:

• Ati Thi, the Sea Mother, capriicious and all-powerful, bringer of life and death
• Boccalarga, the River Mouth, spirits of the rivers who feed the sea.
• Copertalghe, the Blanket of Algae, the infinite expanse of green and blue and red that has many meanings
• Danzamaree, the Tidal Dancers, the sun and moons.
• Faraglioni-torre, the Tower of Stone, the spirits of the rock stacks and skerries, the rock outcroppings in the seas near the coast, worshiped especially by the calcopilare.
• Nebbiasalina, the Salt Spirits, a collective of nearly invisible spirits of salt air and salt foam
• Sabbiasempre, the Endless Coast, the spirits of sand, beach, dune, and coast who are the divide between land and sea, the protectors who are shaped by Ati Thi.
• Tartarugazul, the Blue Sea Turtle, Ati Thi's first husband who is now grumpy because she neglects him
• Tartarugisoli, the Island Turtles, the elementals who carry islands on their backs.

Each elemental spirit has its own specific ceremonies and rites.

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The Piedmonters

The piedmont is the foothills of the mountains north of Talune, and those who live in these foothills have often been seen as backwards and foolish. Their religion is a folk religion, one of practices and traditions that appease the spirits of the hills and mountains and earth. They refer to it as "keeping them quiet" rather than worshiping. They believe that Apa Cel, Father Earth, is the ground, and Ati Shem, Mother Shem, is bound to him. They must keep him happy or both will be angry, and if they are angry, the earth shakes and the rocks tumble down and the hills collapse and the mines cave in. They have many superstitions. They believe that every cave, hill, mountain, stone, and plot of land has its own elemental spirit who must be appeased to ensure the harvest, keep the land safe, and keep the mines open.

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Viridianists, or the Benandanti

Viridianists (sometimes called verdantists) have a comprehensive faith in the cycles and spirits of nature. They view the powerful elementals who define the world as deific, and they have a complex religion worshiping them. While they know that every facet of nature has its elemental spirits, they focus on a primary pantheon that rules over all of nature:

• Ati Shem, the world herself
• Ati Thi, the Sea Mother, the Mother of Waters, and her daughter, Putsec, Goddess of Rivers
• Apa Cel, Father Earth, the Ruler of the Mountains and Hills, the One Beneath the Ground, the Stone God
• Ati Ushil, Mother Sun, Bringer of Summer, the Lady of the Oaks, and her consort the (unnamed) Oak Spirit
• Ci Leinth Tiur, the Three Crones, the Moons, the Dancers in the Night, the Mysterious, the Matron, and the Mirror
• Pulumchva, the Stars, the Plethora
• Trutzeri, the God of Weather, the Storm and Calm
• Ati Acnanas, the Mother of Mothers, the Source of Life
• Ancaru, Death Herself
• Tvami, the Shadow God, and Saliethi, the Light Goddess, siblings in harmony
• Capcatha, the Hunter; Ati Papna, the Harvester; Apa Cutu, the Smith, a triad/throuple
• Thalnasec, the Daughter of Flowers, Goddess of Spring; Venzisec, the Daughter of Green, Goddess of Plants and Forests, the lovers of renewal
• Ati Alfa, Mother Winter, Bringer of Frost, the Lady of the Hollies, and her consort the (unnamed) Holly Spirit
• Asateclen, the Son of the Winds, the God of the Sky, a happy, frolicking, free young man; Aurais, his sibling who is sound
• Slapixu, the Old Woman of Autumn, the Bringer of Fallow, the Goddess of the Chill, Ancaru's sister
• Aiarxaze, the Mist Dweller, Goddess of Dreams
• Tatrmetua, the Swamp Goddess; Molasec, the Daughter of the Desert; Apelivenz, the Goddess of the Plains
• Cappais, the God of the Mushrooms
• Apa Er, the Shaper, and Apa Cexa, the Keeper of the Natural Order
• Inais, the Island Deities
• Verscen, the Son of Flames; Velxsec, the Daughter of the Volcano; Arxazecen, the Obsidian God
• Ehiv, the Wild One, the God of Animals, or perhaps gods
• Apa Ims, Father Time
• Mavilitule, God of the Unseen Ones (microbes)

This complex pantheon is worshiped both as a whole and individually, with people living close to sources of some of these naturally focusing on them. There are some who focus specifially for certain society purposes (the mortebianci who serve Death Herself or flowerbearers), some who take up worship at appropriate times (harvest and hunt, for example), and some who genuinely switch as their lives go on. There is no one way to worship these deities, but belief in one implies belief in all, though worship is another story.

There are many rituals, festivals, and practices that go with this faith. Seasonal changes mean festivals, important events mean ceremonies to specific deities (births or deaths, for example), and certain tasks require appeasement or honoring others (harvest, hunt, sailing, and so on).

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Vulcanists, or the Island Faith

Living in the shadow of an active volcano focuses a culture. The worship of Velxsec and the specific volcanic elementals of Violabruccia and Camino, the two most active volcanoes in the region, requires sacrifices and appeasements, offerings and honorings, and special rituals throughout the year. They also sometimes honor Verscen and Inais as part of their faith. They also honor Fumo, the elemental in the smoke; and Cenere, the elemental of the ashes, as children of the volcanoes.