Religion

There are thousands of religions around the world, but these are the most prominent in the colonies and surrounds:

The Church of the Redeemer

All things end...

A minor religion in the empires which has become a major religion in the colonies, the Church of the Redeemer embraces a philosophy and eschatology that equates the end of the world with redemption and salvation. While there are regional variations around the world, in the colonies, the belief is that a deity called Zammacath the Redeemer, who is a messenger for 10 greater, more ancient powers, collectively referred to as The Ten Waiting Gods. Zammacath is Divine, and he brings the message of redemption and salvation to the people of the world. Those who embrace are tasked to adhere to ten rules:

1. All things end. The end of this world should not be shunned but sought, for with it comes redemption for the iniquitous and salvation for the righteous. This is the word of the Redeemeer and the will of the Waiting Gods.
2. Spread the word of redemption and salvation, as the Redeemer brought it unto you; never suffer a heretic to speak in your presence.
3. None shall find redemption who defies the will of the Redeemer or the Waiting Gods; hold none above them.
4. As the Redeemer is the master of man, so the man is master of woman, and woman is responsible for the children, who must obey their elders.
5. The spreading of the word is the utmost task of the man; the instruction of children is the utmost task of the woman.
6. The land is the dominion of the man, for the Redeemer gave it unto him to master and shape.
7. The Redeemer rewards in life those who uphold his word; those who live without reward have offended the Redeemer.
8. The word of the Redeemer is the only truth.
9. To receive the word is to know pain; the word without pain is a lie. Suffering brings strength; strength brings salvation.
10. When the day comes, those who have rejected the word will be cast into the deeps; those who have accepted it will rise. So shall it be. All things end.

The Church of the Redeemer is the most powerful religion in the Sovereign Cities, having a deep influence over the local political scene as well as many local businesses. Their symbol is called the "complex star". Their leaders are powerful clergymen with deep ties to the leadership of the Sovereign Cities, and they were instrumental in the rebellion that gained the Sovereign Cities semi-autonomy.

Imperial Church

Sacrifice for the greater good...

The Imperial Church is the united religion of the empires of the east. It is a polytheistic religion that merges the state-religions and other common religions of the empires, enforcing a mixture of their doctrines that have in common a mixture of prosperity gospel, patriarchal values, a belief in a rewarding afterlife, the promise of greatness and prosperity, and a message of sacrifice in the name of the empire. Some (but not all) of the deities in the Imperial Pantheon are as follows:

• The Bleeding Angel: a deity of Endruin whose faith speaks of sacrifice for the sake of the empire, the giving of blood for power.
• The Conqueror: a war god who promises conquest and power, a nationalistic religion of Furich Amol.
• The Diamond God: a god of wealth and luxury who promises prosperity if one gives to the rich and powerful, the deity of Lann Kurat and Insieme.
• The Focused God: a god who denounces the weakness of emotion and promotes focus and reason, the deity of Benhoras.
• The Forger of Chains: a smith-god, a bringer of craft and artisanry, who taught the people of Urayme to forge the chains they use on slaves.
• The God of the Pure: a masked god who promotes ideals of purity of soul, blood, and mind, the deity of Stolzen.
• The Lord-Father: a patrairchal deity who promotes a strict binary view of gender and sexuality, a deity with a presence throughout the empries
• The Magnanimous Lord: the feudal deity of Mal'sk and other areas who is promotes the idea of suffering as a virtue.
• The Master of Industry: a patron of industry, the deity of Lyfane.
• The Queen of Inmortality: a psychopomp-deity who welcomes the dead to the Grey, an afterlife realm; goddess of Kael'Ras who claims to hold the secrets of inmortality.
• The Serpent Goddess: the goddess of Deseria and Vesturia, her religion is one that promotes individualism and the self above all.
• The Spider God: the god of Srisia, a deity whose religion promotes personal liberty and individualism.
• The Thorn-Crowned Huntress: the hunter-goddess of Mwyr Aeld, one who promotes the self, promotes individualism, and promotes personal betterment.
• The Truthbringer: the goddess of Baradin whose faith is one of valuing truth and the truth as told by the liasions of the goddess.
• The Unspoken: the god of Tereblant, the deity whose version of the truth is utmost in the eyes of the rulers of the people.
• The War-Bringer: the war-god of Tzuk who inspires strength and power above all.

Followers of the Imperial Faith may include other deities as well. Many pick and choose who they honor. Some are more prominent in certain places than others. It is a powerful, well organized religion with many local churches in both the Sovereign Cities and Imperial Cities. Leaders of this faith are often powerful men with great influence. The clergy has deep ties to the imperial nobility and other powerbrokers.

People's Faith

Hope is never lost...

The People's Faith is an illegal, underground religion worshiping a variety of figures, some Divine, some not, most framed as protectors, healers, sources of empowerment, or sources of inspiration. The leaders of this faith operate more as community leaders than leaders of a structured religion, and their role is often one of support, guidance, and coordination. There are many variations of the People's Faith, but in the area around the colonies, leaders of the faith tend to carry a special club, usually a roughly shaped one freshly fallen from a tree, as a symbol of humility and defense of the community. Some (but not all) of the figures they worship are as follows:

• The Bronccour: a figure of hope, symbolized by the flowers blooming after a long winter, a messianic figure from a past iteration of the world.
• The Rainbow Serpent: a mixture of inspiring figure and creator-myth, a figure whose blood was spilled to create the rainbow and bring inspiration, empowerment, and resistance to the world.
• The Nine Children of the Rainbow: the Scarlet Warrior (bravery in the face of overwhelming difficulty), the Fulvous Liberator (resistance against tyranny), the Saffron Sage (wisdom earned through experience), the Emerald Singer (harmony), the Sapphire Beloved (all forms of love), the Lavender Child (bringer of joy), the Rainbowguard (empowerment), the Shining Prism (inspiration and art), and the Ebon Flower (hope).
• The Beloved: a love-goddess who promotes all forms of love, sexuality, and acceptance and support, often synonymous with the Sapphire Beloved, but sometimes a separate figure.
• The Bringer of Justice, the Swan Mother: a figure of defiance against unjust laws, a vigilante-esque deity.
• The Stone-faced Goddess: a figure of equality and unity, one who brings people together, often a figure shaped into megaliths.
• The Household Deities: a series of deities of hearth and home, cleanliness and domestic tasks, protection of children and family, of community, of providing, of the sacred hunt, and of generosity and giving.
• The Principled and the Virtuous: a pair of deities representing two moral and ethical frameworks, one that is rooted in principles derived from an understanding of society and oppression, and one rooted in a profound belief in the goodness of people and how to be good regardless of circumstance.
• The Ancestors: ancestor worship is a major part of the People's Faith, and it is often centered on a matrilineal line, a community-oriented view of ancestry, or found-family ancestries.

There are many, many other figures recognized and celebrated in this faith. It is considered a deep heresy and outlawed by both the Sovereign Cities and the empires.

Faith of the Waya

A syncretic religion combining dozens of local faiths, mixing nature religions, ancestral worship, religions of inspiration and resistance, and various local figures, folk heroes, and deities. The leaders of faith and spirituality among the Waya vary by nation and tribe, but they are often elders or people who feel a calling or have specific religious or spiritual experiences. They often have visions and are guided by the powerful spirits of the area, but they also derived faith and power from their ancestral and folk hero legends. Some common figures include the following:

• Azoa the Caller: a legendary dancer and drummer who leads the communal dance for all of Waya, lover of Waya the Uniter from 300 years ago.
• Canocava the Ax: legendary assassin who killed a colonial leader to start the Reprisals, the guerrilla war from 150 years ago.
• Dechara of the Plains: buffalo woman who carries the wind in her hump.
• Feneq-Okaya: the Lady of the Blackbirds, a figure of resistance and rebellion.
• The Ghosts of Genocho: the ancestors who were massacred by colonizers at Genocho and demand vengeance.
• Inmana the Speaker: ancient raven deity who taught speech to people.
• Jazkra of the Swamps: alligator person who hides under the green waters.
• Lanqumet the Hunter: the wolf deity who taught people to hunt.
• Neham the Prophet: leader who fought the colonizers and died 200 years ago; a legendary hero now.
• Onzeye the Last Eagle: the bald eagle deity who refused to betray the people who the others did; they were murdered by the other bald eagles and turned into a martyr.
• Popara of the Lakes: trout man of the lakes who jumps from lake to lake to awaken the fish.
• Raneyo the Storm: a storm elemental known to be quick to anger.
• Sacatanae of the Rivers: otter woman who guides people up and down the rivers.
• Tankett the Creator: an old wanderer who put the world together with stardust (earth), sunlight (fire), seeds (wood), tears (water), breath (air), and blood (life).
• Urta the Ocelot: ocelot spirit who teaches bravery and ferocity.
• Viruma of the Ocean: whale person who causes the tides.
• Waya the Uniter: the leader who united the 40 tribes of the Waya Federation 300 years ago; she was a warrior who is half-legend, half-real.
• Xan Xero: a psychopomp figure who takes many forms, always being kind and caring to those who have fallen.
• Yanome of the Woods: deer woman who protects the forests.
• Zocho the Trickster: the old crow who teaches important lessons.

Figures from their stories, legends, history, and faith are extremely complex given that often they are syncretized from a half dozen or more cultures into one, and often, there are conflicting stories. There are also those who keep to the ways and stories that came before the Federation, and this is accepted and respected, revered even. Fundamental to the faith of the Waya is the belief in remaining united and maintaining and respecting the cultures of the past, but also continuing to be part of the world and actively engaging with it.

Ancient Nature Religions

These religions often have no official names. They are the religions of the many peoples of the world who revere nature, recognizing their role in it, seeking to be in harmony with it, realizing that this is a necessary part of survival. There are many variations of it, but the two most prominent in the region are those brought from the empires and those native to the area. Those in the empires revolve around a series of seasonal deities and figures, a cycle of rebirth and sacrifice, and remaining attuned to it. The local one is more attuned to aspects of nature as represented by local animals, plants, landforms, and bodies of water, and their role in the ecosystem there, including the many native nations of the area.

The Forgotten Tradition

In the empires, the ancient nature religions have been deeply suppressed, and the worship of them is often called "the Forgotten Tradition" by some. In this tradition, there are four major spirits who embody the four seasons (the empires are in a temperate climate with four distinct seasons):

• The Maiden of Flowers, representing spring
• Grandfather Oak, representing summer
• The Harvest Mother, representing autumn
• Grandmother Holly, representing winter

These are honored via festivals and rites throughout the year: New Year, First Thaw, Flower Dance, Vernal Equinox, Night of Fires, Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Harvest Time, Autumnal Equinox, Night of Fear, Day of Feast, First Snow, Winter Solstice, Midwinter, and Year's End. Each one varies in what rites need to be performed, and there are regional variations, but most involve music, dance, food, offerings, and community.

Other nature figures, deities, folk heroes, or elementals are often revered or referenced, including but not limited to Father Time, Death Herself, the Sun, the Moons, various constellations, forest deities, the Sea Mother, the Dancer in the Sky, the Eternal Flame, the Ark of the Beasts, the Green Mother, the Bringer of Light, the Keeper of Shadow, the Storm God, the Creator, the Great Ern, and Mother Shem herself.

Followers of this religion are often druids, witches, or leaders of ancient rites who are often referred to as priests or priestesses, but there is no organizational structure. One is accepted by nature or one is not. The authorities of this religion are elemental, not from the people or the powers-that-be. Fundamental to the religion is being attuned to the season, paying the price for nature's power, and assuaging the elemental beings that are the stewards of the world.

The Inhabiting Spirits

The Inhabiting Spirits are the elementals of the lands in the region. There are several powerful elementals recognized by the native nations:

• Echwatnepug: the elemental of the coniferous forests of the north.
• Ienaki: the elemental of the forests of the central continent.
• Isonlush: the elemental of the longest river in the area.
• Lusokawmli: the elemental of the wetlands of the north.
• Onhalwilaco: the elemental of the mountains of the central continent.
• Roqettemaqa: the elemental of the grasslands of the west.
• Unnuakama: the elemental of Lake Excelsior.
• Xeoneona: the elemental of the ocean.

The Lore and the Tradition

Other Faiths