Beliefs:

Ashariel (Church of Silver, Thannasians): Life is the most important thing in the universe. To end life is horrible, for only while we live do we truly know the pleasures of the universe, do we ever truly understand or improve the universe. Respect life, revere it. Create it. Spread it. Shape it, but do not harm it. Pursue life. Experience it. But do not damage it. Life is a right to be denied no one.

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Afterlife:

The living are reborn every generation. Between rebirths, if there is time, they wait in a limbo state. If a family is wiped out entirely, if no rebirth is possible, three paths are potentially taken: either they reincarnate in a higher form, if they were good, or they are cast into the Hells as punishment if they were evil, or, if they were not quite too evil nor good enough, they go to a purgatorial state to be purified.

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Legends:

The story of how life began on Shem:

The world had been freshly made, and all the gods were shaping it to their desires save the Maker, who was resting after crafting the world, and the Silver Mother, who was attending him, for the two were man and wife, and she loved him very much.

Each day, a different god would come to them, and they would ask the Silver Mother to breathe life into one of their new creations. At first, she would say "no," but as her husband recovered, she found she had more energy to devote to helping the others. So it happened that on the fifth day since the Making of the World, the Mother of the Green came to the Silver Mother asked her to bring wood to life. The Silver Mother considered, then created two seeds for the Green Mother to plant.

"Plant these, and glorious life will come to all the woods."

And so the Green Mother set out to find a place to plant them.

On the sixth day, the Mother of Spring came and asked her to breathe life into the flowers. The Silver Mother considered, then fashioned her a single seed and said, "Take this and plant it, and all the flowers of the world will bloom vibrant and beautiful."

And so the Spring Mother set out of find a place to plant it.

On the seventh day, the Serpent came to her and asked for a seed. She did not explain why; she simply demanded a seed. She threatened to go to the Arbiter if she were not given one, and the Silver Mother conceded. She gave her two seeds.

After that, many others came for seeds, until the Silver Mother was tired of it. She put out the word that she would give out no more seeds.

Many of the gods spent their time seeking for a place to plant their seeds, and much of the crafting of the world was going undone. The Maker sensed this and asked his wife why. She explained the situation, and the Maker laughed.

"They are fools. Will you give me a seed, that I may plant it and show them how it is done?"

And she agreed, and they both set out to plant the seed. They went to the top of the world, where everyone was sure to see what they were doing, and they began to dig through what was ice and snow, then slush, then mud, then hard dirt. They dug a deep hole, and into it, they dropped a single seed.

They buried it, then climbed out and the Silver Mother breathed life onto the area she had buried her seed. A tree instantly grew out of the ground, and the world around it began to change, becoming vibrant. Other trees, other plants, and even animals began to appear, and the frigid waste at the top of the world fell back as the first life on Shem grew.

The Tree grew so tall, it became visible the world over, and thus it was known as the World Tree. Eventually, cities and other trees, and new mountains would obscure it, but at the dawn of the world, all could see it. The others began to plant their seeds, and the Maker crafted his first sentient being from the fabric of creation. The Silver Mother breathed life into this first intelligent being, and that is how intelligent life came to Shem.