Elemental Faithful

Those who practice their faith with elemental magic.

---

Drevovernik

Type: Faithful

Drevoverniki are people of the Ranic regions who worship axis mundi. An axis mundi is a spiritual figure that connects worlds, usually a tree, mountain, or simple pole, but the drevoverniki specifically worship axis mundi trees and mountains. Most belong to the Dulochan religion, but there are those in other faiths as well.

In Dulocha, the people worship Svetovno Drevo, the Dulochan World Tree, an axis mundi in the deep Dulochan forests, sister to the Svetovna Gora, the Dulochan World Mountain. These two figures are living, intelligent, and powerful figures that visited by the locals for wisdom, protection, and faith.

Drevoverniki grow up worshiping these figures and believe they are connected to the rest of the world and to other realms. They have a set of rituals, practices, and traditions they keep to to honor tree and mountain, and embedded in their culture and life is a respect for nature and its power. They oppose the technologies and actions that harm nature, such as war and coal burning, but they do not oppose all technologies or aspects of imperial society. They seek harmony with nature.

The drevoverniki who make their faith central to their life must prove themselves to mountain and tree (or other axis mundi) by subjecting themselves to the power of the mountain (spending a week camping on its slopes) and the tree (spending a week under its leaves). Then they must carry a branch of the tree to the top of the mountain and a rock from the peak to the top of the tree. If they do this, the axis mundi will grant them an ability, and from then on, the more they serve nature, the more they will gain powers from their subjects of worship:

• Mountain lung: they can breathe no matter the elevation, so long as it is within Shem’s atmosphere.
• Returning gate: if they place a twig of the tree and a pebble of the mountain over a door, that door becomes a portal back to mountain or tree temporarily.
• Treespeech or stonespeech: speak to trees or mountain stones.
• Barkskin or stoneskin: make the skin hard like bark or stone for protection.
• Commune with green or commune with mountain: channel the full power of tree or mountain via meditative practice.

Consult the GM for the specifics of other axis mundi. Some common ones in the Ranic regions are as follows:

• Ausros Medis, an elemental Paureki tree
• Austras Koks, an elemental Kardisian tree
• Dubovy, an unaligned oak that is faith made solid in Vesturia
• Egig Ero Fa, an Idangarian elemental tree
• Jaceh, a Murjan fey tree
• Jievaras, an unaligned Paureki tree
• Veledub, a Fraxanian fey oak
• Vilagfa, an Idangarian unaligned tree
• World-sounding tree, Idangarian fey tree
• Ungipaghaan Tree, a Coleshi elemental larch

There may be other options as well.

PRO / ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL +2 PRS / STH -2 ESS +1

---

Habarche

Type: Prophet

In the massive wilderness of Colesh are nomadic tribes who follow the stars. Among them are special souls who were born under a comet. These, known as habarche, are raised to understand the cosmic realms and movements of stars, planets, and other cosmic bodies, and they are taught to use that knowledge to predict what will be. In the immigrant communities in central and southern Ranu of Coleshi nomads, these practices remain.

Raised from birth, they are marked as infants with the tail of the comet, a sparkling tattoo placed on their shoulder. If they choose at adulthood to follow the path marked for them the tattoo will glow and give them abilities. If they choose something else, it will glow and vanish, leaving them to pursue what they will.

As young adults, they are tested before they are asked to choose their path. Each test is determined by which comet they were born under - the Returning Comet, the Great Northern Comet, the Colorful Comet, or some other comet. Each one has its own set of rituals and meanings. The trials test their knowledge, faith, and lore.

Their word among their people is trusted deeply, and thus, they must be tested deeply before they take on the mantle of habarche. They are seen as prophets of the cosmos and interpreters of the movements of all orbital forces and bodies. But the comet is central to their faith and magic:

Bow shock shield: the bow shock is a visual phenomenon that occurs as the comet hits solar winds; habarche can replicate this, creating a powerful shield in front of themselves and others out of light and energy.
Coma aura: the coma is the light atmosphere around the comet generated by offgassing and rotation; the habarche may emit this around themselves as well, giving them protections from magic, especially infernal or industrial magic.
Icy tail: if the habarche moves quickly, they form an icy tail steam that freezes people behind them.
Predictive cycle: the habarche attunes to a comet and knows its movements, as well as those of many other comets, and they can use this to predict their arrivals and their meanings. See below.
Vast endurance: like a comet, the habarche may travel for long distances without tiring.

The arrival of comets have different meanings depending on different effects they have and how they look. Here are some portents they might represent:

• Arrival: the comet may represent the arrival of someone or something of great importance.
• Departure: the comet may also represent the departure of someone or something of great importance.
• Disaster: the comet may portend a major disaster, such as flood, volcanic eruption, storm, or earthquake.
• Journey: most comets represent someone or something going on a very long journey.
• Passage: many comets represent the passage of one thing to another. This may mean the end of an era and the start of another, the moving of some great thing or person from one place to another, the shifting of political or social powers, and so on.
• Plague: some comets mean a great plague is coming.
• Victory: some comets mean victory for the rasul and their faith.
• War: some comets mean a great war is coming.
• Wisdom: and some rare comets mean a great revelation and deep wisdom will come to the rasul and their people.

Most comets portend multiple of the above.

All habarche gain cosmic knowledge and share it. This is the wisdom and words of the elementals of the comet and the cosmos. This is how they work as a prophet.

They are often persecuted by imperials.

PRO -1 ATH +1 STR / AWA +3 WIL +2 PRS +2 STH -2 ESS +2

---

Moartealba

Type: Nun

Moartealbi are nuns who worship Death Herself. Death Herself is the personification of death, representation of death as a part of nature, elemental death, and a psychopomp figure who guides souls through the afterlife.

The sisterhood of the moartealbi exists in remote areas. They wear all white, cover their faces and heads, spend much time in prayer, and believe that Death Herself has tasked them to perform special rites that prevent the perversion of death by infernal powers. They are enemies to the undead especially. They are called upon by the people to perform funerary rites, and they are known for their vows of silence, non-interference, and poverty. They live off what little they make in tributes and contributions from those they help at funerals.

The vows are sacred and complex. They are silent only within their abbey walls. Outside, they speak, often giving words of comfort to the families of the dead. They are death doulas in effect. But within their own walls, they never speak. They communicate through writing, gesture, and shared understanding. Their vow of non-interference is one that requires that they neither kill nor save someone on the verge of death, unless that person is at risk of becoming undead. They will also not interfere with others' work to save someone from death, unless it involves causing undeath. They will kill for self-defense or if tasked with it by their abbess, though this is not something the public knows. And their vows of poverty are fairly direct - they do nothing for profit that involves their faith. They may not profit off their holy work, though they may accept gifts, tributes, and so on if it is not ostentatious or excessive. In short, they may only take things that help the abbey survive, not for personal gain or luxury.

Their beliefs are that death is sacred, a part of life, and something not to be corrupted. It is also not something to be inflicted wantonly - they view war, murder, and neglect as sins. They believe that death is a respite. What comes next is up to the soul of the dying, but if nothing else is true, it is true the life they are in will be over, and they will not bear its burdens any longer. However, it is not to be rushed. Death is meaningless without life, and they are in no hurry to move on, nor to have others do so. Death is natural and must come naturally. Suicide is not seen as a sin, but it is a tragedy, and a moartealba will go out of her way to prevent it. They do not offer euthanasia, either, though this is something that they do not seek to prevent if the situation calls for it; they take a practical approach to it and look the other way.

To become a moartealba, one must have a longer than usual goth phase. No, sorry. One must be found suitable to the life of a hermetic convent. Those who seek out the convents or abbeys of the moartealbi are rare already, and they only select those they deem capable of living in silence and serving the sacredness of Death Herself. Once chosen, there are still tests and trials. The part of the convent wherein the nuns teach acolytes is one of the few areas speaking is allowed, though even there it is quiet and rare. Acolytes begin by taking on their white robes and veils. They never reveal their faces thereafter except when they kiss the dead to send them on (part of their funerary rites). They eat alone, bathe alone, and sleep alone, and these are the only times they take off the veils. If an acolyte fails at this, they have four chances before they are expelled.

After years of training, they are tested. They are given four tests - a test of knowledge, a test of faith, a test of devotion, and a test of acceptance. The first is simply a series of questions. The second is a challenge to their beliefs. The third is a temptation. And the fourth is a simulation of their death. This fourth test is always secret, so they do not know it will happen. They truly believe they will die. If they accept it, they pass. If they fight it, they may still pass depending on how they fight it. But usually, resistance is failure, and they are expelled.

All moartealbi carry a white metal key, which is the symbol of their faith. As they work as a sister of Death Herself, they gain certain magical abilities provided by the elemental personification of death:

• Sending kiss: if someone is recently dead (within a week) or on the verge of death, the moartealba may kiss their forehead or equivalent and bless their soul to resist any form of undeath.
• Veil of souls: their veils give them soulsight, which they can turn off and on, using it up to four times per day.
• Locking and unlocking: their key, if pressed into the flesh of a living person, may turn off their connection to death. If they are locked, they are locked into living, even if they suffer a wound or malady that should kill them. If they are unlocked, they are released from this state. They only use this power if approved by Death Herself, their superiors, or to prevent someone falling into undeath.
• Nether guide: if they believe someone is in danger in the afterlife, they may send a fragment of their own souls into the Nether Realm to guide them. This weakens them temporarily, so they only use it in rare circumstances.
• Grave sealing: if they use their key, tapping it upon a gravestone, tomb, sacrophagus, coffin, urn, or just the grave, they can prevent anything undead from rising from it.
• Gate of the Beyond: in desperate situations, they may open a full gate to the Beyond and the Nether Realm with their key. This portal will unleash the energies of death to draw all nearby souls into it, eradicating the undead. It will kill a lot of people.
• Prayer for death: in very rare circumstances, the moartealba may pray for someone to die. Death Herself may accept and do so. There is always a price.

The work of the moartealbi always involves funerary rites, emotional support, guidance, and corpse disposal. They have four different funerary rites they perform: cremation, burial, carrion offering, and water burial. Each of these has its own rites and rituals.

They do not serve anyone but Death Herself. Imperials fear them, though some still use them.

PRO -1 ATH / STR / AWA +3 WIL +2 PRS +1 STH / ESS +4

---

Uzslavak

Type: Plauditor

Uzslavaki are those who praise the dawn.

In Kardis, one of the main tribes honors the sun, and the uzslavaki are spiritual leaders among them who guide the people in their morning rituals. As leaders of the faith, they are respected, but their role is only one of many. Their entire role is to give praise to the sun on behalf of the tribe, and if they maintain this, they become favored by the sun itself.

Uzslavaki believe the sun is a living power that gives the world life, warmth, and light, and they honor them (the sun is all things, and thus all genders) with special rites, prayers, and rituals every dawn. Each dawn has its own meaning. As they define each day with their rites, they affect those who follow them.

Most uzslavaki are part of the ancient nature religions of Kardis, growing up with the faith, and choose to be an uzslavaki as they grow older, finding strength in the rising sun. They end up taking up the role as they naturally gravitate toward being the first to rise, ending up before dawn. Eventually, the other uzslavaki take them under their wing and teach them how to recognize each day’s unique rites.

If they serve the sun and nature well, they learn these rites and begin to lead them themselves. And then they gain special abilities:

• Recognition dawning: knowing the day’s rites before the sunrise and leading them, defining the day. This gives certain advantages and disadvantages to the day and requires special rolls each day.
• Softlight aura: the uzslavaki draws from the dawn's light to give themselves a soft aura that illuminates nearby and draws attention.
• Voice of warmth: the uzslavaki can speak with a warm voice that soothes emotions and minds.
• Beginning the cycle: the uzslavaki may invoke the power of the dawn to make a natural or esoteric cycle start.
• Comforting rest: the uzslavaki may place a hand on someone and guide them into a deep and restorative sleep.
• Dawn song: the song they sing to praise the dawn may also be sung to invoke its full majesty.
• Suntouched: sunburn on an uzslavaki gives them special protections.

Uzslavaki must honor the dawn each day. If they fail one day, they must make up for it at the next dawn if possible. The longer they go, the weaker their magic will get.

PRO -1 ATH +1 STR / AWA +3 WIL +2 PRS +3 STH -3 ESS +2