Beliefs:

Deserel (Church of the Serpent, Vesturian/Deserian): Summed up as "personal ambition is paramount." Nothing should get in the way of getting what you want. Rules are for the weaker in society, there to be used for your own personal gain and not to be followed if they get in the way. Never show mercy. Innocence is weakness. Justice is a fraud.

Greneja (Church of the Python, Church of Blood, Blood Cult): Summed up as "cruelty and brutality are the keys to personal achievement." The basic idea is that the best way to get what you want is to be as cruel and brutal as possible to make your enemies and allies fear you. Never show mercy, unless you are doing so to later hurt them more. Innocence is not just weakness, but something to be exploited and damaged. Justice is a fraud.

Raithev Sris (Srisian Church): Summed up as "manipulation of others it the path to personal achievement." The basic idea is that you should do anything at all to gain power, but subtlety and manipulation and strategy are all favored for their effectiveness. Mercy is a tool, innocence is a tool, justice is a tool. Use them if they work, but never forget that it's all for your own personal achievement.

---

Afterlife:

Followers of these faiths believe that death is a weakness. Anyone who dies deserves the horrors that will come, unless they are powerful enough spiritually to overcome them. Thus, all followers believe that they will be cast into the pits of the Hells when they die. Their role their is determined by how great they are. If they are powerful and clever, they will escape damnation and torment and rise to be a ruler of the Infernal Realms.

They also believe that the Hells are only a waiting area for a greater realm beyond. Those that do not escape damnation and torment will be destroyed when the time comes, and those great enough to rise beyond their own weaknesses will ride with the Infernal Legions to conquer all of reality. Once this is done, they will be all powerful and godlike in the next realm.

---

Primary models:

• Srisian: The governing body of Srisia is the Church of the Spider. The official head of the church is the Webweaver himself, but he allows the governance of the Empire to go to whomever is Emperor at the time. The Emperor, however, must bow to the will of the church, which is run by the Prophetess of the Webweaver, the Spider Hierarchs, the Spider High Priest, or any child of darkness or suitably powerful demon. The focus of the faith is on the three Spider gods (Bone, Spider, & Rat or Bone, Spider, & Scarab). Personal ambition, self-above-others, manipulation, malice, & darkness itself are the darkness-related virtues focused upon, but corruption, insidiousness, unease, undeath, sickness, maladies, madness, etc. are all also featured. Title: The Webweaver (& Bone-Mother & Hollow God or Scarab God).
• Vesturian:
• Deserian
• Drow
• Demon Worship
• Blood-Mother
• Dalurinic
• Betrayal
• Ender
• Slaver
• Dalurinic
• Unseelie
• Ranya
• Vile Child
• Devil Worship

Major world models:

• Tara'hinian
• Tenzanese
• Assassin
• Goblin
• Reever
• Ka'ar
• Desert
• Troll
• Fhulgish
• Dwarven
• Shamanistic
• Roma
• Thief

Other notable versions:

• Aeldian
• Jorgendish
• Rendruan
• Malish
• Night

Orders:

• Order of Shadows
• Order of Blood
• Web of Srisia