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Faith. It is a driving force in the world of Ransera. Throughout the history of the world it has helped shaped the lives of mortals for better or worse. But what is Faith?
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[[Category: Lore]]
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[[Category: Created by Tyranny]]
  
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For the purposes of this article, Faith has multiple definitions. From a mundane standpoint, it is the heartfelt belief in a set of religious principles based on divine doctrine issued by a higher spiritual power or philosophical or spiritual institution. It is also the intangible currency harnessed by the various Endir, Aldir and even Draedan in order to expand their influence through the lens of their aetheric portfolio. In other words, Faith is both an individual’s belief in a codified set of principles and it is also a form of power used by spiritual entities to reaffirm and expand their scope of influence over a particular concept. The more mortals who believe in and affirm that concept, the more powerful the spirit becomes as they serve as an avatar for it.
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[[File:Oldyshendra.png|center]]
  
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= Religion in Ransera =
 
  
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Matters of Faith in Ransera vary depending on one’s cultural background. In ancient times when the world was very young, there were only the Dragon Gods and the lesser Endir that aided them in the creation of the world. In those early days, the Dragon Gods were the primary recipients of worship and praise for all manner of occurrences in the span of a mortal’s daily life. As various Gritaeri and Moritasi arose however, mortals began to gravitate to these more personable entities. The Dragon Gods have remained very real and powerful figures in Ransera’s history. However, as they generally maintain a hands-off approach except in those areas that personally interest them, they are largely unfathomable to most mortals. It is rare for a Dragon God to appear to mortals and make divine proclamations or edicts. Thus, most mortals are left to ponder the disposition of these gods themselves, with only their actions to serve as lessons. However, with the appearance of such beings as the Eldhan Weald and Draedan, this changed.
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= Religion in Atharen =
  
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While demigod worship has never been prevalent in most elven cultures, it became a driving force in most others. Especially in Human cultures. While the Dragon Gods remained aloof, they were still involved albeit mostly unseen. For whatever reason through whatever means at the time, Draedan began to spring up as the off-spring of a Dragon God and a mortal. They were beings of wonder and brought an element of mortality to otherwise immortal and incomprehensible beings. In the early days of their appearance, these demigods were guided and raised either directly by their parents or by dragons or other entities. Following the Day Without Morning and the death of Arcas, this changed and demigods became far less numerous. Still, those that remained became powerful figures that affixed themselves in many cultures across the various regions.
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The Faith of the Living [[Gods]], or 'The Path', has long been the primary faith on Atharen due to the Adac's creation of the planes and the races within them. As the parent-creators of all of the mortal races, they have acquired fervor and zeal throughout time, though since the Bleeding of the Planes, that zeal has only continued to diminish. The truth is - the Bleeding largely drew the Gods away from mortal affairs, unwilling to intervene in them, perhaps even afraid. Speculation says that the Gods have turned their back on mortal-kind for what they believe to be their failure and betrayal.  
  
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As a result of the events previously mentioned, religion in Ransera tended to be rather regionally focused. The southeastern part of Turoth might venerate a pantheon comprised of various Draedan, Gritaeri and other lesser spirits. Meanwhile, the far northwest of Karnor might be completely oblivious to the existence of those entities and venerate a pantheon that, while similar in composition, is made up of entirely different individuals. Draedan themselves remained only aware of that which their followers were involved in. Thus their influence extended only as far as the people who worshipped them did. The vast majority of religious conflicts in Ransera’s history have been a result of Draedan, Endir and even Aldir vying for dominance over their various chosen spheres of divine influence. It then goes without saying that pantheons across the world have often shifted depending on which demigod or spirit arose triumphant in those conflicts.
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With the Gods all but vanishing from the mortal plane, and abandoning the world, other religions have begun to prosper and grow. As such, Atharen has a diverse climate of faiths and beliefs, with the Living Gods becoming more and more resented as the years go on.  
  
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=== Religion and the Sundering ===
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=== Religion and the Bleeding ===
  
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The Sundering reshaped not just the physical landscape of the mortal planes of existence but its spiritual landscape as well. Demigods, Gritaeri, Moritasi and countless other spirits that had been the focal points of worship for centuries were destroyed, killed or driven mad by the events of the Sundering. Those that survived did so at either great cost to themselves or to their followers. Pantheons across the world collapsed, religious orders found their prayers going unanswered as the Dragon Gods and even some of the Mistlords were forced to intervene to bring the Sundering to a halt. In the years that followed, the prayers of many mortals went unanswered, the gods they knew were dead, gone, or insane.  
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With the Bleeding of the Planes, the pantheon of the Gods was split into two. Immediately, eight of the True Gods were locked within Bel, and the remaining eight were forced to deal with the backlash of the Bleeding. Raw Ether slipped through the cracks that the Bleeding created, saturating the Divinty-rich world with that of impure ether and poisoning whatever it touched. This effect was simply known as Corruption, or Raw Magic Corruption in some scholarly circles. It occurred in all planes simultaneously: [[Muid]], Atharen, [[Kyrikain]]'s dream realm and all of the other planes that had been forged - large and small - were all at risk of total devastation, with the [[Outlands]]' ethereal rot seeping in. The Gods did what they could to mend the world's cracks, though they only did so once it was safe. Mornoth suffered greatly during this time, as ethereal rot expanded outward from the old [[Unbroken Empire|Unbroken]] capital and flooded the region. The regions beyond it followed, all while the Gods cautiously hid in Muid to ensure they did not suffer the same fate as their now Corrupted kin.  
  
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The spiritual fallout of the Sundering saw the disbanding of religious orders across the world. Institutions that were once powerful, were now powerless. As a result, mortals turned their fury to the only reasonable outlet that could be found: mages. As Kaitos Diraegon, the great Mage-King of the Clockwork Empire was well known to be the most prominent mage to have ever lived, many factions that would have otherwise gone defunct due to the destruction of their gods, turned to persecuting wizards. Compound this outrage with the fact that magic itself began to manifest in unknown and strange ways that had never been seen before. Many mages, those not killed due to the rampant surges of aether brought by the Sundering, found themselves in possession of powers they no longer understood.
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Once the initial breach had mostly been exhausted, it was [[Venadak]] who sealed it from within Bel, allowing the other Gods to seal the other gaps the Bleeding created. However, this action caused many of them to weaken for a prolonged period of time, while afflicting nearly all of them with minor Corruption, which they spent the following centuries purging. Some planes - like [[Reverie]], which has only a thin veil separating it from the Outlands - could never be entirely repaired, with the Bleeding still causing for leaks and breaks within the realm to this day, plunging Kyrikain to what his siblings believe to be the verge of near-death, a fate he will one day succumb to.
  
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This dilemma was only worsened with the advent of the Dread Mists. Things became even more distressing as Aldir and Endir that would have otherwise never risen to prominence, began to fill the void left by the catastrophic event. New ideas began to take shape among the mortal populace and from them, new perspectives both on what it means to be mortal and the responsibilities of the divine.
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With the Gods becoming so weakened, and with the Bleeding happening as a result of what they believed to be impossible... one of their own, their greatest in fact, being overpowered, they became reluctant to interact with mortals any further. Since then, the majority of the Living Gods have barricaded themselves within Muid, while the Corrupted of Bel remain locked in a planar cage.
  
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=== New Atheism ===
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=== The Divine Abolition ===
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As a result of the destruction wrought by the Sundering, a philosophical and spiritual movement has taken root in many cultures throughout the world. It is dubbed by scholars as New Atheism. This viewpoint does not espouse the falsehood of gods so much as it refutes their dominion over mortal destinies. New Atheism acknowledges the existence of beings that are not mortal. However, it scorns them and dubs them entities that are selfish and uncaring of mortal plights. By extension, believers in New Atheism often find mages and those who exhibit any form of magic, to be abhorrent. These beliefs have lead to the continued persecution of mages and other magical entities to extremes. The Gelerian Imperium remains the prime example of New Atheism taken as the philosophy of a sovereign nation. The Imperium goes to great lengths to either demonize or eschew any belief that magic and paranormal entities are anything but harmful to mortals. This has lead to the advancement of a great many anti-magic methods across the Imperium, as they turn to science and engineering over the arcane and spiritual.
 
  
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New Atheism has its varying degrees of nuance. There are those who throw off the worship of gods and spirits in favor of mortal perseverance and ingenuity. This viewpoint welcomes the “responsible” use of magic by those in possession of it. What is defined as “responsible” often shifts depending on the circumstance. Regardless, the ideology of New Atheism has become a permanent fixture in Ransera and one that is likely to remain for Ages to come.
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In the first century after the Bleeding, a large number of countries declared worship of the Living Gods and the Path to be illegal. While the purpose behind these proclamations was variable, they tended to follow a similar pattern: the Gods were blamed for the Bleeding, they were determined to be a misleading and malevolent force, and their history was reinterpreted as the oppression of vainglorious beings, toying with the lives of their followers for their own entertainment. The abandonment by the Gods deeply wounded those that remained after the Bleeding, and this wound eventually transformed into that of spite and resentment. For this reason, the once beloved pantheon fell to spiritual ruin, though from the perspective of many of the Gods themselves, it did not truly matter. As all mortals are engineered to surrender their souls to the [[Malek|Well of Souls]] regardless, the Gods did not need their compliance. This nonchalant attitude, even dismissal of mortal-kind, led to the development of more and more 'heretical' or alternative faiths.
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=== The Path ===
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The Path was, for nearly all of Atharen's history, the largest faith in the world. The Living Gods' relationship with the mortal races began early, and began strong. They personally fostered them, frequently interacted with them, and even occasionally formed loving and interconnected bonds with their subjects. Given the intimacy and familiarity of this relationship between Creator and Created, the leap to worship was early and natural. The people of Atharen were once very devout towards the Living Gods, and the term 'the Path' was coined for the faith to declare that believing in the Living Gods was the one, righteous Path; the Path towards truth, wholeness, prosperity.
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Worship of the Living Gods began simply, with small, poorly crafted Elven altars often in places they believed would correlate to their Domains. An altar to [[Azunath]] might be in the forest, while an altar to [[Y'shendra]] might be in a midwife's home where she would deliver young. While this more primitive practice of altars has always persisted, even until this day, the faith grew considerably more structured in the Age of Elves. The birth of cathedrals, monasteries and other places of worship came into being, with theologians at the head of many of these institutions inscribing the words of the Gods' most trusted followers, or directly from the Gods themselves.
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These theologians helped to put together many of the religious texts of the Path that exist today, most of them dating over three thousand years back. With the birth of large institutions of faith, and unified texts with laws, rules and prescriptions for followers, worship of the Path became more visible, more mainstream, and more a part of everyday life. It was also from the fountains of the Path that many other institutions adopted their monastic practices; the Omen of Ulendreaism, for instance, both in their church structure and how their theologians converged to draft the Oaths of Carine. The Path was once so dominant that it was entirely synonymous with 'religion' itself.
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It remained like this for thousands of years. During the time of the Unbroken Empire, however, this began to be challenged internally, with many of the greatest Lords of that Empire being [[Draedan]] who were disconnected from their Divine fathers and mothers, and were often dissatisfied with their role as 'lessers'. Considering Draedan ''are'' Adac, the same species as the Living Gods of the Path, many believed they should be worthy of being included in the Pantheon. It was, in fact, a law passed by the Emperor's Council - entirely composed of powerful Draedan - that caused Venadak to confront the Council directly, descending from Muid to reprimand the errant Draedan of the Empire.
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This decision was one that incorporated the Draedan into the pantheon of the Path, declaring all Draedan to be equal Gods to their parents.
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The Bleeding is often called 'the Fall' by followers of the Path, or by religious scholars, as it is directly linked to the decline of the faith and the descent of the Living Gods into ruin, many becoming relics of history. The change after the Bleeding was immediate: half of the pantheon was submerged into [[Bel]], imprisoned by their own leader so as to not leak Corruption into the world. The other half were all forced to scramble to maintain the integrity of their Domains, with some - such as Kyrikain - nearly dying as a result of the rupturing that occurred within the Planes.
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Additionally, interacting with their creations on Atharen had been what had created the conditions for the Bleeding in the first place. Intervention was seen as a danger; mortals appeared to have found a way to harm them, and more dubiously, to harm the integrity of the Plane that separated them from the [[Outlands]]. Therefore, the Gods who were not imprisoned became utterly non-interventionist, while the Gods within [[Bel]] became imprisoned and therefore could not interact with those on the surface world directly.
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There has not been a single public appearance of any Living God since the beginning of the Age of Ashes, nearly seven hundred years ago. Because of this, many people on Atharen wonder if the Gods are even real, and few outside of Vendigad, Radenor and Ganeron worship them.
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=== The Cults of Bel ===
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The Cults of Bel formed in the vacuum created by the decline of the Path, much like the growth of the Omen. What is unique about the Cults is that they - unlike the Omen - do not interact with a faith that is questionably real, but rather directly engage with the power and influence of true Gods, the Imprisoned Ones. These seven fallen Adac are ''not'' non-interventionist, as a rule. Instead, they vie for [[The Barrengates]] so that they may influence the mortal Plane as much as possible. They fight in the Endless War for dominance over these Gates, and once claiming them, wield their power to speak to mortals through altars, effigies and through the Gates directly. They receive followers and send them out, wield them as weapons in the Endless War, and sometimes even offer them rewards.
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The Imprisoned are also more likely to create Draedan than their Living God counterparts, another deed they may perform if they currently hold ownership over one of the Barrengates. All of these actions have allowed them to accrue a number of followers, often prioritizing the corruption of a current follower of the Path, often one who questions the inaction and disappearance of the Gods, and seeks answers. The Imprisoned tend to present themselves as sympathetic beings, imprisoned for caring for the fate of Atharen; for fighting for Venadak's life, and the future of the mortal race. To most, their rhetoric appears undeniably true. Most understand that the Imprisoned were jailed for a selfless act of brotherhood, protecting their own, and hoping to prevent the total collapse of the Planes. This lends them incredible credence, and causes many to doubt the current Living Gods as cowards, traitors, or conniving schemers who enjoy the authority that comes with having so many rivals to Muid's supply of power trapped in the Infernal Plane.
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Considering the Cults of Bel tend not to be accepted in any large part in any society, their worship is often much more underground. Altars and effigies, like in more primitive times, are common to their occult. Secret meetings within occult covens, leather-bound grimoires with the scattered thoughts of old apostles... nothing of their faith tends to be in the open or uniform, and given that the Imprisoned rarely form alliances and have no unified goal, these Cults typically conflict with one another, often violently.
  
 
=Other Faiths=
 
=Other Faiths=
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Aside from the worship of the Dragon Gods, which acts as the standard faith for much of the world, there are several large faiths that tend to dominate particular races and regions. They will be detailed here.
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Aside from the worship of the Living Gods, which acts as the standard faith for much of the world, there are several large faiths that tend to dominate particular races and regions. They will be detailed here.
  
 
== The Omen ==
 
== The Omen ==
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Divided between two major sects, Ulendreaism in Daravin and (though it is rarely referred to as this) Blathe-Feiz in Lorien, the Omen is the largest religion in the world outside of the faith of the Dragon Gods. It is also the fastest growing in recent centuries, emerging as a small faith centered in the dilapidated city of Carine and quickly expanding to cover nearly the entire region of Turoth.  
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Divided between two major sects, Ulendreaism in Daravin and (though it is rarely referred to as this) Blathe-Feiz in Lorien, the Omen is the largest religion in the world outside of the faith of the Living Gods. It is also the fastest growing in recent centuries, emerging as a small faith centered in the dilapidated city of Carine and quickly expanding to cover nearly the entire region of Mornoth.  
  
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The Omen is a monotheistic, apocalyptic religion, one that foretells of the cleansing of the world in an event known as The Return, where the Returning King - or Ulen as he is called in Daravin - will rid the surface of the planet of all maladies and imperfections, rebuke all evil and will create the conditions necessary for true Paradise. The Omen also features ten mythical figures known as the Achra, beings similar to saints but with divine origin, inspired after the imagery and themes of the Dragon Gods and Mist Lords.
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The Omen is a monotheistic, apocalyptic religion, one that foretells of the cleansing of the world in an event known as The Return, where the Returning King - or Ulen as he is called in Daravin - will rid the surface of the planet of all maladies and imperfections, rebuke all evil and will create the conditions necessary for true Paradise. The Omen also features ten mythical figures known as the Achra, beings similar to saints but with divine origin, inspired after the imagery and themes of the Living Gods and Corrupted Ones.
  
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Though Ulen's existence is far from confirmed, and is labeled myth by virtually all scholars outside of the religion's strongholds, the Omen continues to grow at a considerable pace and threatens to become the dominant religion of Ransera within the coming centuries. The faith strongly varies between Ulendreaism and Blathe-Feiz, with Ulendreaists being far more pious and following an enshrined doctrine well-defined by the Oaths of Carine.
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Though Ulen's existence is far from confirmed, and is labeled myth by virtually all scholars outside of the religion's strongholds, the Omen continues to grow at a considerable pace and threatens to become the dominant religion of Atharen within the coming centuries. The faith strongly varies between Ulendreaism and Blathe-Feiz, with Ulendreaists being far more pious and following an enshrined doctrine well-defined by the Oaths of Carine.
  
 
== Eldashan ==
 
== Eldashan ==
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Eldashan is the name of the faith of the Eldhan Weald, or [[Elven Gods]]. Originally one of the world's dominant faiths, Eldashan has since receded greatly in popularity and influence, though it remains the faith of nearly a fifth of Ransera's population. It is the dominant faith of the Kingdom of Auris, is wildly popular in northern Dalquia, is often followed by Elves throughout the world and - accounting for nearly half of its following - is the key faith practiced by most Druskai, though they tend to worship individual Elven Gods such as Veravend and Lotheric. Many practitioners of [[Summoning]] also follow the teachings of Eldashan, believing that it brings them closer to their Archetypes and respective Patrons.  
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Eldashan is the name of the faith of the [[Elven Gods]]. Originally one of the world's dominant faiths, Eldashan has since receded greatly in popularity and influence, though it remains the faith of nearly a fifth of Atharen's population. It is the dominant faith of the Kingdom of Vendigad and is popular in large parts of Tyrclaid. Eldashan is often followed by Elves throughout the world and - accounting for nearly half of its following - is the key faith practiced by most [[Druskai]], though they tend to worship individual Elven Gods such as Veravend and Lotheric. Many practitioners of [[Summoning]] also follow the teachings of Eldashan, believing that it brings them closer to their Archetypes and respective Patrons.  
  
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The faith of the Elven Gods is one of nature-worship, a focus on personal freedom and self-fulfillment, understanding of the world and the Elven concept of enlightenment gained through experiences and hardships. It is a religion almost entirely focused on personal growth, but one through the lens of coming to terms with the world and becoming a key component of one's community, whatever that group may be. Unfortunately, there are many modern interpretations of Eldashan that are not so benign. Many see the wroth state of the current Elven Gods and believe that the focus of the religion has changed necessarily to one thing: the eradication of humanity, and the restoration of Elven hegemony first in Turoth, and then the continent.
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The faith of the Elven Gods is one of nature-worship, a focus on personal freedom and self-fulfillment, understanding of the world and the Elven concept of enlightenment gained through experiences and hardships. It is a religion almost entirely focused on personal growth, but one through the lens of coming to terms with the world and becoming a key component of one's community, whatever that group may be. Unfortunately, there are many modern interpretations of Eldashan that are not so benign. Many see the wroth state of the current Elven Gods and believe that the focus of the religion has changed necessarily to one thing: the eradication of humanity, and the restoration of Elven hegemony first in Mornoth, and then the continent.
  
 
== The Old Ones ==
 
== The Old Ones ==
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The Old Ones is the dominant faith of Atinaw, and only Atinaw, but due to the Kingdom's large population it is one of the largest religions on Ransera, roughly matching Eldashan in the size of its following. The Old Ones focuses on the 'mortal spirit' or the 'mortal soul', and the Old Ones themselves are often ascended from great mortals; rulers, paragons of their trade, great warriors and other pioneers of their time. Permanently enshrined as sort of Ancestor-Gods to the Kingdom's people, these saintly beings act as the divine inspiration for the generations to come.
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The Old Ones is the dominant faith of Tyrclaid, and only Tyrclaid, but due to the Kingdom's large population it is one of the largest religions on Atharen, roughly matching Eldashan in the size of its following. The Old Ones focuses on the 'mortal spirit' or the 'mortal soul', and the Old Ones themselves are often ascended from great mortals; rulers, paragons of their trade, great warriors and other pioneers of their time. Permanently enshrined as sort of Ancestor-Gods to the Kingdom's people, these saintly beings act as the divine inspiration for the generations to come.
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The monarch of Tyrclaid is symbolically wed to one of the Old Ones, and as the Kingdom's monarchs become one in death, they join their symbolic spouses as beloveds in death. Scholars say the mortal-focused religion may have formed due to human discontent with the Living Gods, though with the addition of Rathor into the faith, symbolic representatives of the Living Gods have been added to the religion's canon in recent centuries.
  
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The monarch of Atinaw is symbolically wed to one of the Old Ones, and as the Kingdom's monarchs become one in death, they join their symbolic spouses as beloveds in death. Scholars say the mortal-focused religion may have formed due to human discontent with the Dragon Gods, though with the addition of Rathari into the faith, symbolic representatives of the Dragon Gods have been added to the religion's canon in recent centuries.
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===Related Articles===
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*[[Bel]]
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*[[Muid]]
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*[[Elven Gods]]
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*[[Gods]]

Latest revision as of 13:44, 19 March 2022


Oldyshendra.png


Religion in Atharen

The Faith of the Living Gods, or 'The Path', has long been the primary faith on Atharen due to the Adac's creation of the planes and the races within them. As the parent-creators of all of the mortal races, they have acquired fervor and zeal throughout time, though since the Bleeding of the Planes, that zeal has only continued to diminish. The truth is - the Bleeding largely drew the Gods away from mortal affairs, unwilling to intervene in them, perhaps even afraid. Speculation says that the Gods have turned their back on mortal-kind for what they believe to be their failure and betrayal.

With the Gods all but vanishing from the mortal plane, and abandoning the world, other religions have begun to prosper and grow. As such, Atharen has a diverse climate of faiths and beliefs, with the Living Gods becoming more and more resented as the years go on.

Religion and the Bleeding

With the Bleeding of the Planes, the pantheon of the Gods was split into two. Immediately, eight of the True Gods were locked within Bel, and the remaining eight were forced to deal with the backlash of the Bleeding. Raw Ether slipped through the cracks that the Bleeding created, saturating the Divinty-rich world with that of impure ether and poisoning whatever it touched. This effect was simply known as Corruption, or Raw Magic Corruption in some scholarly circles. It occurred in all planes simultaneously: Muid, Atharen, Kyrikain's dream realm and all of the other planes that had been forged - large and small - were all at risk of total devastation, with the Outlands' ethereal rot seeping in. The Gods did what they could to mend the world's cracks, though they only did so once it was safe. Mornoth suffered greatly during this time, as ethereal rot expanded outward from the old Unbroken capital and flooded the region. The regions beyond it followed, all while the Gods cautiously hid in Muid to ensure they did not suffer the same fate as their now Corrupted kin.

Once the initial breach had mostly been exhausted, it was Venadak who sealed it from within Bel, allowing the other Gods to seal the other gaps the Bleeding created. However, this action caused many of them to weaken for a prolonged period of time, while afflicting nearly all of them with minor Corruption, which they spent the following centuries purging. Some planes - like Reverie, which has only a thin veil separating it from the Outlands - could never be entirely repaired, with the Bleeding still causing for leaks and breaks within the realm to this day, plunging Kyrikain to what his siblings believe to be the verge of near-death, a fate he will one day succumb to.

With the Gods becoming so weakened, and with the Bleeding happening as a result of what they believed to be impossible... one of their own, their greatest in fact, being overpowered, they became reluctant to interact with mortals any further. Since then, the majority of the Living Gods have barricaded themselves within Muid, while the Corrupted of Bel remain locked in a planar cage.

The Divine Abolition

In the first century after the Bleeding, a large number of countries declared worship of the Living Gods and the Path to be illegal. While the purpose behind these proclamations was variable, they tended to follow a similar pattern: the Gods were blamed for the Bleeding, they were determined to be a misleading and malevolent force, and their history was reinterpreted as the oppression of vainglorious beings, toying with the lives of their followers for their own entertainment. The abandonment by the Gods deeply wounded those that remained after the Bleeding, and this wound eventually transformed into that of spite and resentment. For this reason, the once beloved pantheon fell to spiritual ruin, though from the perspective of many of the Gods themselves, it did not truly matter. As all mortals are engineered to surrender their souls to the Well of Souls regardless, the Gods did not need their compliance. This nonchalant attitude, even dismissal of mortal-kind, led to the development of more and more 'heretical' or alternative faiths.

The Path

The Path was, for nearly all of Atharen's history, the largest faith in the world. The Living Gods' relationship with the mortal races began early, and began strong. They personally fostered them, frequently interacted with them, and even occasionally formed loving and interconnected bonds with their subjects. Given the intimacy and familiarity of this relationship between Creator and Created, the leap to worship was early and natural. The people of Atharen were once very devout towards the Living Gods, and the term 'the Path' was coined for the faith to declare that believing in the Living Gods was the one, righteous Path; the Path towards truth, wholeness, prosperity.

Worship of the Living Gods began simply, with small, poorly crafted Elven altars often in places they believed would correlate to their Domains. An altar to Azunath might be in the forest, while an altar to Y'shendra might be in a midwife's home where she would deliver young. While this more primitive practice of altars has always persisted, even until this day, the faith grew considerably more structured in the Age of Elves. The birth of cathedrals, monasteries and other places of worship came into being, with theologians at the head of many of these institutions inscribing the words of the Gods' most trusted followers, or directly from the Gods themselves.

These theologians helped to put together many of the religious texts of the Path that exist today, most of them dating over three thousand years back. With the birth of large institutions of faith, and unified texts with laws, rules and prescriptions for followers, worship of the Path became more visible, more mainstream, and more a part of everyday life. It was also from the fountains of the Path that many other institutions adopted their monastic practices; the Omen of Ulendreaism, for instance, both in their church structure and how their theologians converged to draft the Oaths of Carine. The Path was once so dominant that it was entirely synonymous with 'religion' itself.

It remained like this for thousands of years. During the time of the Unbroken Empire, however, this began to be challenged internally, with many of the greatest Lords of that Empire being Draedan who were disconnected from their Divine fathers and mothers, and were often dissatisfied with their role as 'lessers'. Considering Draedan are Adac, the same species as the Living Gods of the Path, many believed they should be worthy of being included in the Pantheon. It was, in fact, a law passed by the Emperor's Council - entirely composed of powerful Draedan - that caused Venadak to confront the Council directly, descending from Muid to reprimand the errant Draedan of the Empire.

This decision was one that incorporated the Draedan into the pantheon of the Path, declaring all Draedan to be equal Gods to their parents.

The Bleeding is often called 'the Fall' by followers of the Path, or by religious scholars, as it is directly linked to the decline of the faith and the descent of the Living Gods into ruin, many becoming relics of history. The change after the Bleeding was immediate: half of the pantheon was submerged into Bel, imprisoned by their own leader so as to not leak Corruption into the world. The other half were all forced to scramble to maintain the integrity of their Domains, with some - such as Kyrikain - nearly dying as a result of the rupturing that occurred within the Planes.

Additionally, interacting with their creations on Atharen had been what had created the conditions for the Bleeding in the first place. Intervention was seen as a danger; mortals appeared to have found a way to harm them, and more dubiously, to harm the integrity of the Plane that separated them from the Outlands. Therefore, the Gods who were not imprisoned became utterly non-interventionist, while the Gods within Bel became imprisoned and therefore could not interact with those on the surface world directly.

There has not been a single public appearance of any Living God since the beginning of the Age of Ashes, nearly seven hundred years ago. Because of this, many people on Atharen wonder if the Gods are even real, and few outside of Vendigad, Radenor and Ganeron worship them.

The Cults of Bel

The Cults of Bel formed in the vacuum created by the decline of the Path, much like the growth of the Omen. What is unique about the Cults is that they - unlike the Omen - do not interact with a faith that is questionably real, but rather directly engage with the power and influence of true Gods, the Imprisoned Ones. These seven fallen Adac are not non-interventionist, as a rule. Instead, they vie for The Barrengates so that they may influence the mortal Plane as much as possible. They fight in the Endless War for dominance over these Gates, and once claiming them, wield their power to speak to mortals through altars, effigies and through the Gates directly. They receive followers and send them out, wield them as weapons in the Endless War, and sometimes even offer them rewards.

The Imprisoned are also more likely to create Draedan than their Living God counterparts, another deed they may perform if they currently hold ownership over one of the Barrengates. All of these actions have allowed them to accrue a number of followers, often prioritizing the corruption of a current follower of the Path, often one who questions the inaction and disappearance of the Gods, and seeks answers. The Imprisoned tend to present themselves as sympathetic beings, imprisoned for caring for the fate of Atharen; for fighting for Venadak's life, and the future of the mortal race. To most, their rhetoric appears undeniably true. Most understand that the Imprisoned were jailed for a selfless act of brotherhood, protecting their own, and hoping to prevent the total collapse of the Planes. This lends them incredible credence, and causes many to doubt the current Living Gods as cowards, traitors, or conniving schemers who enjoy the authority that comes with having so many rivals to Muid's supply of power trapped in the Infernal Plane.

Considering the Cults of Bel tend not to be accepted in any large part in any society, their worship is often much more underground. Altars and effigies, like in more primitive times, are common to their occult. Secret meetings within occult covens, leather-bound grimoires with the scattered thoughts of old apostles... nothing of their faith tends to be in the open or uniform, and given that the Imprisoned rarely form alliances and have no unified goal, these Cults typically conflict with one another, often violently.

Other Faiths

Aside from the worship of the Living Gods, which acts as the standard faith for much of the world, there are several large faiths that tend to dominate particular races and regions. They will be detailed here.

The Omen

Divided between two major sects, Ulendreaism in Daravin and (though it is rarely referred to as this) Blathe-Feiz in Lorien, the Omen is the largest religion in the world outside of the faith of the Living Gods. It is also the fastest growing in recent centuries, emerging as a small faith centered in the dilapidated city of Carine and quickly expanding to cover nearly the entire region of Mornoth.

The Omen is a monotheistic, apocalyptic religion, one that foretells of the cleansing of the world in an event known as The Return, where the Returning King - or Ulen as he is called in Daravin - will rid the surface of the planet of all maladies and imperfections, rebuke all evil and will create the conditions necessary for true Paradise. The Omen also features ten mythical figures known as the Achra, beings similar to saints but with divine origin, inspired after the imagery and themes of the Living Gods and Corrupted Ones.

Though Ulen's existence is far from confirmed, and is labeled myth by virtually all scholars outside of the religion's strongholds, the Omen continues to grow at a considerable pace and threatens to become the dominant religion of Atharen within the coming centuries. The faith strongly varies between Ulendreaism and Blathe-Feiz, with Ulendreaists being far more pious and following an enshrined doctrine well-defined by the Oaths of Carine.

Eldashan

Eldashan is the name of the faith of the Elven Gods. Originally one of the world's dominant faiths, Eldashan has since receded greatly in popularity and influence, though it remains the faith of nearly a fifth of Atharen's population. It is the dominant faith of the Kingdom of Vendigad and is popular in large parts of Tyrclaid. Eldashan is often followed by Elves throughout the world and - accounting for nearly half of its following - is the key faith practiced by most Druskai, though they tend to worship individual Elven Gods such as Veravend and Lotheric. Many practitioners of Summoning also follow the teachings of Eldashan, believing that it brings them closer to their Archetypes and respective Patrons.

The faith of the Elven Gods is one of nature-worship, a focus on personal freedom and self-fulfillment, understanding of the world and the Elven concept of enlightenment gained through experiences and hardships. It is a religion almost entirely focused on personal growth, but one through the lens of coming to terms with the world and becoming a key component of one's community, whatever that group may be. Unfortunately, there are many modern interpretations of Eldashan that are not so benign. Many see the wroth state of the current Elven Gods and believe that the focus of the religion has changed necessarily to one thing: the eradication of humanity, and the restoration of Elven hegemony first in Mornoth, and then the continent.

The Old Ones

The Old Ones is the dominant faith of Tyrclaid, and only Tyrclaid, but due to the Kingdom's large population it is one of the largest religions on Atharen, roughly matching Eldashan in the size of its following. The Old Ones focuses on the 'mortal spirit' or the 'mortal soul', and the Old Ones themselves are often ascended from great mortals; rulers, paragons of their trade, great warriors and other pioneers of their time. Permanently enshrined as sort of Ancestor-Gods to the Kingdom's people, these saintly beings act as the divine inspiration for the generations to come.

The monarch of Tyrclaid is symbolically wed to one of the Old Ones, and as the Kingdom's monarchs become one in death, they join their symbolic spouses as beloveds in death. Scholars say the mortal-focused religion may have formed due to human discontent with the Living Gods, though with the addition of Rathor into the faith, symbolic representatives of the Living Gods have been added to the religion's canon in recent centuries.

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