IMPORTANT FOREWORD-
We're quite low on the ground in terms of contestants-- As such I'll be giving this first round a generous time limit and fully allow extensions to anyone who'd like to join late. Whether you're a passerby or one of the contestants, it would be great if you could hook in some extra competitors. With that out of the way, let's begin.
SECOND VITAL FOREWORD-
I have a slight adaptation to the rules of the competition. All entries may only come from a single world, whether pre-developed or made up on the spot.
Our Lovely Contestants-
@featherstone9086 @haredrier @TheSilverFox @Aley
Round One- Religion.
For this round, I want our contestants to devise a Pantheon, and the rituals and practices that surround it. Note that this first round isn't an overview of your world. That's the idea. I want to get a glimpse into this world, a single feature of it implying much more. So then, Religion.
One God or a dozen? And why are they worshiped? How? What traits of the people or land have led to the development of this God or these religious practices? Or perhaps this God really is tangible, and physically shaped these practices.
Lots of questions. Not all must be answered. I want a glimpse, an idea, not necessarily a full overview (Though feel free to add what you like). This is largely a pure descriptive piece, but feel free to add quotes, snippets of religious text, and whatever you like to surprise me.
Throw me a PM if you need extensions. If you'd like to join, do the same and I'll be happy to add you. The deadline for this round is the
19TH OF JANUARY.
Submission rules in the last post blah blah blah let'er rip.
The Compendium Competition- Round One
18 posts in this topic.
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A snippet from the writings of Tom Bindlewinks should help understand (warning: LONG):
Religious practices vary from region to region in the known world. In many places, the beings that served as guardians of humanity are worshipped. Through studying legends and myths from around, there would appear to have been nine of these beings at different times, although there is speculation as to whether or not the Great Oak in the Northern Isle should be considered as one too.
In Ashk, the great being Srakh is described as the protector of the desert. According to legend, he not only protected everything in the desert but also controlled it himself, preventing it from wiping out humanity by covering the world. He slayed the great desert viper, making its bones into mountains that kept the desert back. They also speak of a “Wa'shan”, or the ocean incarnate. Although there is no definitive evidence of its existence, some say that it creaded humanity with Srakh, blessing the lands inbetween the desert and the sea. Although Srakh has not been seen in centuries, firsthand descriptions of both him and Olshog can be found in the buried library, where the immortal Bookkeeper is imprisoned. It sppears that this being was once something akin to the harpies of old, and was raised by Srakh himself. Through him, we can also confirm the existence of at least three more of the guardians- Ruk, Drun, Raoul Aedre and possibly Sordus as well..
Drun and Sordus dwelled in what is now the lands of Enis- Drun presiding over the plains, and Sordus ruling the forests. It seems Drun loved the races of both Orc and Human equally, and as such was conflicted when war erupted between them. Orcs had superior numbers, but humans had a greater control over magic. When conflict erupted and Drun remained neutral, it seems that Ruk came to him. These two guardians were close, so much so that some legends refer to them as brothers. Ruk despised the ugly Orcs and told Drun to show them no blessings. When Drun refused to take a side, Ruk killed him in anger, and “ate his soul”. They are possibly referring to absorbing his energy in some way, but it is unclear. After this conflict, it appears that Ruk went to Sordus to ask in help eliminating the orcs, but once again found no assistance. At this point in texts, Ruk has ceased to be referred to as another guardian and now as something more monstrous. It seems that he headed west towards Ashk, at this point driven more by rage and power than actual care for humanity. They say that he left a path in his wake where nothing would grow. At the border of Ashk, it seems Olshog and Srakh teamed up and defeated him in the spot where the Forgotten Lands would rise much later. From the ground where he lay a new guardian sprung up, called Raoul Aedre. He dug riverbeds and filled them with pure, clean water to bring prosperity to the lands.
Raoul is the guardian that we have the most legends and descriptions of, since he was the last to dissappear. He brought life to Enis and Mim, one river at a time. According to myths, his final resting place was the delta at the end of the Great River. Some say that when it is filled with “the music of the soul” he will rise again and bring prosperity to all.
Drun seems to differ greatly, depending on the legend. It seems his method was to make humans able to fend for themselves, instead of giving them gifts. This could explain the local's generally tough disposition and push for conquest. In the fall, there is a festival in Mim where a large statue of Ruk is created from straw and burned. I'm told it's a message from the people to Ruk that they will survive the harsh winter without his help, as he would have wanted.
In southern Mim they claim that there was once a massive creature by the name of Ambra, who banished the evil monkeys and set taught peace to the locals before acending into the sky. They have many festivals under the stars in honor of him.
According to tales, Olshog lived in a village near the mountain of the gods under the disguise of an old swordsman for many, many years. He spoke of his fellow guardians to those who would listen, and sometimes mentioned the existence of one in the island to the south. After exploring the Dark island and learning about the inhabitant's culture, we can only assume he spoke of Buruh, who created the river known to them as “the Snake's Blood” that flowed from the mountain range in the east of the island. It seems after a long while, Olshog himself shed his human form one last time and ascended into the mountain to defend the gods from up there. According to him, there were beings for powerful than the guardians who lived at the top of the mountain and ruled everything. No one has ever claimed to see these gods, but many temples have been biuilt at the base of the mountain to praise them. Every now and again, a miracle will occur there, or so they say. It is unclear how many gods live up there, as it could be anything from a single one to hundreds. It would seem that the Death Quartet were the only people to reach the mountain's peak, although no one has seen or heard from them since.This has caused many rumors, ranging from them being blessed ad gods themselves to being trapped underneath the earth to await the end of time. Knowing them personally, I'd say that either one is a definite possibility.
In the north, the goat-headed Caan has been the source of a religious calling. It seems the monestary in those northern mountains keeps (or at the very least kept) his storm drums after his dissapearance. They say he killed the mother of the frost giants and drove most of them away with his lightning whip.
There are many festivals and celebrations that differ from region to region, and as I am currently on the run from the King's men I am unable to find a good source of writing materials. As such I will not name them all here, but I am sure that if you live anywhere in these lands you are familiar with at least a few of these.
According to my sources there is, in fact, a religious cult in the swamps and marshes that does not worship any of the known guardians or the gods. They are a strange and secretive bunch so no one knows much abut them, but they sprang up quite recently and are considered dangeruous by most around those parts. There is some speculation about the source and subject of worship, but too little is known about these to make an accurate assumption.In any case, they are outliers and should not be counted as a true religion by most standards. -
This is long (as is typical of me), so I broke it into a few sections.
Simple Version:Spoiler
The philosophy is simple: The Creator, narrowly escaping another world with his life, and finding himself trapped in a strange dimension, had felt it best to use the powers at his disposal to create our universe. That, through his wife and guide, Ismere, and his three children, each of whom he bestowed some of his powers upon, he crafted the world of Fayne (the first and greatest world) around two massive pillars, one on each side of the world. He gave us the means by which to thrive, and we honor him for this service, though he has retreated for our own good, and entrusted his predictions within the psychics of this world…
-The Blessed/Honored/Virtuous Almia to the pagans among her people of the North, as translated by Prudence, advisor to the Queen of Ese-Miyre.
The Creator and His Influence:Spoiler
Under these circumstances, most people of the world worship a single god. For humanity, He is regarded as their leader. He created the Heavenly Lands, where they could live in peace, before realizing that humanity was too content with itself. Nothing was being invented or created. Hence, He invited the adventurers and those bored with their lives to exit the Heavenly Lands in favor of a new continent, where they could make their fame and fortunes in a deadlier and harsher land. As Aelius, Duke of Comas and one of the three great preachers of his era (alongside the religious leader of Elchanan and Xantherious, husband to the Queen of Xyalta), noted: “They were foolish to abandon their prosperity, yet rightfully so. He promised them more than the decadence they had already seen, and a return to His home when they had completed their life journeys.” As such, The Creator lifted the Heavenly Lands into the skies, casting his eager explorers into the other land. It was in that continent that he did his last great work, guiding the people as they settled among other species, ousting threats and dangers with his abilities, and establishing the seeds by which great houses would rise. After gifting the people with knowledge and language, He returned to his home, awaiting their inevitable return while doing what little He could to develop His world without interfering too heavily. Too much involvement would make the people too subservient and helpless under Him.
Other species also regard Him with respect. The Creator and His Sons, when they began to build the universe, invoked the wrath of an unknown creature. That creature, called The Corruption, penetrated Their minds and summoned large and ferocious beasts to oppose Them. The quartet, manipulating the laws of their burgeoning reality, crippled The Corruption, who depended on the old rules for Its power. It was banished, and They went through the beasts he summoned. The worst offenders were deemed too violent and destroyed, but the rest were tamed, placed within a continent on the world of Fayne, and allowed to build societies and rules. Though the Creator was more friendly to humanity in the union of these beasts and His human adventurers, the majority of species still respect His influence on their lives, and praise him. “Not unjustifiably,” comments Prudence, “it is common to see these beasts worship a duality of their original father or mother, through whom they were begat, and Him and His Sons, through whom they gained knowledge and power and all that which has kept them from devolving into fury and bestial nature.” He taught them a language common to man, although many of these species still use the original tongue as a secondary language.
His Sons, though regarded as influential historical figures, are more often called “semi-gods” or “sub-gods”. Psychics are devout to His psychic child, Kazuo, while alchemists and scientists consider their patron fathers to be His other children. Librarians, philosophers, and religious scholars all have heavy respect for His wife, though she is little thought of or mentioned in scripture or subsequent religious discussions. Her presence vanishes after the original stories of the creation of Fayne, but it is assumed that she, however ignored, still exists to some extent, if only at a distant role. The children also lose significance by the end of religious stories, and are not often mentioned by the common man. The Creator has the greatest focus and emphasis among just about everyone.
The Worship of the Creator:Spoiler
Though the average person is illiterate, it is not uncommon for them to speak the words of their preaches and pastors (who themselves heard from others, adhering to a long chain leading up to the original texts to be discussed after this sentence), or quote from the direct scripture associated with The Creator. That scripture itself is composed of words from those who lived in the Heavenly Lands, and testified to the creation of Humanity, its settlement upon another continent, and the earliest royal families and countries established. Such words are referred to as the Action Texts, as they refer to when The Creator was most active and influential. “Since then,” notes a professor who led a 20-year-study on international religious scripture for the Esteemed Library of Wyandanch during its Golden Age, “The texts found within other countries varies widely, and is often dependent on famous preaches or Honorables who lived in the area.” These are called the Philosophical Texts, and are often focused on exactly that – philosophy, religious debate, questions, and letters addressed to non-believers (as in the first quote) or adherents of different denominations of the faith. The Virtuous Almia is the most well-known of the individuals in these texts, and her name is mentioned across the world, though she is far from the only one. Still, debate rages among scholars over whether she deserves to be in the Action Texts or Philosophical Texts. She was alive during the final involvements of The Creator in the affairs of man, and helped persuade the local beasts, who had not heard from The Creator in a long time and had grown to doubt his existence, to believe in Him and His word as they formed an alliance with the humans in His honor and created the present-day Lecizstan. However, her acknowledgment by the rest of the world took hundreds of years, by which she had faded into legend, and stories of her actions exaggerated.
Those denominations, and their practices, are another source of dispute. While all groups accept The Creator’s distance from the affairs of Fayne, and honors His psychics as helpful sources of His word (though they provide such help infrequently, they can be significant to the success or failure of kingdoms), nobody is quite sure how to interpret his legacy. The most common denomination emphasizes His human nature alongside His powers, and preaches His words of love, kindness, and respect. His explicit wording is, of course, vague and marginally from relatively unreliable sources, many of whom had never seen Him. People are liable to manipulate it to justify their bias and disrespect. Still, scholars and rulers who adhere to this denomination tend to apply it as expansively as they can, and the latter are often reputed for being decent leaders. However, there is a rival denomination concerning the potentially non-canon Unification Texts. These words, written by a man who claimed to have descended from the Heavenly Lands and was a “Son of Sons,” or a descendant of The Creator, emphasized the conquest of all countries under a single, unified banner. That man, who attempted to live up under his own philosophy, died under unusual circumstances; the opposition attributes it to The Creator, and deems the Unification Texts as non-canonical. However, the more war-hungry of nations have adopted his fervor and promoted conflict and domination by a single power as the most acceptable and sensible option for achieving The Creator’s goals of peace and prosperity. Such religious differences have sparked conflict in the past, as do the differences between these denominations and the ones promoted by most non-human species. The latter, which often promotes a duality between The Creator and their first species member, varies in intensity and stances. On one end are those denominations that adhere to the most popular human one, although they do respect their original ancestor and have great admiration for that piece of his/her body that has been preserved and has come to represent the species itself, and where the original ancestor’s power is said to be contained. On the other end are those like the Clan of the Foxes or the Clan of the Tigers, who promote concepts such as ancestor worship, praising of the Earth, and the existence of The Creator as a non-human deity altogether, but something unfamiliar to all species. As such, views and worship of the Creator can vary sharply depending on the group or nation in question, and these have led to religiously-fueled wars in the past.
(Since this is focusing on a single religion/pantheon, I thought I would avoid the topic of paganism or atheism in the world. However, most paganist groups tend to denounce The Creator as a false deity for what He may have done to their lives, and worship the species ancestor or a figure they respect. These groups are uncommon and often prejudiced against (although rarely malicious), and atheist groups are even rarer.) -
Great entry, Silver!
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I took after @TheSilverFox and broke mine up into sections.
The Primary PantheonSpoiler
"The Council consisted of XI: X Elder Dragons and Cerebrus. [pronounced Sara-bris]. There was Tourmaline, the dragoness of the Inferno, her scales scarlet as the heart of a flame. Then was Runeclaw, one of Tiamat's advisors, the dragon of Fate and Law. Next was Terran of the Earth with scales of umber. There was Wavespeaker of Water with plates of silver and violet and deep blue; her sister, Moonstone of the Mirror Realms [the plane in which all elements merge]. There was Shadowfang of the Darkness with scales of ebony and her luminous twin, Brightwing of Light. Shatteredtooth was of Chaos. Cerebrus was a three-headed dog of the Underworld. Lastly was Tiamat, the Queen of Creation and her closest advisor, Carzul [I won't include the bit about his betrayal, but he went against balance and is no longer worshipped as far as anyone knows...]."
- The Chronicles of the Elders
How They’re WorshippedSpoiler
In the heart of each territory (one territory per race) a shrine was made their totem Elder as follows. However, each race had smaller shrines to worship the rest of the pantheon.
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Elder: Tiamat (Creation)
Race: Gnomes
Practices: Each town has it’s own shrine, though the primary city has a larger temple. Sacrifices of animals, goods, new technology (the gnomes are the most engineering-focused people), and such are given to her on holidays or in times when a family is asking a lot of her in their prayers. Biodegradable sacrifices are left in remote areas so that they can become one with the world once more. If it is mechanical or something of that nature, they burn it. They do not sacrifice humanoid or sentient beings.
Because their deity is the goddess of creation, they focus largely on inventing new technologies, etc.
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Elder: Runeclaw (Fate, Honor)
Race: Orcs
Practices: As with gnomes, each village or tribe has its own shrine with the main meeting place having a large temple. They sacrifice on holidays and when they are in times of need. They sacrifice animals and goods as well as prisoners or fellow orcs. They also hold competitions (gladiator-style or duels) in honor of Runeclaw.
They have a strict code and believe strongly in fate due to their deity’s elements.
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Elder: Shatteredtooth (Chaos)
Race: Unknown
Practices: Unpredictable, due to the fact he’s…well, Chaos. Not much to put here because it is always in flux.
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Elder: Shadowfang (Darkness)
Race: Demons and demonkin
Practices: Varies depending on individual species or culture. It usually consists of sacrifices of souls, hearts, or rare ingredients used in dark magic. It often involves prisoner sacrifice (generally angels or angelic beings) or the sacrifice of dark magical items. Sometimes blood magic is used. However, due to the fact they’re demons, it is usually approached in a bargaining fashion: ‘I worship you and sacrifice to you in exchange for your blessing and/or aid.’ Altars are placed in cities and occasionally in a town or home, depending on the individual demons in the community.
Her effect on the culture is minimal, for she doesn’t really interact with them or set traditions/rules of any sort.
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Elder: Brightwing (Light)
Race: Angels and angelkin
Practices: Festivities are held in honor of Brightwing. He is prayed to at least once a day to thank him for his gracious gifts, etc. However, sacrifices are uncommon due to the fact that the angels’ (and angelkin’s) culture isn’t very focused on material wealth. Rather, spending time to thank him or holding holidays in his honor is a greater form of respect. His effect on the angels (and angelkin) is more evident than in most cultures- he actively partakes in the government and mentors the more powerful angels and angelkin.
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Elder: Tourmaline (Fire)
Race: Flamefolk (phoenixes, fire elementals, fire dragons, fire wyrms, etc.)
Practices: There is a shrine to Tourmaline in every town. Again, there are festivities in her honor as well as praying in thanks. During festivals or when there is a time of need, sacrifices are made, usually of animals, alcohol, gambling dice, or cards (many of the tales around Tourmaline associate her with gambling and drinking). Like Shadowfang, she pretty much lets her people do whatever they want.
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Elder: Wavespeaker
Race: Leviathans and sea serpents as well as waterfolk (water elementals, hydras, water wyrms, etc.)
Practices: Almost identical to the traditions around Tourmaline. However, instead of animals, alcohol, and dice, she is usually given sculptures or works of art, corals, or other natural materials.
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Elder: Cerebrus
Race: Death Phoenix (yes, that’s a thing)
Practices: Cerebrus’ followers hold one annual holiday in his honor: the celebration of the winter solstice. If there is an oddity in moon phases (such as a blue moon or a blood moon) these are celebrated in his honor. When things are sacrificed they are sacrificed in sets of three, one for each head. Usually items such as bones or things made out of bones, relics, ebony wood staffs, or other necromancy tools are sacrificed.
His followers consider death a transformation as opposed to an end because of his influence. Thus, a death is celebrated rather than mourned.
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Elder: Carzul
Race: Krath (his own creation)
Practices: Sacrifices of prisoners or other Krath as well as souls, hearts, and dark magic materials (similar to Shadowfang). No holidays are held in his honor. However, he is often celebrated before a battle to give them victory (that’s the hope, at least) or prior to attempting a challenge.
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Elder: Terran
Race: Earthfolk (warms, earth elementals, etc.)
Practices: Same as Wavespeaker or Tourmaline with sacrifices of rare minerals, metals, plants/seeds, or animals.
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Elder: Moonstone
Race: Humans
Practices: Again, ritual sacrifices of as large a variety they can get, particularly if they are merged (like something made of multiple elements). Celebrations of eclipses are the most famed, but as they are rare there are annual festivals celebrating solstices and the equinoxes. Because of their deity, humans are considered the most accepting and versatile of all the peoples.
Sub-pantheonsSpoiler
Every race has it’s own sub-pantheon that are considered more minor deities. Detailing all of them would be much too long, but it is worth mentioning. Every city has a temple dedicated to each minor god(dess) and each town has a shrine to their totem deity. -
Nice entry, Feather.
The competition is more or less over-- With only two submissions. I'll be checking in the morrow', but I think it's safe to call this competition a flop. I'll judge which of these two I think is the best if there are no further entries, and throw them some points. -
Here's your 4th entry @Catalyst now you have mine, Featherstone, SilverFox, and haredrier to choose between.
Religion
In the world I want to create, gods are actually real, and there is a multitude of them. It's not just one. That being said, I don't really want my characters to recognize that they're real I don't think, but I'm not sure. This is still in the planning stages.
The DogmaSpoiler
In this religion, I want to say that people believe they can worship a certain god and gain their powers. That being said, the gods are divided into several of them and each one of them grants a different power.
- If you devote yourself to a god, and study that god's text, you can gain that god's power.
- You choose a god to worship, or not to worship, by the time you are 12 and go to a school of that worship if you choose a specific god.
- Most study the school of their family, so if their parents both went with God of Water, then so do most children, however there are some family groups which divide themselves among different gods to gain more power in the world at large.
- The different gods have different workplaces in the society, and this sets up a class system both within the religious order, and within the society as a whole.
The GodsSpoiler
Elemental Gods: There will be a god for each of the traditional physical states of matter including those for energy such as fire, light, and soul. So, wind, water, earth, fire, light, soul.
Others: There are also offshoots under those gods, so the Wind Religion, so to speak, will have another god, who they believe is the child of the main god, which would be things like tornadoes, wind walls, sand storms, and things.
Soul: These gods are going to be handling all of the animal-based life, as well as growth, regeneration schools, and things like that. They're the hippies, and probably the class I'd write from, but I might do a story about the storm gods' disciples. I have no plot, so I really don't know.
The Soul gods will be a bit special because they will have the ability to BECOME their house of study so to speak, so the types of magic that can morph into animals and other things will all come from the soul religion.
RealitySpoiler
The reality of the Gods is actually that a long time ago, there was a study of magic, and that magic was perfected by specific families, [thus the single name, and the tendency for families to practice a religion together] and they got so good at it, that when a disaster hit and wiped out most of their magical texts, their people, and things like that, the names of these families remained, while their knowledge of magic began to fade. It didn't fade entirely though due to writings that were later discovered of all of the great houses, who used to all live together in the capital.
Today, what people read as sacred texts are really spell tomes that they learn to master as they absorb magic through the books which are imbued with spells to help them learn it. That means as long as a book is copied properly, it will suck natural energy/magic from the surrounding land/animals/planet/energy, and use it to help the one holding the book understand.
As they have had a technical set back from the eras of magic, and because the magical eras were so vastly reliant on magic, they don't have a printing press, so they still copy books by hand, thus needing all students of a magic to come to one place. The first year or so, they spend copying the great texts for themselves under the tutelage of their professors and upperclassmen. This passes on the legend as the professors aren't masters, and the students trust them blindly.
In the end, it becomes a religion because they begin to believe that these books pass down powers through the will of the person's name who was on the front cover, which is actually the house name. That's how they end up single names, and they don't get traced back in lineage because those families died.
Rituals: Copy down the books of the religion during the first year of religious school if chosen at age 12 or later.
Usually students will choose to go to a magical school if their family is from a magical school, otherwise it could just be to get away from their parents/family as the government is set up through a class system, and one way you could advance is through picking a particular magical sect in a magical school.
Dozens of gods because their worshippers gain magical abilities acquired through books of knowledge which have sutras to make the ability of magic easy to pass on to younger generations back when they were created. -
Nice Entry Aley!
(Also, it is three posts, haredriers was a quote from an author in order for people to better understand how to make entires). Still, that's far better than two! Because of the small amount of entries, I'm not sure if we'll be using a voting system or if I'll be the singular judge-- One is fairer, certainly, but I somehow doubt we could find the manpower any time soon. -
actually mine was an original creation as well, Tom Bindlewinks is a wanderer and writer in one of my worlds. I'm using a snippet from his fictional journal as an entry.
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Ah, alright, thanks for the clarification hare-- I thought it must of been some oddly named Writer. In that case, I suppose we'll carry it onto judgement.
I'll see if I can attract some voters, if not then... Well, I'll just judge them regardless. -
I'm having trouble finding anyone to vote on this-- Thats one reason to wish the chatbox was still around. At any rate, I'll keep trying. If we reach the 25th without at least five different votes, I'll be the single judge.
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Have you tried the discord?
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You could always spread the word on the People tab, I suppose? I could share any ad that you create to my followers. I dunno how many will participate, but I do have over 100 followers, so the odds are good that at least one person will take the time to vote. Unless the voters have to come specifically from the club or something to that extent, at which point, you could probably tag everyone in the club and ask them to vote, or send a PM to all of them to ask, or something like that. Either way, I like Aley's idea, as the discord server thing has a lot of friendly users, so it should probably help you as well. I hope this was of some use!
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Thanks Silver, heres an advertisement;
Voting has begun on the Compendium Competition!
All votes are appreciated, please read through all entries before leaving your vote below. This weeks theme was "Religion", and brought a few great world-building pieces.
Thanks!
clubs/2387/forum/75566 -
@Catalyst: Will this work for you? The Compendium Competition!
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