Religions
History
Religions in Asmythe are not based on a misunderstanding of nature, as they are on Earth, but on beings with demonstrable power. Asmythe has real beings, Ilthids and outsiders, of immense power that appear to be gods. And there are Elder Dragons in eternal slumber whose dreams create reality.
Despite this, religion in Asmythe is based on the power of self and the development of physical and mental discipline. Even within the Dragon Priests, who traditions are founded on the Elder Dragons.
Note: In game terms, cleric magic manifests like psionic powers. Clerics have power of mind and living things but not over inanimate objects. Telekinesis is not a mental power, it is a physical power.
Pre History
In the beginning there were only the Elder Dragons and the Ilthids who served them.
The First Era
In the first era the races of Asmythe served only the Ilthids. There were no priests or clerics because the gods were ever-present in the lives and minds of the creatures of Asmythe.
The Second Era
In the second era the Ilthids disappeared and the races of the world adapted and build their own cultures. Though the Elves and Dwarves each had real experience with outsiders they continued to build religious traditions based on the remembered teachings of the Ilthids and especially Elder Dragons lore. Elder Dragon based religion arose mostly independently among all the Elven and Dwarven nations.
The Elves and Dwarves learned that the Elder Dragons continued to shape the world as they slept and built traditions revering the dragons, learning about them, attempting to mimic them, and/or claiming to work for them. There are many dragons, and even more Dragon Priests.
The Current Era
Although the dragon priests persisted and gained strength through the second era their influence waned in the third era with the arrival of the Humans and Orcs. The monotheistic religion of the human empire, The Priests of Sol, gained some popularity but was tempered by the savagery of the goblins and their ancestral gods.
The Elder Dragons
The Elder Dragons are a manifestation of the Sorge, given shape by emotion; or is the Sorge the dreams of the Elder Dragons? Each of the Elder Dragons is associated with a set of emotions and manifest in the world through these emotions. Dragon Priests claim to gain power from the Elder Dragons when they experience these emotions.
The Elder Dragon manifestations are ethereal and shapeless; they have no physical form or ego of their own. Yet through the thoughts and actions of the Dragon Priests they have acquired physical appearances. These physical metaphors vary as greatly as the Elder Dragons themselves; some are human or humanoid, some are animal, some are elemental, and most are a combination of each. The priests don't agree if these manifestations are facets of the Elder Dragons themselves, or apparitions created by the minds of the priest attempting to understand the ineffable.
Although Elder Dragons are universal they tend to attract disciples of a particular race, nation, of disposition. The Elder Dragons themselves aren't particular about race or nation but the races and nations are particular about their Elder Dragons. Each nation usually gives patronage to one of the six families of Dragon, the "cosmos". These cosmos are, in turn, aligned against each other.
Note: What most fantasy role-playing games call deities would be considered outsiders in Asmythe. The Elder Dragons ("gods") of Asmythe are for more primal and abstract in their affects on the world.
Deity | Alignment | Influence |
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Acedia | NN | Apathy,Boredom,Depression,Indifference |
Ankou | CN | Despair,Anguish,Dread |
Arwenna | LG | Awe,Wonder |
Erida | CE | Hatred,Loathing,Rage,Fear |
Eros | CG | Passion,Arousal,Desire,Lust |
G'Kar | LN | Disappointment,Annoyance,Frustration |
Hotei | NG | Happiness,Contentment,Gratitude,Satisfaction |
Hybris | LN | Boldness,Fearlessness,Pride |
Irae | LE | Contempt,Disgust,Pity |
Laetitia | CG | Joy,Ecstasy,Euphoria,Pleasure |
Lyssa | CN | Panic,Anxiety,Hysteria,Worry |
Malu | LE | Shame,Regret,Remorse,Embarrassment |
Nedolya | NE | Sadness,Sorrow,Suffering |
Penthos | NE | Grief,Guilt,Misery |
Rus'Ker | CE | Terror,Shock,Surprise,Horror |
Sekhmet | NE | Anger,Angst,Hostility |
Sirona | LG | Love,Affection,Hope |
Vor | NG | Curiosity,Interest,Excitement |
Zelos | NN | Envy,Jealousy,Shyness,Loneliness |
Cosmos
The six families of Elder Dragons, the Cosmos, are aligned in three oppositions. Elder Dragons and clerics of each cosmos are eternally fighting against the Elder Dragons and clerics of the opposed cosmos. Only Acedia is neutral.
Health Cosmos | Pain Cosmos |
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Selfless Cosmos | Selfish Cosmos |
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Fate Cosmos | Fanatic Cosmos |
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Health Cosmos
The Elder Dragon of the health cosmos are aligned to promote the health, welfare, and propagation of life.
Pain Cosmos
The Elder Dragon of pain kill and destroy.
Selfless Cosmos
The Elder Dragon of selflessness are those of nature and learning.
Selfish Cosmos
The goal of the selfish cosmos is personal gain and attainment, often at the expense of others.
Fate Cosmos
The Elder Dragon of fate believe in the togetherness of the universe, and that individuals have but a small part to play in the whole.
Fanatic Cosmos
Fanatics are dedicated to a single purpose at the expense of all else and, usually, the prosecution of those not aligned to the purpose. The specific purpose varies greatly by god and cleric but is always something "greater" than the clerics themselves.
Descriptions
The power of each Elder Dragon is to instill specific feelings and emotions in people.
Acedia
NN -- Apathy,Boredom,Depression,Indifference
Avatar
Symbol
Ankou
CN -- Despair,Anguish,Dread
Avatar
Symbol
Arwenna
LG -- Awe,Wonder
Arwenna represents the manifestation of magic and the Forge and a connection to the other realms. She is the highest and most pure realization of knowledge and magical prowess.
Avatar -- Arwenna takes the form of a glowing orb of warm light that pierces all shadows and stirs the air with a pleasant spring breeze. This manifestation has no physical form but can be felt with all senses.
Symbol -- Arwenna's symbol is a twelve-point star-burst in gold and silver.
Erida
CE -- Hatred,Loathing,Rage,Fear
Avatar
Symbol
Eros
CG -- Passion,Arousal,Desire,Lust
Avatar
Symbol
G'Kar
LN -- Disappointment,Annoyance,Frustration
Avatar
Symbol
Hotei
NG -- Happiness,Contentment,Gratitude,Satisfaction
Avatar
Symbol
Hybris
LN -- Boldness,Fearlessness,Pride
Avatar
Symbol
Irae
LE -- Contempt,Disgust,Pity
Avatar
Symbol
Laetitia
CG -- Joy,Ecstasy,Euphoria,Pleasure
Avatar
Symbol
Lyssa
CN -- Panic,Anxiety,Hysteria,Worry
Avatar
Symbol
Malu
LE -- Shame,Regret,Remorse,Embarrassment
Avatar
Symbol
Nedolya
NE -- Sadness,Sorrow,Suffering
Avatar -- A frail old hag who lurks in the shadows.
Symbol --
Penthos
NE -- Grief,Guilt,Loneliness,Misery
Avatar
Symbol
Rus'Ker
CE -- Terror,Shock,Surprise,Horror
Rus'Ker is often associated with death and dying, especially in a gruesome and unexpected way. Disciples of Rus'Ker also defile the dead and more than any other priests make use of undead minions.
Avatar -- Rus'Ker takes the form of a hulking skinless golem of bone and muscle. His appearance is horrifying to see with broken bones and torn flesh formed in unnatural ways. He moves supernaturally fast and can change his shape to resemble any creature or person, especially somebody familiar.
Symbol -- Rus'Ker's followers identify themselves with the image of a cracked skull painted red on a black background, the eyes are starbursts of pure white.
Sekhmet
NE -- Anger,Angst,Hostility
Avatar
Symbol
Sirona
LG -- Love,Affection,Hope
Avatar
Symbol
Vor
NG -- Curiosity,Interest,Excitement
Avatar
Symbol
Zelos
NN -- Envy,Jealousy,Shyness
Avatar
Symbol
Outsiders
See also: Cosmology
An outsider is any create from any plane other than Asmythe. Usually Dragon Priests don't have the power to summon outsiders, except from some conceptual planes. But since most outsiders are sentient they can be affected by dragon magic.