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--- religion [2007/02/10 13:10] – jims
+++ religion [2025/07/20 13:01] (current) – jims
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-[[start|Back to start page]]
 ====== Religion ======
-==== Overview ====
+==== Introduction ====
 Religion in the [[twenty worlds]] is an interesting concept.  Since there is
-**no** doubt that the gods exist, //faith// does not take the same form as it
+**no doubt** that the gods exist, //faith// does not take the same form as it
 does in the "real" world.  Instead, worshipers have faith that their chosen
-deity will take the time and effort to watch over them and protect them - even
+deity will take the time and effort to watch over them and protect them, even
 though they are but one of millions demanding the same attention.
 In actuality, the gods **do** watch over and protect their faithful, but are
-prevented from taking direct action by a millenia-old agreement known as //The
+prevented from taking direct action by a millennia-old agreement known as //The
 Concordant//.  This agreement is sometimes described as a "gentlemen's
 agreement" and other times described as a force of nature that physically
 inhibits the gods' activities.  Whether it can be overcome has been a matter of
-heated debate amongst the clergy since the beginnings of the worlds.
+heated debate amongst the clergy since the beginning of the worlds.
 Another major difference between the "real" world and the [[twenty worlds]] is
 that the gods are known to have limits.  No dogma claims their deities are
 omnipotent, although most claim that the //combined// power of the pantheons is
 greater than anything.
+Related to the concept of faith is the **fact** that an afterlife exists for all
+sentient beings.  Because of this, death is not usually considered as significant
+as it is in the "real world".  From this, it is understandable that ideas such as
+"heroic sacrifice" and "slaughter of the innocents" take on new meanings.
+Examples: Killing a captured enemy after a battle is often viewed as simply
+transporting them to a different prison.  Sacrificing your own life to save others
+is viewed by some as "normal".  The hero's loved ones, after all, **know** he has
+moved on to a better plane of existence.
 ==== Overview ====
 The human gods (sometimes referred to as //"The Terran Gods"//) originally lived
 on [[Earth]] (another of the [[twenty worlds]]).  They left that world when the
-mana became depleted sometime around 3000 BCE and came either to the [[Prime
+mana became depleted sometime around 3000 BCE and came either to the [[Prime World]]
-World]] or [[Godsland]] (depending on which stories you choose to
+or [[cosmos#Godsland]] (depending on which stories you choose
-believe).((This is, of course, not common knowledge -- since most people are not
+to believe).((This is, of course, not common knowledge -- since most people are
-even aware of other worlds.))
+not even aware of other worlds.))
 While the creation of the [[twenty worlds]] is often attributed to the various
-gods ((Many scholars reject the notion that the gods created the [[twenty
+gods((Many scholars reject the notion that the gods created the [[twenty
 worlds]].  They cite as proof the fact that the gods were unable to deal with
 the loss of mana on [[Earth]].  This, they claim, means that the worlds are
 //bigger// than the gods.)), most dogma is quite clear on the assumption that
-the multiverse existed //prior// to the arrival of the gods.  In fact, there are
+the multiverse existed //prior// to the arrival of the gods.  In fact, numerous
-numerous references to divine beings that predate all known current gods.  Chief
+references to divine beings predate all known current gods.  Chief
 among these are the [[Earthmasters]].
 ==== The Sacred Texts ====
 There are at least four documents that are considered sacred to //(nearly)// all
 Human religions. These are [[tale of time|The Tale of Time]] (which tells the
 story of creation), [[tale of transgression|The Tale of the Transgression]]
 (which tells the story of man's relationship to the gods), [[tale of spire|The
-Tale of the Spire]] (which tells of the gods greatest gift to man), and [[tale
+Tale of the Spire]] (which tells of the gods' greatest gift to man), and [[tale
 of return|The Tale of the Return]]((which was documented by this author twenty
-years ago, but never detailed, so I've forgotten what it was supposed to
+years ago, but never detailed, so I've forgotten what it actually contains)).
-contain)).
 ==== The Pantheons ====
 The various "families" of the Human gods seem to prefer to keep their followers
 separated. Because of this, each nation (or kingdom) tends to focus on one
 pantheon.  However, since the other pantheons are acknowledged to exist, and to
 be //gods//, there is a healthy amount of respect for "foreign" religions.
 This open attitude, though, has been sorely tested in recent years in
 [[Spindrift]] and [[Rota]], where an influx of foreign refugees from the wars
-have brought with them their unusual gods. In some places, tolerance has given
+has brought with them their unusual gods. In some places, tolerance has given
-way to bigotry, and in others open hostility has broken out.
+way to bigotry, and in others, open hostility has broken out.
 Here is a list of pantheons by nation:
-^ Pantheon ^ Nation ^
+^ Pantheon ^ Nation ^ Deities ^
-| [[Asgardian]] //aka "Norse"// | [[Rota]] |
+| [[Celtic]] | [[Spindrift]] | The Daghdha, Arawn, Belenus, Brigantia, Diancecht, Dunatis, Goibhniu, Lugh, Manannan mac Lir, Math Mathonwy, Morrigan, Nuada, Oghma, Silvanus |
-| [[Celtic]] | [[Spindrift]] |
+| [[Greek]] | [[Lowland]] and [[Teleme]] | Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hades, Hecate, Hephaestus, Hera, Hercules, Hermes, Hestia, Nike, Pan, Poseidon, Tyche |
-| [[Pharaonic]] //aka "Egyptian"// | [[Backbone]] and [[Teleme]] |
+| [[Egyptian]] | [[Backbone]] and [[Teleme]]  | Re-Horakhty, Anubis, Apep, Bast, Bes, Hathor, Imhotep, Isis, Nephthys, Osiris, Ptah, Set, Sobek, Thoth |
-| [[Olympian]] //aka "Greek"// | [[Lowland]] and [[Teleme]] |
+| [[Asgardian]] //aka "Norse"//  | [[Rota]] | Odin, Aegir, Balder, Forseti, Frey, Freya, Frigga, Heimdall, Hel, Hermod, Loki, Njord, Odur, Sif, Skadi, Surtur, Thor, Thrym, Tyr, Uller |
-| [[Babylonian]] and [[Sumerian]] | [[Resh]] |
+| [[Babylonian]] | [[Resh]]  | Anu, Anshar, Dahak, Druaga, Girru, Ishtar, Marduk, Nergal, Ramman |
-| [[American Indian]] | [[Etenaî]], [[Dyanaî]], and [[Comani]] |
+| [[Sumerian]] | [[Mosaî]]  | Enlil, Enki, Inanna, Ki, Nanna-sin, Nin-hursag, Utu |
-| [[Central American]] | The [[Ouraî]] in [[Teleme]] |
+| [[American Indian]] | [[Etenaî]], [[Dyanaî]], and [[Comani]]  | Raven, Coyote, Hastseltsi, Hastsezini, Heng, Hotoru, Shakak, Snake-Man, Tobadzistsini |
-| [[Chinese]] | [[Dumaka]] |
+| [[Central American]] | The [[Ouraî]] in [[Teleme]]  | Quetzalcoatl, Camaxtu, Camazotz, Chalchiuhtlicue, Huhueteotl, Huitzilopochtli, Itzamna, Mictlantecuhtli, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, Tlazolteotl, Xochipilli |
-| [[African]] | [[Arela]] |
+| [[Chinese]] | [[Dumaka]]  | Shang-Ti, Chao Kung Ming, Chih-Chiang Fyu-Ya, Chih Sung-Tzu, Chung Kuel, Fei Lien & Feng Po, Huan-Ti, Kuan Yin, Lei Kung, Lu Yueh, Ma Yuan, No Cha, Shan Hai Ching, Tou Mu, Wen Chung, Yen-Wang-Yeh |
+| [[African]] | [[Arela]]  | (see [[wp>Orisha#Pantheon|This Wikipedia article]]) |
+| Greyhawk | [[Immenri]] | (see [[wp>Greyhawk deities|This Wikipedia article]]) |
+| [["New Gods"]] | [[Mosaî]]  | Asmodeus, Avandra, Bane, Erathis, Ioun, Kord, Melora, Pelor, Raven Queen, Sehanine, Tharizdun, Torog, Vecna, Zehir |
 ==== Non-human deities ====
-Each race has its own pantheon.  The main ones are listed here:
+Each species has its own pantheon.  The main ones are listed here:
   * [[Elven Gods]]
@@ Line 90: / Line 100: @@
 ==== Oddball Pantheons ====
-In addition to the actively worshipped pantheons, there are several classes of
+In addition to the actively worshiped pantheons, there are several classes of
-divine beings that either no longer have worshippers, or never truly had them.
+divine beings that either no longer have worshipers or never truly had them.
 These are:
@@ Line 98: / Line 108: @@
   * The [[Lords of Chaos]]
   * The [[Earthmasters]]
-\\
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