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====== Religion ======

==== 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
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
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
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.

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 an captured enemy after a battle is oftentimes 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 existance.

==== 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 World]]
or [[cosmos#Godsland]] (depending on which stories you choose
to believe).((This is, of course, not common knowledge -- since most people are
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
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
numerous references to divine beings that 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
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 actually contains)).

==== 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
way to bigotry, and in others open hostility has broken out.

Here is a list of pantheons by nation:

^ Pantheon ^ Nation ^ Deities ^
| [[Celtic]] | [[Spindrift]] | The Daghdha, Arawn, Belenus, Brigantia, Diancecht, Dunatis, Goibhniu, Lugh, Manannan mac Lir, Math Mathonwy, Morrigan, Nuada, Oghma, Silvanus |
| [[Greek]] | [[Lowland]] and [[Teleme]] | Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hades, Hecate, Hephaestus, Hera, Hercules, Hermes, Hestia, Nike, Pan, Poseidon, Tyche |
| [[Egyptian]] | [[Backbone]] and [[Teleme]]  | Re-Horakhty, Anubis, Apep, Bast, Bes, Hathor, Imhotep, Isis, Nephthys, Osiris, Ptah, Set, Sobek, Thoth |
| [[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]] | [[Resh]]  | Anu, Anshar, Dahak, Druaga, Girru, Ishtar, Marduk, Nergal, Ramman |
| [[Sumerian]] | [[Mosaî]]  | Enlil, Enki, Inanna, Ki, Nanna-sin, Nin-hursag, Utu |
| [[American Indian]] | [[Etenaî]], [[Dyanaî]], and [[Comani]]  | Raven, Coyote, Hastseltsi, Hastsezini, Heng, Hotoru, Shakak, Snake-Man, Tobadzistsini |
| [[Central American]] | The [[Ouraî]] in [[Teleme]]  | Quetzalcoatl, Camaxtu, Camazotz, Chalchiuhtlicue, Huhueteotl, Huitzilopochtli, Itzamna, Mictlantecuhtli, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, Tlazolteotl, Xochipilli |
| [[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]]) |
| [["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:

  * [[Elven Gods]]
  * [[Dwarven Gods]]
  * [[Gnome Gods]]
  * [[Halfling Gods]]
  * [[Orc Gods]]
  * [[Goblin Gods]]

==== Oddball Pantheons ====

In addition to the actively worshiped pantheons, there are several classes of
divine beings that either no longer have worshipers, or never truly had them.

These are:

  * The [[Elemental Lords]]
  * The [[Lords of Chaos]]
  * The [[Earthmasters]]