Religion of the Land
Across the known world, most people worship the same gods, even if they do not agree on their names.
These gods are collectively known as the Pantheon.
Scholars argue endlessly about where the Pantheon originated—whether from Solis, the ancient Elvish kingdoms, or some older convergence—but for the average person, such debates matter far less than harvests, storms, love, war, and death.
What matters is this:
The gods are the same.
Only the names change.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon consists of twelve major deities, worshipped across cultures, continents, and species.
Humans, elves, animalis, and others all recognize these divine roles, even when they disagree on myth, symbol, or ritual.
Different regions emphasize different names:
- Common Names are widely used across the central lands
- Animalis (Solisan) Names are traditional among beast-folk and southern cultures
- Northern (Barbarian) Names are used in the northern continents
Despite this, clerics of different names often recognize one another as serving the same divine force.
The Twelve Gods
| Common Name | Animalis Name | Northern Name |
|---|---|---|
| The Father | Ra | Odin |
| The Mother | Haathor | Frigga |
| The Son | Horus | Thor |
| The Warrior | Anhur | Tyr |
| The Magician | Osiris | Frey |
| The Sailor | Tefnut | Aegir |
| The Beauty | Isis | Balder |
| The Judge | Thoth | Forseti |
| The Lover | Bast | Freya |
| The Guardian | Ptah | Heimdall |
| The Reaper | Anubis | Hel |
| The Thief | Set | Loki |
Each god governs a domain of life, not a moral alignment. None are wholly good or evil.
They are forces—necessary, enduring, and imperfect.
How Worship Works
Most people do not worship all twelve gods equally.
Instead, they honor:
- One or two gods regularly
- Several others situationally
- The rest only in ritual or tradition
A sailor may pray to The Sailor at sea, The Guardian at port, and The Reaper when a crewmate is lost.
Faith is practical.
Clergy and Doctrine
There is no unified church of the Pantheon.
Each god has:
- Their own clergy
- Their own rites
- Their own internal disputes
Some temples cooperate. Others openly despise one another.
The gods themselves do not appear to intervene in doctrinal disputes.
Alternative and Non-Pantheon Faiths
While the Pantheon dominates most of the Land, it is not universal.
Druidic Traditions
Many elves and rural peoples follow ancient druidic practices that predate or parallel the Pantheon. These traditions focus on:
- Nature
- Balance
- Cycles of life and decay
They are not always incompatible with the Pantheon—but neither are they subordinate to it.
Dwarven Faiths
Dwarves worship gods entirely separate from the Pantheon, tied to stone, forge, ancestry, and oaths. These deities do not map cleanly onto the Twelve.
Infernal Worship and the Diabolus
The Infernal Empire reveres a being known as the Diabolus.
This entity is not part of the Pantheon.
- He is not widely worshipped outside the Empire
- His name is often avoided
- His doctrines emphasize hierarchy, contracts, inevitability, and conquest
While some scholars argue the Diabolus may be a distorted reflection of one of the Twelve—or something far older—no consensus exists.
The Diabolus is acknowledged here only because ignoring him would be dishonest.
No canonical page exists for him. Yet.
Demonic and Heretical Worship
Beyond organized infernal faith, there are darker deviations.
One of the most infamous is the widespread, illicit worship of Baphomet, a demon venerated in secret cults across continents.
Such worship is universally condemned by Pantheon clergy—though not universally eradicated.
What This Means for Adventurers
Most people assume adventurers:
- Are favored by at least one god
- Have offended another
- Or are walking dangerously close to both
Religious symbols carry weight.
Blasphemy can be political.
Faith can open doors—or close them forever.
The gods are watching.
Whether they care is another question.