Faiths of Admira
"In my naive youth I declared myself an atheist, ...[but] through the wisdom of age and experience I understood the truth. Admira's faiths are as varied and plentiful as its peoples, and regardless of our cultural, spiritual, or secular beliefs, we cannot deny that each form of divinity has, in no small measure, power over those who revere it." - Historian Ausae Norrek, Where Myth Meets Legend, preface
As on most worlds, faith and spirituality are intrinsic to the peoples and cultures of Admira. Whether in the form of deities, spiritism, or a more esoteric belief system, some form of faith may be found almost everywhere. In the following article, we will briefly detail each of the primary documented faiths of Admira, with links to additional information.
The faiths of Admira are categorized into four groups: the Pantheon, Other Major Gods, Fallen Gods, and Planar Powers, Occult Philosophies, & Minor Deities.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is a collection of divine entities who have formed a systemic understanding and operational philosophy with each other. While these deities may not always work well together - indeed some are enemies - they exist under the ideal that with their checks and balances of each other a more prosperous Admira may exist.
Other Major Gods
While holding power and/or a following that rivals that of the Pantheon members, these deities have chosen to remain independent of that collective. Major deific entities recently ascended to Divinity who have not yet joined the Pantheon are also listed here.
Fallen Gods
For one reason or another, deities do not always remain in power. While each of these entities accounts for a much smaller or more scattered following than the Pantheon members, their worship is nonetheless found throughout the world in some capacity. Often a fallen god has left behind successors or another form of progeny to continue their legacy.
Planar Powers, Occult Philosophies, & Minor Deities
Many faiths and philosophies of Admira are more localized or esoteric than the Pantheon, and instead carve out their own niches of ideology. Some of these beings/ideals are also derivatives or subsidiaries of other, more prominent faiths.
The Pantheon
Amin Tjota
THE ENIGMATIC
LN god of law, prophecy, and secrets
Lost for many generations, Aminnite faiths have seen a resurgence in the last few decades, particularly in central and eastern Esora. Enigmatic and vague, its doctrines emphasize a respect of law, order, and the passage of time, and its followers are known to claim visions or premonitions of things to come. The deific figure of Amin Tjota is mysterious and proported to be unknowable, and while officially labeled as non-binary, is generally referred to as, "He." The largest center of Aminnite faith resides in Hershav, Esora.
Domains: Darkness, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Time
Bethshiv
GUARDIAN OF SOULS
N goddess of finality and renewal
One of the most widely revered deities of Admira, faiths to Bethshiv are also among the most diverse. In all instances, doctrines bear a heavy focus on the cycle of death and rebirth or decay and regrowth and tend to santcify death as a natural process in life, but the specifics vary from region to region. In Svashil, it is a common Shivvite practice to inter the ashes of the dead in groves or fields to facilitate plentiful crops, whereas in Vinka there is a Shivvite cult that believes ritual humanoid sacrifice may allow one to consume and be enriched by the soul of the dead. Bethshiv is usually depicted as a female kadija elf. In almost all forms, she is generally seen as an oscillating counterpart to her ascended sister, Neryssa.
Domains: Death, Earth, Healing, Plant, Repose
Echa
MISTRESS OF WONDER
CG goddess of lore and imagination
Most heavily worshipped throughout Janabair and along the Azulan coasts of Esora, Echa is patron of the arts, of explorers, and of the unknown secrets and mysteries of the world. Her followers tend to revere great stories and legends, and her priests are known for embellishing the facts. Her physical depictions are some of the most varied - in some cultures she is represented as a graceful human, a lithe malken, or even a winged valkyrie. In all forms, however, she is depicted containing the cosmos within her body.
Domains: Charm, Luck, Magic, Rune, Trickery
Infernus
THE IMMOLATED
CN god of fire and cleansing
Of all the members of the Pantheon, no deity has seen their faiths wax and wane more than Infernus. Currently in the beginnings of a wax period, Infernal faith is primarily relegated to the Hershav region of Esora and the eastern plains of Vinka, Koliska. Infernal dogma includes the pursuit of freedom and opposition of tyranny, the acceptance of chance and chaos, and, of course... fire. However, the greatest anethema to followers of Infernus is undeath, and his faithful ever seek to end its plague.
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Fire, Liberation, Repose
Karnus
THE WARRIOR
N god of battle and valor
The paradigm warrior, Karnus has a following that, while not as populous as those of Bethshiv, Kirill, or Neryssa, is spread throughout the entire world. Frequently, his disciples are found among people who follow another god but pray to Karnus in times of battle or conflict. Among the giants of Xasor, Svashil and Eiskaltebirge, Janabair, however, Karnus has temples and clergy just as any other deity. His dogma praises honor, duty, and prowess in combat.
Domains: Chaos, Glory, Protection, Strength, War
Kirill
FATHER FORGENG god of the dwarves
While not exclusively the god of the dwarves, the facts that "Father Forge" is almost universally depicted as a dwarf and that both the dwarven nations of Svashil and Radskev claim to be his chosen people have solidified his elevation to that title. With a dogma that exemplifies community, hard work, and reaping the natural earthen bouties of Admira, faithful congregations of Kirill are often found working in tandem with those of the goddess Neryssa. Kirillan faithful are found throughout the world, particularly wherever dwarves are found.
Domains: Artifice, Community, Earth, Fire, Strength
Kuriohikari
DRAGON OF LIGHTLG god of light and purity
One half of Niwan's deities known as the Dragons of Balance, Kuriohikari has recently reemerged after millenia of imprisonment at the hands of his former progeny, the minor dragon deities known as the Circle of Six. Though mostly relegated to the small island nation of Niwan, his priests and disciples are unusually powerful relative to the limited scope of his faith and exemplify the ideals of honor, wisdom, and leadership. He, just as his counterpart, is also one of the few deities in Admira who choose to regularly appear in physical form - his as a luminous dragon. He resides in the Temple of Balance on Niwan.
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, Scalykind, Nobility
Kuriokage
DRAGON OF SHADOWLE god of shadow and deception
The darker half of the Dragons of Balance, Kuriokage shares many dogmatic traits with his lighter counterpart. Both of them are deities of law and order, but where Kuriohikari's ideals speak of honesty and benevolence, Kuriokage's push for deception and ambition. To a follower of Kuriokage, there are few methods to which one should not resort so long as one follows the tenents of law and honor. Kuriokage was also the facilitator of Kuriohikari's ancient imprisonment, an event known as Kuriokage's Gambit, and the catalyst for the Divine War. He, like his counterpart, often resides in physical form at the Temple of Balance on Niwan.
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Law, Scalykind, Trickery
Lescar
THE BLOODLESSNG god of blood and sacrifice
Lescar falls into a small group of ancient divinities including Bethshiv, Neryssa, and Shi-han whose doctrines underscore their ascension from mortality as part of their identity. His faith emphasizes sacrifice and service to others, particularly in fields of medicine and healing. Practitioners of Lescarian arts are often tabooed by societies for employing blood magic, informational obfuscation, and, in some isolated circumstances, limited forms of undeath - specifically vampirism. Lescar is also the patron deity of the College of Life at the world renowned Order of the White Circle in Justinian, Svashil. While Lescarian faith was prominent in both western and central Koliska, northern Janabair, and adjoining Cylaris, his Church has seen a sharp decline in recent decades due to persecution and attacks from other neighboring faiths.
Domains: Darkness, Healing, Magic, Nobility, War
Mak-ro
THE SUNFATHERCG god of the sky and truth
God of the Sky, Scion of Light, the Brightheart - to the followers of Mak-ro, He is all of these things and more. Günealism (Mak-ro's faith) is one of the rare monotheistic faiths on Admira, not as much believing the other "gods" don't exist, but that they are lesser beings of great power as opposed to actual deities. Günealistic doctrines hold truth and honesty at highest ideal, often in disregard of consequence, and shun belief systems that rely upon subterfuge. Mak-ro faithful also share with Infernus a fondness for fire and disdain for undeath, although Günealistic practices dealing with the destruction and prevention of undead are less fanatical and more methodical. The largest concentration of Günealism is in Corön, Janabair, wherein the nation's entire governmental structure is based on the religion.
Domains: Air, Good, Healing, Nobility, Sun
Neryssa
THE GENTLE GARDENERLG goddess of growth and harvest
Found virtually everywhere in the world, Neryssite faith differs from its Shivvite counterpart in that most congregations follow similar doctrines regardless of region. Heavily focused on agriculture, Neryssite teachings empasize attentiveness, patience, and nurturing while maintaining a pragmatic outlook on culling those habits and ideals that are damaging to one's self and community. Neryssite priests are known for being generous and welcoming almost to a fault, but ruthless and decisive when weeding those who would threaten their congregants. The faith loathes any who would wantonly desecrate the natural world or the well-being of the innocent.
Domains: Community, Healing, Plant, Protection, Sun
Shi-han
THE TIGRESSLN goddess of insight and improvement
The only god on Admira who rules their people as both a deity and autocrat, Shi-han sits upon the Violet Throne and rules the Holy Laohu Empire of Shoto as Empress Eternal. Her faith, Pui'yeism, idealizes ambition, knowlege, self-improvement, progress, and the insatiable curiosity of "what if...?" Nǚ jìsī (priestesses) are often accomplished businesswomen and secular leaders, and Pui'ye faith is so intertwined in Shotese society that it's impossible to differentiate between church and state. Similar to Günealism, Pui'yeism asserts that while other "gods" may exist, only Shi-han is truly eternal, powerful, and worthy of worship. Pui'yeism retains a long-standing and volatile animosity towards the Dragons of Balance and Niwan as a whole.
Domains: Glory, Knowledge, Magic, Nobility, Rune
Tuli
THE TIDEBEARERCN goddess of the sea
A deity so esoteric that her faiths border on being occult, Tuli is the mysterious and unfathomable Lady of the mysterious and unfathomable oceans. Depicted in some accounts as a beautiful siren, in others as a whale-like leviathan, and in others simply as a force of will, Tuli receives the hushed or desperate prayers of sailors and ocean wayfarers worldwide. Whether soldier, pirate, merchant, or simple traveler, any who travel the seas owe some measure of their successful journey to avoiding the wrath of the Maiden of Chaos. While she has few organized groups of worship, those that exist tend to eschew the rules, morals, and other constraints of "civilized" society and glorify the ocean over all else.
Domains: Air, Chaos, Travel, Water, Weather
Yusir'arharan
THE PROGENITORNE god of ambition and wishes
Yusir'arharan is considered by his temple to be the last remaining Old God from the time before the Eski/Re'Khan. A nexus of power and possibility, it was through him that all manner of djinn came to exist and it is said that without his continued presence, such beings would lose their capacity for granting wishes. Yusir'arharan's doctrines promote ambition and aspiration, and assert that only the most resourceful and ruthless can acheive greatness. His priests are known to be duplicitous and wherever his temples thrive are found layers upon layers of betrayal, manipulation, and exploitation. Though Yusir'arharan has centers of worship throughout the world, the greatest concetration by far is within Suter, Janabair.
Domains: Artifice, Knowledge, Magic, Rune, Trickery
Other Major Gods
Hamato
THE HARBINGERLN god of change and destiny
One of Admira's most recently ascended deities, Lord Hamato (and to a lesser degree, his family) was the perpetrator of the worldshaking event known as Dragonfall, wherein he utilized methods passed down by the fallen god Ashiryan to siphon the divine essences of the Circle of Six and absorb them, thereby ascending to divinity. It was through this event that Kuriohikari's imprisonment was broken. Hamato acts as a fulcrum between the Dragons of Balance, and as such his tenents hold firm to law, honor, and the inevitability of change. Unlike chaotic deties like Infernus or Tuli, however, such change is practiced with order and intention.
Domains: Law, Magic, Strength, Trickery, War
Heraclius
ARCHDUKE OF MISFORTUNELE demonlord of sloth and gluttony
A deity of Abyssum (the demon plane), Heraclius has long manipulated events on Admira by influencing the wiles and ambitions of mortals. By appealing to susceptible individuals' base greed and gluttony, Heraclius finds faithful among those who would exploit others for the sake of their own narcissism, and the most successful of these are those who would twist the law to their own purposes. While his cults and worshippers can be found anywhere in the world where some measure of civilization exists, the largest regions of his influence are in Suter, Janabair, in Shoto, Koliska, and an entire national domain dedicated to his power outside of Svashil, Koliska. Though Heraclius bears no love for his Demonlord counterparts, he is also the most likely to strike deals where mutual benefit can be found.
Domains: Evil, Law, Luck, Nobility, Trickery
Khons
THE ECLIPSELN god of light and shadow
Another recently ascended deity, Khons is the scion of an ancient family line who learned to channel their dying essence into their offspring, growing in knowledge and power with each successive generation. By allying himself with the Bloodpact, he gained necessary remaining power to achieve full ascension. Khons is a dual-plane divinity, bearing complete connection to both Luxalia (the plane of light) and Umbris (the plane of shadow), and therefore has domain over both light/positive energy and shadow/negative energy. Further, carrying over from his mortal life as head of the Seventh Veil guild, his doctrines promote an adherence to law and oaths. He resides within the Eclipse demiplane, a place of balance between its two parent planes.
Domains: Darkness, Glory, Knowledge, Law, Sun
Sharthryxx
ARCHDUKE OF WARNE demonlord of violence and hatred
Participant and/or perpetrator of more Abyssal incursions into Admira than any other demon in history, Sharthryxx and his Legion are a militant force that revels in violence and conflict. His machinations against Admira are boundless, and his doctrines encouage followers and cultists to seek war with any who would prevent their ultimate goal of merging the power of Abyssum back unto Admira as it was in ancient days. The Cult of the Legion emphasizes cleverness and cunning and rewards those who overcome their adversaries through tactics and strength, and prioritizes passion, fervor, and fiery hatred as virtues of character. The act of conquest is tantamount to their ideals, both in war and in life.
Domains: Destruction, Evil, Fire, Madness, War
Syringa Vulgaris
ARCHDUTCHESS OF PESTILENCECE demonlord of lust and sickness
The most ambiguous of the three demonlords, the Archdutchess of Pestilence keeps her true name secret, instead using her signature flower's literary name and is frequently known simply by the moniker "the Lilac." Master of all plagues, her influence may be found anywhere sickness abounds - the more virulent the better. Her heralds and elevated faithful often take the form of healers, apothecaries, and anyone else in a position to leverage a community's need for good health with their lack of resources. The Lilac and her heralds coerce mortals into subservience with the promise of protection from maladies often originally spread by the heralds themselves. They also revel in presenting opposers with the impossible choice between preservation of life vs. moral superiority.
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Death, Evil, Plant
Fallen Gods
Ashiryan
THE BETRAYERCE god of schemes and insanity
Patron of the whispering madness known to all whose minds have devolved into chaos, Ashiryan was an ancient deity who, through deceit and manipulation, sought to pit the early Pantheon against the Eski/Re'Khan for reasons only known to himself. The original traitor, he was destroyed as retribution for these efforts but not before he established several scions to carry on his schemes, each of whom was given a copy of a powerful, evil tome filled with secrets only those on the edge of insanity could comprehend. One such scion was the infamous dragon demigod lich Orumic whose efforts nearly destroyed the holy city of Hershavita and whose copy of the tome led the Hamato family to perpetrate the Dragonfall event. While Ashiryan himself has been absent for most of recorded history, his cults continue to linger in the forgotten corners of the world and his legacy has warped the courses of history evermore.
Domains: Charm, Evil, Knowledge, Madness, Trickery
Mortla
RAVAGED MOTHERCE goddess of beasts
One of the last remaining Old Gods from the era before the Eski/Re'khan, Mortla was an unstoppable force of nature unlike anything seen in the eras since. Unable to be corralled, restrained, or negotiated with, it took the combined effort of much of the Pantheon to imprison and sequester Mortla away from Admira to protect the world from her wanton destruction. Though the location or state of her imprisonment is unknown to all but the gods themselves, evidence of her lingering power seeps into the world for any who seek it. It is believed that many of the unusual, monstrous beasts that appear in the world are born as manifestations of her will. Despite the Pantheon's best efforts to erase Mortla from history, there are many enclaves of her faith among the more feral peoples of Admira, including the bhaykiisi and qimuq peoples of Esora, the goblins and orcs of Koliska, and the ettin of Janabair.
Domains: Animal, Death, Destruction, Strength, Water
Szedrik
MARTYR OF THE MEEKNG god of goodwill
The figure Szedrik once existed as the deity of Caritaeism, a benevolent faith centered around altruism, chivalry, and service. Caritan doctrines emphasize creating a better life for those around you, and for yourself not at the expense of others. Children and elders play an important role in the faith, as both the inception and finality of everthing most important in life. Unfortunately, Szedrik himself was lost during the rise of Orumic, Scion of Ashiryan. To prevent the dragon demigod lich from destroying the people of Hershavita and its surrounding region as means to ascension, Szedrik sacrificed his essence and power to insulate the peoples' lives against Orumic's devices and create an opportunity for his fellow Pantheon to capture and imprison the dragon. To this day, several of Szedrik's scions serve the faith as demigods and saintlike figures, ensuring Caritaeism has survived long after its patron's demise.
Domains: Charm, Glory, Good, Nobility, Protection
Planar Powers, Occult Philosophies, & Minor Deities
Fern Rue
THE PETALMAKERN demigod of nature and equilibrium
Very little is known about the enigmatic deity most civilized peoples call Fern Rue. It is very clear they hold the natural world, both plant and animal, as paramount and that those who exploit or desecrate the untouched places of Admira will quickly suffer their wrath. Though Fern Rue has no formal association with the Pantheon, they also seem disinclined to make enemies of the group or its followers, and centers of worship for other gods are typically considered out of Fern Rue's reach. They are worshipped in one form or another by many isolated tribal communities and seem to have a special bond with intelligent animal and plant species.
Domains: Animal, Liberation, Plant, Weather
Majke & Kandža
THE BLOODWILLOW & THE PROTECTORNG goddess of provision and life/CG demigod of ferocity and vengeance
Patron deities of the Rajans of Cylaris, Majke the Bloodwillow is an ascended bloodwillow tree that gained sentience over millenia of her followers' devition, and Kandža is the reincarnated spirit of a great dragon that pledged to protect their people. Long an isolated and insular faith that adheres to tenents of service, ritual sacrifice, and the expulsion of threats to their natural homeland, Majke and Kandža have seen a recent increase in devotion among peoples of the Cylaran Isles due to the faith's role in securing the Gemstone Clans unification and the Ticari people's newfound tolerance of Rajan culture.
Domains: Chaos, Death, Healing, Protection, Plant
Tarahashya
THE COSMIC TRUTHSN worship of celestial movements
Sharing a niche with the academic study of celestial bodies and physics, Tarahashya is the belief that everything - events, circumstance, choices, even personality - is guided by movements of the stars and planets. Admira's position of balance between these celestial bodies creates an ever present tug-of-war between the positive forces of the inner planets and the negative forces of the outer planets, and by reading the stars and constellations one may glean portents of Fate, thereby guiding oneself adequately along life's journey. While many believe Tarahashya to be occult folklore, those truly educated have discerned a fair measure of accuracy in the faith's omens. Most popular within Eulalia, Svashil and the Arakhor Isles, the faith is found in small pockets around the world.
Domains: Darkness, Knowledge, Truth (Madness), Void
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