Though a single faith,
Dichotomism, holds the title of being a nationally-sanctioned religion, other faiths exist in Aotra. Some are little more than isolated cults, while others wield significant influence. Below is an overview of some of the most significant faiths found in Aotra. For faiths that worship gods, the associated alignments and divine domains for each god are listed in parenthesis.
Dichotomism
Doubtlessly the most common and most influential religion in Aotra,
Dichotomism is the official religion under the governance of
the Circle of Nine, and as such, its fundamental principles are interwoven into the very fabric of law of the nations of Aotra. The tenets of the faith place heavy emphasis on self-determination, free will, and individual choice. The pantheon's ten gods stand as a dichotomy representing the duality of evil and good; the faith teaches that no individual is innately evil or good, but rather traits of both exist within all, and it is up to everyone to choose to follow in the path of good.
The deities of Dichotomism are split into two groups, the Paradigm and the Forsaken. The five gods of the Paradigm stand for virtues, desirable traits, and valued circumstances, while the five Forsaken stand for what is terrible, evil, and abhorred. The pantheon includes:
- The Huntress (chaotic good; nature, tempest, trickery, and twilight domains)
- The Gardener (neutral good; life, nature, and peace domains)
- The Judge (lawful good; knowledge, order, and peace domains)
- The Scholar (neutral good; arcana, forge, and knowledge domains)
- The Balancer (lawful neutral; arcana, grave, life, and order domains)
- The Thief (chaotic evil; tempest, trickery, and war domains)
- The Hunger (lawful evil; death, nature, and tempest domains)
- The Destroyer (chaotic evil; death, forge, and war domains)
- The Traitor (neutral evil; arcana, knowledge, and trickery domains)
- The Stranger (chaotic neutral; arcana, death, and trickery domains)
The Old Faith
The Old Faith stands as the foundation upon which the lore of Dichotomism rests; it teaches an ancient creation myth of four primordial beasts uniting to form the world: Leviathan, Zaratan, Phoenix, and Tempest. This creation myth is still central to Dichotomism, though Dichotomist theory places less importance on the primordial beasts than upon their creation.
No gods make up the lore of the Old Faith; the only beings significant to the faith are the four great beasts. Followers of the Old Faith believe those beasts to be ever-present, but currently inert, slumbering until the world needs their power again. To follow the Old Faith is to follow a path of peace, respect for the natural world, and trust in the creator beasts, trust that the world they formed will provide plenty for all its inhabitants. As the Faith is tied so closely to the natural world, many of the adherents of the Old Faith blessed with magical power are druids rather than clerics, though clerics of the Old Faith do exist. These clerics typically align with the domains of life, light, nature, peace, tempest, and twilight.
The Cult of Istha
The Cult of Istha stands, in the eyes of the Dichotomist government, as one of the only true threats to the power of the Dichotomist faith as the religion of the Circle of Nine. While the Old Faith only teaches to those that come to it to learn, the Cult of Istha actively proselytizes its beliefs around its titular goddess, a fire goddess associated with magic, light, and emotion. Spreading rapidly from its origins within the nation of
Oristhane, the Cult of Istha has amassed a following that has remained devoted even amidst the horrors of the Severing, a passionate base of believers dedicated to spreading their religion. As the Cult of Istha stands as an opponent to the hegemony of Dichotomism, it exists in tension with the government of the Circle of Nine, not entirely outlawed but unwelcome among staunchly Dichotomist lands.
The titular goddess, Istha is the heart of the faith. Her primary domains are light, forge, and arcana, but other clerics sometimes worship her aspects of life, nature, or trickery.
Comments