Octarchism

Octrachism, more colloquially known as the faith of the Eight Divines, is the most widespread belief system in the known world. Most (though not all) good aligned humanoids adhere to some variant of this religious tradition. Octarchism promotes the worship of the Eight good aligned greater deities known as the Eight Divines, with a particular focus on Ramos, the Lord of Light, as the head of the pantheon. The Eight might be worshiped as a collective unit, or the patronage of an individual deity might be sought depending on the worshiper and the kind of aid they require. Mainstream octarchism promotes broadly “lawful good” values. Generosity, compassion, honesty, temperance, humility, and so forth. Though individual deities may have more specific programs for their devotees.
The main Octarchist clergy is structured, formalized, and hierarchical. Each member of the pantheon has an order of clerics and acolytes which serves them, attends to those who require their aid, and carries out religious business associated with their sphere of influence. Each of these orders is headed by a high priest known as an octrach. The octrachs are elected by their fellow high priests upon the death of their predecessor and are typically extremely powerful clerics or paladins.
The Octarchists wage an eternal war against the minions of Draxares, the treacherous ninth divine who turned against his colleagues eons ago and sought to conquer the universe. For this reason, the faith tends to be highly militant. Most of its clerics are warriors as well as prelates, and holy wars against the servants of the Dark Lord (Known to the faithful as "The Archenemy") are part of its regular business.
The mainstream Octarchist faith is generally suspicious and mistrustful of arcane magic and the magi who practice it. Traditional Octarchist teaching holds that magic belongs to the divines alone, and is theirs to give or take as they see fit. Arcane magic users who wish to stay in the good graces of the Ortarchy are expected to swear the Oath of Sanction, vowing to eschew necromancy, demonic communion, and other forms of black magic. Arcanists who take the oath are known as “sanctioned magi” and are generally accepted by the faith. Their unsanctioned counterparts however are seen as blasphemers and heretics and are treated with fear and suspicion by the clergy.
Octarshism has many regional and cultural variants, known as “rites”. Most humans and most dwarves practice the mainstream, “standard” Octarchism detailed above. Elves, Lizards, and a number of other peoples have their own syncretic belief systems detailed elsewhere.