Reyhue and Laernan

Although Reyhue & Laernan are worshipped as a set, they do have very different spheres of influence, with Reyhue being the God of the Forge, the Hearth, and Brotherhood, while Laernan is seen as the goddess of Family, Fertility, Bounty, and Life.

Collectively then, these two cover quite a broad swath of spheres. The Kellens believe that Reyhue and Laernan were among the First People (which strengthens the argument that J'honsa and Kaylaar may be as well), and that when Laernan's body gave out and old age claimed her, Reyhue was so distraught that he broke the world, slamming his hammer into the earth with such force that it created Loch Laern, which gets its name from the Mother Goddess. Reyhue buried her in the still waters of that Loch and then vanished from the earth and that his love for his lost life mate was so strong that it bore her up to heaven with him where she was reborn and the two were granted Divine Status. Although theirs is not a dominant religion when looking at the Basin as a whole, it is dominant around the Loch region, especially the northern and eastern shores and all through the hill country of Kell. In the eternal struggle between the forces of Law and Chaos, followers of Reyhue and Laernan tend to be pragmatically neutral, preferring to focus on kin and clan as opposed to being drawn into fights that have a larger frame of reference. Scholars of this faith have drawn some interesting conclusions about the development and powers of Kellen tribal tattoos and how they tie back in with the core precepts of the Faith of the Hearth. Although members of this religion are somewhat slow to trust, they inevitably form deep bonds with those who do manage to earn that trust. This religion predates the Basin and was practiced long before the Cataclysm.

Highlights

Second largest of the major religion, with some 20% of the Basin's population declaring for Reyhue & Laernan
Predates the Basin - The Faith was practiced by the Kellens long before the arrival of the refugees who founded Candle'Bre, making this the oldest major religion in the Basin.
Most of the supporters of this Faith can be found around the northern and eastern shores of Loch Laern (including the city of Vestford and most of the Vale Lands), extending northward into the hills of Kell.
Current Head of Religion: Matriarch Irenna Korba, of Kell

Divine Domains

Forge
Life
Tempest
War

Vows

Brotherhood
Paramander
Tradition

Holy Books & Codes

The Book of Brotherhood

Holy Sites

Hills of Kell
Loch Laern

Tenets of Faith

As mentioned in brief above, these two are always worshiped as a pair, never individually. Such a concept is entirely foreign to their followers, and Priests of the twin gods would quietly point out that it is precisely because J’honsa and Kaylaar are not considered as an integral set that there is such division in the world today. Followers of these gods understand that balance is the key. There are great, primordial beasts lurking beyond the confines of our multiverse, and these would seek to destroy everything simply for the sake of destruction. These dark forces must naturally be resisted and kept at bay. On the other hand, civilization can take itself too seriously and attempt to go too far, which inevitably leads to rot from within; corruption, decay and stultification. Neither are good ends. Residing between the two then, is family, and that is where the gods of the Hearth focus their efforts and energies. Balance and family. Of course, “family” means much more than just your mother, father, brothers and sisters, it also encompasses kin and clan. Close friends who become part of the family one chooses, in addition to the family one is born to. Followers of the Gods of the Hearth are deeply attuned to all of this and never need wonder if there is a lack of balance in the world. This is shown to the faithful by means of flashes of insight and wisdom granted them by the gods they serve. A Cleric in the service of Reyhue and Laernan always proceeds from a place of certainty. Given the importance of balance and family to the Faithful, the following are regarded as sinful: • Failure to help a family member in need – Your family (using the expansive definition described above) is an extension of yourself. Failure to help family in need is a rejection of the core tenets of your faith. • Failure to uphold the traditions set forth by your family. • Creating or contributing to imbalance in the world. • Mercy for those who seek to unbalance the world. • Sloth, Greed, and Avarice.

Game Notes

Right now, the Gods of the Hearth view that the forces of chaos are winning in the eternal struggle. In order to serve as a counterweight then, the Twin Gods are firmly on the side of order. Over time, and in different circumstances, that may change. In any event, in the here and now, that means that healing spells cast on forces serving Chaos are somewhat less effective than those cast on forces of Order (healing spells on neutral creatures = improved die, Lawful = regular die, Chaos = 1 step reduction). A Cleric’s adventuring party is, based on the description above, considered “family.” Anyone NOT family, regardless of other factors, will see a 1 step die reduction in healing performed, but again, note that “family” is a fairly broad and encompassing term for Reyhue & Laernan – edge cases to be decided by the DM). In some ways, the beliefs associated with these gods can seem a bit hypocritical to outsiders. As an example, all of the gods despise sloth, but in this case while a slothful Cleric of Reyhue & Laernan would be committing a sin, that same Cleric would be more tolerant of the behavior if it was coming from a member of his extended “family” while holding non family members very much to account for it. The Faithful themselves don’t see this as hypocritical at all, by the way; it’s a simple acknowledgement that family matters more, and thus, can be forgiven for more. In this case, the Cleric would likely quietly atone for his family member’s sin and urge him to change his ways, but take the matter no further. An affront (whether it is something minor like a deceitful trick, an insult, or something major like enslaving someone the Cleric considers to be family) is considered to be a personal attack. Attacking one’s “family” is taken very personally and anyone wronging any member of the Cleric’s family can expect to be held accountable for the act—and failure on the player’s part to do so will result in Sin Tokens. The general rule is: Don’t mess with this Cleric’s “family.” Ever.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Reyhue has a Blacksmith's body and build. He's physically imposing and freakishly strong. In looking at his face, one might conclude that he has a temper, but in truth, he is quite slow to anger. Once that anger has been sparked, however... Laernan is tall and matronly. At first glance, her curves make her appear soft, though at a closer look, one can tell that it would be foolhardy to discount her and assume she can't fight. She carriers herself as a warrioress, and when angered, one can see lightning flashing in her eyes.