Religions in Gardens
The religions of the Gardens are varied, and not all based on worship of gods. They can be divided as follows:
God-ruler
The queen of Elysium (a land north of Valessia) is said to be a reincarnation of the goddess Elysia. She takes this name for her own and is worshipped as the God-Queen of Elysium. There seems to be truth to this claim, as even magic itself listens to the orders of the God-Queen. New successors are sought by the queen's Lustrous Guard and raised in secrecy within the Crystalline Palace while the head of the Guard rules as Regent.
To the east of Valessia lay the Icy Wastes, a hostile land where the icesects roam freely. Their queen is Arachne, a goddess who has created these sapient spiders. Although she is not truly worshipped, her word is nonetheless law. Religion as philosophy
Although far from each other, the dwarves of Great Oghan and the orks of Orkas Isles have developed similar views of their gods. Although in their texts and traditions they are still said to have been created by Oghan and Orkas (respectively), they don't worship them as gods. When discussing Orkas, orks usually mean the philosophy of the Orkas religion and what he represents. Orkas represents moral values and ways in which to achieve a better life. Most scholars are even inclined to say that there are no such things as gods.
For the dwarves, Oghan is Great Oghan itself. They live in peace with and greatly respect the mountain that is their home. Through interactions with the orks, the dwarves have also developed a philosophy around their faith in the mountain, although this "religion" is still much more rife with superstition. Val and Druids
Val has a very special relationship with her creations. Druids are the only one of her explicit creations of life, and she has a very close relationship with them. They are the only mortal species (though not the only beings) that can come face to face with the goddess herself, and have a very good if somewhat specialized knowledge of all that is divine. Theirs is not a religion, rather a close relationship with the goddess. Standard religions
Beyond what are essentially non-religions, actual religions have formed amongst the mortals. These have formed largely in Valessia amongst quarterlings, humans, and some dwarves. Faechilds are usually also raised in the dominant tradition, and migrant orks sometimes adopt them. They are as follows: Dragons of Water
This was an ancient religion from a time long before thaumaturgy and even any proper society. The focal point of this religion was water as the basis for life - its origin, its source, its life force. The followers also believed that dragons reside in the waters. As the creation myth goes, dragons once ruled over the sky, which was made of solid rock. They often squabbled between each other and their many fights soon broke the rock beneath their feet. With the roof broken, sun could reach the fertile ground beneath. The humbled dragons then bowed their heads and became water, giving life to the world.
The Cult of Rivers, as it is sometimes referred to in modern teachings, also saw spirits as avatars of dragons, and faechilds as blessings of the waters. Faechilds were often catered to and educated, and made into spiritual and social leaders, were one to be born at a village.
Their rituals always involved water, as it was the most important aspect. Birth was given in lakes, marriage was done in the shallows of lakes or rivers, and the dead were given back to the water. The Grass Circle
The most widespread of religions in Valessia now. It is a combination of the ancient Water Cult and the teachings of druids. The Grass Circle worships the goddess Val through nature. Just like in the Water Cult, spirits and faechilds are seen as Val’s blessings. The elements are revered equally, each having a meaning, though rituals can be done with the presence of any element; earth in the form of grass circles, and water in the form of lakes, are the most popular.
The Grass Circle is often concerned with the impact of thaumaturgy on Aura, though Fourthseed as the spiritual leader of the Grass Circle is in understandable negotiation between all parties involved. Mirror
The Mirror Cult, more or less a joke religion of students. In myths and fairy tales, Mirror is said to be the dragon who gave mortals the capability for magic - that is, thaumaturgy. Students of the academy often invoke Mirror for good luck on exams, experiments, or the like.
The queen of Elysium (a land north of Valessia) is said to be a reincarnation of the goddess Elysia. She takes this name for her own and is worshipped as the God-Queen of Elysium. There seems to be truth to this claim, as even magic itself listens to the orders of the God-Queen. New successors are sought by the queen's Lustrous Guard and raised in secrecy within the Crystalline Palace while the head of the Guard rules as Regent.
To the east of Valessia lay the Icy Wastes, a hostile land where the icesects roam freely. Their queen is Arachne, a goddess who has created these sapient spiders. Although she is not truly worshipped, her word is nonetheless law. Religion as philosophy
Although far from each other, the dwarves of Great Oghan and the orks of Orkas Isles have developed similar views of their gods. Although in their texts and traditions they are still said to have been created by Oghan and Orkas (respectively), they don't worship them as gods. When discussing Orkas, orks usually mean the philosophy of the Orkas religion and what he represents. Orkas represents moral values and ways in which to achieve a better life. Most scholars are even inclined to say that there are no such things as gods.
For the dwarves, Oghan is Great Oghan itself. They live in peace with and greatly respect the mountain that is their home. Through interactions with the orks, the dwarves have also developed a philosophy around their faith in the mountain, although this "religion" is still much more rife with superstition. Val and Druids
Val has a very special relationship with her creations. Druids are the only one of her explicit creations of life, and she has a very close relationship with them. They are the only mortal species (though not the only beings) that can come face to face with the goddess herself, and have a very good if somewhat specialized knowledge of all that is divine. Theirs is not a religion, rather a close relationship with the goddess. Standard religions
Beyond what are essentially non-religions, actual religions have formed amongst the mortals. These have formed largely in Valessia amongst quarterlings, humans, and some dwarves. Faechilds are usually also raised in the dominant tradition, and migrant orks sometimes adopt them. They are as follows: Dragons of Water
This was an ancient religion from a time long before thaumaturgy and even any proper society. The focal point of this religion was water as the basis for life - its origin, its source, its life force. The followers also believed that dragons reside in the waters. As the creation myth goes, dragons once ruled over the sky, which was made of solid rock. They often squabbled between each other and their many fights soon broke the rock beneath their feet. With the roof broken, sun could reach the fertile ground beneath. The humbled dragons then bowed their heads and became water, giving life to the world.
The Cult of Rivers, as it is sometimes referred to in modern teachings, also saw spirits as avatars of dragons, and faechilds as blessings of the waters. Faechilds were often catered to and educated, and made into spiritual and social leaders, were one to be born at a village.
Their rituals always involved water, as it was the most important aspect. Birth was given in lakes, marriage was done in the shallows of lakes or rivers, and the dead were given back to the water. The Grass Circle
The most widespread of religions in Valessia now. It is a combination of the ancient Water Cult and the teachings of druids. The Grass Circle worships the goddess Val through nature. Just like in the Water Cult, spirits and faechilds are seen as Val’s blessings. The elements are revered equally, each having a meaning, though rituals can be done with the presence of any element; earth in the form of grass circles, and water in the form of lakes, are the most popular.
The Grass Circle is often concerned with the impact of thaumaturgy on Aura, though Fourthseed as the spiritual leader of the Grass Circle is in understandable negotiation between all parties involved. Mirror
The Mirror Cult, more or less a joke religion of students. In myths and fairy tales, Mirror is said to be the dragon who gave mortals the capability for magic - that is, thaumaturgy. Students of the academy often invoke Mirror for good luck on exams, experiments, or the like.
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