Servants of Heiliger

Overview

The Servants of Heiliger (SoH) is the largest religion in the country of Grouce with approximately 1.1 million followers. The followers often simply called servants often refer to the religion as Heiligmus (Holy doctrine), which refers to the idea that the origins and doctrines of the religion come directly from the gods that they serve. The religion originated in a Heligiand along the northern coast Effinigian Ocean and emigrated to present day Amersham some time around the fourth millennium BU. The religion spread south along the Emerald Coast, after Unification the religion spread into Sherpmel. The religion is also commonly practiced in Sherpburg along side Providence and Followers of the Ode.

While Grouce does not have an official state religion, Heiligmus has seen several of its religious practices adopted by the bureaucracy and ceremony of the government. These ceremonies include the crowning of the king and opening prayers used in both Council of Masters meetings and battles. Heligimus has guided many of the social programs that Grouce follows. As it is taught that society should help those it shelters just as they should help to support it and each other in kind. The religion is guided by the Elder Faithful who meet to coordinate work within the religion and the communities they serve. The high priest of each sect has a seat in the discussion of the current direction of the church and what they plan to do.

General ceremonies and rituals of the religion are shared across all deities, however each deity requires certain differences in their worship. Followers and clergy of the religion do not follow one god but instead worship all the gods of the pantheon and practice the rites and traditions of whichever god they are appeasing at the time. Clergy tend to have one or a handful of deities they follow more closely but it is common to see practitioners of one sect performing the rituals of another.

The pantheon is divided into two halves, the Freiheit and the Steuern. The Freiheit represents all in the world that can not be controlled. The Steuern are those aspects of life that mortals can control. The two halves collectively make up all aspects of the world and is all that is holy. While neither side is inherently seen as good or evil most people praise the Steuern and pay worship to the Freiheit.

When servants die they are sent to Leben Nach the plane of the dead. For most people that is where the journey ends as the souls of the dead slowly fade and become one with the plane. For people who showed exceptional commitment to one of the gods their soul may be sent to serve that god in its domain. If a soul is not sorted to another plane but has a sufficiently strong will and resists slumber, the soul instead may stay in Leben Nach and fester. If the soul resists slumber long enough it can malform into a demonic beast. These beasts and the servants of the Freiheit occasionally find their way back to the material plane and wreak havoc.

Core Beliefs

The core beliefs of Heiligmus center around banding together as a community to stand up against the natural world. There are aspects of mortals that can be evil, and of the world that can be good. However the basic state that all beings should strive for is civilization. Mortals have been ordained to rule the plane, the means that they have been given to fulfill this task is their ability to come together and work towards goals that are greater then themselves. Any being who seeks to remove themselves from society is trying to run from their divinely assigned responsibility and is no better than a common animal. They should not be looked down upon but they have shown their true colors and should not be allowed to bring the rest of society down with them. Heiligmus teaches that society is held together by all it's members and that it is each members duty to support it. However as each member supports society it should elevate them and help them to grow and become greater.

Each mortal must help to protect and elevate society to stand against the world that threatens to close in on it. The world is a naturally chaotic place and while that chaos will occasionally grant a boon it will just as quickly take it and more back. Trying to control the world will only consume you, as the world is vast and no one person can hope to stand against it. Those who would try to change the natural flow of the world are pursuing a goal as futile as getting water to flow upstream. Even if one can manage the task it is only temporary in the best case or unreliable and dangerous at worst. The only for an individual to survive in the world is with a community, but even that is not enough. Reverence must be payed to the world for if it turned its gaze upon the largest societies even they would eventually fall for the world was here before we were and will be here long after we go.

Gods

Steuem

The Steuem are the gods that protect mortal beings and their civilizations. They represent the aspects of the world that mortals control and that are the building blocks of a community. When these gods take forms to walk the material plane they take the shape of the beings they protect. While not as inherently powerful as the gods that make up the world the Steuem are unity and can work together to overcome the choas that threatens those who believe in them.

Name	Pronunciation	Portfolio	Alignment	Domain 1	Domain 2	Domain 3	Domain 4	Favored Weapon
Recht	RITE	Law	LN	Law	Nobility	Knowledge	Protection	Tower Shield
Ernte	ER-ent	Agriculture	LG	Plant	Community	Animal	Weather	Scythe
Basteln	BAST-el	Crafting	LG	Artifice	Rune	Knowledge	Community	Light Hammer
Magie	MAH-gee	Magic	LN	Magic	Rune	Knowledge	Nobility	Quarterstaff
Kunst	KOONST	Arts	LE	Glory	Madness	Luck	Trickery	Switchscythe
Gemein	goo-MINE	Community	LG	Community	Good	Nobility	Healing	Longsword
Zunei	ZOO-nee	Love	LN	Charm	Luck	Healing	Protection	Earthbreaker
Reise	REE-zah	Travel	LN	Travel	Weather	Luck	Liberation	Shotel
Handel	HAAN-dle	Trade	LE	Nobility	Travel	Trickery	Charm	Butterfly Knife
Krieg	KREEG	War	LN	War	Strength	Protection	Glory	Greatsword
Hingab	HIN-gab	Mercy	LG	Good	Healing	Protection	Repose	Warhammer
Vergan	VER-gen	History	LN	Community	Knowledge	Law	Madness	Swordcane
Betrunk	BEH-trunk	Revelry	LE	Community	Charm	Destruction	Trickery	Brass Knuckles

Freiheit

The Freiheit are the gods that represent the aspects of the world. These primordial gods each have the domain of an aspect of the natural world that cannot be controlled by mortals. When they walk upon the material plane they take the form of natural disasters, calamities, and terrible beasts. While each god is incredibly powerful their chaotic natural means that they are in constant turmoil with one another.

Name	Pronunciation	Portfolio	Alignment	Domain 1	Domain 2	Domain 3	Domain 4	Favored Weapon
Zufallig	ZOO-fal-egg	Chaos	CN	Chaos	Destruction	Liberation	Madness	Flask Thrower
Donner	DAW-ner	Storms	CE	Weather	Destruction	Air	Water	Flail
Wesen	WESS-en	Beasts	CN	Animal	Strength	Repose	Death	Longbow
Meer	MEER	Oceans	CE	Water	Evil	Darkness	Destruction	Trident
Friedhof	FREED-hof	Death	CE	Death	Repose	Evil	Darkness	Dagger
Leben	LEE-ben	Life	CG	Healing	Good	Protection	Luck	Sap
Licht	LEECHT	Sun	CG	Sun	Fire	Strength	Travel	Glaive
Dunkel	DUN-kel	Moon	CG	Darkness	Magic	Rune	Water	Scimitar
Schick	SHEEK	Fate	CN	Chaos	Knowledge	Magic	Liberation	Starknife
Flanze	FLANZ	Plants	CN	Plant	Air	Earth	Sun	Pickaxe
Berg	BERG	Mountain	CG	Earth	Artifice	Fire	War	Dwarven Longhammer
Hain	HINE	Wilderness	CE	Animal	Plant	Chaos	Strength	Butchering Axe
Jahr	YAR	Seasons	CN	Healing	Death	Chaos	Travel	Hurlbat

History

Creation of the World

Heiligmus teaches that when the universe was created it was only populated by the material plane the sun and the moon. From the swirling chaos of creation came countless gods, of this multitude came the thirteen primordial gods that settled the region of Heligiand. The gods who would come to be called the Freiheit started shaping the land of the material plane colliding with one another as they worked. Meer filled the region with a great sea which washed over the land. Berg so the waters covering his domain and with a strike of his hammer raised the lands so that the sea would not touch his peaks. Donner pelted the area with constant storms seeking to scare the landscape. Eventually Hain worked with Flanze and Wesen to create wilderness and provide the earth shelter from Donner's strikes. So after plants and animals began to fill the valleys and peaks of this new land breathing life into the plane.

However this life faced great challenges. The sun burned the ground and those who called it home, it baked the seas and scorched the earth so Licht lassoed the star and pulled it from the plane. Once the sun started moving it could not be stopped and while he succeeded in moving it from harming the material plane the ball of flame's momentum drug Licht across the sky. Without the constant warmth of the sun the chill of the moon started to freeze the plane. Seeing her brothers sacrifice and understanding the same would happen to her Dunkel pushed the moon allowing it to pull her and her domain away from the plane to keep the plane from freezing.

With the plane now hospitable life flourished. As life flourished several gods came to embody the rapid evolution that was taking place. Leben started to alter the creatures that Wesen created granting them knowledge and bolstering their numbers until they grew to worship him as a god and became sentient of their own accord. Jealous of her Brother Friedhof began stealing the souls of the beings that worshiped Leben and distributing them to the others. Corralling the souls of the dead and giving those who were faithful to the gods they worshipped empowered the gods. With their increase in power came an increase in chaos. Eventually three the final three gods of the region came into their domains and acted as the balancing forces between the others. Schick guided the flow of life, Jahr guarded the passage of time and the natural world, and Zufallig bound the system together with a net of ever changing flow.

Mortals Grow in Strength

As the mortal races grew in power so did the sway they held over the gods. Even with the flow of the that the final three gods implemented, chaos was still rampant in the region. The final triad of gods did not give order to the order to the world but instead simply kept any one god from gaining to much control by tampering with any rhythms that had been established. The mortal races sought a way to gain reprieve from the ever changing world and started to pray for beings to calm the world and give order to the chaos. Eventually these prayers were answered by a new group of gods who formed a faction devoted to growing the civilizations the mortals were creating for themselves.

Recht was the first of the new gods to come to humanity's aid. She formed a codex of order and shielded the mortal races from the constant beating of chaos allowing them to bloom. As the gods of world attempted to overwhelm Recht three other gods came to his aid. Gemein helped the communities grow in numbers and strength. Ernte taught the people how to grow crops and cultivate the land, expanding their numbers and territory. Finally, Krieg fought back against the chaos and led the push toward order.

Once the mortal races had a foot hold their knowledge blossomed and so to did the gods that guided it. Magie taught the first scholars the secret of the weave, giving them a tool to push back against the flow of chaos. With the increase in their knowledge came technology and tools taught to craftsmen by Basteln and Kunst to utilize the resources they now held. Betrunk taught the people how to enjoy life and embrace a modicum of chaos with their new control to enrich their lives. At the center of all of the knowledge the people were gaining was Vergan helping them record the information to be used to help those in need and to not be lost to the world.

Once the mortal races were safe and growing in strength, a new set of gods took their place to help them grow outward and brave new parts of the world. With the teaching of Zunei and Hingab teaching them how to be kind and grow relationships, the new civilization was able to go outward into the world controlled by chaos and the Fey. Reise guided the first travelers and Handel kept them safe as they made new deals and interacted with new peoples.

Gods take their Planes

This is not to say that the old gods who shaped the world were happy with the new methods that the mortals were using, or the gods that taught them. However, with the help of the mortal gods, a pact was formed to protect the mortals and their lands. Two factions were created and new domains were placed in the sky for the gods to watch over the world without interfering with it, or each other, directly. Each god gave a portion of itself to place a star in the sky and create a new plane to rule. These planes took the shape of their creators and were organized into to groups: the Freiheit which took the shape of a wild beast and the Steuern which took the shape of a mortal warrior.

As the gods placed their planes in the sky, the sky illuminated and the placement of the gods became set. Unbekannt the home of Licht was closest to the sun as the beast claw follows the sun through the sky each day. Geheimnis was created by Dunkel and was tied to the moon, just as the beasts claw follows the sun its tail chases the moon. Both Betrunks plane of Taverne and Hain's domain Verloren bordered the Feywild and its flowing path in the sky. Weg acted as the gate way between the two halves and was watched by Reise.

Expansion

As the civilization of Heligiand grew, so did its influence in the world. At around the fourth millennium BU the people of Heligiand arrived in Amersham and the Emerald Coast. When they settled the land they found savage tribes and primitive beliefs. However, there were some among the original peoples that saw the true message and the truth of the world. These people were endowed with the divine right to rule the land and the new tribes.

Eventually the former nation of Heligiand fell to a shell of what it once was. Amersham, however, grew its strength as it fostered the knowledge of the gods and the strength they provided. The ambition of the people of Amersham impressed the gods and with their blessing, the Amer people, as humble servants of the Heiligerian gods, were able to beat back the chaos of Grouce and unify the region under its banner.

Relationships with other Religions

Followers of the Ode

The servants of Heiliger often see the followers of the ode as a distracted subset. The Ode does not explain the creation of the world, instead focusing on platitudes, and tries to teach morality and other abstract concepts. Heiligmus focuses on the physical world and how to survive in it. To spend all of your time worrying about abstract concepts and not looking at the world in front to you is viewed as willing ignorant of the perils people face every day. The religion is also viewed as more of a thought exercise and a chance for common peoples to get a sense of importance by using "fancy" platitudes to try and seem enlightened. The religion favors using metaphor instead of listing any followable rules so that their members can not be questioned and so that they don't need to actually follow a strict mantra while still feeling as though they are accomplishing betterment.

Feywild

The Fey lords and their domains are a nightmare of politics and interwoven relationships. While several of the gods of Heiligmus interact with the Fey it is best for their worshippers to avoid the tricky race.

Providence

Providence shows all the issues that Heiligmus has with the Followers of the Ode, while also showing a disregard for the history of the world. While the Ode refrains from teach the creation of the world, Providence teaches that it was a new deity that created the celestial bodies. That this deity created all other gods and that in the end it is this being that all beings including the gods will return to. While the worshippers are staunch allies and worthy of compassion and grace, their religion leaves much to be desired.

Notable Locations

The largest church in the religion is called the Golden Cathedral located the south of Amersham. The cathedral was built in the year 1673 BU as a project of King Harith Farlight. The church 's bell tower reaches over 600 feet into the air and was the tallest building ever constructed when built.

Other notable locations for the religion are found throughout the western part of Grouce. Black Rock was the point where the religion was first brought to Amersham. Rieshouse is a large domed building with portals to each of the planes of note in the religion. Aufprallpunkt stands as a continued shrine and point of pilgrimage for the religion. Found on the peak of a mountain in Southwest Vinmur, the shrine stands in remembrance of a demonstration of power put on by Krieg and Magie several hundred years before the War of Unification.

Festivals

Heiligerian Calendar

Practices with the Dead

Heiligerian funeral customs are standard earthen burials or in mausoleum. The people of Heiliger view death as a transition to the next stage of life. As only the most devote worshippers of the religion are taken to planes other than Leben Noch those close to the deceased will often bury the dead with holy symbols to try and persuade the gods.

Servants of Heiliger will hold proper funerals and take some time to bury their dead. Heiliger will often not bury other cultures dead, instead burning them in mass graves as they don't care about the bodies. Those who die each year are also remembered during the festival to Friedhof. The festival to Berg is a time to remember those who are longer dead and the ancestors of the people.

Heiligerian practitioners will rarely write wills due to their close ties with magical practice. Most often, spells like speak with dead will be used to discern the desceased's will posthumously.

Contents

Type

Religious, Pantheon