The Old Faith
Heathens! You bastard devil-spawn whoresons worship nothing but a group of bloodthirsty demons! Repent now, or be purified by the fire of your conviction! Guy de Lusingan, Paladin of the Order of Iron, during the excecution of the Druid-priests of Numbreon.
Your gods are silent alabaster statues in cold, lifeless temples, mine are Many gods, who speak in the wind, and the water, to make the Sun rise, and make the Earth tremble! Kill me, if you must, but I will return in one way or another, and Our Gods will have Justice! Druid Valiant, responding to Guy's accusations.
Throughout Karash, there are numerous Standing Stones, caverns with strange paintings, and circles of stones with symbols of the Stars; to most people, these sites are sacred, or at least of great significance, for they are the link to a series of gods so old that may even have been kickstarted by the Dragonfire itself.
Structure
Depending on the particular god (or region), there might be or might not be an organization, or even temple. Such is the age and lack of written records of the Old Faith that, simply, is Timeless.
The closest thing to a unified organization is that of the Druidic Circles, or even the Temples of The Traveler, and The Charioteer of the Sun.
Territories
Almost all of the continent of Karash has influence of the Old Faith in some way: Standing Stones, Circles, grottos with carvings, even a few temples made in recent times. However, two territories have remained (as of yet), away from the influence of the Old Faith: Axalan, and The Great Waste , the reasons are simple: Axalan has religious roots with the worship of the Heavenly Serpents and their share of Starry Wisdom, and the former Kannathi empire had their belief in their own gods.
Mythology & Lore
According to the Dragonfire myth, after the Dragons destroyed the Hunters in the dark, and the Embers of Magic still burned bright, The Traveler found Karash, and guided the rest of the gods into the world, and soon after, they began to influence all living things.
Divine Origins
Because of the vague recordings of prehistory, and much of the loss of the Devastation during the War of Winter's Fire, there is little or no recordings available to say of the origins of the Old Faith.
Cosmological Views
The Twins: Universally named as such, they are the gods of Luck, Trickery, and Creativity.
The Charioteer of the Sun: Sometimes called the Sun Rider by the Orcs and the peoples of The Great Steppes , also known as the Sun Lion in the Unconquered Lands, it is portrayed as the god of the Sun, as well as a god of war, and in the case of the Orcs, god of Horses.
The Horned God: Sometimes called the Green God in The Northlands, and represented as an older man with a beard, he is the God of the Wilderness, Dreams, shepherds, and panic.
The Crone: Sometimes called Grandmother Earth in the Unconquered Lands, and Hekantes in The Great Steppes, she is the goddess of Magic, knowledge, family, and healing.
The Huntress: She is the goddess of the Hunt, the Moon, and Wild Animals.
The Thundering Stag: Sometimes known as the Storm-horse in The Great Steppes, or the Thundering Herd in the Unconquered Lands, it is a fickle god (or gods, in the case of the Steppes) associated with Rain, Lighting, Wind, and War.
Old Man Winter: Sometimes known as Grandfather Winter in the Unconquered Lands, or as The Old Khan, by the peoples of the Great Steppes, he is represented by being the husband of The Crone, and while the Crone may seem homely, Old Man Winter carries a grudge. He is the god of Winter, Wrath, Ice, and Water.
The Earthshaker: Like the Thundering Stag, it is a god (or goddess, as portrayed in The Northlands of War, but also of mountains, volcanos, earthquakes (according to northern tales, when the earth shakes, she is smithing), fire, and metalworking.
The Traveller: A mysterious deity, sometimes associated with Halflings, especially in the Northlands, it is also a Trickster god, but also a god Death, the Underworld, Travelers, and Commerce.
Mother Bear: Also known as the Lioness of Dawn in the Unconquered Lands, she is a goddess of the Hunt, Family, Fertility, and Community.
There are also several smaller deities that lie in a particular region, or even settlement, but, these are the main deities that appear in Karash.
Priesthood
Most of the priests of the Old Faith are based on the system of apprenticeship, with an elder priest teaching a set of acolytes (though sometimes there is only a single acolyte) the tenets of the faith, and to do the proper rites.
Sects
The Twins: Chaotic Neutral, their domains are Trickery and Knowledge
The Charioteer of the Sun: Neutral Good, its domain is Light and War
The Horned God: Chaotic Neutral, its domains are Nature and Trickery.
The Crone: Lawful Neutral, her domains are Lore, and Healing.
The Huntress: Neutral, her domains are Nature, and Light.
The Thundering Stag: Chaotic Neutral, its domains are Tempest, and War
Old Man Winter: Neutral, his domains are Tempest, and Lore
The Earthshaker: Lawful Neutral, her domains are War and Forge.
The Traveller: Chaotic Neutral, its domains are Grave and Trickery
Mother Bear: Neutral Good, her domains are Life, and Light.
Type
Religious, Other
Alternative Names
The Faith, The Old Gods, The Old Ones
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