The Mysteries of Ven

'The raw forces that empower all existence are the Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, Sound, Force, Light, and Darkness. Mortals can harness these forces by learning how to surrender to them, gain power by becoming enslaved. The Elements do not claim a right to rule over how we live our lives, just as we do not claim any hold over them. We are grateful to the Elements for sharing the simple truth: it is through wisdom and sacrifice that one attains Enlightenment, repairs the damage to their Soul, and returns to the World Crystal.'

That's what we tell our neonates, the freshest of our adherents, those that see the ways that existence is structured and ordered, and then are sent off to die in the ceaseless wars you force upon us. I learned those words by rote when I was just a young girl, and every day I have fought to live up to the ideals I love with all my heart. You all know what I have fought for us, and what I have sacrificed! And yet I see before me not a glorious body that sacrifices itself for the greater good. No, I see just a pack of cowardly old 3rd Agers that want to lick their wounds and sit back as others count their dead.

I hereby invoke Kar-Ar-Korel, The Call That Must Be Answered. Stand, Masters, and defend yourselves!
-The Final Words of Benna-Ap-Mur, The Fall of The Kleptocracy of Klinovos, Year 12 of the 4th Age

Divine Domains

Any

Holy Books & Codes

Some of the most famous surviving tomes from the East are "The Song of Earth and Water," a holy text disguised as a story of intrigue, romance, and war, "Ten Steps To Enlightenment: An Introduction to the Ten Elements", by High Sage Haa-Noup-Grin, and "Why You Should Never Trust An Elf," by the most famous Ven Monk, Iri-Vek-Malou-Soir, who earned his fourth name by defeating an elvish army alone.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Ven symbology is heavy on the elemental references, and while Venninites may prefer one Element over another, they often still include representation of others in their holy symbols, art, and documentation.

Tenets of Faith

The Greater Elementals took pity on mortals, after they saw how their cousins, the gods, had behaved in the years after the Crystallization. They Manifested on Lorinian and appeared before the most ancient members of humanity, goblins, and dragonkind, taught these early races secrets of how the universe worked and granted them the knowledge they needed to survive on their own now that their gods had stepped out of the world.
They taught us how to harness fire, and water, wind, and the earth, the meaning of life, and that of death, how to survive in the winter, how to sing, and how to direct even the lightning rages of the stormy skies of The 2nd Age . In return, the Elements asked us only this: stand with them against Chaos, and they taught us about our Eternal Enemies.
First, and always, Chaos, for it hungers to destroy the world, it tempts and it leads people astray, even entire nations, all to end life, the thing it hates most. Against that, all must stand, or all will fall.
The world is blind and refuses to heed our warnings as to the enemy among them though. All Arcane Magic is of Chaos. Wizards claim to be of Order, to be on the side of Life and Right, but they are the spy in the night, the traitor at your back, and none can ever be trusted for they work to bring down all that we have worked so hard to protect. One need look no further than our neighbour, Dubravec, to see the kind of hedonism, debauchery, sinful, and chaotic behaviour reliance on Arcane magic brings.

Holidays

The first and final day of each month is marked by symbolic rituals practiced throughout. From dusk until dawn, as the month changes, a Venninite fasts and meditates under the Twin Moons, contemplating the generosity of the Elements. From morning until dusk on both days, the last day of the month and the first, a Venninite puts those lessons to use, building fires for members of their community, helping to skin animals, sharpening spears, mixing paints from plants and minerals, all while singing the droning chants of ancient Ven scripture and leading the people of Klinovos in sweeping out the Temples.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

The goal of any Venninite is to attain Enlightenment, but what that means for each individual Soul is up to that person to decide each time they are reincarnated. To get there, one must experience life in many forms, both as a Venninite who understands the Elements, and even as an enemy to the faith, ignorant of their sins. Venninites see their fallen enemies as something to celebrate, truly, for they have helped to release those people, some to rejoin the World Crystal at the end of their journey, others to be reincarnated once more, to continue to perfect and remove the flaws of their own crystalline Souls.
Venninites stamp out any form of Arcane magic that they come across, though on the rare occasion they have been known to stay their hand or even work with wizards - albeit highly reluctantly, and with much mistrust - against both Crystalfall and against agents of Chaos. Arcane magic users have much reason to beware a friendly-seeming Venninite, for even if they might fight on the same side against a horde of aberrations one moment, that same Venninite will cheerfully stab them in the back the next instant they get, thinking they are doing the poor Soul a favour.

Divine Classification

Greater Elementals

Religions

• The Living Pantheon