Luthaenoism
Luthaenoism is the traditional religion of the peoples of the Maletsok Territory. Adherents worship the Kolaluth Gods, a collection of gods who form a loose pantheon of nine Greater Deities (the Muenjotu or the Nine of Kolaluth), along with countless lesser deities in the Lower Realm called the Kolaluthaenut (often Kolaluth). The Greater Deities are called such for the roles they played in the Sacred History of Maletsok. Meanwhile, the lesser deities either played no role in the History, or were born of the Greater Deities after the creation. The Nine, as well as some lesser deities, also tend to have an associated Homeland where it is assumed the Deity's presence is strongest. Typically the deity's main or largest shrine/temple can be found therein.
Deities of the Kolaluthaenut
Muenjotu - Greater Deities
- Elumen of the Distant Wood, God of Nature
- Manrien the Purveyor, God of Life
- Fornien of the Seven Eyes, Goddess of Knowledge
- Bokoren the Sonorous, God of Storm and Sea
- Atin, Keeper of Masks, God of Trickery
- Kirien the Red, Goddess of War
- Idwalen the Crowned, Goddess of the Forge
- Elatien the Cloaked, God of Light
- Malakien the Beautiful, Goddess of Death
Some Lesser Deities
- Alwiden of the Ancient Fire, Goddess of Hearth & Home, whose symbol is flame in a fireplace; servant of Manrien.
- Ageren the Amber, God of Harvest & Agriculture, whose symbol is a shaft of wheat; servant of Elumem and Fornien.
- Akiren the Mountain, God of History & Stability, Champion of the Guard, whose symbol is Mount Darbreduun; servant of Idwalen and Fornien
- Eioten of the Fine Hammer, God of Metalcraft and Artifice, whose symbol is a hammer and gear; servant of Idwahen and Atin
- ]Gorien of the Abundant Plate, God of Love and Family, whose symbol is often a corucopia or bountiful dish; servant of Manrien and Elatien.
- Lidwen the Grinning, Goddess of the Trade, whose symbol is a set of golden scales; servant of Fornien and Manrien
- Setiwen the Plated, God of Mines and Miners, whose symbol is a pickaxe and hammer crossed atop a candle
- Tolen the Seamstress, Goddess of Twilight, whose symbol is a thin needle stretched between yellow and blue; servant of Malakien, and often together with Raken
- Raken the Wanderer, God of Travel and the Road, whose symbol is a great branching tree representing roadways; servant of Manrien and Bokoren.
Mythology & Lore
There are numerous mythological stories in Luthaenoism, typically chronicling the relationships between the Gods and mortals of Maletsok. A particular favourite of bards are the numerous spats between the divine couple Bokoren and Fornien and how those spats impact or act through the lives and histories of the Maletsokish Folk, especially the Humans. However no story is as significant or important as the creation mythos of the Islands, The Sacred History of Maletsok tells of how the Nine of Kolaluth formed Maletsok and set the foundation for the Maletsokish culture of peace and prosperity. The creation myth drove Maletsokish society in the Maletsokish Confederacy years, and continues to influence its operation in the Imperial Era.
Cosmological Views
There are many lesser deities allowed within the Pantheon, but are only known to smaller populations of mortals. These lesser gods often act as servants to the Nine and get their divine powers from the Nine. Often, a God of the Nine may employ a lesser god to answer a prayer. One example of this is Lidwen the Grinning, who is employed by Manriek the Purveyor to be Patron of the Market, making her Goddess of the Trade. These minor deities may serve one or a number of the Nine, and yet others may have no affiliation with any of the Nine.
The Gods traditionally are associated with a homeland, wherein often can be found their respective Major Temples. Often the people-group who inhabit these homelands adopt that deity as a patron, or develop a particular affinity for them. For example, the Dobrid Humans, and in particular the capitol of Farenport, maintain a special and significant relationship with Fornien of the Seven Eyes. In fact, the Royal Family has for many generations been consecrated to her worship. The Kolaluth Pantheon is located in the Lawful Good Plane of Kolaluthaenut.
Adherents to Luthaenoism, in death, are met at the gates of Kolaluthaenut -- the Toroluth -- where they must give testimony of their allegiance to the gods. If their testimony can be attested to by their gods, and satisfies the angelic record keepers of Kolaluth called Werien, then they are granted entry and can rest in the Everlasting Temples of their Gods. If not, they are banished to the Pitts of Akkolorn, where their fate is decided by the evil ones.
Sects
Elumen - Worldkeepers
Also called the Rangers of Elumen or, impolitely, the Grass Rats, Worldkeepers are a cult of naturalists and conservationists. They champion Elumen Worldmaker as their God, believing her to be the greatest and first deity, and sovereign of the Kolaluth. A deep and steadfast love for plants and animals and the ecosystem as a whole is foundational to their way of life. As such, many Worldkeepers live as hermits in the wilderness, surrounded by the creation of their God. Few will make regular journeys to civilization, and far fewer will live in society.
Worldkeepers play an active role in Maletsok as protectors of the natural world, and will go to great lengths to preserve any and all lands untouched by civilization. They tend to harbour resentment for the other deities of the Kolaluth, as well as other humanoids for their roles in destroying what they perceived to be a perfect world in divine harmony: the world before sentience, corruption, hate, and destruction. Therefore, they fight to defend the lands still harkening to that simpler time.
Manrien - The Band of Laughter
The Band of Laughter is the common religion of the Halfling The Condados. They worship the God Manrien the Purveyor, God of Life. Their worship is characterized mostly by outward expressions of faithfulness, although some particularly devout may participate in personal prayer. The Band expresses their faith in Manriel by participating in life-affirming activities. These activities are divided into three categories, known as the Three Joys of Manrien: the Host, the Giver, and the Jester.
The Host includes activities that open the home, such as befriending the lonely, opening doors to the homeless, healing the sick, and leading meal gatherings for the hungry. The Giver includes activities that pertain to giving, like donating money to the poor, clothes to the cold, and guidance to the lost. The Jester is known for those activities that provide entertainment and laughter, such as joking, brewing, acting, and music-making.
Followers try to emulate each of the Joys in their lives, but some prefer to devote themselves to a singular Joy. This is a point of contention amongst Band scholars. The group known as the Living Ones believe to dedicate oneself to one Joy alone devalues the others in life. On the other hand, the Joyous Ones contend that it is not within the realm of possibility for one creature to participate fully in all Three Joys. However, this debate is largely left to the scholars. Common folk tend to flow between Living and Joyous actions throughout lives.
Manrien - The Hands of Life
The Hands of Life is the translation of Aethanism into the Luthaenosim. As worshippers of Manrien, they find the preservation of life to be the most holy calling. Priests and clerics of the religion focus on healing and protection above all else, leaving offensive magic and tactics to the military. Hands of Life temples often double as hospitals and temporary housing institutions. Non-magical adherents worship by volunteering at the temples, often either engaging in medicinal practices or making food and clothes for the less fortunate. Worship services are conducted in praise of Manrien for the Gift of Life, and for offering sacrifices of fruit in the favour of the protection of life and the success of the Empire.
Fornien - Aemerlings
The Aemerlings are one of the two dominant religions of the Human Nations. Unlike the Halflings who cherish the joys of life, or the Dwarves who strive for wealth and power, the Humans are a people oriented toward knowledge and commerce. The Aemerling religion follows the Goddess of Knowledge, Fornien of the Seven Eyes, and her Seven Tenets: Curiosity, Diligence, Patience, Prudence, Detachment, Order, and Truth.
Adherents find gaining knowledge to be the holiest of callings. Most Aemerling temples are libraries as well as worship spaces. Worship consists of prayer, veneration of ancient knowledge texts, and the indulgence of reading. Priests and clerics are very proud scholars who tend to focus on one particular area of knowledge and study. Aemerling tradition teaches that Divine magic especially is the path toward understanding some form of universal truth, and the goal of every Aemerling is to dive deep into ancient, sacred, and magic texts in the hopes of discovering the Truth that will guide all peoples to a kind of temporal divine euphoria, and grant automatic entrance into Kolaluth.
For average and common adherents, however, being an Aemerling is merely a matter of achieving educational milestones. Each milestone gains favour with Fornien, who will advocate for the adherent at the Toroluth personally for the faithful. Outside of this, most adherents also follow other religions, using the easy milestone structure as an “easy-in” to Kolaluth.
Lidwen - The Society of Trading Hands
The Society of Trading Hands is the second of the dominant religions among the Human Nations dedicated to Lidwen the Grinning, Goddess of the Market, a lesser deity under Manrien's domain of life and Fornien's domain of knowledge. Adherents to the Society tend not to be particularly pious in worship or deed. Instead, they find favour with Lidwen by way of engaging in trade, especially in situations where the worshipper gains more than is given. Although this is most often associated with goods, some worshippers interpret this as a trade of knowledge, experience, friendship. Worshippers tend to be extremely lawful, and are often sought after for writing air-tight contracts and agreements. As such, worshippers hail from all walks of life, from humble sailors to rich lawyers.
Bokoren - Wallenbrack
Wallenbrack, also Windtamers or Chupetadons, are collective terms for those across Maletsok who worship Bokoren the Sonorous. The unstructured cult can be found in all port towns, most coastal communities, and some farming communities, especially near the Uremseach Desert. Typically, sea-water fountain shrines accompany their presence, wherein their ceremonies take place.
Sailors and travellers, farmers and hermits, Wallenbrack are members of communities that rely heavily on favourable weather. They believe that placating the temperamental Bokoren can tame the equally temperamental weather, and bring about or prevent storms as necessary. Placating, in this sense, means making offerings at fountain-shrines in supplication or gratitude. Typical offerings include food sacrifices of fresh fruits and cured meats, libations of wine and honey-wine, lengthy epithets and praises, and even live animal sacrifices (which have thankfully been banned in the Empire).
Key to understanding Wallenbrack thought is the relationship between mortal and Bokoren. The God of Tempest and Storm is a just and punishing God, whose mighty storms act as punishment for mortal sin and greed (see Sacred History of Maletsok). The relationship, then, is akin to a lord-subject interaction, wherein the subject must please the lord or feel his wrath. That being said, there is still a great admiration on the part of Wallenbrack for their God, and many will make offerings to Bokoren merely out of love, rather than simply to satisfy his ego.
Bokoren & Fornien - The Stormfolgers
Unlike the Wallenbrack, the Divine-Couple-worshipping Stormfolgers are a highly organized cult of fanatics based in and around the city of Claghall. They are a cult that bears a strong stereotype, and lives up to it in every way. They are expert sailors and navigators with the strongest meteorological understanding in the Empire. Their ships are among the sturdiest and well-equipped for tumultuous seas that can be found. They are adventurers through and through, but not for glory or gold; Stormfolgers have only one goal; to revel in and understand the beauty of the storms of the sea.
Originating from the philosophical and arcane works of James Franklin, Stormfolgers believed that storms and gales are not punishments sent by Bokoren that need to be prevented with platitudes or sacrifices to him. Instead, they are wonderful and awe-inspiring displays of the divine realms here in Nedia, and ought to be studied and worshipped. Some radical Stormfolgers even believe that storms can be gateways into the Haavaiatus Sea; understandably, these radicals tend not to return to shore. These mariners of Bokoren and students of Fornien wait idly by shore, studying and discussing the shape and interactions of wind patterns and how they go on to form storms, glorifying the Mother Goddess Fornien . When a storm is imminent, predicted either by their own skill or the Tim's Bay tides (see localized phenomena Maletsok Islands), they race to their ships to ride towering waves and boisterous winds, hoping either to discover something new and glorify Fornien in learning, or die trying to glorify Bokoren in relinquishing oneself to his power. Stormfolger knowledge has been instrumental in the development of the Imperial Navy and merchant routes.
Atin - Group of Empty Faces
The Group of Empty Faces is an organization dedicated to the worship of Atin, Keeper of Masks, and is largely a Gnomish cult. The religion is characterized by its annual holidays, usually marking the changing of the seasons. These holidays are celebrated with feasting, theatrical performances, and parades. The parades are a spectacle, comprising marching a faceless and blank doll through the streets. As the procession goes, adherents will add items of clothing and take others, so the doll is constantly changing in appearance as it is marched around. At the end of the procession, the doll is burned on a pyre with whatever clothing it is wearing when the priest/priestess calls for the end of the ceremony. Around the pyre, adherents will open gifts left for them anonymously while receiving the name of the person for whom they must prepare a gift for the next celebration.
Besides these celebrations, adherents do not participate in any formalized worship, and temples are more so the dwellings of clerics than places of worship. Instead, they participate in acts of deceit, not necessarily good or evil. The nature of these acts depends on the denomination of the adherent, which falls into three major groups. The popular Nimblereachers believe that deceiving people for a greater good -- theatre, magic, or acts of anonymous charity -- brings glory to Atin, who delights in cleverness used for good. The more scholarly Glassygazers believe that there is no distinction between evil and good actions, as Atin cares not for the outcome but rather the event of deceit itself. They tend to be good, as it is what is socially favourable however. Finally, the least popular Gloomcastes believe that the only thing Atin revels in is the use of deceit for evil measures, seemingly confusing Atin for Akkolor the Perverter. The Gloomcasters are difficult to come-by, as they are highly illegal, and association with the group can lead to deportation to a work colony. They are who give the Group, and by extension Gnomes, a bad name as they act essentially as a criminal syndicate.
Kirien - Gilded Warriors
As their name suggests, the Gilded Warriors are of a warrior class who have dedicated their lives in service to Kirien to the art of warfare. Known across the land as ruthless and hardened killers, they have been a fearsome sect for millennia. To the Warriors, the besting and killing of an enemy in war delights Kirien, and every drop of blood spilt on the battlefield is as wine to her.
Unlike the Masters of the Hunt, the Gilded Warriors have very little respect for their enemies. If a fighter can be bested in combat, they were not worthy of being fighters in the first place. In order to be the best fighters and earn Kirien's favour, Warriors tend to be trained in martial arts from a very young age. Children who cannot keep up with the combat training are seen as inferior, and often disowned by their families and even communities (a barbaric practice since outlawed in Imperial law, but nevertheless continuing to this day).
The Gilded Warriors do boast a moderate standing army located in their training grounds in Gunzakhil, who often act as a mercenary group for greater powers. Beyond this, however, Warriors can be found of all species and backgrounds, whether guardsmen of noble families or high-ranking officials in the Ethelan Empire. In some cases, whole troops of Warriors have been sent abroad, notably in the Utamad'Zum rebellion of late.
Kirien - Masters of the Hunt
The Masters of the Hunt is a hunting guild located largely in the Semseach woodlands. They worship Kirien the Red, following her domain of Predation. These Masters are, as their names imply, experienced and brilliant hunters. The Masters believe that participating in and perfecting the act of hunting brings glory to Kirien, and will earn her favour in their lives, and ultimately in their deaths.
The hunters do not merely hunt, however, as an average person hunts: purely for sustenance or sport. They instead live and hunt by strict moral codes. Firstly, hutners must catch and kill without the use of magic; only craft and skill. This is done to balance the powers between predator and prey, as it is in nature. Secondly, there is a spiritual understanding that Masters have between themselves and their kill that prey is not lesser than the predator, but rather both are equally important in the balance of life and death. In this way, there is a deep respect and reverence for prey in the Masters of the Hunt.
Typically, Masters enter the woods to hunt before first light, when it is believed the wakening of prey and the Astral Plane being close at hand coincide. They then pray to Kirien for guidance, amplified by the Astral Plane's nearness, and begin their venture. When game is spotted, they will, either in stealth or in the open, attempt to kill the animal. If successful, the Master in situ removes the animals heart and wraps it in a cloth soaked in the animal's blood. This bundle is then placed attached to rope and tied around the Master's neck while they take the hunt back home to be processed. All parts of the animal are used, typically for meat, canvas, and oil. When the animal has been processed, the clothed heart can be removed from the hunter's neck and burned at a shrine to Kirien as an offering.
Along with being expert huntsmen, the Masters are also gifted craftsmen in hunting paraphernalia. In cities and towns where Hunthouses can be found, one is sure to find there the best hunting equipment available in the area. Some particular Masters craftsmen, such as Grantham Broadeyes, are universally renowned, and their wares are well sought-after across Maletsok.
Kirien - The Steadfast Few
Zealous, violent, and incredibly blood-thirsty, the Steadfast Few is a cult of Kirien the Red who believe themselves to be the only remaining faithful of war goddess. Unlike most Luthaenoists, the Steadfast maintain a slightly altered Sacred History, believing that Kirien was not remorseful for her role in the Island's destruction, nor was she guiled into "perverting" the predator-prey relationship. Instead, the Steadfast maintain that brutal, violent warfare and conquest alone bring glory to Kirien; the blood spilt in her name is often described as being like wine to her, and the screams of the slaughtered as music to her ears. As such, the Steadfast actively search for opportunities to wage war, typically in the form of raids upon nearby villages and towns.
Nevertheless, the Steadfast do maintain a strict moral code about war, believing in the value a fair fight both as a challenge to the aggressor and a mercy to the victim. As well, some Steadfast are known to go so far as to spare the innocent in war, deeming them unworthy adversaries. Evenso, the Steadfast Few is still a deeply illegal cult in both Imperial and Maletsokish law, and its adherents can only be found in large and proud numbers in the Porg Vogglot of the mountains, outside the reach of the Empire.
Idwalen - Forgers of the Hills
After the collapse of the Maletsokish Confederacy in 990 T.E., worship of Idwalen, Goddess of the Forge, was strictly curtailed due to its ties with the remaining confederate Dwarves of Gunzadum. In the wake of this, those Dwarves who surrendered (largely the Hill Dwarves of Semseach and Ilemseach) altered their worshipping practices to better align with Ethelan values and appear less traditional. Today, most who call themselves Forgers of the Hills can be found in the territory of the Gunzadhur Council in the Zindush Valley.
Adherents worship in forge-temples, grand and intricately crafted stone temples with incredible forge furnaces within (though notably smaller than Crownling temples of yore). There, worshippers forge many things, namely weapons and jewelry, and pray for Idwalen's holy hand to bless the crafted item toward its intended use. Followers believe that each item forged must be made as beautiful as the Goddess Herself and, as such, each item is a form of worship. They believe that each creation that finds favour in her eyes builds their merit. Enough beautifully crafted pieces will grant Forgers entrance into Kolaluth, effectively buying their way into Idwalen's Holy Forge to serve her forever.
Akiren - The Way of The Mountain
Traditionalist Dwarves who reject the Ethelan authority worship a lesser deity of Idwalen known as Akiren the Mountain, God of History and Stability. For these worshippers, tradition is of utmost importance, and its preservation is a holy command. They tend to worship by participating in daily services in which histories are shared, and ancient ways venerated. Most commonly, this takes the form of remembering the Traditional History of Maletsok, and that of Mount Darbreduun, but local temples may venerate other histories. The worship services are characterized by many strange traditions and habits whose meanings have been lost to time. Clerics and priests are held in high regard, and often practice defense and healing magic. Non-magical adherents hope that by maintaining the history and tradition within their hearts, they participate in upholding the structure of stability of the island itself. This stability is highly intertwined with the nationalistic tendencies of the Maletsokish Confederacy, and the tradition is often associated with a life without foreign rule, particularly the Ethelan Empire.
Elatien - Order of New Hope
The Order of New Hope is a highly structured organization of paladins and clerics sworn to following in Elatien's footsteps of sacrifice and charity. The heart of the Order the The Creed of the Mantle, which is based on Elatien's Path of Enlightenment: Darkness, Blindness, Searching, Discovery, Understanding, Trust, Sacrifice, and finally Salvation. This Creed is an oath sworn by novitiates with a two-fold meaning. Firstly, it acts as recognition of the novitiates life up until that moment, a deeply personal recollection of how the individual met darkness, found trust, sacrificed, and attained salvation in Elatien's light. Secondly, the oath is a promise to be the light of discovery for others, helping all those lost in darkness to learn Elatien's truth of an unconditionally charitable life, and to shelter those who suffer in Elatien's Holy Mantle.
New Hope followers are among the most faithful and courageous people in Maletsok, indeed perhaps in Nedia. They can be found in all corners of society: humble innkeepers who feed and house the poor at no charge, wandering clerics who travel from town to town and use their divine magic to heal the sick and comfort the abandoned, or noble captains in Imperial rank whose final stands are so righteous as to make the Gods themselves seem cowardly.
The inner workings of the cult are shrouded in as much mystery as their god. Before the Belsumese Occupation, the Order's headquarters were located somewhere in Sombemis near the city of Eladirakier, now Merdazi. I was said that only those whose hearts were truly lost in darkness could be granted revelation by Elatien and find the home of the Order. There, they would find enlightenment and be trained to channel the divine light of Elatien to protect and mend the suffering and marginalized in their homelands. Today, the order is even more lost in mystery; the site of their headquarters an enigma, their hierarchy undocumented. Nevertheless, they continue to emerge from the darkness and inspire the Empire with their heroic deeds of sacrifice.
Malakien - Markisian Wanderers
They appear without warning in the darkest hours of most people's lives, and disappear without a trace, leaving those they meet at peace. The Markisian Wanderers are the oldest cult in Maletsok, claiming their origin at the moment Malakien began laying the dead to rest in the Northern Wetlands (see Semseach in Maletsok Islands). This group can be found in nearly every Maletsokish settlement, but have their largest population centres in the North in their Goddess' Homeland.
They are masters of the dead, using ancient rites to do whatever possible to send souls to a peaceful departure to the Kolaluth and help the families of the deceased cope with loss. They most commonly do this from their temples, where funeral rites are administered and the dead are buried. However, they also live up to their namesake by wandering Maletsok, guided by Malakien, searching for the deceased -- both on this plane and the Merikesken Plane -- to bring them to rest. Markisian Wanderers are also sought after for council and their abilities to travel the Ethereal plane and speak with the dead.
Unlike other death cults across the Empire, however, Wanderers are also champions of justice and fierce attackers of hypocrisy. For authorities, they can be excellent aids who criticize unfair practices, or troublesome agitators who can bring about their downfall.
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