The gods of Orbis are worshiped for what they can provide their mortal (human and tonttu) followers, and generally not for any moralistic belief.
The gods govern strict domains of influence (nature, war, order, etc.) which the gods have established through eons of negotiation and compromise among their numbers. Thus their clerics are incredibly territorial and competitive. Specific rituals and rules have been developed to avoid outright conflict among the various Temple organizations. The gods are not portrayed as a family.
Every god either came from somewhere (for example they were a powerful primordial mortal who achieved divinity) or arose spontaneously through a specific need in mortal society. They now exist in five dimensions at once, removed from their followers but tied through the arrangement of
dyona (see below).
The gods rarely intercede directly in mortal affairs, since to do so would threaten the balance of domains and proper practice they have established. They do sometimes directly communicate with high ranking worshipers in their Temples.
Dyona
Dyona is the animating power of magic in the universe. The gods produce
dyona, although they are not the only source of it. When clerics establish a mental connection with their deity, usually at morning prayers, they tap into this spellcasting power which gives them the ability to cast their spells. This reservoir of power drains over hours and must be re-established each day.
Wizards and other non-religious spellcasters can artificially produce
dyona in their bodies to power their spells. To clerics, this is a profane trick compared to the "pure"
dyona they receive through devotion to their deity.
Religion Among the Other Races
Tonttu generally revere the main pantheon of Orbis.
Dwarves do not pay much attention to the official gods of the human state, and instead revere nature in its various manifestations. Sometimes this includes variations of the nature god Hextor, but dwarven worship is usually focused on nature spirits or a general non-anthropomorphic idea of the natural world. (See
The Manes)
Elves used to worship a pantheon of gods when they had their own kingdoms but in the modern era, the elves generally refuse to worship gods. Their cultural memory involves betrayal by the gods which informs their current non-religious stance. Elven clerics are VERY rare. Elven communities generally shake their heads at the nature of other races' religion, which does not endear themselves to the other races.
The Enemies of Religion
Because of mutual distrust over how the other gains access to magic (
dyona), clerics and arcane magic users often view each other as adversaries.
Orbis does not possess a divine foe of the main pantheon (i.e. a Satan figure). Instead, the gods consider as enemies those who directly act to subvert their veneration. This includes the devil lords of the infernal regions, the demon lords of the Abyss, and any powerful organization that seeks to spread evil (e.g.
the Monastery of Kurref-Sutor ). There have also been creatures who came close to achieving divinity, both good and evil, who the gods have sabotaged in order to keep godhood exclusive.
The clerics of
Huvoi,
Sauriel,
Armser and
Hextor in particular are very hostile toward all undead.
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