It is said that after the progenitors, came the Old Gods; divined creatures of great intelligence, wisdom and strength ruled over the mortals with a iron grip.
Dragons, Krakens, Beholders, Aboleths, Elder Brains... these were the first of gods that used mortals for their own goals and agendas. There was no free will, no methods of escaping without sever consequences. Mortals were but mere objects, tools or even play things for the Elder Gods.
Then, suddenly, 15 mortals gained an insurmountable amount of strength and transcended into higher beings. No one knows how or why these mortals obtained this strength, but with it they killed the old gods and as such became the New Gods of Stellarium bringing true freedom to all mortals of the plane.
But there is never truly eternal peace, and a rift was formed between the New Gods through their ideals and dreams. Thus, the Fifteen were split in two. Nine formed the Sovereign Host, while the others were outcaste as The Dark Six.
Distant yet Omnipresent
Both
The Sovereigns and Six are all around us, guiding man to shape the world. They are the pantheon of Stellarium that formed the world that their vassals live into this day. Dol Dorn is on the battlefield with every soldier. Onatar stands by the smiths of
The Forge in the
Seven Springs, ready to guide their hands.
Arawai provides the desires of procreation, and the gentle rain that helps the Frontier's harvest—and curse
The Devourer for the storms that devastate your fields.
The Dark Six are also with us, the whispers we here to take vengeance when the law have failed us. The curses we spew against the thief of the night. Even sailors make prayers to be spared of the wrath of the seas.
Endless Diversity
The Sovereign Host is not a demanding religion, and there are many cultural variations and unique sects across Stellarium. While not many are virtuous followers or worshippers, it is arguably the greatest of Stellarium's religions. As a follower of this faith, you could feel an especially strong connection to a single deity, or you could have a general reverence for the pantheon as a whole.
Do you believe that there is a particular Sovereign who guides your actions? Was there a key moment in your life where you felt the hand of one of the Sovereigns or Six? The Sovereign Host pantheon claims the hearts and minds of the people of Paradenia.
The Sovereign Host does not boast the greatest military force, nor does it champion some driving goal to attract those seeking purpose. The Sovereign Host simply grows as it has always grown: through its innate bonds to the world itself, and a near infinite capacity to adapt.
The Founding Faith
Though scholars debate the reason why, most agree that the more similar a tradition is to an archetypal Sovereign, the easier it is to draw divine power from that faith.
A culture that invokes a deity of the hunt is more likely to produce clerics and paladins than a culture that worships a giant salmon of the same name—and if the deity’s name is similar to “Balinor,” the connection to divine magic will be easier still. Vassals sages assert that this proves the existence of the Sovereigns, while skeptics say it could simply be a numbers game—it’s easier to draw power from a shared belief, and belief in the Sovereigns has reached critical mass.
Because of this diversity, Vassal priests are rarely concerned with heresy. Those who follow the Pyrinean Creed may attempt to correct what they see as flawed beliefs, but ultimately, most just smile at the ignorance of the layman, content in the knowledge that they know the proper names of the Sovereigns.
Paths of the Faith
Likewise, while some may choose to follow one of the paths described below, there is always those that develop a unique twist on tradition or introduce a new cult that worships a specific grouping of the Sovereigns.
This openness is also reflected in Vassal interactions with the
Church of the Silver Flame. The Pyrinean Creed asserts that the Sovereigns defeated the overlords at the dawn of time; if the Silver Flame is what keeps the overlords bound, presumably the Sovereigns created it.
So there’s no inherent conflict; rather, a Vassal simply shrug and say,
“But why do you worship a cage?”
The Pyrinean Creed
The standard names and attributes of the Sovereigns and Six are drawn from the Pyrinean Creed, the dominant tradition within Stellarium. This is the source of the Octogram symbol, the division of Nine and Six, and holy days like Life Day and Boldrei’s Feast. If you follow the Pyrinean Creed, you believe in the faith as it’s presented in the core sourcebooks. You recognize all of the Sovereigns and Six, even if you may feel that one in particular is especially influential in your life.
While the common faithful know the term “Pyrinean Creed,” its history is largely only of interest to scholars and priests. A typical Vassal might know that they believe in the Pyrinean Creed, but if you asked five of them what Pyrine was, you’d get five different answers—
“He was a legendary missionary!” “It was an old town in Quintessa where there was a council!”
In reality, these beliefs were codified thousands of years ago in the nation of
Ethindras, then carried to Paradenia by
Human settlers. While Ethindras was assimilated over a thousand years ago and its people no longer worship the Sovereign Host, their legacy lives on in Paradenia.
Pyrinean priests can often perform the rites of any Sovereign, invoking the deity most appropriate to the current situation. In creating a Sovereign cleric, you can assert that you have a close tie to a particular Sovereign and primarily speak on their behalf.
The Church of the Wyrm Ascendant
The Church of the Wyrm Ascendant worships the Sovereigns in the same groupings and names as the Pyrinean Creed. However, the church asserts that the champions who fought the overlords were dragons, depicting them as such. The church is very focused on wealth and economic power; members are expected to contribute to the hoard of their local temple, and the priests often engage in behavior that outsiders might consider to be corrupt. They hold the unorthodox belief that mortals can ascend to become Sovereigns themselves—that by emulating a particular Sovereign, a mortal can eventually take their place.
Popular rumor holds that the founder of the Library of Korranberg, Dorius Alyre ir’Korran, built the library as part of a quest to assume the mantle of Aureon. While this Sovereign ascension is believed to occur after death, some priests teach that devoted members—especially those who donate great sums to the temple hoard—can actually become dragons in life.
Wyrm Ascendant Vassals believe the dragons themselves are divine tools and emissaries of the Sovereigns and Six, though few dragons have ever acknowledged the church in any way. It’s thought that the dragons themselves follow a form of this faith known as Thir—Draconic for “three”—but the traditions are rarely revealed to people of Paradenia. The Wyrm Ascendant is strongest in Aundair and Zilargo,though it remains an obscure sect, and has noteworthy temples in Korranberg and Quintessa.
The Restful Watch
Priests of the Restful Watch specialize in embalming, funerals, and cemetery maintenance. They can be found in every
Major city in Paradenia, and even frontiers may have a devotee of the Watch tending the boneyard. The Restful Watch maintains that the souls of the dead pass through
Dolurrh into the realm of the Sovereigns—unless they are snatched by the Keeper’s greedy talons.
One of a
Priest’s most important duties is helping bereaved choose appropriate grave goods or sacrifices sufficient to distract the Keeper and ensure the deceased’s soul reaches Dolurrh. For a simple person with few achievements, a single coin might suffice. But the more remarkable the deceased, the greater interest the Keeper will have in their soul—requiring a more significant sacrifice to distract him.
Faithful of the Watch rarely discuss another aspect of their faith with outsiders—that once a soul rises to the realm of the Sovereigns, it can never return. The Restful Watch believes that if Aureon knows that a dead hero will be needed in the future, he has the Keeper snatch the soul before it reaches Dolurrh, so it can be restored when the time is right. Thus, while the Restful Watch primarily reveres Aureon, they also understand and
respect the Keeper, and believe that he serves a vital purpose.
Members of the Watch often serve as mediums and exorcists, considering it a sacred duty to lay restless spirits to rest. The Restful Watch believes that Aureon is preserving the souls of heroes in preparation for an apocalyptic conflict that lies ahead. It’s said that this will involve the collapse of the Silver Flame and the subsequent unleashing of the dreadful overlords. Heroes may have been sent out in the world to watch for signs that this conflict is coming to pass.
The Restful Watch also occasionally identifies people they believe Aureon has marked as a hero whose soul will be preserved. This could be one of your fellow adventurers—and as an acolyte or sage of the Restful Watch, having been assigned to follow this person around, chronicling their life and making sure to perform the appropriate rituals when they die.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just going to follow you around until your heroic death. Trust me, you’re going to accomplish amazing things!”
The Three Faces
Followers of the Pyrinean Creed honor the Sovereigns and are encouraged to shun the Dark Six. The Six embody dark forces that have no place in a virtuous society. However, over the course of centuries, there have always been cults to challenge this view. The Three Faces cults serve two purposes.
On the one hand, they honor particular groupings of the Sovereigns and Six, asserting that there are members of the Six with something valuable to offer worshippers. Beyond this, the cults are also secret societies—a form of fraternal order that binds people together even if they aren’t truly invested in the religious aspects of the cult. For example, the Three Faces of War can be found in all of the armies of Paradenia.
The Three Faces of Coin honors Kol Korran, Onatar, and Kol Turrant (the Keeper). This cult operates in major cities, usually recruiting merchants, smugglers, and captains of industry. It is based on the idea that while honest trade and industry form the core of commerce, there should always be a way for people to get what they desire; thus, it is a neutral ground where criminals and guild artisans can work together. The Syndicate often recruits members from the Three Faces of Coin.
The Three Faces of Love honors Boldrei, Arawai, and Szorawai (the Fury)—the Love that Binds, the Love that Brings Life, and the Love that Burns. This cult embraces all who believe in and wield the power of love, from actors to poets to paid companions. Members gather to share stories and change lives; the cult excels at matchmaking and at disrupting important relationships they consider to be doomed.
The Three Faces of War honors Dol Arrah, Dol Dorn, and Dol Azur (the Mockery). This sect meetings provide a place for soldiers and veterans to interact as friends and equals, regardless of rank or nationality. The cult asserts that honor and courage are to be valued, but there is also a time and place for cunning and cruelty, even if it is never to be desired.
The Three Faces of the Wild honors Arawai, Balinor, and Shargon (the Devourer). Sects are usually found in rural communities, and include farmers, hunters, and all manner of wanderers. The Three Faces of the Wild supports agriculture and hunting, but recognizes that the wild cannot be fully tamed. Members sometimes engage in ritual sacrifices or the burning of fields or other acts of destruction. They believe that the Devourer must have his due—and by making their chosen offerings, they keep him from striking elsewhere.
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