The Old Gods

While modern worshipers might mistake the Old Gods as belonging to a single, unified pantheon of faith, most theologians and more devout faithful are less likely to do so. With histories that date back well before the Sundering, the name ‘Old Gods’ is a loose anacronysm that encombases the assorted myths of deities that sprung up in various regions across the civilized word many millennia ago. While some stories make traditional stories make mention of a handful of the gods taking an active role in the affairs of mortals at similar times - their codified status as the ‘Venerable Tetrinity’ is more of an attempt by rival Pargothi theologians to make a distinction between their gods and others.

Excerpt from “Gods of our Forefathers”, by Simion Dobrescu

Origins

At one time, followers of both the Old Gods and the Five managed to do so with little friction. Yet, such a state of affairs could not last for any significant period of time. It was with great foresight that Empress Xarovira was able to set in motions the plans Emperor Deioneus has outlined less than a century earlier - namely that of codifying the Pargothi Faith as the one true faith of the empire, and uniting its peoples under a singular doctrine. While rebuking the followers and possible divine intervention of the old gods was met with much consternation, the Empire quickly became emboldened once the few remaining coordinated opposition movements devolved into petty infighting.
In working to convert or repress the religious adherents of the Old Gods, the Turathi Empire castigated each of these separate faiths and pagan gods over several generations. A two-phase strategy that began with the subtle empowerment of some faiths over others eventually led to the Empire branding all non-Pargothi religious sects as heretical, leading to their eventual diminishment and lost of influence. Over a thousand years later, and now the routine worship of these celestial ancestors has fallen greatly. Still, disciples of these gods remain, and despite their various origins, many followers have incorporated the empires own dogma, believing that each deity is, in fact, party of a greater, more unified divine tapestry.

Excerpt from “History of a Divine Empire” by Idris Arthur

Current Status

Most worshipers of the Venerables do as more so as a matter of custom or habit, rather than any real sense of divine faith. The few shrines and temples that remain dedicated to the Old Gods stand as exceptions to the norm, lacking little influence in the daily affairs of their region. Save for perhaps the canonization of Mordune by the Muscovites, as first among a long line of patron saints, there has been no great cohesive movement to proclaim the old gods as having any durable divine influence upon our world. If they ever truly wielded such command over the destiny of our ancestors, it was spent when the Heroes Sundered the ties to the heavens and hells beyond.
Still, it is more likely that the nature of divinity is one available to any being possessed of sufficient virtue and will; that with discipline and conviction, any of us hold the potential to gain the mantle of divine, and shape our own destiny. The notion that we are subject to the whims of passions beyond our understanding.

Excerpt from “Faith and Power”, by Iratze Cato

The Skyandr, the Grarhaust, and the Raijiak

By my count, there are between 18 and 27 Venerables that can still claim to have enough worshipers to populate a small village. Once long ago, its likely that you couldn’t walk more than a Quarter-Fae Cycle without finding a town with a different god, or at least a different name for the same god. Now I hoard each fable and parable as a rare gem, and treat each monk or hermetic priest as window into a world as different as the land of shadows or the hells themselves.
While I’m loathe to promote the crude classification of such a diversity of belief, I would be remiss if I neglected the self described affiliations touted by the various followers I have spoken with. Of them, three general groups stand in stark relief against a see of old rivalries and Imperial mis-information. One may notice some overlap of a few deities listed among each association - as far as I can ascertain, this is not an accident. The most likely hypothesis is that those deities that have crossed regions have traditions that allow their stories and origins to remain more whole over countless retellings. It might also indicate a deity with a more active interest in the affairs of mortals, in one shape or another.
Alternatively, those deities may be the vague amalgamations of once separate gods whose original names were lost to time during the Imperial Unification. As far as the practitioners of each association is concerned, the similarities of those gods to their own is usually considered a confirmation of those gods influence - or in some cases, of false idols and tricksters designed to spread fear and doubt among the devout. Several lifetimes would not be enough to untangle the thousand threads the gods have woven over the minds of our history - we can only hope to glimpse the picture they meant us to see.

Skyandr

The Skylander are an association of 14 gods, who are worshipped in various capacity by the Thvisch that inhabit the northwestern regions of Kreata. Based on conversations with the more northern locals, it is clear that the Orgol possess more than a incidental affinity with these gods, and I would not be at all surprised if they [Orgol] do maintain more devout observances of these deities among their cultural rituals.
Interestingly, many Elves and half-breeds that have grown up in the Freeholds are keen to have adopted these traditions, despite their ancestral animosity to all things divine. it remains unknown as to whether this lends credence to the notion that the gods have intervened more recently, or merely the failure of Kelta superstition to be maintained outside their tight-knit clans.

Grarhaust

Grarhaust is the name given to the collection of nearly twenty old gods worshipped by more removed or outcast communities throughout Eastern Kreata. The relative uniformity in stories and rituals held by Turathi Rousigna, Muscovan pioneers, and even Svanesse immigrants seems an indication that the Grarhaust was once a much more resilient institution of divine doctrine. It’s likely that the deities and tenants embodied by the Grarhaust represent one of the most complete accounts of the Venerables total membership anywhere in the world - and has survived through a variety of factors that a more experienced theologian could elaborate.
However, it is not without notice that even centuries after the Empire’s fall, that the scorn and mistrust bread into the turathi populace remains deeply rooted. It is not uncommon to find rituals or public prayers of the Grarhaust to be outlawed, and punished with fines or flogging. And even where such observances aren’t expressly forbidden, it is rare to find a community that would tolerate or welcome such beliefs. From what I have gleamed in my travels, a few areas within Kallistratos, Milon, and Kyrene appear to be most accommodating to these Venerables. The former colony of Maeron is perhaps the most official observer of the Grarhaust gods, though their overall religious activity has dwindled severely since the fall of the empire.

Raijak

The shared religious association among the Raijak and their followers could at best be described as a divine conspiracy, though such a description is equally likely to be a reputation with little underlying substance. Admittedly, much of my information is second hand, but the general consensus is that worshipers of the Raijak are more often than not, dissenents or pariah within their respective nations and communities. It's hard to say if those accused of worshipping the Raijak initially did so before falling out of their groups, or if the label was one that was applied after some unrelated conflict, be it personal or political.
Unlike the Skyandr and Grarhaust, you are not likely to find any cohesive community that share in the collective worship of its deities. As far as I can find, there are no temples, no shrines, no festivals, nor any holy texts depicting their stories or values. And yet, it is not uncommon to find signs or rumors regarding the presence of their devotees; no land appears ignorant of their presence. What is often presented as a secret cult of heretical faithful and aprocraphyl adherenents could in time be revealed to be little more than a mortal conspiracy bolstered by the false mantle of divine intervention. Until then, the influence of the Raijak is likely to remain shrouded in mystery and infamy.
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Entries from "Around the World, Vol. 3" by Vulmaro Pias

Alternative Names

"The Venerables", "The Tetrinity"