Religious Organizations
Though there are countless deific beings dwelling within the Endless Paths, very few ever make contact with Tevastra. An even smaller subset of those gather enough influence, intentionally or not, to have an organized following. Below is a list of the major religious orders present in Tevastra, though there are countless minor cults outside of the Pantheon of Saviours. This list excludes organizations whose relationship with a god is non-religious, like the Oraculum.
The Order of the Albatross
The most powerful religious organization in Tevastra is the Order of the Albatross. Devotees of Dyron, members of the Order are paladins who wield the very winds themselves, a tiny fraction of their patron's power. The "Albatrosses" have a curious, seemingly paradoxical philosophy born from Dyron's dual aspects of chaos and peace. Outwardly, members of the Order strive for peace. They observe strict discipline in their daily habits and are calm in speech and deed. The paladins seek to quell conflict before it begins, but if they are too late, they have no qualms about briefly making war to secure a lasting peace. Inwardly, however, the Albatrosses strive for chaos - what they call the "Inner Storm". They are forbidden from growing too attached to one person or place and are accordingly nomadic. They also make decisions seemingly on a whim, or based on the direction of the wind which they interpret as an expression of Dyron's will. Though this can make them appear arbitrary, the Albatrosses are nevertheless a welcome sight to many, thanks to their hard-won reputation as peacekeepers. The Order has its headquarters in the Temple of the Saviour Twins, in Dyr Tolen. Because of observance of the Inner Storm, there is no permanent presence within the Temple, but rather a rotating contingent which tends to the administrative duties of the Order. They are a large organization with thousands of paladins active across Tevastra. Their leader is a Jullandian human woman named Brooke Solzhen, whose title is Grandmaster. Historically, the Order has remained neutral in the Sword Pact's politics. They existed by the acceptance of the Empire of Avaros and even assisted in the war against Cobala, but have never joined any of the successor states in conflict against another. For example, no paladins of the Order were permitted to be involved in the war over the Plains of Geordan between Jullandy and Zethunir just over a decade ago. by u/meowtricia
The Unshod
The Unshod are a loosely organized but fairly widespread sect of Virel worshippers. They are ascetics who, as their name suggests, prefer to go without shoes and other material comforts to bring themselves to the natural grace of their patron. The Unshod live away from major settlements in small rustic colonies. Many of them are Mir-Ghul who fled the harshness of the desert but did not take to the urban tendencies of the humans. A few of them are known to be druids who Virel has granted a more substantial connection with nature, allowing them to have the very forest as their ally and transform into beasts. The Unshod mostly keep to themselves and are a curiosity some travelers may see while on the road, although the Unshod are called upon by common folk to perform ceremonies like weddings. The Unshod consider Apocryphite to be an evil and unnatural thing, and avoid it at all costs.The Monasty of Embers
The Monasty is a small organization about which little is known. They appear to be a group of monks who worship Hrogar, in particular his aspect of death. The Monasty is called upon to conduct funeral rites for many, and also work during plagues to perform cremations. Much of their religious practice revolves around fire, another of Hrogar's aspects. Each of their monasteries has a sacred flame burning within it in an iron brazier, which the monks are sworn to keep lit at all costs. They bring forth the flame from this original source to cremate the dead in Hrogar's honour. People are known to try and join the Monasty if some tragedy has left them alone in the world. Rather than seek death, they exist in the half-life of the monks, among the dead as much as the living. What blessings Hrogar grants the Monasty in exchange for their devotion is unknown.Udun Hosk, the Dusk Clan
Taken from the Diamond Expanse article:The Dusk Clan, more commonly referred to by its proper dwarven name Udun Hosk, is the most widely known of the dwarven clans to the outside world. This is because they are the most feared assassins in all Tevastra. Having secret outposts and agents throughout the land, Udun Hosk venerates Zarakis by killing people in exchange for platinum ingots. They melt half of these down in sacred furnaces, where it is said Zarakis drinks the molten metal and gains power. Despite their infamy, Udun Hosk is the smallest of the clans, and is shunned by the others partly out of fear and partly for their willingness to deal with outsiders. Still, Udun Hosk does not take any contracts against their fellow dwarves. To initiate the services of Udun Hosk, one must hold two platinum ingots and strike them together three times at the hour the sun disappears. Through an unknown means, Udun Hosk will always know of this, and an agent of theirs will come.
by u/drakir7
Other organizations
The brewmaster monasteries
The brewmaster monasteries are famous throughout Tevastra, although the location of only one is widely known. The monks of this order follow a belief system more philosophical than spiritual, and respect the gods but do not worship them. There are said to be four of these monasteries, each venerating a different element and brewing a different alcohol. The fire monastery distills an unsurprisingly scorching whiskey which is said to keep a naked man warm in the heart of a blizzard. The earth monastery brews a stout dark as night and rich with minerals, using water from a well that goes deep below the surface. The wind monastery distills a sweet, floral spirit which is as clear as the air itself. It is said that the spirit is flavoured by a flower which grows only at the top of a high windswept cliff. The locations of these three monasteries is not exactly known, as the monks show up at cities to peddle their wares but make great efforts to not be followed back to where they came from. The water monastery is different, as they make no effort to hide their location (the west coast of Jullandy) and are friendly to outsiders. Therefore, more is known about them:The monks of the water monastery’s training is focused on movement and avoidance. Under the guidance of Brewmaster Andor, who is said in legend to have walked through a storm without touching a raindrop, the monks of the water monastery practice fighting through avoidance. Largely a pacifist order within the way of the Drunken Master, they opt to resolve conflict by avoiding blows, escaping out of reach, and repeating until their foe is too exhausted to continue. The Monastery itself is at first difficult to tell if it’s a Tavern, Distillery, or Monastery. A large Wooden Square structure with a central clearing open to the sky used by the monks to train. Large casks of fermenting Port are stacked in some of the storerooms of the outer structure. The Monks brew a beverage akin to Port, using a subset of grapes descended from the same grapes that gave rose to those commonly grown in Khascia, but long ago moved further to the coast and selectively grown over generations to allow it to grow in the saltier soil due to its proximity to the Sea. The saltier soil imparts a slight salty taste in the finished drink. The process of growing the grapes is labor-intensive for the monks, being fed water from two sources. First, with river water from the western tear, representing the travel of water from the mountain and its unimpeded passage through the Gray Forest and giving the Port an earthy, woody flavour. This water is carried by the monks from the river to the monastery. The second source is sea water, which must be processed as to not kill the plants. The raw sea water is placed in large open vats, then boiled over fire. The escaping steam is believed by the monks to contain the Sea’s Ki (Likely more symbolic, with the monk’s comparing the rhythmic tides of the Sea to a living creature breathing), and a copper/bronze sheet is slanted overtop so that the steam condenses and is collected. This less salty, “Ki-containing” water is used to grow the grapes. The Grapes are mashed, then fermented, with alcohol added to stop the fermenting process and preserve the sugar in the final beverage. It is aged in wooden casks. The finished drink, “Two-left feet Port” is a strong, golden-brown Port Wine, with earthy and slightly salty flavour, and finishing sweet. -Kevin Gunther
by Jayson Porte
The Priesthood of the Scorched Empress
The Priesthood is as much a religious organization as a political one. All tieflings are a part of it, and Al-Muzhar is ruled by a theocracy. The Priesthood worships Cobala, the Scorched Empress, even since her apparent demise at the hands of the Saviour Twins. Members wield fire magic to enforce their will upon the citizens of their city and perform dark rituals within the depths of their ruined temples. The exact nature of their beliefs and practices are known only to the tieflings. The half-orc mercenaries of Al-Muzhar also worship the Scorched Empress, but with less fervor than their tiefling masters, as the half-orcs have their own primal gods.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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