As in most medieval cultures, religion is a major factor in the common man's life on The Heartwood. It provides a person with a place in the world, and a set of values, morals, or ethics to live by. It provides an institution where one can find shelter and comfort. Religion answers many of the disturbing questions about how the world works: where did I come from, what is my purpose in the world, and what happens to me when I die? The Heartwood's Gods watch over Their followers and unlike the real world, They sometimes answer when Their followers call on Them.
The typical inhabitant of The Heartwood is a member of one of the many cults; they believe and practice the teachings of a particular Deity.
The common person, however, seldom rises above the position of a lay member. Their responsibilities are simple, usually just attending the proper ceremonies and saying their prayers at the correct intervals.
It is only when one decides to become an Initiate of a cult that one learns the true secrets and powers of a particular God. In exchange for dedication, the Initiate acquires spiritual enlightenment and temporal power.
But to be initiated into a cult necessitates that one must follow the tenets and beliefs of that cult.
And the Gods of The Heartwood are very jealous.
The cults of the Heartwood derive from a common history. All cults tell of the Time before Time, of an infinite World Forest. But this primal world was broken; powers known and unknown fought strange and weird battles. It was during these struggles that the first tales of those who were to join The Heartwood's various pantheons arose.
These new Deities were those heroes who taught mortal folk to survive the chaos of the Shattering. Each Deity had their special talent or path that, when followed, created a means to live through those first wars. War Gods taught that you could survive through strength, Healers taught how to cure the war's ills, and Sneaky Gods taught how to survive by preying on others, and so on. Each particular cult teaches their mysteries concerning that time.
At this time, there are three basic pantheons on The Heartwood.
The Imperial Court is comprised of the four Deities worshiped by the Bankorpool Empire. Because of the dominance and popular support of the Bankorpool Empire on the mainland, the Imperial Court is not only the state religion but the backbone of The Heartwood's common culture.
The Imperial Court is a civilizing force, which is aptly mirrored by the growth and strength of its Empire.
(rom-mas)
Lord Rames is the foundation of the Imperial Court. His rule is that of Law and Order. While He does not create the laws by which man must live, it is Lord Rames who enforces these laws and protects all who live by them. To be a lay member of this cult is fairly simple: be honest in your life and be fair in your dealings with others. Most of the inhabitants of The Heartwood are lay members who follow Lord Rames.
The cult is known to have two distinct branches. The most visible are the Knights and Squires of Rames. They are the chivalry of The Heartwood. These men are said to protect the weak and helpless, to uphold the laws of the land, and to live by a strict code of honor. The Knights of Rames are, to put it simply, heroes.
The other branch looks out for the spiritual welfare of the community; they are the Fathers and Brothers of Rames. It is rare to see them far from their cathedral, where they look over their flock and teach both the commoner and the Knights how to live better under the rule of the Imperial Court.
The Knights of Rames teach the martial arts, such as sword fighting and shield work. They also tend to teach some of the nobler of life's skills, from riding to the courtly arts. Their magics tend towards those that enhance their battle skills. Certain weapons and spells are prohibited for their use — such as the bow — because they are considered unchivalrous.
(hass-tur)
Where Lord Rames protects and enforces the Imperial Court's Laws, it is Lord Hastur who writes these Laws. He is the Lawgiver and Judge of The Heartwood. Like Lord Rames, His cult has two major facets.
The first and perhaps the most respected and feared are the Justices. These are the priests who interpret the laws of the Bankorpool Empire and sit as judge when those laws are broken. It is said that the decision of a Judge of Hastur is always true. It may be lacking in mercy, but it is always just and true. The Justices of Hastur also have the annoying habit of investigating the plaintiff, as well as the accused.
The second facet of this cult is the Eyes of Hastur. These are scholarly types who wander the mainland collecting information. This knowledge eventually finds its way into the Great Law Libraries of Hastur, for one cannot make a good judgment without knowing all pertinent information. It is said that the Eyes of Hastur look at everything, from obscure farm techniques to the dark practices of the Pagans themselves.
This cult is known to provide instruction for most knowledge-based skills and is one of the few dependable institutions that teach reading and writing. Magic tends to be along the lines of information gathering. Some martial training is given, usually with the cooperation of Lord Rames. There are no lay members of this cult.
(a-tair-a)
Lady Attera is the Goddess of healing and mercy, and is justly the most beloved Goddess worshiped on the mainland. It is said that there is no hurt She cannot heal, no poison She cannot abate, and no soul She cannot return to the world.
A Lady of Attera may never hurt nor bring harm to another. They may carry no weapons, but they usually have little to fear: harming a Lady of Attera not only damns the aggressor, but brings down the wrath of all those who respect Her arts.
Lady Attera provides a place for the women of the Bankorpool Empire. Even then, it is quite obvious that She is the least of the Imperial Court. However, even though She is looked down upon by the Lords of the Imperial Court, She is the most welcomed by the common people, both Imperial and Pagan alike.
Lady Attera teaches all of the healing arts. Both magical and skill based healing is open to Her Initiates. While Her followers cannot use any form of weapon, Her chosen are the only ones who can even attempt to return someone from the dead.
(jag-nar)
Lord Jagnar is the Dark Lord of the Imperial Court. He is their Death God and is rumored to be the One who escorts souls to the cold icy hells of His domain. Officially, this is an outlawed cult. It holds a strange position in the Empire: while the Imperial beliefs cannot acquiesce to the worship of a Death God, they have to acknowledge that death is one of the facts of life.
It is also said that the followers of Jagnar can be convinced to escort a soul earlier than perhaps the other Gods expected. Those marked for such an honor and early death often wake up with a red scarf on their pillow.
If this cult could be found, it would probably be very secretive and teach such skills as hiding and skulking. It probably would teach a diverse array of martial arts, and have access to magic that would help in killing quickly and silently.
Technically by Imperial Law, any cult that is not of the Imperial Court is considered a Pagan cult. As such, to follow one is to bring on one of the more brutal punishments of the Bankorpool Empire: to burn at the stake.
Traditionally, the Pagan cults are those that were worshiped on the mainland before the coming of the Bankorpool Empire. These older Gods make up the second major pantheon on The Heartwood. They tend to be less of a civilizing force, being more closely tied to the earth and the elements that make up the world.
While outlawed, and with the fear of fire looming over their followers, the worship of these Pagan Gods still occurs on The Heartwood. The truth of the matter is that the Imperial forces are spread a little bit thinner than they would care to admit. Thus, there exist situations in which the Pagan cults fulfill a need or occupy a social and/or political niche to the point that it would become unwise to make any attempt to purge them. This usually occurs either at the fringes of Imperial influence or lost deep in the wilds of the High Tarn. To fully eradicate the Pagan worship on The Heartwood would throw the mainland into a long and bloody war. The Empire realizes these facts and, in certain cases, tolerates the presence of Pagans under their gaze. This does not, however, give the Pagan cults much influence or power, or even security. The Pagan followers are tolerated only as long as they do not draw undo attention to themselves. Indeed, most Pagans are very good citizens of the Empire. They know that if they step the slightest bit out of line, no matter for right or wrong, the Empire will treat them as a Pagan. And, as such, their future would be only fit for firewood.
(con-ish)
Khannish is the Lord of the Hunt. The Hunt, therefore, provides the focus for His way of life. In the backwoods villages of the High Tarn, the Hunters of Khannish often serve to provide meat, hides, and other items garnered from the result of a Hunt. These other items might include bone tools or jewelry. They are famous for their training of the great snarkhounds, half-wild hunting dogs that can track better than a normal man. He is one of the more provincial of the older Gods, but in the cult's simplicity, it is one of the most feared.
To a follower of Khannish, all life is but a great Hunt, and the worst thing to be is prey. The Hunters of Khannish are the predators of the mainland.
This cult specializes in the bow, and all hunting and tracking skills. The magic available to them is definitely along those same lines. They also are taught to raise and train snarkhounds. They are, however, rather jealous of their skills and do not tell their secrets to outsiders.
(rish-a)
Risha is the Lady of the Harvest, that of Fertility and Birth. She is very closely tied to the ground and the earth. Her followers tend to be outlying farmers who depend on Her for the crops they grow. In the more civilized places, Her worship is seen as vulgar and barbaric and Her followers are often ridiculed.
Risha specializes in the farming arts, plant lore, and healing.
Note: This cult is not recommended for player characters, as it will definitely limit any player development. The majority of Risha's followers are tied to one particular farm on the mainland and can only rarely travel.
(krist-ah)
Cold Lady Krysta is the Pagan Goddess of the Dead. Little is known about the secrets of this cult, save that Her followers are adept at the manipulation of darkness and in the end, all souls belong to Her.
Before the coming of the Bankorpool Empire, this cult served as the dispenser of the final justice. Krysta's lords are The Heartwood's executioners. At times, even the Lords of Hastur use their services, to let a Pagan bloody their hands rather than a pure Imperial. Her priestesses watch over the souls of the dead.
Krysta is said to teach the skills of the executioner's ax, and magics that work within the black and cold world that Krysta rules. It is said that Krysta's children can call out for aid, and harness the dark messengers of death.
(jiv-rill)
Jvrill is the Warrior God of The Heartwood. It is said that He was one of the first to stand against the Chaos Lords. The purpose of this cult is to fight. It is that simple.
There are two forms of the worship of Jvrill.
Often claiming to be the only true manner of dedication to Jvrill, this is the older form of worship. The followers of Old Jvrill are few and far between, and this is often considered a blessing by the other folk of the land.
Old Jvrill's worship has but one law: only the strong survive. As such, they are often portrayed as dangerous, barbaric murderers. In actuality, they tend to be simple, strong, and secure in the knowledge of their strength. And while they may wander the world in search of conflict, it is not done for purely emotional gratification. They are deadly serious about their views. But they do have a particular weakness: they see in the Chaos of the East a foe who is strong but laughs at straight minded determination. Their feud with the East is famous and has lead to many a rash and foolish Jvrillian death.
The cult of Old Jvrill teaches all of the martial arts except the use of missile weapons. They teach the making and magicking of wode, a blue dye that can block harm like strong armor.
(the Mercenary Guild)
The worship of New Jvrill is the maturation of Jvrill, the Warrior God. The cult temple is the home of professional soldiers. Where it could be said that Lord Rames stresses heroics and Old Jvrill strength and dedication, the New Jvrillians stress pragmatism.
The organization of this cult is that of the Mercenary Troop. Individual Jvrillians can also be found, selling their swords as personal guards, as couriers, or to accomplish a specific task. They care not who they fight; others can determine the where and why. It is said that the New Jvrillians live and die by their Contracts.
New Jvrill teaches all of the martial arts and magics.
(mah-renn-nen)
He is the Lord of Merchants and like the mercenary bands, many of the merchants guilds of The Heartwood center on the temples of Marrennen. The secret to success in this cult is to succeed as a merchant. And yet not all of this cult's activities are completely self-centered. The cult is also one of the major distributors of information across The Heartwood. More reliable news is passed by caravans than the rare minstrel or courier. The Merchants of Marrennen were also responsible for most of the exploration and discovery of new lands in their search for new trade routes.
This is a fairly common cult in the regions in and around the Black Mountains. There is a dark side to this cult, however. While many of Marrennen's followers are good, honest people, it is said that this cult has old ties with Khol, God of Thieves.
The cult of Marrennen teaches skills of trading and exploration. The cult also ensures that a member knows a craft or trade. It does teach reading and writing to their more promising traders. The spells tend towards those used for information gathering.
(coal)
Khol is the God of Thieves, of those who live off the profits of others. The Thieves Guild is the church of Khol, and they hunt freelance thieves with a fervor that would make a Hunter of Khannish smile. It is a secret cult, not often found in public; its members sometimes have entire lives built up to cover less than honest activities.
The Thieves of Khol do not have a secure place in society. In some areas, the practice of removing the hand of a thief has yet to disappear. Khol teaches that thievery is not bad...
...but getting caught is.
This cult is rumored to have ties to that of Marrennen, but is it not to be expected? For what is a merchant but a legalized thief?
The cult of Khol teaches the skills thieves need to survive. These include skills from sneaking to the mechanics of complex locks. The cult teaches just enough fighting to keep one alive because even if you get caught, it won't be for long... for they've probably bought a local sheriff or two.
The third of the common pantheons is that of the East itself. The Easterners have four Deities to which they dedicate their souls and actions. Each of the four Eastern Deities has an Avatar, one who represents Their presence in the world. These four are known as the Sunset Riders. Indeed, no one ever speaks those two particular words, for it is said that They hear when that name is called. Then They will come to investigate, leaving nothing but death in Their tracks.
The four young Gods of the East are:
(mare-in)
Marin, symbolized by a single bloody red arrow, is also a Warrior God. He, however, does not revel in the life of the sword, but in the simple and pure carnage that war brings. The followers of Marin are marked by a bloody red scarf tight around their necks. It is said that if one wishes to become an Initiate all he has to do is slit his throat and then call upon Lord Marin.
If Lord Marin is pleased, the Initiate receives his bloody scarf. If Marin desires a bit of carnage, the hopeful would-be Initiate dies, choking in his own blood.
(dee-at-ta)
With no symbol but mottled clothing, Dieata is the Lord of Pestilence and Disease. His cult lives and is knowingly damned for the spread of sickness in the world. It is said that Dieata has killed more souls than all the swords in The Heartwood throughout all the Ages.
(fore-lal)
Marked by a pale brown disc, Lord Forlal is the bane of farmers and the poor. He is the Master of Famine and Drought, and where He walks the ground is parched and barren. He has few followers who survive for long.
(pal-lin-ate)
Palinate is the Lord of the Faceless Undead. He is an abomination to one of the most basic Laws of the world: He does not let the dead rest. Not only does He use these lost souls to extend His influence, but those who join Him willingly are the core of His church. Of all the four, Palinate is the hardest to defeat, for how can you kill that which is already dead?
Note: Considering the location in which the majority of the game is going to be played and the people of these lands, it is very probable that any player who chooses to follow these Gods will have an unbearably short lifespan.
Three other religious or magic-using institutions exist on The Heartwood. Sorcerers and the Witches of the Coven both hold a special place. Both of these groups share a common fundamental element of fear. Both are perversions of the natural order. Thus, anyone caught practicing these arts brings down the fear of their neighbors. In a simple society, this fear often manifests itself in blind violence. Then the nighttime bonfires reach out to starry skies. Sorcerers and the Coven are not tolerated as the other Pagan cults might be.
At the opposite extreme are the Spirit Cults. These extremely small and simple beliefs are hardly bothered because they are not taken very seriously at all.
Sorcerers are perhaps the most feared and hated of all groups on The Heartwood. They are known to perform magics and to call great powers without the aid of any God or Spirit.
It is said that this is the magic practiced by the East.
Thus, there are few known sorcerers on the mainland. Western sorcerers tend to come in two types. The first are young and inexperienced, but secure in their superiority over mere peasants. These always end up as fuel for the nighttime fires. The second type is much more reserved. He is the Sorcerer that has acquired so much power that he can walk the lands without fear, stronger than any man or Knight that might stand against him.
The Second Age was dominated by the Great Coven, and all the tales that reached this Third Age are nightmare legends of sacrifices and bizarre Pagan rites. It is said that the Witches held dominance over the World itself, bending its elements to their whim and call. The Horned God mastered all that was green and grew from the Earth, while his Mistress played with all that lived and breathed.
As with Sorcerers, this represents a threat to the foundation of the world. The Coven could turn Nature Herself against those who might stand in their path.
Spirit Cults are the least form of worship on The Heartwood. Some of those people who live on lost farms of the High Tarn backwoods still give their devotion to the Spirits they say permeate The Heartwood. With the dominance of the major Gods, those who worship Spirits are often looked down on as simple peasants who just don't know better.
What the Spirit Cults do offer is a bit more freedom and variety than the divine religions. A Spirit cult follower is allowed much greater leeway in how they live because a Spirit cannot afford to lose any worshipper. For this reason, the Spirit puts fewer demands on Their devotees. And there are a great many different Spirits on The Heartwood. Thus, it is often possible to find One that can fit personal desires.
Spirit Cults usually do not have enough members to offer training in skills. These cults do teach magic, however, but this varies from cult to cult, for each Spirit can only teach what they know.
These are the common cults on The Heartwood. However, it should be realized that these are not the only cults of the world. Others exist, to be discovered by experience or by personal insight. There are many clues to the other possible cults buried within these documents.
Players who choose to follow any cult will be given a much more in-depth description of their cult. Remember, the inner workings of all cults are that cult's teachings. The descriptions, both the narrative and this more straightforward listing, only give the common view of that cult.
The next important fact is that it is not imperative that a player be a member of a cult. On the positive side, a cult member does get a better set of skills (from cult training), a place to learn magic, and a determined and measurable way to advance in the world. Cults can provide companionship, aid, and shelter. But the cults also give the player a set of values, morals, and ethics to live by. And they are bound by this.
The Gods tend to get very angry at Their followers who stray from the proper path. And on The Heartwood Their wrath can become manifest in the world.
A player who chooses not to follow a cult does not get most of the starting benefits that such a believer obtains. But such an independent character has a different kind of advantage. The independent adventurer has freedom — the freedom to act as he or she wills, to travel with whom they please, and to learn any skill or magic that passes their way.
As these descriptions indicate, there is the possibility that many cults or magical systems do not get along very well. Within the party, it is possible — even likely — that two of the players may end up with opposing cults. It is the players' responsibility to come to terms with this fact. Characters cannot develop when the players are killing each other off. There are many reasons and rationales for why characters with opposing viewpoints can learn to coexist.
Players choosing cults that are not in favor also have the additional burden of keeping their cult secret, lest they inadvertently turn the entire world against them. The easiest solution to this is not to draw attention to one's self. Careful actions can be the key to survival, in this case. By saying that you belong to a Spirit cult, a good cover is often provided for a less acceptable cult affiliation... because no one will take you seriously.
The last note is very simple. If you have any questions concerning belonging to a cult, or not belonging to a cult, please ask.
...about any cult, real or rumored.