Wyrmhold Religion
Like the Council, the Dynasty's religious life is split among the three major cultural groups. Dragonborn are the most conventionally religious, while goblins are the least.
Religion among the dragon clans
The religious habits of the dragonborn are mixed. For those who grew up in the harsh lands of the Kairen Mountains, religion is about ritual. Those who immigrated with the host from the Council Lands as adults still largely keep to the ways of the mystery cults, but that has largely died out by 250 AC. Neither group pays more than passing attention to kami or ascended heroes. The race is too young for these stories to be strong, and their artificial origin has left them a bit disconnected from the spirits of nature.
Each clan, while accepting all of the Congregation, associates themselves with a smaller number of Congregants and demigods, called the clan’s lares.
Religion as Ritual
Those that concern themselves mostly with ritual believe that deeds are more important than thoughts. Specifically, the Congregation is to be worshiped through exact ritual patterns, the performance of which with sincere intent brings a connection to the gods and thus blessings. Thus, exact religious observances and laws are learned and followed. This learning of deontologias (codes of conduct) and teletourgia (ceremonial practices) relating to the lares is a mandatory part of children’s schooling. Reading and writing are learned in this context. Often this is the only formal schooling a non-noble will have. Conducted by the Dydaskalos, the priest/schoolmaster for the clan, this involves repetition, memorization, recitation, and harsh discipline until its learned at the subconscious level.
Each of the lares are divided into several groups: lares major (the two divinities who form the focus of the family’s worship), lares minor (the 3-6 divinities that play supporting roles), and the lares inimicii (those 2-4 divinities that are considered enemies or foils for the lares major). These divisions are based on tradition and esotericism and so are not consistent from clan to clan (or even within families of a clan).
Normally, the teletourgia are broken into two types: public ceremonies and private observances. Ceremonies are ritual sacrifices or performances (depending on the lare in question) performed at a day and time set aside for that deity. Lares major have weekly (collective) ceremonies, lares minor have seasonal ceremonies, and lares inimicii have a single day devoted to them collectively (the Day of Appeasement). Each clan considers different days holy, so in a multi-clan city like Lyodnoir every day might be sacred to someone and the same god might be worshiped on every day. When a Day of Appeasement falls on a holy day, that day is considered “cursed” and no business can be conducted that day for those whose clan it is.
Observances are done to one of the lares to whom the individual or family feels most connected—they involve night and/or morning ablutions, meal-time rituals, even things said or done when one enters certain buildings or performs certain tasks. These vary wildly between individuals and are developed by family tradition or individual inspiration.
For the main clans, here is a list of the lares major and lares inimicii with their holy days in parentheses.
| Clan | Lares Major (Holy Day) | Lares Inimicii (Day of Appeasement) |
|---|---|---|
| Anu | Korokonolkom, Ytra (Seventh-day) | Kela-Loran, Pinwheel (23 Harvest II) |
| Byarsh | Lon-Ka, Aerielara (Third-day) | Roel Kor, Ytra (19 Growth) |
| Gal | Roel Kor, Tor Elan (First-day) | Pinwheel, Hollow King (27 Icy Breath) |
| Khor | Pinwheel, Yogg-Maggus (Second-day) | Korokonolkom, Tor-Elan (18 Warming) |
| Shakti | Aerielara, Melara (Eighth-day) | Hollow King, Selesurala (1 High Dark) |
| Syra | Sakara, Loran Hae (Fourth-day) | Selesurala, Lae Loara (15 Onslaught) |
Dragonborn clerics, divine soul (and other) sorcerers, and celestial warlocks are quite common and respected. Dragonborn also tend toward the Oaths of a paladin more than most. They are not generally drawn to the arcane or the druidic magics.
Religion Among the Orcish Tribes
To the orcs of Wyrmhold, the Congregation is but one of many Powers that should be venerated, and not the most important. Orc tribes tend to first focus on their ancestors by making ritual (or animal) sacrifices to them in times of need, celebration or solemnity. Then they appease the kami through their shamans. Certain of the Congregation are held in similar esteem—they more seek to avoid the wrath of the gods rather than seeking their aid.
Orcish clerics are rare, as are divine soul sorcerers. They tend to the bardic, shamanistic, and druidic arts more than anything.
Religion Among the Goblins
Goblins treat religion like they do technology, fashion, and most other things. As something to experiment with. As a source of fads. Systematic worship is not something they do very much (although individuals differ). Others complain that they worship with their heads, not their hearts. They’ll mix and match prayers and rituals, keeping the parts that seem to work (for a while) and dropping the others. As religious power depends on faith, this mostly doesn’t work.
As for what they worship, they’ll worship anything and everything. They don’t usually have their own ancestors to venerate or tell stories of, but they’ll worship someone else’s ancestors, the local kami, gods, demigods, or random things people make up. “Selling an icon to a goblin” is an idiom much akin to taking candy from a baby, something trivial and a bit shameful.
Most goblin magic, therefore, is based around the arcane (or occasionally the shamanistic arts). Bards are particularly common, with most of the tribal shamans really using words and rhythms to influence their people rather than clerical or druidic magic. With the birth of technological magic (the savants and artificers), many goblins are turning that way for power.
Multi-racial Churches
Since the fall of the Hungering Frost, the religious aspirations of the people have changed. As a partial result, there have arisen cults, sects, and other religious organizations that cross racial and cultural lines.
- The Breath of the Sun -- Dedicated to Tor Elan, this is a militant organization centered around the Dawnspire, a fortress, monastery, and armed camp outside of Lyodanoir into the mountains.
