Religion

Religion and the gods play a major role in the world of Xentaria. One of the core principles of this world is duality which you will find in many faiths, symbolisms or even in the landscape itself. Fire and ice, light and dark, life and death - all concepts that influence the word greatly. This can also be seen in the gods themselves, especially in the old gods.

The Old Gods

The old gods were the only gods before the age of heroes. Nearly every race has their own and in most cases there are only two for each species. Usually each race has a male and female god who have opposing personalities, attributes and looks. They are worshipped by most members of their races, or at least accepted as the divine powers that protect the mortals here on Xentaria. Rarely is it seen that a member of another race worships an old god they don’t belong to. They also usually resemble the looks of the race they are worshiped by. Even today they still get a lot of respect from people, but their status has definitely declined. Each race handles their worship differently as well. While Humans for example believe that their gods are divine beings in a realm far away who watch over the world through their clerics and other servants, the Aarakocra think of the gods as beings who possess members of their tribes and therefore walk among the living until their mortal bodies die and they become reincarnated. It is very common for clerics or religious people to worship both gods of their race at the same time, or to switch between them depending on situation and necessity. They might be drawn to a certain aspect of a god more than to others, but the dualistic nature of the world makes it very easy to pray to multiple deities. Even the most educated of religious researchers don’t know about all the old gods of each race and their many symbolisms, rites and customs. However a short list of the old gods of the most far reaching races can be seen here.

Humans

It is believed that the Human gods live in a far realm and watch over their people through clerics and priests. They don’t always tend to the matters of the mortal realm, but that is only because of their incredible responsibility to watch over other worlds and beings. Someone who keeps to their faith and truly devotes themselves to their god will always get help and answers. It just might take longer than one hoped for.

Xestus is the male god of the human pantheon. He is generally depicted as a pale thin person with bull-like horns and grey skin. He wears light silky robes that change their appearance and color constantly. In some art he also carries a whip. Xestus represents the ever adaptive and changing nature of Humans. People pray to him if they want to improve their lives, adapt to new situations or hope for change. He is considered a neutral god who will do whatever it takes to protect his disciples. The symbol used by most of his followers is a golden grinning mask.

Cugtia is the female god of the human pantheon. She is usually depicted as a proud warrior with a hammer and heavy armor. She has golden wings and wears a white hood. She is considered to be stoic, emotionless and powerful. Knowledge and wisdom are her key attributes which is why she is often prayed to by wizards or historians. People who believe that there is one truth out there for everything in life are automatically drawn to her. As she is considered the opposite of Xestus, people tend to pray to her to keep things as they are. The rich and happy people thank her for her help and for keeping them safe. A hammer or a sun are most often used as symbols to depict or worship her.

Dwarves

The dwarven gods are believed to have walked the earth many centuries ago, not unlike the so-called new gods. They were mere mortals, but with their incredible powers they shaped the dwarven kingdoms and helped their people get to glory. While they died a long time ago, the pure belief in them is what gives their worshippers their powers and abilities. It is even said that the graves of the two old gods are somewhere hidden in the world of Xentaria, but the location has been lost since the ‘war of ice and fire’.

Jorrur is the male god of the dwarven pantheon. He is small in stature, even for a dwarf and usually drawn with a full beard, a small hammer and many tools for smithing or mining on his back. Carrying a lantern and a grim look on his face he is worshipped by all who embrace the stoic, proud, courageous, and tradition-based nature of their people. Miners, smiths, workers all flog around the tales of his deeds, which mostly tell of how he defeated mighty foes or found great treasures in the earth. He is considered a mighty god who helps everyone who works hard and stays true to the old ways of the dwarves. Hammers, pickaxes, and lanterns are all symbols that are used in his name.

Kukeatalyn is the female god of the dwarven pantheon. In direct contrast to her male counterpart Kukeatalyn has a joyful expression on her face. She wears a light dancing dress and no shoes. She has long flowing white hair and is never seen without a mug in her hand; she represents the feast-loving, bottle-downing side of her people. As a motherly figure, she also stands for nurture, family, and love to the clan. Therefore, you will never miss her name or prayers to her at any big dwarven celebration, clan gathering, or even political affair. The mug, a keg, or other drinking related items usually are represented as her symbols.

Elves

The elves believe that they were separated from their gods and their original homeland through “the fission”. After the end of the third age and the appearance of the ‘elven lunacy’, many turned away from the old gods altogether. Only very few elves even remember the names of these older gods and those who do rarely have anything kind to say about them. There are however a handful of the elder race that still believe in the power of these older deities and who think that there is a way back into the Feywild, ultimately leading to a way to remove the curse of the elves.

Orcs

Orcs' religion varies highly from tribe to tribe. Some fear their old gods and come up with great rites and customs to appease them in difficult times. Others believe that they can conjure the rage of their gods through combat or warfare. And some tribes have let go of the old gods altogether. There is no common ground among the tribes where the gods actually come from or what they do, so to learn more about orcish religion means to dive deep into the world of local shaman lore.

While in most other species the pair of old gods are quite different from each other in the orcish pantheon they seem quite similar and complement one another.

Borba is the goddess of the Orc pantheon. She has the look of a scary witch about her. Swamp-like green skin, long sharp fingernails, crazy brown hair that winds up towards the sky and many skull-shaped trinkets and talismans around her belt and neck. She encompasses the fury and rage of the Orc race. Fury towards other species, fury towards injustice and mostly fury towards the weak. Many people fear her, because it is said that if she catches a glimpse of you she will not rest until you either prove yourself worthy to her or until you are dead. Borba is mostly worshiped by people who felt like a great injustice was done to them or by ones who want revenge. Her symbol is either a greenish skull or a pair of fletched fangs.

Yugug is the male god of the Orc pantheon. He is portrayed as a giant of an Orc with brick red skin and two massiv hammers in his hands. With a bare chest and very little armor he has an expression of hate and animosity on his face. For that’s the emotion he represents most of all. Even though every tribe has its own story about the gods, one thing nearly all agree upon; Yugug and Borba are siblings that fuel each other. The luckiest Orcs are the ones who are blessed by both of these deities, while those who anger them will not find a safe place in the world anymore. Yugug is worshipped by people going to war, especially if it is against one of the many hated races of the Orcs. He is represented by a symbolic fist or a weapon coloured in red.

Aarakocra

The Aarakocra believe their gods to be living among them in the world of Xentaria. They think that once the mortal form of the god dies they will be reincarnated into another bird. Once the new mortal form is found it will be brought to one of two hidden places in the world from where these gods rule and advise. No member of another species is ever allowed to lay eyes on one of their deities and the location of the hidden temples in which the gods are kept safe is a well kept mystery that only the oldest and most powerful of clerics know. There is however the ‘winged pilgrimage’. A hard and long journey across all temples devoted to the two gods. The high priest in each temple will have a task for the traveler and only if it is done to his satisfaction will he give a clue to the location of the hidden temples. Only very few aarakocra even attempted this journey and even fewer succeeded.

Riaci is the goddess of the Aarakocra. Since only very few mortals have ever seen her and she is reborn every thirty years or so there are not a lot of descriptions of her and Aarakocra are not famous for their imaginative art. However legends say that she supposedly wears golden armor and a thin crown covering her beak and head. Riaci incorporates peace and freedom. She has a calm and diplomatic nature about her and makes sure her people are safe from the harm of the world. In times of war, or when one of the cities of the Aarakocra are in peril from other races, she will send out her clerics to negotiate treaties. The symbolisms surrounding her are usually white birds or wings.

Ziaww is the male god of the Aarakocra. He, too, is rarely depicted in art or icons, but for unknown reasons the color blue is associated with him. He is believed to wear blue robes and is also able to change his wings in this tint. He represents the more sinister, larcenous nature of the Aarakocra. He loves gold, gems and all other treasure and expects his followers to give him regular offerings of such. He is worshipped by those with similar lust for riches, like traders, merchants, juweliers or adventurers. Oftentimes Riaci has to be the one to save her people from troubles that Ziaww got them into. Pictures of blue sapphire is his common symbol, but you can sometimes even see real sapphires being used as such.

Yuan-Ti Pureblood

Unlike many other races the Yuan-ti only have one god and worship her even more then the new gods. They believe that their goddess created all of them and made them stronger as a people. Only through her help did they survive the ‘war of ice and fire’. Not unlike the Aarakocra the Yuan-ti also has a hidden place where they believe their deity to live in the mortal realm. Deep in the Lizard’s jungle a temple is hidden where people go to if they need help or guidance. Unlike the bird people however it is a much more common practise to visit this site. Many who go there never return, because whoever is not worthy will need to serve in the temple for all eternity and can’t leave anymore.

Shuduh is the serpent goddess of the Yuan-ti. She is believed to be a gigantic cobra with arms and a womanlike shape of her upper body. Many people report of her beauty and scary persona, but only the most devoted of her people are ever allowed to see her in full light. Shuduh is a prideful, presumptuous woman who will have high demands for those who pray to her. She is also known to give her people great rewards and is able to transform them to more snakelike Yuan-ti shapes. It is said that every once in a while, when she feels like her people need help, she will mate with one of her devotees, giving them godlike powers to walk the earth until the danger is gone. The last known person who had the pleasure of this bond was the new god Yukxax. Her symbol is always a curled up snake.

The New Gods

The new gods are heroes that rose to power in the Age of Revenge. They were mere mortals who overcame the odds and became more powerful than anyone before them. Everybody knows their names today, even though they are not equally celebrated. It is very common that certain people praise the heroes that came from their own races and look down on those who aren’t. But it is rare that people don’t at least show a certain level of respect when one of their names is mentioned. Each of the new gods is associated with one or multiple terms, like life or death. For some of the heroes history clearly states why they are connected to these, but for others it is harder to tell and some people believe that they were just given these terms long after their deaths to make it easier to pray to them. Later in their lives most of them also rode a dragon to battle. Some of these mighty creatures fell in the war of ice and fire. Others live until today but are hidden from the cities and towns of the world. Not all the names of the dragons are known, but some show equal respect towards these creatures than to the heroes.

Some individuals believe that the gods never truly died and that the burial chambers that were raised in their memories are just empty places to give people a place to pray. There are many theories about how the heroes went to another realm, or how they just flew up to the heavens to watch over the mortals. However, their appearance changed the world of Xentaria forever. The following list names all the thirteen heroes and what races they came from. Every hero however has their own tale and historical significance which only historians or high priests know of.

Sionia is probably the most famous and worshipped of the heroes. Being the elven woman who united the new gods and the dragons in the war of ice and fire, everyone knows her tale. The young girl, not even 50 years old, set out to fight the evil powers in the world and met a wounded mist dragon called Eorgeiss. Being well versed in the arcane arts she helped heal him. It is said that he in regards introduced her to Mextragon, the leader of the dragons and so the first pact between the elves and the dragons was formed.

Nowadays the girl is considered the goddess of nature and the wilds. Druids, friends of animals and rangers pray to her for protection and good prey. Her skin was white and she had a childlike nature to her. People sometimes travel to her grave in Caellin and put down flowers, a symbol used by her clerics, in her honor.

Ika is probably the second most loved of the new gods. He was the one who struck the killing blow to the mighty demon lord Dornoth and ended the wars of the third age. This swift Arrakocra battled with the fiend for many hours, getting help from other soldiers and dragons. Until finally his spear pierced the heavy armor of the demon and brought him down. The bird people are very proud of their part in this war and today Ika is also considered the god of bravery. Whenever someone is in dire need of a little bid of courage, they will send a short prayer to Ika to help them out.

Since in his most glorious moment the Arrakocra was already 40 years old, a very high age for a bird person, he looked very tousled but still brave and strong. His wings were supposed to be 6 feet wide and his glance could intimidate the meanest fiend. The location of his grave is unknown, but many people believe it is in one of the secret temples of the Aarakocra. However there are many shrines in his name, filled with symbols of winged swords.

Svalen is considered the god of freedom. This human warrior united a lot of his kind during the days of the wars and helped organise the tribes and clans. Maybe his association with freedom comes from his deed in freeing some of the humans of the evil influence of the demons. Fact is however that nearly every prisoner, slave or otherwise captured person will have sent many prayers towards him. While he also rode a dragon into battle, his name was forgotten. He is buried in the city of Cascia, a place where many believe his body should be moved from, because of the slave market in the Empire. A raised fist symbolises a person's belief in the new god.

Ilred is one of the most elusive and rarely mentioned new gods. Her demonic appearance makes her hated by a lot of people, but some, mainly the Tieflings, are drawn to her because of that. History tells that Ilred was once an important general in the army of Dornoth. For unknown reasons she switched sides in the war and started working as a double agent for the dragons. It was her tactical input that made it possible to defeat the demon armies. Today she is mostly seen as the goddess of trickery. Thieves, spies and other people of the underground worship her, but open prayer is a rare sight. Why would an honorable person praise a god of trickery after all? It is not quite clear if Ilred was a full demon or had some human blood running through her veins, but her appearance does remind one of the Tiefling race. A long tail, big red horns and a fiery skin colour makes her appear vicious to those who are not used to demonic creatures. In the thieves guild she is sometimes symbolized as a mask, split in two halfs. One black, one white.

Cascia, while only loved by few, still is known by everyone. She is the only goddess whose family tree can be tracked until today and one of her human ancestors, Emperor Victor II, sits on the throne of the Cascian Empire. She is the name giver of the empire and also of the capital, Cascia. Her family line is very proud to be descendants of a goddess and claim divine powers themselves. But rarely do other people then devotees to the Cascian Empire praise her, because she is considered the ruler of death. In the third age she raised an army of undead to fight the elementals of the north. While she does have a tomb in the city of Cascia, it is said that she never truly died and only slumbers, waiting for the day when her powers are necessary again. Her symbol is an open circle that is connected to an open triangle.

Litrim is one of the strangest new gods, at least to the surface dwellers. As a member of the rarely seen Triton race many find his arrogant and regulatory demeanor quite annoying. His achievements in the war of ice and fire however can not be denied. He and his people protected the continent of Madara from the many advances of Iseria and her elementals. The proud people of the Tritons believe even today, that if not for their constant battle against these creatures the Quisalorian Sea and the Devil’s Ocean would have long fallen in the hands of the enemies and would have led to the conquest of Madara; a fact that they constantly remind the elves of. The mighty deep dragon that he rode into battle, named Fiondoda, is still roaming the depths of the oceans today. The place of his tomb lies deep in the underwater world, but most sailors, or even pirates, will carry an amulet of a trident around their neck and whisper a short prayer in Litrims name, when they set out on a long journey on the seas.

Skolgar is well known among Dwarves and soldiers alike. This mountain Dwarf was famous for his tactical skills and combat abilities. He is mostly praised for holding the line in the ‘Way of the Depths’ with a company of soldiers against a horde of thousands of Orcs and elementals. Without his help the Dwarves would have surely lost all the underground roads and maybe even the capital of Tarork itself. While too small to comfortably ride a dragon to battle, he befriended a young lava worm. Evroro and Skolgar were said to have a deep connection and were able to sense each other's thoughts and feelings. When the dragonling died in battle near the end of the third age, Skolgar's grieve made him go mad and he ventured deep into the ‘Way of the Depths’, never to be seen again. While Orcs hate Skolgar for the part he played in the destruction of their people, most other warriors pray to him before battle, wearing a symbol of two crossed hammers on their bodys.

Malgath, god of peace, did not participate in the war of ice and fire. He is famous for his diplomatic abilities after Iseria and Dornoth were gone. This young elf helped the kingdoms to become what they are today. He formed peace treaties between the Dwarves and Orcs and helped the Tieflings to find a place in the world. He made sure the Dragonborn were given a fair share of land, even after the majority of the dragons vanished. He helped to resettle the north and made sure the remaining Genasi were not harmed. Malgath had long blond hair and was famous for his green eyes. He was one of the first to suffer from ‘elven lunacy’ and people still tell stories about the crazy madness that was flickering in his gaze. While not really buried there, a tomb close to Mortima was erected in his name. Today, this place has become a place of pilgrimage for those elves close to the age of their madness. His symbol is a heart which surrounds a triangle.

Yukxax, the Yuan-ti prince, as he is often called, is highly worshipped by his fellow kin. Since he was directly chosen by the old goddess Shuduh for her mating ritual, he became a symbol of great intelligence and cunningness. It is said that he helped Mextragon in the opening of the portal to the Feywild that enabled the reinforcement of the dragons. Yukxax was a mighty sorcerer, a reason why he is not only prayed to by the snake people, but also by many mages and wizards. His red and blue coloured scales were removed from his body after his death. Those lucky enough to come in possession of such a thing, claim that they can be used as powerful arcane focuses. His remains are left at the hidden temple of Shuduh, deep in the Lizard’s Jungle and his symbol is an arcane circle.

Asariel is considered the goddess of life and love and the only new god that already had divine powers. No one knows where she came from or who sent her, but her appearance speaks of otherworldly influences. Beautiful white skin, soft brown hair and dense birdlike wings give her the look of an angel. Her golden armor had a holy aura to it and everyone who looked at her had to move their gaze in awe. While not leading any armys herself, people told stories, how she always appeared at the right time to turn a battle in the favour of the mortal forces, or heal one of the heroes after a near fatal wound. Legends say that after the war she rose to the heavens and in doing so all the feathers of her wings fell off her back. The wind carried them all over Xentaria and wherever one landed an Aasimar, a race previously not known, was born. She is worshipped by newly weds, parents or lovers who believe that she will protect their union if they pray to her. Her symbol is a human heart that grows a tree out of it.

Gexos is believed to be the only hero that was able to battle one of the demi gods in single combat. This mighty Goliath, gifted with the power to control ice, challenged Iseria in her fortress in the north. Sick of his people being kept to the mountains he stormed the castle on his white dragon, Sithalth. While the mortal battled the demi goddess his dragon smashed the artifact that bound the will of the Orcs to Iseria. Gexos couldn’t defeat her, but it is said that he wounded her gravely and forced her to retreat. Because of his deeds and his ability to control the cold, Orcs worship the Goliath today and some even pray directly to the dragon Sithalth. After the war, the north was corrupted by Iserias magic and became so cold, only very few mortals could live there. With the help of Sionia he erected a border of trees that banned the cold to the north, a place today called ‘the frozen wilds’. As the lord of the winter, he was buried in Grokok, a place far north. His tomb there is clustered with snowflakes, a symbol still used today.

Totora is considered the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. She is a member of the rarely seen Loxodon race and therefore not too well known. While taking part in the battles, her role in the time after the ‘three party war’ was mainly to help rebuild and form new societies. She helped the people of Xentaria to create well functioning social structures and it is said that the guild system that is currently present in the world was her invention. That is also the reason why many merchants and guild members pray to her for wisdom. Her body is buried in the jungles close to Armedestan, a place only locals and Loxodons ever visit. Legends say that she had a way to make people open up to her. During her time she talked to all the heroes and wrote down their personal stories in memoirs dedicated to them. Countless fakes have been sold over the centuries, but sometimes a historian finds a piece that might have some authenticity. Especially if the symbol of her scale shaped tree appears on it.

Bertulf is considered the god of luck and fortune. Some people believe that he is a Halfling, but others swear that he is a Goblin or a Satyr. Because of these many different reports of his appearance, others think he might be a Changeling. However, the fact is that because of the rarity of these smaller races in the world it could be simply ignorance by the observers. Whatever the case, Bertulf had a way of inspiring the people around him, holding speeches, singing songs and telling tales. It is said that Bertulf met all the other heroes at one point in their lives and convinced them to pick up arms in the long war. Today mostly merchants, gamblers or bards pray to him for good luck, motivation and fair play. There is no tomb in his name, but he has many temples around the world, each depicting a set of dice on their doors.