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Now That You Have The Basics, including an overview of history and an
idea of who some of the important people of Cutter’s Gap are, allow me to move on to an overview of the
religions you may encounter. As Reliquis is the faith of Valimar and undoubtedly what you have been taught to
believe in since you were old enough to understand the words that the local preist recites every 10th day (and 20th
and 30th every month), I think it warrants a more in depth
exploration than my humble musings will provide. Therefore, I have asked
Vidieya Prym, the Reverend Mother of Cutter’s
Gap, to fill you in on the Faith. However, there are other beliefs you should know about, some of which might even
appeal to you more so than Reliquis depending on your inclination, but I’ll deny I said anything of the sort of
Vidieya asks me! I have warned you!
Reverend Mother Vidieya Prym’s musings on the Reliquis faith and the heretic religions…
I have lived in this town for several months now, and may the Creators help me, I have never seen such a sorry lot
of ignorant humanity. I thought I was doing good works here among the wayward, helping the people of Cutter’s Gap
understand the truth, showing them the simple and compelling ways we express the faith in our Allmother and Allfather
while dispelling pagan and heretical superstitions. However, I see I have been trying to grow wheat with barley seeds.
Therefore, I shall set aside the Prayers of Goddard the Ascended and the Affirmations for a moment, and start at the
beginning for those of you who view your once a ten-day visit to the church as an opportunity to catch up on your
sleep rather than prepare your soul for Ascension, or more likely the Pit based on what I've seen around here.
The first basic fact you need to know is this: if you fail to follow the religious teachings of the Book of Deeds,
your soul will end up in the Barren Waste for eternity. Eternity: yes, that means forever. Those who actual do evil in
this life end up in the Pit. Now, imagine for a moment your worst nightmare. You remember, the one where the nameless,
dark horrible thing is about to devour you …those who do evil in this life suffer that kind of nightmare, and much
worse, forever. So let us first agree on one thing: no matter what you think you know, no matter how far you think you
are from the clutches of death, just remember that evil is lying in wait, and it can wait a long time. The agents of
evil would like nothing better than for you to stray from the path, and they are watching with the eyes of the raven,
cat, or even the innocent child. Do not think you can do evil during the day, when the Eye of Vorga is not in the sky
and when the Grey One's realm, Hectos, is not visible (two moons usually visible at night; more on this later—DM).
The Allmother and the Allfather, the all-powerful who gave birth to the world, saw the evil that came into being in
the form of the Witch, saw the terrible emptiness of the Gray One, and saw the temptations they wrought in humankind.
At great sacrifice and with great pain, the Allfather removed a portion of his Divine Light from himself, and created
amongst us the Circle of Seven. You should know the names, but I will repeat them:
Thorenheld, the Bringer of Light and the wisest among the Seven…
Ferron, who grants us Justice, for both the strong and the weak…
Kothrim, who grants us valor, courage, and strength against the enemies of our Faith...
Nestor, who shows us the valor in granting mercy to our vanquished foes...
Mersis, to whom all artisans pray...
Kurinne, who teaches us nobility...
Hyacinth, who is the closest to the Divine Grace amongst the Seven...
The Allmother gave birth to the entire world and everything in it; the Allfather separated the Void
from the Light, and he gave us the Seven (all were human in the Reliquis faith; more on this later—DM). They are
beyond what any mortal can truly understand or know: however, we can know the Seven. They walked among us only eight
centuries gone, they cured our ills and taught us how to live properly and worship the Creators, and they left us a
legacy of hope. Hope that, through good deeds, faith, and sacrifice, we might fend off the claws of the Witch and the
Gray One. Good deeds means following the example of the Seven as they lived. Yes, I know you cannot read from the Book
of Deeds, but that is my task: to read you the passages of their works that you may follow them with your own deeds.
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Elder Father or Mother: A Reverend Father or Mother attains this rank if he or
she is capable of the greatest miracles, the least of which is returning to life the dead when only a
small portion of the remains are available instead of the whole body. Those of Elder rank are further
subdivided by seniority with the most senior of each of the seven orders (one dedicated to each of the
Seven) leading the church as the flesh and blood representatives of the Seven in the world.
Reverend Father or Mother: To attain this rank or higher, the priest must
take The Vows of True Ascension, which confirms the dedication of the priest to the faith and enhance
his miracles of the Seven. The vows include the rejection of all worldly possessions (anything the
priest needs is provided by the church) and obligations other than that of the church. The priest is in effect “married” to the church and can not take a spouse or
any other obligations which might conflict with his or her dedication to the church (thus many remain at
Father or Mother ranking and do not feel the calling to continue any further) although he or she could be
assigned to assist a lord or noble in good standing with the church or oversee a church or temple. A
Reverend Father or Mother is capable of true miracles, the least of which is raising the dead, and are
known to have a variety of other abilities, interests, and motivations as they act as the conduits for the
Seven in this world.
Father or Mother: The most common ranking of the church, this is the highest
ranking all but the most dedicated and capable priests attain. A Father or Mother must be capable of
greater miracles (2nd Level spells), although as some spend their entire career at this rank, there are
some who are capable of true miracles such as raising the dead. Fathers and Mothers of the church fulfill
most of the roles within the organization and are allowed to serve the church as well as another
organization, such as a lord or noble, usually as the noble’s personal physician or liaison to the church,
and they may marry and have children.
Brother or Sister: A true member of the clergy capable of miracles of the
faith (1st level spells), yet still learning the more complex teachings and duties of the church. Some
Brothers and Sisters become Itinerant priests, essentially missionaries that travel and both spread the
faith of the Seven but travel on the Pilgrimage or even simply do good deeds in the name of the Seven.
Acolyte: A young person new to the faith, usually just learning the tenants of
the faith and perhaps the simplest miracles of the Seven.
In addition, there are numerous orders and organizations within the church. On very
rare occasions, those of the faith who die and are revived return altered, with distinctive silver eyes:
these are called The Ascended Returned and are given special consideration within the church, as
they have been in direct contact with the Seven and were returned to fulfill a special goal or destiny.
While the status does not automatically confer additional ranking, the words of an Ascended Returned
typically have more weight than those coming from a priest of the same ranking. |
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The Book of Deeds describes the epic tales of our Seven, including their struggle nearly nine hundred years ago to
defeat the enslaver of all: the Empire. I will not repeat what you already know, but suffice to say that the Seven
assembled in the north and traveled far south through near endless barren wasteland wrought with dangers that would
have slain anyone not empowered by the Allmother and Allfather. The reached the seat of power of the Empire and
destroyed it, but not without paying for the victory with their lives. The Creators resurrected the Seven and they
stepped forth from the wreckage of the Imperial city, leading the newly freed people to peace and prosperity until
finally rejoining the Creators years later (They did not die, but simply “left” this world—DM).
The Creators are impossible for us mortals to truly understand: we would be utterly overwhelmed and consumed if we
were to gaze upon them or hear their voice. However, the Seven are our “bridge ” to divinity: they were our gifts from
the Creators to teach us the truth. You must have faith in the Seven hearing your prayers, for they bring the prayers
of the worthy to the Creators to fulfill. You must be ready to sacrifice. Sacrifice means that you labor according to
your station in life. You are the backbone of our duchy. The foods we eat comes from your honest work and believe me,
the Creators see and know your trials, but you must go further in your sacrifice: you must take the Pilgrimage Road.
This is an actual journey that your Dukes and Barons have made laws to specifically allow you to travel for this
pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage Road will bring you to places where you will be able to partake in the divine grace of the
most holy sites and relics of the church. You have the obligation to yourselves and to your Creators to make the
sacrifice to leave home and hearth for the uncertain road, with its dangers and discomforts. The way to Arwed (The
city most commoners of Falconmoor who can pilgrimage too—DM) is long, but your betters have made sure that it is open to you. Consider yourselves lucky: your lords are obligated, by virtue of their station, to take a much longer road.
They must go thousands of miles further than you must on the Pilgrimage, well neigh to the ends of the world, where
the winds are hot and dry and the beasts of the night devour those without a ready sword.
The foundation of our faith is the Seven, and through them the Allmother and Allfather, as detailed in the Book of
Deeds. This book, which only those of the cloth may touch, details how the faithful should profess the live. To simplify
this, allow me to present a code that you may follow:
1. Take no other gods but the Creators. All other beings claiming to be gods are false and are but puppets
of the Gray One and the Witch.
2. Do good deeds. You must help your neighbor when he is in need, and give alms to the downtrodden when you
have coin to spare.
3. You must have faith. The Seven are always compassionate and call upon the Allmother and Allfather on
your behalf if you have the faith to ask them.
4. You must willingly sacrifice. You may need to sacrifice your comfort, your treasures, or your loved ones
for the greater glory of the Allmother and Allfather. The evil in the world exists because of the labor pains
of the Allmother, but it grows on the weakness of humankind in the face of temptation.
5. Worship of the Creators through the chosen emissaries, the Seven. The Seven are enthroned in Paradise
below the Creators, and only they can intercede on behalf of mortals.
6. You must take the Pilgrimage. The greatest and most important sacrifice humankind must make is to
undertake the Pilgrimage, each according to his or her means. The Pilgrimage brings absolute Redemption, and
is the ultimate armor against the claws of the Witch.
7. You must accept your lot in life. It is proper and good, decided on before your birth. Your station in
life is a result of the strength of your soul, not of dumb luck, so you dishonor the wishes of the Allmother
and Allfather if you attempt to rise above it, or sink below it
With these seven basic laws, you hold the key to the fabulous treasure known to humankind in your callused hands:
Ascension. You must follow the path laid out for you by the Seven and avoid treachery, thievery, and evil. Your faith
must be strong and unfailing, and if you take hardship as a friend, whether it is in the plough's wake or the
pilgrimage road's dust, you will Ascend: join the Allmother and Allfather when this life is through. The Ascended are
those faithful who earn a place with the Creators, attaining a place next to the gods to watch over the world. (Reliquis
is primarily a human faith, although it has a respectable minority of halfling followers among those who cohabitate in
human cities. There are no specific gnome or halfling gods—DM)
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The Reliquis church is not ashamed at charging for their services and to a cynical eye
it could even be viewed as using the miracles of the Seven as a business, although woe to the unfortunate
who suggests such a thing within ear shot of a priest wearing the blue robes of the church.
Raising the Dead: One of the most lucrative sources of revenue for the
church is accepting coins for making an attempt: once the considerable fee is paid to the church (note
that a priest is forbidden from any personal gain from the service), a priest begins the “Discovery”
process. Anyone with the coins, regardless of background, history, or race with the coins may purchase the
attempt: despite the church's views, it will accept coins from anyone as they enhance the strength of the
church. In the Discovery process, those who wish the deceased returned to life must educate the priest as
to all details of the deceased’s life so that the priest may then cast the spell, thus pleading to the
Seven the reasons why the deceased must be given another life, much like a barrister pleading to a judge.
The Discovery process must uncover everything of relevance about the deceased so that the priest may
properly make the attempt and whether it succeeds or fails is left to the hands of the Seven and the
Creators. Note that the priest does not judge the deceased but merely gather the information to present to
the Seven for judgment. Unfortunately, virtually all of these attempts fail, either because the discovery
process was incomplete (usually a relative holding a dark secret back) or the Seven simply decided the
deceased was unworthy or unneeded in the world of the living. Additional attempts can be made although
they are increasingly expensive and the payment is never refunded regardless of the result of the attempt.
Spells: Other spells are available from the church at the standard Player’s
Handbook prices, assuming the purchaser is of the Reliquis faith or convinces the caster of his good
intent and service to the church.
Magic Items: The church does not sell magical items except under rare
occasions and to very trusted individuals.
Other: The church may grant or sell Indulgences which allow a person,
even a priest of the faith or an arcane caster, to temporarily ignore the rules of the faith in order to
accomplish a greater good. These are most commonly purchased by those of the arcane arts who do not wish
to end up arrested by the church: an Indulgence to practice magic typically costs several hundred or even
thousand gold per month, depending on the wording (and thus what it allows) of the Indulgence. |
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I must turn your attention to the darkness and our enemies: The Gray One and the Witch. These are ultimately your
two enemies, the source of all evil and heresy in the world. Their strength is greatest in the weakness of the
faithful; their eyes and ears are everywhere seeking to corrupt the purity of those of the church. The Barren Waste is
the lifeless domain of the Gray One, but those who venerate that shadowed enemy may draw forth power in the form of
the undead. Beware these aberrations and destroy them without remorse or doubt: while some appear grotesque, the Gray
One can corrupt the beautiful as well, and create seductive or hidden monstrosities even more dangerous. The Witch
enslaves her faithful through magic: not the pure, divinity of a Reliquis priest, but of the sorcery and wizardry
wielded by humankind and others in a futile attempt to enslave his or her neighbor. The Witch draws in the weak
willed, first by allowing them simple, seemingly harmless magical parlor tricks, but this taste begets a thirst that
ultimately corrupts and enslaves. Those of the Reliquis faith know this danger, shunning this magic and those who use
it. The church has an order within its ranks known as the Illuminators: these are men and women who are
dedicated to the elimination of the influence of the Witch and the Gray One, taking the fight to them at great
personal cost in order to keep as all free of their influence, although they can not do it alone and without your
faith.
In addition, the church also bears a great responsibility of working with your nobles and leaders to ensure that
justice is properly dispensed. The True Seers of Ferron are those blessed to be able to divine the truth from
falsehoods and will often be involved in settling disputes or solving crimes, although you will find that all of the
faith are eager to help those in need. Furthermore, a priest or knight is empowered to investigate crimes and
even make arrests, with the cooperation of the local nobles, to ensure the innocent are protected and the wicked are
judged in this world and the next.
There are many blind to the truth. I am sure you have met these people, even count some of them as friends.
Nevertheless, remember: the Witch has duped those who claim to worship other gods, who claim that our “gods” are no
better than theirs are. The Dwarves are a fine, doughty folk, and I have never met one who went back on her word.
Nevertheless, beware: many subscribe to the Septarian faith and deny the obvious truth that the Seven were divine!
They claim, even, that Kothrim, our exemplar of valor and strength, was a Dwarf! Do not be taken in by such nonsense,
friends. The Book of Deeds is very clear on the Divinity of the Seven, and certainly does not ascribe the dwarf blood
to Kothrim. Now, I also know of Dwarves who worship veritable armies of dead ancestors in “The Legacy” faith; this is
fine, for them, and perhaps they will see how small-minded they are with time. I need not worry overmuch that they
will pollute you with their tales, as they are so strange and unnatural. Greater is my concern that those calling
themselves Septarian will goad you to accept falsehoods. Their honeyed tongues will assail you with logical arguments,
“natural” sounding reasons legitimizing their heresy, but heresy it is, and heresy it will always be. You cannot deny
the divinity of the Seven with any force of logic
The Septarian religion is a heretical offshoot of the Reliquis church, an abomination of misplaced faith. The
Septarians do not believe in the divinity of the Seven, and therefore do not subscribe in the need for the Pilgrimage.
In simple terms, they pledge only to the first four tenants of the code I outlined for you earlier. They worship the
Allmother and Allfather directly with the arrogance that anyone can understand the Creator’s message and the Seven
were favored but not truly divine. They even permit and encourage anyone to read the Book of Deeds, allowing of course
of a wide variety of interpretations by the unlearned and perversions by the evil of the true message. The Septarians
are widespread among the dwarves that live in civilized, human lands outside of Valimar as well as with many of the
lands to the east, although it is always a goal of our faith to bring this poor, misguided souls back to the true path
before they face an eternity in service to The Gray One or the Witch.
Dwarves that are more traditional believe there are no gods, but only the spirits of the dead that either hinder or
help the living: this religion is “The Legacy.“ They actively worship and pray to their dead ancestors, whom they
believe help them in times of crisis, or become angry and make them sick when they are displeased. The dwarves keep
long histories and records of the dead, and do not hesitate to call upon them in times of need. The greater a hero in
life, the greater and more powerful one is in death. Each dwarf undergoes a ceremony in which his ancestors may choose
to accept him as their mortal voice, thus becoming a “priest ” although be certain that any miracles they perform are
through the power of the Witch, not a divine source. If not for this disturbing unholy coupling, their faith would at
least prove amusing.
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Clerics are as per the Player's Handbook with the following alterations:
Alignment:
Lawful or Neutral Good.
Domains:
Choose from Good, Knowledge, Law, Protection, Strength, Sun, Travel, and War.
Bonus Language:
Pious
Restrictions:
Can not cast any spell that creates or controls undead and can not multi-class with an arcane caster
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The Dona-Kor: you have no doubt seen them, with their wild hair bound up in rings and gaudy silver decorations,
enticing simple folks with cheap gifts and crude entertainments. They may look like clowns, but make no mistake: they
hold very dangerous ideas. Their religion is a gross, disgusting jumble of hedonism and deviance. Behind the laughing
faces lurks the cruel visage of the Witch! They have sickening “religious traditions” based on the belief in spirits.
All life, all objects, are made of spirits, including mortals. Those who commune with this spiritual energy gain a
higher state of existence and understanding of their previous lives: heresy, as any Reliquis faithful knows the belief
in resurrection for any aside from the Seven is a deviation of the worst degree. These “priests” or "druids"
(also,
this is the faith of most Rangers, although it is not required to gain their spells—DM) may operate under a pleasant
guise, but in reality, they are agents of the Witch bartering for your soul. Many commoners, especially those outside
the more civilized lands, claim allegiance to the true church while simultaneously worshipping, or at least
acknowledging, the Dona-Kor faith. As tempting as it may be to “hedge your bets,” this clearly violates the basic
teachings of the faith and makes Ascension impossible without a full recanting of those heretical beliefs.
In closing, I exhort and beseech you, dear friends, to recognize the Light that is there before your eyes, and not
to be swayed from the righteous path by the sirens' calls of the heretics. The Creators want you to share in their
glory, and so have given you the means to achieve Ascension. Go now, and keep the Light before you always. May it
please the Creators!
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