Religion

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Elvish Reilgion
Balance: The oldest religion in Rozola. Not even the Elves have records that depict its beginning. In some ways it is a worship of nature for it holds that nature has an attempted balance of all things. Heat and cold, water and earth, predator and prey. The role of any being is to embrace this balance and seek to maintain it. All aspects of life and civilization should be aimed to this goal. Many Elves take it further by applying the concepts of balance to thereselves in everything from education to city-planning.



Ovidou: This religion was born mid-way through the First Cycle, formulated by Amakial of the Jade Kingdom. In his  mind (and those of its followers) it is merely a refinement of the Balance. In short, it proposes that behind the Balance reigns a supreme and ultimate being who directed the creation of the Balance. This being is Ovidou. Amakial, and his followers, agreed that this being deserved veneration and worship although he didn’t demean himself to interfering with something as lowly as one life. Sects of various sorts usually revolve around the extent of Ovidou’s meddeling. Some propose he was little more than a Prime Mover who started the balance and never interfered again while others advocate that It actively alters the Balance on a grand scale..

Man Reilgion
Pantheon: The main religion of Men, in contrast is a veritable menagerie of gods and beliefs. Elvish records state that the oldest of these are corruptions of ‘the Balance’, poorly stolen from the Elves while Men argue that they brought these gods with them out of the ‘East’. In any case, the Pantheon is based on the concept that most concepts, beings,  elements have gods associated with them. These Gods are active and quite willing to interfere with everyday life. This means they must be appeased. These appeasement depends on the culture and the god. Mardi (the god of wisdom) is mostly appeased with art creation or mediation while this style of worship would simply make Vardilof (god of War) angry. The careful application of veneration is a key to the priesthood. What makes this belief system most interesting is it’s dynamism. The types of worship change constantly, always altering and being adjusted. Even the Gods and names themselves are constantly in flux. Keeping track of these extensive changes is a nightmare for the priesthood.

 Gnomes Perhaps due to their artificial beginnings or curious nature, gnomes reject the divine altogether. They argue that magic is merely another force such as gravity or fire. It is merely poorly understood. Not only do they disbelieve in any Gods they are often quite militant about it and temples are extremely rare in the Moole Delta or the jungles around it. Gnomes value a sense of individual accomplishment over anything else. Elves and Men say this god-lessness explain why gnomes can be so treachoures and cruel. The Gnomes  say they haven’t noticed any difference between them and the believers.



Halflings
Whatever faith the Halflings brought with them out of the West is forgotten. Due to cultural pressure and natural osmosis very little remain. Most Halflings have taken up the Pantheon as the religion of choice although few are devout, at least of the Halflings that men see. These are the traders, sailors, and pirates that make up the public face. The only real difference is that Halflings place a great deal of value on personal luck and believe it is intrinsic with every being. A lucky captain is always lucky, no matter what. The trick is simply noticing it.

However, a deeper vein of religious thought is present. On the Isle of XX, far from prying eyes, Halfling culture is a complete reversal. Here, religion predominates over all others. The Pantheon is studied, worshipped and weighed here. The Balance and even Ovidou is debated and examined. Perhaps because their own faith has been lost, these priests study other beliefs with such intensity. The only original aspect they have is Luck. Here, it is transformed from the mere ‘hunch’ of a smuggler or trader to the sospshitcaed and delicate matter of Destiny. Destiny is the fate and meaning of every life in Rozola, including plants and animals. Studying these strands is a life project for many priests. Orcs Orcish religion is little studied but some is widely known. Orcs, being extremely clannish and family oreiented, worship past ancestors. They believe that dead orcs pass to an afterlife where they can affect the living world. This afterlife is not a reward or punishment, merely what happens to every orc. These familial spirits must be appeased by veneration and sacrifice. It is believed that spirits retain the character of the deceased so knowing a powerful ancestor well is key. Many orcs therefore have extensive family trees and legends to help later descendants know the past.

 Dwarves Dwarven religion is a closely guarded secret. Unlike other races, they do not seek new worshippers and keep to themselves. The few Dwarves that engage in trade and the market are close lipped and secretive about their faith. Some clues however, have been discovered. It is known they worship a number of Gods, most dedicated to crafting and mining. The rituals are extremely old and rigid, with very little change. These rituals also make up long holidays which are worshipped without fail on certain days and hours. The main theme seems to be submission to tradition. Other then this, little is known.

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