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Lunara, the Moon Goddess
Patron of Beauty and Love, Lunara is the Syndar goddes of the moon. Together with her husband Solar, she is one of the chief deities of the Syndar people. Depicted as a slender woman with a silver fan, which she uses to sometimes hide her face. Her waxing and waning face reflects the changing faces of love and beauty. Also a favorite of sailors, because of how her moods affect the seas.
Ulfkell,The Battle Father, Forger God of Conflict, Smithing, War, Honor, and Warriors
Worship of The Battle Father began in the warring nation of Richtcrag, a place where there was bound to be at least several gods of battles and conflict – in a nation filled with nothing but conflict, this position is a coveted one, after all. His worshipers are mainly warriors and Íoclaochra, but others often pray to him for reasons other than war – while his primary portfolio is that of war, he has many adherents amongst the Richtcrag, such as those wishing to persevere through hard times, a man or woman looking for the honorable choice in a decision they must make, blacksmiths forging weapons or armor, or even the sick so that they may become strong again to do battle once more. As one might expect, not all battles are physical amongst his worshippers, and followers are urged to understand the conflict necessary in the world.
The Battle Father takes a somewhat active role for those who pray for his aid, but never directly intervenes with the affairs of mortals. Rather, he often helps to steel a warrior’s failing resolve, boost morale, show worshipers the most honorable path, and help hasten the recovery of the ill. However, if he were to show favoritism, it would be for Íoclaochra due to their constant fighting and codes of honor.
The Battle Father is usually depicted as a large, broad-shouldered man with long black hair, burning red eyes, a large hat with three large feathers (Red, Green, and Silver), and wearing well-crafted, heavy armor. His hands always bear the tools of his office; a heavy warhammer in his off-hand and a long blade in his main – although his adherents disagree as to which is which, with the Valinate believing it to be his left, and the others his right. The world is riddled with conflict because of him, and it is because of him the races of the world are that much stronger. He will continue to watch over the conflicts of all mortals and urge them in the right direction to grow stronger.
His image is usually found out the outsides of temples, in the form of a statue or stone anvil with his personal sigil carved, painted, or inlaid into it: a larger silver triangle, with a smaller red one on the interior. Tradition holds that the symbol must be drawn with conflict – in many shrines, his symbol is made from silver melted from the pay of mercenaries. Outside of the temples and holy places of man, it is acceptable to use blacksmith as place of worship, treating the anvil as the shrine.
Worship of The Battle Father
The Battle Father’s worshipers traditionally pray before and after battle, usually requesting the steeling of resolve or giving thanks for the opportunity to become stronger. Their prayers are quite simple; one must take their weapon that will be carried into combat, kneel before a fire, and say their thanks to the Battle Father.
There is but a single holy book for his worship, called The Code of Honor. In this short book, there is a honor code that is to be followed to the best of the worshipper’s abilities – for the Battle Father, more than any other, understands the struggle inherent in living. It is also in this book that the few surviving rituals are revealed to his worshippers. These books, however, are few and far between, and so more often than not, The Code is copied by hand for the worshipper and given to them. Parts of The Code, usually those concerning the strengthing of life through the fires of perdition, can be found etched into the anvils in most blacksmiths in Richtcrag, since his worship is quite prevalent there. Even those who do not directly worship him tend to add this to their anvils, as it is seen as a sign of good luck to the Richtcrag – better to have more gods on your side, after all.
As for meditation, one simply has to sit before a fire, weapon in hand or readied on their lap, and silently contemplate the tasks that are before them – whether that task might be a dangerous battle, the struggle to heal an illness, or the rigors of forging a new, beautiful blade.
Rituals of the Battle Father
• Duel of Right: This is a coming of age ritual given to youths who are just entering adulthood. They must face hardship by facing down an Íoclaochra without backing down, usually for about two minutes – it is here that the Richtcrag tradition of Academic Dueling may have originated. Should they face the task with honor and without fear, they are deemed an adult and given the rights and status of one in the eyes of society.
• Forger’s Hymn: If a blacksmith is preparing a weapon that is to be used for battle the next day, they must sing a song to the weapon that is being made ready. Depending on the situation, the blacksmith may sing one of many songs – each according to the traditions and blessings.
• Festival of the Great Scar: On the first harvest moon, the worshippers of The Battle Father meet outside of their dwelling places during the night with only candles to light their way to the square. It is here that a Warpriest of the Battle Father recites The Code of Honor, detailing the legends of the Battle Father. At the conclusion of this recitation, the town is lit up and festivities begin, carrying on throughout the night. Drinking, games, mock duels, feats of strength and bravery, and feasting all take place this night, in celebration of surviving and becoming that much stronger from the previous festival.
• Birth of Battle-Born: This ritual is not performed in a temple, but rather on the battlefield – and it usually does not happen according to the worshipper’s will. It is said that when this happens, it is considered one of the holiest of blessings one can receive from the Battle Father. During a fight, when the worshipper is filled with rage for his enemy, they will go into a blood rage. While this happens, the worshiper is said to be “reforged,” – which wouldn’t be far off, as when this rage ends and their enemies slain, the worshipper usually feels the urge to continue fighting and to see more of their foes die under their blade. Every Battle-born will tell you the exact same thing – it is like being born anew in a baptism of blood.
Depictions and Description
The Aldorian god of the seas, and worshipped by any number of sailors across Faedrun – and now, Mardrun – the Sea Hound is a fiercely protective figure in Aldorian myth and legend. He presides over the oceans and – much like the hound who he takes his name from – while his behaviour may seem unpredictable and alien to those unused to his ways, should one take the time to learn the language of his form, he is as loyal and dependable as a close friend. Aldorian depictions of the Sea Hound take many forms – the most common is that of an old, scarred sailor, wearing a heavy cloak and carrying a single lantern, but his most famous incarnation is that of a dog; typically, this is the Aldorian Hound, a shaggy-coated breed well-suited to the coastal cities and ships that make Aldoria known across the world. Many Aldorian sailors thus believe having a dog aboard a ship is good luck, and each ship tends to have an appointed “Ship’s Hound”, many of which earn their keep by keeping the many rats that tend to climb aboard ships at bay.
According to legends, the Sea Hound first appeared in Aldoria during a harsh storm. Hundreds of years before the battle of Grayfield, the sailors aboard a ship – aptly named “The Sea Hound” found themselves trapped near an inhospitable coastal region with a treacherous reef. Suddenly, an older man appeared to take the helm, with a single lantern grasped in his hand while he barked out directions, and a large hound sat waiting on the prow, barking louder than any earthly animal could to warn them of upcoming reefs. The sailors, upon reaching safe harbor, looked for them both, but could find no trace – and thus, the legends of the Sea Hound began.
Worship
As noted above, many ships keep dogs aboard as a way of seeking favor with the Sea Hound. Especially devout worshippers tend to feed and tend to any dog they find, as mistreating one of the Sea Hound’s servants is seen as an offense to him. As befitting a sailor’s god, many of the prayers to him take the form of the work shanties used to coordinate the many actions needed to sail, taking the call-and-response of shanties and applying them to their lives.
Wind may blow down to the bone,
Hey, ho, dog’s at the helm.
Sea Hound guide our ship back home,
Hey, ho, dog’s at the helm.
We’ll break our backs to guide the sail,
Hey, ho, dog’s at the helm,
So help us here and wag your tail.
Hey, ho, dog’s at the helm.
Much less polite are the sheer number of curses associated with the Sea Hound – especially rough seas are caused by “the Hound’s paddlin'”, harsh rains are, “the Hound pissin’ after a night at port”, and an especially idiotic sailor is called, “a rat he’s not found yet.” Of all the gods in Faedrun and Mardrun, the Sea Hound apparently appreciates a good curse more than any other – the sheer variety used by hardened Aldorian sailors has led to them jokingly referring to it as, “a barking prayer”, and most of them are not too shy to use their entire, rather rich vocabulary.
Priests and Priestesses of the Sea Hound tend to be sailors by trade, although a number of them tend to the numerous lighthouses along the coast of Aldoria. Their temples are always situated in coastal regions – it’s considered idiotic to worship the Sea Hound if you’re not close to the oceans he calls home, and so few shrines or temples exist outside of coastal towns and ports. They always pray facing the ocean, and they have a large number of daily prayers related to the actions necessary to guide a sailing ship or keep a lighthouse running, so they are seen as a valuable addition to any crew, even outside of Aldoria.
Ilyara of the West
”The wind paints the earth as the breath of Ilyara.”– Traditional Greeting of the Ilyarians
Her Origins and Depictions
Ilyara of the West is a goddess whose worship arose in the early years of the May’kar Dominion, centered around the blended religious-philosophy of the Mahsai. Her worship is one of the appreciation and creation of beauty and art – she is seen as the patron of all artists, musicians, and anyone who prizes aesthetic beauty and harmonious creation. Her temples were places of great beauty – small, carefully designed buildings to catch the sun and stars to create beautiful patterns and changing designs on the walls, all building to a glorious altar for her.
Given the nature of her worship, it is no surprise that there are numerous depictions of the goddess – each of them different, but still hearkening back to their ideals. She has been painted, sculpted, and drawn in all manner of forms and depictions; whether she is a young girl holding her first paintbrush, or an aged performer still clutching her harp, all her depictions stress her nature as a loving goddess of creation and arts. Her followers tend to believe that it is the beauty of a creation, rather than the exact appearance, is the true depiction of her form, and it can even be found in natural forms.
Sites of worship and shrines to her pop up in areas of great aesthetic beauty – pure groves of graceful trees and babbling streams, a wind-carved rock with a feminine form, or even the edge of a great cliff. While her formal temples are often beautiful in their splendor, these tiny shrines were wonderful places as well – jewel-like objects of wonder, nestled in remote locations. As part of her tenants, any wandering artist may stay at a shrine or a temple for as long as they are passing through, so long as they offer the keepers some sort of beautiful work – a short song, a sketch of the land, a poem, or anything like that.
Her holiest of books, The Divine Mimesis, is always richly illustrated – a work of creation fitting for the legends associated with her. It details her follower’s beliefs, their legends, and other words of wisdom to the aesthete seeking beauty and grace. According to their stories of her work, it is her hand which took the newly-created world and made it beautiful – her breath shaped the mountains, her hand planted the trees, and her tears of joy at these new wonders filled the oceans and rivers of the world. Her hand is rarely felt afterwards – a flash of inspiration is seen as her direct guidance.
Various legends number her daughters and sons, who are given domain over other areas of creation and beauty, no matter how distressing they may be. While she has shaped natural beauty, it is understood by her worshippers that sometimes, acts of destruction may be seen as creating something new, and even the play of a blade in combat may be seen as a sort of savage beauty.
Worship of IlyaraHer followers find places of beauty to worship in – whether crafted by the hands of mortals or shaped by Ilyara’s actions at the dawn of the world. The time is immaterial – so long as there is something of aesthetic value to contemplate while praying, then they are allowed to worship and pray. This contemplation always takes place facing to the West – for it is the west wind that is seen as Ilyara’s breath caressing the world.
While meditating, her clerics must always engage in acts of creation and beauty – whether they paint, compose, or otherwise absorb themselves in tasks of material or ephemeral creation is immaterial to their worship. These objects of meditation are accumulated and displayed by her clerics to bring more glory to her name – in time, enough of her followers may find that an especially beautiful place has enough members there that they might construct a shrine or temple there.
Ilyara’s sole tenant is that beauty in every action is to be practiced. Her followers tend to eschew anything which might be seen as crude or ugly – it is their highest goal to find the beauty and grace of the world, which can take many forms.
Typical Prayers
For the healing of wounds:
”May the Western wind, the breath of Ilyara, caress and soothe you. What once was dead and broken is again made whole, what once caused suffering and discord is in harmony once again. May the beauty of this light, the beauty of this healing inspire and help you in all creation.”
For the protection of warriors:”Creation and destruction are both acts which are neither beautiful nor ugly – it is the grace with which they are performed that decides the nature of the act. Ilyara, cloak this warrior in your breath and grace, that they might fight beautifully in your name. Arrows, fly past and find your golden arcs. Blades, slide past, tracing silver arcs in the air. Slings and stones, skip and shatter that fine sand may come to cover. Warrior, Ilyara blesses your body that you might bring beauty to this world.”
For the blessing of a blade:”Shining light kisses this edge, a razor-arc to drive out corruption and evil. A warrior’s skill is one of grace and power – Ilyara, recognize the beauty in this act. They fight against the hideous forces which seek to ruin and destroy the art of your creation. With your hand, grip this blade and bring more strength to their arm. With your breath, may it fly straight and true to the heart of evil. All actions have shades – this is of the purest beauty and wonderment, that shines with the light of your creation and the art of those people who have found your inspiration.”
Vardel, Trickster God of Chaos
Worship of Vardel originated in the nation of Richtcrag – perhaps because no other nation on Faedrun was mad enough try worshipping the Skybound Trickster – and spread in the form of small bands of wandering worshipers across the land. His worshipers are most often gamblers and adventures, as their reliance on luck is legendary, although merchants have been known to pray to the Lord of Chaos as well in order to find greater fortune.
Vardel takes a more active hand in the everyday lives of his followers – worship of Vardel is always a gamble, as he is interested not only in the success of his followers, but that they experience the ever-changing chaos of life as much as possible. He tends to grant boons to his followers as often as he makes their lives more difficult – theologians explain Vardel’s interest in his flock as his attempts to alleviate his boredom with the various heavenly politics.
In traditional depictions of Vardel, he is dressed in many-coloured garments typical of Richtcrag, and always carries a well-worn, richly decorated deck of cards. His pockets bulge with coins, and a mischevious smile is always splayed across his face – the world is a fascinating place, after all, and he hopes to watch his followers experience something interesting. His image is rarely found on temples or shrines – his followers believe he prefers to be found on the elaborately-decorated tarock decks of the Richtcrag, where he is given the rank of the Fool in the trumps.
Worship of Vardel
Vardel’s worshippers traditionally pray to him at the dawn of each day, requesting that the day might bring good fortune and amusement to him. Their morning prayers typically involve some form of playing for chance – they most commonly cast dice or shuffle out solitare-style games while praying, although they do not bother to seek any meaning in what happens unless they find an exceptionally good hand or roll at the end of their prayer.
Their ritual for meditation is also quite unique – according to their holiest book, Magnus Liber Casus, they must attempt to test their fortune before beginning to meditate on his mysteries. Typically, this takes place by gambling – although it can never be a “friendly game” and coin must be staked on the game of chance. Any attempt to cheat Vardel by not actually risking anything will certainly bore him, which will have negative consequences for his worshippers.
Vardel’s worship is somewhat risky – he has a tendency to meddle in the lives of his worshippers and clerics, including making life more difficult for him. Anyone worshipping Vardel risks attracting his attention, which can either lead to great boons or great ruination,depending on his mood at the moment.
So, you’re interested in writing a religion for your character to follow, or perhaps building on an existing in-game religion for your character’s backstory? Well, we’re always interested in seeing that, but it can be a bit tricky – here are some guidelines to help you get started.
Start With Scale
In general, the more personal the religion, the easier it is to fit into the game world. Remember that, in historical instances, there were any number of tutelary deities, minor place spirits, and personal interpretations of larger religions – we’re not quite used to seeing that in the modern age, due to the prevalence of several larger faiths. So, if you’re thinking of writing a religion for your character, think about how they might have come across their faith, and the amount of work necessary to make it work – if you’re writing a minor, personal deity from your character’s home village, then you don’t need as much detail as if you were to write out a major god or goddess whose worship is universal across, say, Vandregon.
This scale also ties into another aspect – what sort of temples, shrines, or holy places might exist for your religion? In general, think about how you can keep this tied to the thematics of the religion – a nature deity would likely appreciate being worshipped in natural groves, whereas a more mercantile one would prefer sacrifices of money in spaces where trading occurs.
Think About Origins
Where might worship have originated? What appeal does this deity offer to those who worship it? In general, think about why a character would be drawn to worship – there’s generally a promised afterlife, and tenants that the average follower would feel make sense. This helps give your religion weight and feel a little more “real” – it’s hard to justify worshipping a god that places arbitrary prohibitions (for example, worship of a death god that prohibits any helpful acts), or concerned with only one thing to the exclusion of all other activities – even gods of war tended to have larger portfolios than simply battle and bloodshed, including protection, wisdom, and even policing (Seriously: Ares may have, at one point, been written as a god of watchmen. Most of our knowledge of Greek myth is Athenian, so it casts him in a slightly more . . . negative light).
While you’re thinking about origins, it’s also a good time to think about some of the original myths. As Last Hope is a low-fantasy game, it’s rare – even unheard of – for the gods to directly appear or intervene in the world. Yes, there is provably divine magic, but at the same time, the world where the gods are striding around overshadowing humanity (and Syndaranity, and Ulven. . . ity) is harder to make a personal impact. It’s also recommend that you avoid direct prophesies that are provably true or false – having a god of endings with a prophecy that points to Faedrun being doomed is okay, but one that directly states, “The undead will overcome Faedrun, and they will flee to a land with wolf people” is a little too direct for this sort of thing. In general, the fates of mortals is free from major divine intervention, and leaving room for interpretation builds for better stories with more possibilites to interact with.
Look At Worship
How does one worship this god? Is this religion organized in any way, or is it simply a personal belief, spread among various individuals? How is it passed along? Do you have any rituals, prayers, or curses associated with it?
All of these things serve to flesh out a religion – it’s rare that you’ll find any type of worship that places absolutely no expectations on the followers, and this is especially true of games with divine magic. They’re good bits of character flavor – there’s just something more pleasant about cursing the name of an in-game deity when your luck runs poorly or your character has reason to be frustrated. If you’re writing something up, detail some of this for others to read – writing it out helps to make it clear in your mind, as well as makes it easier for you to describe it to other players in-game and teach them about your history.
Look at Real-World Examples
I always recommend looking at real-world examples when writing this – they often point out little beliefs or structural similarities that you can work with when writing something for your character. At the same time, be careful of cribbing too much from real world myths and legends – while taking inspiration is one thing, it’s important to make things distinct and unique to your character, as well as the game world itself. If you’re going to borrow, try to blend things into an interesting mix, rather than changing a few names and mentioned locations, as the game world isn’t exactly a 1-1 correspondance to the real world.
Think of Symbols, Signs, and Sayings
The last part to look at is designing the outward appearance of your religion – are there certain behaviors, symbols, or phrases that mark someone as a worshipper? Are there certain objects that are sacred to their worshippers? If you’re designing stuff like this, think of how you can represent it in-game – the key phrase is oftentimes “Show, Don’t Tell”, and in terms of personal symbols, this is an important one. Making things overly complicated only makes life harder on you to represent it, and the key in many religious symbols is simplicity and recognizability, even if crudely made.
As a final note – please please please don’t just use symbols from real-world religions. We’re looking to avoid offending anyone, and while all of these symbols have historical origins, the confusion that this could create might make things a little harder for you.
Check Out Other In-Game Religions
Finally, before you’re done, check out what some other writers have done with in-game religions: there’s a wide variety of examples that are here, and we really hope to see the pantheons grow over time!
LOCATIONS
The Colony of Newhope – The first major colony established on Mardrun, it is the largest and most diverse piece of land on the continent.
New Aldoria – Established by Prince Aylin after relations with Newhope turned sour, New Aldoria has set its sights on becoming a major naval and economic power on Mardrun.
Aylin’s Reach – Aylin acquired a plot of sovereign land on the Eastern Coast, unburdened by it’s connection to the City-State of Newhope. He moved to this new land and established a city of Aylin’s Reach and spent years on a campaign to attract as many people as he could from New Aldoria as well as any who wished to live under his stewardship rather than that of The Council of Newhope. Before long the population of New Aldoria had shrunk and Aylin’s Reach grew to be a burgeoning capitol city in it’s own right. Aylin’s Reach now acts as the head of Aldorian government on Mardrun
Daven’s Hold – Once owned by the Baroness Catherine of Newhope, Daven’s Reach was a center of trade on Mardrun before being overtaken by bandits, who have settled in and are now hoping to straighten their lives out. Through a bloody campaign Catherine and her supporters retook Daven’s Reach and named it Daven’s Hold. It is now ruled by the Council of Three.
Onsallas Outpost – Operated by Pack Longfang, Onsallas Outpost has long stood as a sentry against the Mordok from the Dirge Swamp.
Dirge Swamp – The impassable, festering wound of a swamp to the north of Ulven lands, this seems to be the home of Mardrun’s Mordok population.
The Wayward Inn – Just outside of Newhope, this inn once stood as a meeting place for colonists to rest easy, though a fire destroyed much of the building and even more of its reputation of safety. As the colonies spread, the Wayward Inn is no longer considered a place of any real importance.
Starkhaven – The fortress of the Order of Arnath, Starkhaven was one of the first major construction projects by the colonists from Faedrun.
Darkport – A relatively new port town, Darkport hopes to establish itself as a hub of commerce and a melting pot of culture.
Keys Crossing – Home of The Ravens. Once a Noble House of Diplomats, Keys Crossing has grown into a highly regarded institute of learning. Keys Crossing has also been named the managerial head of all Newhope City-State Research.
Bladehome – The new sovereign home of the Broken Blade Corps. A place where they can drink, fight, and sing to their hearts’ content.
Ulvesal – Home to the Stormjarl Einherjar, a burgeoning collective of Stormjarl Warriors and Craftspeople.
Lumeria – Home of the Blades of Sol, a group of people from all races who carry forward the ideals of Solar
Shieldhaven – Home of the Guardians of the Wall, an upstart group of adventurers and fighters looking to help protect the land and see it flourish
Fort Dread Wyrm – Home of F.A.T.E. – a group of tinkerers, thinkers, and arcanists looking to revive the lost magics and machinations of the crumbled Syndar Kingdoms of Faedrun
The Fire Isle – Home of The Phoenix, a Syndar collective noted for their mercantile acumen and their love of pickles, wine, and friendship
The Wayward Inn is a tavern located on the outskirts of the settlement of Newhope. Construction began when the colonists first started to expand on Mardrun, but it was abandoned soon after its completion when roaming attacks of Mordok and bandits increased. The colonists could note control the countryside well enough to keep the patrons safe at the Inn.
Recently, the influence of Crow’s Landing, New Aldoria, and Newhope all have led to increased travel and guards passing along the settlements. This has allowed the road the Wayward Inn to be deemed safe enough for the inn to open. Several Nobles in Newhope have pledged some resources into getting the Inn back up and running.
Even though the area is deemed safer and the Inn has recently been cleaned up and opened, the proximity to Mordok territory is still close enough for travelers to be wary. Traveling without an escort or bodyguards is still considered very dangerous.
The Inn was recently damaged very badly by a fire. The close proximity to Graytide territory and the outbreak of Ulven civil war this spring have left the future of the Inn uncertain.
Dirge Swamp (Mardrun)
The Dirge Swamp is a Mordok controlled area of swamp and wetlands. The swamp itself has no established human, Syndar, or Ulven settlements due to the lack of solid dry ground for building and farming. Long ago, Pack Blackwing pledged to start a settlement in the marsh. This attempt was either abandoned or all the pack members slaughtered, for not a single trace of any of the Pack has been found other than a few buildings that were started and abandoned; now sinking into the muck.
The Mordok control the swamp and seem to have a large number of Mordok inside its borders at any given time, but they apparently stick to small roaming camps. So far, not a single Ulven scout has reported a large enough settlement to warrant the number of Mordok in the area, but a vast area of the swamp has never been ventured into yet. Several adventuring parties, looking to make a name for themselves by discovering what is in the swamp, have ventured into the swamp and never returned.
The Ulven have a permanent outpost (Onsallas Outpost) and village on the Ulven controlled edge of the swamp.
Other than the fact that some types of trees grow exceptionally fast and produce a sap with healing properties, there appears to be no other resource worth any value in or around the Dirge Swamp… for either the Ulven or the Mordok.