Religion in AlundraRPG

In the game Alundra, the people of Inoa worshiped multiple gods, but primarily Melzas. Other, nonhuman groups tended to have their own patron deities, and the stone giants in particular were worshiped as gods. Polytheism tends to reign in other parts of the world, too. For our setting, most places tend to worship patron gods or goddesses that are regional in nature. Gods may also rule over specific elements as well as locations, or a family or individual may have a patron god. The gods' power is generally not felt in everyday life except through the works of the local priest, who tends to serve the local citizens regardless of their individual beliefs, although of course the priest will encourage the worship of his or her own patron god.

Many citizens are at least a little religious and will go to the priest for important ceremonies such as marriages, births, and burials. Prayers are usually said in times of need, as well. However, it is also not uncommon for people to be non-religious. Priests may not approve, but they will aid such people when asked nevertheless.

Priests are sometimes, but not always, trained in a central location. In most smaller villages, a priests choose his or her own successor from the local population. Some of the more widely worshiped gods have their own temples in the larger cities, however, and priests will sometimes go there for training.

In the northern reaches of Silverland, religion takes on a more supernatural, superstitious flavor. People in the north have a stronger belief in the reality of religion in everyday life. They take seriously their duties to protect the northern passes in the Dawntoucher Peaks, and they make offerings and prayers to the forest, particularly the hunters and rangers who have a special reverence for the land.

Unique in Silverland for its unusual religious customs, Summer's End, at the base of the northeast Dawntoucher Peaks, is home to a group that calls themselves the Secret Keepers, or the Guardians of the Gate. They speak of the ancient legends as fact, but there is also much they will not share with outsiders. They are friendly and more than willing to offer hospitality and aid, but unless a visitor shows an interest in joining their number, they do not share their religious beliefs. Such visitors do come to Summer's End occasionally, however; pilgrims are sometimes drawn to the mysterious, remote village. Such pilgrims often stay for a while, praying, meditating, fasting, and studying with the elders of the village. Word has it that some are asked to make a journey into the forbidden mountains, though this is not confirmed. When priests or pilgrims leave Summer's End, they will often travel the land as vagabonds, begging for their sustenance but offering aid and work where they may. They speak to others of the Borderlands and of mysteries unknown to the common people. If one is spiritually ready, they say, they may feel the call to journey to Summer's End and learn the truth for themselves. Not everyone is, however, and the pilgrims assure them that at the very least, they must pray to the gods that protect the gateway to the Borderlands, to assure that they will learn these mysteries when they die.

The Borderlands are a religious belief held by many in Silverland and Cerredy, though not so commonly in Lor'ash. The belief grows stronger and more widespread as one heads north in Silverland. Supposely, the Borderlands are the spiritual realm where people go when they die, and where they come from when they are born. No one is quite sure what the Borderlands are like. Some areas have different names for this place, and some actually attribute specific geographical locations to the physical entrance to the spiritual realm. Some sailors from the Western Ocean have spoken of this as sounding similar to tales of Magyscar and other stories of spiritual realms of the dead. The people at the base of the Dawntoucher Peaks tend to place such gateways in the mountains somewhere, or in the icy wastelands beyond. In any case, it is common to pray to the guardians of the Borderlands at a birth or a deathbed, to ensure safe passage of a person's soul from one side to the other.

Religion is Lor'ash is polytheistic and localized, much like in the other kingdoms, but they tend to be more strictly religious and traditional. Each tribe has a priest, who may train either under the previous tribal priest, or who may journey to the clan priest in order to study before returning to his tribe to serve them. In Lor'ash, women are not allowed to be priestesses.