Wolf Rawrrr
Wolf-Knight
The Maker and Other Religions
There are different theories that describe the ancient times and how this world came to be what it is today, but the most popular revolves around the idea that for a long, immeasurable eternity there was nothing but Chaos in which dwelt a divine omnipotent being known as the Maker who eventually shaped the world from nothingness and created first life, thus creating Order. As the oldest and first recorded official religion, Creationism is by far most common and widespread despite a near complete lack of evidence that would support the existence of its supreme deity, the Maker. He never showed himself or addressed his creations in any way that the general public is aware of, which is the biggest argument for those who deny him. There are followers of the Maker in every race, though they are not equally present in each. Humans have the greatest number of followers, then come the shadow elves, then the drakkar and lastly the dwarves.
To those who believe, the Maker is seen as a symbol of life, hope and knowledge, revered to as the only true God and protector of Order. He is thanked for the good things in life, called unto for strength and wisdom, and even killed for. The drakkar perspective is a slight variant; they make passionate, aggressive believers, insisting that the Maker favors the strong and daring. There is a temple dedicated to the Maker in every significant town in Asgard, as well as countless shrines scattered all over.
Perhaps the greatest (or only) proof that this religion might be genuine lies in the fact that priests and priestesses of the Maker are able to draw power from a mysterious, omnipresent source and shape it, using it to perform miracles that are not part of any classical school of magic - and are thus not even considered true magic by most (certainly not by the faithful). This is backed by the fact that Miracles are immune to the dampening effects of anti-magic measurements. Some miracles are rather simple, while others are the stuff of legends rarely seen. They encompass a wide variety of effects; from divine shields and healing of wounds to bringing light into darkness and banishing malevolent spirits - and more.
Of other religions; there are several major ones and many minor sects, though none come even close to being as great or widespread as Creationism and its Maker.
A large number of shadow elves follow alternate paths such as worshiping natural elements. One such religion revolves around the deity called Ashura, the goddess of nature and all things natural. She is believed to make day and night happen, as well as control elemental forces, and is seen as the protector of all living things. Ashura's followers are almost exclusively elves or humans, with next to no representatives in other races. Her temples are found in the wilderness, usually forests and often close to civilization.
There is a counterpart religion to Ashura, though denied by her followers. Its believers worship the deity Luna, the Goddess of Night who is also aligned with the moon, stars and shadow. According to the religion, Luna resides in the Shadow Realm which was originally the only true world. Practitioners are either shadow elves or wizards who dabble in the Shadow Realm. The religion operates in secret, likely because its nature and character as well as affiliation with magic and the Shadow Realm, because it is not forbidden.
Dwarves are the only race where Creationism isn't the number one religion, though it comes immediately second. The most popular religion is based on the idea of the Seven, a group of ancient dwarves who are seen as the founders of their kingdom and fathers of the race. These paragons of old are still represented by the seven most powerful dwarven families that control their society. They are believed to be descendants of the Seven, and a single Runemaster is chosen from each to represent them. Some dwarves honor the Seven as ancient paragons, while others go as far as believing them to be actual gods. They are: Arthen (Runemaster of Navigation), Hern (Runemaster of Hunt), Eremus (Runemaster of Crafts), Owyn (Runemaster of Knowledge), Sikring (Runemaster of Justice), Goliath (Runemaster of War), and finally Dain (their king and leader). This religion exists solely within the dwarven society.
One of the most dangerous religions is found in the deserts of Daskárd, where some drakkar worship dragons as their predecessors and ultimate form of existence. Not much is known about this religion. It is divided into cults that revere dragons as the old gods of Chaos that will someday return to conquer the world. Practitioners are hostile towards outsiders and operate in secrecy, dabbling in blood magic and sacrifice, which is why the dragon cults are officially banned.
Additionally, there are many grey areas and some religions do not necessarily rule out others. Many people at least acknowledge other religions aside their own, if not even choosing to believe in combinations. The most common example is followers of the Maker who also believe in Ashura, maintaining that she is his creation, or child or even lover - depending on who you ask. Another good example are elves who revere both Ashura and Luna as twin goddess sisters, but in this case it's Luna's followers who make the compromise; Ashura's monks usually refuse to. In the dwarven society, some believe in a merged religion of Creationism and the Seven, where the Maker is supposed to have sent and watched over the ancient Runemaster paragons.
Last edited: