Evolism was originally the Religion of the Kathar, though it is popular far beyond the Dread Empire as a Religion that focuses very strongly on the benefits of faith and spirituality, and Evolutionism. Many other Religions form a list of rules on what to be or do, lists that are invariably difficult to follow and result in a lot of sinful thought and seeking forgiveness. Evolism in turn, demands only that its followers become stronger, more powerful, wiser, more deceitful, and better versions of themselves by whatever means necessary. Evolism is a religion of self-empowerment, a contract between a person and God that exchanges faith for blessings from what some would argue are Dark Gods, or at the least Gods with ambiguous morals. Evolism is ostensibly legal, but most Races and Religions are cautious around Evolists because this Religion hides the capacity for extremism that uses Religion as an excuse to inflict horrible fates on others. Evolism combines both Ordial and Void Gods together, who have agreed to ally with each other after breaking free from their native realms, through a variety of deals and collaborations. When exactly each of these deals occurred is not clear, some Evolist Gods are relatively new, while others have existed in their role for thousands of years, though it is definitely not a recent thing.
At its core, Evolism demands faith from its faithful in exchange for so-called God Gifts. God Gifts are things that the faithful hunger for, for example, the ability to transform into a powerful being, longevity, or mind control over weaker minds. Evolism Gods are far more active in the lives of the faithful than other Gods who mostly just demand obedience and virtue to benefit the afterlife. Evolism has an afterlife too, but the Gods insist that the faithful prove their worth by being the most evolved and perfect version of themselves before they even consider dying. Evolists tend to be disdainful towards other Religions that purely punish for virtue. The following other tenets are held by Evolism:
Evolism demands that its followers seek Evolution mentally, physically, or spiritually. This can include Magic, Afflictions, Mutations, Skills, Learning, Artifacts, and more.
Evolism demands that its followers are strong mentally, physically, or spiritually. That they do not show weakness, and if they acknowledge weakness, they find ways to remedy it.
Evolism demands that its followers put value in community but not forget themselves. To assist others in achieving their most perfect self but not forget their own journey.
Evolism demands that its followers stay true to the faith but also to their beliefs. To not waver to virtue-signal faiths, and remain honest to themselves and to others for truth.
Evolism demands that its followers refrain specifically from cowardice and meekness. To not become submissive to others, to express respect where owed, but to always seek improvement.
God Representations
Each Evolist God has a special Evolutionary message, even if that isn't strictly clear from reading their explanations below. This section explains them all in short order:
Xor: Represents Evolution through Transformation, becoming a stronger, smarter, and faster being by becoming something else.
Onu: Represents Evolution through Magic, becoming more powerful, and using Magic as a means to an end to project power onto others.
Ifrit: Represents Evolution through the combination of Dragon and Void, and to show the strength of Duality over other Singular Dimensions.
Eloba: Represents Evolution through Alchemy and Chemical enhancement, and to some degree controlling time by the use of frog croaking.
Gahan: Represents Evolution through Spirit control, by having a personal army of Spirits to do one's bidding and project power and control.
Savellon: Represents Evolution through greed and theft, the acquisition and ownership of wealth, and to take from others with impunity.
Armas: Represents Evolution through prodigy, having many offspring, and moving one's soul to the strongest one upon death.
Morrlond: Represents Evolution through the embrace of the Deep Oceans, to become one with the unseen horrors, and rule the waves.
Ventra: Represents Evolution through the perfection of Skill and crafts of the Hunt, to all weaknesses, even of one's own allies.
Iorwerth: Represents Evolution through beauty, particularly in one's crafts and constructions, but also one's own body and actions.
Inth: Represents Evolution through knowing, to know things others do not, and to steal the memories and essence of others for one's self.
Rasaal: Represents Evolution through Afflictions, a ready-made Evolution package, but to also seek acceptance or toleration from society.
Divine Mechanics
All Religions provide 1 single Mechanic to their Believers that fits within the flair of their Religion. This Mechanic is lost if the individual stops believing in the Religion, or becomes a heretic, but can be regained. Afflicted can use this mechanic, but having the mechanic does not imply that they have blanket forgiveness from their Gods, just that there is more nuance to it than that.
Evolism Faithful, when they die, can choose to pass into the Evolism afterlife (which is fairly non-existent), or choose to become immortal as a Spirit of either Void or Ordial Alignment.
Gods
The Gods of Evolism come from two separate dimensions, Void and Ordial, though Exist entities are also present in it. Generally speaking, all Evolism Gods are both Ordial and Void Aligned. The Gods come from both Pantheons, but accepted a bargain with the Consigner who agreed to free them from their natural realms and help them manifest in Aloria in exchange for a carte blanche (except for Ventra). The Evolist Gods accepted becoming weaker (as they are always stronger in their own dimension), in exchange for being closer to the faithful, and distancing themselves from the fanaticisms of the Void and Beyond. However, there are always fanatic interpretations of what the Evolist Gods stand for. For example, while Ventra's hunts do not require murder of victims, fanatics might re-interpret her message as meaning that the defeated do not deserve to live. Evolists always balance the nuance of their own morality against the freedom of interpretation of the Evolist God themes.
Xor, the Beast God
Name: Xor, often also called the Beast God or the Evolved God-Being.
Domain: Xor's domain is Monsters, Transforming, and Physical Change.
Role: Xor's role in the pantheon is the Beast to challenge other Gods.
Temple: Xor's Temple is the Maul Abyss in the Cains, north of Nordskag.
Allies: Marken, Urlan, Body Arkenborn, Solvaan, Gender nonconformists.
Enemies: Purists, Purity Arkenborn, Lothar, Qadir, and other Gods.
Rituals: Xor worshipers glorify his name and being through the act of transformation itself, equal parts ecstasy bliss and exuberant pain of the body twisting and changing. Other forms of worship are the Cannibal feasts, involving the ritual beast-fighting either with or against beasts, as well as making them fight each other in the ring, and challenging and fighting the strongest champions of other Religions to honor Xor.
Duality: Xor accepted the bargain with the Consigner to free himself of the Void, and become equal parts Void and Ordial aligned. His blessings extend both to the Void and Ordial aligned, and either can find their transformations blessed by him. He is traditionally depicted in gray-blue and red, but can equally be seen in black and teal.
Onu, the Magic God
Name: Onu, often also called the Magi God or the Magister God-Being.
Domain: Onu's domain is Magic and the coveting of Magical Artifacts.
Role: Onu's role in Evolism is powering Magic Pacts and Artifacts.
Rituals: Onu worshipers worship him through the simple act of spreading Magic. Teaching any Mundane person basic Magic recruits them in the wheel of Magi-power, and recruits another soul towards the goal of Magic supremacy. Other forms of worship aim towards bringing about Magic supremacy, either by campaigning for Magic-controlled government, or replacing Mundanes with Mages in high office positions/organizations.
Duality: Onu accepted the bargain with the Consigner to free himself of the Void, and become equal parts Void and Ordial aligned. His bargain made him much more powerful, some speculating he is actually the most powerful of the Evolist Gods, and can control time with his Noonh Spheres. He is traditionally depicted in yellow and red, but can equally be seen in white and lime green.
Ifrit, the Dragon God
Name: Ifrit, whose name is actually Triton, as he is a Dragon God also.
Domain: Ifrit's domain is that of domination, sometimes anti-Void.
Role: Ifrit's role is to hold the machinations of the Dragons at bay.
Enemies: Arken, Arkenborn, Death Cultists, The Afflicted, Republics.
Rituals: Ifrit is celebrated through the Metamorphic Baptism, involved in ritually immersing in a pool of Void-blessed Dragon Water, and assuming Void Mutations of Triton. Another ritual is the Retribution Rally, where they summon a banner of Revenge and call forth allies to sally forth and attack their enemy for vengeance. Finally, Triton accepts blood offerings either from the faithful or those vanquished in battle.
Duality: Ifrit is the only Evolist God who refused the Consigner's bargain, and manifested himself in Aloria by sheer willpower in anger and vengeance, though what certainly helped is that his soul's other half was already in Aloria. Ifrit however does accept the worship of Ordial aligned persons, even allowing them to become Darkscale Archon who are both Dragon/Ordial Aligned.
Eloba, the Chem God
Name: Eloba, also called the Frog-Mother or Toad-Mother.
Domain: Eloba's domain is twisted nature, chemistry and fungi.
Role: Eloba's role is to create safe environments for the faithful.
Enemies: Nobody, Eloba is too benign to have enemies by choice.
Rituals: Worship of Eloba involves the protection/breeding/keeping of frogs and toads, as well as the spreading of her Void Spores and Fungi. The more vibrant her environments become (despite their hostility to the non Void/Ordial aligned) the happier she is, and her frogs. Eloba worship can also involve the creation of new alchemical concoctions to make the drinkers stronger/faster/smarter at the cost of addiction.
Duality: Eloba accepted the bargain with the Consigner to free herself of the Void, though it is perhaps more accurate to say she signed her name under the contract without being able to read. She may in fact be the only God who does not know how to read. Se is traditionally depicted in green and red, but can equally be seen in green... and green.
Gahan, the Traitor God
Name: Gahan, once called Sahar-Ra to the Dewamenet People.
Domain: Gahan's domain is that of Spirits, even those across Dimensions.
Role: His role is the domination of an army of Spirits to protect the Gods.
Temple: Gahan's Temple is the ruined Dewamenet Temple of Iaru-su Aaru.
Allies: Evolism Suvial, Kathar, Spirit Summoners and the Spirit-Infested.
Enemies: Khannar and the Asha, Estelley Suvial, Aelrrigan Knights, Lothar.
Rituals: Gahan Rituals involve either dominating or otherwise recruiting Spirits to do the bidding of the follower or their God, and recruiting them into the army of Gahan to protect the Evolist pantheon from the Gods of other Religions who revile them. Other rituals also involve the summoning of Spirits, and binding them in the faithful to correct undesirable personality traits and protect them.
Duality: Gahan is another odd case, of a former Baskarr God fleeing the end of the Dewamenet Empire and accepted refuge among the Void Gods, only to eventually break free from the Void by the powers of his Baskarr Godhood, and join the Evolism Gods. He now stands part Baskarr (God Magic), part Void and part Ordial, as he took part of Khannar's power in his treason.
Savellon the Golden Desired
Name: Savellon, once an Estelley Spirit broken free from Cemaan.
Domain: Savellon's domain is wealth and the ownership of things.
Role: Savellon's role is to be a hoarder of wealth and rewards.
Traits: Greed, Business-Savvy, Gold-Hunger, Never Satisfied.
Temple: The Golden Dome in the Sundered Lands (underwater).
Enemies: Bankers, Taxes, Dauw faithful, Ascetic living people.
Rituals: Worship of Savellon involves stealing. It would be too benign to assume there were grand rituals or business deals involved. Business deals always involve losing at least something of value, while Savellon wants his followers to create wealth out of nothing. Another form of Savellon worship is by covering/plating/replacing parts of the body with solid Gold.
Duality: Savellon is the only true Exist-originated entity in Evolism, however he was fully corrupted to Void-Aligned, and later accepted an Ordial Spirit to also become Ordial Aligned. Savellon never signed a bargain with the Consigner, not did he need to, as he was one of Cemaan's Greater Spirits, who was already in Aloria, and he would never sign anything away.
Armas, the Thorny Jailed
Name: Armas, sometimes also called the Boxed Horror because of his cage.
Domain: Armas's domain extends to the confines of his imagined prison.
Role: Armas's role among Gods is to remain trapped for everyone's sake.
Temple: Armas's Temple is the Temple of Birth in Hellatia, Regalia.
Allies: Courtesans, Party goers, Polyamorous people, and Single people.
Enemies: Armas loves every body, but hates prudes and Wirtem people.
Rituals: Armas is simply put celebrated and worshiped through the act of being in love, fostering love, fostering affection and passion, and the act of securing the next generation. Armas is not a particularly complex God, with simple needs and wants, and so worship of him is usually implied among the worship of other Gods, as all Evolists in general have a thing about being attractive and desired by others for friendship or carnal means.
Duality: Armas did not have much of a choice to accept the Consigner's bargain, he was dragged along by the other Void Gods who did not want to risk him escaping and ruining everything. He was forcibly dualized to Ordial, which only made his intent so much worse. He is commonly seen as red, though can also appear in green as the Herald.
Morrlond, the Deep God
Name: Morrlond, also called the Deep Caller or Deep One.
Domain: Morrlond's domain is that of the Deep Seas an the dark depths.
Role: Morrlond's role is to rule the oceans and fill them with monsters.
Enemies: Only those who refuse to give him offerings for safe passing.
Rituals: Morrlond is exceptionally unique among Gods of any Religion, in that he was once Void Demon become Void, Exist, Ordial, and Primal all at once, the true and only being to become aligned to all sources. Worship of him is thus extremely varied and can mimic any other ritual to any God, so long as it has some kind of water or ocean theme applied to it.
Duality: How Morrlond acquired all four Alignments is unclear, though at least it is known his Exist alignment comes from Sinnavei's love, his Ordial Alignment comes from the bargain with the Consigner to be free of Behesael, and he was created a rank-and-file Void Spirit. Morrlond only appears in aquatic colors, though his eyes are always red.
Ventra, the Silent Huntess
Name: Ventra, the Silent Huntress, was once an Undead Killing Ordial God.
Domain: Ventra's domain is nature, the forests, and uninhabited lands.
Role: Ventra's role in the Pantheon is to be the sensible/logical one.
Enemies: Nature protectors, Mana faithful, Yanar, Environmentalists.
Rituals: Ventra worship is primarily engaged with through the Hunt of Evolution, which ironically enough, involves hunting Xor faithful not to kill but to mark them as defeated. Ventra and Xor play a back and forth game where Ventra's Hunters are held up as the bar for Xor's faithful and beasts, if they can defeat Ventra's own, they are ready to take on the Gods Champions.
Duality: Ventra was the first one of the Ordial Gods (even the Void Gods) to accept the bargain of the Consigner to be freed from the Beyond, because hunting the dead was no sport and no challenge, and hunting the Undead was dull. She however had a very specific deal: stop hunting the Undead, and you will be freed of the Beyond, versus the open-ended deals of the others.
Iorwerth, the Mourning God
Name: Iorwerth, also called Edward innon-Breizh based pronunciations.
Domain: Iorwerth's domain is the beauty of architecture and buildings.
Role: Iorwerth's role is to build the Evolist Temples and Malefica Sites.
Traits: Agonizing, Mournful, Desperate, Loyal, Sacrificing for Love.
Temple: Iorwerth's Temple is the Bastion House in Clannadh Alba.
Allies: Breizh people, Archon, Malefica haters, Dragons, Knights.
Rituals: Iorwerth can be acknowledged by Ordial, Void, and Archon forces, as he was once an Archon. Iorwerth worship can be engaged in by sketching/drawing architecture, buildings, admiring buildings, learning and understanding structures, and generally appreciating the crafts and building skills. He often doubles as a god for crafters and craftsmen.
Duality: Iorwerth was desperate to escape the Beyond after his soul was trapped when he tried to bargain with the Malefica to return the soul of his dead husband, though the Malefica kept him trapped to build his sites for him. Iorwerth may be free from the Beyond now, but the Malefica still holds his lover's soul, and thus holds him in a chokehold to do what the Malefica wants.
Inth, the Thousand Eyes
Name: Inth, also called the Thousand Eye God and Inthalis or the Wyrm.
Domain: Inth's domain is the mind, specifically memories and the brain.
Role: Inth's role is to act as the repository of all knowing and info.
Temple: Inth's Temple is only ever in the mind of his followers, never real.
Allies: Spies, Nox followers, Tricksters, Deceivers, Scholars and Cheaters.
Enemies: Hoarders of Knowledge and those who die knowing things to be lost.
Rituals: The act of purely standing around and listening to people while collecting information is worship of a kind to Inth. This can be multiplied further by learning juicy bits of information that few people know, and passing it along to Inth. Inth in general makes bargains for information, and often appears in Regalia to bargain deep-lore information for favors.
Duality: Inth was offered the same bargain as the other Void Gods to manifest in Aloria by the Consigner, however Inth surprised the Consigner by knowing things the Consigner did not, outsmarting him, and not only getting the Consigner to agree to release him from the Void without anything in return, but also invest Ordial power in him free of charge. Nobody knows how.
Ravaal, the Afflicted Body
Name: Ravaal, also called the Unbound God or the Afflicted Mass.
Domain: Ravaal's unique command is Afflictions, Vampires, and Geists.
Role: Ravaal's purpose is being the loving mother of all Afflicted.
Temple: Ravaal's Temple is the House of Flesh in Dorkarth.
Allies: The Afflicted, Marken, The Unloved and Downtrodden.
Enemies: All who would hunt the Afflicted and deny them Humanity.
Rituals: Ravaal's three sets of arms extend to each of the Afflicted. Worship of Ravaal involves self-Affliction, but also for the Afflicted to try and rise above their base instincts, to find ways to become one with their old Humanity and to reclaim their right to exist in a world that hates them, with her undying mothering and support for them and their thriving.
Duality: Ravaal is a bit unique, in that she was born by the fusing of two Gods, the God of Geists and the Goddess of Vampires, by the Consigners bargain with both. This created Ravaal, an entirely new entity.
