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{{Info religion
{{Info religion
|image = VelTap.png
|image = VelTap.png
|pronunciation = Old-Gods
|pronunciation = For-noss (like Nosferatu) (clear pause between the two).
|origins = [[Old Ceardia]]
|origins = Presumed roughly 15,000 years ago.
|deities = TBD
|deities = Two distinct Pantheons of 7 Gods each.
|subsects = TBD
|subsects = Some regional variance and naming changes.
|}}
|}}
Fornoss is one of the earliest [[Religion]]s of the [[Ailor]] [[Race]], that survived thousands of years of conversion by other Religions as well as attempts to be eradicated by various nations, as one of the few surviving so called [[Pagan Faiths]]. Unlike the other (mostly) dead Pagan Faiths, Fornoss has a large following, particularly among [[Velheim]] and [[Gallovian]] Ailor, though a large number of [[Urlan]], [[Dwarves]], and some [[Eronidas Ashaven|Ashaven Eronidas]] also follow it, meaning it is not limited in scope to just Ailor. Fornoss is sometimes also called the Old Gods Religion, but this is not a historically correct term. The Gods are not old from a pure chronological perspective, and it is certainly not the oldest Religion in Aloria. This term was mostly popularized by the Ailor, who when reviewing only their own history, can see Fornoss as the oldest Religion, but when taking the totality of the world's history, Fornoss is a more accurate term, which roughly translates to "Ancient us", an homage to its survival through the ages.
==Origins==
==Origins==
The origins of the Old Gods religion are somewhat murky, because of intensely conflicting versions. Old Gods as a religion has always lacked an organized hierarchy, and so local communities as well as diasporas do not agree on a common origin tale. While many Regalians consider Old Gods synonymous with the Velheim culture, they actually are not, and there are more Ceardians who worship Old Gods under the Cellik variant than there are Velheim Old Gods worshipers. Old Gods reaches beyond these cultures however, with Zvorun, Tarkkin and Dunbrae all having slight variations on the same ideology. All Old Gods worshipers agree that their faith started on the island of Yervonth (called Jerl in old Velheim) however they all disagree with what happened after. Cellik and Velheim Old Gods however are the two largest denominations controlling around 80% of the total worshiper population, and as such, their version is generally accepted as common dogma. Cellik and Velheim Old Gods doctrine claims that when the menace from the west (Nelfin slavers) arrived on the shores of Ceardia, that a group of Pagan Gods created a pantheon together and spirited large communities away from the Ceardian continent, harboring them in safety on the Yervonth island. From here, Old Gods would continue to spread over the world with migration waves, however the further they went, the more their doctrine was changed by local variations and changes. Unlike Unionism, Old Gods never underwent any major cataclysmic changes or schisms. As such, this page will treat the average understanding of Old Gods as fact, though minor local variations like changing a God's name or patron identity is permissible.  
The birthing of the Gods and the founding of the Religion are two distinct periods. The birthing of the Gods is a mysterious period perhaps thousands of years before the first followers professed their belief in the Gods, as it is said that the Gods wandered for many ages before finding the people that would recognize their worth. It is said that the Eili Gods were born at the foot of the tree Arne surrounded by Dragons, though it is unclear if these refer to the [[Draconism]] Dragon Gods, or just the folktale version of Dragons which may also have been Skywyrms (mythical flying reptilian creatures from Velheim belief which are not Dragons, nor [[Wyvern]]s). There is also some theological debate about whether Arne is actually the Draconist Goddess Daiana, because no Tree of Life has ever been found elsewhere, but most Fornoss believers hold onto the version that states Arne is not a Dragon. The Fornoss Religion is roughly 15,000 years old, though this has an error margin of about 3,000 years, because the proto-Velheim people who were the first Fornoss followers did not have a form of writing at the time. The Religion was founded on a series of islands and part of the mainland of Oldt Tera ([[Ceardia]]), where the locals embraced a form of polytheism while most other [[Ceardian]] tribes were monotheistic. The Eili offered the faithful escape from the endless bloodshed and misery and slavery under the [[Elves]] that terrorized the Oldt Tera shores, fleeing the mainland, and retreating to some island called Aldra, which cannot be found on any modern map. On Aldra however, the Fornoss believers still were not safe, so the Eili contacted the Vola, and created The Pact, which joined both Pantheons to the Fornoss believers as two distinct unions, and the Fornoss people were finally given safety in Volaheim's embrace through the Vaarda Gates. For thousands of years, the Fornoss followers spread across the world through the Vaarda Gates, until Svartskra.
 
==Core Beliefs==
The Fornoss Gods are divided between two distinct Pantheons, the Eili who are generally considered mindful and virtuous but restrained, and the Vola who are generally considered opportunistic and selfish but powerful. The two Pantheons represent the two halves of any person's soul, filled with desire to do good by others, and desire to do good by one's self. It is important to stress here that there is no ontological morality that can be assigned to either Pantheon. While some Eili create the impression of being purely benign, they are in ways just as flawed as mortals and have desires and wants and needs that can cause them to commit great misdeeds, such as the time when Bard cut off Svol's arms because Svol refused to participate in Bard's punishment of the faithful for small misdeeds. Similarly, Hrymrøk foments chaos and anarchy wherever and whoever she touches, however even when cities crumble and burn, does the destruction give way to the liberation of the enslaved Fornoss followers that lived in the undercities. While generally speaking all Gods have good intentions for their followers, they are all equally capable of cruelty, misguidedness, deceitful or selfish actions to preserve their worship, which speaks to their vanity. However, because Soldi inherently represents helping others, and Svaldi represents using others, the faithful still draw lines in the sand and dictate morality on each other based on their personal beliefs, even if there is no theological reason to reinforce it. There are some people who worship only the Eili called Eilirik, and some people who only worship the Voli called Volirik, while a person who worships both is called a Hvarkirik. These three groups tend to conflict with one another for religious reasons, but usually unite when facing an external threat, like they did during the Skagger Wars against Regalians. Fornoss does not have a strict list of Virtues and Vices, rather, source the list of Soldi and Svaldi enriching activities from the Gods and Goddesses section.
 
===Soldi & Svaldi===
Soldi and Svaldi are two very important terms that accompany the Fornoss believers throughout all their lives. In the simplest of terms, Soldi is honor derived from virtue, while Svaldi is honor derived from opportunism. Soldi and Svaldi can be seen as resources that souls accrue in life as they grow older, and the goal of any Fornoss believer generally is to acquire high Soldi or Svaldi and be permitted into the afterlives of the Eili and Vola. Some might even consider trying to acquire both, a difficult balancing act, but if successful, might result in the very Gods themselves playing games of skill and wit to secure the soul for their own afterlives. This can sometimes result in a so-called Hvitdraugr, who is [[Undead]] Draugr until such a time comes that the Gods have finished their conflict over the person's soul (if they stay alive for that long in an Undead unfriendly world). Finally, it is also possible to lose Soldi or Svaldi from actions that go against the tenets of the Gods. It is in fact possible to lose all Soldi or Svaldi all at once, but this is usually not a complete disaster. Either honor can be restored, and can in fact be restored by another person. It is not uncommon for a father to lose all Soldi, resulting in their son beginning a quest to restore Soldi in his name. When offering his achievements up to the Gods, he offers them in his father's name, resulting in the Gods restoring the Soldi of his father. It is even possible to do this for people who have already died and passed into Imellomgård (purgatory), or who have come back from Imellomgård as Draugr Undead. In such a case, the living must restore their Soldi or Svaldi, after which they are released and restored to the proper afterlife, and in rare cases, to life either as a living person or a Revenant [[Spirit]].
 
===Eiliheim & Volaheim===
Unlike all other Religions, Old Gods has two afterlives, the Eiliheim which is the paradise of the Eili Pantheon, and the Volaheim which is the paradise of the Vola Pantheon. There exists also a realm in between, but this is not really classified as a paradise and more like a purgatory called Imellomgård, which literally translates to the land in between. While Eiliheim and Volaheim are described as places filled with the luxuries of life and pleasures of mortal life made immortal, Imellomgård is a land devoid of color, song, happiness and purpose, where souls who are refused entry into the other afterlives are forced to wander for all eternity. To enter Eiliheim, a person must have high Soldi, and to enter Volaheim, a person must have high Svaldi. If a person has neither in adequate quantity, or offended both Pantheons by having negative Soldi or Svaldi, they are condemned to Imellomgård to wander the mirror-wastes for all eternity. Though, Undead sometimes come back from Imellomgård in the form of Draugr Undead, if their bodies were not properly interred in the Helbolwen burial sites.
 
===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.
* The Fornoss faithful can call back a person who has passed into the afterlife temporarily if they possess an image (painting, statue, carving) of the person, or know their full real name. In such a case, they must perform the calling of the forerunner ritual, and command the Spirit to hold a specific purpose in line with the Fornoss faith. This will manifest the person as a Primal Revenant, with a strong inclination to complete the Fate for which they were summoned, and if they do, they disappear again. The same Spirit can be summoned multiple times for different Fates. Remember, Spirits, even ones from Gods, are still very illegal in the eyes of the Law!
 
===Svartskra===
The Svartskra identifies a pivotal point in Fornoss history that despite its massive importance to all Fornoss believers, is mostly shrouded in mystery either by the Eili forcing the faithful to forget, or the people willingly abandoning any reference to this period to avoid the stray faithful from looking too deep into the matter and opening old wounds. As part of the Fornoss origins, the so-called Vaarda Gates, exist all over the world visited by Fornoss followers, helping their early colonizing boom. It is said by the Eili that these Gates were built by Bev, and passed through Volaheim to fold time and space together, allowing instant transportation across vast distances. At some point, the relationship between the Fornoss believers and the Eili, as opposed to the Vola and their Spirits, turned sour. It is said by the Eili that Rand (who they call the Great Betrayer) tricked them and condemned the Fornoss followers to some kind of horrible fate, thus causing their rebellion against the Pact that was meant to save the early Velheim people from Elven enslavement. From this point it is unclear if the Fornoss believers were expelled or fled from the Volaheim Gates. Whatever the circumstances, the Gates were closed shut after everyone was out with Bev's Keys (Artifact Weapons), which were then scattered across the world. The Vola maintain that the Eili fomented a false rebellion and that the followers defaced the Vola in their own home, though whichever version is closer to the truth, is hard to say as both sides have motive to lie. The last side effect of Svartskra (the day the Gates shut), was that the two Eili who had brokered the deals with the Vola the Flesh God Gro and the Metal God Jord were banished by the Eili and stripped from the Pantheon. Similarly, the Vola banished the two Gods responsible for working out the deal with the Eili being the Revenge God Asbjørn and the Greed God Frynni, who were also stripped from the Pantheon. Since this day, the Eili and Vola have been immortal enemies. As a consequence of this animosity, both sides agreed to refrain from interfering with the faithful too much, so as to prevent all out holy war within the Religion. This explains why the Fornoss Gods have been exceptionally silent during major tragedies that struck for example the Velheim people in the past 300 years, however in recent years, this policy has shown signs of cracking, with some raising concerns that if the Gods get too involved, that they will start fighting each other.


==Core Identity==
Old Gods is a religion that developed out of the old concept of Ailor Paganism in Ceardia, which was a polytheistic religion with a theoretical infinite amount of gods. Old Gods as a religion reformed this principle, attaching itself to the tangible gods that the people could see and interact with, and then centralized religion to them. Old Gods as a religion is centered around the concepts of Honor of the Soul, which is similar to Asaredu, but not strictly bound to combat honor alone, rather to the purity of one's soul as understood through the lens of behavior, actions, and things said. Old Gods worshipers refer to the Honor of the Soul as Soldi. It is actually a common misconception to think that Old Gods worshipers refer to their own religion as Old Gods. This is incorrect, because the term Old Gods was used by Unionists to refer to the faith that was largely replaced in the Archipelago by Unionism. Old Gods is actually referred to as Sjelbyrd by Velheimers or Selbarad by Cellik Old Gods worshipers. Because Ailor kind however has so many varied cultures, and because so few of them still worship the Old Gods, the term Old Gods has simply become commonly used, even by Velheimers when they speak Common.
===Tenets===
* '''Bravery:''' Soldi is gained with bravery, to fight against foes that overwhelm and overpower, to seek out challenges that bring glory and honor to one's family name, and to generally not show cowardice. Soldi is lost by showing cowardice and shirking from one's duties. One must always accept challenges, even if they could result in death or infamy. One must always commit to one's decisions.
* '''Wroth:''' Soldi is not strictly gained by being mean or violent, but rather by the idea that one should never give up or simply let things happen that one does not want to happen. Inversely, Soldi is lost by simply being meek and weak and letting events transpire without affecting them. One must never shirk from duties, or show weakness when strength and power are demanded by the public eye.
* '''Pleasure:''' The matter of chasteness versus pleasure is not really a matter that demands any Soldi satisfaction. Old Gods worshipers just don't really believe in chastity. That being said, dishonesty and deceit to one's lovers and spouse(s) results in loss of Soldi. One must always remain honest and truthful to those who one spends their life with, and afford them respect as if they are gods themselves.
* '''Vengeful:''' Soldi is gained by settling scores, Soldi is lost by letting a vendetta or nemesis simply walk all over one's self. Old Gods worshipers declare Motsaga against a person to declare them their enemy with scores to settle. The Old Gods worshipers came up with the saying "An eye for an eye". If another person is not strong enough to settle their scores, one can offer to do it for them, for Soldi's sake.
* '''Greed:''' Soldi is not specifically gained or lost while being charitable or greedy, but Old Gods as a religion generally rewards those who attain and retain the power to seize what they want and be merciful with what they have, but shows little favor on those too weak to make their own destiny. Greed over finances is however not encouraged. Old God worshipers should put little value in money, and more in possessions.
* '''Honest:''' Soldi is lost with deceit and lying, though not specifically while withholding information. Old Gods religion has a concept of "white-lies", and only punishes those who tell lies for explicit personal gain or to prevent danger to self (which they must be brave to face). White lies are acceptable if they prevent someone else from losing Soldi, or make everyone happier and easier off in the long run.
* '''Pride:''' Soldi is gained when others are aware of how great a person is, and Soldi is lost if a person is forgettable and irrelevant in the scope of history. Old Gods worshipers should endeavor to make sure their skills and talents are always known to others. One should never have paintings or statues made of one's self however. Artistic vanity is considered taboo, one can only accept such gifts made by others.
* '''Respect:''' A very important aspect of Old Gods worship is the acknowledgement of respect. While one must be proud of one's self, one must always deeply respect the skills of others, and pay homage to those who are simply better (even if they deserve a challenge here and there). One should never ever pretend like even one's enemies have no qualities or respect worthy aspects about them and one must vocalize them without spite.
* '''Soldi:''' The most important aspect of Old Gods is Soldi, which is like a currency of Honor. There is no strict numerical minimum or maximum, but being accused of being without Soldi is the worst insult to levy against an Old Gods worshiper, one that they believe condemns their soul. When someone's Soldi is lost, it is possible for relatives or friends to try and reclaim Soldi for that person by attributing their deeds to them.
* '''Loyalty:''' A very important aspect of Old Gods is loyalty, which can mean loyalty to family, to lovers, to one's overlord, one's ruler, or just the gods. Vows of loyalty are taken very seriously, and breaking one is considered a great way to lose all Soldi instantly. In the Regalian context, this usually means loyalty to the Gods, but also loyalty to one's Duke or Emperor depending on one's position.
===Beliefs===
* '''Narrative:''' In Old Gods beliefs, the world is one giant proving grounds for all living things (even wild animals) to prove the value of their soul and prevent loss of Soldi until they die. While all living things are born with Soldi, the effects of evil causes them to commit sins. Sins causing a loss of Soldi are a person's soul showing weakness and thus not having the right to pass into the afterlife. Old Gods dictates that while bodies are made by the gods, and Dragons create a kindling of a soul, that ultimately a soul's development, nurturing, and aging, is entirely up to the person themselves. When a person dies and their soul has enough Soldi they pass into the afterlife or the Valley of Life, which is an idealized version of life with drinking, feasting, and fun. When a person who passes into the Valley of Life also has a hero or legendary status soul through some great achievement or fame in life, they go to the Valley of Legends, which is an upgraded version of this afterlife where their every whim is satisfied. In case a soul is deemed without Soldi, they are condemned to the Mirror world, where the soul wanders for eternity on the salt-flats without color, smell or sound as penance. It is said that some souls have such evil in their hears that they escape the Mirror world, and become Undead in the real world. This is why Old Gods worshipers have such a negative view of Undead who were Old Gods worshipers in a prior life, but are apathetic to Undead from other religions.
* '''Canon Evil:''' Canon Evil in Old Gods is called Demons, which takes similar origins as Unionism, but has a more flexible interpretation. On one hand, Old Gods worshipers do acknowledge Demons from the Void, Exist, and Bintaar as evil with corrupting intentions. They refer to them as Betrayers, with one particular Demon called The Great Betrayer being the worst, which scholars believe to be the Arken of Power. Demons seduce people into doing things that ruins their Soldi with promises of power, fame and legend. On the other hand, Old Gods worshipers acknowledge the evil in mortals as a far more realistic source of bad things in life. It is said that the Gods and Dragons made a pact, with the Gods making the bodies of Ailor-kind, and the Dragons providing the breath of life, which would create a seedling of a soul. However, as life develops, the person who the soul belongs to creates the expressions, actions and feelings of the soul themselves as it grows over time, and that evil is simply the person being too weak to hold onto virtues in life and engaging in sin. As such, evil can neatly be defined as either Demons inducing weakness in otherwise strong people, or weakness just existing in a soul because the person themselves are weak.
* '''Identity:''' Old Gods dogma has no explicit gender, sex, sexual orientation or gender-identity bias, though it has an implicit male-bias. While any Old Gods worshiper will claim that all genders and sexes are equally fair in their religion, traditional male-coded masculinity takes a unique place that discolors a lot of the nuance about gender. Strong, masculine and emotionless are framed as virtues for men living by the examples of their gods, and so Old Gods society can come across as publicly egalitarian, but having hidden masculine preferences under the surface.
* '''Conversion:''' Old Gods as a religion does not require preaching or spreading through missionaries, which is usually a practice reserved for Faith of Estel and Unionism, though to say it is without violent impression is false. Among Old Gods worshipers, holy wars can rage between two distinct populations over small denominational ideals (some as ridiculous as the believed hair color of a god), but bigger conflicts arise with other religions. Old Gods worshipers in general are very intolerant to other religions mostly born out of necessity, because disloyalty to the gods (for example by converting from Old Gods to Unionism) means a complete loss of Soldi and thus a soul being condemned to the Mirror world. Old Gods worshipers have been known to force their faith at the end of a sword and axe, especially in the far north where they are in the majority. Old Gods worshipers also frequently deface religious symbols of other faiths or engage in desecration of holy sites.
* '''Sins & Taboo:''' The worst cases of sinning and taboo for Old Gods are disloyalty to god, family and one's leaders, backstabbing, betrayal, deceit for greed's sake, and refusing a challenge of honor or duel of honor and abiding by cowardice. Never does a single sin or transgression cause Soldi to be lost fully, it is more like a currency that slowly leaks away, however repeat offenses do cause eventual loss of Soldi altogether. Old Gods does not really have a central body of priests to condemn a person, but generally speaking, Old Gods communities have a very communal sense of expelling a member when they believe their Soldi to be too far gone.
==Gods and Goddesses==
==Gods and Goddesses==
TBD
The Fornoss Gods are divided over two Pantheons, Eili and Vola. The Gods are always presented as Eili on the Left, Vola on the Right (if their opportunistic theming didn't give it away), though as some Gods are ambiguous as they were once Eili and became Vola, the left-right distinction has to be mentioned. Titular naming for the Gods (for example, Herald the Dark Celestial) is not necessary, it just provides a more poetic way of referring to them without using their name directly. Because both Pantheons expelled two Gods each, and because the Pantheons didn't become established all at once and some Gods joined much later, it is still possible for this Pantheon to grow. While Fornoss faithful can choose Patron Gods that they feel strong connections to, unlike other Religions, a Fornoss Follower must always worship whole Pantheons, either only Eili or Vola Pantheons, or both.
===Arne, Father of All===
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Bev, Doorway of the Moon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Bev, the Lord of Water, the Dead Ferryman or the All-Seeing Mirror.
* '''Domain:''' Bev's domain is the mortuary cult, the death rites, and mortal aging.
* '''Symbols:''' Mirrors, The Mortuary Cloth, rich and deep colors of Blue and Black.
* '''Role:''' Bev measures the Soldi of the Dead, and guards the Gate to the Afterlife.
* '''Traits:''' Cryptic, Silent, Reserved, Slow-Acting, Careful, Observant, Learned.
* '''Temple:''' Bev's largest Temple is the Dead-Door Mortuary in Irvainvik, Drixagh.
* '''Allies:''' Ammuloa followers, priests of other societies, especially Unionist.
* '''Enemies:''' Anything Ordial Aligned, especially Undead, and more so Draugr Undead.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained from tending/respecting to the dead, lost from disrespecting the dead.
* '''Rituals:''' Bev rituals involve the tending of Helbolwen graves, refreshing flowers and offerings, and lighting candles by the Bev statue which can always be found in a Helbolwen. Bev is also worshiped through the singing chalice, large chalices filled with water and played somber and harrowing tunes with by gliding fingers over the rims.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Rand, Herald the Dark Celestial'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Randlikeaslut.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Rand, called Great Betrayer by Eilirik, or Power Arken by non-believers.
* '''Domain:''' Rand is the lord of Volaheim itself, said to never leave his realm.
* '''Symbols:''' Rand's symbol is the red Evil Eye, bear claw scars, and bears.
* '''Role:''' Rand acts like a King of the Vola, and commander of the Volaheimr.
* '''Traits:''' Power-hungry, Domineering, Authoritarian, Strong-willed, Capable.
* '''Temple:''' Rand has no temple, Volaheim itself is one big temple to his glory.
* '''Allies:''' Rand's only allies are the Void Arken, he has no need for others.
* '''Enemies:''' Rand has no explicit enemies, except for the Exist Arken, notably Justice.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained from establishing power and control, losing from banishment.
* '''Rituals:''' The Feast of authority involving guests choosing their preferred leader among the gathered, with the winner gaining Svaldi. The Binding of Power is respected even by the Eilirik, a ritual in which two persons agree to a binding pact in blood, that if either fails or breaks, they lose all Soldi or Svaldi when vowed to their preferred Gods.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Leif, Warmth of the Fire'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Un3333titled Artwork.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Leif, the Lord of Fire, Warmth of the Rising Sun.
* '''Domain:''' Leif is the God of Love and Affection, and of Passion and Care.
* '''Symbols:''' Leif is represented by Fire and the blazing Golden Sun.
* '''Role:''' Leif is set to bring warmth and sunlight to the world and to hearts.
* '''Traits:''' Compassionate, Loving, Parental, Passionate, Driven, Energetic.
* '''Temple:''' Leif's largest Temple is the Sun-Sky House in Kongehjem, Nordskag.
* '''Allies:''' Theomar Followers, Regulus Followers, and kindhearted Bloodcast Knights.
* '''Enemies:''' Followers of any Moon-themed Gods, Armas/Amandaros followers.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained from loyalty to Lovers/Family and Kindness, lost from Treason.
* '''Rituals:''' Many of Leif's rituals involve offering things like fruits or hunted animal carcasses to the flame, believers saying that the flames offer them up to Leif until nothing but ash remains, absorbing the life and using it to pull the Sun through the sky each day. Other rituals involve the sharing of passion with other believers in his Temples.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Thirun, Fates of the Dark Sun'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Untitled_artwork_5.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Thirun, called Pride Arken or Ott by non-Believers.
* '''Domain:''' Thirun is the God of Magic and of Pride and Vanity.
* '''Symbols:''' Thirun is represented by the Dark Sun surrounded by Light and Hounds.
* '''Role:''' Thirun is the source of all Fornoss God Magic but also the Magic Burden.
* '''Traits:''' Prideful, Vain, Sardonic, Sarcastic, Greedy, Scornful, Ego-driven.
* '''Temple:''' Thirun's largest Temple was destroyed by Regalia in the Elven War.
* '''Allies:''' Pride/Fury Arkenborn, Evolism followers, Vampire hunters.
* '''Enemies:''' Vampires, Justice Arkenborn & Followers, Publicly Weak Persons.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained through great achievements, lost by losing Duels.
* '''Rituals:''' The Prideful Parade is one custom that involves demanding others show to a public roasting session where the aim is to praise the person who demanded they show, and roast the opponents who invited others. Another is the Prideful Feast, where each produces Food which instills pride in their cooking, and they compete over the best dish with others.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Njal, Keeper of the Light'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Njal, the Herald of Spring, Keeper of the Light.
* '''Domain:''' Njal's domain is that of light, and the sky, as well as all of the arts.
* '''Symbols:''' Njal is represented by clouds and bright pastel colors and light prisms.
* '''Role:''' Njal is the diplomat and artist of the gods, providing entertainment in Eiliheim.
* '''Traits:''' Artistic, Snarky, Whimsical, Creative, Sloth, Childish, Caring.
* '''Temple:''' Njal's largest temple was destroyed when Ceardia became forsaken.
* '''Allies:''' Artists, Musicians, and Creatives of any kind, and Queer people.
* '''Enemies:''' Njal's only true enemies are those who abstain from a good stiff drink.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by creative expression and bringing joy, lost by destroying art.
* '''Rituals:''' Njal is Bard's husband, and because of this, many of his rituals involve Bard in some way. Skysteel Forging is the act of letting an artist inspire a forger to produce a work of art and tough steel at the same time. Other rituals involve poetry duels, and Annointment of the Artist, where Artists use body paint on a strong Man dressed as Bard for Art.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Svol, The Punished Shadow'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Fhdhjfdyujfhtg.png|220px|caption|left]]
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* '''Name:''' Svol, Bard's Bane, the Dark Lightning Lord.
* '''Domain:''' Svol's domain is thunderstorms, but more metaphorically of lies and deceit.
* '''Symbols:''' Shadows, Lightning, Missing or fully Tattoo'd arms, the colors black and yellow.
* '''Role:''' Svol was once a Eili, until punished by Bard, changed teams to plot for Rand.
* '''Traits:''' Analytical, Mindful, Deceitful, Witty, Suave, Charming, Good-Tempered.
* '''Temple:''' Svol's Temple is the Copper Tower now within Life Isldar land in Ellador.
* '''Allies:''' Trickster god followers and politicians, Inth & Nox followers.
* '''Enemies:''' Justice Arken(born), Guards, Knights, Justicars, Knights.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained in subterfuge plots, or beaten Knights, lost by being deceived/losing.
* '''Rituals:''' Svol's rituals are deceptively easily hidden as party games, especially those that involve lying. A common one is Svol's Gauntlet, where everyone produces 2 truths and a lie, and gains points each time a person in the gathering cannot guess which one is the lie, or guesses wrong. Another is punishing tyrannical/corrupt law enforcement with violence.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Dáuw, Bringer of Order'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Dwarfgod.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Dáuw, The Under-King, the Dwarf-Lord, the Last Stalwart.
* '''Domain:''' Dáuw is God-King of the Dwarves, and the Lord of all Soil and Order.
* '''Symbols:''' Dáuw is represented by the Dwarven Runes and shapes of Mountains.
* '''Role:''' Dáuw's role is to bring order to mortal society through stable structure.
* '''Traits:''' Resolute, Stalwart, Defiant, Stubborn, All-Knowing, Contemplative.
* '''Temple:''' Dáuw's largest Temple is the Great Chamber in Rammuur, Ellador.
* '''Allies:''' Historians, Legislators, Juvin followers, Justiciars, Knights.
* '''Enemies:''' Anarchists, Evolism followers, Jacobins, Drakkar, Populists, the Military
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by showing Solidarity, lost by letting society slip to anarchy.
* '''Rituals:''' Dáuw have changed over the years, changing from justice and order-reinforcing rituals, to rituals more centered around Dwarven culture, as a byproduct of the catastrophic population decline of the Dwarves. Any festival or event that celebrates, highlights, or discusses and educates on Dwarven Culture is a form of worship to Dáuw.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Hrymrök, The Charnel Chaos'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treeaaaa.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:New Canvashgdhdfkjgb.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Arne is a non-humanoid non-physical representation of divinity in Old Gods. In Old Gods doctrine, it is believed that before Ailorkind was born, there was Arne, the tree of Life, that stood in a world that was already alive with plant life and wild life. Old Gods doctrine never made any claims on how the world or reality actually started, but implied that other religions are valid (to a degree) because they refer to the "Old World", where-as the world in which Old Gods exists now is the "New World". Simpler put, Old Gods acknowledges other religions and beliefs that pre-date itself as legitimate within their time-frame, but claims that with the birth of Old Gods, those religions or beliefs became invalid for Ailor, and that Old Gods is the only valid truth. This does mean that Old Gods is a mostly Ailor-centric religion, though more recently Url have also started following the religion (or continued following post-symbiosis). This causes particular conflict with Unionists. While Old Gods believers claim that the Everwatcher probably is real, they consider the faith false, because it induces its followers to engage in actions that cause them to lose Soldi and be condemned to the Mirror World.
|
 
* '''Name:''' Hrymrök, Sirannal Týmal (in Elven), or the Anarchy Arken to non-believers.
Arne stood in Old Ceardia for many centuries, until he communed with Dragons (who are not considered divine, rather just really powerful entities of legend), and developed a voice. With his voice, he spoke to fauna and flora, and with them approaching his roots, his mind expanded. With expansion came his desire to create his own life, and so with each new animal or event around Arne that he became aware of, a new god or goddess was born, creating the traditional pantheon by willing them into existence, which in turn caused them to create the Ailor Race. Arne is not worshiped however, because while he is the Tree of Life, he is seen more as a means to an end, and when all the Gods were born, he went into a lifeless slumber that created the afterlife in his dreams. As such, worshiping him is like worshiping the afterlife, which Old Gods worshipers consider strange at best. He is however occasionally still referred to as the father of all the Old Gods pantheon, and the Tree of Life remains an important symbol in Old Gods, even if Arne is nowhere near as important as the Everwatcher in Unionism and is only given lip service. Arne's physical body is believed to have perished with the destruction of Ceardia, however this didn't spell disaster, as it is believed that his spirit and dreams (and thus the afterlife) live on even without his physical form.
* '''Domain:''' Hrymrök is the chained guilt of the Elves towards the Fornoss believers.
* '''Symbols:''' Broken chains, cracked shields, and broken statues mended with gold.
* '''Role:''' Hrymrök was imprisoned by Rand to repent for Elven slavery by freeing them.
* '''Traits:''' Wroth, Vile, Ill-Mannered, Haughty, Snobby, Loathsome, Indignant.
* '''Temple:''' Hrymrök's Temple is the Haunting Mask Cliff in Maartasil.
* '''Allies:''' Slave-Abolitionists, Allorn-Haters, Estelley Faithful (except Cemaan).
* '''Enemies:''' Cemaan followers, Unionism followers, Archon, Draconism followers.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by freeing Thralls & Mind-slaves, lost by being enthralled.
* '''Rituals:''' Hrymrök is a bit of an oddity even for a Vola, because she doesn't really want to be a Goddess. Still, worship to her is more a form of satisfaction appeasement, as if the faithful are responsible for keeping her happy while she does her work freeing Fornoss slaves and oppressed from Elven control by food/wealth offerings to her Magenta Flames.
|}
|}
===Bev, Mirror of Life===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Halfvel, Father of Godly Blood'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Flying cloth.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Halfvel1.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Bev is the third son of Arne, and was born when a deer mother died beneath the branches of the Tree of Life, its younglings following her soon after following their abandonment. Bev is depicted as a figure shrouded in a large funeral cloth, the edges engraved with Old Gods runes that glow blue. Bev's face and body are always shrouded in darkness, save for his hands and long sharp nails that are porcelain white, clasping onto the Mirror of Life. Bev is always depicted resting his hands on the edge of the Mirror, holding it up, and thus also representing the afterlife. Bev is considered a softspoken and kind god, but one who always performs the thankless task of sending souls on to the afterlife, judging them for the Valley or the Mirror World.  
|
 
* '''Name:''' Halfvel, the Wolf-Father, The God-Mark Bearer, The Ice-Wolf.
Bev is the God of the dead, the afterlife, judgement, solitude, serenity, and mourning. Bev is the most important to those who care for the dead in the Old Gods religion, as his Song of the Dead is written in Old Gods script on his funeral cloth. It is said that Bev holds up the prison of the Soldi-less dead, the Mirror World, and should he ever let go of the mirror, it will shatter, setting free all the Soldi-less dead and causing a terrible undead cataclysm to occur in Aloria. Bev is the husband of Hel, but always doomed never to hold her in embrace, not only because he must hold up the Mirror, but also because he can never leave the water, and Hel can never enter the water, condemned to dance upon it. There is a subtext implied that Bev intentionally hides away in the water, believing that Hel's anguish for him would cause her to clumsily knock the mirror away and thus initiate the end of the world if she were ever to embrace him.
* '''Domain:''' Halfvel is the lord of Demigods, the tamer of Marken & other Beasts.
 
* '''Symbols:''' Halfvel is represented by the Cloth of Dominion & Wolves.
Bev's shrines are commonly built inside the Helbolwen, or the Crypts of the Old Gods religion. These usually feature a statue in his likeness with a mirror, and hundreds of candles arranged all around him that are perpetually replaced and kept lit to remember the dead. Bev is called upon by the singers of the dead and those who have learned to commune with the dead, asking for his permission to call forth their soul or their essence to speak with. Bev also judges souls both for the dead and the living, and is frequently prayed to for a sign to say if someone's Soldi is damaged or pure. Bev's cult is called the Staargir Cult, which are funerary priests that travel the land and are blinded either by removal of the eyes or by blindfold, who are rumored to be able to see dead souls wander the world in their blindness. The Staargir enter Helbolwen where outbreaks of violent Undead terrorize the locals (as the living may not enter the inner Helbolwen), purging the Undead and forcing them back into their crypts.  
* '''Role:''' Halfvel's role is to purposefully produce offspring among Mortals.
* '''Traits:''' Guiding, Remorseful, Helping, Altruistic, Melancholic, Loyal.
* '''Temple:''' Halfvel's largest Temple is the Wolf Rest in the Cains.  
* '''Allies:''' (self-controlling) Marken, other Godborn, and Asha & Urlan.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who hunt Transformed Persons, The Afflicted, Undead.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by protecting the environment, lost by killing Transformed Persons.
* '''Rituals:''' Halfvel's rituals often involve the seeking out of Halfvel's Godborn children, and aiding them in their quest for Demigod status among Fornoss followers, or correcting their path if they have been led astray. Other forms of Worship involve helping those who Transform deal with their curse, or protecting them from persecution.  
|}
|}
===Hel, Dancer of Death===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Eikki, Drinker of the Blood Taint'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Flying clothfyhgsb'.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:New Canvasgfhdhfdhgdfjhfgh.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Hel is the first daughter of Arne, and was born when the river banks around the Tree of Life flooded and touched the bark of its base, washing higher and higher and pushing all manner of animals up into the cracks to escape the flow. Hel is depicted as a lithe woman with all manner of facial tattoos and a body or dress made out of ocean waves, in a constant state of torrent and flow. She herself dances with fluid movements like the washing of waves on a beach shore, directing the flow of oceans. She is considered cruel and whimsical, bringing forth good waves and calm oceans or terrible typhoons and unending rainfall that chokes out the crops. Hel is the wife of Bev, however they are destined to forever be apart, with Hel only ever able to dance on the surface of the water, and Bev living beneath the surface of the water, only ever able to see each other and never touch.  
|
 
* '''Name:''' Eikki, the Arne-Drunk, The Revel-God among other Party epithets.  
Hel is the goddess of protection from the waves, first prayed to for a safe journey by sailors, and a safe return of loved ones for those left behind on the shores. Hel's fury or misery can be felt in the waves crashing on the coast. As such, she is sometimes also seen as the goddess of misery, unrequited love, and abandonment. She is generally seen as not necessarily malicious, but having an anguish and loneliness that can never be answered, causing her to inflict said grief and misery on other married couples by taking sailors into the deeps as she dances in the typhoons.  
* '''Domain:''' Eikki is the God of Feasting and Festivities and Joy, even as Vola.
 
* '''Symbols:''' Eikki's Symbol is the Beer Keg and the masks of joy and pleasure.
Hel's shrines are always built on the cliffsides overlooking rough oceans, the more gloom and dangerous the better. Worship to Hel is far less material, that is to say, she is not given physical offerings, but company and performance. It is common for those wishing for a safe return of their loved ones at sea to do the sea-dance in front of Hel shrines, or to sing the song of the wayward lover, a melancholic song aching for the return of a loved one and begging Hel not to inflict her anguish onto them. In terms of life and death, Hel is considered the goddess who takes lives, and divines the fate of all Old Gods worshipers, to know when it is their time to die and send their souls to Bev. Hel's cult is called the Sea-dancers, which are all exclusively water Mages who join on large fleets, trying to contain the anger of Hel during great storms at sea to protect ships by dancing to her while bending Magic to keep water off the decks.
* '''Role:''' Eikki guards (and drinks) Arne's Blood brew that has immense power.
* '''Traits:''' Joyous, Gregarious, Wild, Festive, Good-Natured, Drunkard.
* '''Temple:''' Eikki's largest Temple was thrashed by him after a legendary binge.
* '''Allies:''' Eikki is everyone's friend and tries to give everyone a chance.
* '''Enemies:''' Eikki has no enemies, as any enemy becomes a friend with one drink.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained with wild parties and getting stuff people drunk, never lost.
* '''Rituals:''' As Eikki was once Eili but condemned to become Vola when he transgressed by drinking Vola's Blood, his rituals and worship is relatively benign when compared to the other Vola, despite the implication that he is changing into something else. Worship of him invariably just involves getting black-out drunk, and having great parties.  
|}
|}
===Adal, Prince of Forgiving===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Bard, Iron Lord of Protection'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treetyujgrf.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Adal is the son of Bard, and was born when Bard's anger and rage caused a thunderstorm so severe that the lightning cut two branches off the Tree of Life. Adal is always depicted as an athletic male with dreads, glowing Velheim tattoos and dismembered arms, the stumps cauterized with gold, and the arms replaced with lightning. Adal is said to be forgiving and merciful, one who is frequently found to act as enforcer of laws or police among the Gods and their petty squabbles. While Adal acts as law-keeper, his forgiving and conceding attitude means he usually ends up solving nothing because he never puts his foot down. His cut off arms replaced with lightning are sometimes an analogy for the Tree of Life's ruptured branches, but is sometimes also an analogy for Bard having cut off his arms in a rage.
|
 
* '''Name:''' Bard, the Steel-Father, Axe of Judgement, the Law-Bringer.
Adal is the god of giving aid and help, conceding, forgiving, holding no grudges and calmness of mind, an ironic thematic contrast to his lightning powers. He is the lord over thunder and controls the great lightning storms around the world. Adal is the twin brother of Odal, who he feels eternally remorseful for. Adal is on an eternal search of Odal to try and convince him to return to the pantheon proper in harmony with the other gods, but he always ends up conceding to Odal when they do meet, and no change occurs. Adal is both a god that encourages the Old Gods worshipers to kindness, while also warning them that forgiveness (while a virtue) does not help anyone if practiced all the time.  
* '''Domain:''' Bard is the God of Justice and Steel, of all Crafts and Law.
 
* '''Symbols:''' Bard is represented by the Lynx, and the steel anvil.  
Adal's shrines are usually built high on mountains with lighting rods of copper where they can conduct the lightning down to the altar. The altar is usually filled with bottles with Celectic gas, a substance that is able to store electricity in a visual form inside the bottle for extended periods of time before seeping away. Worship to Adal isn't traditionally done on a day to day basis, but usually with a purpose. Pilgrims visit his shrine either to ask for the god's blessing and to help them forgive someone who they want to forgive but cannot. Alternatively, those who want to be forgiven also pray to him, hoping that Adal will soften the hearts of those that were wronged. Adal's cult is the Arrows of the Sky Cult, which dresses in very bright yellow robes and travels the world attempting to offer advice and moral support to those seeking repentance.  
* '''Role:''' Bard is Retribution, manifesting to honor-less mortals for judgement.
* '''Traits:''' Judgemental, Merciless, Headstrong, Iron-willed, Unsympathetic.
* '''Temple:''' Bard's largest Temple is the Lynx-Claw Great Hall in Ruttswyn.
* '''Allies:''' Justice Arken(born), Knights & Guards, Bodyguards & Hor followers.
* '''Enemies:''' Evolism followers, those that deface Art, Death Cultists.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by being Just/Brave, lost by letting injustice prevail.
* '''Rituals:''' Bard being Njal's husband often has his rituals tied to him (see Njal's section). Specific worship of Bard often emulates his legendary rage being soothed by Njal's soft touch, mimicked for example by taming wild animals and breaking in wild horses. Other forms of worship involve solitary wood carving or general crafting like forging or carpentry.  
|}
|}
===Odal, Prince of Vengeance===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Blodrúna, The Crimson Carnage'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treetyujgrfhgdfh.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:New Canvasghredghretd.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Odal is the son of Bard and the twin of Adal, born when Bard's anger and rage caused a thunderstorm so severe that the lightning cut two branches off the Tree of Life, which then fell down on the ground and crushed a family of hedgehogs. Odal is always depicted as a corrupted god with blackened skin and blue discoloration, large claw-like hands, horns, and a fractured chest from which blue lightning leaks. This is because Odal is a corrupted god who despite his allegiance with the Great Betrayer, is still seen as a god, as he still acts for the wellbeing of the Old Gods worshipers so long as they align with him. Odal is imposing and very broad, believed to be the only god capable of challenging Bard and winning in combat. How Odal became corrupted varied drastically from community to community, but it usually revolves around anger and spite at the other gods for inaction.
|
 
* '''Name:''' Blodrúna, The Blade-Queen, Red Terror to non-Believers.
Odal is the god is revenge, of overcoming, of conquest, of Magic, and of indominable spirit. He is also a lord of thunder, but his control of thunder is chaotic and uncontrollable. Where his heart would have been is a hole in his chest, from which chaotic lightning erupts. Odal's presence is felt in the pyroclastic flows of volcanos, and the storms that erupt from volcanos, chaotic and uncontrollable, in contrast to Adal's controlled storms. Odal frequently clashes with Bard as Bard has expelled him from the pantheon, but Odal seeks to overcome expulsion and pariah status and force his way back in, which in traditional folklore he usually succeeds in. Odal is also believed to be the source of Magic, which is seen as both a curse and a blessing. It is a blessing by Odal's gift to the individual, but a curse because it also condemns them with a life-long struggle against the sin of weakness, Old Gods worshipers believing that Magic users are not sinful because they are Mages, but can quickly become sinful because their Magic causes their soul to be weak to their vices and cocky.  
* '''Domain:''' Blodrúna is the Goddess of War, Carnage, Murder, and Victory.
 
* '''Symbols:''' Blodrúna's symbols are the Bloodied Blade, and the Blood Crown.
Odal's shrines are, surprisingly, left intact by Old Gods worshipers, mostly because they believe Odal will also enact revenge on those who destroy his shrines, as his power allows him to call misfortune on those who have dismayed him. Worship to Odal is mostly done through the offering of hunted animal carcasses being burned on his shrine, as an offering to pray for him not to bring misery to a person's life, but also to convince him not to bless one's enemies with success in their revenge. An Old Gods worshiper who is pushed to the limits of what they can take sometimes accepts the blessings of Odal and essentially becomes a Demonically possessed avatar of vengeance. If they succeed, their Soldi is cleansed and Odal gives them vengeance, if they fail, their instantly lose all Soldi and are banished to the Mirror world, implying Odal kills them. Odal has a cult called Odal's Avengers, who full-body paint themselves like Odal and are revenge-seekers for hire, selling their martial services to those who are too weak to take revenge on their wrongdoers themselves. These cultists, including those who have surrendered to Odal's demons are called Odalv.
* '''Role:''' Blodrúna is a savage killer-God who teaches Carnage on the battlefield.
* '''Traits:''' Cruel, Murderous, Psychotic, Violent, Contemplative, Poetic.
* '''Temple:''' Blodrúna's largest Temple is the Sanguinus Pit in Hvitskag.
* '''Allies:''' Only Vampires. No one else appreciates Blood as they do.
* '''Enemies:''' There is no such thing as an Enemy to Blodrúna, only Prey.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by ending a worthy life, lost by ending a weak one.  
* '''Rituals:''' Blodrúna is perhaps the most unambiguously dangerous and psychotic Goddess of any Religion, but it is important to note she never turns on her own faithful. Blodrúna's worship involves prayer before, during, and after battle, all in the hopes to be given a bit of her skill with sharp things in the heat of battle, and pray for her not to turn on the faithful.  
|}
|}
===Bard, King of Bears===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Elkonur, The Winter Hunter'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treeagdsgsgjdjf.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:New canvasujtrjytg.png|220px|caption|left]]
|Bard is the first son of Arne, and was born when bears took shelter under the tree of life. Bard is always depicted as a large rugged man, covered in bear or wolf-pelts, with brown hair, plenty of facial and body hair, and black charcoal washed out around his eyes emulating the claw marks of a bear. Bard is the husband of Njal, and is often said to have a raging temper and a beastly countenance that makes him lose all semblance of humanity when he is beset by fits of rage. Bard is said to be uncontrollable by the other gods, dispensing punishment and retribution on mortals for failing in the eyes of the gods, a practice which has earned him the moniker "Guardian of the gods", because he is indeed the first into battle.  
|
 
* '''Name:''' Elkonur, the White Shepherd, the White Guardian, Snowfall.
Bard is the god of battle, strength, rage, endurance, stability, power and solitude. In Old Gods lore, he roams the land seeking battle from legendary beasts and gods of other religions, but has a broken heart of loneliness that he cannot mend because he is too proud to admit his desire for companionship. It is here that Njal found him, and was the only one who could break his beastly demeanor, soothe his rage, and calm his temper when it erupted. As such, Bard and Njal are now considered spouses, and are frequently framed together as the Union of Air. Bard worship is done through prayers to his name before and after battle, or to invoke his name for strength and rage during battle.
* '''Domain:''' Elkonur is both Herald of Winter and Demon-Hunter.
 
* '''Symbols:''' Antler Horns, White Fur, and any shape of Snow-flake.
Bard's shrines are usually large stone steles with runic inscriptions surrounded by animal bones, or large stone tables with all manner of beast pelts strung over it. On this table or in front of this stele are usually bowls in which offerings of the hunt are brought in his name, which can also be a piece of cloth or hair from a slain foe, which is then ritually burned. Bard has a cult of worshiper's called Bard's Wolves, though the Ceardian branch was recently eradicated in the Carrhen War by the Regalian Empire, with the Northern variant mostly in hiding in Talahm Gall.
* '''Role:''' Elkonur's sole role is to slay Vola servant Spirits out of Volaheim.  
* '''Traits:''' Pensive, Wise, Alert, Nomadic, Careful, Precise, Predictable.
* '''Temple:''' Elkonur's largest Temple is Storheim Hall in Jorrhildr (Urlan Land).
* '''Allies:''' Urlan, Suvial Elves, Aelrrigan Knights, Zealots.
* '''Enemies:''' Spirits, Theurgists, Kathar, Argentum Knights, Arkenborn.  
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by banishing (temp killing) Spirits, lost by nothing.  
* '''Rituals:''' Elkonur is the youngest of the Eili, and specifically joined after Svartskra explaining why he hunts errant Spirits from Volaheim while the others are inactive. Worship and rituals of Elkonur involve protecting Fornoss religious figures as well as hunting and ending Spirits, even if they are only banished temporarily.  
|}
|}
===Njal, Prince of Art===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Odal, Fear of the Dark'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treeagdsgs.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:New canvasfjfrft.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
Njal is the second son of Arne, and was born when birds sang their songs among the branches of the Tree of Life. Njal is always depicted as a very handsome young man with fine and expensive linens wrapped around an otherwise seductive body, with strawberry blonde hair and minimal facial hair. Njal is also traditionally depicted with heterochromia, one light-blue eye and one light-brown eye with which it is said he always keeps an eye on Bard, who has dark brown eyes. Njal is said to be eloquent and calming, a soothing presence that mediates and forms compromise between the gods when they fight. It is said that Njal provides divine inspiration, hidden as a robed stranger giving gentle hints to steer maestros into the right direction for a masterpiece.
* '''Name:''' Odal, Svol's Shadow Twin, Odalv Father, Spirit Father.
 
* '''Domain:''' Odal's domain is that of Spirits and vengeance for Blasphemy.
Njal is the god of creativity, art, fertility, compromise, male beauty, and silver tongues. In Old Gods lore, he roams the land seeking the perfect piece of art whether it be a painting, statue or music, but never finding it, until he found Bard one day, and discovered that the perfect piece of art was not a thing, but the virility of man. Njal ensnared Bard with poetry, and ever since is depicted as Bard's spouse that calms his worst urges and turns him into a loving partner that transitions his anger into a desire for protection and preservation. As such, Njal is seen as a necessary deterrent of godly abuse of mortals also, and one who protects them from godly cruelty.
* '''Symbols:''' The Long Claw Hand, Odal's Burning Heart, Blue Lightning.
 
* '''Role:''' Odal hunts those who defile Rand's Temples and Shrines for him.
Njal's shrines are usually mobile, meaning that they are carts or special harnesses that people have developed to strap onto themselves or move around. The idea is that Njal never sits still and must roam the land to see and experience more, and so his shrines should never stay in one place either, but rather see places. The act of worship to Njal is to say a prayer to his name, and then donate an alms or some sort of gift to an artist (even if the artist is not an Old Gods believer). This has resulted in Old Gods artists using a donation pot as a Njal shrine, and so when a Unionist tips them, they actually bring a prayer to Njal. Njal's cult is called Njal's Harps, who are known to reside in some of the major cities of Drixagh, hosting debauched feasts and parties with plenty of drinking and passionate exchanges.  
* '''Traits:''' Calculated, Emotionless, Skilled, Imposing, Relgious, Loyal.
* '''Temple:''' Odal's largest Temple is the Blue Hall in Middeskag.
* '''Allies:''' Spirits, Zealots, Theurgists with Spirit consent.  
* '''Enemies:''' Suvial, Aelrrigan Knights, Those who use Spirits without consent.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by punishing Blasphemers, lost by showing cowardice/weakness.
* '''Rituals:''' Odal was once Eili like his twin, but willingly turned to the Vola because he felt the Eili were weak, and traded power for loyalty to Rand. Odal is very active with mortals like Elkonur is, specifically recruiting his Odalv warriors by infesting them with Spirits to fight for him and defeat those who violate Rand's name and Temples.  
|}
|}
===Liv, Beauty of Fire===
</center>
TBD
</tr></table>
===Estrid, Queen of Battle===
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
TBD
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Nidr, Dread of the Inner War'''</center></span>
===Hagen, Father of Time===
TBD
===Tove, Daughter of Dreams===
TBD
===Gro, Shaper of Flesh===
{|
{|
|[[File:Treesgfsd'dgsgs.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Spidergod.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
Gro is the last daughter of Arne, and was born when the Dragons spoke of the Nelfin in the far west to the tree, who then dreamt of living flesh. Gro is depicted as a female head with hair made of calcified bone, her body surrounded by calcified shapes of flesh that appear to undulate and swirl, with blood-colored and bone-colored streaks. Despite her theoretically grotesque appearance, the shapes of the bone and flesh matter is always arranged in such a way that she appears more like a clam with smooth spikes on the outside, her head set as a pearl inside. Gro is the wife of Jord, forming the Union of Life together, two gods who remain universally the most controversial entities in the Old Gods religion.
* '''Name:''' Nidr, the Weaver of Cursed Fates, the sleeping Horror.
 
* '''Domain:''' Nidr weaves the Fates of those with low Svaldi and Soldi.  
Gro and Jord are not worshiped anymore, and as such do not stand for anything. Most of the folklore concerning their identity and their roles in the Old Gods faith were lost, with information of them intentionally suppressed after an event referred to as the Liberation by Old Gods worshipers who do still have the telling of their betrayal. Very small pockets of Old Gods worshipers far removed from Velheim and Ceardian influences still worship Gro and Jord, like the Sunnan Velheim who ventured south and settled into the jungles close to Sendras, but have otherwise been out of contact with the rest of the world until very recently. It is said that Gro and Jord created Ailorkind from their bodies, and then begged the Dragons to breathe the breath of souls on them, which they obliged. Gro and Jord treated Ailorkind as their children and were loving and kind.
* '''Symbols:''' Spiders, Spider webs, battle-rage, berserkers, Skagger Warriors.
 
* '''Role:''' Nidr empowers the vengeful defense of Fornoss against outsiders.
The Pantheon however demanded a very absent role in their worshiper's lives, and while Gro and Jord were popular, the other Gods in the pantheon did not permit them to interfere with the lives of the small people they had made. When Nelfin slavers appeared on proto-Velheim shores, the faithful were enslaved in the tens of thousands, and equal numbers died from warfare by the magically superior Nelfin. The Gods had agreed in conclave only to act in small doses, which never pleased Gro and Jord as it would not stave off a final demise of their people. Gro and Jord thus went in secret to the Great Betrayer, the King of Demons to the Old Gods worshipers, and struck a deal that condemned all Old Gods worshipers and the souls of their descendants to belong both to the Old Gods and the Great Betrayer. The Great Betrayer supposedly saved them from the Nelfin, but imprisoned them in 1000 years of hell. The other Old Gods expelled Gro and Jord, condemning them to wander the world where memory of them eventually faded after the Old Gods worshipers broke free from the Great Betrayer after a thousand years trapped, also condemning Gro and Jord for their betrayal.  
* '''Traits:''' Independent, Ungovernable, Fate-driven, Dedicated, Foresight.
* '''Temple:''' The Silk-woven halls in Kvitæya, Regalia Archipelago in Drixagh.
* '''Allies:''' Tanthor and Dari faithful, Khannar Faithful, Daiana Faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Caius Faithful, Regal-Cultured/Colonial Regalian Nobility.  
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by defending Fornoss/Velheim people from cultural colonialism.
* '''Rituals:''' As Nidr is the God of the "Cursed Fate", he weaves the Fates in prophecies for those who have low Svaldi/Soldi in a last ditch attempt to save their soul. Fulfilling this prophecy is part of the rituals towards him. He however also represents the will of Fornoss faithful to be masters of their own identity and future, and so the very act of resisting colonialism and cultural assimilation is a form of worship towards him.
|}
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===Jord, Forger of Metal===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Stalhjart, Fury of the Outer War'''</center></span>
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|[[File:Treesgfsd'.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Pridedemon.png|220px|caption|left]]
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Jord is the last son of Arne, and was born when the roots of the Tree of Life touched metal ores in the ground, something the Tree could not crush or bend. Jord is depicted as a male with a body made out of sheets of metal, bent and straightened around parts of the body, and elongated arms with ball-joints, all made of a dark gray-blue metal with light blue lines. Jord's body is depicted with unsettling proportions, usually an exceedingly thin torso and excessively tall legs and arms. Jord is the husband of Gro, forming the Union of Life together, two gods who remain universally the most controversial entities in the Old Gods religion. While most traces of Gro have disappeared, Jord's last sighting was on the small island of Mirnoye, the island made of metal, which can only be reached once a year, though houses unfriendly locals and seemingly abandoned temples.  
* '''Name:''' Stalhjart, Avatar of War, Dominion of Battle, the Unvanquished Bulwark.
 
* '''Domain:''' Stalhjart's domain is that of warriors and honorable battle and duels.
Gro and Jord are not worshiped anymore, and as such do not stand for anything. Most of the folklore concerning their identity and their roles in the Old Gods faith were lost, with information of them intentionally suppressed after an event referred to as the Liberation by Old Gods worshipers who do still have the telling of their betrayal. Very small pockets of Old Gods worshipers far removed from Velheim and Ceardian influences still worship Gro and Jord, like the Sunnan Velheim who ventured south and settled into the jungles close to Sendras, but have otherwise been out of contact with the rest of the world until very recently. It is said that Gro and Jord created Ailorkind from their bodies, and then begged the Dragons to breathe the breath of souls on them, which they obliged. Gro and Jord treated Ailorkind as their children and were loving and kind.
* '''Symbols:''' The flame emblazoned sword and axe, and the ochre war paint.  
 
* '''Role:''' Stalhjart defends the Fornoss faithful in pivotal moments for survival.
The Pantheon however demanded a very absent role in their worshiper's lives, and while Gro and Jord were popular, the other Gods in the pantheon did not permit them to interfere with the lives of the small people they had made. When Nelfin slavers appeared on proto-Velheim shores, the faithful were enslaved in the tens of thousands, and equal numbers died from warfare by the magically superior Nelfin. The Gods had agreed in conclave only to act in small doses, which never pleased Gro and Jord as it would not stave off a final demise of their people. Gro and Jord thus went in secret to the Great Betrayer, the King of Demons to the Old Gods worshipers, and struck a deal that condemned all Old Gods worshipers and the souls of their descendants to belong both to the Old Gods and the Great Betrayer. The Great Betrayer supposedly saved them from the Nelfin, but imprisoned them in 1000 years of hell. The other Old Gods expelled Gro and Jord, condemning them to wander the world where memory of them eventually faded after the Old Gods worshipers broke free from the Great Betrayer after a thousand years trapped, also condemning Gro and Jord for their betrayal.  
* '''Traits:''' Furious, Ill-Tempered, Energetic, Violent, Melancholic, Crude.
* '''Temple:''' The Eternal Flame Temple in Helsikki, Regalian Archipelago in Drixagh.
* '''Allies:''' Caius faithful, Gladiators and Warriors, Allest and Brand faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Pacifists, Ithanians, Those who kill or maim during duels of skill.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained through feats of skilled combat and having a winning-spree.
* '''Rituals:''' Stalhjart rituals are as one would expect, expressed through honorable, fair, and disciplined duels, or tournaments. It is crucially important that Stalhjart does not condone killing, and is often in opposition to Blodrúna who very much relishes in it. For Stalhjart, killing is not the ultimate goal, but expressions of martial skill, strong body, and iron will to persevere in a fight, and to always seek greater heights to aspire to in martial power.  
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===Frode, Carer of Nature===
</center>
TBD
</tr></table>
===Toke, Lirh of Wilde===
TBD
 


==Priestly Activities==
Fornoss does not have a formal priesthood associated with it, because it is a very disorganized religion. What this means, is that each valley, each fjord, each town, and each city, may have slightly altered folklore. Each priest may tell the legends and folktales of the Gods slightly differently, and some places far removed from society may even use different names altogether. The lore presented on the God listing should generally remain consistent, but players are encouraged to embellish details and fill the gaps with their own unique spin, and generally speaking even if it contradicts the views of other Characters, that is just regional variance. While there is no strict hierarchy under a Fornoss version of the Pope, Fornoss does have official religious figures with occupations within wider Fornoss believer societies.
===General Priesthood===
There is no formal priesthood in Fornoss worship, any person can at any point in time proclaim themselves a priest, and some people do so even just for their own sake. Unlike Unionism, Fornoss priests are not concerned with expanding the flock of believers, they just want to live right by the Gods and help other faithful on that journey also. It is very common for priests to also double as other religious occupations like Helvigja or as Knights or even Nobles. Priesthood in Fornoss does not impede on anything, because there are no requirements. However, it is common practice for anyone who does want to become a priest, to at least seek out a mentor to learn the basics of what Priests usually do, or say, in certain situations. it's entirely possible to be a self-taught bog-priest, but in more urbanized settings, mentorship is common. Mentors hold a great importance in the lives of priests, who tend to pick carefully.
===Helbolwen & Hel===
A Helbolwen is not a person but a place, but it bears explaining because the term comes up frequently. A Helbolwen, roughly translated to Hellish Burrow, can best be understood to be a crypt where the Fornoss dead are interred in coffins in the walls, or sometimes when coffins cannot be made simply in holes in the wall as is, the frost keeping them from decaying and slowly mummifying instead. Helbolwen are always built underground or in hills, so that it can expanded by digging further down. Helbolwen always have an entryway which acts both as shrine to Bev, and the actual embalming chamber. The word "Hel", will also come up frequently. While traditionally it has been a derogatory term for Volaheim & Imellomgård, it slowly became a term used to generally describe a place one does not want to be in the afterlife or the afterlife as a whole. Hel is usually used in a negative connotation, and has even permeated in common language due to Velheim-Common interactions in language. Nowadays, the term just refers to everything to do with death.
===Helvigja===
Helvigja, roughly translating to death-consecrator, is one of the peripheral priestly occupations that specifically is a member of Bev's Mortuary Commune. Helvigja primarily perform the mortuary rites, in embalming, interring or otherwise burying the dead. The embalming process is always accompanied with the Song of the Dead, which is sung throughout the process and the interring process by at least one Helvigja or their protectors. Helvigja work does not end with interring however, in general they keep Helbolwen clean of vermin, other unwanted inhabitants, and in rare cases, are tasked to end the un-life of an Undead who has come back from either improper embalming, or by escaping Imellomgård. Helvigja also linger around Helbolwen to provide mourning help to those bereaved with death of a loved one, either by using Fornoss rituals to summon the visage of the dead, or by singing to the grave together.
===Helharjar===
Helharjar, roughly translated to Death Warrior, often come paired with the Helvigja and linger around Helbolwen particularly when they are at risk of being attacked or destroyed. Fornoss is the only Religion permitted to bury their dead whole, and their Helbolwen are often filled with gifts for the dead, meaning they are ripe for plundering by grave looters. Helharjar protect not only the Helbolwen itself from looting or desecration, but also the Helvigja themselves, so the embalmers are not the first and last line of defense of such a holy place. Helharjar also assist the Helvigja with carrying coffins if need be, and frequently stand guard if a Helbolwen is in an active warzone to prevent collateral damage. Helharjar are very often partners of Helvigja, or end up becoming partners of them, due to their proximity of work and coordination.
===Andlistari===
Andlistari, roughly translated to Spirit Artist, are far more nomadic than the other priestly occupations, and travel the wider world with pencil and paper. Andlistari are scribes by nature who record history and events, but most importantly of all, do they record the names and achievements of the dead. In Fornoss faith, it is believed that a person can die twice, once in the physical sense, and a second time when their name is last spoken out loud by someone. As people die, memories of the dead pass on, and eventually there will be no one left to recite the names of the dead, this is where the Andlistari comes in, recording all names, and reciting the names of the dead to the moon before sleep. The Andlistari also serves a secondary function, in that they can make assessments of Soldi or Svaldi of the dead, and help indicate the bereaved if they should quest to restore honor.
===Sagnaflétta===
Sagnaflétta, rougly translated to Weaver of Stories, are much like Andlistari travelers though it should be said there will be more than enough work for one in Regalia never to travel. Sagnaflétta are scribes just like Andlistari, but focus more on the realm of the Gods than Mortals. Sagnaflétta travel to record oral legends and folklore from the disparate Fornoss faithful across the world, and compile them in a grand book of legends and short rhyming stories. Then, they travel to where the Fornoss faithful live in large numbers, and host gatherings where they read from the book to discuss the lives of the Gods, the inner conflict and interactions they have with one another, and some of the legendary feats the Gods perform. It is highly encouraged to make up legendary actions and interactions of the Gods by players, where that fits within their themes and design.


==Peripheral Concepts==
Peripheral Concepts are important thoughts from Fornoss theology, that didn't necessarily fit anywhere else on this page, but also aren't strictly necessary to know. They cover a wider range of topics which Fornoss believers have a solidified opinion of, or things that Fornoss faithful might get questioned on in Roleplay and may be useful to have answers for.
===The Arken Matter===
One as of yet undiscussed matter, is the status of [[Arken]] among the Gods. The wider world has a scientific understanding of the Arken as some kind of advanced Spirit from a different Dimension, but to the Fornoss, they are Gods, even to those who do not worship them directly because they are Eilirik. The Fornoss faithful are not so stubborn so as to reject the scientific notion that some of their Gods were Arken long before they were their Gods, but are very resolute in rejecting any rhetoric that would then claim off that fact that they are false Gods. The Vola who are also Arken are very real and divine to those who worship the Vola, they interact and bless the faithful, and empower God Magic beyond the scope of what Void Arken normally could. To the Fornoss faithful, the Vola Arken are real Gods in every sense of the word, and some of them are even more God-like than many of the other weaker Gods of other Religions, specifically because they are so hyper-active and are able to affect the world in more far-reaching and meaningful ways than other Gods ever have.
===Vaarda Gates & Keys===
Vaarda Gates are an ongoing concern or delight depending on one's interpretation, to the Fornoss Faithful. What exactly happens when one opens is unclear, and it is even unclear if Rand will allow the portals to open from the other side in Volaheim. There exist Gates on all the major continents where Velheim settlers came to be, from [[Regalia]] to [[Oldtera]], to all the landmasses of [[Southwynd]], [[Northbelt]], and even [[Ellador]]. All these lands were once connected, but now shut off, with their Keys dispersed into the winds. The Keys are [[Artifacts]] of Fornoss power, usually weapons, each Key made for a specific Vaarda Gate. There is currently one known Artifact (belonging to the Nordskag Gate) in circulation in Regalia, called [[Ándlar]], though more could arrive in the future as collector items or loot. It is generally accepted, even among the Volirik, that opening the Vaarda Gates without the necessary protections, preparations, or considerations, is generally an awful idea. Even the Volirik have to acknowledge, that nobody knows what is behind those Gates, and that entering the afterlife as a living person, is generally a bad thing unless given protection by the Vola or Eili Gods.


===The Magic Burden===
[[Magic]] is a very sensitive subject in Fornoss faith, because they have a long history with all the benefits and damages of it. Fornoss followers generally do not buy into the scholarly theories of the dimensions (Void/Exist/Ordial/Primal). While they don't refute those alignments as being real, to them, Exist and Ordial do not matter because they do not interact with their Gods in any way. In fact, more often than not, are Exist and Ordial aligned things enemies of the Gods, because they transgress or desecrate their domains. It is not so that every Exist and Ordial thing must always be attacked on sight however, Fornoss followers are more than capable of adopting apathy. Magic among Fornoss followers is understood between Seidr (non-Magical/Dragon Magic Divination), Galdr (God-Magic), Rúnar (God Magic Runic Power) and Nid (Void Magic). There is a technical fifth category called Trolldom, which is a term usually only used by fringe Fornoss followers like Hjordi or Ellador Velheim, which is the same as Nid (Void Magic), but is always evil and used to harm while Nid is not necessarily evil. Seidr, Galdr, and Rúnar are pretty simple to understand and generally unproblematic, Nid however causes some controversy. Fornoss followers acknowledge Void Magic (Nid) as potentially being a gift of Thirun, but that it can both be a blessing and a curse. They acknowledge the effects of Nid on the world as harmful, but that this power can also lend to great strength and achievements. Purism (hating all forms of Magic) does exist in the Fornoss faith, but aims at the idea that Nid is always too risky, and should be controlled/restrained/prevented from being used by caretakers of those cursed with Magic. There are parallels in Unionism, in that the Fornoss Faith identifies Void Magic as a heavy burden, of great power if used to gain Soldi/Svaldi, and of a great terror to the people if used to be careless and flippant and weak-minded. As with any perception of the Pantheons, this is entirely up to the personal beliefs of the faithful, some will condemn Nid as unambiguously evil, some will be frightful of it, while some will welcome it. Exist Magic does exist among Fornoss faithful, but when this occurs, the faithful just believe it was some sort of taint or touching from outside the faith. If someone has Ordial powers, they should generally be put out of their misery however. There are very few situations in which Ordial power is acceptable.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
 
* Rand depictions are actually not based on what people know he looks like, but what people think he looks like. Rand is claimed to have never left Volaheim, and there are no memories of direct interaction with him. The only thing that is known to be fully accurate however, are his size, his hairiness, and the transition scars on his chest.
 
* Thirun and Stalhjart are twin-brothers, identical twins in fact, but both of them style themselves very differently. They are sometimes mistaken for each other, but wide knowledge of their different appearance themes are spreading to correct this.
* Blodrúna is the only God of either pantheon who was once a standalone Goddess of her own religion. Unfortunately, she killed her entire following, and only realized her error afterwards. She vows to do better as Goddess of the Fornoss faithful, hopefully.
{{Religion}}
{{Religion}}
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[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]
[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]

Latest revision as of 01:26, 12 March 2024

Fornoss
VelTap.png
Religion
Pronunciation For-noss (like Nosferatu) (clear pause between the two).
Origins Presumed roughly 15,000 years ago.
Deities
Two distinct Pantheons of 7 Gods each.
Subsects
Some regional variance and naming changes.

Fornoss is one of the earliest Religions of the Ailor Race, that survived thousands of years of conversion by other Religions as well as attempts to be eradicated by various nations, as one of the few surviving so called Pagan Faiths. Unlike the other (mostly) dead Pagan Faiths, Fornoss has a large following, particularly among Velheim and Gallovian Ailor, though a large number of Urlan, Dwarves, and some Ashaven Eronidas also follow it, meaning it is not limited in scope to just Ailor. Fornoss is sometimes also called the Old Gods Religion, but this is not a historically correct term. The Gods are not old from a pure chronological perspective, and it is certainly not the oldest Religion in Aloria. This term was mostly popularized by the Ailor, who when reviewing only their own history, can see Fornoss as the oldest Religion, but when taking the totality of the world's history, Fornoss is a more accurate term, which roughly translates to "Ancient us", an homage to its survival through the ages.

Origins

The birthing of the Gods and the founding of the Religion are two distinct periods. The birthing of the Gods is a mysterious period perhaps thousands of years before the first followers professed their belief in the Gods, as it is said that the Gods wandered for many ages before finding the people that would recognize their worth. It is said that the Eili Gods were born at the foot of the tree Arne surrounded by Dragons, though it is unclear if these refer to the Draconism Dragon Gods, or just the folktale version of Dragons which may also have been Skywyrms (mythical flying reptilian creatures from Velheim belief which are not Dragons, nor Wyverns). There is also some theological debate about whether Arne is actually the Draconist Goddess Daiana, because no Tree of Life has ever been found elsewhere, but most Fornoss believers hold onto the version that states Arne is not a Dragon. The Fornoss Religion is roughly 15,000 years old, though this has an error margin of about 3,000 years, because the proto-Velheim people who were the first Fornoss followers did not have a form of writing at the time. The Religion was founded on a series of islands and part of the mainland of Oldt Tera (Ceardia), where the locals embraced a form of polytheism while most other Ceardian tribes were monotheistic. The Eili offered the faithful escape from the endless bloodshed and misery and slavery under the Elves that terrorized the Oldt Tera shores, fleeing the mainland, and retreating to some island called Aldra, which cannot be found on any modern map. On Aldra however, the Fornoss believers still were not safe, so the Eili contacted the Vola, and created The Pact, which joined both Pantheons to the Fornoss believers as two distinct unions, and the Fornoss people were finally given safety in Volaheim's embrace through the Vaarda Gates. For thousands of years, the Fornoss followers spread across the world through the Vaarda Gates, until Svartskra.

Core Beliefs

The Fornoss Gods are divided between two distinct Pantheons, the Eili who are generally considered mindful and virtuous but restrained, and the Vola who are generally considered opportunistic and selfish but powerful. The two Pantheons represent the two halves of any person's soul, filled with desire to do good by others, and desire to do good by one's self. It is important to stress here that there is no ontological morality that can be assigned to either Pantheon. While some Eili create the impression of being purely benign, they are in ways just as flawed as mortals and have desires and wants and needs that can cause them to commit great misdeeds, such as the time when Bard cut off Svol's arms because Svol refused to participate in Bard's punishment of the faithful for small misdeeds. Similarly, Hrymrøk foments chaos and anarchy wherever and whoever she touches, however even when cities crumble and burn, does the destruction give way to the liberation of the enslaved Fornoss followers that lived in the undercities. While generally speaking all Gods have good intentions for their followers, they are all equally capable of cruelty, misguidedness, deceitful or selfish actions to preserve their worship, which speaks to their vanity. However, because Soldi inherently represents helping others, and Svaldi represents using others, the faithful still draw lines in the sand and dictate morality on each other based on their personal beliefs, even if there is no theological reason to reinforce it. There are some people who worship only the Eili called Eilirik, and some people who only worship the Voli called Volirik, while a person who worships both is called a Hvarkirik. These three groups tend to conflict with one another for religious reasons, but usually unite when facing an external threat, like they did during the Skagger Wars against Regalians. Fornoss does not have a strict list of Virtues and Vices, rather, source the list of Soldi and Svaldi enriching activities from the Gods and Goddesses section.

Soldi & Svaldi

Soldi and Svaldi are two very important terms that accompany the Fornoss believers throughout all their lives. In the simplest of terms, Soldi is honor derived from virtue, while Svaldi is honor derived from opportunism. Soldi and Svaldi can be seen as resources that souls accrue in life as they grow older, and the goal of any Fornoss believer generally is to acquire high Soldi or Svaldi and be permitted into the afterlives of the Eili and Vola. Some might even consider trying to acquire both, a difficult balancing act, but if successful, might result in the very Gods themselves playing games of skill and wit to secure the soul for their own afterlives. This can sometimes result in a so-called Hvitdraugr, who is Undead Draugr until such a time comes that the Gods have finished their conflict over the person's soul (if they stay alive for that long in an Undead unfriendly world). Finally, it is also possible to lose Soldi or Svaldi from actions that go against the tenets of the Gods. It is in fact possible to lose all Soldi or Svaldi all at once, but this is usually not a complete disaster. Either honor can be restored, and can in fact be restored by another person. It is not uncommon for a father to lose all Soldi, resulting in their son beginning a quest to restore Soldi in his name. When offering his achievements up to the Gods, he offers them in his father's name, resulting in the Gods restoring the Soldi of his father. It is even possible to do this for people who have already died and passed into Imellomgård (purgatory), or who have come back from Imellomgård as Draugr Undead. In such a case, the living must restore their Soldi or Svaldi, after which they are released and restored to the proper afterlife, and in rare cases, to life either as a living person or a Revenant Spirit.

Eiliheim & Volaheim

Unlike all other Religions, Old Gods has two afterlives, the Eiliheim which is the paradise of the Eili Pantheon, and the Volaheim which is the paradise of the Vola Pantheon. There exists also a realm in between, but this is not really classified as a paradise and more like a purgatory called Imellomgård, which literally translates to the land in between. While Eiliheim and Volaheim are described as places filled with the luxuries of life and pleasures of mortal life made immortal, Imellomgård is a land devoid of color, song, happiness and purpose, where souls who are refused entry into the other afterlives are forced to wander for all eternity. To enter Eiliheim, a person must have high Soldi, and to enter Volaheim, a person must have high Svaldi. If a person has neither in adequate quantity, or offended both Pantheons by having negative Soldi or Svaldi, they are condemned to Imellomgård to wander the mirror-wastes for all eternity. Though, Undead sometimes come back from Imellomgård in the form of Draugr Undead, if their bodies were not properly interred in the Helbolwen burial sites.

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.

  • The Fornoss faithful can call back a person who has passed into the afterlife temporarily if they possess an image (painting, statue, carving) of the person, or know their full real name. In such a case, they must perform the calling of the forerunner ritual, and command the Spirit to hold a specific purpose in line with the Fornoss faith. This will manifest the person as a Primal Revenant, with a strong inclination to complete the Fate for which they were summoned, and if they do, they disappear again. The same Spirit can be summoned multiple times for different Fates. Remember, Spirits, even ones from Gods, are still very illegal in the eyes of the Law!

Svartskra

The Svartskra identifies a pivotal point in Fornoss history that despite its massive importance to all Fornoss believers, is mostly shrouded in mystery either by the Eili forcing the faithful to forget, or the people willingly abandoning any reference to this period to avoid the stray faithful from looking too deep into the matter and opening old wounds. As part of the Fornoss origins, the so-called Vaarda Gates, exist all over the world visited by Fornoss followers, helping their early colonizing boom. It is said by the Eili that these Gates were built by Bev, and passed through Volaheim to fold time and space together, allowing instant transportation across vast distances. At some point, the relationship between the Fornoss believers and the Eili, as opposed to the Vola and their Spirits, turned sour. It is said by the Eili that Rand (who they call the Great Betrayer) tricked them and condemned the Fornoss followers to some kind of horrible fate, thus causing their rebellion against the Pact that was meant to save the early Velheim people from Elven enslavement. From this point it is unclear if the Fornoss believers were expelled or fled from the Volaheim Gates. Whatever the circumstances, the Gates were closed shut after everyone was out with Bev's Keys (Artifact Weapons), which were then scattered across the world. The Vola maintain that the Eili fomented a false rebellion and that the followers defaced the Vola in their own home, though whichever version is closer to the truth, is hard to say as both sides have motive to lie. The last side effect of Svartskra (the day the Gates shut), was that the two Eili who had brokered the deals with the Vola the Flesh God Gro and the Metal God Jord were banished by the Eili and stripped from the Pantheon. Similarly, the Vola banished the two Gods responsible for working out the deal with the Eili being the Revenge God Asbjørn and the Greed God Frynni, who were also stripped from the Pantheon. Since this day, the Eili and Vola have been immortal enemies. As a consequence of this animosity, both sides agreed to refrain from interfering with the faithful too much, so as to prevent all out holy war within the Religion. This explains why the Fornoss Gods have been exceptionally silent during major tragedies that struck for example the Velheim people in the past 300 years, however in recent years, this policy has shown signs of cracking, with some raising concerns that if the Gods get too involved, that they will start fighting each other.

Gods and Goddesses

The Fornoss Gods are divided over two Pantheons, Eili and Vola. The Gods are always presented as Eili on the Left, Vola on the Right (if their opportunistic theming didn't give it away), though as some Gods are ambiguous as they were once Eili and became Vola, the left-right distinction has to be mentioned. Titular naming for the Gods (for example, Herald the Dark Celestial) is not necessary, it just provides a more poetic way of referring to them without using their name directly. Because both Pantheons expelled two Gods each, and because the Pantheons didn't become established all at once and some Gods joined much later, it is still possible for this Pantheon to grow. While Fornoss faithful can choose Patron Gods that they feel strong connections to, unlike other Religions, a Fornoss Follower must always worship whole Pantheons, either only Eili or Vola Pantheons, or both.

Bev, Doorway of the Moon
caption
  • Name: Bev, the Lord of Water, the Dead Ferryman or the All-Seeing Mirror.
  • Domain: Bev's domain is the mortuary cult, the death rites, and mortal aging.
  • Symbols: Mirrors, The Mortuary Cloth, rich and deep colors of Blue and Black.
  • Role: Bev measures the Soldi of the Dead, and guards the Gate to the Afterlife.
  • Traits: Cryptic, Silent, Reserved, Slow-Acting, Careful, Observant, Learned.
  • Temple: Bev's largest Temple is the Dead-Door Mortuary in Irvainvik, Drixagh.
  • Allies: Ammuloa followers, priests of other societies, especially Unionist.
  • Enemies: Anything Ordial Aligned, especially Undead, and more so Draugr Undead.
  • Soldi: Gained from tending/respecting to the dead, lost from disrespecting the dead.
  • Rituals: Bev rituals involve the tending of Helbolwen graves, refreshing flowers and offerings, and lighting candles by the Bev statue which can always be found in a Helbolwen. Bev is also worshiped through the singing chalice, large chalices filled with water and played somber and harrowing tunes with by gliding fingers over the rims.
Rand, Herald the Dark Celestial
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  • Name: Rand, called Great Betrayer by Eilirik, or Power Arken by non-believers.
  • Domain: Rand is the lord of Volaheim itself, said to never leave his realm.
  • Symbols: Rand's symbol is the red Evil Eye, bear claw scars, and bears.
  • Role: Rand acts like a King of the Vola, and commander of the Volaheimr.
  • Traits: Power-hungry, Domineering, Authoritarian, Strong-willed, Capable.
  • Temple: Rand has no temple, Volaheim itself is one big temple to his glory.
  • Allies: Rand's only allies are the Void Arken, he has no need for others.
  • Enemies: Rand has no explicit enemies, except for the Exist Arken, notably Justice.
  • Svaldi: Gained from establishing power and control, losing from banishment.
  • Rituals: The Feast of authority involving guests choosing their preferred leader among the gathered, with the winner gaining Svaldi. The Binding of Power is respected even by the Eilirik, a ritual in which two persons agree to a binding pact in blood, that if either fails or breaks, they lose all Soldi or Svaldi when vowed to their preferred Gods.
Leif, Warmth of the Fire
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  • Name: Leif, the Lord of Fire, Warmth of the Rising Sun.
  • Domain: Leif is the God of Love and Affection, and of Passion and Care.
  • Symbols: Leif is represented by Fire and the blazing Golden Sun.
  • Role: Leif is set to bring warmth and sunlight to the world and to hearts.
  • Traits: Compassionate, Loving, Parental, Passionate, Driven, Energetic.
  • Temple: Leif's largest Temple is the Sun-Sky House in Kongehjem, Nordskag.
  • Allies: Theomar Followers, Regulus Followers, and kindhearted Bloodcast Knights.
  • Enemies: Followers of any Moon-themed Gods, Armas/Amandaros followers.
  • Soldi: Gained from loyalty to Lovers/Family and Kindness, lost from Treason.
  • Rituals: Many of Leif's rituals involve offering things like fruits or hunted animal carcasses to the flame, believers saying that the flames offer them up to Leif until nothing but ash remains, absorbing the life and using it to pull the Sun through the sky each day. Other rituals involve the sharing of passion with other believers in his Temples.
Thirun, Fates of the Dark Sun
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  • Name: Thirun, called Pride Arken or Ott by non-Believers.
  • Domain: Thirun is the God of Magic and of Pride and Vanity.
  • Symbols: Thirun is represented by the Dark Sun surrounded by Light and Hounds.
  • Role: Thirun is the source of all Fornoss God Magic but also the Magic Burden.
  • Traits: Prideful, Vain, Sardonic, Sarcastic, Greedy, Scornful, Ego-driven.
  • Temple: Thirun's largest Temple was destroyed by Regalia in the Elven War.
  • Allies: Pride/Fury Arkenborn, Evolism followers, Vampire hunters.
  • Enemies: Vampires, Justice Arkenborn & Followers, Publicly Weak Persons.
  • Svaldi: Gained through great achievements, lost by losing Duels.
  • Rituals: The Prideful Parade is one custom that involves demanding others show to a public roasting session where the aim is to praise the person who demanded they show, and roast the opponents who invited others. Another is the Prideful Feast, where each produces Food which instills pride in their cooking, and they compete over the best dish with others.
Njal, Keeper of the Light
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  • Name: Njal, the Herald of Spring, Keeper of the Light.
  • Domain: Njal's domain is that of light, and the sky, as well as all of the arts.
  • Symbols: Njal is represented by clouds and bright pastel colors and light prisms.
  • Role: Njal is the diplomat and artist of the gods, providing entertainment in Eiliheim.
  • Traits: Artistic, Snarky, Whimsical, Creative, Sloth, Childish, Caring.
  • Temple: Njal's largest temple was destroyed when Ceardia became forsaken.
  • Allies: Artists, Musicians, and Creatives of any kind, and Queer people.
  • Enemies: Njal's only true enemies are those who abstain from a good stiff drink.
  • Soldi: Gained by creative expression and bringing joy, lost by destroying art.
  • Rituals: Njal is Bard's husband, and because of this, many of his rituals involve Bard in some way. Skysteel Forging is the act of letting an artist inspire a forger to produce a work of art and tough steel at the same time. Other rituals involve poetry duels, and Annointment of the Artist, where Artists use body paint on a strong Man dressed as Bard for Art.
Svol, The Punished Shadow
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  • Name: Svol, Bard's Bane, the Dark Lightning Lord.
  • Domain: Svol's domain is thunderstorms, but more metaphorically of lies and deceit.
  • Symbols: Shadows, Lightning, Missing or fully Tattoo'd arms, the colors black and yellow.
  • Role: Svol was once a Eili, until punished by Bard, changed teams to plot for Rand.
  • Traits: Analytical, Mindful, Deceitful, Witty, Suave, Charming, Good-Tempered.
  • Temple: Svol's Temple is the Copper Tower now within Life Isldar land in Ellador.
  • Allies: Trickster god followers and politicians, Inth & Nox followers.
  • Enemies: Justice Arken(born), Guards, Knights, Justicars, Knights.
  • Svaldi: Gained in subterfuge plots, or beaten Knights, lost by being deceived/losing.
  • Rituals: Svol's rituals are deceptively easily hidden as party games, especially those that involve lying. A common one is Svol's Gauntlet, where everyone produces 2 truths and a lie, and gains points each time a person in the gathering cannot guess which one is the lie, or guesses wrong. Another is punishing tyrannical/corrupt law enforcement with violence.
Dáuw, Bringer of Order
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  • Name: Dáuw, The Under-King, the Dwarf-Lord, the Last Stalwart.
  • Domain: Dáuw is God-King of the Dwarves, and the Lord of all Soil and Order.
  • Symbols: Dáuw is represented by the Dwarven Runes and shapes of Mountains.
  • Role: Dáuw's role is to bring order to mortal society through stable structure.
  • Traits: Resolute, Stalwart, Defiant, Stubborn, All-Knowing, Contemplative.
  • Temple: Dáuw's largest Temple is the Great Chamber in Rammuur, Ellador.
  • Allies: Historians, Legislators, Juvin followers, Justiciars, Knights.
  • Enemies: Anarchists, Evolism followers, Jacobins, Drakkar, Populists, the Military
  • Soldi: Gained by showing Solidarity, lost by letting society slip to anarchy.
  • Rituals: Dáuw have changed over the years, changing from justice and order-reinforcing rituals, to rituals more centered around Dwarven culture, as a byproduct of the catastrophic population decline of the Dwarves. Any festival or event that celebrates, highlights, or discusses and educates on Dwarven Culture is a form of worship to Dáuw.
Hrymrök, The Charnel Chaos
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  • Name: Hrymrök, Sirannal Týmal (in Elven), or the Anarchy Arken to non-believers.
  • Domain: Hrymrök is the chained guilt of the Elves towards the Fornoss believers.
  • Symbols: Broken chains, cracked shields, and broken statues mended with gold.
  • Role: Hrymrök was imprisoned by Rand to repent for Elven slavery by freeing them.
  • Traits: Wroth, Vile, Ill-Mannered, Haughty, Snobby, Loathsome, Indignant.
  • Temple: Hrymrök's Temple is the Haunting Mask Cliff in Maartasil.
  • Allies: Slave-Abolitionists, Allorn-Haters, Estelley Faithful (except Cemaan).
  • Enemies: Cemaan followers, Unionism followers, Archon, Draconism followers.
  • Svaldi: Gained by freeing Thralls & Mind-slaves, lost by being enthralled.
  • Rituals: Hrymrök is a bit of an oddity even for a Vola, because she doesn't really want to be a Goddess. Still, worship to her is more a form of satisfaction appeasement, as if the faithful are responsible for keeping her happy while she does her work freeing Fornoss slaves and oppressed from Elven control by food/wealth offerings to her Magenta Flames.
Halfvel, Father of Godly Blood
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  • Name: Halfvel, the Wolf-Father, The God-Mark Bearer, The Ice-Wolf.
  • Domain: Halfvel is the lord of Demigods, the tamer of Marken & other Beasts.
  • Symbols: Halfvel is represented by the Cloth of Dominion & Wolves.
  • Role: Halfvel's role is to purposefully produce offspring among Mortals.
  • Traits: Guiding, Remorseful, Helping, Altruistic, Melancholic, Loyal.
  • Temple: Halfvel's largest Temple is the Wolf Rest in the Cains.
  • Allies: (self-controlling) Marken, other Godborn, and Asha & Urlan.
  • Enemies: Those who hunt Transformed Persons, The Afflicted, Undead.
  • Soldi: Gained by protecting the environment, lost by killing Transformed Persons.
  • Rituals: Halfvel's rituals often involve the seeking out of Halfvel's Godborn children, and aiding them in their quest for Demigod status among Fornoss followers, or correcting their path if they have been led astray. Other forms of Worship involve helping those who Transform deal with their curse, or protecting them from persecution.
Eikki, Drinker of the Blood Taint
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  • Name: Eikki, the Arne-Drunk, The Revel-God among other Party epithets.
  • Domain: Eikki is the God of Feasting and Festivities and Joy, even as Vola.
  • Symbols: Eikki's Symbol is the Beer Keg and the masks of joy and pleasure.
  • Role: Eikki guards (and drinks) Arne's Blood brew that has immense power.
  • Traits: Joyous, Gregarious, Wild, Festive, Good-Natured, Drunkard.
  • Temple: Eikki's largest Temple was thrashed by him after a legendary binge.
  • Allies: Eikki is everyone's friend and tries to give everyone a chance.
  • Enemies: Eikki has no enemies, as any enemy becomes a friend with one drink.
  • Svaldi: Gained with wild parties and getting stuff people drunk, never lost.
  • Rituals: As Eikki was once Eili but condemned to become Vola when he transgressed by drinking Vola's Blood, his rituals and worship is relatively benign when compared to the other Vola, despite the implication that he is changing into something else. Worship of him invariably just involves getting black-out drunk, and having great parties.
Bard, Iron Lord of Protection
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  • Name: Bard, the Steel-Father, Axe of Judgement, the Law-Bringer.
  • Domain: Bard is the God of Justice and Steel, of all Crafts and Law.
  • Symbols: Bard is represented by the Lynx, and the steel anvil.
  • Role: Bard is Retribution, manifesting to honor-less mortals for judgement.
  • Traits: Judgemental, Merciless, Headstrong, Iron-willed, Unsympathetic.
  • Temple: Bard's largest Temple is the Lynx-Claw Great Hall in Ruttswyn.
  • Allies: Justice Arken(born), Knights & Guards, Bodyguards & Hor followers.
  • Enemies: Evolism followers, those that deface Art, Death Cultists.
  • Soldi: Gained by being Just/Brave, lost by letting injustice prevail.
  • Rituals: Bard being Njal's husband often has his rituals tied to him (see Njal's section). Specific worship of Bard often emulates his legendary rage being soothed by Njal's soft touch, mimicked for example by taming wild animals and breaking in wild horses. Other forms of worship involve solitary wood carving or general crafting like forging or carpentry.
Blodrúna, The Crimson Carnage
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  • Name: Blodrúna, The Blade-Queen, Red Terror to non-Believers.
  • Domain: Blodrúna is the Goddess of War, Carnage, Murder, and Victory.
  • Symbols: Blodrúna's symbols are the Bloodied Blade, and the Blood Crown.
  • Role: Blodrúna is a savage killer-God who teaches Carnage on the battlefield.
  • Traits: Cruel, Murderous, Psychotic, Violent, Contemplative, Poetic.
  • Temple: Blodrúna's largest Temple is the Sanguinus Pit in Hvitskag.
  • Allies: Only Vampires. No one else appreciates Blood as they do.
  • Enemies: There is no such thing as an Enemy to Blodrúna, only Prey.
  • Svaldi: Gained by ending a worthy life, lost by ending a weak one.
  • Rituals: Blodrúna is perhaps the most unambiguously dangerous and psychotic Goddess of any Religion, but it is important to note she never turns on her own faithful. Blodrúna's worship involves prayer before, during, and after battle, all in the hopes to be given a bit of her skill with sharp things in the heat of battle, and pray for her not to turn on the faithful.
Elkonur, The Winter Hunter
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  • Name: Elkonur, the White Shepherd, the White Guardian, Snowfall.
  • Domain: Elkonur is both Herald of Winter and Demon-Hunter.
  • Symbols: Antler Horns, White Fur, and any shape of Snow-flake.
  • Role: Elkonur's sole role is to slay Vola servant Spirits out of Volaheim.
  • Traits: Pensive, Wise, Alert, Nomadic, Careful, Precise, Predictable.
  • Temple: Elkonur's largest Temple is Storheim Hall in Jorrhildr (Urlan Land).
  • Allies: Urlan, Suvial Elves, Aelrrigan Knights, Zealots.
  • Enemies: Spirits, Theurgists, Kathar, Argentum Knights, Arkenborn.
  • Soldi: Gained by banishing (temp killing) Spirits, lost by nothing.
  • Rituals: Elkonur is the youngest of the Eili, and specifically joined after Svartskra explaining why he hunts errant Spirits from Volaheim while the others are inactive. Worship and rituals of Elkonur involve protecting Fornoss religious figures as well as hunting and ending Spirits, even if they are only banished temporarily.
Odal, Fear of the Dark
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  • Name: Odal, Svol's Shadow Twin, Odalv Father, Spirit Father.
  • Domain: Odal's domain is that of Spirits and vengeance for Blasphemy.
  • Symbols: The Long Claw Hand, Odal's Burning Heart, Blue Lightning.
  • Role: Odal hunts those who defile Rand's Temples and Shrines for him.
  • Traits: Calculated, Emotionless, Skilled, Imposing, Relgious, Loyal.
  • Temple: Odal's largest Temple is the Blue Hall in Middeskag.
  • Allies: Spirits, Zealots, Theurgists with Spirit consent.
  • Enemies: Suvial, Aelrrigan Knights, Those who use Spirits without consent.
  • Svaldi: Gained by punishing Blasphemers, lost by showing cowardice/weakness.
  • Rituals: Odal was once Eili like his twin, but willingly turned to the Vola because he felt the Eili were weak, and traded power for loyalty to Rand. Odal is very active with mortals like Elkonur is, specifically recruiting his Odalv warriors by infesting them with Spirits to fight for him and defeat those who violate Rand's name and Temples.
Nidr, Dread of the Inner War
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  • Name: Nidr, the Weaver of Cursed Fates, the sleeping Horror.
  • Domain: Nidr weaves the Fates of those with low Svaldi and Soldi.
  • Symbols: Spiders, Spider webs, battle-rage, berserkers, Skagger Warriors.
  • Role: Nidr empowers the vengeful defense of Fornoss against outsiders.
  • Traits: Independent, Ungovernable, Fate-driven, Dedicated, Foresight.
  • Temple: The Silk-woven halls in Kvitæya, Regalia Archipelago in Drixagh.
  • Allies: Tanthor and Dari faithful, Khannar Faithful, Daiana Faithful.
  • Enemies: Caius Faithful, Regal-Cultured/Colonial Regalian Nobility.
  • Soldi: Gained by defending Fornoss/Velheim people from cultural colonialism.
  • Rituals: As Nidr is the God of the "Cursed Fate", he weaves the Fates in prophecies for those who have low Svaldi/Soldi in a last ditch attempt to save their soul. Fulfilling this prophecy is part of the rituals towards him. He however also represents the will of Fornoss faithful to be masters of their own identity and future, and so the very act of resisting colonialism and cultural assimilation is a form of worship towards him.
Stalhjart, Fury of the Outer War
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  • Name: Stalhjart, Avatar of War, Dominion of Battle, the Unvanquished Bulwark.
  • Domain: Stalhjart's domain is that of warriors and honorable battle and duels.
  • Symbols: The flame emblazoned sword and axe, and the ochre war paint.
  • Role: Stalhjart defends the Fornoss faithful in pivotal moments for survival.
  • Traits: Furious, Ill-Tempered, Energetic, Violent, Melancholic, Crude.
  • Temple: The Eternal Flame Temple in Helsikki, Regalian Archipelago in Drixagh.
  • Allies: Caius faithful, Gladiators and Warriors, Allest and Brand faithful.
  • Enemies: Pacifists, Ithanians, Those who kill or maim during duels of skill.
  • Svaldi: Gained through feats of skilled combat and having a winning-spree.
  • Rituals: Stalhjart rituals are as one would expect, expressed through honorable, fair, and disciplined duels, or tournaments. It is crucially important that Stalhjart does not condone killing, and is often in opposition to Blodrúna who very much relishes in it. For Stalhjart, killing is not the ultimate goal, but expressions of martial skill, strong body, and iron will to persevere in a fight, and to always seek greater heights to aspire to in martial power.

Priestly Activities

Fornoss does not have a formal priesthood associated with it, because it is a very disorganized religion. What this means, is that each valley, each fjord, each town, and each city, may have slightly altered folklore. Each priest may tell the legends and folktales of the Gods slightly differently, and some places far removed from society may even use different names altogether. The lore presented on the God listing should generally remain consistent, but players are encouraged to embellish details and fill the gaps with their own unique spin, and generally speaking even if it contradicts the views of other Characters, that is just regional variance. While there is no strict hierarchy under a Fornoss version of the Pope, Fornoss does have official religious figures with occupations within wider Fornoss believer societies.

General Priesthood

There is no formal priesthood in Fornoss worship, any person can at any point in time proclaim themselves a priest, and some people do so even just for their own sake. Unlike Unionism, Fornoss priests are not concerned with expanding the flock of believers, they just want to live right by the Gods and help other faithful on that journey also. It is very common for priests to also double as other religious occupations like Helvigja or as Knights or even Nobles. Priesthood in Fornoss does not impede on anything, because there are no requirements. However, it is common practice for anyone who does want to become a priest, to at least seek out a mentor to learn the basics of what Priests usually do, or say, in certain situations. it's entirely possible to be a self-taught bog-priest, but in more urbanized settings, mentorship is common. Mentors hold a great importance in the lives of priests, who tend to pick carefully.

Helbolwen & Hel

A Helbolwen is not a person but a place, but it bears explaining because the term comes up frequently. A Helbolwen, roughly translated to Hellish Burrow, can best be understood to be a crypt where the Fornoss dead are interred in coffins in the walls, or sometimes when coffins cannot be made simply in holes in the wall as is, the frost keeping them from decaying and slowly mummifying instead. Helbolwen are always built underground or in hills, so that it can expanded by digging further down. Helbolwen always have an entryway which acts both as shrine to Bev, and the actual embalming chamber. The word "Hel", will also come up frequently. While traditionally it has been a derogatory term for Volaheim & Imellomgård, it slowly became a term used to generally describe a place one does not want to be in the afterlife or the afterlife as a whole. Hel is usually used in a negative connotation, and has even permeated in common language due to Velheim-Common interactions in language. Nowadays, the term just refers to everything to do with death.

Helvigja

Helvigja, roughly translating to death-consecrator, is one of the peripheral priestly occupations that specifically is a member of Bev's Mortuary Commune. Helvigja primarily perform the mortuary rites, in embalming, interring or otherwise burying the dead. The embalming process is always accompanied with the Song of the Dead, which is sung throughout the process and the interring process by at least one Helvigja or their protectors. Helvigja work does not end with interring however, in general they keep Helbolwen clean of vermin, other unwanted inhabitants, and in rare cases, are tasked to end the un-life of an Undead who has come back from either improper embalming, or by escaping Imellomgård. Helvigja also linger around Helbolwen to provide mourning help to those bereaved with death of a loved one, either by using Fornoss rituals to summon the visage of the dead, or by singing to the grave together.

Helharjar

Helharjar, roughly translated to Death Warrior, often come paired with the Helvigja and linger around Helbolwen particularly when they are at risk of being attacked or destroyed. Fornoss is the only Religion permitted to bury their dead whole, and their Helbolwen are often filled with gifts for the dead, meaning they are ripe for plundering by grave looters. Helharjar protect not only the Helbolwen itself from looting or desecration, but also the Helvigja themselves, so the embalmers are not the first and last line of defense of such a holy place. Helharjar also assist the Helvigja with carrying coffins if need be, and frequently stand guard if a Helbolwen is in an active warzone to prevent collateral damage. Helharjar are very often partners of Helvigja, or end up becoming partners of them, due to their proximity of work and coordination.

Andlistari

Andlistari, roughly translated to Spirit Artist, are far more nomadic than the other priestly occupations, and travel the wider world with pencil and paper. Andlistari are scribes by nature who record history and events, but most importantly of all, do they record the names and achievements of the dead. In Fornoss faith, it is believed that a person can die twice, once in the physical sense, and a second time when their name is last spoken out loud by someone. As people die, memories of the dead pass on, and eventually there will be no one left to recite the names of the dead, this is where the Andlistari comes in, recording all names, and reciting the names of the dead to the moon before sleep. The Andlistari also serves a secondary function, in that they can make assessments of Soldi or Svaldi of the dead, and help indicate the bereaved if they should quest to restore honor.

Sagnaflétta

Sagnaflétta, rougly translated to Weaver of Stories, are much like Andlistari travelers though it should be said there will be more than enough work for one in Regalia never to travel. Sagnaflétta are scribes just like Andlistari, but focus more on the realm of the Gods than Mortals. Sagnaflétta travel to record oral legends and folklore from the disparate Fornoss faithful across the world, and compile them in a grand book of legends and short rhyming stories. Then, they travel to where the Fornoss faithful live in large numbers, and host gatherings where they read from the book to discuss the lives of the Gods, the inner conflict and interactions they have with one another, and some of the legendary feats the Gods perform. It is highly encouraged to make up legendary actions and interactions of the Gods by players, where that fits within their themes and design.

Peripheral Concepts

Peripheral Concepts are important thoughts from Fornoss theology, that didn't necessarily fit anywhere else on this page, but also aren't strictly necessary to know. They cover a wider range of topics which Fornoss believers have a solidified opinion of, or things that Fornoss faithful might get questioned on in Roleplay and may be useful to have answers for.

The Arken Matter

One as of yet undiscussed matter, is the status of Arken among the Gods. The wider world has a scientific understanding of the Arken as some kind of advanced Spirit from a different Dimension, but to the Fornoss, they are Gods, even to those who do not worship them directly because they are Eilirik. The Fornoss faithful are not so stubborn so as to reject the scientific notion that some of their Gods were Arken long before they were their Gods, but are very resolute in rejecting any rhetoric that would then claim off that fact that they are false Gods. The Vola who are also Arken are very real and divine to those who worship the Vola, they interact and bless the faithful, and empower God Magic beyond the scope of what Void Arken normally could. To the Fornoss faithful, the Vola Arken are real Gods in every sense of the word, and some of them are even more God-like than many of the other weaker Gods of other Religions, specifically because they are so hyper-active and are able to affect the world in more far-reaching and meaningful ways than other Gods ever have.

Vaarda Gates & Keys

Vaarda Gates are an ongoing concern or delight depending on one's interpretation, to the Fornoss Faithful. What exactly happens when one opens is unclear, and it is even unclear if Rand will allow the portals to open from the other side in Volaheim. There exist Gates on all the major continents where Velheim settlers came to be, from Regalia to Oldtera, to all the landmasses of Southwynd, Northbelt, and even Ellador. All these lands were once connected, but now shut off, with their Keys dispersed into the winds. The Keys are Artifacts of Fornoss power, usually weapons, each Key made for a specific Vaarda Gate. There is currently one known Artifact (belonging to the Nordskag Gate) in circulation in Regalia, called Ándlar, though more could arrive in the future as collector items or loot. It is generally accepted, even among the Volirik, that opening the Vaarda Gates without the necessary protections, preparations, or considerations, is generally an awful idea. Even the Volirik have to acknowledge, that nobody knows what is behind those Gates, and that entering the afterlife as a living person, is generally a bad thing unless given protection by the Vola or Eili Gods.

The Magic Burden

Magic is a very sensitive subject in Fornoss faith, because they have a long history with all the benefits and damages of it. Fornoss followers generally do not buy into the scholarly theories of the dimensions (Void/Exist/Ordial/Primal). While they don't refute those alignments as being real, to them, Exist and Ordial do not matter because they do not interact with their Gods in any way. In fact, more often than not, are Exist and Ordial aligned things enemies of the Gods, because they transgress or desecrate their domains. It is not so that every Exist and Ordial thing must always be attacked on sight however, Fornoss followers are more than capable of adopting apathy. Magic among Fornoss followers is understood between Seidr (non-Magical/Dragon Magic Divination), Galdr (God-Magic), Rúnar (God Magic Runic Power) and Nid (Void Magic). There is a technical fifth category called Trolldom, which is a term usually only used by fringe Fornoss followers like Hjordi or Ellador Velheim, which is the same as Nid (Void Magic), but is always evil and used to harm while Nid is not necessarily evil. Seidr, Galdr, and Rúnar are pretty simple to understand and generally unproblematic, Nid however causes some controversy. Fornoss followers acknowledge Void Magic (Nid) as potentially being a gift of Thirun, but that it can both be a blessing and a curse. They acknowledge the effects of Nid on the world as harmful, but that this power can also lend to great strength and achievements. Purism (hating all forms of Magic) does exist in the Fornoss faith, but aims at the idea that Nid is always too risky, and should be controlled/restrained/prevented from being used by caretakers of those cursed with Magic. There are parallels in Unionism, in that the Fornoss Faith identifies Void Magic as a heavy burden, of great power if used to gain Soldi/Svaldi, and of a great terror to the people if used to be careless and flippant and weak-minded. As with any perception of the Pantheons, this is entirely up to the personal beliefs of the faithful, some will condemn Nid as unambiguously evil, some will be frightful of it, while some will welcome it. Exist Magic does exist among Fornoss faithful, but when this occurs, the faithful just believe it was some sort of taint or touching from outside the faith. If someone has Ordial powers, they should generally be put out of their misery however. There are very few situations in which Ordial power is acceptable.

Trivia

  • Rand depictions are actually not based on what people know he looks like, but what people think he looks like. Rand is claimed to have never left Volaheim, and there are no memories of direct interaction with him. The only thing that is known to be fully accurate however, are his size, his hairiness, and the transition scars on his chest.
  • Thirun and Stalhjart are twin-brothers, identical twins in fact, but both of them style themselves very differently. They are sometimes mistaken for each other, but wide knowledge of their different appearance themes are spreading to correct this.
  • Blodrúna is the only God of either pantheon who was once a standalone Goddess of her own religion. Unfortunately, she killed her entire following, and only realized her error afterwards. She vows to do better as Goddess of the Fornoss faithful, hopefully.

Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Processors FireFan96
Last Editor Firefan96 on 03/12/2024.

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