More Castles and Crusades setting notes: religion and spirituality

Religion and Spirituality in Avignus

Although the average subjects of the King of Avignus may never see a spell cast, they are still well-aware of the existence of magic. Spell-casting wizards, druids and clerics are all visible and practice their trades out in the open. The knowledge of magic's existence and the uncertainty and fear of living in a land under constant threat of orc attack (and other more mundane, but just as serious threats) creates a superstitious outlook among the lower, less-educated classes. Myths and stories are just as important to the spirituality of Avignus subjects as the spells cast by high-wizards and chief priests.

Stories about actions of the gods and the creation of the world are more than mere myths. Wizards and clerics commune directly with the supernatural world, and, as a result, relate creation stories more like epic tales or recordings of ancient histories. Despite the opportunities for direct communion with spiritual beings, not all wizards or clerics are able to adequately or fully accurately translate the messages from these divine entities. Their understandings and interpretations of spiritual messages are gathered together among ancient prophecies and other revelations to help build religions texts for the people of Avignus.

Prophets and sooth-sayers have a special, trusted place in the Young Kingdoms. Anyone with the ability to interpret signs or portents from the divine or nature are expected to give guidance or assistance to the lost or those in need. Clerics and wizards are often taken as advisors to royalty or even local leaders. The inspect the skies or summon spirits for warnings about the future. Farmers far from civilization trust the advice of local druids about planting and harvest times, or example. Unscrupulous spiritualists who try to spread false prophecy are harshly punished.

Divine instruction, such as spiritual laws which are supposed to aid the growth and prosperity of civilization, are tended by the clergy. Meanings of signs and prophecies are seriously debated, with their potential value to civilization seriously considered. Some sages take a literal approach to the messages; they are not seriously considered as academicians, and potentially ruled by emotion. In recent times, more paladins have come from the more literal-interpretation sects of the church.

Creation myths and other divine messages carry a heavy weight in Avignus and the other Young Kingdoms. The creation stories themselves are treated like epic history, and not merely allegory or speculation. Not all of the prophecies or messages were simple to interpret, and many sages had different translations or interpretations of the creation stories. The most trusted and accepted translation of the creation of the world, and the will of the gods, was collected by the Imperial Archivist 2000 years ago. The collection, titled Logos, was the first formal recording of the stories and instructions in the history of the civilized world. Although many of these stories weren't at all new and were already well-known, the Archivist's text was the first fully-compiled, complete, trusted volume.

“It has always been, and it will always be.”

This is the first line of Logos, revealed to the Imperial Archivist. Its most commonly accepted meaning is that all of creation is infinite, with no true beginning and no true end. The life and times of all creation has always existed, and will always exist...as will man, his troubles, and his way of life. Some scholars claim that the real translation should be, “She has always been, and She shall always be.” These scholars believe that “She” refers to the life-giving and nurturing earth, and that mankind and its troubles are no concern, when considering the whole of creation. Many sages consider that interpretation based on mere artistic license, a result of a play with ancient language. There are no other references to “She” in the text of Logos, and they point out the lack of matriarchal religions or cults throughout imperial history¹. There is, though, a cult of scholars who believe “She” refers to the Conquorer Wurm, and ancient aspect and personification of cosmic, elemental Chaos.

Regardless of the phrase's meaning, most people take some comfort from it. Should everything they know pass away, some aspect of it will continue on.

That Which Endures

The creator-god is sometimes called Alef, or is represented in writing by the old runic first letter of the alphabet. Its also known as “That Which Endures.” Alef is thought to be without consciousness, but with a will. Alef is never personified; there are never icons or statues made to represent “his likeness.” Alef is that will which put order to chaos. The world was created by Alef imposing Will and Order.

Philosophers debate how it is possible to have Will without Consciousness or Self-Awareness. Some sages resign themselves to belief that order is a manifestation of the Will. Therefore, the Divine Will is simply one of the two natural conditions of the universe: Law and Chaos.

A very few fear that the Divine Will is merely a tool for a greater consciousness that cannot affect reality without some intermediary force. The Divine Will, then, is potentially a tool used by an entity that cannot have meaning in reality.

To some others, the Divine Will is a cosmic set of instructions, set in place by nature. Reality is woven in the nature of the Divine Will, and the universe cannot help but follow the path set forth in those instructions.

One thing scholars agree upon is that Alef does not answer prayer, does not have a conscius desire for worshipers or supplication. The desires and beliefs of the people of creation do not alter the course of the Divine Will. Alef is a spiritual monolith, respected but never supplicated.

The Innumerable Saints

Most people venerate, in some way, the saints of their ancestors. Some ancestors may be remembered for their crafting skills, their wisdom, their battle-prowess, or just for their personalities and influence. Living family members may venerate and celebrate their ancestral spirits for that aspect they remember and, by remembering, that spirit becomes associated as a type of household god representing that aspect. Ancestor worship is a very personal belief structure. A home is likely to have a shrine to their particular patron or patrons (an ancestor or ancestors the family remembers and has taken on as a symbol for their prosperity, strength, or courage). Small tokens representing the spirits would be carried, or left around the home. No temples or shrines would be built in public for these uniquely personal saints.

The spirits and divine entities that inhabit the world, who came as a result of the creation of Nature, are without number. Some answer to prayer, or to ritual. Some display godlike properties. They do not name themselves, or reveal their names (except in extraordinary circumstances), but take names from the people of the world. One entity may be known by a dozen names. Temples are built in their honor. Religious rites are perfected and designed to please them. Feast days are celebrated in their honor. The spirits answer prayers, grant powers, perform miracles, and are revered as gods.

No one has successfully counted the number of gods who are active in the world. So many take on different names and different aspects. A god known as a protector of travelers and roads to one tribe or culture may be known as a saint of thieves in another. The gods' mysterious natures keep their true natures somewhat secretive as well. The god a cleric reveres as a patron of growth and home may, as well, be a spirit of the harvest that a druid would revere. The god may be known by different names, even different aspects, and may well be the same spirit.

Religions in the Young Kingdoms also tend to have animistic tendencies. People acknowledge that there may be spirits of particular places or aspects. Though these lesser spirits may not be worshiped, they're acknowledged and revered, in the same manner as ancestral spirits.

This collection of saints, gods and magical spirits is collectively known as the Rolls Sable. The name is taken from a tradition held by the high priests of the empire, who attempted to collect the names and aspects of all the multitudinous gods and spirits. They were kept on a black scroll, penned with silver or gold ink. The scrolls were transported and stored at the Amber Tower, shortly after it was built.

1Neither the Anavaren of Avignus, nor the Witch Cult of Vinlund, nor the Sisterhood of Bretta of the Mistlands were ever acknowledged by churches nor the leadership of the empire. Imperial religious and social leaders expected such cults to simply die off quietly. They didn't.

Castles and Crusades: more setting design notes

I've been jotting down some notes for a campaign setting for Castles and Crusades. I wanted to do a traditional western-European feel...something familiar and easy to recognize.

In the present day, the Western Kingdoms represent the flowers grown from a fertile ground fed by the receding waters of a dying empire. The kingdoms of the south, known as the Amber Kingdoms, were once the homeland of a world-dominating empire. The empire only fell back six-hundred years ago, leaving Vinlund and Avignus to build their own governments and rule for themselves. Those two kingdoms, which became known with some of the nearby lands as “The Young Kingdoms,” have grown and flourished in the last six centuries (despite threats from the north and east).

The Young Kingdoms have moved away from the nurture and the traditions of the old empire in the same way children grow away from their parents. Although their civil, cultural and religious traditions have their foundations in ancient imperial traditions, they've grown to serve the unique needs of each people. All of the Young Kingdoms share some traits, like long-separated family members. Their languages all share a common root, which serves as a noticeable and tangible link between the three lands. Their societies, much like their architecture, are built on the remains of the old empire.

The most successful of the Young Kingdoms is Avignus, a fertile land with temperate winters, moderate summers, a long growing season, and hearty people. The folk of the eastern portion of the kingdom are a hearty lot, who have developed a love of epic poetry and music. They are the more spiritual than their western brethren. The people of the western kingdom are renowned for their horsemanship and their skill with mounted combat.

Vinlund, to the south, is a kingdom dominated by wine and magic. Farmers raise some of the greatest vines in the world, and local wineries create the most memorable wines. People are well-fed, with expansive farms. Every town has its own vintage of wine, and each claims theirs is the best. Their wizard-kings have ruled since before the fall of the empire. A high academy of magic is hidden deep in their mountains. The king's ghostly advisors, legend has it, travel the kingdom looking for practitioners of The Science (the kingdom's name for arcane magic).

The empire survives now as the fragmented “Amber Kingdoms.” The ancestral great families of the empire, in an effort of self-preservation, each carved out their own city-states or protectorates. Some tried to wage war on each other, in attempts to gain more territory or more resources, or even just to answer old family rivalries. Some still try to live as if the empire never crumbled. Their guards may well still wear old imperial armor and weapons; some subjects may still wear the garb of the ancient empire. Citizens of the Amber Kingdoms still tell stories of their families' ancient greatness, and sill reside in centuries-old estates. Vitare, the northern-most of the Amber Kingdoms, is considered the most “progressive.” They trade with the Young Kingdoms, receive ambassadors into the Imperial Court (and sends out ambassadors to the Young Kingdoms, as well), and claims not to take part in the in-fighting participated in by the other old imperial families. The king of Vitare (who still uses the title of “Emperor”) claims leadership over all of the Amber Kingdoms, though has no ability to collect taxes, raise armies, or truly rule over the subjects of the former empire.

The northern lands of Ecrus and Titus have only recently been split. In the days of the old empire, the land was simply known as The Northern Reach. Ecrus was the name the local “barbarians” gave to their homeland. These barbarians raided their neighbors for livestock, crops, and more valuable treasures. The empire tried, unsuccessfully, to invade Ecrus several times. The barbarians continuously fought back the invaders. Eventually, Ecrus was damaged from inside threats.

Orc and goblin tribes emerged from deep in the mountains. The ravaged the people of Ecrus, destroying settlements, capturing people, stealing whatever resources the barbarians of Ecrus had stored away. The orc and goblin raids mirrored the barbarians' in severity and technique. The Ecrusians fought back, struggling to keep their culture and people from being destroyed by the orcish threat. After a century of fighting, the orcs were driven back across the mountains; they took over the eastern portion of the lands. Amazingly enough, some tribes of Ecrusian people followed along, either following the hoards as slaves, of because they found a kinship among the orcs themselves. The barbarians of Ecrus maintained the western portion. The eastern lands were named Titus by the dying empire, reflecting the name of one of the many lands of the dead from their myths.

The Mistlands are the northeastern part of the Great Western Isle. Their great accomplishment, according to some, was in building trading relations with the people of Ecrus (after successfully fighting off the barbarians after years of attempted raids). The northern, hilly region is the only civilized settlement on the island (as a matter of fact, the empire once had an outpost on its shores). The rest of the island is dominated by the will of an ancient dragon, and scores of magical creatures under his control. There are legends about lost tribes of elves and other fey creatures who live there, and of ancient magics that protect the island.

No one has ever returned from the island that is off the Mistlands north shore.

The strip of land connecting the Young Kingdoms and the Amber Kingdoms are called, simply, the Lost Lands. Since the fall of the empire, these lands fell to depravity, infighting, and invaders from the east and from the great rift. They lost all stability once the empire left. Some of the central lands, once called Tiranic, reverted to an almost barbaric state, ruled and controlled by tribal elders and fighting off other clans. In the southern province of Molloy, the dead rose and enslaved the living. The northern region, once called Deiteramund, has become dominated by the rift, which had begun spilling out Abyss-spawned creatures once the Amber Tower was erected in the heart of the empire.

None of those lands were particularly stable to begin with, truth be told. Tiranic was only ever stable because of the leadership and influence of the empire. Molloy's un-dead hid in their tombs, hills and forests for centuries, waiting for their time to strike. The rift had always existed in Deiteramund, and so had the portals deep in its depths. Without the empire's magic or governance, these lands were ultimately doomed.

East of the Lost Lands are vast mountain ranges, and a land dominated by desert. Its there that the King of Avignus leads a crusade against the Goblyn Queen. There is very little to report about the lands there, their people, or their cultures.