Religions

There are many who believe Power is not something simply to be handled, but something that is granted or earned through their service to a cause or entity. References and remnants of monuments to various Gods and distant creeds have, from what the Risen can gather, existed in the world for countless years. The old words and tenets struck true to many of the Risen, and some have found they can harness Power through their devotion.

A scattering of established religions and philosophies are listed below.

Aer

The God who is Everything and Nothing

Aer is all things. Aer is the world. Aer is you. Aer is the past, present and future. Give thanks to Aer, for you are Aer. All things that are and aren’t make up its body and mind. Aer's faith teaches that everything is interconnected and that every experience and interaction forms part of the divine whole. The God's proponents wish to understand this vast divinity and to seek long term outcomes that they perceive as beneficial to the world at large. Though many see the God as too abstract, those who follow Aer find great solace and joy in the small part they play in the divine tapestry.

Aer is a god of many contradictions. Even those who believe them the source of all truth, also acknowledge that Aer is a liar. As such, any interpretation of the faith that Players craft will be embraced as a fragment of Aer's divinity.

Worship of Aer may appeal to characters who wish to:

• Unravel the vast divine web and understand their place in divinity.
• Look beyond Risenholm to improve the state of a broken and scarred world.
• Experience the vastness of Aer's divinity by travelling the known world.
• Attempt to resolve the many great philosophical contradictions of Aer's faith.
• Challenge the establishment of Risenholm to pursue long term goals.
• Become a mastermind unravelling a great divine plan.

Shentar

The Prophet

Shentar lived in the distant past, performing great deeds and providing the world with enduring teachings. Many have since taken up the mantle of Shentar, and all have advocated for a philosophy of self improvement that would elevate those around you. Such is the legacy of these individuals that no one is certain of the identity of the original Shentar. The subject of the true Shentaran Path, and if there can even be one, is much debated. Distinct philosophies are often given titles tied to their originators, such as "Shentar as Compassion" and "Shentar as Blade".

Players are free to create their own interpretation of Shentar's teachings, and many more paths may be found through exploration of the server.

Shentar's teachings may appeal to characters who wish to:

• Follow a distinct philosophy which shapes their views of the world.
• Decipher the history of the world by learning of those who have taken on Shentar's mantle.
• Perform great deeds in emulation of Shentar's legacy.
• Improve themselves, or challenge others to improve theirselves, and become the best at what they do.
• Travel the world in search of undiscovered teachings and stories.
• Leave behind their own legacy, forming a distinct path for others to follow.

The Sleeping Gods

May They Slumber Eternally

A multitude of petty deities who rest beneath the plains to the west of Risenholm. Their worshippers, few in number, mostly seek to placate them from being involved in their daily affairs. For most of their followers, the worst thing to them is for a god to do anything but stay asleep beneath the ground. Despite the dangers, the many deities of the plains represent a wonderous variety of creeds, personalities, and portfolios and frequently interact with their followers through dreams, visions and prophecies. Any attempt to classify them into a single pantheon has, thus far, been unsuccessful. For some Risen, these deities represent a tantalising link with a past that has been long forgotten, for others a danger that is best avoided.

Though the plains are not accessable at server launch, the Sleeping Gods represent a vast phantasmagoria of divinity. Players may feel free to create their own deities for their characters to worship or choose from those found through exploration of the server.

The Sleeping Gods may appeal to characters who wish to:

• Keep Risenholm safe by appeasing one, or many, of the Sleeping Gods.
• Meddle with strange and dangerous powers in pursuit of their goals.
• Research ancient mysteries and unravel divine secrets.
• Form a bond with a God that represents their worldview.
• Disregard danger and awaken new divine powers to aid Riseholm's plight.
• Pledge to defend the Sleeping Ones from any that might dare awaken them.

The Well

The Site of Rebirth

Well worship is a strange beast, as while many in Risenholm look to the well for protection, and wish to keep it safe, most see this as a pragmatic necessity to keep themselves alive. The true devotee of the Well, however, elevates this to divine purpose, protecting Risenholm and the Well with fervour that others may find unsettling. Resurrection is seen as a divine gift, representing a common bond between the Well's adherants and some have even ascribed the Boatman with divine properties. For many Risen, particularly those who routinely face danger and death, this new faith represents hope and certainty in a scarred world.

Though there have always been those who revere the Well, the faith is a relatively new phenomena and Players are free to craft their own teachings and rituals to suit their characters.

Worship of the Well may appeal to characters who wish to:

• Practice a faith directly tied to Risenholm and its community.
• Explore the mysteries of the Well and the power of resurrection.
• Champion Risenholm and defend it against an increasingly hostile world.
• Take an active role in proselytising a new faith.
• Bring the First Exile to justice for his crime of damaging the well.
• Emulate the First Exile and seek ways to improve the Well and its function.