Orcrest | Sanctified

Sanctified

Overview

Where does power dwell? Force of arms, or the words to direct them? Powerful weapons, or the ability to create them? The greatest of the gods offer true power, the power of duty and order, the power of knowledge and understanding.

The Sanctified pantheon represents the ideals of civilization of law, justice, creativity, and the pursuit of greatness. Found primarily in cities with thriving trade and artistry, this faith is central to the cultural and spiritual life of the Kingdom of Elm's urban populations. The Sanctified gods embody the structure of society, their domains reflecting the intertwined forces that build and maintain it. The interplay between the deities creates a dynamic and often competitive faith, where worshippers align themselves with the gods whose principles best suit their roles and ambitions.

The pantheon’s primary gods, Verbum, Zeargol, Morevor, Lucren, and Trianna, embody the overarching concepts of law, strength, death, commerce, and beauty. Each has offspring with mortals, some many, some one - for each, however, one is deified: Mendor, Cador, Doerlia, Elke, and Shestra. These demi-gods each represent more specific aspects of their progenitor's domain, creating a multifaceted religion with both harmony and interfaith conflict.

The Sanctified pantheon reflects the complexities of (often human) civilization, where law, strength, creativity, and beauty intertwine to form the foundation of society. Worshippers align themselves with the gods whose domains resonate most with their roles, making the Sanctified a religion with a diverse set of rituals methods of worship. Through their teachings, the Sanctified guide mortals toward greatness, ensuring that their endeavors contribute to the enduring harmony of their world.

Worship

Urban Flock: The Sanctified are primarily found in cities - in particular, cities with a focus of trade or artisans. This is the most common religion of the Kingdom of Elm.
Piecemeal Worship: The Sanctified are typically worshipped in part rather than in whole - believes choose the god or gods that most speak to them and follow their teachings, though offer respect to the rest of the pantheon.
Civil Order: Verbum and Mendor grant clarity in legal matters and protect those who uphold justice.
Watchers on the Wall: Zeargol and Cador bless warriors and leaders with strength and courage, ensuring cities are never without their protectors.
A Just Reward: Morevor and Doerlia guide souls to rest and deliver retribution to the wicked.
Peace Through Trade: Lucren and Elke ensure prosperity through merchants and artisans, interlinking Sanctified cities so they can never truly war with each other.
Creative Flow: Trianna and Shestra spark creativity and bring joy through beauty and passion.

Core Information

Symbol: A five pointed flower.

Major Domains: Verbum (Law), Zeargol (Force), Morevor (Death), Lucren (Trade), Trianna (Beauty)

Minor Domains: Mendor (Order), Cador (Chivalry), Doerlia (Punishment), Elke (Artisans), Shestra (Passion)

Internal Relations: Sanctified are liable to view other Sanctified as of good social standing, regardless of which of the pantheon they worship, however, there is far more comradery between worshippers of the same god, and that has historically lead to internal divisions - particularly when such worship lines up with social groups with their own separate grievances.

External Relations: The Sanctified believe there are many more gods than the ones they worship - and some even worship gods of other religions local to their area! The Sanctified position is that these gods in particular are kind and protective to mortals, and thus give rise to stable, just societies worth living in.

Rituals

The Oath of Unity: Worshippers of Verbum pledge to uphold justice and order, receiving blessings for their service to society.
The Trial of Valour: A ceremonial combat between worshippers of Zeargol who demonstrate their strength and honour.
The Scales of Balance: Worshippers of Morevor bring tokens representing their actions (white stones for virtuous deeds, black for missteps), and place them on a ceremonial scale. This reflective act allows supplicants to confront their moral balance and seek redemption or reaffirmation of their path.
The Artisan's Offering: Worshippers of Lucren present fine works as offerings, made by themselves or purchased from others, to receive blessings of prosperity.
The Festival of Radiance: Held during the spring equinox, worshippers of Trianna put on a large festival where participants share artistic performances, poetry, and dance. The festival culminates with the lighting of golden lanterns symbolizing the illumination of beauty and harmony in life.

The Keeper • The God of Law

Lore

Verbum is the embodiment of law, the foundation of all order and governance. Stern and impartial, Verbum upholds the sanctity of the legal code above all else. In ages past, Verbum crafted the first set of legal decrees, collected as The Codex Eternal, and gifted them to mortal kind. This august work was so well penned that even some of Verbum's fellow gods followed the excerpts relevant to them, giving rise to the Sanctified - a union of deities bound by holy codes. Mortal laws can not hope to emulate such a work, though all such legislation flows from the principles outlined in the Codex.

The Binding Accord tells the tale of that union, of Verbum going to each god in turn, and those who were open to his wisdom settling their disputes to make a greater whole. Peace, as always, lead to prosperity, and together the bound gods created something much larger than the sum of its parts. In this, though the Sanctified have no leader, they have a progenitor.

Mendor

The Judge • Demi-God of Order

Laws are only as real as their enforcement, and divine law is no different. Just as Verbum acts as divine legislature, Mendor acts as divine judge. The patron of judges, administrators, and clerks of all types, Mendor is worshipped as the font of good (legal) judgement and jurisprudence. Through his calm and measured oversight, law becomes order, words become reality, and peace becomes enduring.

The Shield • The God of Might

Lore

Zeargol represents might and martial prowess in all aspects. He acts as the protector of the Sanctified and their faithful, a shield against those who would harm any under the umbrella of his aegis. A god of soldiers and champions, Zeargol's teachings lie in discipline and courage rather than brute force. Anyone can hold a spear on the line with the right heart and the right training, and Zeargol is known to bless such warriors when they stand in defense of civilization.

The Iron Shield tells of Zeargol in the nascence of the First City, and how he empowered a lone knight standing against two hundred marauders. Though mortally wounded, the knight held the bridge into the city by himself, felling or driving off each of the brigands with holy strikes.

Cador

The Blade • Demi-God of Chivalry

Cador, the Knight of Knights, the Holy Blade, the Vowkeeper, embodies the ideals of honour, courage, and loyalty. Carried close to the heart of every knight, Cador protects the valiant and smites the unworthy, emboldening those with chivalric hearts to mighty feats of arms. Knights may swear by his name, and doing so is considered the ultimate in promises - should one break a vow made before Cador they would surely feel the bite of the Holy Blade in short order.

The Shepherd • The God of Death

Lore

Morevor is the Shepherd of the Dead, the God of Death, the Divine Ever-After. Quiet and resolute, Morevor ensures the worthy in life achieve dignity and respite in death, while ferrying the souls of the unfit to an end more befitting their natures. Though his task is morbid, so too is it necessary - without a guide, the souls would wander the eternities, blinded by the endless expanse of divine creation. Instead, Morevor ensures each soul finds its place, and mortals can take comfort and closure knowing those who pass pass into good hands.

With The Scales of Mourning, Morevor weighs the deeds of each soul, good against bad, to determine the passage they take. Those worthy ascend to a peaceful afterlife, while those who are not pass to the Essencehold, where they face the wrongs of their life until such a time as their souls are reformed.

Doerlia

The Warden • Demi-God of Punishment

Every jail needs a warden, and the Essencehold is no different. Doerlia runs the hold with a fist of holy iron, ensuring that each soul that passes into her domain receives consequences that match their crimes. Only when each soul has been reformed into its true form, when it has accepted its wrongs and repented fully, only then does Doerlia release her hold on them, allowing them to pass into the peaceful afterlife. Doerlia is often prayed to by jailers, executioners, guards, and any who seek justice for the wronged, and she is fierce and unyielding in her replies.

The Vision • The God of Beauty

Lore

Trianna is gentle and inspiring, fostering harmony, love, and grace amongst the faithful. She embodies beauty, art, and the pursuit of happiness, her nature inspiring her followers to seek perfection in their crafts and lives. She was the first god to accept Verbum's Codex, and was instrumental in convincing the others to cooperate rather than live in discord. She is the patron of all those who seek beauty, leaving her worshipped by a multitude from all walks of life.

The Celestial Bloom, a traditional song amongst the Sanctified, speaks of Trianna turning a barren desert into a garden of unmatched splendor, teaching mortals that beauty can transform even the harshest of circumstances. It was this very garden that sustained the early settlers of the First City, its bounty allowing settlement in the region.

Shestra

The Muse • The Demi-God of Passion

What beauty can be made without the passion of artists, without the poet's heartfelt words or the painters harried strokes? Shestra embodies the fervor of creation, the divine inspiration of love. Passionate, fiery, and driven, she delivers frenzied masterpieces to the artists who pray to her, driving them to the edge of madness where true brilliance lies. In this, she is loved by those who put quill to parchment, brush to canvas, music to ears, or stories to the enthralled.

The Patron • The God of Trade

Lore

Lucren is the god of commerce and prosperity, of merchants and traders, of dealings and negotiation. A generous and pragmatic deity, Lucren blesses those who uphold honest, but profitable dealings, while cursing thieves, scam artists, and snake oil salesmen. Nigh every merchant prays to Lucren for prosperity, and he is generous with his blessings, extending them freely to those with faith.

The Silver Ledger tells of Lucren creating the first marketplace, teaching mortals the value of exchange and cooperation. The first line of the Ledger is forever immortalized in common thought: "A rising tide lifts all boats". This marketplace gave rise to the First City, with the trade running through the region growing what was once a small settlement into a bustling metropolis.

Elke

The Forgekeeper • Demi-God of Artisans

Trade can not exists without goods to trade, and Elke is who ensures they exist. The patron of smiths, artisans, architects, and innovators, Elke inspires craftsmen of all stripes to be meticulous in their work. Every great wonder was engineered with the blessings she provides, every technological marvel divined by her providence. It is said, late at night, while a master smith toils with a work of fine quality, one can hear Elke whistle along to the beat of the hammer.