I’ll skip the preamble. Here’s the religious situation in
Port.
1. No Druids.
The biggest religious event in the last 200 years is that
The Lich blew the kingdom apart with powerful magic.
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What I didn’t say, but I knew all along, is that The Lich
was a druid in life. She was a powerful druid, higher than the Hierorphant of
her time, and she loved the natural world so much that she gave up her own
natural life to protect it in perpetuity. She became a lich.
She is called The Lich because as far as anyone knows, she
is the only one. I have not decided whether there will be other liches. She
lives on a small island in a lake which lies to the far northeast of Port.
But people know The Lich is there and they know she’s a
druid. People have always known. There are of course elfs and dwarfs who were
alive when it happened and they could tell you.
So it was easy for the old Prince, years and years ago, to
outlaw druids in Port and the surrounding countryside. They are Outlaws – with
a big O. If someone is found to be a druid, they are put to death. (Or if they
are rich, they might get away with being stripped of their wealth. Money
talks.) But in any case, you wouldn’t want to be caught being a druid, whether
as a devotee of the Old Religions or actual druid character class.
You could still play a druid, but you would have to be
really sneaky about it in town or around townsfolk.
2. Sanctioned Religions
I don’t want to get into reasons why some people eschew
clerics or use particular pantheons. I will just say that in the world of Port,
the sanctioned religions are much like Christianity in the Middle Ages.
The main point is, they all worship God, the one human god.
And although the official priests of each religion are Lawful or Neutral, there
are sects of Chaotic clerics as well, but they keep their allegiance to Chaos a
secret.
About 20% of people are truly devout and live their lives in
harmony with religious teachings. About 60% of people pay lip service and
attend church a couple times a year. And about 20% of people are openly
agnostic. There are not really any atheists per se because religious magic is
everywhere.
The Church of Zenos erects churches with
golden-leafed domes. Their reflected glow can be seen for miles. Their priests
communicate in Lawful rather than common. Their priests may marry but monks and
nuns must remain unmarried and celibate. Their hymns are rich and soulful.
Iconography and sensory experiences such as incense and extremes in temperature
are important to the church. Experiences of agony and suffering are encouraged.
Their holy symbol is a plus sign inside a circle.
The head of the church is Kostas Economou (AL N, Cl 7).
The Church of Stella Solim builds white churches
with tall steeples. Their pointed steeples can be seen for miles. Their priests
communicate in Common although many of their religious texts are written in
Lawful and even Celestial. Their priests, monks and nuns must remain unmarried
and celibate. Their hymns are soaring and joyful. Adornment and strong sensory
experiences are discouraged by the church, and adherents are instructed to
maintain moderation. Their holy symbol is a t-shaped cross.
The head of the church is Evaldo di Motelli (AL L, Cl 6).
De Rukh Ken: There is a clan religion practiced by an
enclave of men who are ethnically separate from the main population. It is
called De Rukh Ken (The Holy Family) and their holy texts are written
in ancient Celestial. De Rukh Ken is neither outlawed nor sanctioned, but
practitioners are treated with suspicion by other men.
Their churches have no specific architectural style in Port.
There are very few of them and they are ad hoc buildings, since the enclaves
are very small. The sexes are segregated inside the church. Men wear a special
hat and women must cover their hair in public. Their priests are required to
get married at an early opportunity and to have as many children as they can
afford. The religion emphasizes industriousness, hygiene, and parenthood. There
are many restrictions about what foods to eat at what time of the week, month
or year, and many instructions about how to clean bodies, clothes and homes.
Their holy symbol is a magic wand with a star on top.
The head of the church is Frederick ben Li-Ron (AL L, Cl 6.)
Again, all three sects worship the God of Men but in
different ways. And in each case, their clerics are supposed to be Lawful or
Neutral, but there are some secretly-Chaotic ones as well.
While Port is an important city for trade, it is far from
the seats of powers of the religions of men. Therefore there are two Bishops,
and each heads one of the sanctioned churches. But they’re not like the Pope or
anything.
3. Turning Undead for Laymen
One of the interesting things about Port is that it barely
has room for all the creepy undead just bursting up from the ground. Of course
Clerics can turn undead, but even truly devout laymen can hold them at bay with
the appropriate holy symbol! A true believer with a silver holy symbol of his
religion can throw against the Turn Undead table as a Cleric of half his own
character level rounded up; but those undead are only held at bay at a range of
30’, and not turned or destroyed.
4. A Word About Demi-Men
Demi-Men such as Elfs, Dwarfs and Hobbits worship gods from
the prechristian pantheons. Dwarfs worship Norse gods, Elfs worship Roman gods,
and Hobbits worship Greeks (and sometimes the God of Men.) Under my own
mechanics, only NPC demihumans can cast Clerical spells. Their clerical
spellcasters are very rare and won’t be spared by their clans to go adventuring
outside of their own realms. You can of course have Demi-Men Clerics but you
will have to explain how they were released by their clans to come slum it in
the Realms of Men.
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