Player Lore
Oct 14, 2016 10:11:34 GMT -4
Post by kozeph on Oct 14, 2016 10:11:34 GMT -4
Player Lore
Because much of the world around Velen is unknown and you are encouraged to add your piece to the lore. Here is a handy thread with information given by other players. From religious orders and their respective gods, to organizations and other information you might find useful!
Religion
St. Cuthbert
The deity of retribution, St. Cuthbert (saint cuhth-burt), takes many forms. He often masquerades as a common yokel or whitehaired, mustached man in plate mail. He usually carries his famous mace. Saint Cuthbert exacts revenge and just punishment on those who transgress the law. Because evil creatures are more commonly and flagrantly violate laws than good creatures do, St. Cuthbert favors good over evil, though he is not good himself. He may have once been a mortal man (as his worshipers claim), but if so it was long ago and from an unknown branch of humanity.The words of St. Cuthbert are wise, practical, and sensible. Among his followers, the Word of the Cudgel is law, and his followers take pains to spread the word so that may all may benefit from St. Cuthbert’s wisdom. Weakness in faith and acting against the Saint’s teachings are intolerable, especially in believers. St. Cuthbert exhorts his followers to make increasing efforts to bring unbelievers into the fold. Honesty, truthfulness, practicality, and reasonability are the highest virtues, says St. Cuthbert. Clerics of the Cudgel are stern folk who speak their minds plainly. They do not suffer fools and disapprove of those who backslide in faith. They train in the arts of war and keep themselves physically fit. Many serve as constables, detectives, judges, and bounty hunters.
Temples of St. Cuthbert are always solid and imposing. Their entrances or facades invariably feature inscriptions of quotations attributed to the Cudgel. These can be inspirational, such as:“Chaos and evil prevail where good folk do nothing.” Or even threatening, such as: “Obstinacy brings lumps to the heads of the unfaithful.”
By: Ash
Nerull
A deity of death, Nerull (nare-ull), is widely known and widely feared. His gaunt form resembles a mummified, nearly skeletal corpse with rusty red skin, thick blackish-green hair, a cowled cloak of rusty black, and eyes, teeth, and nails like poisonous verdigris. His black staff, Lifecutter, forms a scythelike blade of red force that slays anyone it touches.Nerull is the patron of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. All are equal in Nerull’s cold realm. Every living thing is an affront to the Reaper, and every death brings a dark spark of joy to his long-dead heart. Those that pray to Nerull to appease him only attract his attention and their own doom. Those that kill in his name shall be rewarded (or so Nerull promises).
Clerics of Nerull are secretive and solitary, since few sane people tolerate their presence. Except in the most evil lands, Nerull has no organized churches. With no overall hierarchy, individual churches work against each other at times. Still, the Reaper is feared across the lands. His clerics wear rust-red garb when not in disguise. Nerull’s clerics commit murders as offerings to their deity. If their actions are discovered, they move on to new hunting grounds. Some take up the wandering life and put on innocent faces as they move from town to town, murdering a few people and then moving on.
Temples to Nerull are always hidden, even in lands where the Reaper is honored. They usually are located underground, often as parts of catacomb complexes. Most temples are stocked with undead creatures and others that spread or celebrate death, such as hags, fiends, and vargouilles.
By: Ash
Shar
The goddess of secrecy and the Mistress of Dusk and Dawn. A secretive deity that has a small following. She is often represented by her symbol (image link) and her form is unknown. The few descriptions there are of her speak of a vaguely feminine looking shadow-y and shining figure. Her temperament is utterly chaotic and her followers reflect her dispositions. Shar is called a know-er of secrets and the keeper of them, so her worshipers are often tasked with finding out secrets and hiding them, sometimes even performing murders.Shar is a highly controversial deity and her worshipers are widely varied. From scholars to thieves and those who appreciate subtlety as well as keepers of ancient forgotten things. Her church is highly de-centralized and is rather cult based than formal, acting like individual cells across the lands. However, there are two prevalent traditions within her religion. The Dusk Walkers and the Dawn Walkers, who act as two sides of the same coin. One side gathers secrets while the other hides it respectively. Her followers tend to prefer magic that emphasizes obfuscation, illusions and stealth.
Shar has no temples, instead her followers build small shrines to her in their hideouts and gathering spots. These shrines are built as means of being in her presence and in the event of the cell or cult exposure, the shrine is destroyed and the cult disperses to other areas.
By: Kozeph
Norn
Norn is a god of death and renewal. Such a duality in his nature means that he is typically seen as a benevelent diety, despite holding dominion over death. Only the most blessed of his priesthood knows his true form and this is kept as a closely guarded secret. To others, he is typically portrayed as a vaguely humanoid figure fully enveloped by a tattered black cloth, though he is rarely depicted in images without being further veiled in shadows. When he speaks, he does so with several voices, all are calm and parental in tone.The domain of Norn does not end, or even begin with death, as he ensures that the souls of the deceased are sent to the appropriate place - whether that be his own realm or that of another. Ensuring that the faithful live out their alloted lives and that they are not denied their afterlife also fall under his domain. That is why his priesthood is tased with protecting the living and cleansing the undead, in addition to overseeing funerals and maintaining graveyards. He tells his followers to enjoy life, to neither fear nor seek death, and to abhor senseless killing.
Temples dedicated to the Gate of Renewal come in all shapes and sizes, in fact they usually match the aesthetics of the local culture or the personal preference of the local clergy. Most major regions will have at least one major temple to Norn, and each is typically run by an extended family since his priesthood is typically inherited.
By Aerial