Gods and teachings

Gods and teachings

Gods of the north
Ymir- God of cold, death and determination
Often called upon in battle by he northern tribes, to witness great deed or to protect them from their enemies. Ymir teaches mortality, preparedness, and grit. It is said every north an is given his will to live from Ymir. Men worship Ymir by placing the sacrificed heart of a cow, elk or deer upon a simple wooden plate or board in the freezing snow, done so to stave off harsh winters.
Servants- the frost Giants, various semi divine offspring

Bori- chief of the barbarian gods. God of battle courage and war
The patron of tribal leaders, Bori is the lord of the Fastness of the north. Not even grim Ymir bars his passage into the frozen lands. Bori teaches honesty, trust in comrades, and boldness of action.
The bear symbol of Bori is common amongst every tribe, and many worship him by saying prayers of thanks in the morning and after battle. Sacrifices to Bori, usually for luck in battle, are of a bear, hunted by those who seek his favor. The animal is burned, and war paint made for the ashes,
Servants- the Gilded Hunters, the choosers of the slain, and various semi Divine offspring.

Erlik- goddess of Darkness, prophecy, and magic.
The seer in the stars, Erlik is called upon by the Shamans of the north. She rules the night, and the wolf, the bat and the Raven are her eyes into the mortal world. Northmen may call upon Erlik to help guide them, in a quest, on the sea, or in the dark. Her wisdom comes at a price, and a sacrifice to her may be of important value to the seeker, while public sacrifices are usually of precious metals or stones. Erlik teaches wisdom, patience and sacrifice. It is said she taught men to speak, and gave them the secrets of fire and steel.
Servants- the wolf God, bats and Ravens, seers and barbaric sorcerers.

Pteor- God of the sun, air and strength.
Mighty, yet reserved, Pteor raises the sun every morning, and pulls it down at night. A lord of the sky, he is said to dwell far above the earth, where the cries of mortals are difficult to hear. As such, he is the least worshipped of the north gods. Sacrifices are rare, usually of a great bird, an eagle or hawk. Those who call upon him usually ask for a portion of his indomitable strength. Pteor teaches courtesy and is said to give each man his strength from birth.
Servants- The creatures of the air, the daughters in the stars

Gods of the old empires
Ishtar- goddess of light, the sun, civilization and law
Ishtar is the chief Goddess of the civilized lands. Many cities and countries abide by her law, laid down in the Codex Iuris. She is seen as the very aspect of life giving sun, and noon time prayers accompanied by incense are mandatory for her numerous priests and priestesses.
Her priests sacrifice animals, usually farm stock, for various favors. Ishtar can be called upon for assistance with the law, help with crops, favor in battle and many other miracles.

Mitra- God of goodness, healing, and water
The scented halls of Mitra's temples are home to the healers of the old empires. Mitra is praised for his divine knowledge of combating illness, of mending flesh and bone. His priests are required to study volumes of healing lore, and are expected to practice charity and chasteness. Many of Mitra's priest collect alms for the poor, and offer their healing expertise to the unfortunate. Priests also are expected to take a vow of poverty themselves, although those seeking Mitra's favor must donate to the temple some portion of wealth, and this allows his priests to eat and his temples to flourish. Even the most tight fisted skinflint is likely to offer Mitra wealth when a plague sweeps into town.

Anu- the bull God, God of fertility,harvests and stength
Anu rules over pastoral plains, thought to bring bounty to those who sacrifice to him. In the cities, those who wish for power, personal or otherwise beseech Anu. Most commonly, Bulls are sacrificed to Anu, but other, less wholesome sacrifices are occasionally made by the desperate. His priests are expected to pray at dusk, and must wear his chosen color, red, in some form at all times. Before the fall of the empires, Anu was rarely welcomed into cities, but since his cults have found purchase in many across the lands. The Cult of the Bull God is considered sinister by some, and the cities which house their temple fortresses are said to have more young girl disappear than others.

Bel- goddess of thieves, the night and the moon
Bel is the trickster goddess of thieves. She is the sister of Ishtar, and sometimes lover of Mitra. She is a goddess of luck, and those not in illicit trades call upon her for such. Her priests are rare, the most common sect is the Cult of the Moon, which prays in moonlight for her favor. Those who ask for the night goddess' favor must sacrifice valuables in the dead of night. Those who seek luck and fortune seek Bel's touch, but she is fickle and not likely to give her favor long.

The south gods
Their are many gods in the savage south lands, the people who live there give homage to many strange spirits and entities. No single God has a priesthood, rather a shaman may call upon a God during a ritual or prayer for a boon fitting of his domain. Cults of a certain God will sometimes form, the shaman calling upon his power much more then the other gods. Sometimes this god is a demon or other entity guiding the tribe or cult towards some dark or mysterious goal.
Some of the south gods that are known are:
Chulathi- the bird God, of sky, wind and the sun
Iz'ra- the blind slayer. God of darkness, earth and death
Saali- the beautiful. Goddess of fertility, love water and temptation
Yama- the ender. God of fire, destruction and evil.

The eastern teachings
When the Golden empire brought the separate races of man together, as well as many Demi humankind, Khitai, the Dynasty of the east openly traded with the empire and intermingled with its people. Amongst the city states, some temples are dedicated to these eastern teachings.
These teachings form a sort of religion for many Monks priests and fighters. Some of the basic teachings are:

The instructions of the 7 zephyrs-"Every life is pulled in many directions. One must choose a direction, lest be lost on endless winds."

The tenants of Stone-"Know the biggest things and the smallest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. From one thing, know ten thousand things."

The Prognostications of Flame-"Not all things can be put into words. See into yourself, but worry not to explain to others."

The Reflections of Water-"You attitude should be large or small according to the situation. Be fluid."

The Enlightenment of the Void -" By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist."

The Druidic circles
Before the gods of the empires were worshipped, many peoples revered nature as the one true God. Those who lead the rites of worship were the Druids. Although much time has past, there are still many who follow the Tradition. Scattered about the world are the nexus- the spot where intersecting lines of invisible power lay. Built on most of these sites are standing stones, circles of stones commemorating the area. In these places Druids gather on their holy days- the solstices and the equinoxes.

The many Cults
All across the Old empires, dozens of Cults to bizarre gods and demons rise and fall in shadow. Some are to Demon Princes, some to the Elder Gods, some to the formless terrors that are the Old Ones. Warlocks, Wizards, sorcerers and other seekers of hidden truths form or join forbidden cults to gain power from beyond.
Not all cults are nefarious or evil in origin. Some are the beliefs held in isolated villages, worshiping a local Legend. Others are skewed versions of the goodly religions, excommunicated for various reasons.