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Religion in Am'yazar
[note=In Dungeons and Dragons...]The following additions are for those using Dungeons and Dragons:
R'van
Overdeity (DvR 25) (LG,NG, and CG)
Symbol: A disc of white with intricate yellow patterns etched on the surface.
Portfolio: Chaos, desert, good, healing, humanity, law, sun,
Domains: Chaos, Good, Healing, Law, Sun.
The portfolio and domains apply to all sects of the Faith of Râ,¬,,¢van. They all worship the same deity, just in different ways. Lawful clerics, however, should not be allowed to take the Chaos domain and vice-versa.[/note]
I never really liked Religions in D&D; they never seemed to go deep enough for me. Most other settings use polytheistic pantheons which cover all aspects of mortal life. Most other settings have divine spell casters. Most other settings have tangible deities. Am'yazar is not most other settings.
Am'yazar has a single monotheistic deity. Instead of representing the universe, it represents pure goodness. Instead of divine spellcasters, there are mortals truly devoted to its teachings. Instead of being able to approach a deity directly, it is an intangible being of pure divine energy.
Am'yazar's one god is R'van. R'van is a basic divine force that exists throughout the Material Plane. Simply put, R'van is a direct part of the Material Plane. R'van wishes to help mortals, but is unable so, due to
the fact that he cannot exist in the same kind of way that mortal can.
Instead, he uses various intermediaries, mainly his faithful worshipers,
to aid other mortals for him. It is rumored, however, that R'van can
sometimes affect mortals directly, but the truth of this is unknown.
Am'yazar's Faith of R'van is broken into several different sects, each having their own unique practice of worship of R'van. The first and most prominent sect is S'hiah. S'hiah encompasses most of the population of Am'yazar. The second and much less prominent sect is Havash. Havash believes that they must make sacrifices and repent to find true goodness. The third, also less prominent sect is Kh'zahyahn. Kh'zahyahn believes that bringing true happiness to themselves and others is the way to goodness.
The Sâ,¬Ëhiah
Overview:
The Sâ,¬,,¢hiah is the main sect of the Faith of Râ,¬,,¢van.
Sâ,¬,,¢hiah Clergy is divided up into three parts; the first is the Laity, who is not truly clergy members. The second are the Clerics, full member of the Clergy. The third is the Prelates, the wisest and most respected of the Clergy.
The Laity are the general people, whether they are adventurers, farmers, shopkeepers, etc. They have no official duties within the Sâ,¬,,¢hiah Clergy. They are expected, however, to attend services as often as possible. The Clerics tend to the spiritual needs of the laity, blessing births and weddings, easing the pain of the dying and the sick, and ministering at one of the services. The Prelates are the leaders of the Sâ,¬,,¢hiah sect; they make decisions about the functioning of the Faith as a whole. They meet in councils once per week to discuss relevant matters.
The current council of Prelates is made up of Prelate Ar'mazed, Prelate Raiz'din, Prelate Geuzen, Prelate Aseil, and Prelate Shafia.
Most Sâ,¬,,¢hiah do not care about the other sects, but the Prelates have strong, divided opinions on the matter. Prelate Raiz'din supports the Havashians. Prelate Shafia supports the Kh'zahyahni. Prelates Ar'mazed and Asiel want the other sects to disband and rejoin S'hiah. Prelate Geuzen wants all three sects to reconcile their differences to make a hybrid sect.
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The Havash
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The Khzahyahn
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