Religion

Religion and spirituality is a common recourse in the world of Kuselada. The major religions seem to have developed separately after the Fall of Tinch and the first ascension of Tiamat, and now the pantheons of Abbatchtka and Osuvanne are vastly dissimilar.

First, the daughters of Cerethys flew, burning their wings on the stars above and scalding the moons. Second, the brothers fought and the mountains grew. Third, the mother passed, her final gift the rainbows in the sky. Fourth, the dragons fought.

—Criskira Klalkikarduud, Chosen Avatar of Sapphiros., The history of Tiamat, Volume one.

The Religion of the world of Kuselada has been intertwined with the pantheon of deities that cohabit it. The three Wars of Ascendency that have occurred in the history of the world lie as witness to this.

Of Material and Divine Planes

The Prime Material Plane is the world of the common man. Various other planes exist, from elemental planes of fire, earth, water and air; to realms beyond time, such as the Abyss, and the Shadowfell. It is suggested that magical theory could construct a spell that would act as The Planar Lock involving devices known as Hasps.

Abbatchtkan Pantheon

Abbatchtkan worship is primarily of the draconic deities known as The Nine. Throughout the history of the world, the Nine have all been a combination of three parts making one whole divine being: an Aspect, an Avatar, and a chosen Champion. Only through defeating all three parts was a draconic deity considered destroyed. It was rumoured that the group known as The Joeshoes was involved in stopping the ascension of an evil divine entity known as Tiamat; that in preventing this event (twice!) the members of the group grew close to the aspects and became the chosen champions thereof.

This is pure speculation on this humble author's part, and I beg the pardon of these frankly marvelous heroines and heroes.

The Chromatic dragons of lore are:

Colour	Name	Avatar	Champion	Notes
Red	Erethian of Rage	Unknown	Morrison of Calmore
Blue	Cerulo of Flight	Unknown	Unknown
Green	Malac of Ichor	Raiph	Unknown
Black	Cwelgar the Insidious	Ser Baranthorn	Traintel
White	Diato the father	Unknown	Unknown

The Metallic Dragons of lore are:

Colour	Name	Avatar	Champion	Notes
Gold	Tamarand the Defender	Firin	1. Hugh Joshuan 2. Seraphine
Platinum	Bahamut the Good	Carmina	1. Theathellen Ren 2. Domash Scalethorne
Emerald	Xavarath of Balance	Alikea	1. Kea 2. Emmeline Feeney
Sapphire	Sapphiros the Lost	Gwendalyn	1. Innblastur 2. Criskira

The God-Touched

A description given to those creatures that have been in direct presence of the divine plane, most commonly denoted by a faint and subtle change in their eyes, which seem to catch the light and sparkle with colouration of the deity that has blessed them. Such god touched have been known to be great heroes of the past – with a group known to pre-ascendancy as Glodende (Gloo-ow-den-day) selected as champions of the major dragonflights as the world became more rational.

The god-touched were rumoured to carry blessed armour and weapons into battle, being able to active abilities in otherwise mundane magical artefacts.

Champions of the Gods

From research at the Library of Sach, the following was discovered:

Zaffiros’ champion, known as Innblastur, was rumoured to be god touched; and carried with him a sapphire flute which rang out in perfect pitch when played. He was buried following the calamitous battle of the ascendancy, but his tomb, much like his patron, remain unknown.

Xavarath’s Champion, known as Kea, was a god touched scholar and mage; using a jade staff to create the final part of the divine gate which ended the war of ascendancy. She was killed by Followers of Malac the green, and her weapon was lost to the monastery (they’d quite like it back).

Tamarand’s Champion, Joshuan, was a native of Sach and from his humble beginning on the Talan Archipelago became a paragon of virtue equaling Tamarand. His bloodline, much like his name, was passed down through generations of dragonborne until the fall of Tinch. The last known resting place of Tamarand’s Champion, the Firintin, was at Tor Valnari a place taken over by goblins and rumoured to also have the servants of a mage that created that place in the underfey.

Bahamut’s Champion, (Theathellen) Ren, was an elf of the woodlands of Northern Abbatchkta. Her weapon of choice was a bow that became corrupted by the fall of Tinch and enveloped by shadow. Her body was never found after the ascendancy; and lore suggests that she was taken through the Divine Gate when the Metallic dragons won the war.

"It is supposed that if the Chromatic dragons wish to ascend that they would need mortal help to break the hasp that holds them away from the divine plane. They may seek to create their own champions, regain their power, and then assault the divine plane itself."

Druidic Pantheon

The druidic clevés of Osuvanne have alternative theology compared to the majority of civilisation. Whilst the interpretation changes between different circles of druidic teaching, most follow a similar structure, involving nature and natural based deities and spirits of land, sea and air. In this respect, much can be aligned to the draconic theology; differences abound when it comes to the source of the power of the Gods, their foes, and the eventual goals of these entities.

Druidic deities and supernatural entities

Of the Deities, Skerrit remains the most well known on Osuvanne. The nature god is worshipped by many of the druidic clevés, with the Kuu Tantsija being prominent in druidic society.

Some entities may take the form of elemental spirits; the most documented is that of Faradeen the dryad spirit of the Coen-inig-inch. Such entities may act as planar "go-betweens" and messengers. They gain followers and respect for the job that they perform, and gather power in response to the belief that is bestowed upon them.

Most of the spirits have antagonistic tendencies. Water sprites both fear and distrust fire, whereas earth and fire usually are seen side by side. All of the spirits are a-feared of the void plane, Shadowfell, a place where elemental magicks cease to work, and elementals fade to nothingness - naught but spite and anger at the life that was snatched from them.

Role of Druidic Clevés in modern Osuvanne

In modern day Osuvanne the role of druidic groups has remained the protection of the land from threats of the supernatural, elemental and transplanar. Whilst wizards of The Concurrence or The Obsca would state they protect the world from entities beyond the planes, druids know that the elemental planes of fire, water, earth and air are much closer, and much more closely aligned, to the material plane. At places between the planes, the barriers may become weakened and allow passage between the worlds for various creatures - be they spirits, sprites or even people. To protect the integrity of the world, sometimes these spirits must be reasoned with, cajoled, or even fought after their intentions are discovered.

The various druid clevés will attend the The Jamboree of the Five Cleves, a religio-social event that is convened at various locations important to elemental worship. The next Jamboree is believed to be held at Coen-unig-Inch, in the Free Republic of Volfor.

Factions

• The Cleve from Moreholt Forest
• The Cleve from Three Fingers
• The Cleve from Amicca
• The Cleve from Tor Fallonir
• The Cleve from the Tumblepeaks

Other Religious Sects

Divine and Infernal entities from beyond the divine gate may still exist in some form, and throughout the planes of the Abyss and Shadowfell exist consciousness of some degree or other. It is said that travelling entities could gather enough presence of willpower to manifest in these places, or perhaps through sheer stubbornness project themselves into the material world. Certainly, areas of the world may revel in the perceived wisdom and worship these things, who's ideals and ambition are obfuscated by the divine gate itself.

Dendar is rumoured to be one of these entities, but the rumours are hazy at best, and deadly at worst.

Creation Myths

Texts found at the Ruins of Qi'Frayne led religious researchers to understand more about the creation of the world.

The Raw Firmament

Potential. Hope. Conflict. Despair.

Peace. Hatred. Love.

The Pillars of Creation reflect all that is in the world.

• Angfarmere
• Estefarrale
• Likkvateril
• Mithralesind

From the titan's breath the divine took form: Of wingéd beast, of cunning mind, of wrathful power.

Each perched upon a pillar of stone: of gold; of platinum; of jade; of sapphire.

But regency comes with a price.

Selfish, lesser breaths from Diato, the titan's brother: Jealousy, rage, envy, hatred, death.

Each took roost amongst the land:

• Cerulo the blue, beneath the watery deep.
• Malac the green, in the forest mountains.
• Cwelgar the black, in deepest caverns deep.
• Erethian, the red atop the restless volcano.
• Diato a ravager of the winter lands.

The titan fought her brother, causing mountains to rise and valleys to sunder. Continents broke apart from the pre-divine battle, maelstrom drained the oceans until the battle stopped. The titan and Diato grievously wounded attending the destruction. From Titan's last breath were borne hope and fear, malice and forethought and light and darkness, settling into the prime material plane below.

Of the titan's final site, nothing remains.

Dwarves claim his last whispers are heard deep beneath the earth.

Elves claim they are whispers in the wind.

Dragonborn listen but nothing is heard bar the surussus of wings.

Genasi laugh at all others, and claim ownership.

Gnomes tinker, and try to unravel the divine tapestry.

Halflings accept the life and food.