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Simplified Religion

Olaus Magnus Historia om de nordiska folken

In a minimalist campaign, it serves me well to keep the pantheon of gods simple. Here are three gods that I will use in my new campaign. I can’t recall how many hours I’ve spent trying to come up with a pantheon of gods to represent various aspects of the world. Those days are over! Three is plenty and I’m done! Well, not completely…I do want to add a few saints and servants of chaos here and there to spice things up. But that is for later. For reference, I will consult Pits & Perils author James and Robyn George’s manuscript.

Three deities and their tenets for my Bree Campaign.

Eos, the One Light

 

Tenets of Eos (lawful)

  1. One Spirit. All are connected to Eos.
  2. One Path. One cannot follow two paths (nor serve two masters).
  3. One Journey. The beginning, the path, the return. All make the Journey but take different paths and complete at different times.

Silvanus, the Green Man

Tenets of Silvanus, the Green Man (harmony, balance, and nature personified)

  1. In nature there is harmony and balance. [I will need more here, perhaps. Any suggestions?]

 

Orcus, God of Death

Tenets of Orcus (chaos and death personified)

  1. All light will someday be extinguished.
  2. Send your enemies to set your table. [The more enemies you defeat, the better your position in the Halls of the Dead.
  3. I am the shadow on the path. [Orcus is the monkey wrench in the machine of Eos.]

eos

 

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John Feldman

7 responses to “Simplified Religion”

  1. St. George’s Church, a Temple of Eos – Damn Elf Press Avatar
    St. George’s Church, a Temple of Eos – Damn Elf Press

    […] The interior of the church has a round central room with dark hardwood floors, whitewashed walls, and a lofty ceiling. The central altar is adorned with white linen and a single chalice sits in the middle. Near the door is a small wooden poor box. There’s no lock on it, yet thefts from the church are very rare. Mother Patience welcomes all people that come through the church doors. The sick, hungry, and even the lost can find some comfort within this sanctuary. The Reverend Mother is less a preacher of words and more a practitioner of her faith. She follows the holy path of Eos. […]

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  2. The Templar – Damn Elf Press Avatar
    The Templar – Damn Elf Press

    […] to protect it. Jules was a D’armond. His family had a tradition of taking up the mace for Eos. He was also a cousin to the Reverend […]

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  3. Rainy Days and Mondays – Damn Elf Press Avatar
    Rainy Days and Mondays – Damn Elf Press

    […] his time between praying for relief and cursing his misfortune, he decided to change tactics. If Eos wouldn’t listen, he would pray to the Green Man. And why shouldn’t I? he mused. If […]

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  4. Timothy Fox Avatar
    Timothy Fox

    I was looking back over your posts as I am getting late into the game of having just discovered Pits & Perils. I really like the idea of a simplified pantheon of gods – and thought I would offer my take / alterations to what you wrote. By now, you probably have developed them yourself, but here you go anyways:

    Eos, the One Light
    Tenets of Eos (lawful, bringer of light, life, sunshine, justice)
    1. One Spirit. All are connected to Eos in life, but only those in service to Eos can join him/her in spirit in death. [Death without service is darkness]
    2. One Path. One cannot follow two paths (nor serve two masters). [A liar, betrayer, or one who breaks vows or promises or serves only themselves must face justice]
    3. One True Journey. The beginning, the path, the return. All make the Journey but take different paths and complete them at different times. [One may only seek redemption by following the path of Eos at any time in their life, so long as their service can outdo their wrongs]

    Silvanus, the Green Man
    Tenets of Silvanus, the Green Man (harmony, balance, nature personified, rebirth)
    1. In nature there is harmony and balance. [Nurture nature to receive from her, or it will grow fallow along with humankind]
    2. All life follows the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth [Sylvanus is rebirth, and those that disrupt this in any way are enemies]
    3. I am the protector and sower of nature [Druids and Elves are the natural guardians of this order, and hope for Silvanus’ favor to reincarnate or join the Green Man in the Other World]

    Orcus, God of Death
    Tenets of Orcus (chaos and death, the underworld personified)
    1. All light will someday be extinguished. [Malice is part of this natural order. The strong should dominate the weak.]
    2. Send your enemies to set your table. [The more enemies you defeat, the better your position in the Halls of the Dead.]
    3. I am the shadow on the path, and the bringer of death. [Orcus is the monkey wrench in the machine of Eos.]

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    1. John Feldman Avatar
      John Feldman

      Thanks for adding to this! Your distillation of the simplified religions is really great!

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  5. Timothy Fox Avatar
    Timothy Fox

    Sorry, I think for Eos I meant: Life (not Death) without service is darkness.

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    1. John Feldman Avatar
      John Feldman

      Got it! Thanks.

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