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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 493116" data-attributes="member: 6294">ReligionMany of the deities listed in the Players' Handbook have adherents in the campaign world, though they not organised in quite the same way as is described there, and there are some expansions or alterations in their portfolios.   Accordingly, here is a brief summary of the religions of Galiban, and in the Devayik Empire as a whole.The Imperial ChurchHeironeous  (Lawful Good.  Portfolio: Protection, Nobility & Justice)Hextor  (Lawful Evil.  Portfolio: Tyranny, Power & War)St Cuthbert  (Lawful Neutral.  Portfolio: Retribution & Martial Prowess)The Devayik Empire grew to be a powerful nation due to two factors.  The first was its disciplined, well-equipped military, while the second was its thorough - and thoroughly enforced - rule of law.  The official deities of the Empire are Heironeous and Hextor, each of whom embodies certain aspects of these factors.  Heironeous can be said to represent the ideals: protection for the people from their enemies, whether they be military or judicial.  Hextor, on the other hand, represents the more pragmatic side of things: he is a god of harsh laws and military power.In essence, the twin gods represent both the promise and the threat of Devayik rule: the protection to live your life in safety, but a protection won by the harsh punishment of those who break the laws.Priests within the church usually adhere more to one god's portfolio than the other, which often leads to factional infighting and political intrigue between what can be considered two broad 'wings' of the faith.  There are no less than three martial orders within the church: the Knights Paladin (equivalent to the class), the Fists of Hextor (equivalent to the PrC) and the Knights Imperial (equivalent to the Knight Protector of the Great Kingdom).Additionally, the Order of St Cuthbert is a sect within the Imperial Church.  Its adherents are followers of an ancient hero of the Empire, who saw his family slaughtered as a child and later rose to be a great general, crushing the barbarian tribes who had killed his family.  Stern, occasionally even harsh, the holy warriors of this sect will stop at little to punish those they believe to be guilty.The Imperial Church is the official religion of Galiban, as it is of every province in the Devayik Empire, but it is not actually the most popular.  Naturally, most people make an occasional offering to the twin gods, and the oaths taken by any public official invoke their names, but the people of the region tend towards religions that are less dogmatic and strict.The Free FaithsFharlanghn  (Neutral.  Portfolio: Travel, Trade & Prosperity)Garl Glittergold  (Neutral Good.  Portfolio: Artifice, Invention & Craftsmanship)Pelor  (Neutral Good.  Portfolio: Healing & the Sun)Boccob  (Neutral.  Portfolio: Knowledge & Magic)Druidism  (Neutral.)Although the worship of Heironeous and Hextor is the only faith officially sanctioned by the Empire, the imperial authorities long ago realised that it was impractical to put every non-believer to the sword.  However, they did not want to let other religions grow unchecked, and particularly not to allow the establishment of an empire-wide alternative to the Imperial Church.Their solution was to issue an edict which banned all other religions from the empire, but which included a clause that allowed provincial governments to grant exemptions to any faith that those authorities believed "does not endanger the well-being of the empire".  This mechanism allowed them empire to continue suppressing religions when they needed to, without driving all other faiths underground.  It also means that the organisation of other religions can only occur at a province-wide level, which helps keep them from being a national rival to the Imperial Church.These so-called "Free Faiths" vary from province to province.  Those that are recognised in Galiban are listed above.Fharlanghn is revered by bards, travellers and merchants of all stripes, as well as sailors and fishermen.  He is also the most popular deity amongst halflings, though as a people they follow many faiths.Garl Glittergold is a favourite of artisans and craftsmen, and is particularly favoured by gnomes and dwarves, for whom he basically serves as a de facto racial deity.The Church of Pelor, meanwhile, is the largest and most popular in Galiban.  There are very few who do not speak highly of it, even if they are not worshippers.  The sun god's followers come from all walks of life.Boccob is revered by only a select few: mainly sages, philosophers and wizards.  His faith is generally found too dry and impersonal by most other people, including bards and sorcerers.The druidic faith is popular in Galiban.  Amongst the elves, it is all but universal.  Elves of other faiths are rare, and though they are not discriminated against, many of their people find their choice hard to understand.  The elven form of druidism (which is the oldest form) is very animistic in nature, while the more recent human converts have added an anthropomorphic deity to the faith (Obad-Hai).Hidden FaithsOlidammara  (Chaotic Neutral.  Portfolio: Thieves, Lawlessness & Trickery)Various CultsFinally, there are a number of hidden faiths within Galiban, whose worship continues despite the fact that they are banned by the authorities.  Members of these faiths risk imprisonment or worse for their beliefs: though more often than not their acts would be enough to risk those punishments, as well.Many of these hidden faiths are secretive cults, dedicated to worshipping a specific demon, devil or other powerful, extra-planar creature.  There are also secret churches dedicated to the gods of death and undeath.  These groups are universally despised and despicable.The only hidden faith that elicits any kind of mixed emotions amongst the wider populace is that of Olidammara, the trickster god.  Outlawed due to its associations with thieving and lawlessness, the faith is not overtly evil, though it can easily be turned to evil purposes.</blockquote>

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