Does the culture have congregational worship? If not that's going to affect architecture and layout. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism worship at a temple is an individual affair. One enters a temple, makes an offering, prays, and then goes. The staff is there to answer questions, offer sacrifices, and maintain the facilities. They are there to serve the god or gods and provide individual instruction when asked, not to sermonize (that's a street corner activity, if the culture supports it) or guide the laity enmasse. It means a temple does not need as much space. It also means more of what is built can be turned over to the service of the god or gods. In such cultures temples proper are impressive affairs, designed and built to overawe. The message here is very clear; you present yourself to greatness, show some respect.
Under this scheme of things even a rich town of 2,000 won't have even a single temple. Unless it was the destination of major pilgrimages. It would have shrines instead. Smaller locations requiring less support. Shinto and Buddhist shrines in Japan are a good example of this. Very often community supported places of worship where rites are performed and individuals go to pay homage, sacrifice, and pray. In any culture wih household gods there will be house shrines, with the head of the house performing the role of priest.
A shrine may be a small affair, or a grand edifice approaching a temple in size. In some cases referring to something as a shrine instead of as a temple may be more a matter of tradition than anything else. One god might be worshipped there, or many.
BTW, D&D's treatment of evil gods is an artifact of the Christian view of evil. Other faiths tend to be less hard core about the matter. The one faith that has the same view as Christianity is Islam, and even together they do not represent the majority of people living today. In Hinduism a shrine is just as likely to have a representation of Kali as it is to have one of Brahma, and a god like Shiva has both positive and negative aspects.
In short, that town's main shrine may well have both Torm and Bane represented. With both being worshipped for the purpose of keeping brigands and thieves from one's home. The latter being, in effect, bribed in the hopes he'll lead burglars etc. to less observant households.
As to secret congregational religions. Aint gonna happen. People talk. People confide in their friends and in the long run the authorities are going to hear about it. Expecting the typical human to keep a secret is like expecting a cat to stay out of the kitchen at dinner time. So evil cults will be known about. What the authorities do about it depends on what the cultists do. They behave themselves and don't bother the neighbors, they'll be left alone. If they act like evil cultists in stories, the neighbors are apt to register a violent complaint with the cultists themselves.
Which leads us to the social dynamics of a society with limited mobility. When your family has lived at the same location for the generations it changes how you get along with the neighbors. Evil cults in the modern sense are really only possible in a society where people can, and are expected to, move on a frequent basis.
Adventure Seed: Rumors of an evil cult have surfaced in a large city. The authorities don't seem concerned about it, but the cult's neighbors are worried. The PCs are hired to investigate and determine if the cult is a danger to the community. Warning: Destroying the cult could be a violation of local law if the cult is not engaged in illegal activity. (And what is illegal in modern American society may not be illegal in a GM's imaginary town.)
(Bane: I introduced pot smoking and bacchanals as a way to keep them out of trouble. They get wasted and crash. Keeps them from raising caine and getting killed, and I get to keep more worshippers. You have a higher divine social standing when you have lots of worshippers.)
Under this scheme of things even a rich town of 2,000 won't have even a single temple. Unless it was the destination of major pilgrimages. It would have shrines instead. Smaller locations requiring less support. Shinto and Buddhist shrines in Japan are a good example of this. Very often community supported places of worship where rites are performed and individuals go to pay homage, sacrifice, and pray. In any culture wih household gods there will be house shrines, with the head of the house performing the role of priest.
A shrine may be a small affair, or a grand edifice approaching a temple in size. In some cases referring to something as a shrine instead of as a temple may be more a matter of tradition than anything else. One god might be worshipped there, or many.
BTW, D&D's treatment of evil gods is an artifact of the Christian view of evil. Other faiths tend to be less hard core about the matter. The one faith that has the same view as Christianity is Islam, and even together they do not represent the majority of people living today. In Hinduism a shrine is just as likely to have a representation of Kali as it is to have one of Brahma, and a god like Shiva has both positive and negative aspects.
In short, that town's main shrine may well have both Torm and Bane represented. With both being worshipped for the purpose of keeping brigands and thieves from one's home. The latter being, in effect, bribed in the hopes he'll lead burglars etc. to less observant households.
As to secret congregational religions. Aint gonna happen. People talk. People confide in their friends and in the long run the authorities are going to hear about it. Expecting the typical human to keep a secret is like expecting a cat to stay out of the kitchen at dinner time. So evil cults will be known about. What the authorities do about it depends on what the cultists do. They behave themselves and don't bother the neighbors, they'll be left alone. If they act like evil cultists in stories, the neighbors are apt to register a violent complaint with the cultists themselves.
Which leads us to the social dynamics of a society with limited mobility. When your family has lived at the same location for the generations it changes how you get along with the neighbors. Evil cults in the modern sense are really only possible in a society where people can, and are expected to, move on a frequent basis.
Adventure Seed: Rumors of an evil cult have surfaced in a large city. The authorities don't seem concerned about it, but the cult's neighbors are worried. The PCs are hired to investigate and determine if the cult is a danger to the community. Warning: Destroying the cult could be a violation of local law if the cult is not engaged in illegal activity. (And what is illegal in modern American society may not be illegal in a GM's imaginary town.)
(Bane: I introduced pot smoking and bacchanals as a way to keep them out of trouble. They get wasted and crash. Keeps them from raising caine and getting killed, and I get to keep more worshippers. You have a higher divine social standing when you have lots of worshippers.)
