Religions
Religion in Kahara is quite varied and polytheistic. People believe in a variety of deities, nature spirits, and divine beasts from great and mighty to relatively tiny.
On Kingdoms of Kahara we understand many players may not have much cultural context to play a character in such an environment. With that in mind, we want to go over a few core tenets of religious practice in Kahara. The core tenets are listed directly below, while the rest of this page will go into more depth about these tenets and some of the more common beliefs in Kahara.
- Most people believe their religion.
- Oaths and Vows are not taken lightly. Oaths are viewed as literally calling upon a deity as a witness when one's word isn't good enough. Vows are a bargain with a deity.
- Performing rituals properly is considered more important than belief.
- Atheism, while not unheard of, is extremely rare and viewed with hostility across Kahara. More specifically, someone who actively refuses to partake in rituals is considered a danger to their communities, as requisite rituals are considered required for continued prosperity and safety.
- The concept of things like heaven and hell, or other similar ideas does not exist in Kahara, nor do the demons typically associated with such concepts.
Pillars of Religion in Kahara
People Believe Their Religion
Most people who practice a religion in Kahara believe in it. They believe they are invoking a deity in an oath, for example. Religion isn't just something for the common folk or those who don't know better, it's a critical part of public life too.
Oaths and Vows
Oaths and Vows are not something taken lightly.
An oath is invoking a deity as a witness to something one says, and pass judgement should such word be broken. When someone's word isn't good enough, an oath is something which can be used to grant it credibility.
Vows are, essentially, bargains with a deity. If the deity grants something, the one taking the vow does something in exchange. These can be quite specific and include a variety of conditions, disclaimers, and terms. Vows also invoke a punishment to be meted out should the terms not be met.
These are not taking lightly as asking a deity to act as witness or as the opposite party in a bargain has the potential to cause horrible consequences to someone, their family, and their community should there be a violation.
Correct Practice is More Important than Correct Belief
Deities do not care what someone believes or their intent, they care that the invocations and rituals are done correctly. Should someone perform a ritual or take an oath or make a vow with ill intent, the ritual itself includes a clause of punishment. As long as the terms of the ritual, oath, or vow are upheld, deities are uninterested in what someone thinks.
Atheism is Extremely Rare
While not unheard of, open atheism in Kahara is extremely rare. Someone who doesn't believe in the gods is viewed as someone who could bring their entire family, community, or even country into danger by refusing to conduct the proper rituals their beliefs require.
Beliefs Around Death and the Afterlife
In Kahara, there is a known cycle of death and rebirth. Ideas about the exact journey to achieve rebirth varies depending on the culture and religion it comes from, however due to the fact that a deific Syatzver, Belphegor, exists with dominion over the realm of death, the idea of life and death being a cycle is firmly rooted throughout the lands.
Religions in Kahara
Religious practice in Kahara varies widely. While belief in the gods is very common, the names of those gods, how to please them, and what a god has dominion over can vary by region or in less settled areas by town or even family.
This list isn't meant to be an all inclusive list to Kaharan religions, but feature some of the most prominent. In many cases players are encouraged to create interesting rituals their family, clan, or place of origin perform and how their deities of choice are viewed.
The Church of Aquilae
Aquilae is the deity of the Elves of Moriquende. The Elves view her as the only deity they are to revere, while still maintaining a healthy respect for the other Gods of the lands, meaning they are allowed to participate in the rituals of other regions if the need arises. She is typically depicted as a deity of warfare, however she is also viewed as a paragon of purity and one who purges evil: particularly the evil of Dragons. She is considered to be the eternal enemy of dragons, and her followers hunt them down with a technique and fervor unparalleled by any others on the continent.
The Syatzver of Pravelka
A commonly used word for the divine beasts that roam the continent of Kahara, the Syatzver of Pravelka are a specific set of divine creatures that traditionally appear in Pravelka, taking prominent places amongst the stories passed on through oral tradition, and safeguarded by the Druids of Pravelka, who act as the defacto religious leaders of their communities. These stories are accompanied with tales of the Volshetel, divine messengers attributed both to the Gods and the Syatzver, though no one has seen or heard of any for hundreds of years.
The Syatzver revered in Pravelka are:
Veselka, a gigantic albino snake said to have carved the rivers with her body.
Peryalna, a deer-like pegasus said to have gifted us the skies.
Ruchglá, a monstrously huge toad, whose bellowing croaks were said to move the earth to create mountains and shake the heavens to bring about snow.
Viltur, a large owl with a third eye whose wingspan can bring darkness to the sky. He is said to have brought knowledge and literature to the Pravelkans, teaching them to harness their magic. Has not been reported as seen in at least a couple of centuries.
Orkallion, a Kraken of unfathomable size, said to have created the seas and brought rains to the lands.
Lataë, a giant wolf with fur like emerald moss, save for his white underbelly. He is said to bring fertility to the land, and roams far and wide. Those wishing for a good harvest will leave offerings at small shrines scattered throughout Pravelka.
