Law and Chaos in the Badlands — Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2

The perpetual religious warfare between the Khossites and the Lahrists has been a primary driver of a string of human civilizations throughout history, but other faiths also came and went over the centuries. These "pagan" religions were mostly regional and much smaller in scope, and none of them ever approached the scale or relevance of the Khoss/Lahr dichotomy in human affairs.

This state of affairs existed until a little more than three centuries ago, when the establishment of the merchant empire of Meridia heralded the dawn of the Fifth Era. With it came a new polytheistic religion—an amalgam of popular pagan religions that emerged during the previous period of tumult. This new religion was devoted to a sun god called Solis and a pantheon of lesser gods representing other elemental and divine forces. Like the order of Lahr, the Solists were civilized and believed in an orderly society, but a radical philosophical divide separated the two religions. 

Whereas the tenets of Lahr centered on duty, self-sacrifice, and blind obeisance to lawful authority in order to further their goal of destroying Khoss, the Solis faith embraced a new view of good societal behavior. It introduced revolutionary ideas of earthly conduct—concepts such as "honor," "redemption," "chivalry," and "mercy"—and made them essential to truly defeating darkness and evil. These ideas seemed alien to devoted Lahrists, who rejected the new "cult of Solis" as heretical.

As the merchant empire expanded, however, its trade caravans and ships began to spread the word of Solis around the world, and the new religion was quickly adopted in lands conquered by the imperial legions. The faith appealed to so many because it was better suited to a more-agreeable world, in which prosperity and trade were the primary goals instead of constant, existential war. In a short period of time, the influence of the Lahr faith waned as the glory of Solis waxed.

The current "civilized world"—and particularly the land of Remedios, my primary campaign setting within it—is human-centric. Dwarves, elves, and other fantasy races live beyond the borders of human civilization and are uncommon visitors within human realms. Most non-human player-characters are foreigners to Remedios, and even unwelcome in certain places. Each race has its own spiritual faith and divinity, but those religions are largely inconsequential to (and unconcerned with) the greater world dominated by human beings.

The following section details the religion of the sun-god, Solis—the Lord of Light. Followers of Solis occupy Irongate Keep and represent the forces of goodness and Law that the cultists of Khoss want to drive out of the Badlands.

__________

The Solis faith is predominant throughout the empire of Meridia, the Freehold Kingdoms, and the land of Remedios. Temples to the sun-god are found across the known world, and many communities also build shrines to the faith’s pantheon of lesser gods, who are depicted as Solis’ heavenly family. Clerics and paladins of the faith worship all seven gods of the pantheon, but the order of Solis is supreme and only a member of a Solis order can become a high-priest. Religious orders dedicated to the other gods in the pantheon are not considered “lesser” in a negative sense; rather, those orders are recognized as attendant to the order of Solis.

Temples are found in larger towns and cities, and are always dedicated to Solis, with the other six divine aspects represented within. Such temples are dedicated structures on consecrated ground and maintained by the priests and officials of the faith who live there. These holy places can be relatively simple affairs or architectural wonders, such as the Grand Temple of Solis in the merchant capital.

Smaller shrines dedicated to an individual god or goddess of the faith are typically located in villages, in roadside shelters and caves, or in chapels within a larger structure like a keep or noble’s residence. Shrines are consecrated, but usually have no priests in attendance. Some shrines are quite large and elaborate, however, most often serving a specific religious function (e.g., library, tomb, vault, abbey, etc.) related to the god or goddess to whom it is dedicated.

THE SOLIS PANTHEON 

SOLIS – The Lord of Light
Spheres of Influence: sun / goodness / purity
Divine Domain: Light

Solis (SOLE-iss) is the patriarchal head of the pantheon, representing the purity of the sun’s illuminating rays which bathe the earth in light and dispel darkness from men's hearts. He is all-powerful, yet benevolent and generous to his faithful. To the wantonly sinful and unrepentant, he offers redemption or divine retribution. He is typically depicted as a golden-crowned king in golden robes, seated on a golden throne surrounded by the sun's nimbus. He has flowing white hair and beard, and holds a fiery scepter in his right hand. His sigil is a golden disc with seven rays, on a white or sky-blue background.

THERA – Goddess of the Earth
Spheres of Influence: elemental earth / nature / home and hearth / maternity
Divine Domain: Nature

Thera (THAIR-uh) is Solis' wife. She is the womb from which men sprung forth. She represents the nurturing aspect of nature, but also its violent and destructive aspects when riled. She is most often depicted as a stoic matron in simple robes, with a coronet of holly adorning her brow. She is also the goddess of autumn and the harvest, particularly in her earlier, paganistic aspects. In some images, she holds a child at her breast and/or brandishes a reaping sickle. Her sigil is a seedling, with its leaf above and roots below a horizontal line indicating the border between earth and sky. Seen another way, the sigil depicts a woman's form, with her head and arms culminating in the "chalice of the womb." 

FLAMMA – God of Fire
Spheres of Influence: elemental fire / war / diplomacy / change (negative)
Divine Domain: War

The eldest son of Solis and Thera, Flamma (FLAM-uh) represents both the constructive and destructive properties of fire, as well as the fiery passions which often lead humans toward conflict. He is depicted as a black bearded knight in red armor, wielding a flaming greatsword and surrounded by a cloud of black smoke. He is often portrayed as an advocate of action and an instigator of turmoil, but is also frequently credited with peace-making—usually after a terrible but unavoidable conflict. In images, he is often seen devouring his enemies and trailing a curtain of fire behind him, from which fertile fields and forests begin to bloom. He is also the god of summer and the patron of tournament season. His sigil is a flaming red greatsword, on a field of soot-grey or black.

LUVIA – Goddess of Water
Spheres of Influence: elemental water / sea / purity
Divine Domain: Life

The daughter of Solis and Thera, and sister to Flamma and Zefir, Luvia (LOO-vee-uh) represents the life-sustaining nature of water, as well as the risk and reward of a life on the rivers, lakes, and seas. She is depicted as a chaste maiden with alabaster skin and long, flowing white hair. She wears shimmering robes of aquamarine and coral, and is most often depicted either cradling a plump fish in one slender arm, or pouring water from a tall ewer. She is the matron of sailors and also the goddess of winter (in the northern latitudes, she is called the Frost-queen). Luvia is portrayed as pure and generous, but sometimes moody and temperamental. She gives, but she often takes, and she can be coldly indifferent to men's fates. She speaks to sailors, however, and they know how to read her moods and take heed. Those who don't are soon drawn beneath the waves and escorted by the goddess to meet her uncle, Mortis. Her sigil consists of three wavy white lines stacked on a field of blue.

ZEFIR – God of Air
Spheres of Influence: elemental air / luck / storm / change (positive)
Divine Domain: Tempest

The younger son of Solis and Thera, Zefir (ZEPH-eer) represents the ephemeral winds of fortune and the dynamic personalities of weather. He is depicted as a nimble, wingéd deva with curly golden hair and beard. He wears a flowing white and grey tunic, and wields a slender bow from which he shoots arrows of lightning, rain, and wind. He is the god of springtime, when warmer winds blow away the chill of winter and signal the planting season. Many merchants hold him as their patron because they believe he brings good fortune in business as well as safe, speedy travel along the roads that crisscross the dangerous land. His sigil is a golden, winged lightning bolt on a field of stormcloud grey.

ARS – God of Lore
Spheres of Influence: art / craftsmanship / lore / wisdom
Divine Domain: Knowledge

Solis' brother, Ars (AHRZ), represents mankind's desire to learn and master the world's secrets, and to achieve the light of personal "illumination" through the gathering of knowledge and wisdom. He is depicted as an elderly philosopher in scholarly robes, holding a lit lamplighter's pole. He is typically reading a book or scroll, or otherwise immersed in deep thought. Various tools of artifice are sometimes seen tucked into his belt. He is the patron of scholars, librarians, scientists, alchemists, clerks, scribes, and cartographers. His sigil is a scroll with a broken seal.

MORTIS – God of the Dead
Spheres of Influence: death and dying
Divine Domain: Grave

Mortis (MORE-tiss) is Thera's father. He serves as the spiritual guide for the dead, shepherding the newly-deceased into their heavenly afterlife beyond the grave. He is depicted as a pale, sad-eyed man wearing deep white robes and cowl. He is emaciated, his skin is almost mummified, and he has dark circles under his hollow eyes. His visage is calm, however, almost reassuring. A simple silver circlet rests on his bald head, and he wears silver rings on each slender finger and thumb of both hands. He typically carries a thick staff of blackened wood. He is the patron of physicians and undertakers. His sigil is a silver circle, representing the unbroken cycle of life and death.

PART 4: The Order of Lahr