Law and Chaos in the Badlands — Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

This final part is somewhat superfluous as the religion of Lahr plays no direct role in the central conflict of the Badlands campaign. If a PC decides to be a Lahrist, however, they would find plenty here to motivate them to join the fight. I'm only including the information in this series to be a completist on the topic of the major human religions in my Remedios campaign.

The following section details the Order of Lahr—once the predominant human faith, now a shadow of its former glory.

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.

Law and Chaos in the Badlands — Part 2

In Part 1, I defined the central conflict in my Badlands campaign as a struggle between the forces of Law—represented by the Keep's residents, who are faithful followers of the sun-god, Solis—and the minions of Chaos—represented by the evil Cult of Khoss. This basic plot is lifted straight from the original module, B2 Keep on the Borderlands. The next few posts will detail both these religions, along with a third religion called the Order of Lahr, all of which comprise my world's major human faiths. I'll provide a little context first, but I don't intend to get into the weeds of my world's history (which isn't terribly original and consists mostly of sketched-out notes).

The Expeditioners Guild

"We are Expeditioners. We are the keepers of lore, and the agents of discovery. We are the light in the darkness, and the unblinking watchmen. We are the bulwark against an evil tide, and the vanguard which drives it back."

The Guild Member's Oath

"I am an Expeditioner. I vow to find and explore the lost corners of the world; to destroy monsters wherever they appear and raze their awful lairs; to defend those who appeal for my help; to conduct myself in a way that honors my guild; and to come at once whenever my guild calls upon me."