Religions

 

Over 99% of the population of Tear hold to one of seven major religious traditions. Many of these traditions have multiple major religious organizations (churches) that codify the beliefs of their followers and provide a formalized religious structure and hierarchy. Within each of these churches there are typically many branches and sects, and most have several cults that at least consider themselves to a part of the larger tradition even if they are not recognized.

The remaining 1% of the population have beliefs that do not fit into any of the major traditions - these include Infernal worshippers, atheists, agnostics, and radical cultists whose beliefs are so far outlying that they cannot even be properly considered heretical by any of the major religious traditions.

Ancient Gnomic Traditions

These are the lost religious traditions of the Ancient Gnomes from the Forsaken Age. No one legitimately practices these religions on Tear, and they are solely a matter of academic study.

Azanist Traditions

Azanist Traditions hold Azane to be the principle, or sometimes the sole, Creator God. Adherents to these religions are concentrated on the side of Tear where Vehira is not visible in the sky; Golanicja, Marcosta and Obersch.

Eotowhanist Traditions

Eotowanism is entirely distinct from the Azanist, Vehirist, Unionist and Sublimist Traditions, and is almost exclusively practiced by spriggan in the small villages and nomadic tribes central Kashdush.

Khar-Gaos

The Khar-Gaos tradition does not have any structured churches. It is wrongfully sometimes called the religion of the orcs, as it arose during the Orcish Conquests, however it would more properly be considered the religion of certain raiding bands and tribes - often largely comprised of orcs, but also of many other species. It also seems to be practiced by many goblin and tucker clans. Khar-Gaos seems to be an an offshoot of the Azanist Tradition, possibly mixed mixed with certain Ancient Gnomic beliefs. Khar-Gaos religions are principally practiced among goblin and tucker tribes in the Iron Ridge Mountains of Golanicja, and by many barbarian tribes in the Odeshi Wastes, though practioners can be found in scattered nomadic groups everywhere on Tear.

Qenepol-luist Traditions

The Qenepol-luist religions (or religion) is exclusively practiced by Merfolk. It is entirely unrelated to the other major religious traditions.

Sublimist Traditions

The Sublimist Religious Tradition is a new religious tradition as of the middle to late Fourth Epoch. It is a monotheistic religion derived from the Azanist, Vehirist, and Unionist traditions, with some reconstructed Ancient Gnomic belief and some Khar-Gaos mixed in. As of the middle to late Fourth Epoch, almost all Sublimists were concentrated to the regions of eastern central Golanicja, and northwestern Tulosz, surrounding the Sea of Azane, the Bay of Bones and the Bay of Briunida.

Unionist Traditions

Unionist Traditions hold Vehira and Azane to be equal partners in Creation, and their children, the Siblings (and the Versai) to be largely familial hierarchy of deities. Religions of the Unionist Tradition are the most widely represented across Tear - almost to the extent that some orthodox Unionists the major Azanist and Vehirist religions to be merely sects of Unionism, though this is both offensive and historically inaccurate. Unionist religions are widely spread globally, and particularly concentrated in Jumira, Tulosz, Senecia and Kashdush.

Vehirist Traditions

Religions of the Vehirist Tradition hold Vehira to be the principle Creator Goddess. They generally recognize Azane to be a consort, and the Siblings to be her Children. Vehirists tend to be concentrated on the side of Tear where Vehira is always visible in the sky, particularly in western Ayodesh, Sekhu and Waeyron as well as in the developed areas Inik.