Sturgian Paganism
Religion in Sturgia is as varied as its people. The old gods are strong and alive, sharing a kingdom with Makerism brought by the Empire. Pagans largely do not care if their neighbour worships Lesha, Ylijumala or the Maker, but some Makerist fanatics are known for their intolerance and ambition of converting Sturgia; as such, it is not unfamiliar for blood to be shed. Sturgian and Urgu pagans show no sign of giving in, even as those who convert to the new, solitary Sun-God still tell stories from the old ways.
Sturgian Paganism
The Sun and the Moon created the Earth, and from their union was born the first God: Lesha. Then Mother-Lesha gave life to the first spirits to inhabit the world and spawn the trees and the animals. Humans are the only beings related to the spirits and thus capable of reason and emotion, and the greatest families claim ancestrality to the greatest gods. It is said people who have lived a good and moral life will pass into the afterlife as a benevolent spirit, while those who are cruel shall have their soul banished by Lesha, although a few survive and remain hidden as evil presences, becoming monsters (such as wights, vampires, werewolves, mares, strigas, riders of the Wild Hunt) or propagators of illnesses and disasters; however, not all tormented souls remain evil and some are passive, seclusive or even seeking redemption.
Supreme Goddess
- Lesha - daughter of the Sun and the Moon, Mother of the Earth, goddess of fertility, love and health
Greater Gods
- Nasibog - god of wisdom and judge of morals
- Mytibog - god of war, Nasibog’s son, oversees battles and decides the winner
- Duti - god of thunder, rain, wind and the seas
- Ogne - god of fire
- Peklobog - god of stone, ores and the subterranean
- Miod - brother of Winny, god of alcohol and merrymaking
- Strig - god of wealth and commerce
- Vidoic - god of the stars and navigation
- Walic - god of smiths and craftsmen
- Diath - divine worship of Diath, founder of the Empire
Greater Goddesses
- Senia - goddess of fate, determined at birth
- Rodowna - also known as Baba Yaga, goddess of death and transition to the afterlife
- Letibog - goddess of the soil and the harvest
- Zitibog - goddess of the hunt and wildlife
- Estowna - goddess of family and protector of the home
- Winny - sister of Miod, goddess of dancing and music
...and other lesser spirits, as every aspect of life is associated to one.
Urgu Paganism
The world was hatched from the egg of a swan. The Earth brought holy animals from the celestial world, such as bears, elks, swans and other waterfowl. Hunting these divine beings require great respect and ceremony to honor it. Spirits govern every aspect of life, from protecting the home to growing crops, and the human soul is composed of two spirits - Elama (Life) and Mina (Self) - when a person’s life ends, its Mina goes to the realm of the dead, Kuonkunta, ruled by the the Goddess of Life, Death and War, Kuonttalaa. There every soul lies in eternal slumber - good souls shall dream of pleasant things, while evil ones will either be numb forever or experience endless nightmares. Shamans are the highest temporal and clerical authority in an Urgu clan. They decide on everyday matters and the Shaman, with his disciples, communicate with the spirits of nature and voyage to Kuonkunta to ask the dead for advice.
Supreme God
- Ylijumala (bear-faced) - Father of All Men, Master of Nature, the Sky and the Rain.
Greater Gods
- Merar (swan-faced) - god of the sea and thunder, son of Ylijumala
- Maapräs (dog-faced) - god of the harvest and protector of plants, son of Ylijumala
- Visarinen - god of smiths and craftsmen
- Valkoinen (owl-faced) - god of fertility and the Moon
- Pellon (fox-faced) - trickster god of rituals, festivities and brewing
- Kuume (wolf-faced) - trickster god of wisdom and diseases, son of Pellon
Greater Goddesses
- Kounttalla (crow-faced) - goddess of life, death and war, wife of Ylijumala
- Keula (elk-faced) - goddess of the hunt and wildlife, daughter of Ylijumala
- Lemala - goddess of sacred places
- Tammerha - goddess of the forest
- Pilota (cat-faced) - trickster goddess of persuasion and tutelary of thieves, daughter of Tammerha
...and other lesser spirits, as every aspect of life is associated to one.
Written by Warwick & Wlodoviec