Elf Religions

Elvish religion is split between two halves of one whole. Dominant themes of chaos and order play out in the world, each competing for control. To Elves, every living being picks a side in this battle, their actions impacting the spiritual battle and helping one side or the other to victory. Each faction of Elves prizes one quality over the other, with Sea Elves emphasizing order over the world and the Wood Elves revelling in the chaos of nature. These opposing outlooks are what led to the great schism that shattered their society in ancient days, casting out the Wood Elves into exile. Each half of the once united religion now believes the other to be its enemy; their gods diametrically opposed to the cause of the righteous. This battle continues to the modern day, the two sides refusing to give up ideological ground.

Religions

Wood Elves

Wood Elves are exceptionally devout in their worship. While the rest of their society is free and unstructured, their religious cults provide a firm sense of hierarchy and order to the world. The two deities among them are Oimoke and Fuchi, the respective mother and father of nature. Neither god holds dominion over the other, both working in harmony to provide guidance for their followers. Each clergy is made up of one gender, with men conducting rites for Fuchi and women for Oimoke. The gods hold little sway beyond the borders of the Kochi forest, existing only among individual Wood Elves and the small conclaves of their people abroad. The two cults are somewhat separated, with Fuchi’s centred around Fusan and Oimoke’s in Onume.

Fuchi

Known as the Hunter, Fuchi is the embodiment of man, day and life in the Wood Elf pantheon. Governing hunting, music, arts and warfare, he plays a prominent role in many Elf lives. He is depicted as a striding huntsman, typically seen a somewhat aloof and removed from society. This individualism is highly prized among his followers, who see self-reliance as one of his greater virtues. He is often accompanied by various forest animals, each representing certain qualities and demonstrating his various aspects and skills. Beyond the Kochi, he is seen as a guardian of the Elvish way of life, preserving the exclaves of Wood Elves everywhere. His clergy are men, stern and humourless survivalists who are avatars of the wilds. His symbol is a bow or stag.

Oimoke

Wood Elf goddess of death, magic and dreams. She is the avatar of women, representing femininity and the night alongside her other domains. She governs the fates of all life, writing their destiny in the stars upon their birth and guiding them towards it. Known as the Dreamer, she can influence her followers with visions, brought on with hallucinogenic herbs and draughts. She is usually depicted as a blindfolded elf woman, barefoot and wearing a shift. Her clergy are entirely female, emulating their goddess by moving barefoot through the forest. Men can serve her cult as dronelike bodyguards and attendants, giving themselves over entirely to the Night’s Queen. The cult of Oimoke is much more hierarchical and organized than Fuchi’s is, with a structure of priestesses and initiates. The highest ranks of these priestesses interpret the words and visions of their goddess, sending out their own members beyond the Kochi to accomplish enigmatic goals. Her symbol is a shooting star.

Sea Elves

Sea Elves are just as devout as their cousins in the west, with religion having been one of the main schisms between the two groups. Among the Elves in the east, worship centres around a single deity, Kunin, who shapes and controls all life. His role as chief of their limited pantheon serves to provide their society with even more structure, providing a rigid hierarchy among even the spiritual world. Kunin presides over a realm of spirits, representing everything from streams and trees to ancestors of the Elves today. These spirits are communed with and worshipped in temples and shrines across the region, each centred around Kunin as their chief. Here, followers undergo purification rituals and undertake religious festivals. Priests live in the temples, seeing to the spiritual needs of those who visit. The chief of these priests, the Genshu, is an important member of court to the Emperor of Elves.

Kunin

Kunin is the Sea Elf god of order, and their chief deity. His followers tend to be authoritative and proud, presenting the most notable aspects of Kunin’s personality. He is eager to assert his dominance over others, using either guile or force to do so. His kingdom among the spirit world is inhabited by all sorts of otherworldly beings, of which he is the strongest. He pushes his followers to constantly expand and improve themselves, guiding them in their business and political goals. Much of this is done at the expense of others, especially other cultures. He is depicted as a strong and noble elf, dressed in extravagant finery and wielding a sword. His symbol is a golden ship.

Naruka

Sea Elf god of storms, trickery and magic. He is considered an enemy of Kunin’s dominion, working against the order he brings by using chaos and underhanded means to upend it. His worship is common among criminals and other outcasts from Elf society, often adorning themselves with elaborate tattoos to show their allegiance. His storms are sent to disrupt Kunin’s trade with the west, isolating him in his own realm and limiting his control over the world. He is depicted either as a great sea serpent, or a shadowy and thin elf with a gnome-like appearance. His symbol is a jagged lightning bolt.

Religious Orders

The Waked

The Waked are the servants of Oimoke; her priests and clergy that conduct her rituals. All female, they are insular and enigmatic. Their affairs are conducted in shrouded secrecy, protected from outsiders and followed with a fervent devotion. The Waked are the active enactors of Oikome’s agenda, travelling beyond her sacred groves to complete their prophesied goals. They are surrounded and attended by male servants, each having undergone a ritual of subservience to the Dreamer. Living like zombies, these drones follow every order of the Waked, complete servants to the will of their goddess and her followers. Occasionally, the Waked will range beyond the Kochi forest into the human lands, or even beyond. These trusted clerics are invariably tasked with some important goal by the cult’s leadership, and take to their role with grave sincerity.