Religion in the Continuing Game

Introduction

The Continuing Game's religion is polytheistic, like that of ancient Greece or Rome. There are a number of gods, each with different "territory" and personality.

As a player, you don't have to know the whole pantheon. Many people in the Continuing Game may choose a patron deity and focus their worship on that one god or goddess. On the other hand, some folks choose not to worship one particular patron. And anyone may venerate a particular god for a particular need—for instance, the lovelorn will often turn to Alia, the goddess of love, regardless of who they usually favor in their worship.

However, characters who have the Cleric skill do need to choose a patron deity. Since these characters derive their powers from a connection with the divine, they should work out which deity they follow. These people are usually clergy, or at least people with an especially strong devotion to their patron god. In addition, anyone playing a member of the clergy must take Cleric Initiation, regardless of whether they take Cleric Magic. (Clerics may also wish to take the deity's "kit"; see below.)

While the world is polytheistic, the religious organizations of each god are closer to medieval Europe than classical Greece. The larger churches may have an organized medieval structure, with bishops, abbots, and hierarchy, and their clergy may go by "Father," "Mother," "Brother," "Sister," and so on. Less popular gods, and smaller sects of any deity, may have less organized congregations.

Polytheism

Since people in the CG are polytheistic, they don't deny the existence of other gods. This is true even if the person has a patron god. Polytheists might encourage others to worship at their temple and to make donations or sacrifices to their patron god, but they don't deny the existence or legitimacy of other gods.

Following a different god is not "heresy"; heresy is a belief conflicting with existing doctrine. To claim that Kahla-Ran, goddess of murder, is actually goddess of daisies and bunnies—that's heresy. Heresy against a hated god like Kahla-Ran might earn ridicule, while heresy against a beloved god could earn any number of punishments or persecution.

Remember that one can believe a god exists without wanting the god (or the god's followers) around. Temples of Kahla-Ran do not sit out in public, lest they be burned or otherwise attacked. For the same reasons, it's unwise to declare oneself a follower of Kahla-Ran. On the other hand, most folks would be happy to have a temple of Majenir, peaceful goddess of healing, around the corner!

Polytheism lends a certain amount of flexibility. Unknown gods are usually accepted as legitimate rather than dismissed as superstition or falsehood. In many cases, a "new" god will be deemed a new interpretation or a different name for a known god.

Priest/Priestess Guidelines

After the description of each god is a section to give priests/priestesses an idea of what that god's worship is like: typical gender of priests, whether vows (chastity, poverty) are common, common spells, etc. This is not binding, as different sects, temples, etc., will have different forms of worship. (Compare the difference between a middle-class Methodist minister living in the suburbs with a husband and two kids and a robed Dominican with his vows of poverty, chastity, and silence.) Also, if an entry says "No regular vows," that doesn't mean you can't take a vow—just that one is not commonly required. And you don't have to have Cleric Magic to be a "priest" (though you do have to have Cleric Initiation).

You don't have to choose any of these gods and you are free to make up your own. However, we encourage you to pick from these. They cover most of the major "portfolios," and any new gods would likely be redundant. Also, choosing a listed god opens you up to lots of potential allies: fellow worshippers!

The Collegium

(More information on the Collegium is available on the Collegium page.)

The Collegium, formally "the Holy Collegium of Churches," is the organizational body of the various major churches and religious orders of Hesket, a "United Nations of churches." It anoints nobles, judges and sheriffs, tries to arrange for every village to have at least one priest/priestess serving it, coordinates between churches to minimize the overlapping of holidays, and also judges heresies (but given the nature of Hesketine worship these occur a lot less often than they did in Europe). At times it has also acted as a form of international court between countries who are willing to agree to arbitration rather than go to war.

The facilitator and spokesperson for the Collegium is a figure called the "Presider." The Presider, always a Nennite Collegiate, is elected by the Collegium for a five-year term, but it is rare for a Presider to not be continually reelected until death or infirmity. The current Presider is the Cadfainn abbess Mother Elaine of Ornach.

The authority of the Collegium is not recognized in Southern Hesket; this is the primary religious difference between the North and South. The Kiljuk Empire has its own Imperial religious authority, while the Marakhs have no central authority, relying on the pronouncements of local religious leaders.

Symbol

The "cosmogram"—a circle bisected by a horizontal line.

Death

At death, the spirit wanders about the body for a brief while, during which a Restore Life spell can reattach the spirit to the body. After that, the spirit passes to the gate of Tralados, who prevents the living from passing through. Once through the gate, the spirit is judged before Nen. Those of good nature (or at least repentant) pass directly to the heavens; those guilty of spiritual crimes (hatred, murder, theft) are sentenced to the hells for an amount of time proportional to their crimes. When the time has passed and they are repentant, Nen releases them and they pass to the heavens. Only the foulest are sentenced to eternity in the hells. As Nen is ultimately just, prayers are not believed to greatly affect Its judgment nor reduce a soul's time in the hells.

Kahla-Ran is especially hated for being able to circumvent Nen and carry a soul directly to the hells. However, belief holds that once Nen discovers the trick (such as through prayers by friends of the captured soul), the soul is restored to its proper place.

Other Races

The descriptions listed herein describe human images and worship; the other races may have their own religious practices. Mahiri, for example, call upon spirits, nature, or natural objects instead. Dwarves, too, have their own interpretations of the pantheon. (See the detailed information on mahiri and dwarves at www.quest.org/cg/playerpackets.shtml for more information.)