Return to Therra Religion Page
Introduction:
The purpose of these write-ups is to provide a more detailed look into the various religions of Therra. While the writeups of the Gods of Therra provide enough nuts and bolts information to actually play a priest of a god, these writeups go a bit farther, detailing the history of the god, how to become a priest, the duties requires, and the various sects of the religon. These writeups are by no means exhaustive. The religions vary from nation to nation and from region to region within a given nation. What is intended is to provide a starting point from which detailed writeups of a specific church can be made.
Devotees:
Devotees represent devoted non-clerical worshippers of a deity. These are not casual worshippers, and as such player characters should not take devotee status lightly. Devotees can be viewed as the orthodoxy of the lay membership. They can include all classes that are compatible with the domains of the god. All devotees are subject, over time, to some very minor benefits related to their god. For example, devotees of Aghorrit can have Bless spells double in effectiveness a small percentage of the time. One cannot be a devotee of more than a single god. However, there is no real restriction on changing one's devotion from one god to another, save that almost all devotee benefits require years of devotion to that god.
Sects:
Most churches have sects based around the domains of the god. Each sect is almost a minor religion within the religion, and sects often are at odds with other sects in the same religion, though rarely hostile. When a cleric becomes 1st level, he basically chooses two sects in which he specializes. He is not necessarily a formal member of those sects (though he usually is), but he certainly feels an affinity to that portion of the religion. When a cleric reaches 8th level he may choose a 3rd domain. This represents his growing mastery of the nature of the deity in various of its aspects, and in a sense he internalizes the principles of another sect into his soul. This does not mean he joins the other sect, but he certainly better understands its place in the religion as a whole, and with understanding comes mastery.
Upon reaching 12th level, a priest knows four of the domains of the religion. At 16th level he knows five domains. Finally, at 20th level he knows all six domains of the religion. He has become fully inculcated into the nature of his god and can master all aspects of his power.
For some religions, certain sects are much less widespread than others. In some cases these sects are mystery cults or aspects of the deity that are usually quiescent, only called forth in times of need. For example, Ularinn, the god of the Sun, is a benevolent god. However, as He Who Watches Over All, he also has Tyranny as his domain. There is indeed a sect of the religion that espouses tyranny, and many evil priests of the god embrace that domain. If a goodly priest of Ularinn were to become 20th level and gain the Tyranny domain, that does not mean he suddenly has to become a tyrant. Rather, he understands that lordship, even hard lordship, is sometimes necessary and he is likely only to use or call upon the powers of that domain during times of crisis (for example, if the populace were to revolt and riot).
Prestige Classes:
Some of these writeups suggest prestige classes tied to them. This is indeed true. However, the simple facts that there are so many prestige classes, there are so many added to the game, and they are really a matter of personal DM preference, requires that no specific list of prestige classes attached to a religion be presented. In all cases, logic should apply. the prestige class of Warpriest is certainly available to clerics of Aghorrit. Goldeyes are available to clerics of Indolle. In some cases, such classes are only available to clerics of a specific god in certain regions of Therra.
The Writeups: