5001-HârnWorld/3rd Edition/36

The motives of the gods vary. The kind of universe desired by Morgath, the Lord of Chaos, is different from that wanted by Peoni, the Lady of Truth and gentle patron of healing and agriculture. Their problem is that they cannot destroy each other without risking the destruction of them all. The Kethrian family of worlds, in which they seem to be trapped, is not great enough for all of them. Hence, the Concordat limits the actions that may be taken.

Conflict between the gods is now more or less confined to the mortal and semi-mortal planes of Kethira and Yashain. Siem has withdrawn to the Blessed Realm and Save-K’nor has established his neutrality. Peoni is effectively a non-combatant. Larani stands, essentially alone, against Morgath and Agrik. Although these two evil deities have not formed an alliance and are almost as likely to act against each other, it is their works that the Lady of Paladins most tries to undo. These divisions are not simply based on morality. The quasi-war between Larani and the dark pair is more complex than a simple epic. Agrik, and especially Morgath, represent a degree of chaos, a breaking down of order that would greatly change the worlds. The other gods will usually support Larani to prevent total chaos and enforce the Concordat, but their inclination is to care for their own concerns.

Yashain is the most active battlefield. There, armies of the dead fight border clashes between the kingdoms. From time to time, the forces of Sarajin, Halea, Naveh, and even Ilvir take part, but these gods tend to switch sides on short notice; their objective is to maintain a balance of terror conducive to their own activities. This situation has persisted since the Concordat.

All of the major gods have their mortal adherents and, over time, these followers have created religious institutions to regulate and foster their own variation of the truth. The Libram of the Pantheon explains that, in denying knowledge to every mortal,

“They [the gods] chose vessels fit to hold the shadows of their divinity, and men call these vessels priests, and their business religion, and their houses temples.”

The secular power and degree of central authority of the churches on Hârn varies with religion and locale. The churches of Larani and Peoni dominate in the kingdoms of Chybisa, Kaldor, Kanday, and Melderyn; Larani being favored by the feudal nobility, Peoni by the peasant masses. The church of Agrik is prominent in the Kingdom of Rethem. Adherents of Save-K’nor tend to be scholars with influence throughout Hârn, on Melderyn in particular. Sarajinism is the dominant faith of the Ivinian conquerors of Orbaal, while Ilvir holds some sway among their subject Jarin. Siem has few human worshipers and is also worshiped by the Khuzdul and Sindarin, although those two races tend to focus their faith through one of two semi-divine minions of Siem. Halea has modest support among merchants and guildsmen in all states but is most dominant in the Thardic Republic. The two “evil” churches (Morgath and Naveh) have many fewer adherents, both being austere religions that are proscribed and covert throughout most of Hârn.

Church Hierarchies
The organization of the churches of Hârn varies greatly, but there are some similar ranks and customs. All churches are divided into clergy and laity. The former are the priests and priestesses who organize and administer the temples and devote their lives to the service of the deity. Depending on the church, the clergy may have little time for their own pursuits, being totally at the call of their superiors whom they are expected to serve unquestioningly. The laity are simply the adherents of the religion. They will have access to fewer of the mysteries and will be unable to advance beyond a certain point. It should be noted that, although they are often simple folk, clerics will usually enjoy privileged status, even though the fragmentation of the churches resulting from pantheism greatly weakens their influence.

= =