Brightshore

Most of the people in Brightshore worship a pantheon of four deities: Olteus, Ava, Menran, and Unre. This tradition is not native to this continent; the settlers brought these beliefs from their homelands.

The four deities maintain a distant relationship with the mortal world. The only “proof” of their existence are the spells bestowed upon their clerics, and even then there are conflicting theories as to precisely how and from where those powers are granted.

Domains. Olteus is the god of Water, Spring, Growth, and Fertility.

Appearance. Olteus is often depicted as a muscular humanoid with a beard made of hoarfrost and bearing a twisted, wavy staff.

Temples. Most temples and shrines to Olteus are centered around a bubbling font or clear pool. Rituals often involve submersion in or anointment with the blessed water from these sources. During the winter, priests of Olteus slowly build and maintain a large block of ice by layering the snowfall on the temple grounds. When winter gives way to spring, the priests melt this ice block to refill and renew the central font of the temple.

Rituals. Spring is the sacred season of Olteus. Temples and shrines are often decorated with the fresh flowers of spring, but only by replanting, as the destruction of a flower before it can come to seed is an insulting sacrifice to the god of fertility. The most important ritual of the year is held on the vernal equinox. The rainwater that falls between the Melting Day celebration and the equinox is collected in a special vessel, usually as tall as an adult human. The worshipers then make sacrifices of wealth, fabric, and oaths carved into wooden blocks in order to raise the water level and overflow the vessel. The water is then used to anoint the fields, while the sacrifices are thrown into the sea or nearest large body of water.

Domains. Ava is the goddess of Fire, Summer, Destruction, and Inspiration.

Appearance. Ava is typically depicted as an eye whose pupil and iris are replaced by the sun. While she is rarely depicted in a humanoid form, when she is, she is arrayed in the robes of a scholar, but bears the sword and shield of a soldier.

Temples. Temples and shrines dedicated to Ava are brightly lit with torches, braziers, and polished reflective surfaces. It is the job of many of the younger acolytes and clerics to tend these flames and ensure they never go out. Most have a large, glass skylight to allow direct sunlight to shine on the rituals and congregants.

Rituals. Summer is the holy season for Ava. As spring gives way to summer, her temples ring out with the sounds of metal work and the furious scratching of pens on parchment, as the first day of her holy season is considered the best time to begin new projects and research. The summer solstice is the holiest day of the year, and is celebrated with competitions of all sort: wrestling, weapon demonstrations, and debates. At the end of summer, devotees burn offerings to the goddess. Most common are meat, bread, and incense, but many scholars offer the first copy of their research they have accomplished during the year.

Domains. Menran is the god of Wind, Autumn, Chaos, and Luck.

Appearance. Menran is often depicted wearing a ragged, patchwork cloak and a resplendent scarf that shines with many colors. He is almost always depicted as being in motion.

Temples. Temples to Menran are more pavilions than buildings, and shrines are often little more than altars. Flags and streamers decorate almost anything dedicated to Menran. Bells, wind chimes, and aeolian harps are also common features, and music features heavily in many services and rites.

Rituals. With the changing colors and harvest time, Fall is the holy season for Menran. Followers of the god of wind often take trips they all call pilgrimages, but these are directionless wanderings. Welcoming travelers is considered a service to Menran any time of the year, but is an even more important duty during the fall. The equinox is celebrated with a festival known as Reaper's Day. It celebrates the harvest, but is also a time for pranks and friendly revenge. Additionally, any clergy of Menran dress in dark garb and carry a small sickle during this time and steal trinkets and sweets from the community. If anyone manages to catch these burgling reapers, they can collect all of the bounty that the reaper has stolen.

Domains. Unre is the Goddess of Earth, Winter, Law, and Endurance.

Appearance. Unre is typically depicted as a stern-looking woman with widespread arms and large shield. Despite her association with precious metals and jewels, depictions of this goddess usually have only one or two pieces of jewelry.

Temples. Temples to Unre are cavernous bunkers built underground. Often the first to be planned and the last to be finished, Unrenian temples are marvels of engineering, and incorporation of the natural stone and sediment of the location is a critical feature of any temple. Nearly all dedicated holy spaces include a records library, even if it's just a few log books for the smallest of shrines.

Rituals. Winter is the holy season of Unre. It is a solemn season of fasting and remembrance. The solstice is celebrated with a huge, communal feast in honor of all those who have died. Though Menran is considered the god of death, Unre is the keeper of the dead. As such, funerary rites are typically conducted by clerics of the earth goddess.