Page last updated: May 31, 2002 by James Chokey
Please note: This document contains many citations that are taken from various Hârnworld publications by Columbia Games. The sources of these quotations are always placed in brackets and indicated by article name and article page number on which they appear.
Beliefs of the Earthmasters
Little is known of Hârn's first inhabitants. Ruins and artifacts offer few clues about their religion. The various humanoid and zoomorphic creatures depicted in surviving Earthmaster murals and carvings may, as some scholars have suggested, represent the gods of this ancient civilization. Then again, these figures may represent the Earthmasters themselves. If these carvings are indeed gods, it appears that the Earthmasters revered a quite different set of deities than those known to present-day Hârnians.
Beliefs about the Earthmasters
Several modern scholars have suggested that the Earthmasters may themselves have been divine. Osakaion of Berema, an Elmerene Pvarist from the first century BT, contended that the Ancients were either demigods or a race of mortals who later became gods. Kiribin the Pious, a 2nd century theologian from Elkall-Anuz (and inventor of the term 'godstone'), similarly theorized that the Earthmasters were 'children of the gods' [Earthmasters 4].While the ideas of Osakaion and Kiribin still enjoy popularity with students of arcane lore, there has never been a cult of Earthmaster-worship. A few of Hârn's tribal nations treat individual sites of the Ancients as sacred ground, but this has little, if anything, to do with the ideas of the aforementioned scholars.
Ilvir and the Ivashu
Many scholars believe that the deity Ilvir arrived at Araka-Kalai and began spawning Ivashu during the Lost Years. His presence would certainly do much to explain the tales of 'fell beasts' during this era, although devout Ilvirans are generally scornful of scholarly attempts to date the divine arrival. In any case, the fact that some Ivashu worship Ilvir and that their presence in Hârn seems to predate the arrival of the Sindarin means that Ilviranism may well be the oldest religion on the island.
Other Species
The Yelgri and the Ilme may also have arrived on Hârn during the Lost Years. It is doubtful that the Yelgri have ever possessed anything that can truly be called a religion, but the five-deity pantheon of the Ilme is extremely ancient and may date from this epoch.
Demons, Demigods, and the Like
Many of the strange semi-divine beings inhabiting Hârn, Ivinia, and elsewhere (e.g. Noron, the Riddlemaster of Anrist Point, Uvien of Barsothe Falls, Taaki of Lake Otenwa in Ivinia) may also have arrived during the Lost Years. These entities, being partly divine themselves, do not seem to have practiced a religion. Many of them, however, were later incorporated into human religions. The Pradeyarelki, for instance, play an central role in Sarajinian mythology, while the secret rituals which the Taelda conduct at Barsothe Falls seem to involve Uvien in some way.
The Divine Presence
The Sindarin host rested on Hârn for three milennia, with Siem personally present among them. Few Sindarin recall the divine presence with clarity, but surviving songs from this era present Siem as a loving and benevolent teacher who taught his adoptive children to appreciate the natural beauty of the world and to understand their place in the Cosmic All.Intriguingly, Hârn seems to have been the physical home to both Siem and Ilvir from 10,000 BT to 7,000 BT. The fact that the island was home to two major deities for a full three milennia is remarkable in itself, though many find it curious that early Sindarin poetry makes almost no mention of the Ilvir or his creations.
Siem's Departure
Siem departed Hârn for the Blessed Realm around 7,000 BT, taking the greater part of the Sindarin host with him. A few Elves, having grown attached to the natural beauty of Hârn's landscape, chose to remain behind. Siem gave these 'Lingering Ones' his blessing and promised that the way to the Undying Lands would remain open to them.Sindarin spirituality does not seem to have changed with Siem's departure. Elvish 'religion' remained what it had been before: an individual, mystical act of communion with nature and Kelestia. It may well be, however, that the Sindarin's special relationship with the demigod Sweldre was established at the time of the divine departure.
Few believe that the timing of the Khuzan arrival (i.e. immediately after Siem's departure) was due to chance. Most scholars believe that Siem intended the Dwarves to be companions for the Elves who remained behind. The Sindarin and the Khuzdul immediately befriended each other and jointly shared dominion over the island. The period from c. 6900 BT to the arrival to the first humans on the island is thus called 'the Codominion'.
The Khuzdul and Siem
The Khuzdul, like the Sindarin, revered Siem from the earliest times, viewing him more as a 'teacher' to be learned from than as a powerful entity with whom one needed to cultivate a personal relationship. At the same time, however, the Khuzdul seem to have approached spirituality from a somewhat different perspective. The Dwarves do not seem as given as the elves to meditation or drawn towards Taur-im-Aina, for instance. For the Khuzdul, spirituality has always been more bound up in the fabrication of beautiful objects than in celebration or contemplation.
The Khuzdul and Sereniel
Sereniel, the Judge of Stones, appears to have been known to both the Sindarin and the Khuzdul from the time the two races first met (c. 6900 BT), although the Khuzdul are not known to have ever shown particular attention to this demigod who speaks for them at Siem's divine court.
Pre-Hârnic Jarin Religion
'Evidence suggests that before the Jarin migrated to Hârn, they had a unique and varied religious mythos' [Jarin 3]. Vestiges of this older mythology can still be found in Jarin folktales and in the beliefs of several tribal nations of Jarin descent, most notably the Taelda, the Ymodi, the Yarili, and the Alts. Local divinities, animal and plant spirits, and celestial gods planet deities seem to have played an important part in this mythology. (Note: A list of pre-Hârnic Jarin gods is available on the Other Religions page of HRT).
Pre-Hârnic Reverence of Ilvir
The pre-Hârnic Jarin also appear to have revered a deity known as 'the Great Father Creator'. Some scholars of Jarin lore equate this 'Father Creator' with Ilvir, claiming that the Jarin revered the Brooder before their arrival on Hârn [Araka-Kalai 2] . Indeed, some Ilvirans maintain that the Jarin initially came to Hârn so that they might be closer to the divine presence of this Father-Creator. A few have even gone so far as to suggest that the Jarin had been summoned by Ilvir to be his 'chosen people' among men.
Post-Migration Ilviranism
Physical evidence and surviving texts indicate that many Jarin worshipped Ilvir from the moment of their arrival on the island. Around 1250 BT, a temple to the deity was established on a small coastal island off of Bindra point (just north of present-day Arone) by a figure named Oranoam, who appears to have been a leader or prophet among the Jarin. Until its destruction at the hands of Ivinian raiders in 658 TR (see below), Oranoam's Temple was one of the oldest human structures on the Hârnic isles, rivalled only by the megaliths of Melderyn's Henge Culture [Ilvir 2, Araka-Kalai 2].Oranoam's temple spawned numerous smaller shrines and mendicant clerical 'orders,' although these maintained only the loosest of connections to the 'mother temple'. There is evidence of a Jarin presence near Araka-Kalai, Ilvir's home, as early as 1100 BT [Ilvir 2].
Though Ilviranism eventually became the dominant religion of the Jarin, it did not entirely supplant older beliefs. Many older traditions were subtly incorporated into Ilviran belief or carried on in popular folktales . A few of the more nomadic Jarin kept aspects of the old mytyhology alive, where it lives on even today among the Ymodi, the Taelda, and other of Hârn's 'barbarian' peoples.
The Jarin and Siem
Contact with the Elder Peoples offered yet another influence on Jarin religion. Awed by the achievements of the Sindarin and the Khuzdul, a number of Jarin wise men went to live among the Elder Races. Over the years, many of these sages began to revere Siem-- sometimes in addition to Ilvir, sometimes instead of him. When these men returned to their Jarin communities, they brought their 'new', highly mystical religion with them.Although the Jarin did not convert to the worship of the Eldest of Gods in large numbers, Siemian ideas appear to have nonetheless exerted a profound and lasting influence on Jarin spirituality. The strong mystical bent in Ilviranism may, in fact, be a product of the exposure to the religion of the Elder Peoples. (In some Jarin communities, Ilvir and Siem even seem to have been identified with each other, as dual aspects of the same god-- something which would have greatly perplexed the Sindarin and Khuzdul). The worship of Siem has maintained a small, yet noteworthy presence among Hârn's Jarin to this day.
Daelda's sucessor, Aranath, having decided that it was futile to oppose 'that which can no longer be stopped', abdicated his rule over the island and withdrew the Sindarin to the Shava Forest. The Jarin, assisted by the Khuzdul, continued to resist the invaders for a few decades, but their efforts were in vain. By 500 BT, the Atani had overrun most of southern Hârn, the Khuzdul had retreated to their mountainous city-kingdoms, and those Jarin who had not fled to the northern regions of the island were assimilated. The civilizing influence of the Elder Races removed, the humans of Hârn then fell into a six-century long 'Dark Age' that only came to an end around the beginning of the second century TR.
Pre-Hârnic Pharic Mythology
Little is known about the religion(s) that the Atani conquerors brought with them into Hârn. Some scholars believe that the early Pharic peoples possessed a totemic religion involving animal spirits and local gods, similar to that of the pre-Hârnic Jarin. Others have sugested that the Atani may have revered the Pradeyarelki, who now form part of Sarajinian mythology. The Melderyni sage Valisha of Merak has proposed the somewhat fanciful idea that early Pharic religion was clustered around a central 'family' of three deities: an earth goddess (Peoni), a war goddess (Larani), and an underworld god (Agrik). The fact of the matter, however, is that all of these theories are based on little more than speculation. A few of them, most notably Valisha's, openly contradict established church histories.
The Atani in Hârn
Whatever religion they brought with them to to Hârn, the Atani probably retained it for quite some time. They seem to have had little interest in the religions of the Jarin or the Elder Peoples. After the post-conquest assimilation of the Jarin, they undoubtedly acquired some familiarity with Ilvir, and perhaps even with Siem, but there is no evidence either of these two deities held particular appeal for the newcomers or their mixed-blood descendants.
Missionaries from Lythian Churches
One consequence of the Atani Wars is that Hârn, so long kept in isolation by the Elder Races, was opened up to missionaries and priests from continental Lythia. The first 'holy bands' of wandering Agrikans probably arrived on the island sometime during the 9th or 8th century BT. Taurin Halfhand, one of the original 'Fifteen Prophets' of Naveh, is alleged to have come to Hârn in the early 7th century BT-- and there is even evidence that he was present the Battle of Sorrows [Naveh 2]. Peonian missionaries are believed to have made their first arrival on the island sometime during the late 5th century BT, the Laranians in the 3rd or 2nd century BT, and the Morgathians a century so thereafter. A few priests of Save-K'nor are also believed to have visited the island during these years.Of all these missionaries, the Peonians seem to have met with the greatest success in gaining followers. This may have been due to the fact that the 'missionaries' of the other churches were not particularly interested in converting large masses of the population, but it may also have been due to the Peonians' willingness to share knowledge of agricultural techniques. Evidence suggests that the superior farming knowledge brought by the Peonians helped to bring Hârn out of its 'Dark Age' towards the end of the first century TR.
Tribal Religions and 'Civilized Hârnians' in the Dark Age
Although many of Hârn's tribal nations still possess mythologies whose components can be traced back to the pre-Hârnic religions of both the Jarin and the Atani, most of them underwent major changes following the Atani Conquest. As the various tribes established homes in Hârn, new totemic spirits and local divinities came to be revered while older mythologies were reworked. A few tribal nations (e.g. the Kubora, Urdu, and Equani of northwest Hârn; the Mendar of Anisha) seem to have developed wholly new religious traditions in response to the teachings of an influential prophet or leader.Encounters with Lythian missionaries may also have been a factor in reshaping some tribal beliefs, although it should be noted that those tribal nations that embraced Lythian religious traditions during this early period (e.g. the Lakori in the east, the Corani and Aleti in the west) would be among the first tribes to develop permanent settlements, establish petty kingdoms, and see themselves as Hârnians, without a distinctly Jarin, Atani, or tribal identity.
The Henge Culture (c. 2700 BT to c.1100 BT)
Neither of the Elder Races appear to have ever settled on Melderyn or the nearby islands. It is unclear when the first humans came to the Melderyni isles or where they came from, but by around 2700 BT, the so-called 'Henge Culture' was thriving there and in Elmerene. Almost nothing is known about this civilization. Old Sindarin and Jarin tales allude vaguely to 'the people of the weirding stones', and a few scholars believe there are connections between them and the Molkuran 'Ziggurat Culture' but more concrete information is absent.The religion of the Henge Culture remains a particular mystery. Some students of ancient lore believe that their henges and menhirs were temples. Other arcanists, noting that the areas once inhabited by the Henge Culture (i.e. Melderyn and Emelrene) are now home to a large number of Shek-Pvar chantries, have suggested that Henge Culture religion may have been a mystical version of Pvarism. One scholar, Ilyn of Brukes, has even suggested that the Henge Culture revered a six-deity pantheon: a god of earth and nature, a god of metal and craft, a god of fire, a god of light and air, a god of wisdom, and a god of water and darkness. Modern Pvaric convocations, Ilyn suggested, are the descendants of Henge Culture religion. Most scholars, however, regard this theory as idle fancy.
Jarin and Atani Settlement (c. 1100 BT to c. 500 BT)
When the Jarin came to Hârn c. 1300 BT, they seem to have initially avoided Melderyn. The earliest Jarin settlements on the island are believed to date no earlier than 1100 BT. Most scholars believe that there was substantial contact between the older Henge People and the Jarin newcomers, but it is possible that the Jarin conquered and exterminated the isles' previous inhabitants or that the Henge Culture had itself died out by the time the Jarin arrived.The Jarin, most of whom emigrated from mainland Hârn, probably brought a mixture of pre-Hârnic mythology, Ilviran worship, and Siemian beliefs with them to Melderyn. Whether Henge Culture religion influenced their beliefs afterwards is unknown.
When the Atani began their migrations to Hârn a few centuries later, they also initially avoided Melderyn. When the Atani did come to the island, they seem to have done so peacefully (at least in comparison with the terrible wars on mainland Hârn) and to have been quietly assimilated into the existing order.
Those Atani who settled in Melderyn are believed to have brought their own pre-Hârnic Pharic mythology with them, but it is likely that these older beliefs were either replaced by or integrated into the religion of the island's Jarin inhabitants.
The Eldritch Period (c. 500 BT to c. 250 BT)
Melderyn did not fall into the same post-invasion 'Dark Age' as mainland Hârn. On the contrary, the four centuries following the Pharic invasion of Hârn constitute the island's legendary 'Eldritch Period', an era of great intellectual, cultural, and magical accomplishment. During this epoch, the Melderyi Isles appear to have been ruled by various secret societies of wizards, philosophers, and scholars.Many of the basic metaphysical beliefs held by contemporary Hârnians were developed during this era. The manifold nature of Kelestia, the existence of the Kethiran 'family' of worlds, the distinction between 'First Gods' and 'Lesser Gods', the existence of the Tomes of the Green Tower, and the transmigration of human souls to Yashain were all 'discovered' by Melderyni scholars during the Eldritch Period. There is some reason to believe that these 'discoveries' were due as much to exposure to religious ideas from the continent as to native originality.
Melderyn, like mainland Hârn, was undoubtedly visited by missionaries of the same Lythian churches who went to mainland Hârn following the Atani Wars. The degree to which these 'imports' actually took root during the Eldritch Period is difficult to determine, but later developments suggest that missionaries of Larani, Peoni, and Save-K'nor met with the greatest success on the Melderyni Isles.
The Five Kingdoms Era (c. 250 BT to 1 TR)
Melderyn's Eldritch Period seems to have come to an end some time during the 3rd century BT, when rule over the isles gradually (?) passed from the magical secret societies to five small kingdoms. These Five Kingdoms resembled the various 'petty kingdoms' that were being established on mainland Hârn during the 1st c. TR, but they also seem to have possessed qualities more typical of the 'modern' Hârnic feudal kingdom. Some scholars have suggested that the development of feudalism during the Five Kingdoms period is linked to the growth of the Laranian church on the island.There is clear evidence of the institutionalized worship of Larani, Peoni, and Save-K'nor during this era. At least one temple to each of these deities is known to have stood in Cherafir (the royal seat of the kingdom of Birade) during the 1st century BT; various documents suggest that such temples could also be found in the other four kingdoms as well. The worship of Ilvir and of Siem was also practiced within the Five Kingdoms, but documentary evidence suggests that these older, individualistic faiths lost substantial ground to the new, better-organized Lythian churches.
Evidence is less forthcoming about other faiths. There is no record of a Navehan presence in Melderyn during this time, but considering that church's penchant for secrecy, this absence may mean nothing. Surviving Laranian cantilenes from this era contain allusions to conflicts with Agrik and Morgath, which suggests that those deities were at least known to the Melderyni. There is no evidence, however, that temples to either god were established in any of the Five Kingdoms.
The Unified Kingdom (1 TR to 100)
In 1 TR, King Erebir of Birade was elected Pendragon of the Five Kingdoms, thereby becoming the first ruler of the unified Kingdom of Melderyn. In 3 TR Erebir issued the famed Proscription Affirmation banning the so-called 'dark churches' of Agrik, Morgath, and Naveh. The Proscription Affirmation was a sign of the overwhelming strength of the Laranian Church in the newly-established kingdom. The fact that Erebir called this law an 'Affirmation' rather than an 'Edict' suggests that he may merely have been reconfirming a ban that had already existed in most-- if not all-- of the Five Kingdoms. In any case, the proscription of those three 'dark churches' has remained an integral part of royal policy since Erebir's day.Thus, at the time the kingdom's founding, the churches of Peoni, Larani,and Save-K'nor were dominant; the 'churches' of Ilvir and Siem were popular among a small minority; and the churches of Agrik, Morgath, and Naveh were banned.
Such are the circumstances in which Lothrim found the island when he arrived in 96 TR. Within two decades, he was elected supreme warchief of the Chelni tribal nation, founded the city of Elkall-Anuz on an old Jarin/Earthamster site, conquered the various Kaldi-Jarin petty kingdoms along the Kald River valley, subdued the Tulwyn nation to the west, and commanded tribute from tribes as far away as the Thard River. He also spawned the Gargun, a race of soldier-slaves, to help expand and keep order within his empire. In 120 TR, after sacking the Dwarven city of Kiraz, his Foulspawn army was defeated at the Battle of Sirion. Lothrim was captured and then buried alive by the Khuzdul. His grand 'federation', which had been built entirely on brute force, personal charisma, and magic, quickly collapsed.
Lothrim, Learning, and Elkall-Anuz
Though remembered primarily as a tyrant and as the Foulspawner, Lothrim was a man of great learning. Fascinated by the Earthmasters, he spent much of his time seeking out their artifacts and lore. To further this aim, he sought to make Elkall-Anuz into a place of learning. He encouraged scholars, philosophers, theologians, and priests from all over Hârn, Melderyn, and Lythia to come there. In 112 TR, Elsar of Aylach, a Melderyni visitor wrote a description of the city in which he reported the existence of a substantial library as well as small temples to Ilvir, Larani, Agrik, Morgath, Peoni, and Save-K'nor and, somewhat cryptically, 'one or two other gods of interest to the city's more savage inhabitants'.
Nala-Uroh and the Libram of the Pantheon
Of all the scholars at Elkall-Anuz, the most important in shaping the future of Hârnic religion was Nala-Uroh. Nothing is known of Nala-Uroh's identity or origins. Even his(?) name is a mystery; it appears to be quite alien to any language familiar to western Lythia.Whoever Nala-Uroh was, he(?) appears to have been intimately familiar not only with myths and theology of the various Hârnic/Lythian churches, but also with Melderyni traditions of metaphysical and cosmological thinking. Many scholars believe that Nala-Uroh had access to supernatural sources of knowledge. A few have suggested that he may have even visited the legendary 'Green Tower' whose copper walls are inscribed with the wisdom of 'immortal sages'-- or that he at least had access to tomes containing knowledge that others had copied from the Tower's walls.
Nala-Uroh wrote on a number of subjects, but his most important work is undeniably the Libram of the Pantheon. This text, which Nala-Uroh claimed to be a mere synthesis of other works, provided a history of Kelestia from the Creation up through the present era. In doing so, it drew upon the belief systems of all eight known Hârnic churches while remaining (more or less) compatible with them all. Nalah-Uroh thereby provided a metaphysical, and philosophical basis for Hârnians of all faiths to share a common cosmology and to think of the varied gods as belonging to a single interrelated 'pantheon' of deities who shared a common history and were bound by the same Concordat. These concepts were not entirely new, as there had been religious syncretists long before, but Nala-Uroh managed to fuse beliefs, myths, and ideas together in a way that would prove to be revolutionary for future theological thought.
The Spread of the Libram
After Lothrim's fall in 120 TR, Elkall-Anuz was razed. When the scholars whom Lothrim had gathered in the city parted for other lands, they took manuscripts of the Libram with them. One copy of the Libram is known to have arrived in Cherafir as early as 122 TR, and another in Berema by 124. Other copies are known to have been carried to other points in Hârn an Lythia. Although the major churches in Hârn have always contended that the Libram is reductive, most have since given it the stamp of approval.
Although most historians agree that the high level of civilization found among the petty states in the Kald Valley prior to Lothrim's conquest was partly responsible for the relatively quick establishment of these new kingdoms, they are also quick to point to Melderyni influences. For reasons that are not entirely clear, a large number of Melderyni appear to have come to eastern Hârn following the collapse of Lothrim's Federation. Shobald, the founder and first king of Chybisa, was a Melderyni knight. Nathwic Alaga, who unified the Lakori tribes and founded the kingdom of Elorinar, was aided by knights and advisors from the Wizard's Isle. There is believed to have been Melderyni assistance in the founding of Serelind, Nurelia, Kephira, and Pagostra as well. All six of these mainland kingdoms quickly developed a feudal structure that was clearly based on Melderyn's.
During the tribal Migration Wars of 180-230 TR, Elorinar was peacefully annexed by Melderyn, Chybisa was reduced to a tiny set of manors clustered around Burzyn, while the remaining four states coalesced into the kingdom of Kaldor. Tiny Chybisa has briefly come under both Kaldoric and Melderyni rule since the Migration Wars, but, on the whole, the political geography of eastern Hârn has not significantly changed since 230 TR.
The Melderyni Model
Just as the new kingdoms of eastern Hârn used Melderyn's feudal system as a model for structuring their political life, they also turned to the Wizard's Isle for structuring ecclesiastical life. Following in the footsteps of Melderyn's Proscription Affirmation, all six of the new kingdoms banned the churches of Morgath, Agrik, and Naveh, making worship of these 'dark gods' punishable by death. This ban has remained in place in the surviving kingdoms, although the Navehans are believed to have a secret temple in Tashal and one or two other eastern settlements.
The Dominance of Laranism and Peonism
In Kaldor, Chybisa, and Melderyn, the churches of Larani and Peoni of have become dominant. Laranism holds great attraction for the nobility of all three kingdoms while Peonism became the primary faith among the peasantry. The two churches get along quite well and are regarded as 'sister faiths' by many.To this day, both churches enjoy tax-free status in Kaldor, Chybisa and Melderyn and are given special priveleges. The Laranian church holds land in all three kingdoms, but is most richly endowed in Kaldor, where it possesses almost a hundred manors. Almost all Laranian temples in these three kingdoms are affiliated with the clerical order of the Lady of Paladins and its fighting order, the Spear of Shattered Sworrow. The headquarters of both orders is in Thay, in Melderyn, which is also the seat of the Laranian primate.
The Peonian church holds a handful of manors in Kaldor and Melderyn, but none in tiny Chybisa. Thay is also home to the Peonian primate.
The Church of Save-K'nor
In Melderyn, the church of Save-K'nor enjoys an unusually high degree of popularity among the nobility. It also wields a substantial amount of power. In addition to being endowed with over twenty manors and being required to pay only a token tax, the church has the ear of the king and many nobles. The Hârnic primate of Save-K'nor and at least one priest from the order of the Rydequelyn have traditionally served on the kingdom's 'Council of Eleven'.K'norrism is less popular (and less influential) in Kaldor and Chybisa. The church holds no land in either of those kingdoms, and though technically legal, is actually discouraged in some parts of Kaldor.
Other Faiths
The worship of Ilvir has declined significantly since the 1st century TR. In Melderyn, Ilviranism has almost entirely died out. A small temple to the Brooder was recently erected in Chyrefal, but worshippers are quite rare. There are no Ilviran temples in Chybisa, but mendicant priests occasionally minister to the faithful and preach to the curious. In Kaldor, Ilviranism is still the faith of a sizable minority, particularly in the northern part of the country where there are several older families of almost pure Jarin descent. Tashal is home to one of Hârn's largest temples to the deity, and Ilviran shrines and hermitages dot the countryside.Since its introduction to Hârn in the early 400's the church of Halea has enjoyed mild popularity among the mercantile classes of these eastern kingdoms, but most nobles and peasants frown on what they consider to be the church's shallow sensualism. Though the church is not illegal in either Melderyn, Chybisa, or Kaldor, it does tend to be discouraged.
Since the Ivinian Conquest of Jara/Orbaal, the deity Sarajin has become increasingly familiar to eastern Hârnians, though few have actually converted. Sarajinism is not actively discouraged in any of the three kingdoms, but followers of the god are unlikely to receive a warm welcome in Melderyn because of the Orbaalese attack on Thay in 705.
Early Corani Religion
Like most southern Hârnians, the Corani tribes were of mixed Jarin-Atani ancestry. Little is known of their early religion, but some scholarly sources suggest that they may have practiced a mixture of totemism and Ilviranism.During the last years of the Dark Age, the Corani (as well as the Merdi-- and to a lesser degree, the Hefiosi and the Komii) seem to have substantial contact with Lythian missionaries. Many Corani actively embraced these new religions. Of these, Peonism was the most successful, although the worship of Agrik and Larani held appeal to many warriors.
After the fall of Lothrim and the Melderynization of eastern Hârn, priests of Agrik, Morgath and Naveh (the three dark churches) came to the Thard River Valley in increasing numbers. Now banned in the east, they sought to concentrate their missionary activities among the western tribes.
An Imperial Tradition of Tolerance
After Corthir unified the Corani and founded Coranan in 301, the religious history of western Hârn followed a remarkably different path from the east. Unlike the rulers of the eastern feudal kingdoms, the Corani emperors pursued a policy of religious toleration within their domains, permitting all churches to function freely within the cities of the Empire.Corani toleration seems to have been strengthened by an increase in economic and cultural exchange with Azeryan during the 5th century. The great Azeryan Empire, then at its peak, provided a model of emulation for Coranan's emperors, many of whom styled themselves after their Azeryani counterparts. In a history of Azeryan, the learned Corani emperor Sylud went so far as to attribute the greatness of both empires to their policies of religious openness:
We, like the Azeryi, enjoy grandeur, prosperity, and dominance because we have earned the blessings of the gods. I speak not of the favor of just one or two deities, but of all of them. All the gods are great, and powerful, and command our respect. We give them that respect and thus earn their collective favor, while the, Kaldori and Melderyni court the favor only of some gods while earning the enmity of others-- an arrogant foolishness. Such hubris inexorably leads to divine vengeance, ruin to the state, and devastation to the people.--Sylud the Scholar, The Rise of the Azeryan Empire 472 TR
Although western Hârn was never 'Azeryanized' to the same degree that eastern Hârn was 'Melderynized', the influence of Azeryan culture increased noticeably during the 5th and 6th centuries-- particular in matters of religion. The growth in popularity of the churches of Agrik and Morgath, both centered in Azeryan, was one sign of this influence. Another was the speed with which the newly-arrived church of Halea (which originated in Karejia, then a province of the Azeryan Empire) spread among the Corani. The first Halean missionaries had arrived on the island only in 410, but within a mere 10 years, they had established temples in Coranan, Merethos (now Golotha), Aleath, and Shiran. By contrast, the spread of Haleanism in the eastern half of the island took place quite slowly and is still probably not nearly as strong as it was in the west during the 5th and 6th centuries.
Saurach, the Agrikan Emperor
Sylud's successor, Saurach (485-91) was an obsessive Agrikan and had different views about the relation between church and state. An Agrikan fanatic, he granted tax-free status to Agrikan temples throughout the empire and diverted large sums of money from the imperial treasure to temple coffers. In 487, he made Agrikanism the official religion of the Empire, requiring that all military commanders and all members of the civil service be followers of Agrik. In 491, he issued the famed Unification Writ, making Agrikanism the sole legal religion within the Empire, banning all other churches and confiscating their property. Saurach was assassinated just a few hours after signing the Writ. His successor, Mindrithar (491-512), withdrew the decree, restored religious freedom, and sought to return to the days of religious tolerance. The Agrikan church suffered in popularity as a result of Saurach's actions, although Mindrithar took no overt action against it.
Shorka, Workol and Church-State Conflict
Mindrithar's actions, however, would be undone a few decades later during the reign of the Emperor Shorka (528-555). Shorka, an effete sensualist with no interest in governing, let his chancellor, a self-serving astrologer named Workol, run the Empire. Workol, who had a rather unorthodox approach to his art, alienated almost every imperial subject through unprecedented levels of taxation and a series of increasingly bizarre edicts based on his readings of the heavens.Many of Workol's most offensive measures involved religion. In addition to declaring a variety of restrictions on the churches of Peoni and Save-K'nor, "[h]e instituted the so-called 'Simony Tithe' which required all churches to pay a tax to the Imperium on the appointment of any cleric to an adminstrative office . . . The resistance of the churches to the Simony Tithe was bitter and created some extremely unlikely temporary alliances . . . . Effectively, the Simony Tithe did little more than provoke the hostility of the organized churches to Workol and the Imperium, and significantly increased the political power of the Morgathian Church" [Tesien 7].
By the time the Emperor Shorka died in 655, the churches, like most laymen, regarded not merely Workol but the imperial system as a whole, as corrupt, decadent, arbitrary and hostile to religion.
Medak, the Last Emperor
When he came to the throne following the death of Shorka, Medak (555-565) had the despised Workol executed. Hoping to regenerate the decadent Imperium, Medak initiated a series of purges of both the army and the civil service. He also began to persecute astrologers, fortune tellers, and other 'charlatans'. Unforunately, one of those he executed was an influential Morgathian priest named Balsha. His death triggered a popular uprising that would ultimately destroy the Empire.
The Balshan Jihad
"Born of a common soldier in the Corani province of Rethem, Balsha was destined to become the most important religious personality in the history of Hârn" [Hârn 26]. Having achieved fame through a series of accurate predictions of plagues and famines, this charismatic priest preached a heretical variant of Morgathianism that gained remarkable popular appeal. Balsha was hailed as a prophet by his followers, but the emperor Medak only saw him a charlatan and troublemaker. In 558 TR, imperial guards seized Balsha and, without a trial, had him dragged to the impaling stake, where he was executed. With his last words, the doomed prophet exhorted his followers to "Cast down the decadence and futile misery of blind tyranny. . ."Balsha's followers saw this as a call for revolution. "Thousands flocked to the martyr's birthplace at Ithiko" and other Morgathian temples where they heard calls for a jihad against the corrupt Empire that had killed their beloved prophet [Hârn 26]. Disgusted by decades of corruption, excessive taxation, religious persecution, and purges, the populace received this message eagerly. Spontaneous popular revolts broke out all over Rethem.
Imperial legions, crippled by Medak's purges, could do little to prevent the revolts. A few had even become so disenchanted with the Imperium that they joined the rebels. Within two years, all of Rethemi province was under Balshan control. In 562, the Balshans seized Merethos, the port city at the mouth of the Thard, which they renamed as Golotha ('dark victory' in Ormauk, the holy language of the Morgathian church). Heady with success, they then turned their attentions east, towards the Thardic heart of the Empire. In 564, the imperial governor of Shiran embraced the Jihad, opening his city up to the Balshans and butting his troops at their disposal. After a bitter siege, Coranan fell to the Jihad in 565. The emperor Medak, his family, and his advisors were all put death by impalement. The Corani Empire was no more.
The Theocracy of Tekhos
"With the fall of Coranan, a power struggle ensued among the victorious Balshans. The Morgathian church, itself chronically disunited, also proved incapable of forming a government" [Hârn 27]. After two years of power struggles, backstabbing, and bloody in-fighting, however, one man, Horahnam of clan Tekhos, emerged as the supreme leader of the victorious Balshans. Proclaiming himself head of a new theocratic government, with Shiran as its capital, this Morgathian priest founded a brutal, dictatorial regime that would come to be known simply as the Theocracy of Tekhos. Once Horahnam consilidated his power, he sent Balshan troops south to seize Aleath, which had declared itself to be an independent republic following the collapse of the Empire. After a lengthy seige, the city fell to the theocrats in 572, thereby removing the last external threat to Balshan rule.Now free to turn his attention to 'holy matters,' Horahnam instituted a reign of religious terror. All non-Morgathian churches were banned. Non-Morgathian temples were either burned or converted to Morgathian use. Clerics of other deities-- at least those not fortunate enough to flee-- were brutally slaughtered. "Dozens of religious tribunals were established to crush opposition to the new order. Thousands of the [imperial] nobility, their retainers and sympathizers were impaled or forced into outlawry to escape the purges. In the cities, perverse Morgathian rituals, spectacles, public torture and execution became commonplace [Hârn 27].
The Theocracy's End
In spite of the best efforts of Horahnam, opposition to the Theocracy grew. The forests and hills became home to dozens of outlaw bands. Some of these were mere bandit groups, but many were anti-Morgathian rebels led by members of either the old imperial aristocracy or one of the proscribed churches (usually Agrikan or Laranian). In the cities, the violent spectacles remained popular, but discontent grew as an increasing number of those who cheered the butchers on by day were "themselves . . . carried off at midnight by the dreaded inquisitors" [Hârn 27].In 588, while on a visit to the Coranan temple of Morgath, Horahnam was assassinated. As news of his death spread, popular revolts took place throughout the Theocracy. Within two months, the theocratic government, unable to stay organized without Horahnam's guiding strength, collapsed.
With the power vacuum left behind by the Theocracy's collapse, "Tharda fell into three decades of chaos [as] dozens of petty states vied with one another to establish or resist a new empire. Large bands of brigands operated unchecked [and] the distinctions between bandits, mercenaries, raiding tribes, and legitimate armies became academic" [Hârn 27]. Order, however, was eventually restored. After a failed attempt to revive the old Empire, the city of Coranan established a stable oligarchical republic in 621. Shiran followed suit in 625, and Moleryn a few years later. In 636, Coranan and Shiran established a close alliance (the Thardic League) for joint military protection. After a number of expansionist military efforts, including the annexation of Moleryn, a unified Thardic Republic was established in 674 with Coranan as its capital.
A Return to Religious Toleration
The city-state republics formed during the 620's were ruled largely by mercantile families who had survived the ravages of the Theocracy. Looking back on history for a model of stable government, they remembered that the Empire had flourished during the days of religious toleration, and that decline and collapse had followed the fanaticism of Saurach and the anti-ecclesiastical policies of Shorka/Workol. They also recalled the horrors of theocratic rule and the chaos that had followed its collapse. For reasons then, that were as much pragmatic as nostalgic, these republics made the remarkable decision to estabish a secular state, one that granted freedom to all churches-- even to the hated Morgathians-- and gave special priveleges to none. When these oligarchies became a unified republic, the principles of secular tolerance were preserved.This is not to say that the Thardic government is wholly disconnected from religion. At the start of each Senate meeting, "[t]he Chaplain of the Senate pronounces a non-denominational invocation to ask the gods for their blessing" and the Republic's Haruspex (an official interpreter of omens) gives a report on recent signs of import [Tharda 6]. What makes the Republic remarkable in Hârn is not that it is an irreligious state, but that it is a non-sectarian one.
Haleanism in Tharda
In the Republic's atmosphere of religious freedom, the Halean church quickly rose to dominance. Halea, whose worship had gained in popularity among the mercantile classes of the Corani Empire following the arrival of first missionaries from Karejia around 410 TR, continued to be cherished in secret by guildsmen even during the Theocracy. When these same guildsmen came to power in the new city-states of Coranan, Shiran and Moleryn in the 620's-- and even greater wealth when they used this new-found power to obtain land for themselves outside of the cities-- the restored Halean church prospered. Within a few decades, it became the most powerful and wealthiest church in all of Tharda. Although the Thardic Republic remains officially secular, the Halean church has come to wield a substantial (albeit informal) political influence, particularly in Shiran province. There are some Haleans who feel that their faith gain should possess a more 'official' status, but most church's officials see little advantage in changing the current arrangement.
Other Faiths in Tharda
Even during the Theocracy, the reverence of Peoni remained popular among peasants and large segments of the urban poor. The church quickly re-established itself after the restoration of order in the 620's. Since then, however, the church seems to have lost some ground among both urban laborers and wealthier peasants, many of of whom are gradually embracing Haleanism. The Peonian church still commands the loyalties of the overwhelming majority of farmers, of course, but it remains poor and wields little political influence.Recalling how followers of both Agrik and Larani had both defended their cities against the jihadists and later warred against the theocrats, the Thardans welcome the return of both churches in the 620's and 630's. Both faiths still enjoy moderate popularity in Tharda (particularly among legionnaires and fans of the Pameasani Games), but the tendency towards zealotry displayed by both churches, combined with their close associations with rival states (Kanday for the Laranian church, Rethem for the Agrikans) has caused many Thardans to become increasingly wary of these martial faiths. The seizure of Themeson keep by the Agrikan fighting order of the Red Shadows of Herpa in 708, and the Laranian's repeated calls for "a return to the Imperial system and the introduction of hereditary feudalism" have not helped either faith's reputation in the Republic [Tharda 8].
The church of Save-K'nor attracts a limited number of adherents from urban families; temples of all three of its orders are found in Coranan. "The Hyn-Aelori maintains archives and takes little interest in politics. The Rydequilyn satirize political life in the Republic and act as social critics. The Shea-Al-Aecor exerts a subtle influence in Thardic politics" and many of its members "hold influential posts in government or with wealthy clans" [Tharda 8].
In Tharda, the "church of Ilvir is poorly organized and has few adherents", as is typical in western Hârn [Tharda 8]. The Order of Seafarer Ibenis in Shiran maintains a small temple that serves as a staging area for the handful of Ilviran pilgrims who pass through the city on their way to Araka-Kalai. The order also helps to procure Ivashu for the Pamesani Games, although "an intinerate faction of the church regards this practice as sacrilegious, and may be responsible for the release of Ivashu held for the Shiran games" [Tharda 8]. There are no Ilviran temples in Coranan, Moleryn, or the Republic's other major settlements.
The church of Morgath has few adherents, but maintains a sizable temple in Coranan. Although it is legal in the Republic as a whole, the church of Naveh is technically banned in many individual settlements. The proscription is never enforced and does not seem to the the Navehans. Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest the church actually supports these bans, which help to preserve its secrecy-- not to mention enabling it to avoid paying taxes.
The Kandayan Throne and the Laranian Church
Since the kingdom's establishment, religious life in Kanday has been overwhelmingly dominated by the church of Larani. As an anti-Morgathian 'rebel', Andasin had led a group of devout Laranians, and when he became a monarch, he made sure to establish firm link between that church and his throne. Using the Laranian kingdoms of eastern Hârn as a model, Andasin organized his new kingdom on feudal lines, parcelling out pieces of land to trusted retainers-- almost all of whom were firm Laranians. In 622, Andasin sponsored a new Laranian fighting order, the Order of the Checkered Shield, entrusting to it a number of keeps in the north. To this day, the defense of the kingdom's northern border falls primarily on the soldiers of the Checkered Shield.Andasin's successors have continued to cultivate and strengthen the relationship between church and throne. In addition to enjoying tax-free status throughout the kingdom, the church is one of the largest landholders in the kingdom, owning approximately 70 manors. For this reason, the church's "bishops (Rekela) are powerful secular lords" and possess great temporal, as well as spiritual authority[Kanday 15].
Other Churches in Kanday
The worship of Peoni remains extremely popular among the peasantry. As in eastern Hârn, the church is respected by the kingdom's nobility, most of whom view Laranism and Peonism as "sister religions"-- the former for themselves, the latter for the poor. Like the Laranian church, the Peonian church enjoys tax-free status throughout the kingdom, and is given other special priveleges. The Peonians, nonetheless, wield little political or economic power in the kingdom for the church possesses only three manors and spends what little wealth it acquires in charitable efforts.Other faiths hold little sway in Kanday. The church of Save-K'nor maintains temples in Aleath and Dyrisa, and even possesses a couple of manors, but its appeal is extremely limited. The Halean church is legal throughout the kingdom but it too has limited appeal outside of the city of Aleath. The churches of Ilvir and Sarajin [have no temples and] are officially discouraged, and in a few areas of the kingdom actually proscribed, although seldom vigorously" [Kanday 7]. The churches of Agrik, Morgath, or Naveh are all proscribed and, as in eastern Hârn, worship of these three deities is punishable by death.
The Second Theocracy
Though the death of Horahnam in 588 TR brought the reign of Morgathian terror to a close in most of western Hârn, religious tyrrany remained the order of the day in southern Rethem. In Golotha and surrounding areas, things changed little after 588. Morgathianism remained the sole legal religion, the religious tribunals continued their 'holy work', and perverse spectacles of torture and killing were conducted with as much zeal as ever. In effect, only the name had changed in Golotha-- and the theocracy continued to rule there unchecked for some five decades after Horahnam.
The Interregnum in Northern Rethem
Many of the bands of brigands operating out of northern Rethem during this era were common bandits, but a sizable number were wandering religious 'orders' who, having fled the cities during the reign of Horahnam, had turned to outlawry and 'guerrilla' raids against despised Morgathians. Once order was restored in Tharda and Kanday, most of the Laranians re-established themselves there, but a sizable number of Agrikan 'holy wanderers' continued to roam the wildlands of northern Rethem, engaging in a mixture of aimless pillage and raids against the Second Theocracy and its allies.
Arlun's Conquest and the End of the Theocracy
In 629,the charismatic Kuboran chieftain Arlun gained the support of ninety of his people's tribes and launched an invasion the soft, decadent southlands. With this massive army, Arlun had no difficulty in conquering northern Rethem. Within three years, he had subjugated all of the petty states from Tormau to Shostim and gained the allegiance of several brigand/mercenary bands, including the Agrikan fighting order of the Companions of the Roving Doom.After two years of consolidation, Arlun went on the offensive again in 635, sending his troops into southern Rethem. Though the Golothan Theocracy and its allies put up more resistance than the petty states of northern Rethem had five years earlier, it was no match for Arlun's massive army, nor were its generals any match for his strategic brilliance. In less than a year, Arlun seized Golotha and surrounding keeps, dismantled the theocratic structure of government, and proclaimed himself king of all Rethem. Arlun later launched a series of small campaigns to expand his eastern and southern borders, but his greatest legacy-- the establishment of the the Kingdom of Rethem-- was accomplished by 635.
Rethemi Religion under Arlun
One of Arlun's first acts was to ban the church of Morgath. Morgathian temples were either burned to the ground or sealed up with stone so that none could enter (or exit). A series of violent pogroms designed to root out the old theocrats resulted in the deaths of dozens of priests and hundreds of lay Morgathians, but failed to exterminate the sect. Most of the high-ranking theocrats were simply driven underground. Though these anti-Morgathians actions were done at Arlun's command, they were most frequently performed by his Agrikan allies, most of whom had long been eager to do to the Morgathians what the Morgathians had done to them some sixty years before.With Morgathianism banned, a 'religious vacuum' sprung up in Rethem. Like most Kuborans, Arlun believed that Kemlar the Guide was the special deity of his people and was not appropriate for foreigners; neither he nor his army made any attempt to convert the Rethemi populace to Kuboran religious traditions. Eager to see any non- Morgathian religion take root in his kingdom, Arlun encouraged his Agrikan allies to establish temples throughout Rethem and to proselytize among the populace.
Much to the chagrin of the Agrikans, Arlun also invited missionaries from Tharda and Kanday to re-introduce their churches in Rethem. The Golothan temples to Save-K'nor, Halea, and Ilvir were refounded during the early years of Arlun's reign, but these churches-- with the exception of that of Halea, which gained support from several craftsmen and a handful of nobles-- were of extremely limited appeal. Peonism, whose traditions had never really been extinguished among the peasantry, experienced a quiet revival. A handful of Laranians even came to spread their faith, but their missionaries were harassed and killed by gangs of Agrikans, who sought to ensure 'through the law of blood and steel' that Laranism did not take root in Rethem, regardless of what the 'king's law' permitted. Peonian missionaries who gained too high a profile often met with the same fate.
Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that this 'religious vacuum' came to be filled by Agrikanism. Because the Agrikan fighting order of the Companions of the Roving Doom had aided Arlun in his conquest, they and their sponsoring clerical order, the Order of the Pillar of Fire, were among the first groups of Agrikans to benefit from the king's rule. It was not long before other bands of Agrikans came forth to pledge their fealty in exchange for similar priveleges-- and a chance for greater power. The all-female orders of the Kukshin and the Crimson Dancer organized themselves formally and swore fealty to Arlun in 638, the orders of the Fuming Gate and the Company of the Copper Hook followed suit in 641, and the orders of Herpa the Mace, the Red Shadows of Herpa, Mamaka the Master of Steel, and the Warriors of Mamaka shortly thereafter. By 650, through a combination of royal privelege and strongarm tactics, the church of Agrik, fractious and splintered though it was, had easily managed to establish itself as predominant-- at least among the native Rethemi 'nobility'. There is evidence that Arlun himself became increasingly concerned about the growing power of his Agrikan allies. Indeed, many believe that the king's 650 TR decision to rescind the ban on the worship of Morgath was motivated by nothing so much as the desire to offset the dominance of the Agrikans.
Obras' Concessions
Following Arlun's death in 656, most of the traditional Kuborans, scorning the rule of Arlun's mixed-blood son Obras, returned north to Peran. What little Kuboran influence there was on Rethemi religion was removed. The power of the Agrikan orders continued to grow under Obras, as the king relied heavily upon their troops in putting the numerous revolts that took place during his reign.The Morgathians too gained in power under Obras. The status of Golotha as a 'freetown' within the kingdom and the creation of the Golothan Heptarchial Council (on which Morgathian dominance was guaranteed by royal charter) were among the concessions granted by Obras in exchange for the Morgathians' pledge to 'maintain order' in the city. In many ways, the creation of the Council "harkened back to the organization of the Golothan Theocracy" of which it was, in truth, "little more than a thinly disguised rebirth. The major difference was that the Morgathians did not have sole control of the council", but held only four of seven seats [Golotha 7].
Nemiran and Agrikan Feudalism
Obras' son Nemiran, an Agrikan zealot, came to the throne in 672. The Agrikan church prospered greatly during his reign. In addition to importing the Azeryani orders of the Octagonal Pit and the Demon Pameshlu for the purposes of establishing the Pamesani games, making the Agrikan Kemelras ('bishop') a paid royal office, and officially banning the churches of Larani and Peoni, he restructured his kingdom along feudal lines, parcelling out fiefs and establishing a hierarchy of earls, barons, and lords.Using Laranian Kanday as a counter-model, Nemiran gave substantial holdings along his borders to Agrikan fighting orders. In 681, he granted the keeps of Dunir, Selvos, Hyen, and Menekod along the Kandayan border to the order of the Copper Hook and the keep of Menekai, along the Thardic border, to the Red Shadows of Herpa. The Warriors of Mamaka claim that he also granted Bedenes keep, along the Peran border, to them shortly before his assassination, but no signed writ of enfoeffment has ever been produced. It is perhaps worth nothing that, in feudalizing Rethem, Nemiran launched a unique politico-religious experiment that is without parallel in western Lythia-- a feudal kingdom that is structured along Agrikan, rather than Laranian, lines.
Rethemi Religion Since Nemiran
Since 681, the religous character of Rethem has changed little. There have been numerous shifts in power and influence among the various orders of the fractious Agrikan church since Ezar's War (e.g. the loss of three keeps by the Copper Hook to Kanday, the seizure of the primacy by the Order of Mamaka the Master of Steel, the departure of the orders of the Kukshin and the Crimson Dancer for Orbaal, a schism within the orders of Herpa the Mace and the Red Shadows of Herpa, and the virtual extermination of the order of the Pillar of Fire), but the basic structure of ecclesiastical life is not significantly different in 720 than it was at the end of Nemiran's reign.Agrikanism remains the dominant religion among the kingdom's nobility and is closely linked to the crown. Its various orders possess a a goodly amount of land throughout the kingdom-- particularly in strategically important border territories, although the loss of three keeps to Kanday in Ezar's War has greivously hurt the Company of the Copper Hook. The only threat to the church seems to be its own fractiousness. Although a central hierarchy has been restored, most Agrikans are more loyal to their individual orders than to to the offices of bishop, primate, or even pontiff-- they generally act independently and frequently feud with each other. A few high-ranking Agrikans have been calling for a massive crusade of all the orders against some enemy (either Kanday, Tharda, or the Kuborans) in the hopes that such an endeavor might bring greater unity to this deeply divided church, but the idea appears to have fallen largely on deaf ears.
The church of Morgath is the only real rival to Agrikan supremacy in Rethem. Golotha remains the bastion of Morgathianism in the kingdom (and indeed on all of Hârn), but the church's power has rebounded substantially since the time of Arlun's conquest. Since 690 or so, a tacit alliance between the church of Morgath and the dominant Agrikan order of Mamaka the Master of Steel has resulted in increased influence, stature, and authority for both.
Halea has a sizable number of worshippers among merchants and guildsmen in the kingdom-- and has even attracted the interest of a handful of nobles-- but the church wields little power and is frequently under attack. Golotha is home to the kingdom's only Halean temple, which officially has the right to appoint one member of the city's Heptarchial Council, but those who openly profess devotion to the goddess are often found brutally murdered. The same fate has befallen many of the Halean appointees to the Counil, and, in fact, the Halean seat has remained unfilled for the past two years. Outside of Golotha, followers of the goddess receive scorn, but are less likely to be subject to violence.
The churches of Save-K'nor and Ilvir maintain small temples in Golotha, but have few followers-- and like the Haleans, followers of these gods generally deem it wise to keep their faith to themselves. In the past few years, an increasing number of Ivinians from Orbaal have been serving as mercenaries in Rethem (especially in Tormau). A few Sarajinian clanhouses have since sprung up to cater to the 'foreigners' (but not, interestingly, in Golotha, where the church remains proscribed), but they have generally not sought to proselytize. The church of Larani is banned throughout the kingdom.
"[I]ronically, the deity worshipped by more of the population than any other is officially proscribed. Most farmers and peasants are discreet followers of Peoni, and small shrines dedicated to [her] are scattered throughout the countryside. The secular authorities generally ignore the activities of wandering Peonian clerics, because their church does not involve itself in politics," but in regions where the churches of Morgath or Agrik are strong (e.g. Golotha), such mendicants may be severely punished [Rethem 6]. A handful of nobles, including the Earl of Tormau, have openly called for lifting the ban on the Peonian church on the grounds that it stays out of politics and helps to ensure a docile peasantry.
These Ivinians came to Jara increasingly large numbers, and in 652, after a group of Ivinians captures Sherwyn keep on Gedil island, they started coming to stay. By 676, all coastal Jarin holdings had been conquered by the Northmen, leaving only a cluster of settlements around Leriel and the tiny petty kingdom/keep of Quimen. WIthin a few years, clan Taareskeld of Geldeheim (formerly Lethwyn) established dominance over the other Ivinian clans in northern Hârn, exacting tribute and demanding their recognition as the king of Orbaal Despite a short-lived Jarin revolt in 702-3, northern Hârn remains under Ivinian control to this day.
The Persistence of Jarin Ilviranism
From the time between the Atani Wars and Ivinian Conquest, religious life in Jara had been dominated by the worship of Ilvir. Since Oranoam's original temple outside of Arone was destroyed by Ivinian raiders in 658 TR, the temple of Sudelrhynn the Bearer of Loam at Leriel has become, more or less by default, the pre-eminent Ilviran temple. The worship of Ilvir is forbidden in many Ivinian-held settlements, but most Jarin cling fearlessly to their ancestral faith.Since 686, the Order of Chuchlaen Wheelwright at Gedan has been preaching a politically charged, anti-Ivinian version of Ilviranism and has been working in close cooperation with the Aenghysa and other members of the Jarin resistance. The Order of the Verdant Pool, located at Tawheim also has similar connections, and many Jarin believe that Meamyt the Hermit, an Ilviran prophet who dwells near Arathel, has foretold the coming of a second (and successful) Jarin Rebellion. Not all Ilviran orders, however, have political goals.
The Ivinians and Sarajin
The Ivinian Conquest brought several changes to the religious life of the region. The most obvious of these changes is that the 'importation' of Sarajin, the patron deity of the Ivinians. Since establishing themselves in the northern reaches of the island, the Ivinians have made their god more familiar to southern Hârnians. Sarajinian religious clanhouses now stand in Tashal, Geda, Thay, Trodbridge and Tormau and a handful of other places. They have not, however, been especially concerned with 'converting' the Jarin or southern Hârnians to Sarajinism so much as simply ministering to Ivinian travellers abroad.
Agrikanism in Orbaal
In 701 TR, King Alegar I invited the Rethemi orders of the Kukshin and the Crimson Dancer to come to Orbaal. These all-female orders had become increasingly unpopular in Rethem following Ezar's War and were all too happy to set up shop in Orbaal. Although Alegar's decision to grant Quimen keep to the Crimson Dancer ended up precipitating the Jarin Rebellion, the order has proved loyal to the Orbaalese throne and has even grown in strength, attracting a goodly number of martially-minded Ivinian women.
Other Faiths
A small, but substantial minority of Jarin revere Siem, but the absence of contact between these northern Jarin and the Elder Peoples for so long has resulted in the development of variations of Siemism that few Sindarin or Khuzdul would recognize.The worship of Peoni has begun to spread among the Jarin, particularly among those living in Leriel, where they are sometimes visited by missionaries from Kaldor.
Representatives of the churches of Larani, Save-K'nor, and Halea have occasionally visited Jara/Orbaal, but neither the Jarin nor the Ivinians have been particularly interested these 'southerner faiths'. Since the arrival of the Kukshin and the Crimson Dancer in 701, Laranism and other versions of Agrikanism have been proscribed by the crown, but the actual enforcement of such laws is generally left up to individual clanheads, most of whom are uninterested in such matters.
The Peonians have been most active in terms of missionary activity, but followers of Larani, Agrik, Morgath, Ilvir, Sarajin, and even Naveh have made sporadic attempts to convert the 'barbarians'. Regardless of their faith, most missionaries have little success. Hârn's tribesmen are generally content with the religion of their ancestors and see no reason to abandon it simply because some city-dweller asks them to. The best reception that most missionaries ever receive is a bemused or curious tolerance. Indifference or scornful derision are far more common. Outright violence is rarer, but it does occasionally take place. In particular, the Kath, the Solori, the Pagaelin, and the Gozyda have been known to kill missionaries in extremely brutal and cruel ways. There have, nevertheless, been some atypically successful missionary efforts in the past century that merit specific mention in this history -- as well as one or two other noteworthy instances of 'civilized' influence on tribal religion.
Conflicts between the Kubora and 'Southerners'
Since the days of the Corani Empire, there has been a tradition of hostility between the Kubora of Peran and the 'southerners' of Rethem and Tharda. This hostility has primarily been political and military (e.g. the Emperor Kobar's partial subjugation of Peran, Nebran the Bondbreaker's revolt against the Corani, Arlun the Barbarian's conquest of Rethem), but there has also been a religious component to these tensions.The fact that the main Corani fort in the north was located at Kustan, a site held sacred by the Kubora, has been the main source of conflict. It was the violation of ancient barrows by Morgathians in 477 TR that ultimately provoked the successful Kuboran revolt. Nebran's sack of Kustan in turn produced further tensions because Kustan had become the site of the chief temple of a now-extinct Agrikan order, the Order of Khamar, that enjoyed some popularity with legionnaires and made a few unsuccessful attempts to proselytize among the Kubora. The destruction of this temple and the massacre of its clergy was a bitter blow and Kustan has since been a symbolic sore spot to the Agrikans ever since.
Even after the fall of the Empire, feelings were bitter between the Kubora and the Agrikan bands roaming northern Rethem-- most of whom were just as happy to raid the Kubora as they were the Morgathian theocrats. During Arlun's reign, Kuboran-Agrikan tensions abated, but never entirely vanished.
Since Arlun's death and the return of the Kubora to Peran, those tensions have resurfaced and grown. The fighting orders of the Warriors of Mameka and the Red Shadows of Herpa have both been 'crusading' against the Kuboran tribesmen since the 690's. Their activities have caused a few reprisal raids. In 718, there was a disastrous attempt by "knights of . . . the Warriors of Mameka to recapture Kustan. The Kubora ambushed and slaughtered the Agrikans," mutilating their bodies and placing their skulls on posts as a warning to others who might be so foolish as to attempt the same [Kustan 3]. King Chafin III of Rethem has been under pressure by these orders and other factions of the Agrikan church to muster the forces of his kingdom and "mount a 'holy crusade' to spread the word of Agrik by sword" among the Kubora and to retake Kustan, but the kingdom's numerous internal and external problems make it unlikely that such a crusade is going to take place anytime soon [Rethem 4].
The Pagaelin and Navehanism
In the 664, a heretical Navehan priest from Tashal and a number of his followers fled south, into Setha Heath and the lands of the Paegaelin. Based on an old Navehan legend, these heretics established a temple at Bejist. They have also established a number of 'augur lodges' throughout the area for the purposes of trading and converting the Pagaelin. Their augurs have introduced the tribesmen to the worship of Naveh, presenting him "as the Walker on the Heath, a spectral figure, the bringer of prophecy and dreams. He is also the harbinger of death, usually of the sudden and unpleasant variety. The Navehan philosophy as modified and taught by the augurs preaches power and discipline. No disobedience, however slight, of the Augurs or the Walker, goes unpunished" [Pagaelin 3-4]. They have also introduced the tribesmen to a number of Navehan practices, including live sacrifice and the use of hallucinatory drugs. As a result of a half-century of such influences, the Pagaelin have become increasingly subject to the control of the Navehans and are abandoning their old religion, which seems to have been a corrupted version of Sarajinism.
Preaching Peonism to the Kamaki
In 667 TR, the tribal inhabitants of the isle of Kamace "were visited by Brigyde of Alasa, a mendicant Peonian priestess" from Kanday [Kamaki 1]. Brigyde dwelt among the Kamaki for twelve years, teaching agriculture and medicine to the various tribes as well as proselytizing. Brigyde met with great success in her mission, largely because of her willingness to blend orthodox Peonian teachings with the Kamaki's totemic beliefs. Brigyde taught that Peoni was identical with the spirit Mala-kar ('the Sea Woman') who, in Kamaki mythology, mates every night with the moon spirit and gives birth to the fish and other cretures of the sea.Brigyde died in 679 and has since been revered as a goddess by the tribesmen, who regard her grave as a sacred spot. "Since her death, the Kamaki have extrapolated her ideas and perform various fertility rites which are supposed to aid in the renewal of life" on both land and sea [Kamaki 2]. Since 716, the island has been thrice visited by Peonians from Kanday for the purposes of gathering information about Brigyde and her ministry. There is a movement among some Kandayan Peonians to have Brigyde declared a saint, but many high-ranking church officials are disturbed by accounts of the tribesmen's fertility rites and deification of the priestess.
Religious Change among the Adaenum
The isle of Anfla, just northeast of Kamace, has also undergone significant religious change in the past half-century. Among the coastal tribes (who call themselves the 'Anac Adaenum') a curious witch-hunting cult has become increasingly popular. This cult, which tends to complement traditional Adaenum beliefs rather than contradict them, seems to have developed as a response to the increase in Laranian and Peonian missionaries from Kanday-- most of whom are labeled by the Anac as 'witches'.The inland 'Shu Adaenum', however, are not believed to have much interest in this witch-hunting cult-- possibly because so few missionaries actually make it to the island's interior. Those few missionaries who have made contact with the Shu have reported that these inland tribesmen practice a number of fertility rituals, many of which bear a curious resemblence to Halean and Peonian rites-- or at least to a vulgarization thereof. This has led some to speculate that Corani missionaries may have visited the island a few centuries before. Others have suggested that one of the lost ships from the Aleathian Odyssey might have crashed on Anfla, thus resulting in a more haphazard fusion of Halean, Peonian, and native practices.
Ilviranism among the Anoa
Like their 'civilized' Jarin cousins, the nomadic Anoan tribesmen of southeastern Orbaal have long been worshippers of Ilvir, whom they call by the name of K'orr. Traditionally, the Anoa have revered the god by making wooden idols and leaving 'tribute' at small woodland shrines. "Since the refoundation of the Ilviran Order of Chuchlaen Wheelwright at Gedan in 686, many Anoans have begun to accept a more 'sophisticated' vision of their deity" due to contact with the more formalized practices of the Order [Anoa 2]. Shamans often act as intermediaries between the priests and the tribes, and a number of "recently interred Anoan chieftains have had their funerals blessed by a cleric of the order" [Anoa 2]. The order has encouraged the Anoans to cooperate with members of the Jarin resistance, suggesting that "K'orr is most pleased by those who die fighting the 'yellowhairs'" [Anoa 2].
Sarajinian Missionaries and the Chelni Although few Ivinians seek to convert people of other ethnicities to their religion, the Maael clan from Orbaal have been using Trobridge Inn as a base for missions to the Chelni since 690. "The open, warrior cult style of Sarajinism appeals to many tribesmen, and the warrior code of Sarajin, the Ljarl is in keeping with their traditions. By 720, nearly 20% of the [Chelni] population has been won over" by clan Maael, although their understanding of the god seems to be a bit different from that held by most Ivinians [Chelni 2].
The Laranian Crusade against the Solori
The Solori people of southeastern Hârn have always been "openly scornful of other faiths, and have treated the occasional missionary . . . with violence, hostility, and disdain" [Solori 4]. Since the Melderyni throne granted the nearby keeps of Cundras and Fosumo to the Laranian fighting order of the Lady of Paladins in 654, missionary activity has increased, but Solori hostility to other religions has remained strong. In 713, a group of Laranian missionaries were killed in "grisly and barbarous fashion"[Solori 4]. The Laranians have since abandoned traditional missionary methods and have instead begun a violent 'crusade' against the tribesmen. Following "the ambush and massacre of a small party of knights in 717, the Laranians have become increasingly brutal, and the[ir] campaign has taken on genocidal aspects," abandoning even the pretext of conversion [Solori 4].A large number of Melderyni nobles and Laranian clerics have since expressed opposition to the Solori Crusade. In 718, the Laranian pontiff has even become involved, sending a permanent legate to the Laranian primate in Thay "in the hope that he would be able to expedite an end to the crusade" [Thay 8]. Although Kerthede of Talvail, the Laranian primate of Hârn and Grandmistress of the clerical order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow, is herself disturbed by the Crusade, she has so far taken no action to stop it.
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Page last updated: May 31, 2002 by James Chokey