The Ternion Roots

An Ancient Faith

  The Ternion Roots, or Roots for short, is a religion that is far older than other faiths. It is also a faith that sees little participation in the general population. The vast majority of the adherents are Dragonborn in the Dominion or other "short lived" regions and True Dragons. Since True Dragons tend to distance themselves from the other, more short-lived species, it is not surprising that the faith has fallen out of practice. Dragonborn usually try to conceal the practice, as some of those who hold to the Shenaim 'Ahsir see it as a false religion set by the Dragons to undermine proper and true belief. The draconic deities depicted in the faith are each said to hold dominion and act as lynchpin for a core aspect of reality, hence the monicor, The Roots. There are three deities apart of the pantheon, each unique in how they interact with practitioners and the world. Knowledge is scarce on them but there are some scholarly sources that give some shape to them.  

The Foundation or Themelion

  The first is mostly referred to by The Foundation. Its true name is Themelion, but few are alive that would even know that name or the names of any of The Roots. The Foundation is known as the lynchpin of reality itself; holding the source of space, matter, and time. If sources are to be believed, The Foundation is responsible for creating the very basic blocks of the world. This seems strange for many modern scholars, whose only reference to something like this is the gods of the Shenaim 'Ahsir. Those gods and goddesses have domain that are far more narrow and abstract, making something like this seem like a religious argument by Dragon kin to explain an otherwise natural phenomenon. Few are brave enough to suggest such a thing in the presence of a practitioner. The Foundation can have one of two holy symbols associated with it's worship; the first is a triangular symbol that depicts a tree growing up from the ground but the ground is a long, snake-like dragon coiling beneath it, making up the ground itself, and the other is a generic Ternion Roots symbol, which is a tree with three large roots that end in dragon heads, but the left most root is larger and more defined as a dragon. Clerics who draw power from The Foundation usually are part of the Arcane or Light Domains, though clerics of other domains have drawn wisdom from it as well.  

The Essence or Ruhan

  The second is named Ruhan, but is mostly known by The Essence. The consensus is that The Essence is responsible for the creation of the incorporeal spirit and the very magic system that innervates the world. Some clerics of Thanriel have issues with this, claiming that their deity, since it has ultimate dominion over the souls in death, is also responsible for the souls creation. This is purely speculative and debated rigorously at a scholarly level. A major contention is that souls will naturally travel to a domain held by a god who they followed, either intentional or unintentional. No near or post-death experience has ever given any credence to the idea of The Essence holds this kind of position. But clerics and paladins have, in the past, drawn power from this idea. The holy symbols are twofold; the first is a Ternion Roots symbol that depicts the middle dragon head to be more detailed and larger, the second is a triangular symbol that depicts a roaring fire with a dragon at its heart. Domains clerics partake in are likely to be Light, Life, Twilight ,Death, or Arcane.  

The Duality or Duanomos

  This branch of The Roots is far more debated and discussed. The documents available point to two actual deities that work in either in tandem or opposition, no is quite sure. While there seems to be some consensus on each of the two deities and what their domains might be, those sources don't date back as far as some high level scholars would like. One such scholar in El-Rapha, Headmaster Solemn Rohm, said this is regards to the topic:   "200 years ago when I founded my academy, these (documents) were freshly uncovered. Over a century earlier, as a child, I barely heard any of these deities; it all just seems too new. I'm not saying that these gods are not real or that these elements do not hold some religious or historical weight. What I am saying is that our manuscript and artifact data for the other members of the Ternion Pantheon are far more robust numerically and historically speaking."   What is known of The Duality, which is a title rarely used by modern practitioners, is the deities center around the day/night cycle for some purpose; one is referred to as The Daybreak and the other is called The Midnight. The other Ternion Roots, whilst observed by mostly dragonborn or dragon kin, have a wider array of ancillary practitioners. but The MIdnight and Daybreak's respective following seem to divide down very specific lines. Chromatic dragons are more likely to venerate The Midnight and Metallic dragons tend to worship The Daybreak. Dragonborn do not follow this trend strictly, but Chromatics tend to slightly favor The Midnight over The Daybreak. Each deity has its own domains and particularities, as outlined below.   * The Daybreak, generally followed by lawful or good natured practitioners, would seem to have elements that foster more cooperation between the draconic and non-draconic species. From directives like "Build Bridges" to "Deny The Self", it is clear why Metallic dragons would flock to this side of the spectrum. It's holy symbol is a circular pendant, depicted with a dawn breaking over a horizon. Clerics are rare for this deity and do not regularly reach high levels of wisdom, but if they were draw power to a specific domain, it would be Light or Life.   * The Midnight, as a foil to Daybreak, is popular with Chromatic dragons and dragonborn who are more morally compromised, though that is not always the case. While The Midnight does call for more instinctive directives such as "Overcome by Strength" and "No Hesitation", it does not call for division among races. The tennents seem, from a scholarly perspective, like the first instincts of a predator. Due to the aggressive nature of the sect, little first hand experience has been recorded. It's holy symbol appears to be a circular pendant, with a depiction of the crescent moon and a dragon's eye in the negative space of the moon.   Research is still ongoing for all aspects of the Ternion Roots.