History of Religion

While the gods of Eälendspar are very real and relevant to the lives of most people, how they are worshiped differs wildly across the continents. The proto-elves revered them, but during the time of the elven empire respect for them dwindled. They were absolutely seen as powerful forces to be prayed to, and the church was a powerful body, but the hubris of the elves meant the most powerful lords and mages openly considered themselves more important than the gods. Religious fundamentalists worshipping the light god eventually challenged this belief in massive civil war. Humans when they existed were more awed by the gods, and the modern half elves retain much of this feature. The dwarves are generally the most respectful of the gods, and the least tolerant of mortal ambition. In the modern era Many elves have move their spiritual guidance away from the gods. The gods are still important, but they are characters not the source of moral authority. The relative importance of various gods, and the proper rituals to venerate them, or even their names, are contested by others who do believe in the gods. After the druids themselves and the dwarves, religion is most important on a day to day level for the thorn elves, where it is the glue that holds together what would otherwise be a dystopic anarchy. The salt elves and sand elves also treat the gods more as characters, but are reliant on their priesthood for their livelihood. The elves of the old continent have much more dogmatic religion, though the broken elves still claim the pride of the empire. In the cities the pride is reduced, though sometimes it is replaced by civil pride, other times by religious fervor. The new men of course place their god as the most important, and for various reason their government is the most religious of any but the dwarves.