The Breath of Creation

The Asgorathian Faith follows a structured hierarchy designed to guide and nurture the spiritual journey of its followers. The structure is as follows:   Breathweaver Prime: The highest authority and spiritual leader of the entire faith. The Breathweaver Prime is responsible for overseeing the faith's doctrines, rituals, and major decisions. They serve as the primary liaison between the divine breath of Asgorath and the worshippers.   Breathweavers: These are spiritual leaders who guide individual congregations and oversee local rituals. Breathweavers serve as mentors and teachers, interpreting Asgorath's teachings for their community. They facilitate the Breath of Communion and other important ceremonies.   Scalewardens: Charged with the protection of sacred sites, such as open-air shrines and areas significant to the faith. Scalewardens ensure the safety and sanctity of these locations, where worshippers connect with the divine breath. They may also act as keepers of historical and sacred artifacts.   Initiates: Those newly introduced to the Asgorathian Faith. Initiates receive basic teachings, participate in rituals, and are bestowed with a dragon scale symbolizing their commitment to the World Shaper's path.   This structured hierarchy allows for effective guidance, education, and the preservation of the faith's principles. The Breathweavers, in particular, play a vital role in fostering spiritual growth and community cohesion among the worshippers of the Breath of Creation.

The public agenda of the Asgorathian Faith, the Breath of Creation, is a testament to its commitment to harmony, unity, and environmental stewardship. Advocating for the celebration of diversity, the faith encourages understanding and respect for all forms of life shaped by Asgorath. Environmental stewardship takes center stage as followers actively engage in the protection and preservation of natural landscapes, recognizing the sanctity of the world crafted by the World Shaper. Inclusivity is a core principle, inviting individuals of diverse races and alignments to find common ground in their reverence for Asgorath. Through active participation in rituals, such as the Breath of Communion, worshippers seek to align themselves with the cyclical nature of creation. Initiatives involving dragon scales symbolize divine connection, and educational outreach aims to spread teachings on the interconnectedness of all life. The Asgorathian Faith's public agenda strives to create a world where harmony, community, and environmental responsibility are woven into the fabric of existence.

The history of the Asgorathian Faith in Geldora is deeply intertwined with the very fabric of creation itself. In the early days, as the primordials shaped the multiverse, Asgorath, the dragon deity of creation, played a pivotal role. It is said that Asgorath's breath gave life to dragonkind and orchestrated the destinies of all dragons, subtly guiding their paths.   As the mortal races emerged, the teachings of Asgorath found resonance among dragons and various humanoid communities. The concept of the Breath of Creation spread, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life and the cyclical nature of existence. Dragon scales, believed to carry the essence of Asgorath's divine breath, became symbols of reverence and connection.   The faith's history also saw moments of unity and collaboration among beings of different alignments and races under the banner of Asgorath. While the world witnessed conflicts and upheavals, the Asgorathian Faith remained a beacon of harmony, encouraging worshippers to find common cause in the divine breath that sustains all.   Over the ages, the Breath of Creation established open-air shrines in various terrains, from deserts to mountain peaks, embodying the faith's connection to the natural world. Breathweavers, the spiritual leaders, guided communities in their worship, fostering a sense of unity and environmental stewardship.   In times of turmoil, the Asgorathian Faith often played a role in mediating conflicts and promoting understanding. Its teachings served as a source of solace and inspiration, emphasizing the cyclical renewal found in the divine breath of Asgorath.   The history of the Asgorathian Faith in Geldora is a tale of reverence for creation, unity in diversity, and a commitment to preserving the delicate balance of the world. As worshippers continue to breathe in the essence of Asgorath, the Breath of Creation remains a guiding force, shaping the spiritual landscape of Geldora.

Creation of the Universe: Many ages ago a primordial called "Asgoroth the World Shaper" was released by Ao into the universe from his bosom, and she an enormous dragon, mighty and fearsome to behold. Ao lay with her before he departed to another plane, and for an age she developed in her an egg. When its time came she lay it into nothingness, and when it hatched from it emerged Orben and all the other worlds and all the cosmos. Every every world in the universe bears at its heart a child of Asgoroth who keeps the world alive, and from this child springs the race of dragons to all of them, and when the child dies, its world dies.   Thus does Asgorath seek to preserve where she can her children while she remains aloof, daring not to interfere in their growth or their struggles.   Migration of the Dragons: A long time ago before the first Elf or Man had breathed its first breath, Dragons ruled over a lush green continent called Yaraleth. Here they fought always, and would tear into one another out of hatred, for though some of them were good; still more were evil, and none would suffer the other to live. When at last the dragons came to a war which would end all wars, and indeed the whole of their kind, Asgorath descended, not in her full glory for she was too large, but only as the topmost tips of the spines at the end of her tail. It shown as polished metal, but iridescent in all colors, and stabbed between the warriors as a wall of peace. Then, with a thrust that might have rent the world had she wished it, Asgorath's tail swung northward, separating from the evil dragons the good, and hurled forth were they on a gust the likes of which Orban had never before seen. And so it was that the good dragons went north to Gwathia, where they stayed for fear of Asgorath's rage should they return; yet the evil dragon host remained south, and fought among itself.

Dragons are the First People, and also the rightful Lords of all. Dragons have power second only to the gods, which they afford only out of respectful deference. All glory, honor, and power belong to the mightiest race Orben has ever begotten.   Care only for Dragons and other Draconic creatures, that they may live forever in the world. Serve Dragons should they need your aid, or else slay them when they betray their entire race.   Feuds between Dragons are beyond the comprehension or authority of any mere mortal, but should such a conflict escalate, one must put an end to it, and maintain balance between all things, lest Orben itself be destroyed, and with it all of the accumulated knowledge and power of the Dragons, which is beyond measure.

Rites and Duties Asgorath's rituals involve the blending of many things in a whole, reflecting Asgorath's own nature. One common ritual involves drinking wine with a drop of blood from each participant dissolved in it.   Prayers to Asgorath prayers have a deep resonating quality that pleasantly reverberates throughout the entire body and invigorates the follower. One often-used supplication is “Asgorath, Swallower of Shades, shine in the face of your servant.” Among half-dragons, prayers are more like questions: “Why, though I walk with you, are my steps in darkness?” Although Asgorath never answers prayers, she always listens to them.   Asgorath’s followers are tasked with seemingly random quests, such as “Decrease the hoard of by one-quarter” or “Fortify influence over this region.” Asgorath rarely offers an explanation for her assignments, but expects every follower to trust her impartiality. Half-dragon followers of Asgorath seek acceptance and inner peace in the god’s boundless love for her children. A typical quest involves finding other half-dragons and revealing Asgorath’s love to them. Locating or consecrating a shrine—sometimes in hostile territory—is a common mission for clerics of Asgorath. Sometimes a follower must journey to the lair of a wyrm or older true dragon, face the dweller, and return with a piece of long-forgotten lore.   Temples Asgorath has few temples. Shrines built in Asgorath's honor usually take the form of open-air constructions surrounded by pillars and topped with domes. These shrines are placed in open terrain -- the middle of a desert, the center of a valley, atop the peak of a mountain, or on a vast, treeless plain

Asgorath has even fewer clerics or shrines than most other deities, since her outlook is so broad and all-encompassing. Still, even the most devoted cleric of other gods pay at least a modicum of homage to the Ninefold Dragon. She also occasionally finds clerics or adepts among the reptilian races, such as lizardfolk and troglodytes. Her clerics are few, and they have no established dogma. Each individual has their own way of paying homage to the creator of his kind.  

If you wish to become clergy of this god, take these as your vows—if you violate them you lose any moves, spells, and any other benefits granted by this god until you atone. Draconic Pride (Forbidden: Insulting, besmirching, or ridiculing any dragon for any reason) Draconic Might (Forbidden: Suffering one who has slain a dragon to live) Draconic Glory (Forbidden: Allowing memory of the Dragons to fade, or allowing fear of their might and power to wane)

  Hierarchy Clerics of Asgorath have no hierarchy; each interprets the World-Shaper differently, worshiping him in one of his many aspects. Red dragons worship him as an evil being, while gold dragons revere him as a paragon of good. Candidates for Asgorath’s clergy embark on an introspective journey to rid themselves of every judgmental impulse that colors their opinion of the world. They do so in the hope of one day perceiving all creatures and events with true objectivity. Many candidates never succeed in this endeavor, even after a lifetime of soul-searching. Asgorath counts no faiths among her enemies, knowing the value of neutrality in one’s outlook. Even those of greatly varying alignment can find common cause under the banner of the Ninefold Dragon.   Half-dragons who chose to become clerics of Asgorath are usually ascetic priests, while kobolds who worship Asgorath seek to challenge their own racial preconceptions, trying to judge members of other races, even their hated foes, with objectivity.   Vestments Priests of Asgaroth tend not to reveal themselves with many public displays of worship, but may hide on there person the god's holy symbol. In private rituals, priests wear armored robes with a single narrow train, like a long tail. All clothing for these ceremonies is iridescent, and polished to a reflective sheen.