Aran
Arathina is a trinity goddess that belongs to her own pantheon. Other gods may exist but the difference between them and her is the difference between us and these ‘gods’. Born of the Pure Light (Fey) and Shadow in the world, she gave birth to all of existence. When she first made this world though, the Fey and the Shadow were in conflict, unable to flourish as long as it was fighting itself. So, Arathina split the world into the Feywild, the Shadowfell, and the Meeting Place. The three aspects of her godhood each match one of these worlds. Eifa rules over the Feywilds while Varna watches over the Shadowfell. Metra, the negotiator lives between them in the Meeting Place. These three aspects rule the world and dictate all that was, is, and will be.
Structure
Temples to Arathina are decentralized, but they all follow the same book. Bentil a Arathina or in Common, The Words of Arathina. Temples to Arathina are neatly split into Mouth of Eifa and Varna, with the most senior priest from each taking on the role of Mouth of Metra. Members take a vow to an order whenever they reach adulthood. Eifan Mouths believe in participating in the beauty of creation. They are bards and academics who worship through creation. Varnan Mouths on the other hand believe in the sanctity of destruction. Only through the judgment of Varna can creation prove its merit of existence. The Mouths of Metra live to balance this cycle. They send Varnans to destroy the works improperly made and inspire Eifans to continue to create despite past failures.
Assets
Aran is one of the largest religions in the world. With its largest sphere of influence in Meperian;Metrinia, it also finds followers in the Feywild and Shadowfell. The larger temples can find resources anywhere even the smaller ones can use their name recognition to garner influence.
History
Aran belief started during
Demography and Population
Aran is one of the largest religions in the world. Originating in Mepherian, it has historical ties to elves (although temples can be found throughout most of the world). The exact amount of people who are involved is a hard to track metric due to the lack of organizational model, but roughly 10% of the population follows some sect of Aran.
Divine Origins
At the start of the era, proto-Aran scholars delved deep into the magic of the world. They were visited by Metra, who helped them write Bentil a Arathina, the holy text of Aran. Aran scholars had a large influence in Mepherian politics, and the religion spread quickly throughout their borders. As Mepherian slowly became a cultural capitol of the world, Aran slowly spread around the world. Nowadays, you can find an Aran temple in every major city.
Tenets of Faith
Arans believe in maintaining the balance between the Fey and Shadow.
The Fey is the act of creation. The Fey is divine and is held within each person.
Opposing the Fey is the Shadow, the act of negation. The Shadow is divine and is what allows the Fey to thrive. Without the Shadow, the Fey would have no meaning.
Balancing these two is the act each of us choose every day.
Sects
Although acolytes represent a specific aspect, they do still believe that each part is important. Some sects, however, believe that only one of the aspects is worth worshipping. These sects are referred to as Acolytes to their ‘god’. An Acolyte to Eifa might believe in unfettered creation, while an Acolyte to Varna may believe in the quiet stillness of pure Shadow. Acolytes to Metra are less common but some do believe that Metra is the true god and Eifa and Varna are simply her agents.
Drow are another sect of Aran faith. They believe in a fourth aspect, Lolth the Avenger. Lolth is the final check who lives in secrecy. She enacts the wills of each of the aspects, working for no one but making sure that each action is in line with Arathina’s will. They are branded as heretical by most other Arans and sit primarily in Lolth’s given realm, The Underdark, which stretches beneath each of the realms connecting them.
Drow are another sect of Aran faith. They believe in a fourth aspect, Lolth the Avenger. Lolth is the final check who lives in secrecy. She enacts the wills of each of the aspects, working for no one but making sure that each action is in line with Arathina’s will. They are branded as heretical by most other Arans and sit primarily in Lolth’s given realm, The Underdark, which stretches beneath each of the realms connecting them.
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