scholarship of erenth

Worthy Cataris

Worthy Cataris was the daughter of a king and a martyr of the faith.

Born in the royal house of the King of Menea, Cataris was promised to a satrap of Southrun. Upon reaching the age of 16 she was taken from her home to the palace of the satrap, but would not consent to the wedding. Her spurned husband then begged her father to give him two years to try to change her mind. Cataris became the honored guest of the satrap and was given every luxury for the length of time he was granted. Until, at age 18, the satrap again proposed marriage. But this time when Cataris refused, he had her gagged and taken before a priest for marriage.

When the ceremony was concluded, the satrap intended to consummate his marriage, but Cataris kept him up all night with the relentless testimony concerning her faith. In the morning, angry beyond reason, the satrap called for her execution. For while Southrun is the land of 10,000 gods, he said that the God of the Church of Westrun was not one of them, and therefore the charge against her was to be heresy.

Upon the satraps order, Cataris underwent the three-fold tests of water, sand and fire. And when they were complete, Cataris lay dead.

The Moderasia of Treft

It is often observed that Treftans are an irreligious people, or if they have a religion, it is the worship of their own strange governance. This is because where citizens of other realms respond to the pealing of bells by attending churches, the Treftans go from assembly to assembly of their precious Senex. While it is true that the Plenipotentiary Democracy is greatly concerned with their political system, they are at least nominally observant members of the Church of Westrun. However, if there is something religiously unique to Treft it is their philosophy -- "Forge the mind; temper the body and guard the virtuous soul." To aid them in that end, the citizens of Treft frequently attend the Moderasia.

The Moderasia were once temples to the pagan god Moder, but have all been converted to combination of training hall, civic center, and private institutions of higher learning. While they are not run by the government, each neighborhood has its own Moderasium and each competes with the others in their organized contests that occur during the sunlit hours of the Day of the Satyr. These contests include a unique pairing of wrestling matches and organized debates. Each contestant is judged not only by his ability to prevail on the sand, but to win over the audience on a topic and position which is assigned at random.

The Moderasia are large rectangular buildings built around a center courtyard which is open to the sky and filled with carefully sifted sand. In this central training yard, the members strive against one another dressed only in their horsehair briefs.

Around the courtyard is a colunnade which opens into several smaller rooms. These include a pool and sauna which are attended by the naked Modesta -- unmarried women who are devoted to the care and training of those who attend that Moderasium. The other areas include an exercise room for calisthenics and a room full of stone weights for building strength. They also have the pit and pendulum for teaching balance. There is a small forum for debates and oratory. They boast a library and lectern where instructors can teach subjects like logic, history and moral philosophy. The Moderasium also typically has quiet rooms for meditation and breathing excercises, and finally, even a small chapel of the Church of Westrun.

While Moder the Even was revered as a figure of balance and restraint, recognized by his familiar, humble garb; the Treftan image of him saw him as a the quintessential athelete -- strong, agile and lean. His open hands posture is still taken by wrestlers before matches to ceremonially show that they are unarmed.

But this is only one image found in the Moderasia of Treft. The other is that of the master debater, the image of Moder dressed in toga and holding forth on one topic or another.

The third image common to the Moderasia is that of the devout and humble soul, surrounded by candles and burning incense. Because a Moderasium is believed to provide a trained mind and disciplined body, the spiritual benefit of tranquility is thought to follow.

Durges Stylys Broadside from Talir

Proclaimed from Talir, 5287ey

Hearken, all children of the True God, across Erenth!

For too long the Patriarchate has claimed authority over the priests, shepherds, and faithful, while hiding behind symbols and empty words. Canon 15 speaks clearly: the High Priest is the head, and all the church hierarchy, save the Patriarch himself, answer to him. I, Durges Stylys, elected by the conclave of Talir, am the only High Priest in all Westrun. Therefore, the specific authority of Canon 15, rightly understood, reside in me alone.

The Patriarch, as a figure of reverence, is symbolic. He may bless and speak, encourage and discourage, but he cannot command the clergy of the Church. From this day forth, the faithful and clerics alike must acknowledge that the High Priest is their lawful authority all organizational and juridical matters.

Let no Prefect, Shepherd, or Paladin doubt the authority given by God’s own will, expressed in Canon 15. The time of empty obedience to mistaken tradition is past. Rise faithful, and follow the true head of the Church. Will not miracles and fervor prove the truth?

By the will of God,

Durges Stylys, High Priest of the Church of Westrun

Toward Remonstration and Reconciliation: A Letter of the Patriarch of the Church of Westrun

To all the Faithful, their Clerics, the Holy Knights, the Holy Brothers and the Sacred Sisters, the Shepherds, the Noble Prefects:

It has come to our attention that certain teachings, advanced from some in the Kingdom of Talir, which has been the Stoutest Daughter of the Church, seek to distort the sacred hierarchy established by our holy Canons. Let it be clearly known and observed that Canon 15, the Stricture of Hierarchy, names the Patriarch as the ultimate spiritual authority of the Church of Westrun. Therefore, all the faithful, from serfs to princes, owe their spiritual fealty to the Patriarchate and must submit body and soul to the teachings and authority of the office.

Any assertion that a differentiated so-called High Priest may exercise the powers of the Patriarch is a corruption of the order given by Worthy Gamasiel the Founder and codified by his successor Worthy Cronos. We realize that such claims are not merely the idle pretensions of a prideful cleric, rather they threaten both the unity of the Church and the souls entrusted to our care.

Therefore, I, Philbert, Patriarch of the Church of Westrun, declare that all Clerics, Orders, and Faithful are to continue observing the canonical hierarchy: first Clerics, then Shepherds, then Prefects and ultimately, the Patriarch. Those who persist in undermining this sacred order shall answer for their words and deeds. Let all those charged with protecting the church remember: unity in obedience preserves the household of God.

This is written with mercy in mind and so that Restoration might occur. Let all who read this letter renew themselves to the constant teaching of the Church and repent of any errors. Those who do so will be restored and find themselves welcomed with open arms. Those who do not will be culpable.

By my hand and seal,

Philbert, Patriarch of the Church of Westrun and Father of all the Household of God

Nobles of Erenth: Jarls of Northrun

Nobles of Erenth: Sultans of Southrun

Sheikhs of the Khard

Nobles of Erenth: Satraps of Southrun

Nobles of Erenth: Pasha of Southrun

Nobles of Erenth: Dey of Southrun

Bey of the Khard

Nobles of Erenth: Huang Di of Eastrun

Wang of the Daizu

Kancho of the Hayao

Nobles of Erenth: Zhou Bo of Eastrun

Nobles of Erenth: Zhou Qing of Eastrun

Nobles of Erenth: Zhou Nan of Eastrun

Fung Lee

Lam

Luong

Nguyen

Pho

Tu Vo

Shunzhangliang of the Daizu

Kaisoku Daimyo of the Hayao

Nobles of Erenth: Princes of Westrun

Adrastos, Jared of Treft
Damaskos, Agon of All Westrun and the Free Provinces

Geldorf, Harold of Bolden

Gladfiolas, Danel of Saklan

Gregoras, Larcus of Rath

Ironspar, Argus of Balduren

Rigel, Alen of Collonia

Stylys, Durges of Talir

Wallace, Wilder of Menea

Nobles of Erenth: Dukes of Westrun

Adrastos, Jaeson

Beckreath, Olaf

Donizetto, Artus

Dragomis, Emphidamos

Fieldstone, Bertram

Havenar, Hoel

Henders, Gord

Howeworthy, Harlan

Landseer, Bedver

Lazeano, Abello

Melagari, Laelo

Palladio, Cranos

Palomas, Herag

Tarnblen, Jonn

Troelson, Gerrod

Waldron, Padrik

Wolfhagen, Uliver

Nobles of Erenth: Counts of Westrun

Agnolo, Maffeo

Astbeck, Landrew

Rochfort, Byram

Saverio, Illario

Sedlow, Morden

Woldard, Darun

Nobles of Erenth: Barons of Westrun

Akakios, Tanalis

Belfalas, Tomm

Bridlern, Beremun

Brihtborn, Howar

Brownfenton, Victor

Brudenell, Wymon

Casertia, Matteo

Colthyr, Norbert

Cosyng , Ferdis

Cullock, Cord

Darid, Landhaller

Davyrs, Winn

Draken, Valdomir

Ferrer , Fendrel

Fleet, Rafold

Flonest, Brom

Foronus, Gysborne

Garneys, Terrowin

Gaston, Beckley

Gennaro, Attagio

Geroy, Whytyng

Giudita, Satyros

Green, Garland

Gryond, Oleg

Gudfyr, Reece

Gudstead, Maddock

Guffey, Aldebourne

Haldemar, Grymbalde

Hanson, Burnell

Harless, Candoren

Harris, Abercrowl

Heltyr, Myles

Holigrove, Thaniel

Holiwud, Nerold

Hugo , Entsroran

Ihmel , Erminio

Illonmeer, Pavlos

Jarlshearth, Loluk

Jin, Chan

Kevalia, Kile

Kilyre, Colby

Kingsreeve, Tharis

Kolias, Storios

Ladislo, Rico

Lancebor , Eldon

Langkin, Baden

Maciner, Arion

Marsio, Marin

Menilos, Heribrand

Molyngs, Albertus

Narciso , Enzo

Notfelde, Timot

Oldscaner, Thorg

Panfilo , Elaccio

Plodden, Willard

Qarn, Hasu

Redmarn, Malin

Rikard, Hasard

Roellod, Aelmer

Sabretooth , Felldrik

Sasso, Labarre

Sedley, Jasse

Silbarer , Ektor

Sodleif , Erdorn

Stevyns, Santos

Sutkin, Marvin

Talinfur , Felix

Tamurok, Barris

Theobauld, Theon

Thyteris, Thyterion

Troldeffen, Normener

Umfre, Ulric

Ungoln, Onkur

Velascari, Alanze

Viotti , Federico

Viridis, Vanno

Volanderi, Antomo

Wirerforis, Wardin

Xernes, Xerneos

Ymurloft , Einur

Zhang, Ling

Index of the Deities & Demigods

CREATOR

Ere All

PRIMOGENITORS

The lords of the Besnir were Aenire who came to Erenth in service of the Ere All, but were deceived into doing the work of the enemy, Agelleas. And yet their work was redeemed and they became great forces for good.

and the Betrayer himself,

Agellas

However false the many other "gods" were in respect to divinity, they were very much true and powerful in their ascendance. Prideful beings were they, in that they desired recognition and acclaim more than anything, and peculiar were they in that the more they received, the greater their power became.

PRETENDERS
The Pretenders were those beings which came to Erenth from their original plane of existence, and finding it peopled by lesser mortals, set themselves up as rulers and kings. While not immortal, the Pretenders were nonetheless very long lived, and would have persisted for centuries.

It is believed by some that they rode a fiery chariot which crashed into the Ramparts. Others say that they were born along by the lightning of a storm which swept through many worlds. Still others say that they were brought here by a collision between this world and theirs. The last theory is that some magic of the Elves or Dragons pulled them into our world, perhaps even separately.

And the unmet Prince who is invoked to move Heimos

Brand the Suffering

VASTIRAH
The Vastirah are those who would have been of mixed Erenthean and extra-planar blood. These became the patrons and patronesses of cities and tribes.

To this order of demigods belongs the rest of the Westrun Decadon -- the Faith of the Ten Divines who were born of Heimos and the human women he took to wife.

Along with the Southrun demigods:

The brothers Amir and Bhamut, born of Umirra and the Marida
Sekhat (f)

And the Giant God:

Jendul

In Eastrun

Jen Shu the Conquerer

In Southrun

AENIREDE

The Aenirede were the Aenir who came to Erenth in judgement of the Vyrum Empire and this includes their lesser children, the Titans, all of whom have sacrificed their first estate and must now remain on Erenth.

Their offspring the Titans

DEMIGODS

The demigods were old powers who came to Erenth as Aeniresa and some became Agathinon (raging spirits with physical bodies) or had offspring such as the foul and fair Nefilnir, and these were worshipped as gods.

In Northrun

Terraq

In Southrun

In Eastrun

In Westrun

HEROES
Finally, the heroes were the offspring of demigods and other mortals. They were men and women of renown who made names for themselves among their tribes and nations. Some of these are legends and not known if they actually exist.

Zest the Enduring

Zest was once the a great tribal god of the Nandi, remembered for his laughter, his booming horn, and his boundless vigor. Even after the rise of Heimos, his cult remained too beloved to fade, and so it was taken into the fold of the Grand Temple. To this day he is honored in festivals, hunts, and games, where the people seek to embody his liveliness and zeal.

Zest is always depicted as a broad-shouldered warrior with flowing red hair and beard, his body marked with painted swirls and stripes of blue, as if he were always ready for battle or feast alike. He carries a great horn from which he drinks and through which he calls his followers to joy. His countenance is open, exuberant, and fierce, embodying life at its fullest pitch.

Zest fathered the gods Bolid and Bohst through two different mortal women, each embodying aspects of his restless and passionate nature. His laughter is said to echo in the crack of thunder, and his breath in the roar of horns at war. The Nandi told that when their people were beset by famine, Zest struck the ground with his fist, and from the earth burst mead, grain, and cattle.

Though his wildness sometimes angered other gods, it was his vitality that secured his place in the Grand Temple. He was seen as the force that keeps mortals from despair, even in the darkest of times. Zest’s rites were loud and communal, celebrated with drinking, music, and contests of strength. Horns and drums were sacred to him, and his sacrifices were always followed by shared feasts. His festivals often blended with seasonal rites, celebrating planting, harvest, or victory.

While originally tribal, Zest was given a place among the greater pantheon as the divine spark of vitality. Priests of the Grand Temple often invoked his name at the beginning of rituals, for they said that no work of worship should be performed without joy.

Zariel the Golden

Zariel the Golden is the son of Amir. He is also said to be the god who bears the sun and stars across the heavens. His golden chariot, drawn by steeds of fire, is said to drag the very orbs of light through the firmament, bringing dawn and twilight in his passage. The common name “Zariel” is used in hymns and prayers, while “Sustarre” is the older and more mystical epithet, whispered in rites of divination and celestial augury.

He is depicted as a radiant man crowned in solar rays, clad in golden robes that blaze like a thousand torches. His eyes are said to burn with the light of morning, though many legends hold that those who look too long upon him are struck blind. In Southrun, his cult associates him with the discipline of astronomy and the fixed order of the stars.

Zariel is the upholder of cosmic order. Just as the stars turn in their endless cycles, so too must mortals honor the turning of seasons, the keeping of law, and the fulfillment of appointed times. His priests teach that light reveals truth, that no oath sworn beneath the sun may be hidden, and that his presence watches over every laborer beneath the day’s sky.

Shrines to Zariel are built with great open roofs, designed to catch both the sun’s rays by day and the sweep of stars by night. Fire is his sacred element, kept perpetually burning upon his altars. His festivals fall at solstices and equinoxes, where celebrants greet dawn with trumpets and mirrored shields to catch and scatter his light.

When the gods sought to bind the heavens into order, it was Zariel who volunteered to drag them unceasingly across the sky, lest chaos return.

Some tell that he is twin to Utunos, the chained god of the sun, though others dispute this, saying that Utunos drags by brute strength what Zariel commands by divine majesty.

Mortal kings often claim patronage of Zariel, styling themselves “sons of the sun,” but his devotees know that no man, however great, may rival the charioteer of heaven.

In tales of heroes, Zariel is invoked as a guide through the wilderness, for he marks the way by sun by day and stars by night. In some myths, he has been known to lend his fiery steeds to mortal champions for a single ride—always at a terrible cost, for no human flesh can endure their flames.

Yomal

Yomal shaped the Hoflin to love the soil -- they had no peer in planting and growing.

Being Aenire, one of the radiant host of the Ere All, Yomal was a being of vast spiritual presence and grace. In the early days of Erenth, she was deceived, along with her kin, into shaping life upon the world. To breathe being into her creation, she relinquished her divine essence, giving up her ability to take physical form. In this sacrifice, she bound herself forever to her chosen people—the Halflings.

From her essence were they born, marked by her love of soil, hearth, and harvest. Yomal imbued them with an affection for growing things, the joy of shared meals, and the patience of steady labor. Unlike the creations of some of her peers, the Halflings bore no lust for conquest or hunger for power. Instead, they carried a quiet strength rooted in the land, living close to the rhythm of the earth.

Though her spirit could no longer walk in flesh, Yomal endures as a presence felt in tilled fields, in seed sown with care, and in the laughter of halfling homes. To her children, she is a distant yet ever-near mother, whose blessing ensures that their smallness is not weakness, but a gift of humility and resilience.

At the coming of the 8th Age, Yomal will be reunited to all her people in bodily form and live together with them in Yomenth, a world built for her and hers.

Zaranath the Slumberer

Zaranath was an Agathinon who surrendered its estate as Aenir to live upon Erenth. Greatly diminished in strength, it has become a cross between an island and a massive turtle. Nearly mindless, it once raged until tamed by Oshuron the Titan, who now lives in a massive temple located on its back.

Zaranath spends most of its time in slumber, unless roused for some rare purpose by Oshuron.

Zaranath is the mother of all the Zaratani-- the living islands, which it births as eggs. Similar to their mother, and gargantuan in their own right, the Zaratani will nonetheless grow to be only half her size.

Worthy Ulric

Worthy Ulric, the most recent Patriarch of Westrun, was celebrated for his unwavering devotion to the faithful and his rare willingness to bridge the gap between the Church and the Continuum. Loved by the common people, he was known for personal acts of mercy and kindness, frequently walking among the poor and offering guidance, solace, and blessings.

Ulric’s most selfless act, however, was his sacrifice to ensure the resurrection of the faithful fallen adventurers. In doing so, he cemented his reputation as a Patriarch who lived and died wholly for the service of others. Even among clerics and nobility, he was remembered less for ceremonial authority and more for the tangible compassion he demonstrated to all who sought aid. His legacy endures in tales of mercy, courage, and the rare but profound moments when divine intervention takes human form.

Worthy Planos

Worthy Planos I, the first Patriarch elected after Gamasiel, was a humble and unassuming man, known to the faithful simply as Father. He downplayed the grandeur of the High Priesthood, shunning ostentation in favor of accessibility. Planos’ exceptional education, mastery of multiple languages, and informal demeanor endeared him to common folk and pilgrims alike.

By personal example rather than ceremony, Planos spread the teachings of the Church of Westrun farther than any successor, emphasizing service, compassion, and the quiet dignity of humble leadership. His enduring influence persists in traditions of pastoral care, public instruction, and charitable works throughout Westrun.

Worthy Jerebola

Worthy Jerebola, known as the Compassionate, was a hermitess of Sakish royal blood during the reign of High King Hareld of Westrun. Forsaking her riches, she lived in a mountain cave in the manner of Hierophants, offering guidance and comfort to pilgrims of the Church of Westrun. Though a half-elf among humans, her rare title of Worthy reflects her extraordinary virtue and the deep influence she held even over Patriarchs Planos II the Silent and Cronos II the Short.

Her followers continue to revere her teachings of mercy, patience, and the moral power of compassion. Many seek her hermitage still, though few are ever granted audience.