Re: Pagan beliefs in Seshnela (Vogai)

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_ll2GrPCv9LlY8kZQFdIdt4l6eCLYdMHM689Fwr3uVc-3I8mzbmFJUHmkMUyZzSQbizIYC_q>
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:56:18 -0800


YGWV vesa.randelin wrote:

> Now that I've been planning my campaign in Vogai a bit more, this
> kind of a question came to my mind. So I was wondering is there how
> much pagan worshipping in Seshnela and especially in Vogai.

Start on page 52 of the HQ rule book to see my opinion.

My Big Friend and the "little saints" are both pagan cults found widely throughout the Seshnelan lands. These are both ancient and persistent, enemies of the authorities everywhere. But persistent enough to be in the core rulebook as religion in Seshnela.

> Seshna worshipping seems to be quite popular in that area as there is
> the holy place for her, Pichauve. But how the religious authorities
> see the Seshna worshipping there? Do the authorities try to remove
> the cult among the common folk, or is it acceptable in any way?

They try to remove it. Worship is not acceptable because it provides worship energy to alien entities who are the enemies of the Rokari Church. The authorities know that Seshna is the local entity that controls the Life Force, but there are superior methods to access that power than by feeding alien entities.

> Then the other paganic worshippings and traditions. Is it easy for
> some peasants to turn to worship a local spirit, or does the church
> watch the peasant caste so tightly that this kind of a spirit
> worshipping is very rare?

This varies from place to place, of course. But the commoners want to feed their family, and often take the practical way, as opposed to the formalities that are imposed by distant urban bishops. They know that those bushes over there yield more berries every autumn if they sacrifice a couple of rabbits each quarter, so where's the harm in that? The damned churchmen take more than their share of the berries anyway!

> But for example in a small village with a
> small church and probably with only one priest there it might be a
> tough task to guard the people this tight.

Yes. And if it is far enough out there the priest may only have a rudimentary understanding of the Rokari Way, and may even be illiterate and unable to formulate the proper method of worship. He's likely to be of peasant stock himself, and when asked for advice, may just tell the people to do what he learned to do, not even realizing it is not "proper Rokari practice."

> In my campaign I have added an old forest in Vogai, and inhabitants
> in this forrest are aldryami, who else? :). Then I added a small
> peasant village near that forest, so this made me really to think
> that the people of that village probably has something to do with
> that forest and maybe they secretly do sacrifices to the sprits of
> that forest.

I'd think that they do too. And when the representative from the local bishop comes and corrects them, they will stop. For as long as he is there. Then they will probably continue, perhaps in secret, because the aldryami are right there, and the bishop far, far away.

-- 

    Greg Stafford
    President, Issaries. Inc.

Love without reserve, 
Enjoy without restraint, 
Live without dead time.

    



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