The main Illiadian religions acknowledge and revere four major deities and many minor deities, all of which have divine, noble titles. Interestingly, none of them are straight-up evil, and all of them are acknowledged in all religions, though not necessarily worshiped. These gods have had a hand in the creation of the Illiadian Multiverse, making them very close to the Primordials of ancient Sancstoryl, but with a much more benevolent personality. Active and zealous worship for many of the more minor deities, besides the four major deities and a handful of the minor deities, isn't exactly something that many Illiadians on Sancstoryl do in the modern day. However, many of these minor deities, called the Holy Grand Counts, are still acknowledged in a similar manner to saints and the like, and tend to have their own speakers (small-time clerics) and small shrines in Arizeas, the Illiadian Churches. Most people also pray to them for their respective aspects and domains, with only a very few worshiping one of them as their primary deity.
The main Illiadian Religions are Merikiraism and Rencalism, the latter of which is divided into Reformed Rencalism (worshipers are mostly city-dwellers, Arrash and Mikaru) and Shamanistic Rencalism (which is practiced by tribal Ree-Mai and Villagers near the outskirts of civilizations). All three religions give tribute to the four major deities in some form, but differ on some key aspects; Rencalism mostly centers around the Deities Rencal Kei-Rhai, Sh'ther Kei-Sihr and The Golden Scribe, while Merikiraism is mostly concerned with Merikira te Ruvea, the mother goddess of Illiadian Dragonkind. Thus, Merikiraism is mostly only common among the surviving Dorro, as well as Dragonborn and other Dragonfolk that are descended from Illiadian dragons.
The Holy Grand Counts, the minor deities of Illiad, are acknowledged by all religions as the servants, as well as the younger siblings, of the four major gods. The speakers, clerics that serve them directly, also happen to either be Rencalist or Merikiraist. There are also many minor cults that go against official doctrine. As long as they don't turn harmful, they're mostly tolerated. Despite this, there's some malevolent cults that worship the more unsavory aspects of the Duke of Shadows, Sh'ther. Also worth noting is that the official churches of Rencalism and Merikiraism discourage worship by people with no Illiadian heritage; the Idea is that the Illiadian deities don't want to tear people from other worlds away from their own gods. Nonetheless, it's not explicitely forbidden, and worshipers of Illiadian deities with a Sancstorylian background are expected to also still worship at least one deity that is native to Sancstoryl, and to hold onto that faith. In turn, Illiadians may also praise and worship non-Illiadian deities, as long as they also hold onto their native faiths.
An interesting fact that some scholars of Illiadology noted is that the deities of Illiad function vastly different from the deities of Sanctstoryl, due to the fact that they don't need worship to sustain themselves or their divinity. This is one of the reasons they can afford discouraging worship by non Illiadians. Another interesting factor is that, like mortals, the Illiadian deities are noted to constantly change, learn and adapt. This is due to, instead of encompassing the entirety of their aspects and domains like the rather static Sancstorylian gods, the Illiadian deities merely act as representatives and rulers of concepts, ideas and their aspects.
There's a theory that seems to explain a part of why the Deities of Illiad may not require worship and why they change so often, namely that they were once mortals who ascended to godhood, from a world that has long since ceased to exist. However, this rumor remains unproven, as even the Illiadian deities have no memory of a prior existence.
Even though the Illiadian deities have been completely cut off from Sancstoryl during The Great Wasting, 2100 years ago, worshiping them may still grant boons and divine magic to their worshipers, due to the unique properties of Sancstoryl that allows them to gain magic through faith alone. These abilities are much different from the divine Ena-based abilities the Illiadian deities used to be able to give out freely, but many Illiadians have accepted this as a good, "temporary" alternative... If their gods may not be able to hear them, then at least their faith in them can guide them.
The main Illiadian Religions are Merikiraism and Rencalism, the latter of which is divided into Reformed Rencalism (worshipers are mostly city-dwellers, Arrash and Mikaru) and Shamanistic Rencalism (which is practiced by tribal Ree-Mai and Villagers near the outskirts of civilizations). All three religions give tribute to the four major deities in some form, but differ on some key aspects; Rencalism mostly centers around the Deities Rencal Kei-Rhai, Sh'ther Kei-Sihr and The Golden Scribe, while Merikiraism is mostly concerned with Merikira te Ruvea, the mother goddess of Illiadian Dragonkind. Thus, Merikiraism is mostly only common among the surviving Dorro, as well as Dragonborn and other Dragonfolk that are descended from Illiadian dragons.
The Holy Grand Counts, the minor deities of Illiad, are acknowledged by all religions as the servants, as well as the younger siblings, of the four major gods. The speakers, clerics that serve them directly, also happen to either be Rencalist or Merikiraist. There are also many minor cults that go against official doctrine. As long as they don't turn harmful, they're mostly tolerated. Despite this, there's some malevolent cults that worship the more unsavory aspects of the Duke of Shadows, Sh'ther. Also worth noting is that the official churches of Rencalism and Merikiraism discourage worship by people with no Illiadian heritage; the Idea is that the Illiadian deities don't want to tear people from other worlds away from their own gods. Nonetheless, it's not explicitely forbidden, and worshipers of Illiadian deities with a Sancstorylian background are expected to also still worship at least one deity that is native to Sancstoryl, and to hold onto that faith. In turn, Illiadians may also praise and worship non-Illiadian deities, as long as they also hold onto their native faiths.
An interesting fact that some scholars of Illiadology noted is that the deities of Illiad function vastly different from the deities of Sanctstoryl, due to the fact that they don't need worship to sustain themselves or their divinity. This is one of the reasons they can afford discouraging worship by non Illiadians. Another interesting factor is that, like mortals, the Illiadian deities are noted to constantly change, learn and adapt. This is due to, instead of encompassing the entirety of their aspects and domains like the rather static Sancstorylian gods, the Illiadian deities merely act as representatives and rulers of concepts, ideas and their aspects.
There's a theory that seems to explain a part of why the Deities of Illiad may not require worship and why they change so often, namely that they were once mortals who ascended to godhood, from a world that has long since ceased to exist. However, this rumor remains unproven, as even the Illiadian deities have no memory of a prior existence.
Even though the Illiadian deities have been completely cut off from Sancstoryl during The Great Wasting, 2100 years ago, worshiping them may still grant boons and divine magic to their worshipers, due to the unique properties of Sancstoryl that allows them to gain magic through faith alone. These abilities are much different from the divine Ena-based abilities the Illiadian deities used to be able to give out freely, but many Illiadians have accepted this as a good, "temporary" alternative... If their gods may not be able to hear them, then at least their faith in them can guide them.
Because the Illiadian deities can no longer personally interact with their worshipers, an Illiadian high-level clerics' Divine Intervention ability often only takes on the form of miracles, rather than proper divine intervention, as with Sancstorylian deities.