Although the gods do not frequently interact with the world of mortals, their temples flourish. The efforts of the faithful picked up by those rare times that the gods do intercede. The priests of Orizon serve in honest faith and act to serve the interests of the gods as best they are able. Even if they may not possess divine magic, they rarely need it, seeking only a trickle of power from the gods to better meet the needs of the people they intercede with the gods for.
Because the gods rarely intercede with mortals directly and have taken little time to have their dictates transcribed, there are numerous sects devoted to the various gods. Each sect chooses to worship their deity in their way, some are similar, others are wildly different. So long as the worshippers are faithful and do not act in opposition to the god’s will, the gods have been generally content to let people worship as they please. Though, should a cleric of a god choose to intercede this can cause tension. Should another sect interfere, it could even spark a full-blown holy war over the different interpretations of snippets of a god’s words and deeds. These situations of the delights of demons like Borst and if they spill over too far can even prompt genuine intervention from the gods.
Though most of the members of the priesthood venerate a specific deity above others, they eventually come to hold each god in their hearts and come to understand at least a general idea of the role that each god and their aspect fills in the world to better aid the faithful that comes to them. Though, typically there are multiple priests in the various temples, enough that they can direct any questions people may have to those that can better provide answers and aid.
The temples of Orizon do not have a formal schedule, unlike some religions, they do not meet weekly, or hold any sort of sabbath or day of rest. Instead, the temples keep their doors open to all, anyone may seek the wisdom of the priests and the guidance of the gods. Formal meetings and observances occur during special festivals and holidays. Each god has their day of observance during the year, and on those days the priests speak of their role and the wisdom that they advocate within the pantheon.
The Priesthood
Those that believe they feel the calling to the priesthood enter the temple as an acolyte. Though a specific god may have been their reason for joining the priesthood, during their time as an acolyte they are put to service under each of the gods for a set time. If an acolyte completes this time of service they participate in a ritual where they are ordained into full priesthood under the blessings of each of the ancient gods. Priests that devote themselves to a single god and ignore the others are known as “fore priests.” A highly ranked priest that is devoted to the faith of Soltis would be called the fore priest of Soltis.
There are a few high priests upon Orizon. The role of a High priest is the highest position within the local church and carries with it great respect, but to reach this position, an even greater ordeal is requested. A high priest of Orizon’s gods must visit a sacred site for each of the gods. This quest that is guided by the gods, but must be carried out by the aspiring high priest.
Places of Worship
The gods do not demand worship from their followers, failing to attend church will not bring lightning down upon your head. Worship is given to them, and they expect it in kind. The gods are powerful, and their power has been demonstrated often enough that the people of Orizon know that there are gods and that, if they are very lucky, the gods may intercede on their behalf.
To that end, the people of Orizon have constructed numerous places where they can go and pay homage or supplication to their chosen gods. From grand cathedrals to opulent temples, to simple shrines, all of these help to give the gods and other powerful entities a very physical presence in the world.
The Great Cathedrals
The Great Temples are intended to serve as places of worship for the pantheon as a whole. They are large structures that have placed in alcoves within them, smaller shrines to many of the gods. These structures may have begun as a necessary reaction to the lack of space available on Skylands but they have become a central part of the religious life of the people, where they can better reach out both to their gods and to the priests and faithful that serve them.
Because of their nature in service to the gods, and the fact that they are built-in central locations on the Skylands, indeed in most cities, these great temples serve as the focal points of many cultural and religious events and the temple steps are often used as a commonly known or easily found meeting place.
The temples themselves are built like most well-known cathedrals, divided into four major sections into a lopsided cross-shape. Nearly all of the great temples follow this simple design, though they may have their unique twists. The front entrance section is for public use, people may come and go as they see fit and this portion of the temple is lined with pews for those who wish to sit and listen to sermons or simply think on the gods.
The rear of the temples serves as a residence for the priests and acolytes, as well as anyone else who may seek the shelter of the gods. Many times this area also serves as a hospital or sanctuary and very few are willing to break the taboo of committing violence in that place.
On either side of this arrangement are two annexes of differing lengths. On the shorter side are the shrines to five of the ancient gods, on the longer side are the more numerous shrines to the newer gods. Worshipers are encouraged to use these annexes to offer prayer and offerings to specific gods.
Smaller Shrines
Specific gods may appear before their followers and indicate a specific place that is special to them, demanding a temple be placed there. Some worshipers erect shrines to the gods to help bring their attention and aid. Some decide to build a shrine to a god if they believe that the god has done something momentous for them or others.
Most of these shrines are comparatively small, but still significant. An arena may have a broken wall with a mace to honor Vister, while a hidden grove in the deep forests may have antlers tied to the trees to better honor Diamete.
Some temples though, especially if a god specifically demanded its construction, or had manifested themselves on its site, are grand, years and fortunes are spent on their construction and the consideration of how best to please the god.
The worship of some gods is frowned upon, or sometimes outright restricted or outlawed, so some shrines must be erected in secret. Shrines to Incancatus, for example, are built exclusively in deep darkness and shrines to Verdin are demolished as soon as the worship is complete.
There are also small shrines dedicated to lesser entities. Some build shrines to honor their ancestors, others to honor spirits, some have built shrines to the fey and umbral lords. Some have built shrines in the worship of dragons and other powerful beings. Some mad few even build shrines to devils and demons.