When I was making my 'Relic Transport' quest, manfred popped the idea into my head to make a Codex of all things religion-related, and gave me a few submissions of his as well, to start it off.

So, what is holy?

Define - Holy - 'Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power.'

That said, in a fantasy setting, there is some wiggle room. A divine power is usually a good or neutral god, yet within those ranks there's an astonishing variety of deities and systems. Some gods are made of magic, some control magic, some are ascended mortals, some are created by mortals, some are supernatural beings, some have human flaws, and some are the epitome of perfection.

Yet all deities have some things in common - they are worshipped, they have power, and they are certainly NOT mortals.

As a result, we have a plethora of rich campaign material and world detail that has divine roots.

Temples and churches add majesty and grandeur to cities, be they centuries-old stronghold or gleaming towers newly sprung from the town. Shrines and monastaries dot the countryside, offering shelter and prayer for wayfarers.

Ages-old religious orders control kingdoms and fiefs, drowing the populations in dogma and forced worship. Pagan cults rise in secluded flyspeck villages, as scholars discover archaic texts in forgotten tombs telling of long-lost sermons and dead gods.

And clerics take the word and sword of their deity into those tombs, slaying usurpers and fiends with their god's own blessings at their back, as the local friar heals the wounded in the town.

Simply mentioning anything holy gives a feel of authenticity and richness to a world, but following through and developing a religion, a church, even a clerical character is even better. That all being said, anything dealing with churches, temples, clerics, priests, sermons, teachings, and just holiness in general would find good company here.

Login or Register to Award Spark XP if you enjoyed the submission!
XP
130
HoH
0
Hits
91,869
? Spark's Awards and Badges
Hall of Heros 10 Golden Creator