Religion plays an important role in Arrasia, with the gods (Aslah) central to the lives of ordinary and extraordinary individuals alike. The Aslah have had a major say, both good and bad, in the development of Arrasia, with some looking to expand their power and influence into the world of mortals, who are themselves the children of the Aslah, who were their creators.

The mortal races reflect their makers in many regards, but also personify their imperfections, for the Aslah are not perfect beings, but are filled with all the complexities, failings and brilliance of those whom they created. However, the Aslah are beings of great power, ability and strength and are, of course, immortal.

It is to the Aslah that the mortal races look for guidance, strength, courage, love and all the things that matter to them. Mortals can aspire to the greatness of the Aslah and can become gods in their own right - and, indeed, some have done so - and many Aslah have passed into Paradorn, where their spirits rest when they are killed; for killed they can be - not even immortality protects the Aslah from a violent death.

The Aslah

The children of Eradu, the Aslah can trace their line back to the beginning of time and creation. They are the gods of the cosmos and creators of all things, good and bad, in equal measure, except the very substance of the universe itself, from which they themselves are forged. Only Kavak now remains of the nine children of Eradu, the others having passed into the great Hall of Divine Spirits in Paradorn. All have left their mark, for good or ill, in both their own lands and beyond, but nowhere more so than in Arrasia, which sits at the heart of all creation.

The Aslah are the gods of the world of mortals, as well as their creators, and though they spend much of their time in their own homes in the Outer Planes, there is a strong interaction between them. Indeed, some mortals have acquired such power that they have challenged the gods themselves and achieved immortality. The Aslah's egos are large and they always seek to enlarge their flock, to bring them glory, influence, and armies of mortals that they can command. And so it is to the Aslah that mortals look for guidance and protection, and those who have associated themselves closely with the gods - such as clerics - acquire their power through them.

Good and bad in equal measure, the Aslah have brought much beauty to the world and much ugliness. Where there is love, there is also hate; where there is light, so there is darkness; where there is good, so there is evil. Creators and destructors in equal measure, the Aslah are the greatest powers known within the cosmos.

Politics of the Aslah

While the Aslah each have their own homes, many share their time together, where they are happy to do so. They love, lust, hate and desire, just as the mortals do - who, in fact, reflect the failings of their creators. They have children, who are also Aslah, and they also argue, feud and fight with one another. Many come together under a common cause and work together until that cause is no longer important to them, while others are united through the history of their ancestry or history. Of course, being immortal, both love and hate can be (and, for many, is) eternal.

Many of these common bonds form what becomes, for the mortals that follow them, pantheons, where groups of Aslah seem to symbolize and reflect the social groups of the nations and peoples of Arrasia. So to the people of Karnish, Fandor heads the family of deities who can be thought of as the Karnish pantheon (Aruthane, Azerond, Erenus, Fandor, Illsyn, Jeyru, Laverrus, Malanon, Merrymer, Mynax, Narag Narg, Omuz, Pax, Pith and Sha Dorrain) and Uther heads the Aslah that can be thought of as the Norv (or Wild) pantheon (Uther, Nendagon, Wesdan and Gorazyn). However, this is purely incidental and many deities cross over into other pantheons or, for whatever reason (though usually historical) find themselves popular outside of their normal zone of influence.

War is common between the Aslah and has been central to the development of both themselves, their homes and the mortal races. Wars are often along a good and evil axis, but the evil Aslah are always in conflict amongst themselves, especially with the Infernal Wars that see law and chaos fight for dominance over one another within the domain of evil. The Aslah are happy to take their wars to Arrasia and often the battles and conflicts between them see Arrasia as the battlefield where their egos are contested.

Damarkan, Herophet and the other Outer Planes

The Aslah live in the Outer Planes, where they have been since the end of the Great Void and the beginning of time. The homes of the Aslah come in all forms, from beautiful forests, great oceans and floating citadels, to places filled with fire, ice and horror. Once, all of the Aslah lived together, in a single plane that was called Damarkan and each had a palace there. It was a place of wonder and was filled with the love and joy of the newborn cosmos. Each of the Aslah fashioned their citadels to suit their own needs and many dug deep and new planes were created, which they filled with their servants and minions.

One such citadel was called Herophet, which was the home of Gort. Gort's heart was black and filled with great malice and evil and Herophet was a bleak and dark palace, which the other Aslah had no taste for. Under Herophet, Gort hid his dark minions in places of his own making and soon there was war in Damarkan, as he unleashed his foul servants against the other Aslah. As a punishment for his evil, all of Herophet was sundered from Damarkan and so the outlook of the two opposing Outer Planes was set - one, Damarkan, stood for good, the other, Herophet, for evil.

Damarkan would later be split several more times, with Talakos and Mulhata sundered as evil and dark places, while Wynord and Henipur would be granted independence from Damarkan out of the desire of the Aslah that lived in those places. Paradorn was also freed from its ties with Damarkan and became home to the Spirits of the Aslah, when their form was destroyed and they passed there as shadows.

Damarkan itself is now divided into many layered Outer Planes, many of which have their edges touching those of others. Sometimes, this join is seamless and it is possible to travel from one plane to another, but sometimes the touching planes clash and, where they join create a unique node, often a strange and bizarre world, which is neither one place or the other, but an offspring of all those places that exist around it. Herophet is also many layered, with the seven hells of Herophet home to devils and the other foul minions of the evil gods. It also coexists with the planes of Pakara, which were themselves carved out of Herophet and, like Mulhata, are home to armies of demons and filled with chaos and madness. War is common between those that dwell in Herophet and those that dwell in Pakara and Mulhata.

The River Mothex

When Herophet and Damarkan were split, Themex stirred the waters of Ryzor and created a great river to bridge the now separated Outer Planes, which was called the River Mothex. Later Themex ordered Oida, who was one of his most powerful servants, to guard the river and ferry those who wished to travel upon it in his boat.

The River Mothex bridges the divide between all of the Outer Planes and is the easiest way to gain access to any of them. However, it is not necessarily the safest and the journey down the River Mothex is an adventure in itself. All along the route are watchtowers, which were set by Themex to guard over the banks of the river. Many are now terrible places, filled with the minions of evil.

The river also takes many guises along its long and winding route, sometimes calm and gentle, other times angry and torrid. In some places the river itself begins to steam and boil, until it turns into a great stream of flowing lava, while in others the water freezes over completely, with only the boat of Oida able to smash its way through. Where the River Mothex flows through the Astral Plane, which connects all of the many layers of the cosmos, it winds and twists like a silver thread, its waters ever flowing. Here, those upon the river are vulnerable to attack from the many powerful races that live in, or pass through, the Astral Plane.

The safest way to travel upon the River Mothex is to call upon Oida to ferry them. However, as Oida makes his slow and never-ending journey up and down the river, others prefer to chance the dangerous waters for themselves. There are many strange and exotic races that dwell along the banks of the River Mothex and many strange and unique sites to be seen and experiences to be had. Only one thing about the River Mothex is certain - that there is no certainty.

Arrasia

Arrasia is the Material Plane that sits at the heart of all creation. Unlike any other plane, Arrasia is unique in that it touches all aspects of the inner planes - fire, water, earth and air all vie for dominance in Arrasia and both negative and positive energy course through it. Arrasia is mutable, a place of the violent and eternal struggle for dominion between the opposing and powerful forces that helped create it. These forces both maintain its balance and are the reason for its extremes.

Other than the very elements of Arrasia itself, nothing upon it is native, including all of the life which either covers or walks upon (or below) it. Everything originates from the Aslah and the outer planes. Elves, gnomes, orcs, goblins, and all the other races, were forged by the Aslah. Of these, only the dwarves and humans were forged in Arrasia, by the hands of the Aslah. The woods, plains and flowers were seeds carried upon the feet of Kavak, as he traveled from Canath to Arrasia and which took root and flourished and soon covered all of the land.

Divine Ascendancy

The Aslah are not immutable and their power and status are in a constant state of flux. It is also possible for mortals to ascend to the heights of immortality and themselves join the ranks of the Aslah - though few have actually succeeded in this, as the path to immortality is strewn with great danger. In The Kyngdoms, there are five ways to join the ranks of the immortals:

Divine Lineage: Those whose parents are both Aslah are always themselves Aslah, with both parents imparting into their children some of their own power. For those with but a single parent who is Aslah, only a few will themselves become Aslah - most will retain their mortality. Such individuals are usually very powerful and their lives can be extended way beyond the years normal to their race, but they are not Aslah, though they often claim to be. Sometimes, they are great amongst their people, but sometimes they are outcasts and their hearts blackened and they use their power as a tool for revenge.

Divine Anointment: Any Aslah can give the gift of immortality to any mortal it so wishes. However, the power that is imparted into the recipient is lost in equal measure from the Aslah bestowing this great gift. As such, they will rarely anoint a mortal, for they jealously protect their own power and esteem within the ranks of the Aslah. An Aslah can give up as much or as little as they so choose. Generally, those that gain their immortality through divine anointment are demigods.

Divine Appropriation: Although immortal, the Aslah are not indestructible and can be destroyed and their spirit sent as a shadow to reside in Paradorn for all eternity. As the power of the Aslah departs from them as they pass into Paradorn, their conqueror will themselves gain some of that power. So mortals can become immortals and immortals become greater and more powerful. Although death amongst the Aslah is not common, it is not unknown - though primarily as a result of conflict between the Aslah themselves.

The Fountain of the Immortals: Residing somewhere in the fifth hell of Herophet, amongst the fires of Tuska, is a fountain that flows with fresh and cool water. This natural spring, since carved into a wondrous fountain, sprung from the ground when the tears and sweat of Onnus fell upon that place during his great journey and the water was imparted with some of his power. However, The Fountain of the Immortals is in itself a journey, for many that have drunk from it have been driven mad and many more have simply fallen and been consumed by the fires of that terrible place. But for a few, the water courses through them and touches every part of them and they are imparted with the power of immortality. Mostly, those that achieve immortality through this means become demigods.

A Fifth Way: During the early days, when the Aslah were themselves still young, they created all manner of wonderful things, which they filled their lands with. Amongst these creations were powerful minions whose purpose was to serve and carry out the will of their master. The Aslah parted into these minions incredible power, so that they might stand forever by their side. However, when the bond of servitude that tied them to their creator was broken, they were free and, such was their power, they became Aslah in their own right. Because of this, the Aslah rarely create such powerful minions any more.

Death - Mortal and Divine

Nothing is perfect, nothing is unbreakable and nothing governs the laws of the cosmos, except for the cosmos itself. These laws govern all that passes into and out of it, including the Aslah themselves, and everything can be broken, eventually, if the correct forces are applied in the correct measure. Although immortal, the Aslah are too governed by these laws, within which lay the seeds of their own destiny.

Although the Aslah grow and age with the passing of time, it has no adverse affects upon them and the span of their long, long lives is not reflected in their general appeal, as it is for mortals, who age and wither. However, like the mortal races that they created, the bodies of the Aslah are fragile and can be destroyed through violent means.

Any Aslah that is killed - which is, in most respects, the same as killing a mortal, though much harder to achieve - dies. Upon death, their flesh withers and returns to the elements from which it was formed. The Spirit of the Aslah is all that remains - a shadow, filled with torment and anguish, with fleeting images of its former greatness - which passes into Paradorn, from which they cannot escape. Many have tried to bring back the Spirits of the Aslah, to resurrect their chosen master and see them live again, but none have succeeded.

Like the Aslah, mortals also have spirits, though they take many forms. A spirit is like a vessel filled with all the aspects of that person's life, which is constantly added to and nurtured throughout their life. Upon death, their spirit represents the sum total of their life. Some are light and filled with contentment and though everything is but fleeting and vague, all is good. For others, there is contentment, but also heaviness, a fleeting sadness that pushes away the contentment, like a momentary frown. And for some, there is darkness and all is pain and anguish and the spirit is heavy and can never rest and these spirits know no contentment.

The resting place for all the mortals, from wherever they come or whomever they worshipped in life, is always the same, for all mortal spirits reside in the Halls of The Dead in Golgoria. There are said to be many halls in that place, with many corners, filled with the shadowy forms of the spirits. It is also home to the Keeper of the Dead and his minions, whose job it is to Sheppard new spirits to the hall and tend those within it.

Unlike the spirits of the immortals, the mortal spirits are often recalled from their shadowy resting place, to live a mortal life again. But it is the nature of the laws that govern the cosmos that their time will come again and the minions of the Keeper of the Dead will one day return their spirit to the Halls of the Dead.

Some mortals seek to extend their natural life by channeling negative energy in order to become undead. Unlike zombies and skeletons, bodies brought back to life by necromancers and those involved in the dark arts, those who seek a life of undeath are nearly always powerful individuals who become vampires, liches and other terrible undead creatures.

However, even though their undeath allows them to continue their existence, sometimes for thousands of years, eventually even they will wither and their bones crumble into dust, for their immortality is but a false promise, filled with the misery of being neither dead nor living.

Faith and Religion (Acolytes and Clerics)

Many mortals look to the Aslah for guidance and power, but some dedicate themselves to a life of worship and devotion to their chosen Lord, whose name and esteem they espouse and honor. The vast majority of those who serve in this way are ordinary folk who have no special connection with their deity, nor receive any granted privileges. These individuals are called acolytes and are the mainstay of the many churches that have emerged throughout Arrasia.

Acolytes
Acolytes are experts (see NPC classes in the DMG) who have placed ranks in the Profession (acolyte) skill. Profession (acolyte) is a new profession introduced in The Kyngdoms to represent those who have dedicated themselves to the church but have no levels in the cleric class and receive none of the special abilities of that class. They are ordinary people who form the bedrock upon which most religions are built, visiting the parishioners, raising funds and generally running the administration of the church. They also give sermons when required.

Experts who have dedicated themselves to a life in the church as acolytes must have at least 1 rank in the Profession (acolyte) skill and have the following as class skills: Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (religion), Profession, Sense Motive, and Speak Language. They are in all other respects Experts as outlined in the DMG, taking the Base Attack and saves of that class, plus any other benefits that come with it.

Clerics
Clerics have a much closer relationship with their chosen deity, receiving the full benefits of that class. Clerics are leaders, who give the orders that the acolytes follow and maintain the strict orders of the church. The upper echelons of religious orders will nearly always be filled with clerics, whose close ties with their deity are essential in the understanding and interpretation of the creed espoused by their chosen Aslah. Clerics are also often missionaries, who roam from place to place to spread the word. Trained with weapons and comfortable in armor, they make formidable opponents and can often access areas, through the sheer force of their personality and will, that others would fear to tread.

Clerics are not as numerous as acolytes, but are the essential driving force who push the church forward and maintain its orders. Most ordinary folk will rarely have any dealings with clerics, instead relying upon the acolytes to tend them. A cleric must follow one (and only one) deity. A cleric who follows no particular deity is considered to have lost their faith and as such loses access to all spells, domains and other special abilities acquired through taking levels in that class. Clerics must rediscover their faith (by finding a new deity to follow) in order to regain the full benefits of the cleric class.