Dragons of Tirenia

Do not trust the dragon of wrath, for he brings bloodshed, destroying reconciliation. Do not trust the dragon of gluttony, for he consumes rapaciously, leaving nothing for others.  Do not trust the dragon of envy, for he turns brother against brother. Do not trust the dragon of luxury, for he desires all things for himself. Do not trust the dragon of greed, for he sells anything so as to buy everything. Do not trust the dragon of sloth, for he quells good deeds through inaction. Do not trust the dragon of pride, for he would set himself equal to the firmament itself. These words from the Storia  are officially taken by the church as metaphorical. The 'dragons' are the seven sins that can stain the soul so direly that it remains affected beyond this lifetime. A soul that is too stained may damn itself to Inferno, never again to be reborn. However, there are some who believe that these lines should be taken literally: as an exhortation to beware dragon-kind itse...

In the days before the Auromian Empire, philosophers theorised about the existance of other worlds - a polycosm. According to this idea, if space is infinite, then anything that could happen, must be happening somewhere. For every choice that a person could make, somewhere there would exist another version of that person who had made the opposite choice. The theory of a 'polycosm' was an esoteric thought experiment, before it was eventually quashed by church doctrine. If there were infinite worlds, would there be infinite heavens and hells? Infinite gods? The idea was denounced as heretical, and forgotten. What no one knew was that the philosophers were correct. Tellaia is only one of infinite worlds, each a step removed from one another. The closer that worlds are to one another, the more likely they are to assemble each other. No one in Tirenia is aware that these worlds exist: it would take extremely powerful magic to move between them. What effect this has on the met...

In the cities of Tirenia, Salvationism is the most common religion, but in the countryside, folk religions are still widespread. For thousands of years, the commoners have had rituals to propitiate the elemental spirits that dwell in the land around them. They have perceived the effect of the three moons upon the invisible aether, and the ley lines of energy that flow across the land. They have come up with charms to protect themselves against fairies and demons, and encourage the fertility of the land. All rural communities have a church, and many have a patron saint as well, but this may just be the local dryad, naiad or other genius loci by a different name. Art: Detail from 'Primavera.' Sandro Botticelli, c. 1482./

As early man encountered elementals and fairies in the world around them, they often thought them to be gods. Before long, Tirenia had a wide range of different regional deities. These gods would often be associated with each other - two regional war gods would be considered different names or aspects of a single, greater god. This syncretism was completed when Auromia conquered the rest of the subcontinent; their gods were then accepted as the 'standard' pantheon. The leader of the classical gods was Sole Pater, Father Sun. His wives were the Three Sisters, who represented time and fate. Their children were the other goddesses: Fortuna, the goddess of luck; Bellona, the goddess of war; Tellaia, the goddess of the wilderness; Genia, the goddess of the hearth; Musa, the goddess of the arts; Urbina, the goddess of law; and Morta, the goddess of death. The Gold Dragons of Auromia encouraged the worship of these gods, but used it as a state religion to maintain their rule over ...

The dwarves of Tirenia are the only community that refuses to follow salvationism. They have their own ways, which are older than those of the humans. In fact, according to the Storia , the beliefs of the Auromian Church are based on the dwarven mores. Unlike humans, dwarves see no difference between the religious and the secular. Their faith is with them always, tied up fundamentally with what it means to be a dwarf. Dwarves believe in following the way of their ancestors. They do not believe in a god, or in reincarnation, but they do believe that their illustrious forefathers are with them always, watching over them. In fact, the dwarven ancestors are very similar to the human saints. Dwarves wish to live virtuous lives so that they may join the ancestors and watch over future generations. They also believe in virtuous actions and sinful actions. For dwarves, right actions are those which are for the good of the community; sin is promoting the self at the expense of the community....

Salvationism is the belief in the teachings of La Salvatrice , as expressed in the holy book, the Storia. It is the most common religion in Tirenia, with almost everyone paying at least lip service to it. Salvationism teaches that there is one God, who is nameless. Il Divino created the impermanent material world and the immortal spiritual world. Every human's soul is immortal, and will be reborn after the death of the body. Certain behaviours, the seven virtues, can refine and purify the soul; on the other hand, the seven sins will corrupt it. Over multiple lifetimes, the virtuous soul will eventually be reborn as an angel in heaven. Those with pure souls are often able to manifest miraculous powers, such as healing magic. On the other hand, a soul that is burdened with too much sin will go to the Inferno, to be tortured by demons for eternity. Devotees of the Auromian Church go to church on Sunday for a mass prayer session and sermon, which everyone attends. The faithful ...