I've been working on my own pantheon as I'm sure many many world builders do. I wanted mine to be unique, but with so many people creating their own worlds these days I doubt I've truly come up with something wholly original. I didn't really want the typical fantasy pantheon of deities for each alignment, but I knew that there needs to be some semblance of it for players to recognize when choosing a deity for their alignment.
I've played with two ideas in particular: godbeasts and elementals as deities. In 5E I had a rule in my settings that any creature that had the Gargantuan size was unique among its kind and so powerful that it was a deity that clerics and paladins could tap into even if the creature wasn't aware. I also liked the idea of the phoenix, zaratan, and other elder elementals as deities. Both seemed to fit together or on their own in my games, but I don't run games in D&D 5E anymore. I moved to Old-School Essentials.
In OSE the alignment is simply: Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic. There are powerful creatures to serve as godbeasts and large elementals to be elemental deities, but with this being my new main game system I wanted to develop the idea even further.
So, what I've come up with is that lawful, neutral, and chaotic creature groups worship aspects of the elements as deities in their own ways. I will provide an example of a religion from each of the alignments below.
Aerithas, the Sentinel of Air: Aerithas is the embodiment of order and wisdom, revered by followers of the Lawful alignment who seek truth and justice. As the Sentinel of Air, Aerithas represents the clarity of thought and the pursuit of knowledge. Worshippers of Aerithas often build soaring temples atop mountains or within tranquil valleys, where they meditate on the currents of the wind to gain insight and guidance.
Ignis, the Catalyst of Fire: Ignis is the unpredictable catalyst of change and transformation, revered by adherents of the Neutral alignment who embrace the chaos of creation and destruction. As the Catalyst of Fire, Ignis embodies the untamed flames of passion and innovation. Temples dedicated to Ignis are often found in bustling marketplaces or amidst the ruins of civilizations, where followers gather to harness the transformative power of fire and forge their own destinies.
Ragnar, the Ravager of Earth: Ragnar is the relentless ravager of destruction and renewal, revered by those who embrace the Chaotic alignment's principles of upheaval and change. As the Ravager of Earth, Ragnar embodies the unstoppable force of nature and the inevitability of decay. Temples dedicated to Ragnar are found amidst crumbling ruins or within chasms of desolation, where followers revel in the chaos of destruction and seek to reshape the world in their own image.
What I focused on when making these religions is how the alignments will effect how each religion conducts itself. Lawful creatures are going to have a more organized and structured religion with ceremonies, rituals, and other practices that have repetition and consistency. Neutral creatures that aren't worshipping some creature as a deity, for example Lizard Men worshipping a T-Rex, will have their own approach to the religions that is more of a journey they balance with their own lives. Chaotic creatures are going to have completely different approaches to these religions from each other and will likely fight about it. This is to reflect how chaotic they are. Why would a chaotic creature take part in a structured and orderly religion? I'm sure there are many ways, but to me it seems like an anarchist working for a government agency.
So I've got this very solid set of twelve religions divided among three categories. The godbeasts have found a place among the more primitive groups of the world, and I'm further in my development of my first module.
The three spheres of philosophy that the alignment system is divided across are represented by the Sun, Moon, and the world. Lawful is also seen as the light and attributed to the sun the world orbits around. The changing phases of the moon is representative of the chaotic alignment in how it is in constant flux and change. The Neutral alignment is the world in that it is a balance of light, darkness, elements, life, and death.
As for the elemental planes themselves I think that having a world to explore makes the multiverse seem like it was made for exploration and adventure first, which is normally fine for an adventure game, but I don't want to go to another universe to see another city and more monsters to fight. For now I have it that the elemental planes are simply that, infinite planes of one element. The elemental plane of water isn't a vase ocean teeming with life, it's a lightless infinite plane of water. The elemental plane of earth is earth, there's no cave system, you can just go underground in the material plane to explore caves. The elemental planes are where elementals exist and they manifest physical form in the material plane when energy is transferred from one plane to the next.
So what does this mean for followers of the religion? What hope is there in an afterlife? Followers of the religion will have their energy and soul transferred to the plane where they become one with the plane. They lose their memories and identity, but their soul still exists and can transfer back to the material plane when summoned as an elemental. If the elemental is slain in the material plane the soul is reincarnated on the plane and the cycle starts again.
My plan with this religion is not to make the world more like the Avatar the Last Airbender where everyone is focused on the elements. The society will still be typical fantasy for now, but I like the fantasy world not being dominated by one singular concept. The main thing is I'm satisfied with how my settings religion and afterlife are and can work on other ideas to further make it more unique.
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