RELIGION IN UMBERWELL
The
immigrants and exiles who settled in Umberwell inevitably brought
their gods with them. Some deities fell by the wayside, and are now
only remembered by obscure sects and dying cults. Other gods thrived
in Umberwell's rich tapestry of cultural exchange. Over the
generations, a patchwork pantheon emerged; six goddesses of various
races, lands, and systems of belief were blended together into a
polytheistic, syncretic faith known as the People's Covenant. Over
time, the goddesses of the People’s Covenant have come to represent the aspects of life in Umberwell that its citizens find
important.
The places of worship devoted to the People's Covenant may focus their reverence on a single goddess, a grouping of goddesses within the Covenant, or the entirety of the pantheon. The various temples of the Covenant do not necessarily agree on the proper way to worship the deities they hold in common. Rites, liturgy, and ceremonies vary wildly from church to church. It is not unusual to see the goddesses of the Covenant depicted in a multitude of forms and as a myriad of races—time has worn away much of their traditional cultural meaning and specificity.
Although
the People's Covenant is the most popular faith in Umberwell, the
religious atmosphere in Umberwell is inclusive and permissive.
Only
religions
that espouse murder or practice objectionable rites are forbidden by
the city's Ministry of Altars. The
clergy of less
prominent deities
maintain
shrines and temples throughout the city.
There
are also
dissenters in Umberwell who choose to place
their faith in fiends, archfey, Great Old Ones, and other powerful
extraplanar
beings
instead
of in divine
forces.
