The Pantheon: The Old Gods vs. The New
Historically, worship of gods followed geographic boundaries, and few gods had broad worshippers. The 'old' gods could be considered as regional, local, and even familial. These 'old' gods still answered prayers & imbued their worshippers, but typically did not insist on tenets or practices. The same god may be worshipped by multiple names, and with different practices, depending on where one went. The 'old' gods did not actively interfere with the course of events in Arkadia. Nowadays, they would be considered 'laissez-faire' at best, and absent at worst.
All of that changed after the Cataclysm. 'New' gods began to speak with Arkadians, and establish new practices. These gods were much more active, vocal, and were sure to insist on certain names and practices. Some of the 'new' gods insisted that they were indeed the 'old' gods, but now using a different name.
Currently, the 'new' gods continue to be much more active and vocal than the 'old' gods, and a good number of Arkadians have changed their worship. The Honorans were among the most devout nation prior to the cataclysm, so have been quite enthusiastic in response to the new direct involvement of the gods. They communed with them and started cataloguing the gods, fitting the 'new gods' into their system of categorizing the 'old gods': the natural world, the ideals, the passions, and ingenuity. There is much debate as to the origin of the 'new' gods and why they chose The Cataclysm as the moment to reveal themselves.
There is a lot of debate as to which gods are the 'correct' gods. Are the old gods different gods, or aspects of the new gods? One can even question whether local gods are precursors of other regional gods, and how the worship evolved as it grew & spread. There is no clear answer, and religious scholars spend a lot of time researching the evolution of worship to see if they can draw these lines through history.
In general, temples or shrines to the old gods are common throughout the land. Sites of worship for new gods are rarer, typically only found in large settlements, and are often more ostentatious than those of the old gods. Some places, like Caldera City, try to blend the two, creating temples to the new gods but allowing worship of the old gods at shrines within these temples.
All of that changed after the Cataclysm. 'New' gods began to speak with Arkadians, and establish new practices. These gods were much more active, vocal, and were sure to insist on certain names and practices. Some of the 'new' gods insisted that they were indeed the 'old' gods, but now using a different name.
Currently, the 'new' gods continue to be much more active and vocal than the 'old' gods, and a good number of Arkadians have changed their worship. The Honorans were among the most devout nation prior to the cataclysm, so have been quite enthusiastic in response to the new direct involvement of the gods. They communed with them and started cataloguing the gods, fitting the 'new gods' into their system of categorizing the 'old gods': the natural world, the ideals, the passions, and ingenuity. There is much debate as to the origin of the 'new' gods and why they chose The Cataclysm as the moment to reveal themselves.
There is a lot of debate as to which gods are the 'correct' gods. Are the old gods different gods, or aspects of the new gods? One can even question whether local gods are precursors of other regional gods, and how the worship evolved as it grew & spread. There is no clear answer, and religious scholars spend a lot of time researching the evolution of worship to see if they can draw these lines through history.
In general, temples or shrines to the old gods are common throughout the land. Sites of worship for new gods are rarer, typically only found in large settlements, and are often more ostentatious than those of the old gods. Some places, like Caldera City, try to blend the two, creating temples to the new gods but allowing worship of the old gods at shrines within these temples.
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