The King's Host
The King's Host is a faith predominantly located in the northern land of Alsona. The gods within are most worshiped by both Alsonan and several ethnically related tribes in the Sypi Confederacy. They are a popular faith that avoids meddling too much in the private lives of citizens, and the gods are treasured both for their general benevolence as well as the fascinating drama and antics they are said to engage with each other in. The rivalry of the gods and their petty feuds are nearly as good of entertainment as the finest of bardic traditions.
The Gods of the King's Host
| Deity | Alignment | Suggested Domains | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| The King, lord of the gods | CN | Trickery, Arcana | A guitar |
| Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty | CG | Light, Peace | Sea shell |
| Apollo, god of music and healing | CG | Life, Light, Peace | A lyre |
| Vera, goddess of war and strife | NE | War, Grave | A spear |
| Artemis, goddess of hunting and childbirth | NG | Life, Nature | Bow and arrow |
| Sinatras, god of wisdom and civilization | LG | War, Order, Knowledge | Formal clothing |
| Demeter, goddess of agriculture and nature | N | Life, Nature | Mare's head |
| Mouarései, god of mirth and wine | CN | Trickery, Tempest | Wine bottle |
| Hades, god of the underworld | LE | Death, Grave | Black ram |
| Hecate, goddess of magic and the moon | CE | Knowledge, Trickery, Twilight | Setting moon |
| Hephaestus, god of smithing and craft | N | Forge, Knowledge | Hammer and anvil |
| Poseidon, god of seas and rivers | CN | Tempest | Trident |
| Hera, goddess of marriage and intrigue | NG | Trickery, Knowledge, Arcana | Fan of feathers |
| Hermes, God of Travel and Commerce | LG | Order | Winged staff |
Structure
The King's Host is a loosely organized clergy, structured regionally, with individual temples for each of the key deities within its pantheon. Local shrines and temples are built throughout the regions the faith is followed, and various gods receive different levels of support depending on the community and its needs. Above all of the other clergy, however, are the clergymen of the King. All temples to other gods must pay tribute to the operations of the temples and charities of the King. The various other clergy are typically preoccupied by local affairs, but when an issue emerges that affects the entire faith, the King's clergy are the ones who step up and make a final decision.
Public Agenda
The Host offers a form of loose worship dedicated to the improvement of the lives of the average member of their congregation. Healing services and spiritual mediation are but just two of the things they offer to the communities in which the Host resides. Each god offers their own interpretation of divine will and ways to live, but the ultimate goal of the pantheon is to pay homage to the greatest of all, the founder of Alsona, the King. The faith offers the opportunity for any destitute or without purpose to sacrifice their lives outside to become permanent residents of the Tomb of the King, helping maintain the grounds and spend the remainder of their lives in service to the clergy without ever again stepping outside of its walls.
Assets
The clergy of the King's Host possess a considerable amount of assets, including maintenance and staffing for hundreds of shrines and temples across the Kingdom of Alsona and the Sypi Confederacy. Each of these must be able to stand upon their own two feet, and do not rely on support from others within the faith beyond their own congregation. A fragment of the tithes and donations they receive, however are sent to the Tomb of the King for distribution and usage by the King's Clergy. These finances are used to pay for the maintenance of the exterior of the Tomb of the King and to provide for the food and other provisions the clerics and support staff require in the day to day operations. Occasionally these funds are used to offer bounties and quests to adventuring parties, to slay foul beasts or to retrieve long lost relics of the King's mortal life.
History
The modern clergy of the King's Host has their origins in the revival of the Kingdom of Alsona after the collapse of the Nameless Empire. Like many other areas in Emicara, the end of the Nameless Empire led to nearly a century of chaos as individual settlements and communities struggled to preserve their waves of life and survive the onslaught of war, famine, and disease. It is said that in the darkest of hours, the King himself reemerged from his tomb, and aided the queens of Alsona in restoring the land under a single government. From the Queens of Alsona, an official clergy was sponsored to once again help the development of the faith in the region. Since then, government involvement in the Host has been fairly minimal, as the clergy keeps their hands out of politics, and the queens avoid subordinating themselves to the faith. They continue to provide their valued spiritual services, but worship remains in the hands of individuals.
Mythology & Lore
It is believed by scholars that the King's Host actually somewhat predates other faiths like the Church of the One Sun and perhaps even the elven gods. The old faith, during the days of the Nameless Empire, was allow to practice unmolested, but for the most part it had begun withering away, as worshipers turned towards newer gods and religions. Several of the old gods were lost without their masses and congregations, and only the strongest survived, but weakened. Then along came a mortal man, the first King of Alsona. Emerging nearly one hundred years before the Nameless Empire fell and almost twelve hundred years before the present date, the King was a powerful bard and the first to unify Alsona, and even was recognized by the Emperor himself as a person of great power. Upon his death, he ascended to the marble halls and throne of the Host and toppled the old chief deity, a sickly spirit named Zeus. He was anointed the new King of the Gods, and it was stated that from this time, there would never again be a king in Alsona, besides the King.
One King, One Faith
Founding Date
120
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
The Northern Pantheon
Demonym
Kingsmen/Kingswoman
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments