Religion

There are multiple religions across the known world with various customs, rituals and dogma. Most of the world’s religions trace their history back thousands of years to an era when gods and demons roamed the world in unabated physical form.
The gods of old once interacted with mortal beings freely. These gods were as disparate and ever-changing as the beings of the earth who worshipped them. They included the mystical forest-dwelling Fey whom the elves venerated, as well as the dark eldritch titans chained far beneath the world's surface.
In the modern day the humankind of the Pearl Empire are reigning supreme across multiple continents. Their pantheon of twelve gods, the Dodecca, are the most common deities. The Dodecca represent different human traits and as such have been worshipped either collectively or individually by different societies. For example, hunter-gatherer races living on the fringes of the wilderness may venerate the Lady of the Hunt as their primary goddess, whilst urban city-states with democratic governments may choose the Lord of Oratory as their patron.
The Pearl Empire has shifted towards a monotheistic worldview, with the Elevation of the Lord of Justice as the "One True God". The Empire is becoming exceedingly dogmatic in its beliefs and suppression of the other eleven Dodecca is increasing.

Religion in the Age of Steel

Humans still hold their gods in high esteem, even though their presence is not as keenly felt as it was once purported to be. Humans tend to mark their modern day through their industry and conquest, their gods co-opted by the political elite.
However sages and clerics will tell you the gods still work their will in subtle ways, with some eccentric doomsayers warning of a time when the gods will return in their full majesty. Whether the gods will return to charge their loyal followers with heroic quests or to wreak havoc on the unbelievers is a point of contention amongst these theorists.

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The Known Religions

The Dodecca, or the "Twelve"

The Dodecca are the pantheon of twelve gods native to humankind. They represent different phenomena of human life such as battle, justice, commerce and science - in addition to domains such as the wilderness or death.
The Dodecca have traditionally been worshipped as a pantheon but you'll find each of the gods are prayed to in unique ways relevant to their patronage. Inns and taverns will often feature a carving of the Lady of Desire, winking to her fellow drinkers, whilst marketplaces will often have a statue dedicated to the Lord of the Bargain in his peddler's clothes.

Dodecca	Domains	Patronage
Lord of Justice	Power, order, the written law	The righteous
Lady of the Hearth	Home, loyalty, comfort	The family unit
Lord of the Forge	Metal, fire, ingenuity	Smiths, artificers, inventors
Lady of the Battlecry	Battle, warfare, wrath	Barbarians, soldiers, the vengeful
Lord of the Bargain	Commerce, travel, treaties	Merchants, artisans
Lady of Wisdom	Science, technology, magic	Sages, scholars, students
Lord of Oratory	Language, art, music, courage	Entertainers, artisans, bards
Lady of Desire	Sex, pleasure, addiction	Lovers, festivals
Lord of the Hunt	The wilderness, animals, freedom	Rangers, outlanders
Lady of the Harvest	Fertility, spring, sustenance	Farmers
Lord of Health	Constitution, strength, vitality	Healers
Lady of Darkness	Death, the underworld, night	Assassins, the doomed

The One True God

The One True God is the official state religion of the Pearl Empire. This began with the 'Elevation' of the Lord of Justice, and the Night of Holy Daggers when the other high priests of the Dodecca were butchered and their temples razed by the Imperial Inquisitors.
Worship of the One True God is more profuse in the Imperial Heartland and other lesser gods are still prayed to in rural provinces such as Illium where the Inquisitors are less likely to venture.
Imperial doctrine decrees that The One True God came to our world in the form of the Godking who defeated the elves in the Great War a thousand years ago and founded the first Empire. The One True God is often depicted bearded, robed and wielding his hammer of justice. His worship is maintained by the Hierophant - a fanatical religious leader in the Imperial Capital second only to the Emperor in status and power. It is the will of the One True God to eliminate the dangerous practice of magic in our world, a will carried out with fervour by Imperial agents.

The Old Faith

The Fey are the "Old Faith" gods of elfkind. The elves look on them more as ancestral spirits and their worship is deeply rooted in the natural world. The Fey once roamed woodlands and magical peaks amongst the newborn elves whom they shaped and moulded. The Fey taught the elves the higher mysteries, powers of the arcane, art, song and language, and the innate beauty of the wild.
The Archfey is a generic term given to the most powerful of the Fey. According to legend certain Archfey have wielded godlike powers in our plane of existence, though their impacts on the world vary in nature. Aestra, the "Fairy Queen of Spring", was an enchanting fertility goddess who walked the earth, causing life to bloom around her. Morgue, the "Black Fey", wielded dark powers capable of bringing pestilence and evil spirits to haunt the enemies of his devotees.

Titan Worship

An older pantheon of deities known in different cultures as the Titans or the Old Ones dates back to the Age of Embers. They are primordial monstrous beings, the things of nightmares. Though accounts differ it is generally accepted that whatever havoc the Titans wrought was put to an end by a hero or demi-god who successfully locked them away in another plane of existence. Titan cults such as the Eldritch Hand still exist in the modern day and claim to commune with their dark deities who seek desperately to be freed from their imprisonment.

Other Faiths, Beliefs and Superstitions

The religions of humankind are as diverse as the human nations. The native tribes of the Green Islands worship the immense Rainbow Bird whose feathers impart great magical boons on those who find them. The mystical cultures of the Far East beyond Illium have a variety of faiths including the gods of the desert nomads who have the heads of jackals, crocodiles and other beasts. Further east adventurers claim there are bejewelled cities who pray to avaricious statues called the Idols of Creation. These Idols are buried deep in cavernous temples, said to be guarded by monstrous demons.
Though in their anxiety and humans have turned their prayers beyond the confines of religion. Sailors have reported sightings of the Doomed Ship, crewed by the souls of the dead. It is not uncommon for superstitious seafarers to offer tribute to the Doomed Ship to avoid storms or disease.
In the countryside of Illium humans and gnomes alike will often hang laurels or carvings depicting the Green Man. He is thought to be a mysterious and ancient Fey, said to traverse the wild with a company of satyrs, nymphs and other beings. He is regarded as benevolent, if not mischievous, as likely to leave wine and food for revellers as he is to lure away eloping lovers. Druidic priests of the Green Man preside over midsummer festivals in villages and towns where children are given presents for good behaviour.