Religions of Greyhawk

The people of Oerth worship many gods, but after a major war, patterns of allegiance change. The focus in this article is on the gods of the central Flanaess; those that are exclusively worshipped by the monstrous races, for example, are too distant from the lives of most Flanaess folk to be considered here.  

The Gods' Relationship with Mortals

The Powers of Oerth rarely intercede directly in the affairs of Oerth. They expect their servants to be their right (and left) hands in the world. Clerics, priests, paladins, and less exalted but still valued souls are the agents of Powers, however minor their deeds may be. The Powers have an implicit understanding that if one of them should act too directly, others will act in concert to oppose the meddler, for if all acted in such a manner, Oerth would be destroyed by the Powers.   This helps us understand why Iuz has been able to effect so much evil in the Flanaess. The Prime Material is his home plane, and therefore, he has a direct involvement in its affairs that other Powers do not. The servants must oppose Iuz, not the Powers themselves. One partial exception to this is St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel, a power devoted to the cause of law. Other Powers allow St. Cuthbert to act in limited ways to oppose Iuz. Why they do this, and how far St. Cuthbert is allowed to act, is a matter known only to the Powers.   In other respects, the Powers regard mortals as they do in almost all worlds. Mortals give reverence and their clerics and priests receive spells. The Powers watch with varying degrees of involvement. Greater Powers tend to have less involvement than Lesser Powers, because Greater Powers are more absorbed in the affairs of many worlds and transcendent events that are far beyond the affairs of mortals.  

Mortals' Relationship with the Gods

Mortals regard Powers as they do in most worlds: with reverence, awe, fear, attempts at placation, and so on. In the Flanaess, however, special factors are at work after the wars. The following is true for the non-evil lands of the central Flanaess:   First, there is a general increase in prayer, reverence, and all forms of devotion to Powers. In uncertain times, mortals turn to the great ones for protection and reassurance. Clerics and priests are widely respected and are given more offerings by even the poorest of their flocks. General superstitiousness is a byproduct of all this.   Second, there are changes in patterns of worship. Mortals most often revere Powers who have everyday affairs of mortals as central concerns—deities of nature, children, health, community, and the like are more widely revered than those of philosophy, arcane knowledge, and ethics. But on Oerth, Powers of war, healing, protection, strength, endurance, and revenge are increasingly turned to for assistance. Many people who before the war would have given small offerings to the goddess Beory (nature, Oerth Mother) or Rao (peace and serenity) now turn to a deity such as Trithereon (liberty and retribution), Heironeous (justice and valor), or the rising cult of Mayaheine (protection and endurance) instead. There is also an increasing tendency to appease, if not actually revere, deities of fate such as Istus, and deities of luck such as Ralishaz. Of course, this is less true of wise folk and specialists who might revere a Power of magic, metalworking, or similar niche.   Demihumans are another matter, although deities such as Clangeddin Silverbeard, the Dwarven god of battle, have not lost followers in times of conflict. Arvoreen the Halfling defender Power receives many offerings and prayers these days.  

Powers of Humankind

Deities are divided into four groups: greater, intermediate, lesser, and demipowers. The basis of this broad distinction is as follows:   Greater Powers: These are distant Powers, far removed from most mortal affairs. Some may be held to be among the Creator Powers of the multiverse or of Oerth. They typically have many spheres of concern, or are absolute masters of just one sphere.   Intermediate Powers: While lacking the great creative force of Greater Powers, they are still very powerful and hold major sway over one or two spheres of concern. In some nations, they may be held as patron Powers, even above a Greater Power.   Lesser Power. A lesser Power may serve greater ones as a messenger or aide, may be a cast-out or solitary Power, or may hold sway over a very narrow sphere of concern. Some Lesser Powers may be declining from exalted status or may be ascending to greater force.   Demipowers: These are the least powerful and are in many ways similar to Lesser Powers. Some may be mortals who have undergone divine ascension (Zagig and Mayaheine being prime examples). Some may even be referred to as Hero Powers.