Religion

[Irathu]

Hey fellas, got a great idea for a char, but I need some docs/ideas on what and how someone would whorship in Tuluk/Nak. Need to know anything and everthing, sorry its short. Got work, and its midnight.

[jstorrie]

There is no religion in either city other than reverence of that city's king (Utep or Tektolnes).

Religious behaviour in both cities is relatively untouched by the documentation, but you could always approach a templar for direction. Bring suitable tribute. In Allanak, there are morning 'prayers' at the dragon statue at the western gate of the city.

[Wyx]

Jstorrie has the right of it. The long and short is that, of all non-tribal humans, there is only worship of the Sun King in Tuluk and Tektolnes in Allanak.

In various tribes, there are pseudoreligions that go into effect. I'll leave these for you to discover.

[HTX]

Also, feel free to make your character show his/her devotion through other means... frequent gifts/bribes to templars, harassing people till they show their devotion, creating your own rituals, whatever. Hell, make an extremist character who hates the heathens in the opposing city which worship a different God King, perhaps even to the point of violence. God King devotion is ripe for conflict.

[Archbaron]

Don't forget the wonderful, often-forgotten Temple of the Dragon on Arena Road in Allanak.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I hope religion gets fleshed out for Arm2.

[AmandaGreathouse]

Me too.

[SMuz]

I sort of like the religionless feel of Arm. A lot of people would kill themselves, but the fact that death is even worse than owing big money to templars and being forced to live on eating rats adds a lot of interesting things to the game.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I sort of like the religionless feel of Arm.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I do too. But I think we can still have a largely agnostic gameworld, even if some more care and detail is shown to the spiritual side of Zalanthas.
Like... just because the magick system in Arm is really good and fleshed out doesn't mean everybody is walking around with +5 flaming broadswords, know what I mean? Something can be fully-formed and functional without fundamentally altering the game.

[SMuz]

I mean not just because of the whole suicide thing. But there's something just pessimistically cold about the lack of religion and any spirituality, and I like that. Well, just my thoughts.

Also, on topic, I think there's plenty to worship. You could probably even worship a mek or a sewer horror or something. Even more so if playing a dwarf. Heh, I have a concept of a guy who wants to start a cult, but I could never spare the high playtimes for it.

[Hubris]

Heh, I have a concept of a guy who wants to start a cult, but I could never spare the high playtimes for it.

I have a feeling the first cult leader will make a -lot- of sid, considering the hallmark for most cults is the leader(s) getting rich off the members.

What does Creed say in The Office: "I've been involved in a number of cults both as a leader and a follower. You have more fun as a follower but you make more money as a leader."
+1 if the cult cuts out the still-beating heart of the unbeliever over a flaming pit of lava.

Back on topic, does not Zalanthas kind of mirror how Feudal kings set themselves up: you claim yourself as god, and if anyone disagrees you cut their head off (or make them 'disappear'), and after a few generations this "godliness" is accepted as common knowledge and fact. I.E. Divine Right, except instead of appointed by god they -are- god.

Of course, they are more of a Zues than an Allah, more human faults and less religious fanaticism (not much of 'lets get that keg of flash powder and storm the gates of the unbelievers!').

[Comrade Canadia]

Zalanthas doesn't relaly have religion - the closest you get is what templars practice, which places figures like Tektolnes into the God-King kind of category, but worship from the general populace is not required, and barely encouraged. I don't think this makes sense (why would a godlike figure NOT demand worship in a populace he's oppressing? religion = best tool of control ever), but it's the way the game is and that decision was made to and adhered to long ago.

In terms of individual plots with cults, religious movements and all that - I'd totally go for it. I love that stuff and I know it's happened before with various degrees of success. Always good times, but the average shmoe is non-religious.

[Marauder Moe]

Actually, I've seen a few templars and soldiers scold people for not doing to morning devotions.  I suspect it has fallen out of fashion, though, because it's OOCly inconvenient.

I've also seen some templars (in both cities) manage to rile up some significant zealotry for their city.

That said, I do agree that religion is very under-utilized in Armageddon.  It would be better if there were more religious freedoms in the world, but I suppose a change like that needs to wait for Arm 2.0.

[jcljules]

I'd love to try to spread worship of one city's Sorcerer King to the other. Like a coven of Utep worshipers in Allanak or vice versa.

[Marauder Moe]

I'd love to play a white-robe Allanaki templar.   

[spicemustflow]

I sort of like the religionless feel of Arm. A lot of people would kill themselves, but the fact that death is even worse than owing big money to templars and being forced to live on eating rats adds a lot of interesting things to the game.

Atheists do commit suicide in real life, you know.

[musashi]

Atheists do commit suicide in real life, you know.

Are you sure they don't all have quick last minute conversions beforehand? We should ask a mindbender.

[spicemustflow]

Atheists do commit suicide in real life, you know.

Are you sure they don't all have quick last minute conversions beforehand? We should ask a mindbender.

I'm not sure what are you trying to say.

I didn't want to derail the tread but I always hated the 'Zalanthans don't believe in afterlife so suicide is almost unheard of' thing.

[musashi]

I agree. Suicuide is by no means limited to religious. Probably more apt to say it's limited to the depressed.

I was just poking fun at the idea that some folks on the far religious right like to toss out: that very agnostic people all have last minute death bed conversions because they're all scared of what happens upon death.

[Irathu]

Thanks for the advice everyone,  it really made me realize a few things and helped me to see what is going on with the religion, I never noticed it myself, and always wished there was more to it, but hey we can't always have what we wish for. OR CAN WE

[Ender]

Most of Zalanthas doesn't have western style mystery religions that deal with the mysteries of life, but there are certainly cult of personality religions based around Muk and Tek.

There's a misconception that a religion has to answer mysterious questions about life, and that's really only one type of religion, albeit a very very popular type.  With figures like Muk and Tek people's religious focus is based on worship/fear of a very real and very powerful figure though neither are considered a diety as it is common belief that they are people just very powerful people.  

Generally among both city-states various subjects like life after death never made their way into the realm of the sacred and it's just common belief that dead is dead.

[Spoon]

People commit suicide for a fast-track to the afterlife? Most religions condemn suicide (life = sacred).

I'd think the main/only reason for committing suicide in Zalanthas is to avoid something much worse. This all depends on the character. A noble would probably rather swallow poison than lose all their power and money, and a mercenary would probably rather jump off a cliff than get dragged off to a kryll nest.

I imagine organised religion would be stamped out pretty quickly in Allanak, Tuluk and Red storm. Still sounds like a shit load of fun.

[Ender]

People commit suicide for a fast-track to the afterlife? Most religions condemn suicide (life = sacred).

I'd think the main/only reason for committing suicide in Zalanthas is to avoid something much worse. This all depends on the character. A noble would probably rather swallow poison than lose all their power and money, and a mercenary would probably rather jump off a cliff than get dragged off to a kryll nest.

I imagine organised religion would be stamped out pretty quickly in Allanak, Tuluk and Red storm. Still sounds like a shit load of fun.

many years ago I had my templar suicide charge a VERY BAD THING(tm) because he was more afraid of facing his superior red robe than he was of dying to the BAD THING.