Philosophy and Religion

It is hard to describe the philosophy of the Martic lands since the Martic people have a habit of gathering beliefs from all the lands they visit and the result might be modestly described as "ecelectic". In Lacramar, the largest city, it has been estimated that there are over 14,000 temples, shrines, hallows and places of sacrifice, while the number of gods defies calculation. An accurate count could never be made, since some cults - bereft of worshippers - collapse, while new ones spring up, nearly every day. In addition, it is often hard to distinguish some of the poorer religions from a particularly vociferous collection of beggars, while some of the richer ones more nearly resemble merchant houses. Likewise, the numbers of magicians, sages, seers, gurus and philosophers the Martic league encompasses is enormous and the only belief they seem to share in common is that almost all their peers are fools, charlatans or both.

Having said that, there are some basic beliefs that are common enough to warrant mention. Most philosophies recognise the existence of many worlds other than Arth and most agree that the majority of these are unpleasant or even dangerous. These worlds are envisaged as bubbles moving in the fabric in the universe, which occasionally come close enough to impinge on one another - or which can be connected by a mage foolish enough to try. Most religions believe that people have a soul or spirit which moves to another of these spheres after death, but they all bitterly disagree about what this means, which sphere it will be, whetherthis happens once or repeatedly and so on.

In Irilian and Ilthmar, the temples are scattered throughout the city, but in Lacramar most of them cluster in an area immediately to the south of Templegate, to take a tax exemption granted to the temples of that area long ago. The area is now known as Temple Lane, although it encompasses many lanes. At the southernmost extremity of Temple lane is a plain temple referred to as the Temple of the City. Supposedly, it is the home of the resident deity of the city and it is pretty much the one constant of this area. It is said that if this temple is ever neglected, the city will be destroyed, so every year, with great fanfare, the temple is opened, and offerings are hurled into the supposedly bottomless pit that forms the temple's centre. It is then ceremonially closed again. Some people have speculated over the years that this is the sepulchure or withdrawing place of the last of the vanished wizard-kings, but the city officials are keen to prevent any poking around, so the question remains unresolved. Ilthmar has far fewer temples, and true to the traditions of that city they are less ostentatious than those of Lacramar. Ilthmar does have, however, a large number of mysterious cults. Like Lacramar, it also has a shrine erected to the city's patron or past - in this case however the shrine is on the sea bottom, out past the mouth of the harbour. On dates chosen by its (land-dwelling) priesthood a selected condemned criminal is hauled from jail, and (well bound with chains) sent down to commune with the gods therein.

A few (very few) deities of note are:

• Clemmis - god of wealth. His creed holds that wealth is a sign of the god's favour, and that those who wish to remain wealthy, should in turn sacrifice often and heavily. His temple holds a staute of the god, depicting him as a portly, elderly gentleman. His priests are likewise generally portly. His temple in Lacramar is large and imposing and sits facing the Temple gate. The interior of his shrine is aglitter with gold and well-guarded with spells and well-paid mercenaries. He is the patron of merchants. His priests are at odds with the worshippers of Saxis.
• Saxis is also a god of wealth, but she is the god of thieves and gamblers, not merchants. Worshippers of Saxis also believe that wealth is a sign of divine favour, but they know that divine favour - like wealth - is transient. Gamblers swear by Saxis, and she is the patroness of risky and foolhardy enterprises. Her temple is also wealthy - partly from sacrifices, but also from the gambling games her priests and priestesses run. They don't cheat - indeed, are said to be scrupulously honest - but win a lot anyway (they get a lot of practice). Still if one wishes Saxis' favour, what better way to attract it than by winning in her house? The temple of Saxis is also wealthy and large and in Lacramar occupies a prime site about halfway along Temple Row
• Odhis. Odhis is a peculiar god, popular with beggars, the poor and those in trouble. He has no temple - his priests carry a portable shrine, depicting a tortured man. His creed holds that the Gods favour is extended to those who suffer and that suffering purifies the soul. Most people think that they are crazy, but they always seem to have some converts and are noisy in decrying wealth and luxury. Most other priests hate them.
• Jahklara. The God of secrets and riddles. The priests and priestesses of Jakhara are skilled in sorceries of darkness and silence. They are masters at the interpretation of dreams and the giving of advice. It is also said that they are skilled thieves and learn many of their mysteries by peeping through windows and listening at doors. Whatever, the sacrifices their visitors offer maintain a plain, windowless but substantial Temple on Temple street in Lacramar and an equally imposing temple on Kallamar island in Ilthmar. The shrine is never open to visitors, so few actually know what the god looks like - and those who do aren't telling.
• Thannyra. The serpent god. Another god of secrets - this time, mostly unwholesome ones. This cult has no open temple, being proscribed by the authorities. It practices life-theft to allow initiates to be re-incarnated, without having to move to another sphere. There are suggestions that it is a debased descendant of the death cults from the Lands of the Wyvern-riders.
• Tremlach. God of the wind. He has a large temple and the top end of Temple street in Lacramar, adorned with high, rickety wooden scaffolding towers, where his priests go to blow horns. There is a similar shrine near the Fiora in Ilthmar and also shrines on the docks with similar towers. People pray to Tremlach to ward off storms, for fair winds for shipping, and to bring the rains that end summer's baking heat.
• Humet. (Also known as the Dark Priestess). A spellcaster's deity, she has several small shrines in both Lacramar and Ilthmar. Her favour is known to be particularly efficacious for the removal of curses and protection from the evil eye. Her symbol - and the sign of her favour - is a dark scarf embroidered with mystic symbols and runes.
• Dryetha. Also known as the Fever God. Dryetha has a large, and mostly derelict shrine actually sitting outside the city of Lacramar. He is the one who sends the hot winds and also fevers. Once his temple received rich sacrifices to protect the harvests, but the practice has fallen off in recent years. Now his temple survives on donations from those who seek to have a friend or relative with a fever cured.
• The Lord of Gates. This god is the one who rules the dwimmaks - the beings who carry the souls of the Dead to othe planes - depicted as a sorrowful, black bearded man, he is prayed to and placated in an attempt to avoid death for just a little longer. His temples, made of black marble, liberally decorated with silver, are ostentatious landmarks in all the cities of the Martic league, and his black-and-silver armoured guardsmen a common site leading funeral corteges.
• Choros. The warrior's god. Choros is said to roam the world in human form, fighting continually. It is said that any group he joins will be victorious and thus warriors and adventurers sacrifice to him in the hope that he will join their cause. His temples - squat, heavy walled, with narrow slit windows, resemble fortresses and his priests can be induced - for a fee - to share their martial arts training.
• Henir Earthshaker. The god of the earth. His temple in Lacramar looks quite modest from the outside, but is largely underground. Indeed, it is said that the tunnels lead off into other spheres and are thus endless. Only his priests can safely navigate them. Strangely the "statue" of the god in his temple is simply a sphere of stone.
• Framat. The goddess of the deep. She has lavishly appointed temples near the docks of both Lacramar and Ilthmar where sailors sacrifice before voyaging out and on their return. She is the daughter of:
• Gerag, the Storm God, who is similarly appeased. Merchants sacrifice to Gerag and ask that he leaves their ships alone. It is rumoured that for a large sacrifice, his priests will ask him to pay attention to someone else's ships...
• Tyva. Goddess of small winds. A cult confined to Ilthmar, Tyva is also goddess of birds. Her Redstone temple is adorned with birds' nests and daubed with guano. It is said that no secret can be hidden from her. Her favoured sacrifices are gems.
• Varish. Varish is the patron of daring acts. Like Saxis, he is beloved of thieves, but also invoked by heroes and merchants trying particularly speculative ventures. He is sometimes called the Protector.

The Waterdancer. This cult is largely confined to Ilthmar. Its tenets are obscure, as is the real name of the deity, but its spectacular parades are well-known.