The Northern Faith(s)

Broadly speaking, the religion of the Galish barbarians has always been more comprehensible to
Orthodox peoples than Nascheiter monotheism, for all that the Faith of Nascheit arose in a
civilized country. Among features that are shared in common between the Orthodox and the
Galishmen are: genuine polytheism, with monistic ideas either discouraged or simply absent;
prayer to and communication with ancestors (though not to the singleminded extent of the
Morasi); belief in multiple afterlife possibilities depending on one's relationship with the Gods;
and the practice of animal sacrifice.

However, a marked difference between the Northern traditions and the Orthodoxy is that the
Galish lack a centralized, unifying authority within their kingdoms. Lineages of priestly
ordination are called “God-Houses”, referring both to the physical structure of a temple and,
more abstractly, the sense of communal belonging and fellowship that binds together members of
the ordination lineage. Ordination is never bestowed by order of a higher authority than a
consensus of elders within a given God-House, and each God-House is, broadly speaking,
autonomous from the rest. Norms are enforced by collective agreements between neighboring
God-Houses, and breaches of moral norms are punished with ritual shaming, called nithing,
which will cause laity to shun the cursed God-House and will magnetize excruciating ill-luck
until such time as proper penance has been done. Over-common or appalling practice of black
magic, abuse of initiates, and extortion of the laity are all due cause for nithing of a God-House.
In extreme cases, there have been God-Houses that have become so immoral, corrupt, and
intransigent in their defiance of Galish morality that their members have been put to the sword
and their lineage exterminated. This, however, is only done with the express permission of every
other God-House within a kingdom, and so has occurred only a few times in Galish history, oral
or written.

Owing to the polycentric nature of Galish religion, there is no unifying written doctrine between
all the God-Houses or the laity. Thus, unlike the Orthodoxy, there is not a uniform pantheon that
is worshipped across the Galish lands; certain gods are worshipped in some places and not in
others, and local deities of mountain, forest, river, and spring can feature just as prominently in
the religious life of a region as the major gods. Nevertheless, there are a number of deities that
are worshipped just about everywhere in the North, and these are listed below.

Haurdhig, the All-Father, the Witch-King, Wolfhame: worshipped by the warrior-caste nobility
everywhere in the North, as well as a patron to shamans and witches, Haurdhig is a complex and
fearsome god whose domains include sorcery, shapeshifting, war and battle, cunning, the winter
winds, and kingship. His titles are numberless, largely because, more than any other Northern
god, the Galish usually avoid referring to Him by His name except in ritual and sacrifice. To the
farmer-caste and laity, Haurdhig is a revered yet often-distant God, mostly propitiated for
protection from demons and the restless dead. To the warrior-caste, Haurdhig is an adored, yet
terrifying, patron, the ideal to which they strive and simultaneously a living emblem of the dark
ambiguity of power. Haurdhig is a God of devouring hunger, limitless Will, and endless
ambition. In the myths of the Galish,
The colors upon Haurdhig's altars are dark grey and indigo, and foods offered to Him include
beef, ox-blood, garlic, leek, medlars, and other cold-weather crops. It is always appropriate to
offer Him mead, and whiskey from the Mark, homemade lagers, and fermented milk are also
given to Him. His priests are darkly ambitious like their Master, but hold themselves to a
rigorous standard of honor, and follow strict taboos regarding honorable conduct, treatment of
inferiors, and engagement with outsiders (that is, negotiation must always be sought as a first
means of conflict-resolution)

Ilma, the Seeress, Oath-Watcher, Winter's Lady: Haurdhig's wife is a mighty and deeply honored
Goddess in Her own right, no mere consort. Born among the frost-thurses of the northmost ice,
She was the wisest child ever born to their race, and Her father, Faksthrau, guarded Her
jealously, creating impossible tests to bar any suitors from winning Her hand. Haurdhig learned
in prophecy of Ilma and resolved that He would be the one to marry Her, travelling to the land of
the frost-thurses by foot and alone, clad as a mere wanderer. When He came to Faksthrau's hall,
Haurdhig simply snuck beyond the guardsmen and evaded the giant's notice, stealing His way
into Ilma's room, where He spoke with Her alone and eventually convinced Her, through
cunning and bravado, that He was a worthy suitor. Ilma announced to Her father that She would
marry the stranger, who then revealed Himself to be the mighty God. Since then, Ilma has been
the Queen among the Gods, and Her domains are many: winter, snowfall, oaths, hospitality,
vengeance, and prophecy. She is most popular among women of the warrior-caste, as well as
among shamans and others who practice divination

Ellthi, the Deathless Smith, Forge-Lord, Star-Eyes: popular throughout the North among both
farmers and warriors, Ellthi is Haurdhig's younger brother and utterly unlike Him in
temperament. Introverted where His brother is domineering, patient where Haurdhig is
aggressive, material-minded where the Witch-King is unearthly, Ellthi is a God of patient labor
and craftsmanship, creator of the arms and armor of the Gods, patron to all smiths as well as to
miners, and a central hero in many Galish myths, usually as a figure of steadiness, caution, and
prudence who manages to resolve a crisis through His stoic endurance.

Galönnya, the War-Goddess, Mother of Bears, Queen of the Woods: Haurdhig's main rival in
myth and story, Galönnya is His sister, but fiercely independent of His rule and a Goddess of
wilderness, hunting, isolation, and survival. She is worshipped especially by sword-maidens
throughout the North, and of course by hunters of all castes. Besides sword-maidens, however,
most of Her worshippers are of the farmer-caste, seeking Her protection from the wild beasts that
are Her children, as well as out of respect for Her as a Goddess who defies Haurdhig's dominion.
Many gods, demigods, and daring mortals have been Her lovers over the ages but none have
managed to make a wife of Her. The children from these unions have become heroes of myth
and legend, and more often than not, a mortal claiming divine ancestry will attribute it to
Galönnya.

Raufan, the Harvest-King, the Peace-Bringer, the Eunuch: Raufan was once the most virile of the
Gods, Haurdhig's first-born son and so randy that He was bringing embarrassment upon His
family. Eventually, Raufan made the mistake of attempting to woo Galönnya, and persisted after
She warned Him twice to leave off. After the third attempt, the Mother of Bears castrated Her
nephew with a rock. As His testicles fell to earth, blood and seed pouring from the wound, the
soil was filled with divine vitality, whence sprang the first barley, rye, oats, and all the fruits of
the field. Though sorely aggrieved at His maiming, Raufan was fascinated with the newborn
crops, and His heart was touched to see how mortals clung to them. He incarnated Himself
among humankind to learn how they lived and endured their hunger. In the process, He came to
love mankind, and to long to protect them from destitution and famine. Now, He is the
undisputed champion of the farmer-caste, and even the warriors cannot help but call Him “the
Cornfather”, the exemplar of generosity, tenderness, and unselfish love.