Perrenland Religion

The Old Kerk

In Perrenland, the Flan gods has traditionally been worshipped as a pantheon. This harks back to the past when the Ur-Flannae culture was at its height and the priesthoods of the nature gods, especially Beory and Pelor, fought to maintain a balance of goodness and harmony against the evil tenets of this culture. This was the Old Faith of the Flan peoples.

Unlike elsewhere in the Flanaess, in Perrenland the druidic inner circle appears to have lost their primacy to the faith that people held in gods like Pelor and Rao. As a result, from the Old Faith was born the Old Kerk ("Old Church") of modern Perrenland.

The Old Kerk has itself undergone profound changes in the last fifty years. Previously consisting of eight gods, it has in the past generation added one new god (Mayaheine - in response to the many wars in Greyhawk and the return of Iuz) and seen the return of another (Vathris - following his return to life in 562 CY). In part, the appearance of Mayaheine and the renewed emphasis placed on the martial aspects of some of the other gods has reversed the decline in the general population of active worship at Great Temples of the Old Kerk. It seems a new age of belief in the guiding principles of the Old Kerk has begun, no doubt because the Old Kerk is again perceived by Perrenlanders as the path to salvation and light against the ever-growing darkness outside.

The ten gods that form the Old Kerk are:

Allitur the Ethical
Beory the Old Mother
Berei of the Hearth
Mayaheine the Shield of the Weak
Obad-Hai the Shalm
Nerull the Tormentor
Pelor of the Light
Rao the Serene
Vathris the Crying Hero
Zodal the Merciful

The Old Kerk is not a power-hungry institution, and avoids involvement in politics unless there seems to be a crumbling in the fabric of Perrenland society. The leaders of the Old Kerk are loathe to commit to a political cause, as they generally feel that this is not their concern. They are, however, outspoken against cruelty or tyranny and against the changing of Perrenland traditions and laws for no good reason. The Old Kerk was actively involved in the independence movements against the Great Kingdom, Furyondy, and Iggwilv, as this was seen as the best way to relieve the suffering of the people. It is fair to say that the Old Kerk is often slow to act but a force to be reckoned with when it does.

The Old Kerk owns some property, which it puts to good use as some of the best schools, libraries, hostels and hospitals in Perrenland. It is at the forefront of charity in Perrenland and much of its earnings go to give comfort to the needy regardless of their race or creed. It has been via the Old Kerk that Perrenland has allowed a steady trickle of refugees to cross the border and resettled under their care in the last decade. As a result, worship of the Old Kerk is as strong among the new migrants in Perrenland as it is in the rest of the wider community.

Old Kerk ceremonies are focussed on the combined worship of all the deities in a Great Temple (Grôt-Godshuis). In addition, each god has its own separate shrine (Klein-Godshuis), within which worshippers may pray for help or offer thanks to that particular god. Followers tend to favour a particular deity within the Old Kerk as "their god", but still revere all ten gods of the Old Kerk.

Six responsibilities lie at the heart of the Old Kerk, and all followers are expect to strive to achieve and maintain them.

Prevent sickness.
Heal the ailing.
Educate the people.
Feed the needy.
Support the family.
Comfort sorrow.

The priesthood of the Old Kerk is divided into three groups - the Shool, the Grove, and the Voice.

• The Shool represent faith. They tend the shrines and the Great Temples, and minister to the religious needs of worshippers. They are commonly clerics and paladins.
• The Grove represent nature. They tend to areas of untamed wilderness called Old Seed areas, ensuring that the natural order is not destroyed by over-use or over-settlement of the land. They are commonly druids and rangers.
• The Voice represent the folk. They are lore-keepers, dispute-settlers, and joy-bringers, reminding people of what they have in common and of the good things in life. They are commonly bards.

For further information, review the information on membership of the Old Kerk as a metaorganisation.