Chapter VIII: Religion & Belief
r elIgIon & b elIef
C hapTer VIII
“When weapons clash, when cold winds blow, when wolves howl—you know that Ulric is with you.” Torsten, Priest of Ulric
T he Empire is steeped in religion and supersition. Life is short, brutal and often absurd. The Gods offer a sliver of hope in a world of war, darkness and danger. The folk of the Old World see the influence of the Gods all around them, as well as the movements of unseen spirits, and the dark touch of Chaos. Only fools ignore the Heavens—that, or the bravest of heretics. Every part of life is watched over by a God. From birth to death an Empire citizen will honour many deities and visit many temples. Most folk only make occasional offerings, but some are religious enough to make regular sacrifices to all of the Gods. A rarer few choose to honour one God in particular—these usually go on to become part of the Priesthood for that deity. All hope that the Heavens will bless them with miracles or intervention; however, the Gods are whimsical in the extreme. There seems neither rhyme nor reason to their dabblings T here are many temples and shrines dedicated to the Gods. From the smallest pig farm to the largest city, there are a profusion of buildings, grottoes, springs, wells, standing stones, groves and markers. Many of these places of worship are cared for by Priests and acolytes of the various Religious Orders recognised by the Empire. Considered to be mortal agents of their God, the Religious Orders take an active role in the day-to-day life of the Empire, be it tending the dead, caring for the land, or ministering to the wounded. Whilst they feel little need to “recruit” for their God, many Priests take it upon themselves to tell instructive tales and offer guidance. Each Order has considerable religious, fiscal and political power, which they wield as and when they feel it necessary. Some have argued that politics is not a realm in which the Priesthood is qualified to meddle; however, the Religious Orders have been extremely quick to point out that whilst Sigmar moves the Heavens, it is his Warrior Priests who move the Earth. While each Religious Order maintains its holdings in their own particular way, there are some basics that apply to all of them. For specifics on each Order, see The Religious Orders starting at page 181.
in mortal life. They can bless a person, or strike them down in an instant. Due to this, most are viewed with a mixture of awe and fear. Sometimes an answered prayer is the worst thing that can happen to a person. The common deities of the Empire are listed on the table on page 171. The worship, and fear, of these Gods draws the Empire together. From Altdorf to Averland shared legends and rituals bind the people in a common understanding. The various Priesthoods reinforce this message, working to strengthen order and stability, for there are other Gods besides those of the Empire—Dark Gods whose worship is strictly forbidden. These Ruinous Powers bring death and discord to the tenuous balance of the Empire. Many secret cults do the work of these proscribed Gods, and despite all that officials do, they seem an eternal part of the Empire’s underbelly. T emples The temple is the centre of worship for each deity. It is where ceremonial magic, invocation, and sacrifice are performed according to the rites of that God. There is no such thing as a typical temple. There are temples old and new, sparse and opulent, and small and vast. Styles vary greatly, even amongst temples dedicated to the same God, but in some cases religious principles dictate the shape of the building. They are generally large buildings, however, and are usually built in brick or stone with towers of one kind or another. Many cities have multiple temples to the same God, with especially large cities possessing many dedicated to each of the major Gods. The principal temple to a major God in a large city will be enormous, with many attendant Priests of all stations, templars defending its treasures, as well as scribes, Initiates, and lay staff. On the other hand, a temple in a remote village might be no more than a
— f ormal V eneraTIon —
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