The following Religions are among the many in the war torn land of Kurshyk:

"He Who Watches" (Gruumsh):  All peoples may freely worship Gruumsh.  However, speaking the name of the one-eyed God is reason for summary execution, except for clerics and adepts.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruumsh

Bahgtru:  Worshippers of Bahgtru are scorned as being stupid and naive, but are not punished.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahgtru

Ilneval, Luthic, Shargaas, and Yurtrus:  These gods are celebrated upon the appropriate occasions and holidays without punishment.

The following religions and orders are banned:

Kingsmen:  This is the orc name for any who still give allegiance to the governments conquered, including elves, dwarves, humans, and all others not part of the Orc Alliance.  Those caught giving such allegiances are subject to corporal punishment, up to and including death.

Rumors say that soldiers and freedom fighters from the human, elf, and dwarf armies are forming an alliance to conquer Kurshyk.  It is rumored that this alliance combines the forces of the Knights of Palomir, the Shadow Dawn, and others for an ultimate rebellion.

The Knights of Palomir:  These are the paladins who helped secure the borders of Tienna and protect it from all manner of invaders.  The Knights, if discovered in Kurshyk, are to be executed immediately.  Rumors say that the knights are secretly building in power to overthrow Thulash and the Kurshyk Kingdom.

The Guardians of Life:  This is the order for the monks of the land.  Although outlawed technically, the orcs tolerate their monasteries while taxing them excessively.  Their creed is as follows:

“Protector of this world and Guardian of the Way, the Art of Peace is the religion that is not a religion; it perfects and completes all religions.  The Art of Peace that I practice has room for each of the world's eight million gods, and I  cooperate with them all.  The God of Peace is very great and enjoins all that is divine and enlightened in every land.  The path is exceedingly vast.  From ancient time to the present day, even the greatest sages were unable to perceive and comprehend the entire truth; the explanation and teachings of masters and saints express only part of the whole.  It is not possible for anyone to speak of such things in their entirety.  I will embrace light and warmth, trust in the gods, and through the virtue of devoted practice of the Art of Peace, become one with the Divine.”

Followers spend years in rigorous training of the body, developing strength, balance and endurance through the daily practice of Martial Art techniques. The empty-hand martial art techniques are often all they use to protect themselves.  They have many sayings, such as: “There is no need for a shield or armor; your spirit is the true shield.” and “When an enemy has the mind  to strike enter deeply and redirect his energy before it can physically manifest.  Move like a beam of light, fly like lightning, strike like thunder, whirl in circles around a stable center;” and “You must never strike first, nor must you strike last; you must strike simultaneously with your defense.”  As they gain mastery of their bodies, young monks also development the mind, body and spirit to work as one instead of three distinct and different parts.

Monks are peaceful, often soft-spoken, and wary to become involved in the affairs of the State.  They are often looked to for detached wisdom and advice, but they are also hesitant to assist outsiders without good cause, although many young monks must walk the Road of Life.  This is a self-guided excursion into the world outside the monastery to better understand the monk's role in life, his duties to others, and to improve on his training.  The Road of Life often begins in the monk's twentieth year, after all training has been completed, and will often last ten to twenty years as the monk wanders around the world gaining experience.  When he retires from the Road of Life, the young monk generally returns to the monastery to become a teacher and meditate on the truths he has learned.

The most well-known monastery of the Guardians of Life is the Holy Lotus monastery in northeast Faulbane, a day's journey south of the mystical Valley of Mist.

The Wyrmshard:  Wyrmshard followers devote themselves to dragons.  They are tolerated by the orcs for their knowledge in how to deal with dragons, but the practice of their rites is banned.

A millenium ago, the dragons were at their peak in the eastern continent of Tienna.  They were so powerful and so prominent that the other intelligent races had to flee to a land where they would feel in control instead of dominated.  The dragons disappeared at the time the world split and the magic was lost, and they reappeared just prior to the orc wars.  It is considered one of the fasted growing orders because of the overall fear of dragons.  Its leaders are often considered some sort of users of magic and are feared.

The Omnicent:  Clerics and adepts worship different deities depending on their beliefs.  The Omnicent is an order allowing them all to gather as one body.  The churches are banned as places of worship, but are allowed (with heavy taxing) to heal and give aid, particularly to orcs in need.  Any orc in need must be given services free of charge.

The Omnicent choose specific names for its members, and rumors say that rites are secretly performed.  The Omnicent was established by human leaders seeking freedom for all to worship, and was officially disbanded with the establishment of Kurshyk in Western Tienna when the orcs overtook the kingdom.

The Shadow Dawn:  Shadow Dawn” (known as Tel'Sindavathar or “Shadow Alliance” in Elvish).  The Shadow Dawn is a cadre of rebels from various human and demihuman races forming an elite force to sabotage the orc rule and return the three kings to their thrones, the human, elf, and dwarf kings who had to flee at the insurrection.

They are highly secretive, yet highly organized.  They commit to tactical strikes as often as possible against the orc kingdom.  Unlike the Knights of Palomir, they are a very active group.  Only their secrecy has kept them from falling into the hands of the orcs thus far.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:19, Fri 22 Sept 2006.

Xren Codex  The Xren Codex is an ancient heiroglyphic compilation said to relate both history and future events.  It contains prophecy and is written in heiroglyphic Allevian, a dead language said to exist before written Allevian letters were invented.  Besides its prophetic role, the Codex lists many items, events, and places now lost to the scholars.  Only a small portion of the Codex remains intact.  A copy of this can be found in the library at Faulbane Manor.

It is said that a man who has the entire Codex would know all of history, from the beginning of the universe to the end of time.

Many say that portions of the Xren Codex can be found written on walls and in caves and ancient ruins.

The formost experts on translating the existing portions of the Xren Codex are the Gurlek brothers (Jark and Sark), two gnomes who trained with Alkosh, an ancient historian believed to be dead.

Allevian Annals:  The Allevian Annals are a history of the earth.  They contain many wisdoms as well as an accounting of the past.  The Allevian Annals speak of powerful artifacts and discuss the ancient magics.  They tell the story of the time before the disappearance of dragons, before the world split in two.  Most of these scrolls are lost.  Those who have portions of them keep them secret to hold those secrets for themselves.  A portion of the Annals are guarded at Faulbane manor.

The Annals are written in Allevian, which has the same letters and similar meanings to the common tongue, but only those who know the language can read or interpret what the Annals mean.  (Think of Latin compared to English.)

Thieves guilds are not tolerated by the orcs, except by paying a heavy toll.  The following maintain their status by paying this toll and remaining semi-public in nature.

Guild of Millain:  Rogues can apply to this guild by paying a heavy membership fee.  Membership, however, has its privileges, and the guild will protect thieves caught in legal disputes with the orcs.  Often, the deeds of such rogues are "overlooked."

However, the Guildmaster Millain may occasionally call upon its members to perform certain tasks.  Members may not refuse, or they may pay a hefty sum or forfeit one finger.  If they refuse, they will become fugitives.

Members who have complaints against non-orc parties often see much success in having their grievances handled by the Millain Guild while the orcs look the other way.

The following guilds are not authorized by the government and will be met with punishment:

Gypsies:  Gypsies often band together as a traveling guild.  Often, the gypsies have extended clans related by intermarriage, so that if any violence is done to one of them an entire horde can be assembled to track down and punish the offender.  They should be dealt with cautiously, for a small band may actually be an interwoven link in a large clan.

The Guild of Honor:  This guild is a collection of aristocrats and minor royalty who were overthrown when the orcs took over.  Many have been forced to go into hiding, and many still flaunt their riches and heritage while bowing to the orc forces and secretly plotting with the guild.

Those with excellent credentials, including any royal blood, may be asked to join the guild, which offers protection, a plan to reclaim the throne, and cash flow.  They always have an agenda -- the building of their own power -- but they offer a good network of powerful people in their organization.

However, the orcs will quickly execute any known to belong to this guild.  There are rumors of infighting among the royalty due to problems with determining proper succession to the crown.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:27, Tue 01 Aug 2006.

This is just a sampling of the major groups.

If you have a particular group you want to develop or have added, let the GM know.