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  1. Organizations

Sovereign Host

Religion

The Sovereign Host is the dominant religion of Khorvaire. Worshipers of the Sovereign Host are called Vassals and typically worship the pantheon as a whole rather than the nine deities individually. The Sovereign Host is directly related to the Dark Six, whom the Vassals believe were kicked out of the pantheon for various transgressions in an event referred to as the Schism.

Beliefs

The Sovereign Host is widely known even among non-practitioners, to the point that even those who don't identify as Vassals may swear by them or pray to them in moments of need. Generally speaking, worship of the Host is diverse—while prominent priests and clerics exist, no central authority has sole control over the canon of beliefs. Still, some themes unite worshipers.

This dominant faith tradition is known as the Pyrinean creed. While this name comes from the ancient Sarlonan kingdom of Pyrine, few Vassals understand this reference—most simply believe Pyrine was a legendary missionary or some other figure or location in Khorvairian history.


The Nine Sovereigns

Vassals recognize nine sovereigns:

  • Arawai, the Sovereign of Life and Love, the patron of fertility. She represents the benign side of nature and brings good weather and bountiful harvests.
  • Aureon, the Sovereign of Law and Lore. Believed to be the first wizard, he revealed the secrets of magic to the world.
  • Balinor, the Sovereign of Horn and Hunt, the patron of those who follow the border between nature and civilization. He guides hunters and wild beasts alike.
  • Boldrei, the Sovereign of Hall and Hearth. She is guide and protector of family and community and encourages folk to work together for the good of all.
  • Dol Arrah, the Sovereign of Sun and Sacrifice. She represents wisdom in battle and is patron of those who seek justice, fight with honor, and make sacrifices for others.
  • Dol Dorn, the Sovereign of Strength and Steel, the patron of the ordinary soldier. He represents bravery, strength, skill at arms, and aids those who wield weapons.
  • Kol Korran, the Sovereign of World and Wealth, guide and protector for traders and travelers and supporter of fair negotiation.
  • Olladra, the Sovereign of Feast and Fortune, the patron of entertainers, gamblers, and risk-takers. She bestows luck and spreads joy.
  • Onatar, the Sovereign of Fire and Forge. He inspires all who create and aids artificers, craftsmen, and smiths.


Core Beliefs

  • The Sovereigns are always present. For example, whenever a forge is fired, Onatar stands beside it.
  • The Sovereigns shape the world and their hand is in all things. No proof is needed, for the proof is in the world.
  • Each Sovereign must be honored at their proper place and time.
  • The Sovereigns give strength and guidance to those who listen, and instinct and intuition are their voices. When one is heard most clearly, that one should be followed.
  • Fundamentally, worshipers of the Host identify them as deities that govern everyday life. Prayer to the Host is contextual: a warrior seeking strength prays to Dol Dorn, while a farmer offers praise to Arawai. While most Vassals claim to wholly reject the Dark Six, some still make offerings to them.


Formally, Vassals follow two central tenets:

  • The Doctrine of Universal Sovereignty: "As is the world, so are the gods. As are the gods, so is the world." This states that the gods compose reality, rather than "merely" having the power to control it. As an example, Arawai doesn't just influence crops—she is the crops in the field, and offering her devotion isn't to get her attention but rather her favor.
  • The Doctrine of the Divine Host: "The Sovereign Host is one name, and speaks with one voice. The gods are the letters of that name, and the sounds of that voice." This states that the Host should be treated as a pantheon rather than merely a collection of deities. As such, most Vassals worship the Host as a whole rather than just an individual close to them, such as a blacksmith and Onatar.


Souls and the Afterlife

The Sovereign Host does not have an afterlife that promises paradise to followers. Instead, it is believed that all souls go to Dolurrh, the Plane of the Dead, regardless of their virtue in life.

A heresy of the Sovereign Host suggests that the plane will eventually be touched by their presence and it will become a paradise that the dead can enjoy. Worshipers do not give offering to the Host for a pleasant afterlife but instead for material gain in this life.

The Octogram of the Sovereign Host is also the planar symbol for Dolurrh. This is because followers of the Host believe that the faithful join the Sovereigns after death, and that the apparent "fading" is the soul ascending to a higher realm of existence.

Church Structure

The Sovereign Host does not have a central leadership; instead, liturgical councils provide regional leadership. What constitutes a region can vary dramatically. As an example, the Host of Khorvaire tends to the area of Aundair around Passage, while the Devout of the Celestial Crown cover only a portion of Sharn. Generally speaking, each of the Five Nations boasts (or in the case of Cyre, boasted) several councils, while each of the nations in Greater Khorvaire only has a few at most.

Councils wield significant informal political and social power to shape the churches and temples within their jurisdiction. Councils control almost every step of the priestly journey, from the education available to access to congregations to positions on the council itself. Most priests of the host begin their path as an acolyte in seminary, where they learn a mix of theology and community leadership. Some acolytes instead make their way into the priesthood through apprenticeships at a local temple, directly learning from the high priest who heads the congregation. Less respected are the acolytes who learn from priests outside of temples: village preachers, wandering evangelists, or other forms of itinerant priests. Still, regardless of educational background, the council is who determines the legitimate leaders of congregations.

The liturgical councils come together every ten years for a Grand Conclave, exchanging ideas and debating both theology and how to administrate the faith.

History

Worship of the Sovereign Host is believed to have originated in eastern Sarlona, in the region of PyrinePyrine is currently a bastion of the Path of Inspiration and is one of the most entirely converted regions of the Riedran Empire, but if the scholars and historians are to be believed, there are likely ruins and artifacts important to the faith still extant in Pyrine and its surrounding regions.

When humans came to Khorvaire, evangelists spread with them. Rather than try to forcibly convert the religions they encountered, the humans incorporated them into their own faith—for example, "explaining" to the orcs  that their war god Garu-Umesh is "actually" Dol Dorn by another name.

The diverse nature of the Sovereign Host has meant that it has never acted as a discrete and focused political force like the Church of the Silver Flame , but councils have certainly wielded political and social power to achieve their ends.

Relationship with the Dark Six

Officially, the Dark Six have been expelled from the Sovereign Host, but doctrine does not hold that they have been stripped of their divinity. As a result, many vassals of the Sovereign Host still make prayers to members of the Dark Six, though these are usually prayers of supplication made out of fear rather than prayers of worship and true devotion.

Even the oldest available scripture makes references to "The Nine and Six and One", which seems to indicate that the "Schism" between Sovereign Host and the Dark Six predates human civilization. However, some contend that the original division was not the Sovereign Host and Dark Six, but of civilization gods and primal nature deities. This grouping is almost identical to the modern division, but has Arawai and Balinor swapping places with The Mockery and The Fury.

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