In this age, few people directly worship named deities or build temples in their honor. During the Scourge, when no clear aid arrived, most people turned to ideals instead. It is common to honor several at once. A few people publicly dedicate themselves to a single ideal as a Questor.
Some still keep the old gods as tradition, and many of those figures point to the same ideals. Whether power derives from a listening entity or conviction to an ideal is debated, but the magic works.
While the gods have fallen out of favor, few doubt that other realms exist. The Horrors are clearly not of the Mortal Realm and, given their deeds, most assume they are aligned with the Circles Below, realms where ideals are twisted. (For example, Truth becomes Inquisition, Prosperity becomes Greed, Safety becomes Paranoia, and Valor becomes Cruelty.)
In contrast, the Hallows Above are widely held to align with the most prominent ideals of this age:
Craft | making, planning, fixing | Build what endures; plan before risk; repair what others neglect. |
|---|---|---|
Freedom | liberty, revelry, choice | Free the coerced; host an open celebration; speak for the voiceless. |
Hearth | care, shelter, healing | Shelter the vulnerable; tend the wounded; welcome newcomers. |
Muse | art, love, expression | Create something new; honor beauty with honesty; teach a form. |
Nature | balance, renewal, stewardship | Protect living places; restore a harmed site; take only what you use. |
Passage | routes, signals, access | Guide the lost; repair a route; safeguard travelers. |
Prosperity | abundance, fair dealing, ambition | Seed a surplus, strike a fair bargain, fund useful work. |
Safety | vigilance, verification, assurance | Identify a threat; test a claim; secure a hazard. |
Truth | justice, knowledge, testimony | Gather the facts; hear both sides; protect a witness. |
Valor | courage, steadfastness, honor | Face fear; defend the weak; offer fair challenge. |