Church of the Stahl Riesa

""Through Sweat and Blood, Iron and Steel, Shall my worshippers become stronger than they once had before. Speak my name as I grant you mastery over both the earth and forge""

- -Vulkan

Introduction:

The Church of Stahl Riese is a polytheistic religion that centered around the worship of Vulkan, known as the Stahl Riese (Steel Giant). It is believed that Vulkan was born during solar alignments hundreds of thousands of years ago and it is the reason the earth is habitable in the first place. The religions is primarily worshipped in Reingard, and a few villages spread out worldwide. The religion was officially announced to the world on (21/5/21).

Gods:
There are nine gods in the religion, one supreme and his eight children. Seven of Vulkans children are still worshiped by devoted followers, while the eighth is considered forbidden. However, the Forsaken's banner will still hang with the others in Stahl Riesa churches. This is, so people do not forget who he is and what he has done.

Vulkan- God of Creation, Craftsmen, and Blacksmithing.
The Stahl Riesa. He is a giant whose skin is made from black steel, a beard made of Iron, and arms covered in strange symbols. He has a pair of large dragon-like horns on his head. Images of Vulkan will show him in two ways. One shows Vulkan standing before a giant forge, crafting some form of tool or weapon. The other shows Vulkan working at his forge, within the heart of Valnir.

Vidar- God of Wisdom, Weather, and Prosperity.
The Heir. He looks like a slightly smaller, four-armed, non-metallic version of Vulkan. Images of Vidar often depict each of his hands holding something he represents. For example, two hands are often pictured, with one having a bag of coins while the other is a small tree. Another hand is holding up a book. Finally, the last hand holds a storm cloud, pouring rain on a plant setup beside Vidar.

Norns- Goddess of Law, Order, and Nature.
The Judge. She is essentially a dryad, sharing very similar traits, except for a large pair of antlers. She has vines wrapped around her arms that sprout a mixture of black and white flowers. Images of Norns depict her standing before a giant tree, holding a law scale in one hand, and a bill in the other hand.

Iris- Goddess of Love, Fertility, Beauty, and Health.
The Beloved. She is best described as the first angel with four white wings. Iris has a vine wrapped around her right arm like her sister Norns that sprouts red roses. Images of Iris depict her either healing the sick or marrying a couple.

Borr- God of Death.
The Reaper. While he doesn’t show his face, all that is known about his appearance is that he is a sizeable cloaked figure, wears metal gauntlets and boots, and has large dark-gray wings. Images of Borr depict him escorting the souls of the dead to their final destination.

Tsun- God of War, Honor, and Justice.
The Warrior. He looks similar to his brother Vidar but is bulkier, has tattoos along his arms, and has bull-like horns. Images of Tsun depict him leading a war party against an opposing force.

Saga- Goddess of Hunting, Archery, Strategy.
The Huntress. She looks similar to her sister Norns, but without the vines or Dryad features. She has tattoos identical in design to her brother Tsun. Images of Saga depict her shooting a bow at a fleeing deer.

Gerd- God of Alcohol, Partying, Art, and Tricks.
The Partier. He looks like an average human, except he has snake eyes. Images depict him in one of three ways. The first is of him at a party, creating drinks out of thin air and getting drunk. The second is of him playing a trick on a thief, making the thief believe he has just pickpocketed a bag of coin from someone, but, in reality, the thief stole a bag of stones. The last one is of Gerd taking leftover metal scraps from Vulkans forge and turning them into a flower sculpture.

Veles- God of Chaos and Evil.
The Forsaken. He is the smallest of the gods and an angry creature and is best described as a demonic 7ft tall Gollum. Images depict him sitting upon a burning throne, overlooking a fiery hellscape.

Afterlife:
Valnir & Netherworld: There are two afterlives within the religion. If you lived a dedicated, honorable life or died in glorious combat, your soul will be taken to Valnir. On the other hand, if you lived like a Heathen and the unhonorable, your soul shall be sent to the Netherworld.

Valnir is described as Vulkans realm, a part of our realm that was isolated after Veles' rebellion. Once you enter Valnir, you will be greeted and led down a path to a festival held in honor of those who either died, there you will meet Vulkan and his seven remaining kin.

The Netherworld, on the other hand, is described as a being located deep within the earth's core, a place of fire and ash. Once you enter the Netherworld, it is said that your soul is cursed to wander the plains of red soil and ash-filled air, tormented by the God Veles and his legions of draugr and other demonic creatures

Sacrifices:
When praying to a particular god, certain rituals must be followed to ensure a proper blessing on you, your family, or your clan. This, however, is not the case with all the gods. Only a tiny minority of gods demand a sacrifice to receive a blessing. The remaining majority don't require worshippers to honor them.

Vulkan demands a simple sacrifice of metal or well crafted gear, thrown into one of the many Vulkan forges spread out worldwide. Performing this will give a blessing of luck in finding ore or forging more powerful weapons and armor. During the sacrifice, participants say, "God of Creation, Master of the Forge, We offer our precious in the name of Vulkan."

Tsun demands that you sacrifice an animal after a massive conflict. Performing this will give a blessing of favor from Tsun, gracing the individuals with safe travels home or to their next battle. During the sacrifice, participants say, "Master of war, Bringer of Honor, We giveth this beast in the name of Tsun."

Saga demands that you sacrifice some of the meat from the hunt by offering it to the goddess, cooking it, and then throwing it into the fire at the ritual site. Performing this will give a blessing to the hunt, where the animals you hunt will provide more meat and material. During the sacrifice, participants say, "Goddess of the Hunt, Master of the Bow, We offer this bountiful meat in the name of Saga."

Veles demand the sacrifice of blood(Redstone); it does not matter whether it be your, another's, or a creature. This is done by praising Veles before killing the sacrifice. Performing this will give a blessing of the forsaken, providing you with terrifying strength and willpower, but at the risk of forgoing your mind and helping Veles escape the Netherworld. During the sacrifice, participants say, "Emperor of the Netherworld, Bringer of the Eternal Frost, We offer the blood of (person name) in the name of the Veles."

Marriages:
When worshippers within the Church of Stahl Riese get married, it follows a typical wedding, but with a few differences. At the beginning of the ceremony, both spouses will start by exchanging flowers. Then, in the middle of the ceremony, both spouses will perform a quick prayer, giving thanks to Iris. And at the end of the ceremony, both spouses will walk down a short path of hot rocks. Upon completing these three tasks, the couple will be officially considered married.

Death:
When someone dies, the deceased's body is to be cremated in a forge of any kind, and their ashes are to be thrown to the wind for Borr, the God of death, to collect later. Upon collection, Borr will evaluate your life and then decide whether to send your soul to Valnir or the Netherworld.

Holy sites:
Vulkans Forges: The forges of the God, long thought lost to the sands of time, have since begun to be rediscovered. The Vulkan Forges are described as enclosed forges, ranging in size, design, and material. The interior of the forge is with molten metal flowing down its side and pooling under a platform with an anvil sitting upon it. The forges are said to be infused with magic from Vulkan himself, allowing for the creation of powerful weapons. It's believed that if a gifted blacksmith were to use one of these forges, they'd be able to craft "legendary" weapons. While most of the forges remain buried beneath the ground, some are still used by villages spread out through the world, protected by the dedicated worshippers of Stahl Riesa's. The only forge that resides within a kingdom is the Ashbourne Forge, discovered while excavating the land to expand the walls; the kingdom is under Frosterium control.

Side Info:
Thunder: The sound of thunder has meaning during two separate events, regular day-to-day life and War. It's believed that during the day to day life, thunder is the sound of Vulkan at his forge, creating something new. With War, on the other hand, it's believed that thunder represents Vulkans presence, watching over his worshippers as they fight.

Aska & Revna: While the Eagle Guardian would usually report the events of Earth back to Valnir, it can't hear the conversations occurring nor see inside smaller areas without landing. In response to this, Vulkans will send his two pet Ravens, Aska & Revna, to gather more "clear" information to bring back. Vulkan will send Aska & Revna out in the morning before dawn and have them return at dusk.

The Sentinels: The army of Vulkan, the Sentinels serve under Vulkan and Tsun. Officially formed from the surviving warriors of Veles rebellion, the Sentinels are made up of fallen soldiers who died in combat. They are tasked with protecting Valnir and the Earth from Veles or other external threats. It's believed that the Sentinels' armor and weapons are forged by Vulkan himself.

Wraths: The agents of Veles, Wraths are spirit-like beings that travel the world gathering information for Veles. Wraths also acts as the voice of Veles from time to time, appearing before Veles followers or those who Veles believes will be weak to resist him. In addition, there have been records claiming that wraths will sometimes possess people. Usually, they'll possess weak-minded people to enact Veles' will upon the world.

Runes: The runes of the Gods, said to be sent down to the Earth after sending down the Forges as additional protection. Coming in the appearance of a shard, crystal, and other odd items of the sort. These runes are said to provide strong but limited protection to whoever possesses one on their person.

Headquarters & Shaman: As it stands, the "The Church of the Stahl Riesa" headquarters is "The Black Forge Church" In New Reingard. Shamans (the priests of the religion) are religious figures chosen by Vulkan during "The Choosing." A Shaman has to maintain their church or holy sites and speak/provide guidance on behalf of the gods.

Prayer: Prayers are relatively straightforward. “I call upon (Vulkan or whichever of his kin you are preying to) I seek your ears for (why your preying) (What your preying)” Example: “I call upon Iris, I seek your ears for help. I have been plagued by an unworldly sickness. Please cure my ailment.”

Events and Holidays:
The Choosing: The Choosing is an event that takes place when a Village Shaman is near the end of their life, is ready to step down, or dies before the event could occur. It entails willing participants of the Village to gather before the shaman hut/house. Each participant will be handed a strange drink and then speak the following “We call upon Vulkan, reveal to us our Shepard,” after which participants will drink. Upon finishing their drink, they will begin to have visions. After a few minutes, Vulkan is said to appear before the participants (only the participants). From there, he will look upon them, thinking, before pointing to whomever he decides is worthy of being the new shaman. Once the event is over, the new shaman will be lifted into the air, where they’ll be gifted the divine knowledge of the Stahl Riesa and the right to speak on behave of the gods.

Creation Day: A holiday in which worshippers celebrate the creation of life on earth. Worshippers flock to the nearest village with a Vulkan forge for a day of food, drink, and cheer. The holiday ends with everyone entering the Forge for prayer from the village Shaman. The prayer goes along the lines of “We have gathered here on Creation day to give thanks to Vulkan and his seven kin, for He is our creature, and they are our protectors.” Afterwhich, one randomly selected person will be picked to throw a valuable piece of gear or a precious metal into the forges molten river, the holiday ends, everyone has one last drink, and everyone returns home.

Stories:
Creation: In the beginning, there was the sun, moons, and plants, but there was no life. It was but a lifeless realm until Vulkan. Born within the icy void of space during a solar alignment, Vulkan was gifted in his ideas but had no bearings on where and what to do. In his early years, he would explore the vast unknown, watching other entities like him be born into this realm and leave, he began to think of a permanent place for himself to remain, for he did not wish to wander like the others. He started to create his domain, one that he would call “Valnir,” setting it a corner of the realm that would allow him to pander and create whatever he desired, but he was lonely. So he looked to the space around him, and he laid his eyes upon a planet he would call “Earth.” Although he planned to create life, he realized that he couldn’t undertake this task by himself, and so he took his arm and drew a drop of golden blood; and created his firstborn, Vidar. Upon Vidar's creation, Vulkan gave him vast knowledge and power over the weather, and sent forth he sent Vidar to earth to develop livable climates. Vulkan then went forth and created more kin, Norns the Goddess of Law, Order, and Nature, to provide the world with life and a law of nature for how life shall work. Iris, the Goddess of Love, Fertility, Beauty, and Health to provide the earth with beauty, love, and long lives to the creatures that now inhabit the world. Finally, the God of Death, Borr, to provide a safe passage for the dead on their way to Valnir.

The Troggs: Centuries later, the earth was completed; Vulkan created the first Intelligent life on earth; he would call them Troggs. While the Troggs were able to walk and talk, they were far from perfect. Troggs lacked empathy, were brutish, fought each other over minor disputes, lacked positive emotions, lacked ways of finding/gathering food, and were bland in culture. While pondering ways to fix his mistakes, Vulkan decided the only way to fix his mistakes was by creating more gods. Vulkan went forth and created Tsun, the God of War, Honor, and Justice, to provide Troggs with an idea of proper Honor and Justice and provide a feasible option for disputes. Saga, the Goddess of Hunting, Archery, and Strategy to provide Troggs with a way to find food, the skills to use long-range weapons, the ability to plan and strategize ideas. Finally, Gerd, the God of Alcohol, Party, Music & Art, provides the Troggs with culture, fun, and hopefully new emotions. With his new kin, and the passing of time,  the Troggs became more like what Vulkan had hoped.

The Guardians: Although the Gods could create weather, nature, love, and death, they couldn't be around at all times to maintain the world. Vulkan called on his daughters Norns and Iris to find a solution, and so they created Guardians. Through their combined efforts, they made 4 Guardians. Norns and Iris created the Serpent "Guardian of the sea,” a massive serpent that stretches around the world to maintain currents and prevent the world from drowning. The Ram "Guardian of the Harvest," a giant ram with 8ft longhorns, provides a bountiful harvest no matter how terrible the terrain. The Wolf "Guardian of the Protection," a giant dire wolf, to protect the inhabitants of the world and provide companionship. Finally, the Eagle "Guardian of the sky," a dragon-sized eagle, to watch over the people from above, report back events of Earth and shade the earth with its wings. With the Guardians in place, the issue of the world would soon become resolved, and for the next five hundred everything was good.

Veles Rebellion: As time went on, Vulkan began to become interested in an experiment. He wanted to create a new god by infusing one with his blood with a Trogg. He had hoped that his new kin would be a messenger for the Troggs, a deity that could bring forth the wishes of the Troggs to Valnir with more ease. However, upon his completion, something was wrong. The being Vulkan had created was nothing he had hoped; there was a horrible aura around it; the creature was smaller than the rest of Vulkans kin and was angry. Suddenly It screamed out like a horrendous beast, "I AM VELES, BRINGER OF THE ETERNAL FROST," before breaking down a wall, destroying a part of Valnir, and escaping to earth. There Veles would find the Serpent guardian, use a spell to disguise himself as his sister Iris, and command the Serpent to raise the sea level by order of Vulkan. By the time Vulkans warriors arrived and the Serpent released its mistake, the flood had already killed millions, and though their souls had departed, their bodies began to change into the first draugrs. The battle lasted for three days before Veles was captured and imprisoned. Finally, most of the draugrs were destroyed; it was decided that Veles would be sentenced to rule the Netherworld, where he is to remain for eternity. Before being cast from the realm, however, Veles would yell out, "I'LL BE BACK, THE ETERNAL FROST SHALL COME, AND I SHALL BE YOUR DESTRUCTION." As a result of this destruction, Vulkan hid Valnir away from the realm to prevent Veles from finding it again, and the remains of Troggs were spread throughout the world, forsaking their creator and going out in search of new gods to believe in. The remaining Troggs would later evolve into the various intelligent races that live throughout the world.

Humanity: With the Troggs gone, the earth half-flooded, and the remains of the draugrs still wandering the world, Vulkan ordered his kin to repair the earth right before isolating himself for the next few thousand years. Upon his return, he brought with him a new creation. He called it "humanity." He used his idea of the Troggs and began to alter their design, intelligence, and behaviors. The result was that humans were his second and better attempt at life. Vulkan then sent forth humans to the earth to live among the other races. But, one problem would rear its head quickly: humanity would need assistance to have a chance in this new world.

The Forges: Seeing that humanity would need help in the new world, Vulkan would require the assistance of his kin Vidar Norns and Saga. The four would develop large forges built into the world and strategically placed where humans would congregate. With these forges, humanity managed to catch up drastically with the other races and prevented their extinction. Human Society would thrive over the next few thousand years, but as time went on, humanity would move on, and the forges would disappear beneath the ground. Most of the forges remain hidden, except for a few villages run by Stahl Riese’s worshippers.

Ehecatl & Drakon: years after the Creation of the Forges, The Eagle Guardian discovered and reported to Valnir a terrible discovery. Two dragons, seen clawing their way out Netherworld portals. Norns arrived with hast, only to find two giant dragons, their scales charred by the fires of the Netherworld, horns engulfed in fire, and the names "Ehecatl" and "Drakon" carved into their scally hides. Upon a closer look, it was discovered that the two beats were growing larger by the minute. Without hesitation, Norns began to fire arrows at the creatures, attempting to force them back, each arrow causing blasts of ice that would shred the charred scales. As they retreated, the dragon with "Drakon" carved name would turn its head and speak, "No ice nor fire can end us, we shall return with the Eternal Frost and devour your days and nights" before escaping through the portal. Norns would return victorious but with a look of dread.

Tsun and the Wedding of the Sheep's Husband: On one of his hunts, Tsun would lose Willbreaker when ambushed by a giant 8 legged boar. Upon this realization, he sought his axe for 3 days before coming across a mortal holding Willbreaker named Ari. When Tsun approached requesting the return of his weapon, Ari, rather than hand the axe over, refused and instead decided to make a demand "I shall give you the axe, but, only if I have the Goddess Iris hand in Marriage." Although furious by such a demand, Tsun hid his emotions, stating he would return in a day with his answer. However, upon his return to Valnir, he went and spoke to Vulkan and Saga. After explaining what happened, they devised a devious plan and would return to Ari with a wedding proposal. On the day of the wedding, instead of Iris arriving, Tsun was dressed in a wedding gown posing as Iris and his sister Saga posing as "Iris" bridesmaids. While there, Tsun would eat three cows and five barrels of mead, but when asked by guests how or why, Saga would explain that when Iris received the news, she was so excited that she refused to eat for ten days. Right before the wedding, Ari would approach Tsun, believing him to be Iris, where he would compliment "her beauty" before handing Willbreaker over as a wedding gift. Upon the return of his beloved axe, Tsun would pull out a bottle and splash its contents on Ari, causing him to pause for a moment before running outside and returning with a sheep in his arms and. From there, Ari would marry Sheep, and would be forever known as the Sheep's husband.

The Eternal Frost: Although uncertain, the Eternal Frost is foretold by prophesiers as the end of Vulkans age. It begins with the average symptoms of an Apocalypse such as earthquakes, volcanoes, plagues, etc. Then will come what will feel like a never-ending harsh winter. The winter will last four years. Upon the winter's end, a rift will open from the deepest hole in the earth, and from that rift, demonic creatures and draugrs shall crawl out from the depth of the Netherworld. The God Veles shall manifest on earth soon after, commanding his legions to destroy all nations who don't pledge loyalty to him. The armies of Vulkan shall arrive; Vulkan, Vidar, Saga, and Tsun will come soon after to partake in earth's defense. For the next 50 days, the two forces shall fight in bloody combat. First, Veles will send Ehecatl & Drakon to fly into the air and devour the sun and moon. Veles will then slay Tsun and Saga mercilessly. On the final day, Veles and Vulkan shall face off in hand-to-hand combat, ending with Veles striking Vulkan down and immediately afterward. Upon Vulkans death, Vidar shall take his revenge by grabbing Veles by the arms and tearing him in half, ending the destruction he has caused. In the end, Vidar will have become the new Stahl Reise, tasked with rebuilding the earth with his remaining siblings. The Sun and the Moon shall be reborn from the corpse of Ehecatl & Drakon, an Empire of snow shall reign supreme over those who survived, and the realm shall enter a hundred-year era of peace. All that will remain of the various kingdoms of the earth shall be an Empire of Frost. While prophesiers did predict this to be Vulkans end, it should be known that the slightest difference can change one's fate.