Religion

Ferrenites are essentially polytheistic, believing that godhood is not an innate quality but rather something that can be earned from leading a virtuous life, gaining power or influence, or simply by having enough worshipers. Indeed a gods power is said to be directly reflective of the number of worshipers they have.

Each god is believed to have a particular domain (Healing, agriculture, fighting, war, good, evil, law, ect) over which they have power, though between the multitudes of deities these domains often overlap and contradict. They do not necessarily disbelieve in any gods, but are likely to have a particular deity that they give service to almost exclusively. There are many gods, usually drawn mistakenly from fictional sources, who no respectful Ferrenite would be caught praying to.

Of the many deities recognized in Ferren the one most commonly believed to be the most powerful, is pre-war author J.R.R. Tolkein, whom it is believed wrote the world into existence. Worship of Tolkien is somewhat 'state sanctioned' as the head priest of their church is commonly afforded a spot on the Rulers Council.

The Prophet
Gary Gygax is believed to be the prophet of Tolkien by virtue of having authored the rule books for the games played by the Ferrenites ancestors. Time and misconception have elevated Gygax from a man to a great adventurer of old who traveled the world seeking to record all of Tolkein's creations as an act of faith. It is commonly believed that the adventures Gygax originally wrote to be played were actually quests that he went on himself, amassing great power and glory as he did so. Supposedly the greatest mage and warrior of his time there is not absolute record of his death in the church but Gygax is believed to have died after venturing into and never returning from the tomb of the undying wizard Acerak.

The Core Book
A tabletop rpg instruction book. There are several copies of them throughout the kingdom and many of the more pious families have their own rather tarnished copies. This book tells what creatures are considered sentient and lists the many professions and archetypes taken by adventurers and holy martyrs. It also contains lists and explanations of spells and other magic. There are several versions of this book, due to Pre-war reprints and updates on gameplay, which has led to some schisms over which version is to be considered truest to the original intent.

The Five Divine Manuals
A Product of Gygax's time adventuring the complete set of these books are believed to be the complete list of all of Tolkiens creatures. From spiders and rats all the way up to Dragons and Beholders. Families having these books are much less common as obtaining the entire set would be a very difficult task and since they serve less purpose in the worship of Tolkien and are mostly used 'practically' to identify creatures in the field.

Other Gods
Aside from Tolkien there are worshipers of many other gods in Ferren as well. Christians, and Muslims as well as 'pagan' Norse, Greek, and Egyptian pantheons of gods can be found. Among these are more unusual gods taken from sometimes fictional sources, some of whom are considered downright degenerate to worship. These less acceptable gods are known for cult like followings and are still worshiped by some in secret. Such gods are evil rulers of domains like death, disease, and famine who plot against mortals to bring suffering and pain into the world. Examples include deities such as Vecna, Sauron, and Lolth.