The Religions of the Siritean Empire

The Vierkeill Quincunx

Worshipped primarily within the Vellatryall of the Siritean Empire, the Vierkeill Quincunx is a pentatheon whose five deities represent the positive aspects of the Prime Material Alterniverse. The precepts of the Quincunx are compatible with those of any good or non-chaotic neutral alignment. Since a religion implies the adherence to a set of strictures, chaos is de-emphasised in favor of law. A chaotic individual must profess a philosophy of good to be accepted. The chaotic neutral is viewed as weak-willed, rarely able to stand the rigors of commitment to the religion, thus chaotic neutral individuals are generally viewed as non-believers unless they have strong tendencies toward good. Evil individuals are viewed as enemies, worshippers of the K'kezri Quincunx. The deity of the Quincunx which an individual holds foremost in worship depends largely on the alignment of the individual, though an element of social standing comes into play. The five deities, their planar domain, alignment, and alignment limits of clerics and worshippers are:

Clerics preside over services on five days of the week. Such services may be of two types. A 'Reulien-Vash', or  Service of One, is held on each of the first four days of the week. Clerics of Sair, Quan, Cheu, and Krie preside over the Reulien on those four days. The 'Reulien-Vierk', or Service of Five, is celebrated by  Clerics of each of the five deities of the Quincunx, with the Cleric of Lios as the presiding celebrant. This service is held on the sixth day of the week.

A cleric of the Vierkeill Quincunx rises through several ranks as he or she ascends the hierarchy of the faith. Clerics enter the faith as a Novison and undergo a period of instruction wherein they must learn to attune themselves to the powers of the deities. The successful Novison will be promoted to the rank of Orreta, having attained access to the Clerical Orrisons. When one begins to gain other spells from the deities they are accorded the rank of Fratea (man) or Sostrea (woman), and may begin to assist in Reulien-Vash services (1st- through 2nd-level clerics).  Later, he or she is titled Elden and may preside over the Reulien-Vash services and assist in the Reulien-Vierk (3rd- through 5th-level clerics). At the rank of Eldarhh, one may preside over the Reulien-Vierk (6th-level and up). Ranks of Vierkenta, Vierkenarhh, and the singular Vierkos may be attained by those who advance further in the hierarchy.

As Deity of the positive aspects of Alternity, Lios represents the qualities of all four Material Planes to create the parallel realities of the Alterniverse (the Prime Material Plane) and thus represents Neutrality, the co-mingling of Law and Chaos, within the Good. In a sense, Lios is the dominant deity of the Quincunx. Lios' worshippers represent any non-Evil alignment, contributing to the overall Neutrality of Liosians. In representing the Alterniverse, Lios is the deity most often recognized as acting in peoples' lives. It is only through Lios that the influences of the Elemental Planes are felt, and through Lios that life and death (Positive and Negative Elements) occur.

Worshippers of Sair are those of Good alignment. From the viewpoint that the air represents a loftiness of sorts, an elevated purity, this following attracts many folk of nobility, philosophy, wisdom, and artistry. The Reulien-Vash is held on the first day of the week.

Worshippers of Quan are the most law-abiding of the Quincunx, based in the premise of the very 'lawful' nature of water: always flowing downward, the balance displayed in seeking its own level. All point to obedience to some inherent laws (physical law) not particularly evident to a low-technology society. Aside from such obvious followers as mariners, Quan attracts such people as those in diplomatic or legal professions. The Reulien-Vash is held on the second day of the week.

Worshippers of Cheu are those whose alignment falls within the Neutral range of alignment benevolence. Cheu is held in particular reverence by those whose living primarily derives from the Earth, such as farmers, miners, or smiths. As such, Cheuans are the second-most prevalent sect within the Quincunx. Followers of Cheu celebrate a Reulien-Vash on the third day of the week. Dwarven worshippers of the Vierkeill almost invariably hold Cheu in reverence.

Worshippers of Krie are the least orderly of the followers of the Quincunx, the tendency being drawn from the chaos of fire. But as the forest grows from the ash and the Phoenix rises from its death, so must the chaos of fire always give way to an order of renewal. Krie attracts those of warrior blood, those who contend in battle for the greater good. Of any worshipper in the Quincunx, this deity is most likely to attract those verging on the alignment of Chaotic Neutral. The Reulien-Vash for Krie, held on the fourth day of the week, is often less well-attended than those for the others, due to the less 'dedicated' nature of the Chaotic individual.