The
Absence of the Gods
Gods
were once reverenced throughout Krevborna, but in ages past they
withdrew their influence from the world. Some say that the gods
abandoned mankind to its dark fate due to unforgivable sins. Others
believe that the gods retreated after they were betrayed by the
rebellious angels who became demons and devils. Some even claim that
the gods were killed and consumed by cosmic forces of darkness known
as the Old Ones.
The
Church of Saintly Blood
Although
the apparent absence of deities is felt keenly, divinity still
maintains a foothold in Krevborna through the legacy of the Church’s
saints. Saints are venerated in place of the gods. Those of holy
blood transmit their sanctity down through the generations; men and
women who evidence a touch of the divine spark are regarded as heirs
to the saints and their blood is viewed as sacred. The rites of
absolution and healing practiced by the Church of Saintly Blood
involve imbibing the blood of these saintly descendants—often mixed
with the mundane blood offerings of the faithful—or blood baptisms
given in ancient fonts. The most common holy symbol associated with
the Church is a glass vial of consecrated blood on a silver or golden
chain.
Heathens
and Druids
Before
the precursor faith that became the Church of Saintly Blood arrived
in Krevborna, the human population revered the fey ladies Queen
Devania, Baba Linya, and Bonnie Maeva as a tripartite goddess. Druids
and their flocks still give worship to those fey ladies in isolated,
rural regions. Most pagan circles are beneficial to the rural
communities they minister to, but some revere the more bloodthirsty
and destructive aspects of nature. For example, the druids of the
Zatmoor cult led by Dahlia Medlozka use the threat of nature’s
wrath to feed their own ambitions and twisted desires. Likewise, hag
covens pervert the old ways to serve their own ends. The Church
regards practitioners of the old faith as heathens and pagans to be
converted or exterminated.
* * *
Director's Commentary
When I started building Krevborna I knew that I wanted an alternative to the kind of typical gods you usually find in fantasy settings. The possibilities that suggested themselves were monotheistic religion in which THE god is a real thing or something based on saints whose veneration survived the disappearance of their gods. Either one was bound to take on a pseudo-Catholic tone, but ultimately I found the latter more appealing to my own sensibilities.
The focus on saintly blood was (obviously) partly inspired by Bloodborne, but it also opened up a space to make the rites of the Church strange and off-putting. They have an intentionally vampiric vibe: the religion focuses on consuming holy blood (as a dark parody of the Eucharest and its resonance with vampire myth) or bathing in it (bringing in shades of Elizabeth Bathory).
An Easter egg: you can find the Church's holy symbol, a blood vial, in an illustration that Aos did for the Krevborna book.
Regarding the heathenism, I wanted to tie druidry to the fey lords and ladies in an explicit way. But I also didn't want to have the early religion be a woo-woo "the old ways were in connection with the earth and were obviously better and more moral!" thing. I see paganism as just as much of a mixed bag in the setting as the Church.
* * *
Director's Commentary
When I started building Krevborna I knew that I wanted an alternative to the kind of typical gods you usually find in fantasy settings. The possibilities that suggested themselves were monotheistic religion in which THE god is a real thing or something based on saints whose veneration survived the disappearance of their gods. Either one was bound to take on a pseudo-Catholic tone, but ultimately I found the latter more appealing to my own sensibilities.
The focus on saintly blood was (obviously) partly inspired by Bloodborne, but it also opened up a space to make the rites of the Church strange and off-putting. They have an intentionally vampiric vibe: the religion focuses on consuming holy blood (as a dark parody of the Eucharest and its resonance with vampire myth) or bathing in it (bringing in shades of Elizabeth Bathory).
An Easter egg: you can find the Church's holy symbol, a blood vial, in an illustration that Aos did for the Krevborna book.
Regarding the heathenism, I wanted to tie druidry to the fey lords and ladies in an explicit way. But I also didn't want to have the early religion be a woo-woo "the old ways were in connection with the earth and were obviously better and more moral!" thing. I see paganism as just as much of a mixed bag in the setting as the Church.
