Original native religion of Lamordia?

[Skyrock]

Lamordia officially has no religion at all.

However, the Mordenheim novel is peppered with references to the classical Greek gods, and the Gazetteer mentions that there are deistic Lamordians. Lamordia obviously also has graveyards and burial rites, which must have a religious origin (although they are by now probably more tradition than based on any true faith).

From the knowledge of the Greek pantheon, and the Swiss/Dutch vibe of the domain, I would assume that the Norse pantheon (and Alpine derivatives such as Frau Holle or Perchta) are a given, at least as a historical faith of old material Lamordia before it was translated to the demiplane, and something that might still inform folklore in tiny villages and remote chalets.

The dominant religion at the time of the translation has probably been some kind of Crystal Dragon Jesus faux-Christianity, if only to have an excuse to use crosses and angel statues as grave markers, although it had already moved on to a deistic view of the God(s) being creators of The Great Clockwork no longer interfering with the world.
The Church of Ezra might later have influenced the mythology and theology this original faith, as may have the Eternal Order (divorced from the state cult of Darkon, and instead emphasizing the idea of the realm of the dead one day ascending from down below and angrily avenging the blasphemies of the living against them, especially in the light of Victor Mordenheim's crimes against their peace). In the countryside, away from the Smothering of Reason, there might still be some actual faith into it.

The Zherisian Divinity of Mankind may also be well at home among the town burgers, sages and others sneering at the superstitions of outlanders and country bumpkins.

[ewancummins]

I used a 'divine clockmaker', though it hasn't come up much with the one Lamordian PC IMC (he's a scholar of religions and myths, but personally a skeptic about the gods).


The D&D Olympians would make a perfectly good pantheon of 'old gods' for Lamordia, if one were inclined to go that way.
Classically educated men might use the 'classical' names, while country people use local names.
This could tie-in nicely with a certain

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medusa...

[Mistmaster]

There was a popular Sky god called Lathurr, which cult created a lot of monasteries.

[The Lesser Evil]

I think this is complicated by the possibility that the Lamordia of the Demiplane of Dread is not necessarily the Lamordia of the Prime Material Plane, as it is implied in several sources. In the Mordenheim novel, there are cities mentioned that don't seem to exist in the actual domain (Leidenheim). And in Adam's Wrath, Baron von Aubrecker was an outlander brought in from unnamed Prime Material World.

Anyway, to add to the list of deities, Skogul is a goddess mentioned formerly worshiped at the Convent of the Alabaster Helm mentioned in Gazetteer II on p. 84.

[The Lesser Evil]

Zababa is another god, a god of war, that was apparently once worshiped in Lamordia, as that god has a chapel in the Ruined Keep Emil Bollenbach hid out in Chilling Tales (see page 35.) This is very strange since Zababa is an ancient Mesopotamian god in the real world.

[ewancummins]

Zababa is another god, a god of war, that was apparently once worshiped in Lamordia, as that god has a chapel in the Ruined Keep Emil Bollenbach hid out in Chilling Tales (see page 35.) This is very strange since Zababa is an ancient Mesopotamian god in the real world.

Strange, yes.

But I'm sure we can both think of some religions that originated in the Ancient Fertile Crescent and spread...

[ewancummins]

RE Lamoridan superstition: I see the peasantry as being more superstitious and ignorant that the better-educated burghers.
But that means the peasants are more inclined to irreligion and skepticism about magic and exotic monsters, and show a blind enthusiasm for 'science!' They don't understand how things work in Ravenloft (or D&D settings in general).
The merchants and clerks of the towns know that magic is real and that gods exist, or at least that there are 'theurgists' in other lands who draw power from beings in the Aether.


Lamordian peasants farm, hunt, and fish and live practical, rather dull lives. Their stubborn, blinkered materialism prevents them from delving deep into the mysteries of the Land and they show far more interest in learning the latest scientific methods of forestry or agriculture.
Imagine two yokels avidly discussing chemical fertilizers while a geist drifts in air behind them, unseen by them but visible to the adventurers trying to get info out of the rustic pair.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"The greatest trick the Devil ever played on humanity was to convince it that he did not exist."

Imagine a clever fiend entering Lamordia and stirring up some hideous civil war or mayhem of a similar level; it could do it by inciting a conflict over which scientific theory or method of performing a simple, profitable farming act was correct, using magic or some fiendish ability to make the one that was actually flawed work perfectly.

A conflict of observational science vs. theoretical science, perhaps?
"It clearly works, so your theory must be flawed!"
"The calculations behind my theory are foolproof, it shouldn't work!"
"But it does!"
"But it shouldn't!"
"But it does!!!"

As tempers started to rise over who was right and which was wrong, the fiend could incite madness by direct mental contact, then sit back and watch the country tear itself apart... perfectly secure in the knowledge that no Lamordian would be likely to even suspect it of existing, let alone interfering in their beloved science.

[ewancummins]

Muawwhhhaaaaa!

It's all fun and games until the mad ironmonger unleashes his automated mechanical reaper!

[Mistmaster]

Personally, I see Lamordia as a country were Magic (included Divine Magic) is only yet another science, only one which have not been fully standardized, yet; too much imprecision, too much aleatory variables. So, magic is aknowledged but snubbed; Alchemists (Pathfinder Class) are seen as much more trustworhy than Wizards and Priests.

[The Lesser Evil]

"The greatest trick the Devil ever played on humanity was to convince it that he did not exist."

Imagine a clever fiend entering Lamordia and stirring up some hideous civil war or mayhem of a similar level; it could do it by inciting a conflict over which scientific theory or method of performing a simple, profitable farming act was correct, using magic or some fiendish ability to make the one that was actually flawed work perfectly.

A conflict of observational science vs. theoretical science, perhaps?
"It clearly works, so your theory must be flawed!"
"The calculations behind my theory are foolproof, it shouldn't work!"
"But it does!"
"But it shouldn't!"
"But it does!!!"

As tempers started to rise over who was right and which was wrong, the fiend could incite madness by direct mental contact, then sit back and watch the country tear itself apart... perfectly secure in the knowledge that no Lamordian would be likely to even suspect it of existing, let alone interfering in their beloved science.

This would make for an interesting alternate take on the Children of the Night: Demons adventure with Marasmos and the Cult of Suppuration, or perhaps as a follow-up plot to Adam's Wrath if Baltoi ever escaped.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I actually toyed with the idea that some of the impossible mad-science-magic of Mordenheim and the Scientist PrC's from LotB was due to the work of Baalphagor, one of the seven princes of Hell who was the incarnation of Sloth. He gives people discoveries as a way to make them rich and lazy. Just the idea that all this impossible science could actually have a supernatural origin seemed funny to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belphegor