Divine Canvas
a short treatise on interpretive worship
by Avidleigh Tir-na

Though we, the players, may know the truths the official documentation has laid down about the Arkati, their origins, and the creation of the world, our characters are living within this fishbowl we call Elanthia and have no way of seeing it from a third perspective. When we choose for our characters to believe something, both in and out of the subject of religion, it is because they believe it, not because we do. These simple statements may seem obvious and the very essence of that which is 'role playing'(separated to emphasize each word), but they must be stated for the notions that follow to build upon.

The derivative of this simple concept that I wish to put across today is interpretive worship - that is, the variance of knowledge, belief, and the incorporation of such into an individual's or group's worship practices or lack thereof. This is hardly a new concept, but it's an important one in my opinion, and bears discussion.

With any 'real' religion, be it mono- or pan-theistic, mortal interpretation plays a very key part. We've all seen and/or experienced the conflicts that can arise from even the most minor of dogmatic beliefs that differ from person to person, even within a single belief system. In Elanthia, the deific entities are many, and the mortal society vastly more far-flung, interactionally speaking, than our own. This leaves ample room for varied interpretation in individual and group worship, regardless that unlike nebulous Earth religions, the deities of Elanthia are distinctly, though tersely, defined in the printed words of Official Documentation. Not only do these definitions leave much to the imagination, but they can be taken as the Absolute Truth of the deific entities in question, not necessarily what the mortal populace, or individual, knows and/or believes about them.

For example, we have the sometimes delicately-approached conversion from ICE-terms and descriptions to the ones we know and most use now. I say most, because I have heard of some players who, understandably, have taken issue with their characters suddenly requiring such a drastic change in their backstories. A character's history may hinge upon the now-defunct description of an ICE-age god or goddess, whose counterpart's name, personality, and goals might differ wildly from those of their predecessor. Rather than a retroactive rewrite of one's character history and perhaps even character personality, interpretive worship can be used greatly to one's advantage in such a situation. As such, I've heard tell of many a character who will refer to a god or goddess by an ICE-age name, and explain that this name and personality is the variance they were taught as a child in their village/city/enclave so many years ago. It stands quite to reason that, at the very least, there would be variances in belief structures surrounding a given Arkati. One could go as far as to postulate the hypothetical existance of widely disparate creation mythoi in the regions most foreign to our familiar Elanith.

Further examples exist in the form of those who have taken the idea of a particular Arkati - or several - and formed a variation similar enough to the popular and official ideas to be recognized as such, but different enough to connote regional differences and even a heretofore unknown or secluded sect of the Arkati in question. Ecstatic are those whose ideas are adopted widely enough to gain general acceptance, or at least a nod in the doctrine's direction by the body of players and staff members alike.

But the above use of interpretive worship is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the concept's potential. A creative mind can conjure up a thousand variations on the theme of the collective Arkati that our characters may, or may not, worship as gods and each can be made a viable and valuable choice. We are not limited by the forms the documentation dictates, rather we are guided by them, and as many readers I'm sure realize, creative guidelines have the potential to serve as a more motivating force than might an ideological void. A great foundation has been laid for us, and in the interests of diversity and depth, it falls to us to build as great a many-roomed palace as such a foundation can support.

Religion and the Elven Mindset
by Thaleles Darenal

Though it is unfortunate, I would be lying to myself if I should believe that many of the ways of my people are not vastly misunderstood. Perhaps nothing has become more blurred throughout Elanthia than perceptions of how we view the Arkati. Hopefully, through these writings, I may help to clarify our beliefs for some.

Of course, there are some amongst our numbers, even in our lands in the East, who have dissimilar opinions, even vehemently embracing faith in the Arkati. This behavior seems strongest amongst those who journey west for a life of adventure. However, the vast majority of the Elven people retain the beliefs that we have nurtured for many years. Our minds, like our lives, are long, and we remember well the foundations of our ways. In order to understand us, it is important to first know how our theology developed, and that is where I will begin.

Originally, when our people first set foot upon the lands, the Drakes reigned supreme. The Arkati appeared before us, and we saw them, as many see them today, as the true gods. We believed in their supreme power. We believed, even, in their perceived immortality. Our scholars devised many answers to the questions of why the "gods" were merely servants to the Drakes. We were quite secure in our faith, at least until the coming of the Ur-Daemon War.

This is not to say that there were not those who questioned, even before that time. There was a shaman named Yadzari, who was considered a heretic of his time, who posed the questions of loyalty to the Drakes. Few listened, though, considering him a crazed blasphemer.

However, once the Ur-Daemons appeared, the questions multiplied. If the Arkati were truly omniscient, why did the appearance of the creatures from another plane seem to surprise them just as much as everyone else? If they were benevolent deities, why did they not do more to protect their worshippers? These questions could not be answered, and the most faithful, rather than formulating a response, attempted to blame Yadzari for the Ur-Daemons, saying that the gods were punishing all for his blasphemy.

The accusation, though, was more than proven false when the badly mutilated corpse of what was undoubtedly an Arkati was discovered. Now there were no accusations of blasphemy and the answers to Yadzari's questions seemed quite clear.

While that is the story of why we believe as we do, it does not fully explain just what we believe. I ask that you, the reader, bear with me in my explanation, as the Common language is somewhat lacking in the exact terms to accurately describe certain facets of our relationship with the Arkati. This should not be viewed as a deficiency, but as a result of a different evolution of culture over the years.

Naturally, while our ancestors felt somewhat betrayed by what seemed to be a misrepresentation of status by the Arkati, we still knew well that we owed them much for the protection and knowledge they gifted to us as our civilization began.

You see, while many do know that we do not view them as gods, few outside of our kind actually comprehend just how we view the Arkati. I suppose I can understand, as we have more experience with these beings than most others, save the Drakes.

Needless to say, one would view Kai much differently if one could simply write him an invitation to a festival, and expect his presence much like any other honored guest. Our kind did just that during the height of our empire, granting him the position of judge over contests of skill, reveling next to him, and seeing him enjoy our company. Some have said that the Arkati preferred to appear amongst us because they would not be worshipped, but welcomed as a venerated scholar or popular noble. I will not speculate as to the veracity of that statement.

The exact term we use for an Arkati, is not "god," as one can easily see. I suppose the term "patron" is much closer to the way in which we view them. We do not doubt the fact that these beings are powerful and wise. What is important to grasp, is that, in their power and wisdom, they are neither perfect nor infallible. To blindly follow the dictates of any of them is considered to be somewhat foolish. Like the good noble, an Arkati can make mistakes in trying to fair and just.

Though we may favor the philosophy of some Arkati over that of others, just as the Illistim prefer the philosophy of Lumnis to that of Charl, we must realize that, at different moments, we may need to follow actions that those same Arkati would not endorse. We do not believe in merely doing only that which we feel one would prescribe. Just as a king listens to the words of many advisers before making a decision in a weighty matter, one should obtain all information one can, rather than allowing actions to be heavily influenced by a single opinion.

To further elaborate, we are here. The Arkati are not present to make our decisions for us. Our respective civilizations grew through our own deeds. We must choose what we feel is right, and not what we are told is correct. The opinions of others, even the very wise and the very powerful, should be taken solely as opinions, rather than commands. After all, a dwarf should not completely follow a giant's advice on a matter of dwarven etiquette, especially if the giant is completely uninvolved and the matter is of little importance to him.

To be quite honest, I was somewhat shocked when I saw, outside of the Elven Nations, how there exists such hatred between those of different faiths, for little reason other than the fact that the two parties preferred opposing Arkati. Other than this, many such individuals had more in common than they would readily admit. As the customs of my people, in this regard, seem strange to some of you, so do some of those I have seen here. It is as I have said before. It is not a deficiency, but a different cultural development. I certainly hope my words have aided your understanding of ours.