World Origins/Major Religious In My World

[MirrenTheDragonKnight]

Hello. I just wanted to know anyone's thoughts on an aspect of my fantasy world. It is a world completely devoid of humans and humanoid races, only having animals and animalistic fantasy creatures (gryphons, unicorns, dragons, kelpies, hippocampi, covktrices, phoenixes, etc) with its modern time essentially being a fantasy version of the 1920s (think the age of radio combined with magic). These creatures are not furries, simply being anthro in the same vain as "The Lion King", numerous cartoons with talking animals, and various xenofiction stories.

While the main religion is, still, well, a religion, it is also the origin of the world/universe. The cult is just a crazy cult. I will post each in new posts due to character limits.

I hope the subject matter is not inappropriate (I have read the rules). I also know the tale is hardly original, so suggestions would be great.

 

[MirrenTheDragonKnight]

Main Religion Part 1:

The Children of the Allfather, also known as the Children of the Allbeast, is the main religion of Nem. The eponymous Allfather/Allbeast/His Divinity/He Who Swims Among The Stars is a cosmic beast resembling a long, long, serpentine dragon. His body has a patch of fur, feathers, scales, skin or carapace for every beast on Nem, alongside branch-like horns and four clawed, lizard-like limbs. His head is dark grey with all dark green, slit-pupil eyes and looks like a cross between a water dragon and a horse.

All beasts are born with a memory of the divine creator, though they still must be told his story when old enough, so they may truly partake in the religion or further their own interpretation.

Even beasts born blind, deaf or both instinctively know to not fear this memory.

His story goes as follows - the Allfather was birthed into an empty, dark and vast void. After an untold time travelling it to find other life, he supposed that he was missing something. With a flex of his digits and a sweep of his forelegs he created the stars to guide his way. However, he still found himself cold. He then created a great star, far bigger than the rest and shining orange-yellow with heat - the sun.

Thus, the universe was born.

The warmth and light of the place brought the Allbeast happiness, but also led to the realisation that, despite all his searching, he was indeed the sole resident. This led to a new feeling - loneliness. After a time of thoughts and plans, he figured out the solution - he would make life.

The Allfather first tried making a globe out of solidified star matter, to resemble the sun, but found it far too bright and far too harsh. He then decided to make one of fluid material, eventually creating water, but found it hard to form into any permanent shape. He needed a sturdy yet malleable material, and after many tries he made that material - earth. He constructed another globe - but it soon became dry and crumbled apart.

Refusing to let frustration win, he eventually had a wonderful idea - he could combine the earth and the water together. He created another globe, and curved out the pieces of land that became Nem’s continents and islands. In between and within, he filled the globe with water, both the salted of the ocean and the saltless of streams, rivers, lakes, lochs and glens. Finally, the Allbeast created three more suns to surround the globe, so that every part received as much light as it needed. Nervously, he watched his latest creation, fearing something would go wrong once again - but it did not. In many areas vegetation - plants and trees - began to grow. In one area, the place became much drier, forming into the great desert of what would be Tarzar, while others became much wetter, forming the rainforest and swamps. The various 'weathers' as they came to be called, seemed to benefit the globe.

However, just as His Divinity was sure of his success the earth became bleached and crumbled once more, the vegetation turned crisp and dry, the waters boiled and the ice caps melted.

The Allfather let out a wail so great that it shook the stars themselves. Yet, he would not give up. After various conclusions, he realised the problem - the suns. Their unrelenting heat was damaging the world. He would need to give the world a break from the great star. He destroyed the other three suns, and took the last one, enchanting it to flow around the world in a circle so that each part of the world received some of its light. With the addition of refilling the waters, this seemed to resolve the situation.

His Divinity was delighted. For the first time, he spoke to the plants, the grasses, the sand and the waters - but no response came. He propped at some, but they did not respond. Some even wilted or swayed away under his touch. The loneliness returned, but again, he would not give in. Perhaps the world needs more kinds of life. He looked around him - if this vast and no longer empty void housed him, surely this world could house little versions of him?

Alas, try as he might, the Allfather could not create flesh. All his power, all his might, and endless time, and he could not create even a single being in his image. After many, many tries, he fell into despair and wept. When several of his tears fell upon the globe, he saw little flowers spring from them. The Allfather froze. He blinked. Then, he turned, gazing as much as he could along his long, long body, looking upon all its furs, feathers, scales, skin and carapace. If his tears could create plants…he took the biggest branch from the biggest tree and sharpened it to a point. With no care for the pain, he pierced every one of his patches, letting only a drop of blood fall from each onto the globe below. From each drop sprang the beasts of the world. Soon, the lands and waters were full of them, each in an area perfect for them. The blood that had birthed them was lapped up by everybeast, their first meal.

Once again, the Allbeast gazed upon his creations and smiled the biggest smile he ever had. He was a little saddened that the little creatures did not speak, but their endearing noises, as if they knew he had made them, were enough for him.

As the world went on, the Allbeast came to discover two things - darkness and death.

When the sun moved away from a certain area, that area was plunged into a darkness so deep that even he could barely see through. The stars did not light the world very much either. He had to find some way to light the ‘night’ ("no light") as he called it. He considered another ball of light, this one cold, but thought better of it - the night was cool enough already. Deep in thought, he found himself drawn to the reflections of the sun and stars in the waters. What if the night light could reflect that of the sun? It would provide more light, but one not as overwhelming as the great star. And so he did. He conjured a ball of whitish rock, and placed it on the opposite side, opposing the sun. It worked. To his joyous surprise, this event eventually led to creatures that adapted a nocturnal lifestyle.

The concept of death, however, was much harder to accept. Some creatures died after such a short time, while others lived far longer. Some were even killed and eaten by others, even little ones born of the bigger. He was horrified at first, almost wanting to wipe those beasts out - until he learned that they needed the flesh of the others to live.

He considered making them all immortal, surely thinking that it would stop the killing, but quickly thought better of it. That would lead the world to be too full and lead only to more suffering. Instead, he drew out one beast’s inner star - the soul, as most call them - and brought it to him.

It fizzled out. This was followed by another, then another, then another.

 

[MirrenTheDragonKnight]

Major Religion Part 2:

The Allfather was horrified once again - his creations had truly died for good, they could not survive in the void. He would need to create another world, one where the dead could continue on, but not one that could be accessed by the living.

He initially wished to create a single place, but guessed that he needed to keep the eaters of plants away from the eaters of other beasts. Again, he thought better of it - most creatures killed to eat, but there were others who seemed to kill, maim and steal seemingly for their own amusement or desire for control and power. They would need to be separate, to be in a place where they could not harm others and perhaps accept their guilt, even if some could never leave. High above and deep below, he created a world, enclosing them in a void of their very own to keep them away from the living. The upper world is an endless, sunny field of cotton-soft grass under a clear blue sky, dotted with cool, clear pools, rivers, trees and flowers. This is where the good and those repentant of lesser crimes would go and live out eternity, doing what they loved in life, the environment feeling perfect no matter where the beast had dwelt - from frigid lands to scorching desert, every beast would feel the right temperature. Sea beasts would have enough salt, with no aquatic beast even needing water. Jungle and swamp beasts had their humidity while nocturnal beasts felt no ill effects from the sun.

The lower world was deathly cold and dim, so much so that even a cold land beast or nocturnal one would struggle. It consisted of an endless, barren system of blackstone tunnels and caves. Here, the evil would wander, unable to rest for too long, lest the shadow servants of the Allfather would torment them. Here, they would consider their sins and maybe, just maybe, with the Allfather’s blessing, be shown the way to a portal to the upper world. Beasts who committed the most grievous of sins, however, would wander forever. Every now and then these condemned souls could cross paths, compelled to admit their sins for the judgement of the other before they had to move on.

Just as the planet came to be called “Nem” , the upper world came to be called ‘paradise’, while the lower came to be called ‘the netherworld’.

Every single beast who has been clinically dead has told the same story - they found themselves walking, swimming or flying along a path made of stardust in a black void, and were greeted by an ethereal beastess. She resembled a long-legged fox with pure white fur, glowing yellow-orange eyes resembling the sun, and most peculiarity, nine tails. The tips of her tails, where the white patch would be on a normal fox, alongside the would-be black of her ears, glow with gently waving, sky blue flames. The beastess always introduced herself as Akemi, guide of the dead and most precious servant of all the Allfather or Allbeast. Akemi would inform the beast that now was not their time, before ushering them back down the path and through the light at the beginning. For those that ask (or angrily cried), the fox spirit, much like the shades of the netherworld, serves the Allfather willingly, having been granted free will before His Divinity even explained their intended role. They can quit and live in Paradise whenever they wish. The beast would then awaken.

In the churches of the Allfather, the male leader is called a Voice of the Allfather or simply a “Voice”. The main staff are called the Paws of the Allfather, or simply “Paws”. Church guards are called Claws of the Allfather or simply “Claws”, while holy warriors are called the Horns of the Allfather or simply “Horns”.

 

[MirrenTheDragonKnight]

The biggest cult:

The Followers of the Swarmlord or Followers of the Swarmbeast is a cult that believes that the Allbeast (or, as they call him, “The Conceited One”) did not create insects. Rather than this, they believe there was a second entity in the vast void, who came upon the them-young Nem, and requested that he be allowed to place his own life upon it.

The Allfather, ignoring the request, immediately questioned the Swarmlord and where he had come from, as he knew this place was empty. The Swarmbeast simply and honestly replied that he had been born recently, from the great central star. Apparently, the void felt it was not yet complete.

The Allbeast, needlessly suspicious, questioned further why the other entity could not make a world of his own. The Swarmbeast simply and honestly replied that, try as he might, he could not. He could only create beasts, and very small ones at that.

The Allfather offered to make him a planet for himself. The Swarmlord clasped his front paws together, pleading the elder god to allow him to create on the established world. He just KNEW he was born to give it more life.

After a long period of the Swarmbeast's humble pleading, the Allfather relented. Still humble, the Swarmbeast thanked him profusely.

The young god then moved closer to Nem, and raised his forepaws before clasping them together. Thus, insects came to be.

Despite saying both the benefits and negatives of these tiniest of creatures, the Allfather was disgusted by them, only focusing on the negatives. He was scared, surely, given that insects outnumber all other beasts by billions.

The cult members have stated that this is why insects have never become sapient - the Allbeast himself intervened every time, killing those who had developed it.

As a result, the cult seeks to develop an allyship with in insectkind, so they can raise them to be the rulers of Nem, as penance for the prejudice, discrimination abs murder the tiny beasts have unfairly suffered. The cult seems unaware, or willfully ignore that, despite the vital nature of insects such as bees, butterflies, and even maggots to a certain extent, many carry diseases and/or overconsume and taint plant life.

It is known they sacrifice various beasts, even the young, to insects by binding them to an altar to be stung or bitten to death, some suffering an arguably worse fate of being eaten alive.

Sadly, one of the reasons why this is known is due to the deaths of discovered infiltrators, the cult members dumping their remains outside of various police stations, accompanied with a piece of paper with their emblem.

They used to leave an emblazoned cloak, until the simultaneous development of DNA testing and magical tracking led to some arrests.

Even under illegal torture and the threat of captial punishment, no cult member has cracked.

Despite their insane beliefs and brutal actions, spies have also observed that families and friendships within the cult are utterly genuine and full of love.

 

[Yunona Anthanasko]

I think its a brave thing to add religion in your fantasy world, keep going!

 

[pmmg]

You will have to forgive me, the drugs I am on have it made very hard to get through this. So, if what I type seems to have no connection to what is presented, I blame he drugs.


The first question is from the sentence: the Allfather was birthed into an empty, dark and vast void.

What birthed the Allfathter? and should that not be the creator instead?

Moving past that, it seems like a world with a Christian world view but lacking the sentient beings to understand it. The Allfather seems to be going on the journey his creation should be going on instead. That there are other being that are creating, such as the Swarmbeast, it would indicate to me that the allfather is not really the allcreator, and so he may be a lessor or greater God, but he is not the Creator.


I find this all to be a fascinating place to speculate on, but I wonder how I place a story in it. If all of this is backstory and lore, what is the story? I wonder how any creature that moves in this world/s views its relationship to them. What is the story you are wanting to place in it? With no sentient beings, it feels like that would be tough to do.