The Sixfold Path

The light of the gods guides our steps.

The Sixfold Path is a religion of southern Atamara. It holds that there are six gods, three female and three male of three different ages: The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone and The Fellow, The Father and the Fool. The gods are immanent in that the spiritual world permeates the world of flesh, but the gods have given man freedom of will. The gods may only work in the world through humans and by their willing consent. The world of the divine is an enclosed courtyard and the world of the mundane the greater world around; mankind can be the door to which the two meet.

Like to humans, the undead and monsters are a doorway to which a greater evil also breaches the world. It is a divine duty to combat the undead and monsters. This great evil dwells in perpetual darkness and seeks the destruction of humans for their freedom and the love given them by the gods.

The Pantheon of Six

The Maid

The world’s breath, the goddess of beginnings, accord and harmony.

Element: Water

Patron of: Priests and Diplomats

Colors: Blue and Purple

Holy Day: Spring Equinox

Sacred symbols: Flowers, song birds, fish

The Fellow

The god of war. He is a figure of passion and cunning.

Element: Fire

Patron of: Warriors, Cavaliers

Colors: Red and Orange

Holy Day: Fall Equinox

Sacred symbols: The sword, lightning, fire, forest creatures such as the fox or wolf, falcons or animals found on a battlefield such as ravens

The Mother

The goddess of healing and restoration. Also the goddess of defensive war and travelers for there is no protector like a mother.

Element: Earth

Patron of: Courtiers

Colors: Green and Yellow

Holy Day: Summer Solstice

Sacred symbols: Small domestic animals, especially hens, ducks, goats and cats. Wheat, fruit and wine.

The Father

The god of logic, technology and worked goods, and craftsmen. He is the god of lordship.

Element: Metal

Patron of: Lords, Traders

Colors: Gray and Brown

Holy Day: Winter Solstice

Sacred symbols: Horses and dogs. Scales and instruments for music and calculation.

The Crone

The goddess of endings, of death and rest. She is a goddess of balance and of things come full circle.

Element: Void

Patron of: Infiltrators, Heroes

Colors: Black

Holy Day: New Year's Day

Sacred symbols: A golden, triangular sword. The perfect circle. Ash.

The Fool

The patron of all things out of season and the god of last hopes. He is often a trickster figure, but speaks the truth even to those who do not wish to hear it.

Element: Air

Patron of: Adventurers and anyone who does not neatly fit

Colors: White

Holy Day: Leap Year

Sacred symbols: Anything with sharp teeth, but especially white ferrets, rats, or scorpions.

Ranks

Acolyte
This is the lowest rank given to followers of the Sixfold path in which one may participate in the religious order. Children commended to the care of a temple are often granted this rank and perform holy tasks within their service, such as holding candles to light the scripture, cleaning the alters or tending to ceremonial robes.

Apprentice
An Apprentice is the rank designated to one seeking a higher understanding of the gods. A follower of this rank may dedicate himself or herself to a particular god to serve. Anyone of this rank is allowed extensive study in scripture and theology with the hopes that they will pursue a career in the priesthood.

Learned
This is the title reserved for all priests and persons of great piety. It describes their wide-ranging scholarship of the gods and their ability to therefore spread and teach the faith of the Six. All Learned are awarded a special braided cord to be placed upon the shoulders of their robes. Only those ranked at Learned or above may officiate at ceremonies, such as weddings or funerals.

Divine
This rank is reserved for leaders of the faith particularly touched by a god such that they understand and intuit the teachings past written scripture. They often will be masters of their crafts, such as a Divine of the Mother may have extensive skill in healing or midwifery while a Divine of the Brother exceptional knowledge of warcraft. They are not common among men or women.

Blessed
A Blessed is a Divine touched by multiple gods. They have powers of knowledge and understanding that exceeds that of commoners. Many of this rank are living saints, where the gods work directly to reach the world in the flesh of this exceptional person.

Archdivine
The highest rank achievable, this title is awarded to the chief priest of the Sixfold Path. Though they may or may not be touched by a god, this rank is the head of the practical business of the church.

Temples

All temples are laid out the same as a five sided hall decorated inside and out with symbols of the gods. Often this encompasses natural elements of plants and beasts. The lives and stories of saints, Divines or other heroes of the faith are often depicted, but very rarely are images of the gods imposed upon their temples. In larger, richer regions the temple may be made of stone with elaborate domes or lobes that are made to accentuate choirs.

Five altars are arranged inside the hall starting at the left of the entrance. First is the altar of the Maiden laid in blue and purple. There is traditionally a basin of water placed near the entrance and it is custom to anoint (or outright wash) the hands when entering the temple in a symbol of beginning. Next is the altar of The Fellow decorated with red and orange and then the Mother in yellows and greens. The largest hearth is traditionally set near or at the Mother’s altar. Next is the Father’s altar in brown and gray.

The Fool’s altar may be located to the right of the entrance or may be located in a separate, smaller building just outside. In smaller or rural areas this is often the case where a four-walled building has been converted to accommodate the six. A more elaborate altar to the Fool is also sometimes constructed outside the temple proper in a place particularly devastated by natural disaster. This act as both a shrine in the memory of those lost in the tragedy and also keeps the god of all things out of season away. In the case where the Fool is removed from the temple proper a special altar (often a trestle table) will be set up to the right of the entrance during services and ceremonies. Regardless, the Fool’s altar is always a little out of place; it is too bright, or too dull, too grand or too vulgar. The Fool’s house does not usually fit nicely anywhere.

Last is a large area left empty in the center of the temple for the Crone. Although an altar is not often constructed there is usually furniture, candles and a place for offerings left permanently in the center of the temple. However grand, it is always removable. During funerals all elements of the Crone are removed so that the body may be laid in the center of the temple. Often there will be a stone mosaic or painting of a circle laid into the floor but there is little ornamentation to the Crone’s area.

Chairs for the nobles and pews for the commoners may be arranged around the room. During a ceremony or service the Learned will stand in the center of the room and preach towards the Mother’s altar (this is largely because most commoners favor the Mother and prefer to sit closest to her altar). This may be altered on special occasions. For example, the foundation stone for a new recruitment center would be blessed in a special ritual at the Fellow's altar.

The Sixfold Religion in everyday life

Meals
Prayers are typically offered both at the beginning of a meal. A prayer may be as simple as, "Blessed are you, O Six, for your sustaining grace" but more intricate rites are offered on feast days.

Dedication
Around their 12th or 13th year, male children of nobility are typically blessed in a ritual ceremony and are confirmed in the worship of the Six. This ceremony is conducted after a course of learning with the temple Learned or Divine. After the dedication the child is considered to be an adult. They are inducted as an Acolyte into the religion. Women traditionally follow the Daughter, men the Fellow, but misfits of various sorts may dedicate themselves to the service of the Fool.

Marriage
The marriage ceremony is made in the center of the temple and all gods are invoked to give their blessing to a couple. The ceremony is conducted in a procession with the Learned, bride and groom leading their family and friends. There are This six ritual gifts exchanged in at the altar of each god. Water in a decorated cup is exchanged between the bride and groom at the Maiden’s altar with words of blessing for a new beginning. At the Fellow’s place the couple are gifted with a pair of candles and flint, to light their days together. At the Mother’s altar the bride and groom drink wine from the same earthenware cup and pray for children and enough to eat all their days. The wine for the reception after the wedding is often blessed here as well and is always provided by the bride’s family. At the Father’s altar the bride and groom exchange salt. A token from the wedding feast is blessed here as well and the groom’s family always provides the food. In more extravagant weddings this may include other spices but salt is the most traditional. At the Fool’s altar the couple presents something shiny to the temple, usually a coin or purse, (fools gold is sometimes given by families hit hard by adversity). This is given in the hopes of preventing misfortune but also in the understanding that the community of the temple will support the couple in their troubles together. In the center of the temple, over the Crone’s place, the couple then exchange rings as a symbol of devotion unto death. Prayers are said in blessing and the couple is presented to the congregation as married.

Funeral
The most solemn and important ritual in the Sixfold Path, a small, holy miracle occurs at every funeral. During the ceremony the deceased body is laid in the center of the temple. Acolytes of the temple dressed in their god's colors, bring animals of their god's favor forward to the body, one by one. For example, a songbird for the Maiden, a tamed fox for the Fellow, a hen for the Mother, a dog for the Father and a white ferret for the Fool. Whichever god has taken the deceased's Soul into heaven has their divine animal make some sign that the god has taken the deceased's soul. For example, the dog may curl at the feet of a lord and obviously grieve.

The Father generally takes the souls of fathers, or men of equal paternal duty (for instance, a childless lord who has cared well for his people). Sometimes families don't find out that their sons or brothers even had children until the funeral.

The Mother generally takes the souls of mothers, or people who have served as caretakers, healers or growers, and the like.

Childless women and girls go to the Maiden. She also frequently takes priests and diplomats to heaven.

The Fellow takes childless men and boys, especially those who have served as soldiers.

The Fool takes anyone.

If a body cannot be recovered, the soul will be claimed and assisted by the Crone. This is seen as something of a perilous journey for the Soul, but the Crone has her own miracles outside of the realm of human understanding.

Some souls, the sundered, refuse the gods and remain as ghosts. Being sundered from the gods is a gift of free will, but it is a hellish existence that one only chooses for extreme reasons. These ghosts may have purpose and personality at first but they slowly decay with their connection to the gods cut. It is said the Crone searches the world to reconcile these wayward lost souls.