Religion

Gods and Goddesses

Sigmar,Taal, Rhya, Morr and Ulric

The people of the Barony of Sonnefurt worship these gods just like like the rest of the Empire, and put veneration in the order shown above.

A special note on Taal:

Taal used to receive a good deal of veneration of Thalfang, for it was named after the legend stating that he brought prosperity with copious fish to the region after a fishing contest with the ancient King Aschen. However, over the years, the fish have dried up significantly and fervent worship of the god went with their disappearance. Taal is still however worshiped there and across the Barony, but no longer for his bounty.

Lacothea

Lacothea is the Goddess of the River Soll. Those who depend on her for their livelihoods pay her the most attention, so she is particularly popular with the workers in Ertingen and Sonnefurt and the village of Strazen. In Thalfang her worship is particularly strong, even with those who do not work on the river. The flood of the River Soll is vital for the town’s economy, for without the fertile land provided by the Soll, the town would have no food for the winter. The worship of Lacothea in Thalfang is done with mixed veneration and fear, for the Great Flood of Thalfang in 1778 is still remembered as a time where Thalfang residents upset the Goddess and paid the dear price.

The Cult of Lacothea is primarily concerned with keeping the natural order of the River Soll intact. The Soll River Patrol contributes many members to the Cult and is considered its military wing. There are no specific feast days for the Goddess, except the celebrations of the flood held in Thalfang to coincide with the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox, to pray for the flood and thank the Goddess for it respectively. The most famous member of the Cult is Marshal Eichorn, for many of the ruling classes, including the Baroness, tend to ignore the Cult and are happy for it to run peacefully.

The Old Faith

The Old Faith is still revered in certain parts of the Barony. The villages of Bezeinhof and Martinskorf worship the Old Faith and hold small village celebrations at the various ancient stone circles within the Martinswald and even as far as the Bezau Hills. The Old Faith is not regarded as the chief religion like in some wilder parts of the Northern Empire, but is still regarded with great respect. Reports say, however, that the worship is dying out slowly with each generation, and it will not be long until all traces of the Old Faith in the religion become little more than memories.

The Cult of the Mother is the leading Cult of the Old Faith, and runs all over the towns and villages which are close to the Black Mountains. In the Barony of Sonnefurt the Cult’s leader is Maggie Gaffwiger. Sepp Sydow is a devote member of the Cult and is venerates the Old Faith to a degree verging on fanaticism. This makes the Cult a prominent problem when it comes to timber demands in the Council and it has been known for the Cult to get proactive and violent when their holy land is threatened by the townsfolk.

Deanosus

Deanosus is Tilean God of Wine, Vineyards and Revelry and has slowly permeated the culture of southern Wissenland due to immigration over the years and has been accepted by many in the Barony of Sonnefurt. Deanosus is particularly worshiped by the rich families in Sonnefurt, and the most famous shrine to the God can be found in the back of Gilles’ Wine Bar in the Upper River Side. Deanosus is also venerated by the wine merchants of the Barony and the owners and workers on the vineyards of Ertingen and Thalfang.

The Cult of the Vine is a very small cult within the region, reserved only for the very richest and most indulgent members of the aristocracy. They are a Cult of revelry and excess and the Baroness attends their meetings at the high class parties in the town. The Baroness’ Villa Wine bears the head of Deanosus and the sacred vine, a tribute to the God.

Panasia

Panasia is another Tilean Goddess, the Goddess of Music, Poetry and the Arts. She is little worshiped, except by the artists and musicians of the region, and is barely known to most residents of Sonnefurt. However, former Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg was a known devotee and built the Von Heisenberg Theatre in the Goddess’ name and it functions as the Barony’s largest shrine to the goddess. The Troubadour Tavern houses a small shrine too, and the loud noise is often passed off as ‘worship’ of the Goddess.

Phaestos

Phaestos is another Tilean deity, the God of Crafts and Smiths. He is primarily revered in the Market District of Sonnefurt as well as the boat builders of the Dockyards, as well as the smiths of all the towns in the Barony. No large, public shrines have been built to the god, as the majority of smiths in Sonnefurt are in fact Dwarfs, but private shrines are permitted in workshops all across the Barony.

The Pilgrim

The Pilgrim is the wandering Halfling God and has a very small following in the Barony. Despite being a Halfling God, he has been brought to Wissenland by migrating Halflings from the Moot and Averland and his worship has slowly made its way down the Soll to Sonnefurt. Due to his role as the patron of wanderers and those that travel the roads and rivers of the Old World, his worship is mainly focussed on the Barony’s merchants and the Soll River Patrol. However, worship is not strong amongst these, and the Pilgrim plays a very small role in the Barony’s religion.

Saints and Respected Folk Heroes

Father Karl Martin

Father Martin was Sonnefurt’s first holy man. He is said to have met with Sigmar and fought at the Battle of Black Fire Pass. He brought religion to Sonnefurt, uniting the waring Kings to Sigmar's cause and leading their armies at the battle. Upon their triumphant return he founded the Church of Sigmar in the region which was they rebuilt as the Sanctuary of Sigmar many years later, an honour to him to him. He is seen as the founder of religion and many tales are told to children about his supposed feats at the battle of Black Fire Pass. Some of these claim he held Sigmar’s standard, his hammer, and that he felled five hundred Orcs, and every single story is different. As such he has ascended to a Saintly and legendary figure in the region and is respected by most devout Sigmar followers. Many features of the Barony are named after him.

Mad Edgar

Mad Edgar once lived in Thalfang and was said to have been diagnosed with a disease that would end his life before the end of 1804. This however, was the same year Morr’s Chasm opened. Eager to cheat death, legend states that one night he was seen venturing towards Morr’s Chasm with the aim of lowering himself down to meet with and bargain with Morr. He is said to have returned over five years later, looking no different save for a few scars and a deep green glow in his once blue eyes. He had no recollection of what happened to him in the Chasm, but many believe that he fought with Morr for his life and won, because he lived reportedly for another fifty years, becoming Thalfang’s oldest ever resident and holding that title to this day.

Other reports infer that Edgar may have been tested on by the ‘rat men’, feeding him with ‘Wyrdstone’ which had unique healing properties and prolonged his life. His scars are also said to be the result of strange dissection experiments. However, due to the imaginary status of these ‘rat men’ the story involving Morr is much more believable.

Edgar is solely venerated by the superstitious, who believed Morr shined on a resident of Thalfang and that Morr’s Chasm really is an entrance to his world, blessing the Barony with his presence. Edgar is often the basis of any celebrations centred around Morr in the region, although these are not frequent.

Hans Hettinger

Hans Hettinger was a common dock worker in Sonnefurt until 1822, when the mourning after one hundred years since the first riots against Kreutzhofen turned into a bloody battle on the streets of Sonnefurt and Kreutzhofen troops slaughtered many innocent townsfolk. Hans Hettinger not only organised the smuggling of many women and children to Ertingen for safety, but also led the Defence of the Dockyards. The Defence of the Dockyards is a famous moment in Sonnefurt’s history, particularly for those living in the dockyards. The skirmish lasted fifteen days and was a heroic guerrilla effort by many resent filled dockers. The resistors were all killed, including Hans, but are now considered as martyrs and represent the uprising of the downtrodden for all Sonnefurt’s working classes.

Mention of Hans Hettinger evokes pride in these people, and as such his followers are considered dangerous by even the Baroness, for they recall his name every time taxes are raised. The celebration of the Sonnefurt Resistance on Victory Day is always a time of tension, and the watch are put on guard just in case trouble arises.