The Church of Abbas Dei dominates and pervades nearly every aspect of life in the Middle Realms. Its rituals and strictures shape the daily lives of both peasants and nobles, just as its bishops and cardinals shape the policies and decisions of rulers. When the church first emerged in the senescent years of the Ilian Empire, it was oppressed and outlawed by the Emperor. As the Empire continued to decline and the world became increasingly dangerous and uncertain, however, people found the idea of a protective, fatherly god more and more appealing, and within a few centuries, the Church of Abbas Dei had grown to dominate the Middle Realms.
Commonly known as The Father God or The Shepherd God, Abbas Dei is a benevolent, theistic god who is said to love each of his worshippers like his own children. Most clerics of Abbas Dei are simple priests who lead a congregation and minister to its needs. Some, however, are warrior priests who fight side-by-side with paladins and other holy warriors in military orders that resemble the historic Knights Templar or Knights Hospitaller. Many of these orders serve the church by garrisoning the towns and outposts that it controls (the most important of which is the holy city of Trier, in Armorica), and by carrying out full-scale military campaigns on the church’s behalf; other orders serve more specialized roles, such as protecting specific holy sites and artifacts. A cleric of Abbas Dei can be found in nearly every village and town in the Middle Realms.
This is not to say that people do not worship other deities in the Middle Realms. The Celtic tribes on the northern fringe of the Middle Realms have largely resisted conversion, and worship a varied pantheon of major and minor gods and goddesses. The Northmen, who sometimes raid the coastal areas of Armorica and Neustria, worship their own grim deities. Although the Church of Abbas Dei aggressively represses heresies, cults of strange, unheard of deities, some benevolent, some sinister, do exist in shadowy places beyond the church’s vision. In the mountains surrounding the Middle Realms, the dwarves have always worshipped their own gods, though few humans know much about them. The elves are even more enigmatic; no one can say whether the savage, reclusive tribes have any gods at all, and few are inclined to ask.
Clerics in the upcoming Labyrinth Lord campaign may worship Abbas Dei or any one of the deities from the following list. With the Labyrinth Lord’s approval, players may incorporate deities from other sources, or create their own.
• Wotan: Wotan, an ancient god of poetry and prophesy, is worshipped by the Northmen. Some clerics of Wotan are the storytellers and bards of their people, while others are mystics steeped in long-forgotten esoterica.
• Donar. Donar is god of thunder who is worshipped by the Northmen. His clerics are most often war priests who proudly wield the short-hafted war hammer, Donar’s chosen weapon.
• Arduinna. Arduinna is a goddess of the hunt who is often pictured riding a wild boar. She is worshipped by many Celtic tribes, particularly those that inhabit the deep forests on the northeastern fringe of the Middle Realms.
• Belenus. Belenus, a sun god associated with heat and healing, is worshipped by many of the Celtic tribes in the northwestern fringe of the Middle Realms.
• Camulus. Camulus is a war god worshipped by many Celtic tribes. His clerics are generally war priests who battle shoulder-to-shoulder with the warriors of their tribe.
