March 2025 Update
- Adam Donovan
- Mar 31
- 19 min read
[March 2025]
Greetings all, and welcome to the March (2025) update for Roguelike Games!
Moralinth is a Victoriana Gothic Horror RPG, heavily influenced by events, social commentary, and beliefs from the late 19th Century in our own history.
However, despite these resemblances, Moralinth is not Earth. There are significant differences ranging from the obvious (like The Blight, which decimated most of a continent's population) to the more nuanced (such as technologies being developed at different rates).
This month's update focuses on one of the major distinctions between Earth and Moralinth:
Religion.
The Multi-Faced Pantheon
The Multi-Faced Pantheon refers to a collection of eleven gods and goddesses whose influence and worship stretch back to antiquity - long before the establishement of The Empire of Estania or its predecessors. For the majority of its existance this pantheon consisted of ten dieties, but has recently grown to incorperate the entity kwown as The Lightbringer.
In ancient times, the gods were anthropomorphised to make them more understandable to mortal minds, recognising their areas of celestial influence and establishing a divine portfolio of sorts to be associated with each of them. Though in modern times it is a more commonly-accepted practice to worship the pantheon as a whole, this was not always the case. The popularity of the various gods have waxed and waned, with cults springing up around the worship of a singular diety over others, and even wars have been fought over which diety should hold sway over the others.
With the founding of The Church (see below), all other worship practices were either eliminated or absorbed and a strict practice of rituals was established, ensuring that the worship of the Multi-Faced Pantheon has remained the primary (and frequently sole) method of venerating the gods for over five thousand years.
The Church
The oldest institution in The Known World, The Church is a religious order that promotes the largest and (apart from some sects and cults) main religion in the Estanian Empire - The Multi-Faced Pantheon. Advocating the worship of eleven deific entities, The Church stands uncontested as the spiritual guide of the eighteen nations, and the Multi-Faced Pantheon is considered the uncontested Imperial Religion. Run by a single leader known as The Prime, The Church operates through three branches:
THE CLERGY
The Clergy are the priests, healers, philosophers, and governing body of The Church. They represent the bridge between the common Imperial citizens and the divinity of The Church.
The majority of Imperial citizens will only interact with members of The Clergy out of these three branches, for Priests, Clerics and Messengers of The Clergy carry out many rituals such as overseeing births, deaths and marriage, as well as acting as a spiritual center of communities.
THE INQUISITION
The Inquisition are the secret police of The Church, rooting out corruption and destroying heresy in all its forms. Calling them secret is something of a misnomer, for their infamy and reputation precede this extremist faction of The Church wherever they travel. Apart from The Empress and The Prime, none are beyond investigation by The Inquisition, and its agents - the Inquisitors - are among some of the most feared individuals of The Empire.
THE HOLY ORDER
The Holy Order are the militant arm of The Church, defenders of the faith and a private army under the control of The Prime. Compared to skirmishes and wars in the past, the Holy Order is currently more ceremonial than an active militia, having not been needed on the front lines since the fall of the Lithanthul Protectorate.
With a presence in every single Enclave in the Empire, The Church varies slightly from region to region as it assimilates the local culture into the Multi-Faced Pantheon but can be found anywhere in The Known World.
The Eleven Deities
Listed here are the eleven dieties of the Multi-Faced Pantheon as they are recognised in the current year, 567 IR. While worship of the pantheon as a whole is strongly encouraged by The Church, individuals and private households might well prioritise a single deity through generational tradition, necessity or even whimsy.
KHAPHOTHIS, The Lord of Contracts
(Ka-poth-iss)
Especially revered in the lands of Timicias, Khaphothis is seen as an ancient God of civilisation, law and dutiful obedience. Most of the oldest texts with regards to this God show Him as a mediator of sorts between His divine brothers and sisters, an intermediary that reminds them each of their purpose and binding oaths to one another. This same belief structure is gospel among Khaphothis’ followers and faithful, and the power of an oath, deal or contract is seen as divine in those who revere this deity.
Among His most vocal followers are those of the law-makers, bankers and many within The Watch or any organisation that is oath-bound or duty-bound.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Yellow
Holy Animal: The Scarab
Holy Depiction: Khaphothis is usually shown as a hooded man whose face is obscured. He is shown carrying an oversized tome wrapped in golden chains that swing from it and trail along the ground.
YATOMO, The Bringer of Truth
(Yat-O-mo)
The Goddess Yatomo is not especially revered in any particular nation but tends to be respected and seen as a guiding force in the pantheon regardless of the centre of worship. She is seen as a deity of truth and honesty and teaches that nothing good can come of hiding the truth – even if it may seem like the kinder option.
Those seeking to understand something, whether it is mundane or existential, tend to turn their prayers toward the Goddess for answers or, more commonly, the strength to find the answers themselves.
Yatomo encourages belief in oneself as part of Her teachings, preferring to give hints and guidance so that Her worshippers can make discoveries themselves. Popular among those who wish to solve mysteries or uncover hidden truths, Yatomo is seen as a patient and maternal deity.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Blue
Holy Animal: The Hound
Holy Depiction: Yatomo is shown as a striking woman in her physical prime with bright blue skin and piercing dark eyes. A representation of having nothing to hide, Yatomo is most commonly depicted face-on, with an expressionless face and knowing gaze.
NATOTH, The Wise
(Nat-oth)
If ever a deity represented the Church’s competition with the power of industry and science, it would be Natoth: God of mysteries, philosophy, miracles, and wonder. Through His teachings, Natoth presents the context needed to make such things as scientific progress possible—that the world needs some mysteries left unsolved, or the populace risks giving up dreaming, hoping, and wondering.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, philosophers and free thinkers find the teachings of Natoth especially appealing, with the questioning nature of the texts something that also appeals to specialist scholars and even occultists.
Natoth teaches that the universe is far larger than mortalkind can hope to fathom but that the quest to understand the cosmos represents the pinnacle of human existence.
It is written that Natoth has a cordial sibling rivalry with His younger sister Yatomo, who prefers all secrets to be unmasked, but the two have enough respect for one another to appreciate that both opinions are valid. With Yatomo being the (apparently) younger of the two, She will often refer to His judgment – unlike Her twin-brother Rarkan. Natoth is worshipped all over The Known World but is especially popular in the nations of Amus and Lyryris.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Purple
Holy Animal: The Cat
Holy Depiction: Natoth is most commonly shown as a tall, gaunt man dressed in fine robes with four over-long arms folded across His chest. In place of His face is a swirling vortex of stars, and in the majority of His imagery, He is seen floating above the ground.
XIX'YX, The Dreamer
(Zix-ix)
By far the most mysterious of all the Old Gods (which, considering the likes of Rarkan is actually saying something), The Dreamer is a deity with no direct connection to Its followers beyond the occasional dream-like state, vision, or portents.
The deity with the most alien mindset concerning the mortal mind, Xix’yx has priests and followers who dedicate their entire lives to deciphering its teachings.
For most, The Dreamer is a clear and present reminder that the Gods are far above mortalkind and have complex plans in action that only they can hope to understand.
People often turn to Xix’yx to understand the meanings of their dreams, and many a leader through the years have tried to unravel prophecies built around them to fully manifest their own destinies.
An amorphous God, The Dreamer seems indifferent to humanity and, while not antagonistic, is among the more difficult to understand and learn teachings from.
Priests of The Dreamer are often highly philosophical and quite introverted compared to priests who focus on the other Old Gods.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Green
Holy Animal: None
Holy Depiction: Xix’yx is never depicted in any form, save for an absence of a discernible shape.
GRAOMAR, Keeper of The Dead
(Gray-o-mar)
Although a death God, Graomar is not seen as a being to be feared but rather a guide to the afterlife and the paradise that it represents.
Though Malik may be the judge of mortals, it is Graomar who chooses to take those worthy souls to the afterlife or commit them to purgatory.
Through His teachings, this God promotes respect for the dead, the importance of the cycle of life and the graceful acceptance of the end of one’s journey.
Especially popular in regions where life is harsh and short (the extreme north and extreme south, for example), Graomar is heavily called upon by anyone who deals with life and death situations such as priests, midwives, doctors, morticians and even members of The Watch. Additionally, those with terminal conditions or who find themselves unexpectedly at the end of their lives take solace in Graomar’s words, finding peace in their remaining time, knowing that the Keeper of The Dead will soon be with them.
Churches and places of worship dedicated to Graomar are often clean and tranquil places with little opulence to cloud the mind or misdirect the soul. This pragmatic approach is popular with most but can come across as clinical or spartan to those used to a more lavish lifestyle.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Black
Holy Animal: The Crow
Holy Depiction: Graomar shows up in religious texts and paintings as a gargantuan man (often between two-hundred to one thousand feet in height depending on the artist) wearing nothing but a midnight-black robe. The hood is always drawn down, His skin is like alabaster, and His eyes are dark. Bald with granite-like skin, He is often shown with His arms outstretched as if welcoming mortals into His divine embrace. Alternatively - especially in some of the earlier depictions - Graomar is shown to be a massive humanoid skeleton, adorned in dark robes and carrying a scythe.
AETHUSA, Lady Winter
(A-thoo-za)
It will come as no real surprise that Aethusa, the Lady of Winter, is highly revered in the cold northern realms, but She is also among the most popular of the eleven Gods in the Multi-Faced Pantheon overall.
A Goddess of beauty and winter, She is popular with artists, poets, musicians, and anyone with romantic tendencies. Seen in a somewhat maternal role within the pantheon, Lady Winter teaches about the dangers of frost as well as its beauty, warning others to recognize that the two can often be one and the same.
Aethusa gained increased appreciation when it became apparent that cold conditions were excellent for slowing the spread of The Blight. Her faithful pointed to this as a gift from the Goddess Herself, and the Church were quick to agree and publicise this theory..
Though Lady Winter is worshipped all across The Known World, She is held in special accord in the northern nation of Terrarctana who see Her as their guiding force in the stark, frigid conditions.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: White
Holy Animal: The Snow Fox
Holy Depiction: Shown as either a maiden or a mother, Aethusa is unmistakable with Her floor-length, loose white hair that trails behind Her. While Her clothing style changes from depiction to depiction, She is almost always in white or very light blue, and an ornate necklace around Her neck holds a gem of a frozen heart.
NALGREM, The Righteous Lord of Battle
(Nal-grem)
While many Gods of the Multi-Faced Pantheon preach peace and spiritual enlightenment, it is a well understood fact that mortalkind are often creatures of conflict and that war, violence and domination through strength are constants that are unlikely to completely vanish.
For each person who tries to avoid conflict or – in their eyes – rise above it, there are those who understand those people need protecting from that which cares nothing for their beliefs. Nalgrem promotes tactical, efficient warfare, both defensive and offensive, and is beloved of any who have to deal with conflict in their daily lives, such as members of The Watch and especially The Holy Forces.
To this God battle is something that should be fair and organized, yet thrilling and aggressive. Where possible, a cause should be fought for to give the battle more meaning, and that battle for the love of nought but bloodshed should be left to the animals.
Of all the facets of the pantheon, Nalgrem and Malik are by far the most uncompromising and unflinching in their views, and where Malik is represented in The Church by The Inquisition, Nalgrem is seen as the guiding code for The Holy Forces.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Brown
Holy Animal: The Rhinoceros
Holy Depiction: Depending on the culture that represents Him in art, Nalgrem is either shown as a blond-haired, golden-gilded, plate armour-clad champion, or a hulking warrior with little to no armour and an oversized axe caked in blood. Both depictions frequently show Him as intimidating and poised to strike.
RARKAN, The Lord of Whispers
(RaR-kan)
Twin brother to Yatomo and Her polar opposite, Rarkan is a God of secrets who teaches that the truth in the wrong context can be harmful. His way points to the fact that there is much that mortalkind is simply not ready to understand and that some secrets must remain exactly that – secret.
His clergy are lore-keepers of long-forgotten truths and weavers of misdirection, who give riddle-laden sermons but also act as confidants and oath-keepers.
Revealing a secret is one of the greatest sins to Rarkan, and something His followers do only in the direst of situations – not so much because of fear of reprisal from the God, but more because Rarkan teaches that the fabric of reality hinges on powerful secrets, meaning that any secret revealed weakens the overall fabric of reality.
Despite the somewhat peculiar tenets of the faith, Rarkan is surprisingly popular among many people, especially those in positions of power, such as the Imperial Government.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Cyan
Holy Animal: The Spider
Holy Depiction: Rarkan’s physical appearance changes from artist to artist, but He is always shown as alluring and androgynous, with glowing cyan eyes. The Lord of Whispers is always found in the most desirable clothes and is commonly depicted with a collection of concubines.
MALIK, The Just
(Ma-lick)
Also known as ‘The Judge of Mortals’, Malik is a stern but fair deity who expects the same from His priests and followers.
Justice trumps all in the mind of this unwavering God, even over matters of good and evil. Revered by The Inquisition (whose leader claimed that Malik ordered him to create the organization), Malik is highly respected across The Known World for His incorruptible attitude and fair (if harsh) treatment of those who break laws, subvert oaths, or endanger justice.
Much like Aethusa and Her reverence from the nation of Terrarctana, Malik is held above all other Gods in the nation of Antea, a nation which does not fully support the inclusion of Elyon The Lightbringer as the eleventh God of the Pantheon.
It is said that Malik is indifferent to His brothers and sisters save Nalgrem, whom He shares a certain affinity with due to His unrelenting belief structure – something which Malik respects if not necessarily agrees with.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Grey
Holy Animal: The Panther
Holy Depiction: Each and every depiction of Malik is recreated in painstaking detail and is, by law, required to be identical to the last (save for changes in scale as needed). Depicted holding a morning star in His left hand and a scale in His right, Malik is shown standing to attention as if on military parade and is dressed in a grey studded leather armoured suit. In every depiction, He is looking down in judgement on those around Him.
DIMITRI, Lord of Healing
(Dim-ee-tree)
A complex figure in The Multi-Faced Pantheon, Dimitri is seen as a god of passion, healing, and carnal pleasures. Due to the somewhat restrictive views on such matters in Moralinth society, most of the clergy tend to focus on the healing aspect of His divine portfolio or extend it to birth and midwifery.
Blood is seen as holy to worshipers of Dimitri - often referred to by them as “lifeblood” – and the frivolous spilling of blood is seen as sacrilege. For obvious reasons, this means that there is some religious contradiction in the practices of Dimitri and Nalgrem, as one deity is concerned with prolonging the power of blood, and the other is more concerned with spilling it.
Dimitri is considered a fertility God, and His priests commonly bless marriages or assist in childbirth problems, and as such are quite family-centric and promote community.
Despite being at seemingly opposite ends of the life and death cycle, the legends state a powerful kinship between Graomar and Dimitri, which continues into present teachings. Priests of Dimitri see people brought into this world, and priests of Graomar ease their passage out of it. Those who are more comfortable in their skin, such as companions and confidants, are especially favoured by Dimitri, and many feel protected by this God’s grace.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Red
Holy Animal: The Snake
Holy Depiction: Always dressed in red, with blood-red hair and eyes to match, Dimitri is usually drawn either sitting upon a throne (in more recent times) or in the middle of some sort of carnal act (in earlier depictions). The God of healing is never depicted in anything less than perfect physical health, an inspiration of the human form that attempts to mimic Him.
ELYON, The Lightbringer
(El-e-on)
The most recent addition to The Multi-Faced Pantheon, Elyon The Lightbringer is a God whose true origin is completely unknown and still something of a bone of contention in The Church. When the Cult of the Lightbringer sprung up three-hundred and twenty-seven years ago, The Church was in a tentative predicament with many of its faithful turning more toward science and forsaking the word of the Gods. The Cult preached an understanding, compassionate and progressive God that accepted all things – including the ascension of industry – making it almost impossible for most common citizens to find criticism with.
The oldest records have Elyon described as a “re-awoken” God who had been slumbering for millennia and that has come to His people in their time of need but goes into little further detail. Due to the Cult’s popularity, The Church brought Elyon and his followers into The Multi-Faced Pantheon rather than fight against it, something which proved highly beneficial in the long-term. Today, Elyon is seen as the eleventh member of The Multi-Faced Pantheon by the average imperial citizen, who rarely differentiates the various deities in the first instance. Inside The Church, however, there are still pockets of resistance toward The Lightbringer, despite the will of The Prime and their holy edicts on the matter.
The Inquisition specifically – and by extension most of the nation of Antea – do not recognize Elyon as one of ‘The Ten’, and the followings to The Lightbringer in that region are small and secret affairs.
DIVINE PORTFOLIO:
Holy Colour: Orange
Holy Animal: The Dove
Holy Depiction: Elyon is only ever depicted as a glowing outline in the approximate form of a human man, often with large, bird-like wings spread out behind Him. No facial features are ever shown.
Faith vs Science: The Battle for Supremacy
Belief. Technology. Magic.
These three opposing paradigms make up Moralinth society in an unspoken but implicit fashion with each affecting the other in a combination of obvious and subtle ways.
To most citizens of the Empire, there are only two forces at work, the competing agencies of The Church (representing faith) and The ITC (representing technology). Only the tiny fraction of the population who have The Spark are aware of the third, hidden power: magic.
This interplay between the groups is represented in games of Moralinth as a subtle back-and-forth woven into the story of each game by The Narrator. Player-Characters experience the ever-present foundation of The Church embedded in everything they come across, but can expect to be subjected to exciting new discoveries with technology, improvements in science and medicine and, of course, the near-fantastical Clockwork.
It is in this latter example that magic is most obvious to those able to perceive it (namely the Uncanny), as the Clockworks who toil in the Enclaves or seek lives of their own are powered by the very energies that Mediums and Occultists research and follow.
The fact that most people assume the Clockworks are incredibly complex machines is only partly true: they actually represent an intermingling of both technology and magic.
Overall, though people rarely think of it on any conscious level anymore, these three forces can be summarized in the minds of the average imperial in this manner:
The Church represents tradition, the old and “proper” ways that have held true in Imperial rule for over half a millennium. Through the guidance of The Multi-Faced Pantheon, they overcome all challenges to remain leaders of The Known World.
With its strict hierarchy from the lowest acolyte to The Prime, The Church is seen as a benevolent and compassionate group for the most part, teaching the ways of the Eleven Gods to the people.
In matters of heresy or corruption, they are considerably more militant, with orders such as The Holy Forces and The Inquisition pulled into play as needed, but even with these often fanatical groups, the majority of citizens understand that their primary role is to protect them from dangers unseen and dangerous.
The Church is heavily ingrained in both the Imperial Government and also the various noble houses of aristocracy, making them firmly entrenched in the foundations of the Empire as a whole. Indeed, The Prime demands as much respect and wields as much power as The Empress herself, though the former deals more in matters of the soul and the latter in matters of state.
With Empress and Prime conjoined through an ancient alliance, though the rise in technology is certainly a current worry for The Church, it is understood that while the Empire still stands, The Church endures.
Technology represents progress and innovation, the new and developing ways that are bringing The Empire and its people into a new golden age of industry. Long past distant memory when magic left the world and the people of Moralinth were left to fend for themselves and develop new skills, the ascent of industrial advancement achieved many great leaps in the scientific, medical, and engineering fields.
Further bolstered by powerhouse organizations such as the Imperial Technical College (ITC) and the Estanian Rail Network (ERC), the rise of technology is seen as an attractive alternative to religion in many people’s eyes.
Indeed, when The Blight erupted across The Known World, The Church seemed powerless to stop its advance. While modern science has done little to stop the actual corruption itself, the engineering and building skills needed to quickly modify and bolster the massive Enclave Walls, as well as the development of the Extraclave trains to maintain contact between the otherwise isolated megalopolis, are seen as just two of many major successes for pro-industrials. On the whole, technology is seen as the way forward in many citizens’ eyes: it represents a forward-thinking attitude that is always reaching for the next discovery and promotes extroverted tendencies, whereas many see religion as looking backward and inward on oneself.
Of course, most technophiles are well aware The Church is not going anywhere any time soon, instead preferring to concentrate on their research and studies than on what traditionalists think of their theories. That is not to say that all technological pursuits are seen as without fault or error; many experiments turn out badly and have caused considerable backlash throughout society.
The Clockworks, for example, while heralded as amazing achievements of industry, were the cause of many deaths during the Clockwork Revolt, something which is still within living memory for many.
Magic is the third and hidden pillar of this ideology triumvirate, the secret and ancient ways that are now only just beginning to reawaken in the world.
With only a tiny fraction of the population being able to perceive and interact with The Dark, magic is seen in a similar fashion as it is on Earth today: something of fable and myth by most, and as a powerful force by a rare few who are rarely given any real credence by the majority.
While some people in The Known World still believe in magic, most are either ridiculed for their beliefs or, in the worst-case scenarios, reported to The Inquisition as heretics. This animosity toward the spiritual leads most who believe in magic to work from the shadows to avoid persecution and keep to secret groups or cabals.
Some older families continue the ritualistic traditions of their ancestors. In the case of some fringe nations, whole nations might still follow magical practices. Still, for most, this is simply just tradition: Virtually none possess the ability to actually cast magic as is written in their older family texts. The only truly universally accepted form of ‘magic’ is that of magicians – parlour tricks and illusions done for entertainment for the upper classes. Activities such as séances and card readings are becoming more popular, though even these run the risk of going amok if an Uncanny individual is involved.
Though this general disbelief or disdain for magic is present throughout the majority of the Empire, the nations of Lyryris and Timicias are clear exceptions, promoting magic as a natural part of the world order and a force as powerful and tactile as both faith and industry.
Lyryris has its roots deeply entwined with its ruling class (known as The Maji), and as such, although there are no more sparked individuals in Lyryris than anywhere else, magical traditions are still observed and practiced on a daily basis.
Timicias is a nation that believes heavily in reincarnation and teaches that its rulers can be reborn into specially prepared host bodies and that these reincarnated individuals can rule again or pass down their wisdom as Ushabti.
For the most part, however, magic – true magic – is seen as little more than superstition by the vast majority of Imperials and is easily dismissed as fancy or the feverish interpretations of an addled mind. For those with The Spark, the existence of magic is very real indeed, with all the wonders and dangers that come with it.
Roguelike Community
The Moralinth Official Facebook Group is the place to visit for quick and concise updates for those who only want the summarised details of what is happening with Moralinth and is a great place to see the artwork, lore snippets, and updates. We're looking to add more to it so that we can add extra information, but we need your help! What sort of things would you like to see included in the Facebook Group that isn't there already? Feel free to leave comments so we can know what is a priority for everyone - and make sure you tell your friends!
DISCORD:
For a more in-depth and interactive playground for all things Moralinth, you can head over to the Morlainth Official Discord Server. We're looking to foster the community and grow it out, and a few of the messages we've received of late have asked for more ways to interact with the game world as well as an increase in setting information. We're looking to try and grant both requests simultaneously, so keep an eye on Discord for more information! Feel free to invite anyone who you feel might want to follow the project but please remember they need to verify their account when they first join the server (you need to click the little "tick" to be granted the Uncanny role and gain access to all the Categories, Channels and Events).
Future Plans
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse behind the curtain at The Multi-Faced Pantheon and The Chruch, who enforce their teachings across the Empire of Estania! Next month, we will be going back to content focused on Moralinth: Enclave Edition, which is progressing at an impressive rate!
....and that wraps up our update for this month! Feel free to drop us a message or come visit us on our Facebook page or our Discord Group if you'd like! Until our next update in the new year,
Happy Gaming!
- Adam
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