There are five gods. No more and no less. One is shunned, the others not. Part six of my 2021 Worldbuilding Challenge inspired by this reddit post from a person named Faranesque:
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Priests
It took four gods to create the known reality and for that they opposed the first one. Basic religious lore is somewhat known throughout Orf, though most people tend to ignore it on a daily basis. Religion is in most cases not mandatory or even encouraged.
The main religion throughout Orf focuses on the Fifth One, also called Ismail in New Slomania and Fachafnir in Lustria & Tenebrem. Other title are The Savior, Luvkar the Last and The Sensemaker. For they brought culture and moral to the people and animals that stride through existence. Afterwards they left their sphere of awareness to walk upon reality and experience it on their own as the other gods did before them.
Religious practice is done in ones own home. Almost no churches or temples exist of the Fifth God, for they are most of the time not needed. Praying is done in ones mind and trough ones self perception. No need for outward gestures or grand masses with hundreds of people. Even so there are some who declare themselves priests of the Fifth One. As there is no main body of clergy to consecrate applicants and welcome them into priesthood, the process is more of an ideological, self made event. You can one day just decided to be a priest of the Fifth One and for all effect and matter you then are. Here, however, it would like to be noted once again that the priests are also very reserved in their preaching and attempts at conversion. Their main credo is never to force anyone to consider or even listen to what they can tel.
There are yearly or monthly meetings in some places for all that believe to be walking with the blessing of the Fifth, but those are also like the other stuff not mandatory or supported by some greater ecclesia.
The Fourth One, also know as Tirion or Ezkiel in the Swampmarshes is fittingly also greatly revered in those poisonous patches of land and pools of accursed plantlife. For they were lonely and gave the gift of life to everything that had a need for it. Animals and people and plants, even though everything still acted on instinct, roamed and populated a foremost barren land.
Whenever you see some much to big temple-like structure, it is almost be guaranteed to be in some way related to Tirion. Their follower in complete opposite to the Fifth One produce grand halls and temples where they celebrate the existence of life and living. Wearing robes of green and brown the clergy decorates themselves with bones, flesh and plants, for that is what everything is made off. They do not have a direct head of their religion, for they revere nature as the ultimate decision maker. Priests of the Fourth One will live however they want. Most of them are pretty rough and rugged, partaking in all the pleasures their minds and instincts desire. Drinking, sleeping and eating are the most common joys they take upon themselves. Some also hunt for sport, amass wealth only for the gratification of possessing it or try to gain fame and popularity through preaching or heroic acts. A priest of the Fourth One never does anything halfheartedly. Whenever they attempt something, be it even something lowly as drinking, they put all their mind behind it.
In the Steppes of Arg, they pray to the Gas they put into their roaring machines, which they also call Urug. In the other lands of Orf they are better know as the Third One, also called Angmir or Lovetias in Andora. They created matter and everything inbetween to look upon it. The tribes of the steppes believe that the Gas is the original form of Urug and that they still look upon the earth they created to see if it is worth rebuilding after the times of great destruction.
Destruction is also one of the main themes of the clergy of the Third One. For all things will end destroyed. All things pulverize in the ongoing scraping and shaving of time. Be it souls, flesh or stone, everything will in due time be recuded to pulver, then dust and than finally Gas.
The priests clad themselves in metal and use mostly gas-powered equipment. For they don’t consume their god, but transform it back into material, as it once did for them in their grace.
The Second One brought forth Light and Shadow and the senses to enjoy ones existence. Also called Lumina or Luminos in other countries and All-Esion in Lustria & Tenebrem. Outside of those entwined states the Second One is scarcely prayed to, but within both they have risen to state religion. Not mandatory though, but highly encouraged.
In Lustria, the gilded prophet princess is the main authority all things considered light. In its counter state Tenebrem, the shallow grey prophet princess instead rules. Both are said to be reincarnation of the All-Esion. Both argue which is the real one.
Priests of either side dabble in the manipulation of either shadow or light. The wear deep dark or bright gold robes and preach from towers of ivory and basalt.
The First One is not needed to be written about here. Only the most vile and dark creatures and beings pray to the one who came from nothing and wants to pull everything back into nothingness. Its names are plenty but none shall be named here. Its priests are lunatics and its cult followers are sentenced to death in every country.