Old Faith


“Bore da.  Welcome to the Standing Stones of Merrymeet.  My name is Fender Canon, and though I’m not a druid, perhaps I can tell you something about the Old Faith,” offers a gnome dressed in black studded leather, a crimson cape, and boots that look like they might be made of white dragon hide.  “It’s always a pleasure to share our beliefs with newcomers.  And now let me tell you what I learned from Granny Menna.”

 

In Gyruff, the Old Faith has a tradition several thousand years old of being a defender of the Land and Nature itself.  The Old Faith follows the seasons and venerates five deities that represent the Cycle of the Seasons and the Cycle of Life.  Pelor is the wheel upon which the Seasons revolve.  He is the Father Sun, while Beory is the Mother Earth.  The other four gods, Ehlonna, Obad-Hai, Beory, and Nerul, are each of steward of one of the four seasons.  However, the Druids of the Old Faith do not honor each deity separately.  Rather, all are seen as part of the Cycle of the Seasons and the Cycle of Life.  Each is needed equally to bring balance and harmony to Oerth.

 

Ehlonna, who is associated with Spring, represents the time of birth.  Obad-Hai represents Summer, born in the Spring and growing in Pelor’s warmth until the Autumn.  Beory takes her turn in Autumn, when the mature fruit and grains are harvested.  Nerull brings the death of Winter, so that our Mother can be reborn in the Cycle of Life the next Spring.

 

To represent this cycle, the Holy Symbol of the Old Faith is the Holy Symbol of Pelor surrounded on the North, East, South, and West by the Holy Symbols of Elhonna, Obad-Hai, Beory, and Nerul.  Although they believe strongly that the balance between these parts of Nature must be maintained, many of the Old Faith Druids focus on one of the Seasons.  In that case, that god’s symbol is to the North at the top of the Holy Symbol with the other seasons following in order around Pelor.

 

“Let me sing you a song called For Our Father Doth Surround Us, that reminds us how the seasons bring us the Cycle of Life.  My mentor, Osfael of the Sunlit Glade, wrote it,” Fender offers as he picks up his guitar and begins strumming some introductory chords.  In a moment, he begins singing:

 

Oh, the holly she bears a berry

As green as the grass.

And the Spring Maiden’s blessings

Will be on each lass.

 

(Chorus)

For our Father doth surround us

In all that we can see.

And the first tree of the greenwood

It was the holly, holly, holly.

And the first tree of the greenwood

It was the holly.

 

Well the holly she bears a berry

As brown as the earth,

While the Stag King leads our revels

With music and mirth.

 

(Repeat chorus.)

 

Oh the holly she bears a berry

As red as the leaves.

Autumn Mother will reward us

With seider and sheaves.

 

(Repeat chorus.)

 

Now the holly she bears a berry

As white as the snow.

So the Winter King reminds us

The old year must go.

 

(Repeat chorus.)

 

As his final chord echoes around the standing stones, Fendar bows low.  Looking up, the gnome says, "Yes, you do see symbols of the Old Faith everywhere.  Well, it is an important part of our life.  So let me tell you more about the Old Faith in Gyruff"

 

References:

  1. ___, Geoff Metagaming Sourcebook, Part 4 – Sacred Organizations, Version 5, February 1, 2006.
  2. Menge, Eric, "Druids of the Old Faith", Living Greyhawk Archive, RPGA
  3. Website, January 22, 2008.
  4. Polk, James, “For Our Father Doth Surround Us”.

 

 

Disclaimer:  The contents of this page are not necessarily official “canon”.  Instead they represent the in-character impressions of Fendar Canon, a Gyri bard.  Use at your own risk.