The World Of Khoras - Religion - Gods of Aggradar

Olgrom, the Mountain King

"Suffer today, strength tomorrow"

Description

Formerly a deity of the Kytohan Empire, the worship of Olgrom is now dominant throughout the Iron States. This religion has shifted over the centuries to fit with the beliefs and ideals of the Tomarin people. Olgrom is also worshiped, to a lesser extent, in other areas of western Aggradar, particularly Magrakor.

Olgrom appears as a squat, powerfully built human male with a long bushy beard, glittering grey eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He wears heavy plate armor, a fur cloak, a ring on every finger and a shard of black volcanic rock about his neck on a heavy iron chain. He is normally depicted seated on a huge obsidian throne within a great stone hall. A shield rests against the throne and an array of weapons are fanned out behind him on the wall.

Olgrom is the god of war and honor, fate and fellowship. He is the lord of hearth and home, the keeper of knowledge and secrets, the forger of the world and the master of all things. He is the quintessential Tomarin warlord - strong, proud, a great warrior and the master of a great hall.

Although other gods are worshiped in the Iron States, Olgrom is, by far, the chief god. Most Tomarin (citizens of the Iron States) offer him respect and a daily prayer. Many oaths in this land begin with his name. Olgrom is also seen as the master of the physical world - both land and sky. When he is angry, Olgrom causes the ground to shake and the bellies of the cairns to churn. When the world was new, Olgrom buried metal and precious gemstones in the ground for mortal man to find. It is Olgrom that reforges the sun every morning and casts it high into the sky. The stars are diamonds from Olgrom’s mines and he sews them onto the curtain of night to remind all of his great wealth. The moons of the sky are the eggs of dragons. Olgrom keeps 3 dragons as pets. Each day they serve him. At the end of the day, each lays one egg and then dies. Olgrom throws the three eggs into the sky for safe keeping and they float high above at night as the three moons.

Olgrom is a hard and demanding god. The faithful are expected to work hard and rely on their own strength. Olgrom looks down from his great mountain, watches each worshiper and judges their actions. Sometimes he will send the Harkon, the spirits of the faithful who have been judged worthy and now serve him, to deal with mortals. Sometimes the Harkon come with orders to aid, other times they come to plaque the Tomarin with difficulties. Adversity and challenges are welcomed by the faithful of Olgrom as they see it as as opportunity to please their lord and gain his favor. 

Suffering is an important concept in the theology of Olgrom. This is not simply pain. In this religion, "suffering" refers to the pain that is endured from hard labor, long days and wounds earned honorably in glorious battle. This is the kind of suffering and hardship that strengthens the body and spirit. This is the kind of suffering that every faithful strives for every day. As is commonly quoted in the lands of the Tomarin... "Suffer today, strength tomorrow".

There is a definite similarity between Olgrom and Bromat. It is clear that there is some overlap in the nature of these two religions and it is very likely that these two religions have influenced each other over the centuries.

Religion

According to Olgrom doctrine, the three most serious sins are laziness, weakness and cowardice. All three may be purged from the soul through continual trials and adversity. Hard work and war are needed to weed out the weak and forge the strong. The faithful of Olgrom believe that only through labor and battle will Olgrom find them worthy. Olgrom tests his followers each day and watches them always. 

When a follower dies, his spirit flies to Olgrom’s Mountain where he is judged. Those who have lived according to the laws of Olgrom and are judged worthy join the ranks of the Harkon. Those who have not are cast out of Olgrom’s Mountain to wander the world, homeless, for all eternity. These miserable wanderers are known as Soulless. Many children's bed time stories and fairy tales feature heroes meeting Soulless wandering out in the wilderness. Sometimes the heroes are led astray by the Soulless into a life of ease and comfort. Other times, the heroes overcome the Soulless and return to join the community in labor.

The Hearth

In the Iron States, the hearth refers to the central and largest fireplace in the home. Every building, be it a simple cottage or a grand iron Citadel has a central hearth. When outdoors and hunting, the campfire serves as the hearth. For the great Iron Citadels the dominate the landscape, the hearth is in fact the central shaft and the molten core of the fire cairn upon which the Citadel sits. 

The hearth has a special place in the religion of Olgrom. The heart signifies the heart of a home and the strength and unity of the people who dwell there. It represents more than just warmth - it represents safety, security, control and power. The fire within the hearth is very significant. Olgrom dwells within a great mountain and he is associated with the land and the fires in the hearts of the fire cairns. The faithful commune with Olgrom through the fire in their hearths. When one speaks to the fire, one speaks to Olgrom. All prayers are done facing the hearth fire. Priests will meditate for long hours before the hearth fire. Olgrom sometimes grants visions in the flames to those who meditate and prayer before a fire. In the great Citadels, the dukes and nobles attend mass in the alter of Olgrom. Sometimes this temple simply has a huge stone fireplace. Other times it will be built at the top of the great shaft with alcoves and tiered balconies providing all a view of the shaft and the fires far below.

The Burial Ceremony of Olgrom

Before the Sundering, the peoples of the northwest provinces of the Kytohan Empire buried their dead in burial cairns. The fire cairns were, in fact, named after these ancient burial cairns (which they strongly resembled). In that old religion, the wealthy were buried in large burial cairns which consisted of an underground chamber with a roof of timber. Very wealthy persons might have elaborate cairns with multiple chambers. The cairn was sealed and covered over with a large mound of rocks. The dead were buried with a few possessions and small tokens left by loved ones. The poor, however, were simply buried in the ground.

The modern burial ceremony used of the Iron States has changed a bit from the ancient traditions.  Among the faithful of Olgrom, the dead are wrapped tightly in white cloth and thrown down the central shafts into the molten lake at the core of the fire cairn. This is done amidst a large ceremony while friends and loved ones watch the proceedings from the balconies and catwalks. The ceremony is led by a priest of Olgrom. Tokens of love and remembrance are thrown into the fires below along with the body.

Because this elaborate ceremony may be somewhat disruptive to the normal day-to-day activities around the shaft (construction, mining, repairs, etc), such ceremonies are limited to nobles and the wealthy. The poor in the Citadels and out in the villages of the duchy must make do with the following: they burn their dead on a great funeral pyre outdoors (outside the village or atop the Citadel). The smoke must be allowed to float away with the wind for it represents the soul. The ashes are carefully gathered and then taken to the great central shaft in the Citadel where they are thrown into the fires below. Sometimes this involves a small funeral entourage that must carry the ashes of their friend from a village on the outskirts of the duchy to the Citadel.

This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.

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