In-Universe Religion

[HousePet]

The Rods of Recall are not known to be of Sher'Tul origin.
The lore on the item indicates they are rare and valuable, but gives no indication of origin.
The fact that it happens to be the key to a Sher'Tul fortress also doesn't mean that they all are of Sher'Tul origin.

Worship doesn't require gods.
Yeeks basically worship the Way.
Rituals for accessing nature/celestial/blight powers are likely entwined with worship.

[emblempride]

This may be slightly off-topic and I'm not confident in contributing anything lore-wise myself, but especially given the direction of the conversation I do find the idea of magically influenced evolution in the world of Eyal to be incredibly interesting. I believe all the species were created as is physically though, right? Or is there anything in the lore that mentions evolution? I kind of like the idea that the Gods were essentially mad scientists as well, so like far in the future you've got modern species looking like otherworldly horrors for an I Am Legend type chronomancy induced sidequest or something. Another opportunity to put the player in a moral quandary and give the fellers at Point Zero more to do right?

[Hogulus]

This may be slightly off-topic and I'm not confident in contributing anything lore-wise myself, but especially given the direction of the conversation I do find the idea of magically influenced evolution in the world of Eyal to be incredibly interesting. I believe all the species were created as is physically though, right? Or is there anything in the lore that mentions evolution? I kind of like the idea that the Gods were essentially mad scientists as well, so like far in the future you've got modern species looking like otherworldly horrors for an I Am Legend type chronomancy induced sidequest or something. Another opportunity to put the player in a moral quandary and give the fellers at Point Zero more to do right?

Urh'Rok, god of the demons' planet (Mal'Rok), did this indirectly through the Divine Tournaments. He didn't personally go out of his way to alter the imp species, but he did allow imps who'd magically altered themselves to compete (albeit with a system of handicaps, brackets, and score-penalties to reflect how much energy (including magic) a contestant has consumed, among other factors). Divine Tournament winners were given increased priority in breeding, with bonuses to groups / families that performed well across multiple fields, so the end results were Children of Onyx, Emerald, and Ruby who were more physically and mentally capable overall than their predecessors, thanks to "natural" selection and a whole slew of inherited alterations. It was pretty much an elaborate eugenics program that managed to sidestep all the reasons why eugenics can't really work in real life (near-omniscient, unbiased god overseeing the rules without any personal stake in the results, no latent racism between imp species, exhaustively fair rules that compensated for entrants' economic status by way of handicapping those who could acquire expensive alterations, fully consenting and enthusiastic populace who had too much respect for the Tournament's goals and their god to even consider cheating or gaming the system, and so on). The demons have kept this up in Urh'Rok's semi-absence, and continue to "improve" themselves for the sake of their war.

EDIT: whoops, "program," not "problem"

[emblempride]

Urh'Rok, god of the demons' planet (Mal'Rok), did this indirectly through the Divine Tournaments. He didn't personally go out of his way to alter the imp species, but he did allow imps who'd magically altered themselves to compete (albeit with a system of handicaps, brackets, and score-penalties to reflect how much energy (including magic) a contestant has consumed, among other factors). Divine Tournament winners were given increased priority in breeding, with bonuses to groups / families that performed well across multiple fields, so the end results were Children of Onyx, Emerald, and Ruby who were more physically and mentally capable overall than their predecessors, thanks to "natural" selection and a whole slew of inherited alterations. It was pretty much an elaborate eugenics problem that managed to sidestep all the reasons why eugenics can't really work in real life (near-omniscient, unbiased god overseeing the rules without any personal stake in the results, no latent racism between imp species, exhaustively fair rules that compensated for entrants' economic status by way of handicapping those who could acquire expensive alterations, fully consenting and enthusiastic populace who had too much respect for the Tournament's goals and their god to even consider cheating or gaming the system, and so on). The demons have kept this up in Urh'Rok's semi-absence, and continue to "improve" themselves for the sake of their war.

Ah, I haven't played Ashes so thanks! So Imps are like heavy metal primates and the Sher'Tuls ruined a near Utopian society? Rad. That means Urh'Rok fits both the mold of a fair and loving God as well as a monster morphed by vengeance and hatred. The immersion and investment this game still manages to have some few years after I first started playing is phenomenal.

[Planetus]

A quick attempt at some wilder worship lore:

There are those among us who have dedicated their lives to the ways of nature. Many call them 'wyrmics', thinking that their respect for dragons means a worship of them. This is not so. It is simply that dragons represent the most clear presentation of the beautiful, wrathful power of nature. Others call them 'wilders', thinking that their embracing of chaotic, uncontrollable nature means a release from the confines and order of society. This also is not true. Nature is not chaotic. Nature is ordered. It is simply not the 'order' that mortals seek and wish for.

Those who truly worship nature and it's splendour know there is no true name for us. Names are a creation of civilization. The wolf that devours the sheep knows no name, nor does the wind that blows the seed, or the rains that fall on house and hollow alike. We gather in the secret, hidden places, deep within nature's embrace. We gather at the secret, hidden times, when nature is at both it's most peaceful and most brutal. We honor the cycles that shape our lives, even when many do not notice it. We honor the seasons, the sun, the moons. We honor fertility and age. We honor growth and life. And we honor death, for sooner or later, all things must die. It is only those who betray the path of nature and pervert themselves with magic who seek to evade death.

We honor the nimble Ash, the strong Oak, the clever Wolf, the powerful Eagle, and yes, the mighty Dragon. We also honor the Frost Giants, who have fully abandoned their once 'great' civilization in pursuit of the truth of nature. But none of this honor is worship. The worship is reserved for the great, nameless, shapeless power that has shaped all these things... and us ourselves.

In this last truth, we find the power so many other see. We find the power of dragons in the realization that the same power that shaped dragons also shaped us. We find the company of wolves in the realization that their company is the company of our brothers and sisters. We find the ooze within us in the realization that all life is one, that all life came from the same source, and that this source is still shaping us today.

You ask us how we worship? You ask us how you may come to the same realizations? Words are a product of civilization, not nature. The hunt is the product of nature. Hunt us, find us, and our secrets are yours. But realize that in doing so, you will become ours.