Strange religion-civ combos.

Every religion could be made to work with every civilization, although sometimes a bit of mental gymnastics is necessary to do so. So I was wondering how people imagine certain unlikely religion/civilization combinations working out.
Take, for instance, the Order/Balseraph hybrid I enjoy playing. I've always imagined it as a demented parody of Disneyland, a land of constant celebration and merriment, but one that is always clean and friendly. One that's free from pickpockets and soul-stealing prophets, where you can let your cares go away and bring the kids without worrying about what might happen to them. Of course, it stays that way because criminals who might make the Happiest Place on Erebus a bit less happy are made into unwilling amusements. "Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Stone the criminal! One coin for a pebble, two for a rock! Killing blow gets half the pot! Step right up!"

 

Order/Sheaim
Council of Esus/Malakim
Empyrean/Calabim or Svaralfar
Octopus Overlords/Kuriorates or Elohim
Ashen Veil/ Bannor or Elohim

 

It's funny you should mention that one. I tried a game as that mixture once. Failed epically, BTW. But I imagined they'd be like Armageddonist Christians, honestly believing that Armageddon would be a good thing, and that their righteous souls would ascend and be rewarded while the rest of the world was punished for their heresies. It's a really a rather obvious mixture, especially since being Order would spare them from the wrath of Hell. They'd also consider the beasties obtained in via planar gate to be gifts to help them cleanse the world of sinners.

 

Sounds familiar...

 

I'll take that challenge, Rex!

Tebryn Arbandi decides that he no longer wants to be the pawn of Hell. He betrays Ceridwen, then turns towards Junil for redemption, hoping to complete the Altar of the Luonnatar and save himself from Hell by calling in the One.

The people of the desert notice something odd. The sun no longer seems to shine on them as brightly as before. Their prophets no longer perform miracles, claiming they need to reserve their power for when it is most needed. An unusual darkness has enveloped the land. There are whispers among the people that the Malakim leaders have turned their back on Lugus, worshipping a dark god in secret in exchange for more power, but those who spread these rumors never seem to live very long....

There's always the comedy gold inherent in the idea. I imagine vampires attempting to attend church only to recoil at the holy symbols inside, praying to a god that smites them for their blasphemy.

On a more serious note, the Calabim decide that their enmity with Lugus has gone on long enough, and begin constructing Empyrean temples in hopes of acheiving reconciliation. The god accepts them back probationally: He will not remove their curse (so Sun spells still harm them), but he will allow them to use his powers. Redemption may be a long time in coming, but perhaps the vampires will pull through...

Blah blah redemption blah. Next!

Of all the creatures on Erebus, Eurabatres the Gold Dragon may be the only one who has discovered the truth of the Overlords. Danalin lies comatose, tormented in nightmares, but he is still a god. His abandomnent of creation has, by the terms of the Compact, left him with a great amount of power, and Hemah's existence proves that this power can still be exploited. The lands of the Kuriotates are filled with countless different peoples. Perhaps this diversity could be harnessed: If the Overlords themselves were created from the imagination of a single boy, imagine what the imagination of a dragon, backed up by all the diversity of the Kuriotates, could do...

The end was at hand. Corruption was spreading almost imperceptibly throughout Erebus. Try as they might, the Elohim could not possibly stave off the inevitable. Perhaps nobody noticed right now, but in a few generations... It was no use. They would fail. All they could do would be to keep Erebus struggling in its death throes as long as possible. Einion Logos tried to keep such thoughts out of his mind, to distract himself from his doom, but every night they would return to torment him in his sleep. Until that one night, when his nightmares took an entirely different turn. His bodyguards were disturbed by the sounds of manic laughter from his bedchamber. He had recieved a vision, and he now understood what had to be done. Oh, yes, there would be a few changes in how the Elohim did things from now on...

The Bannor experienced firsthand the horrors of Hell. For the first few generations, those horrors were fresh in their minds, as people could still be found who recalled the escape of the Bannor, and would tell these stories to inspire obedience and discipline. After most of those who'd been in Hell died out, however, a secret cult began forming among the Bannor. They read the stories of the trials of Hell, of demons stealing away children in the night, of enormous monsters that routed entire armies singlehandedly, but they took a different kind of inspiration from them. When they read these stories, they found tales of power, and they were envious...

"Are you implying that I joined the Elohim simply to learn their secrets? That I used my charisma to corrupt others to my side? That I gained influence to purge the 'true' Elohim and replace them with like-minded individuals? Ha! Ethne, you insult me! The facts are clear: The One has abandoned creation. We know better than anyone what has become of our beloved Erebus in His abscence. He could return and purge the world of all Evil, and yet He continues to delay His Final Judgement! No more, I say! We will force His hand! We will set the world ablaze, dragging it deeper into corruption, until the One has no choice but to intervene! Then, and only then, we will have truly vanquished Evil!"

 

Someone told that most crazy combination is Malakim/CoE. But I don't feel it is inacceptable. Being completely open and completely hidden means the same level of menthal discipline.

Also I like Doviello/Empyrean. Honor is natural value for strong people as well as sun for cold lands. And I imagine how local chieftains prefer to die rather then to submit to single leader. So wisdom and councils are really neaded to join the nation.

What I really dislike is Khazad/FoL.

 

I have a different take on Ashen Veil/Bannor.

The Bannor elders are unhappy. They see the new generation is less accepting of the hard discipline of the Bannor. They think long and hard and realize the thing that kept the Bannor truly strong was the memory of Hellfire. Now they seek to return the Bannor to Hell, to return them to strength.

 

That's kinda cool.

 

In fact, you can pay the greedy dwarf to do that.

 

would be even worse for the Ljos with RoK... the people most dedicated to preserving the lands, only to exploit it with full resolve.

 

Not really, they could be doing it in an eco-friendly manner after all. All their mines are hidden in the forests, and don't disrupt nature

 

Calabim/Order is one of my favourite to role-play. Betrayal was never so delicious.

 

I always thought Sheaim/FoL was a bit odd.......... since when is it natural to bring hordes of Angels and Demons around to fight over ideology?

 

"Have you ever watched a fire rage through a forest? At first, it seems like nothing but destruction, but does it not weed out the weak? Is it not as important as the rain? You ask us why we, worshipers of nature, would call forth Armageddon? Why we would bring such destruction to the world we have sworn to care for? It is simple. This world has grown thick with the weak and useless, and must be cleansed of them."

 

I still don't like it. A forest fire is a natural process, brought about by factors internal to the "cycle". Bringing in a whole swarm of Demons and Angels to fight over ideology is a bit different........

 

That works when you're just killing lots of people and/or sending the world into chaos, but the analogy starts to break down if you're trying to simply end it all. It would be like intentionally starting a forest fire on your own, then chopping down any trees that survive, then burning everything again, and lastly grinding salt and plutonium into the earth to ensure that nothing would ever grow there again.

On the plus side, the Fellowship is an early religion, so the Sheaim could conceivably convert to it while still planning to switch over to the Veil once it's available. In that case, the justsification would simply be, "Yes, let the people worship their trees and live in the woods for now, but do not let them forget that this is merely a temporary diversion. Once the time is right, I will show you how to truly worship..."

 

Also, the diplomacy benefits with other FoL civs can keep the Sheaim alive until they are strong enough to reveal their true nature...

/Is now imagining a meeting between various FoL civs with everyone cheering and clapping and singing praises to various parts of nature while the Sheaim delegate nervously mutters "err...yeah...yay trees..."

 

"We stand on the verge of a New World. No longer is there need for animosity between humans and vampires. For we have found the thing that will bind us.

LAW! ORDER!

These two ideals will lead our people, human and vampire into a new dawn... or dusk. There shall be no crime, there shall be no dissent. For those found guilty of these crimes will be found wanting of their precious life's blood. And it's every citizen's duty... NAY! Privilege to bring to fore those who would disrupt the divine Order as has been put forth by the Great Junil.

THE RIVERS SHALL FLOW WITH THE BLOOD OF THE UNBELIEVERS! FOR LAW! FOR ORDER!"

 

Order fits Flauros personality and traits, and since vampires are neither undead or demonic there isn't really any conflicts in that area.

 

Especially since the Order has the "ideal" or at least considers it ok to sacrifice the many peasants to further the rightesouness of the few. The Vampires could work that angle.


Not really a religion-civ combo, but in a game as the Amurites, I have a lich running around, doing nothing but casting vitalize....... Odd, dontcha think?