Hedatism

Hedatism is an ancient religion with a single god and numerous mythical creatures and spirits.

Their main teachings revolve around ancestry and inner balance, and these teachings are often passed on through meetings with religious leaders and moments of quiet meditation. It's teachings come from spiritual leaders who are looked up to by others.

Being an ancient religion, Hedatism has transformed into different variations, but most are merely short-term groups out for personal gain and it's usually met with either indifference or respect from those outside of this religion. Overtime the religion has reformed numerous times, distancing itself from it's ancient beliefs.

Hedatism is the dominant religion in the Kingdom of Hallengard and in The Ostari Isles.

The Great Father
The Great Father is an all powerful, omnipresent being and the creator of the world, and every living creature on it. While he's often described as generous and protective, in Hedatist legends, he was often enraged by his people; while The Hales, the mountains and the animals are all said to be gifts from him, the Halesmen also connected the storms and earthquakes to him being dissatisfied. As a propitiation, a human sacrifice was made, by throwing the victim off the mountain's cliff to the ocean below. While the concept of human sacrifice has been abandoned over the reforms, pushing one off the cliff still remains one of the most common Hallengardian executions.

The Great Father is most commonly depicted as a large, powerful man, with a long, white beard. He has the face of an old, wise man with white glowing eyes, while his body resembles that of a young warrior and he wears golden Hallengardian armor.

Mythical Creatures and Spirits
Giants are rumored to have ruled The Hales in the ancient times, terrorizing humans and forcing them up the mountains until Holmgeir The First (a legendary hero) united the humans and exiled them into the water, where they were turned into islands. The giants vowed to return and take vengance on the humans, which is how Hedatists explain the existance of sharks, whales and other large sea animals. It is also said that the giant cheiftan, Kaldarr and his eldest son, Vandorr travelled all the way south and eventually became The Ostari Isles. The islanders are theorized to be their descendants, due to their unusually large sizes.