The Royal Armies religion and spirituality

From Breaking Worlds

The Royal Armies are above all else practical, particularly when it comes to religion. Ceremonies tend to be respectful but short and to the point on the basis that if the spirits don’t understand there are things that need doing then they don’t deserve the patronage. Elemental spirits get the majority of worship given their practical and immediate relevance to a fight, though ancestors of important Generals or those who have died in service are occasionally sought for guidance. Seekers of the Utmost are notably few in number given the majority of the Army see it as theoretical at best.

Marriages are entered into for personal affection and never take place within the same chain of command. It is common practice to split a couple to be under two different lieutenants and exercise some lenience about time allotted for leave.


Battlefield necessities

As with everywhere else fives appear regularly, but the lack of resources in the field means many ceremonies have a battlefield equivalent. Ostentation is abandoned in favour of words and items easily found wherever you are.

The traditional substitutes used in a battlefield service are:

  • Wood: A stick.
  • Fire: Body heat or a pyre.
  • Earth: Dirt or rocks.
  • Metal: A nail or any weapon, usually a dagger.
  • Water: Blood, tears, or spit.
  • Priest: A superior officer.
  • Body: Clothing or equipment belonging to the dead.

The ‘Battlefield Wedding’ is a slight exception to this, as the traditional five questions are truncated to one and it only requires a senior officer to perform it. While many people wish to be married before they die, it is only for nobles that this practice is truly essential due to the ways it affects their inheritance and societal games.


Funerals

Given how close the Armies are to death it’s not surprising that most of their religious ceremonies are funerals. While other ceremonies may seem almost rushed, a funeral is the one thing they will make time for. Many people have taken the Armies’ lead on the essential elements of a funeral to use as a guideline.

  • The person performing the ceremony is the closest person to them who is present. It is considered rude for someone the person hated to do it.
  • Naming: The person’s full name they chose is given so that the Guides will know them and the spirits will recognise and welcome them into the Spirit World. Nicknames may also be mentioned.
  • Offerings: One for each element to show what they return to and are burnt/buried with the body. Some people refer to these as gifts for the spirits.
  • Eulogy or Story: One or more stories are told about the life of the person.
  • Farewell: Those present say their goodbyes and the body is burnt or buried. It is common to sing a farewell to the dead.

Cremation is the favoured method of funeral, as it is relatively quick and means there is no need to stop and dig a hole. With the appearance of revenants people have started to hold off on doing the funeral for a day or so or using a substitute in the hopes they might rise again, but the weight of carrying an extra body is usually too impractical beyond that point. If the funeral is not performed properly then the spirit of the person is said to be unable to pass on as it has not been released from duty.

A tradition for Army funerals which has been adopted by travellers is the practice of leaving a weapon - usually a knife or dagger - as a marker for the fallen soldier at the side of the road. It is an unspoken rule that you never disturb a dagger at the side of the road out of respect for those fallen and a reminder to all travelling past about the price the Armies pay to protect the citizens. There are many superstitions about these daggers, from the ones where the spirits haunt and eventually kill the thief with the gravemarker dagger to the ones where a lost child gains a surge of strength when cornered by bandits with no other options.

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