In Avereaux, being recognised for your achievements and standing out in a crowd is a way of life and to draw the attention of the Gods is proof that you are doing something right. Regular praise and offerings to the gods is performed by most within the nation, be it a bard leaving an extra chair out with hope of the Muse observing their performance or a Chevalier asking for the guidance of the Guardian before a dangerous quest.
Most of these practices are small and personal but there are some occasions where large ceremonies are performed, such as the Reapers Renewal festival in Windchase at the end of the harvest, or the many sermons dedicated to the Hearth at the Freehold Games.
As with many of the nations of Elandra there are a few Gods which are more commonly praised within Avereaux.
The Traveller
The Traveller is seen by the people as an embodiment of the adventurous spirit that lives in the hearts of the heroes of Avereaux and is often offered praise before long journeys or to ask for strength to persevere when life is hard and tiring.
The Hearth
The Hearth is celebrated in all the Grand Taverns and offers prayers of gratitude for welcoming them with open arms after a hard day. A well-loved custom is when the day has been particularly gruelling, to pour out a measure from your glass into the taverns fireplace or the soil of the beer garden to offer a drink to the Hearth in thanks for their warming embrace.
The Jester
Revered by all, but especially by the entertainers, it is common for many to try and garner the favour and attention of the Jester, with those of artistic talent hoping for inspiration for their next great work. It is said that the Jester sometimes visits the crowds of entertainers to directly witness their art and offer advice or critique to better them for the future – a terrifying and exhilarating prospect for all – but most still offer praise to the Jester on the eve of the first night of a show. A very simple example of appealing to the Jester is to leave an empty seat at an exhibition or party.
The Celebrant
An ever welcome guest, the Celebrant is held in high esteem for their role in overseeing and preserving the many harvests and associated festivals in Avereaux. The Celebrant is offered praise by all that prosper from the bounty of the land, from the “Barley Barons” of Windchase Hold to the hands tending the fields. It is common that symbols of the Celebrant are built near granaries and places that people gather to revel together such as plazas and barns where people gather to dance of an evening after a hard day’s work.
With the Celebrant’s ties to the harvest, it is also tied to the death ceremonies of Avereaux. At the renewal festival at the end of harvest season, the Averlaise write the names of those that have passed during the year and attach them to chaff pyres which are burned. All the while songs are sung of those whose stories have ended, while the ashes reinvigorate the soil for the next season. This has led to many places of remembrance holding symbols of both the Reaper and the Celebrant to show the cycle of death and new growth.