Religion
In Eberron, most people identify not with a specific patron deity but with the church to which they belong. The faithful of the Sovereign Host, for example, usually revere the nine deities together in a single temple, though shrines devoted to the indiviual deities appear in major towns and cities across Khorvaire. The faithful may give particular reverence to one deity, usually the one whose sphere of influence coincides most closely with their profession or situation in life, but they collectively view themselves as loyal followers of the Sovereign Host. A paladin devotee of Dol Arrah and a rogue who prays to Kol Korran are members of the same religion. They may differ in many respects, certainly in alignment and ethics, but they do not see religion as one of the lines dividing them.
A paladin who serves Dol Arrah and a paladin who serves the Silver Flame, however, are members of different churches and different religions. They are united in their ideals and their devotion to law and good, and they might work together extensively in pursuit of common goals, but they are likely to hold endless discussions or even heated arguments concerning theological issues and fundamental beliefs about the nature of the world.
Race and Religion: The religions of Eberron are not, in general, racially based. Only the elves and the kalashtar have religions that are rarely practiced by members of other races. The other races share a number of religions that welcome clerics and adherents of all races and kinds.
The Silver Flame
The lawful good deity called the Silver Flame is an abstract, disembodied force closely associated with a once-human woman named Tira Miron. Herself now immortal, Tira (now known as the Voice of the Silver Flame) serves as the intermediary between the holy Silver Flame and the mortals who can never attain sufficient purity to communicate with the Silver Flame directly. The Church of the Silver Flame is dedicated to protecting the common people against supernatural forces of evil, and thus it attracts a great number of paladins to its cause. The Silver Flame grants access to the domains of Exorcism, Good, Law, and Protection. The deity's favored weapon is the longbow, and archery is an important tradition within the church.
The Sovereign Host
The Sovereign Host consists of the deities most commonly worshiped by the majority of Khorvaire's population. Most people revere the Host as a whole pantheon, offering praises to different deities in different situations. Even clerics are often devoted to the entire Host rather than to a specific patron. Taken as a whole, the pantheon is neutral good, and its favored weapon is the longsword, the weapon of its martial champion, Dol Dorn.
Arawai
God of Agriculture
A deity of fertility, plant life, and abundance, Arawai is neutral good. She claims many druids and rangers among her followers, as well as farmers, sailors, and any who are significantly concerned with weather or fertility. She is usually portrayed as a half-elf woman, sometimes as a halfling or a human, and occasionally as a bronze dragon. The sister of Balinor and the Devourer, and the mother of the Fury (as a result of her rape at the hands of her evil brother), according to the holy texts she oversees the domains of Good, Life, Plant, and Weather. Her favored weapon is the morningstar.
Aureon
God of Law and Knowledge
A deity of lore and magic, Aureon is lawful neutral. The patron of all arcane spellcasters as well as sages, librarians, and scribes, he often appears as a gnome or human wizard in ancient texts, and occasionally as a majestic blue dragon. He is the brother of Onatar, the husband of Boldrei, and strangely related to the Shadow. Associated with the domains of Knowledge, Law, and Magic, he favors the quarterstaff.
Balinor
God of Beasts and the Hunt
A neutral nature deity associated with hunting and animal life, Balinor claims hunters, druids, barbarians, and rangers among his followers, since he appears as both a protector of nature and an exemplar of gently taking what one needs for sustenance from nature's bounty. Usually portrayed as a burly human, sometimes as a crude but good natured half-orc, and occasionally as a stalking green dragon, he is brother to Arawai and the Devourer. Associated with the domains of Air, Animal, and Earth, he favors the battleaxe.
Boldrei
God of Community and Hearth
Boldrei, the lawful good deity of community, is invoked as a protector of villages and homes, to bless marriages, and to confirm government appointments. Usually depicted in ancient texts as a commoner of any race, or sometimes as a copper dragon brooding over a nest of eggs, she is Aureon's wife. The domains under her influence are Community, Good, Law, and Protection. Her favored weapon is the spear.
Dol Arrah
God of Honor and Sacrifice
Dol Arrah, the lawful good deity of honorable combat, self-sacrifice, and sunlight, manifests as a peacemaker, a careful planner, and a strategist. She serves as the patron of paladins, generals, and diplomats who fight their battles with words. In addition, in her role as a sun god, she brings light to pierce the darkest places of the world. She is commonly represented as a human or half-elf knight shining with holy radiance, and sometimes as a red dragon perched on a cloud. Said to be the sister of Dol Dorn and the Mockery, she is associated with the domains of Good, Law, Sun, and War. Her favored weapon is the halberd.
Dol Dorn
God of Strength at Arms
The chaotic good deity of war, Dol Dorn appears as a paragon of physical perfection who promotes bodily strength as well as martial training. Most often depicted as a heavily muscled human, sometimes as a dwarf or a half-orc, and ocassionally as a silver dragon, he is said to be the brother of Dol Arrah and the Mockery. Associated with the domains of Chaos, Good, Strength, and War, he favors the longsword.
Kol Korran
God of Trade and Wealth
Merchants, traders, and thieves revere Kol Korran, the neutral deity of trade and money - as might anyone who has money or wants more. He is depicted as a fat cheerful human or dwarf in fine clothes. A few ancient representations of him show a white dragon lying on a bed of ice-blue gemstones. Said to be the son of Olladra and Onatar and the twin brother of the Keeper, he oversees the domains of Charm, Commerce, and Travel. His favored weapon is the mace.
Olladra
God of Feast and Good Fortune
Gamblers, rogues, bards, and hedonists invoke the favor of Olladra, the neutral good deity of luck and plenty. She is often depicted as a young halfling, sometimes as an elderly human, and occasionally as a black dragon. The wife of Onatar and the mother of Kol Korran and the Keeper, she is associated with the domains of Feast, Good, Healing, and Luck. Her favored weapon is the sickle.
Onatar
God of Artifice and the Forge
Onatar, the neutral good deity of crafts, industry, and fire, is the patron of artisans and artificers, smiths and smelters, and all who make things. Dwarves in particular revere him, he commonly appears as a dwarf smith in holy texts, and sometimes as a brass dragon. Wizards and psions who specialize in fire also place their faith in him. The husband of Olladra and the father of Kol Korran and the Keeper, he watches over the domains of Artifice, Fire, and Good with his favored weapon, the warhammer.
The Dark Six
In some ways, the Dark Six can be considered a part of the pantheon of the Sovereign Host. It would be more accurate, however, to say that these deities have been cast out of the pantheon because of their evil ways. The Dark Six are the patrons of criminals, outcasts, and villains, as well as of various kinds of monsters. The holy texts show them scheming against the Sovereign Host at every turn for reasons that vary from deity to deity, and their dark minions likewise plot against the followers of the Sovereign Host.
The Devourer
The brother of Arawai and Balinor, the Devourer is neutral evil. Stories say that he raped his sister Arawai and thereby fathered the Fury. As lord of the deep waters and master of maelstrom and reef, he represents the destructive power of nature. The sahaugin worship him, while sailors fear him and seek to appease him. He is portrayed as a human or merfolk with seaweed in his hair and beard, as a sahaugin, as an enormous shark, or as a dragon turtle. The domains associated with him are Destruction, Evil, Water, and Weather. His favored weapon is the trident.
The Fury
The Fury is the neutral evil deity of passion driven to madness. Revered by those who passion consumes their lives, she is commonly portrayed as a helf-elf, sometimes as a drow, and occasionally as a snakelike wyrm of the Khyber. Associated with the domains of Evil, Madness, and Passion, she favors the rapier.
The Keeper
The neutral evil lord of death and decay, the Keeper is the twin brother of Kol Korran. As Kol Korran represents the acquisition of material wealth, the Keeper embodies greed, hungry for the souls of the dead. He lurks in the darkness, hoping to snatch wayward souls as they pass to Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. He is portrayed as a gaunt or grossly fat human, as a lich or a ghoul, or sometimes as a skeletal dragon. Associated with the domains of Death, Decay, and Evil, he favors the scythe.
The Mockery
The neutral evil deity of treachery over honor, the Mockery betrayed his siblings, Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn, and was subsequently flayed and banished from the Sovereign Host. A skilled warrior, he claims evil fighters, rogues, monks, and assassins among his followers. He is portrayed as a ghastly human warrior with the skin stripped from his body, cloaked in the skins of his enemies, and sometimes as a half-fiend red dragon. He is associated with the domains of Destruction, Evil, Trickery, and War, and the kama is his weapon of choice.
The Shadow
The Shadow, the literal shadow of Aureon, gained a life of its own as the price of his arcane mastery. Chaotic evil, it devotes its energy to dark magic and the corruption of nature. Many evil wizards and sorcerers rever the Shadow, and many of the monsters of Droaam invoke its name as well. It is usually depicted as a shadow, but sometimes (particularly in Droaam) as a shadow dragon. It is associated with the domains of Chaos, Evil, magic, and Shadow, and its favored weapon is the quarterstaff.
The Traveler
The most mysterious of the Dark Six,, the Traveler is chaotic neutral and seems to have no connection to the other deities of the pantheon. A consummate shapeshifter, the Traveler is said to walk the land in a thousand disguises. A master of cunning and deception, it emphasizes subtlety and careful planning. In some places the Traveler is known as the Giver of Gifts, but proverbs warn, "Beware the gifts of the Traveler." Revered by doppelgangers, lycanthropes, and a number of changelings and shifters, it is associated with the domains of Artifice, Chaos, Travel, and Trickery. Its favored weapon is the scimitar.
The Blood of Vol
The Blood of Vol cult attracts followers fascinated by death and the undead. The most dedicated of these revere an ancient lich who calls herself Vol, Queen of the Dead. The Blood flows into the distant past, through the earliest days of human civilization on Khorvaire, to the elf kingdom of Aerenal, and even to Xen'drik, the continent of secrets. Vol and her followers see undeath as a path to divinity, invoking negative energy in contrast to the positive energy that powers the Undying Court. The are captivated by the figurative and literal meaning of blood and by heredity seeking to manipulate bloodlines to accomplish some fiendish purpose. Vol herself is a powerful necromancer who has unlocked the secrets of undead creation. Clerics of the Blood of Vol are lawful evil. They have access to the domains of Death, Evil, Law, and Necromancer. The cult's favored weapon is the dagger.
The Cults of the Dragon Below
The Cults of the Dragon Below consist of a diverse group of fanatical sects that revere the power of the subterranean realms. Some of these cults seek to draw Khyber, the Dragon Below, up from the depths of the world, while others traffic with demons conjured from the deep regions. A few seek a promised paradise in some lost cavern far below the surface, purifying themselves with blood sacrifice to make themselves worthy to find it. Though little unites these mad cults beyond their reverence for the forbidden powers of Khyber, they are generally neutral evil, and all choose their domains from among the Dragon Below, Earth, Evil, and Madness. Their favored weapon is the heavy pick.
The Path of Light
The kalashtar of Adar folow no deity, but they do revere a universal force of positive energy they call il-Yannah, or "the Great Light." This force is lawful neutral. Most of the followers of the Path of Light are psions and psychic warriors, seeking to perfect their bodies and minds through meditation and communion with this light to prepare themselves for conflict with the forces of darkness - most particularly, the Dreaming Dark of the Inspired of Riedra. A few clerics find a source of divine magic in il-Yannah, and choose their domains from among Law, Meditation, and Protection. Their favored weapon is the unarmed strike.
The Undying Court
The elves of Aerenal revere their ancient dead as incarnate deities, seeking advice from deathless councilors and petitioning their favor. Unlike undead creatures, the deathless elves of the Undying Court are animated by positive energy and are powerful beings of neutral good alignment. The domains associated with the Undying Court are Deathless, Good, and Protection. The court's favored weapon is the scimitar.