Hearing this, Laanx went to these men personally; he didn't want to run the risk of loosing people that could be valuable. He found a few hundred of these people. They were desperate, almost without food, and resigned to ending the glorious history of their race in a moist alley. Laanx revealed himself of them and showed them all his power. The Xacha followed him without exception and he became their god.
Xacha's would be Laanx. As would Lemurs.
That's for the history... but then there is the issue of the windowless tower that somebody posted had gathered in-game (from NPCs) that was built by the Xacha and is apparently related to an obscure god of them and they and their god seem to have excellent relations with the Octarchy. Their power is such that their tower is quite higher than that of Laanx' temple, what the followers of Laanx hate.
So it seems that the Xacha have their own god or gods (besides Laanx) and that the windowless tower is directly related to that discrete faith.
It has been 750 years since Yliakum was settled, most of the old religions would have died out by now, I imagine.
You imagine... but you may be wrong. There's literature over there that says the opposite (check in DR library for instance).
In any case, it allows for quite a bit of creativity by players, who may choose to follow this or that belief, not just the main offcial ones... but also any dwarven, elfic or human pre-migration belief. It wouldn't be against the settings if someone worshipped Baal, Artemis or Shiva (human gods) or maybe an entity taken, say, from "The Lord of the Rings" (as we don't know much of where did humans, elfs and dwarves came from).
In the City of the Azure Sun, the people increased their population and their knowledge under Talad's silent guidance. Many of them - except the Diaboli - slowly gave up the faith in their previous gods to worship the god of the glyphs.
"Many of them", right. I already said that most should be Taladists. But many others would be other things: Laanx, ethnic beliefs, even a few Black Flame.
Black Flame should be near inexistant in Yliakum from what I see.
Yes as such... but the mysteries associated with Darkness exist (they are very real in DR: Black Crsytal, the "presence"...) and there's a lot to create in relation with it. Of course there should probably esotheric (secret, semi-secret) sects... but even Laanx religion is that way, as only priests seem able to read the Book of Names (and the settings are not explicit about that either).
The settings may be unclear but all I could find about the Dark Way of magic is that it draws it power from the Black Crystal (instead than The Crystal). While the relation between the BC and the BF are aboslutely obscure... one can't but think they are asociated as they seem to share the same Dark nature. It's an open matter but able to be roleplayed in a creative manner as one fits best. It gives occasion for many interesting theological discussions IC. The "real answer", the "truth" will always remain somewhat hidden, because that's how religions are, right?
...
I don't really see where the settings portrays Klyros as clear agnostics/atheists. The race is obviously traditionalistic. They stand by such values as honour or brotherhood. All the same with culture like that they would probably much rather die than be forced to do anything against their will. I think that's why they refused to follow Laanx. Atheism isn't a good explanation when the godly powers are proven with many Klyros being murdered and tortured.
Sure. They are (or used to be) probably "ethnic" in their beliefs.
As to Talad's worship being the main one, I'm not sure. The faith is filled with harmony, passive. It takes what comes and uses it to the best effect. Laanx priests on the other hand tend to be zealots. They should show much more will to fight for new followers and even take shady (the masked god) measures to achieve their goals.
Read above. As per the settings many (not all) of the different races became followers of Talad. Laanx created the Lemurs... but Yilakum is Talad's creation, so Yilakum people will likely tend to follow or at least respect Talad strongly (except Lemurs and Xacha maybe).
It's also a question how Diaboli can be atheists if they avoid temples at all costs and have holy items damage them greatly. It would appear they are of supernatural origin themselves. Would demonic be too convenient?
As per the settings they are suggested to be somwehat demonic in nature... not explicitly with those words but all the settings re. Diaboli make them look like demon-like humanoids. Using the term "demon" in a Christian sense though would be getting out of the settings though... but it's clear that the inspiration for such race comes primarily from that source.
They are atheist not in the sense of disbelief... but rather of disinterest/opposition towards the gods and what they represent. It seems to be against their nature: to proud and unholy.
...
Unlike our real world, there everyone knows the gods exist, but not everybody worships them. I have no idea why some people there argue their characters don't believe.
Well, after 750 years with the gods only manifesting indirectly, one may be skeptic regarding *these gods* or even the existence of any god (or relevant god). One can believe that magic (only visible manifestation) is just natural and has potentially a "scientific" explanation. Even in the European Middle Ages there were some atheists (those who could afford challenging the authority of the church as that Holy Roman Emperor known as "Stupor Mundi", who even led a crusade in the name of a god he didn't belief in). If the context is more loosely pre-modern than just specifically "medieval" (as I think it should be interpreted), we have many atheists/agnostics in Ancient Greece an a total pragmatic ecclecticism in Ancient and Medieval China, and many polytheisms in many different parts of the World.
I think that people should avoid taking the rather strict monotheistic cliché of Medieval Europe (that anyhow allowed for many heressies and polytheistic pervivences, in which often socio-political unrest manifested) and be more open minded. After all, Yilakum religious relaity is clearly polytheistic and ecclectic, not the mono-doctrinarian reality of Medieval Europe or Islam. Think more in Ancient Egypt, China, classical Greece, India...
And, of course, it's different from all them anyhow.
