Cool fictional religions

[Bastian Weaver]

Here's something that I've been thinking about for a while, that although most religions in fantasy and sci fi are more or less the same old thing, there are some interesting examples. One of my favorites are the Thirty in David Gemmell's Drenai books - an order of priests with psychic powers who live peacefully, meditating and growing flowers, and prepair themselves all their life to go to war and to die fighting for the good cause. Another one is Orson Scott Card's Speakers for the Dead from Ender books - not really a religion, although they're registered as one, the people who look for the truth about those who had died, and speak about what the dead ones wanted to be in life, and what had they become in the end.
And, of course, there were the Jedi before Disney came.
What other cool religions did the writers invent?

[Flying Turtle]

Here's something that I've been thinking about for a while, that although most religions in fantasy and sci fi are more or less the same old thing, there are some interesting examples. One of my favorites are the Thirty in David Gemmell's Drenai books - an order of priests with psychic powers who live peacefully, meditating and growing flowers, and prepair themselves all their life to go to war and to die fighting for the good cause. Another one is Orson Scott Card's Speakers for the Dead from Ender books - not really a religion, although they're registered as one, the people who look for the truth about those who had died, and speak about what the dead ones wanted to be in life, and what had they become in the end.
And, of course, there were the Jedi before Disney came.
What other cool religions did the writers invent?

I always liked the Twelve Gods from the Gentleman Bastards series. The idea was, like many pantheons, each god has a specific area of control. There's a god of death, a god of the sea, etc. Each god has their own organization of priests with their own rituals, charities, and societal roles.

What really makes it interesting is the "Nameless Thirteenth". The unnamed god of thieves. The main characters of the series are all initiates of the Thirteenth's order with the main character, Locke, being a fully ordained priest. And its not just an excuse or rationalization. They take their religious duties very seriously. Multiple times through out the series Locke gives someone last rites, and Locke takes nothing more seriously than the two commandments of their sect:

Thieves prosper, the rich remember.

They see themselves as having an honest to god holy responsibility to commit crimes so that thieves may prosper and so that the rich remember that no matter how much money they have they are still fallible mortals.

[DataNinja]

The Orlamu Theocracy from the Star*Drive RPG setting has a pretty unique concept. It basically worships the setting's FTL - or, rather the mysteries that said thing contains. When the first ever human entered the FTL space - which takes a flat 121 hours to traverse, no matter the distance - he was unprepared. Nobody thought it would take that long. So, in his hunger, and thirst... he felt something greater than himself, even though to the best of his knowledge he was alone. Whereas the rest of humanity would figure out the 'what' of FTL... he and his followers wanted to figure out the 'why' of FTL space. And so it's a religion entirely predicated on technology, on space travel, on science.

[Kitten Champion]

I'm really fond of the spiritual universe of Lois McMaster Bujold's world of Chalion. In itself it's only moderately interesting. There's the Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter -- each a deity with an archetype that connects them to various natural phenomenon and larger abstract concepts. Each has a season over which they preside, you'd look to one for a wedding prayer and another for going into battle. Simple stuff really, though they're not human - despite being conventionally anthropomorphized with their names alone - and they aren't treated like a Greco-Roman deities with recognizable human traits and flaws, more estranged conceptual entities. These are literal gods, they exists and a few make appearances of sorts in the text though they aren't consistent actors in the world in any sense.

The interesting part is the fifth god, The Bastard. The Bastard pretty much takes everything else into himself that didn't go into the harmonious universe balanced by the others. The unnatural, aberrant weather, disasters, and the demonic. All that doesn't fit neatly into natural order and some artfully designed universe. Still, the main religion of Chalion revere and worship him along with the other four. They have clerics and temples, etc. While the other faction of the religion which is prominent on the continent do not, viewing him strictly as an evil force which is opposed like the Devil.

Which seems like a minor thing really, but the implications of this theological divide have pretty large implications into how someone sees the world between one who worships The Four or The Five. Accepting the Bastard also accepts the fringes, people who don't live normal lifestyles or fit comfortably into society for whatever reason - you too have a god and place in the universe which is valued in their ideology. Whereas those who only believe in The Four are far more morally entrenched, they see those who accept or worship the Bastard as permissive of Evil in a broad metaphysical sense

[veti]

I'm really fond of the spiritual universe of Lois McMaster Bujold's world of Chalion. In itself it's only moderately interesting. There's the Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter -- each a deity with an archetype that connects them to various natural phenomenon and larger abstract concepts. Each has a season over which they preside, you'd look to one for a wedding prayer and another for going into battle.

The cool thing about Chalion is that it's not just a pantheon of rivalrous spirits who play with mortals to pass the time, or some such. There's a whole, thought-out theology behind them. I love the description of sainthood, and the way people react to encounters with the divine - the whole thing rings very true to me.

In particular the way the gods have no real power. The only thing they can actually do is to take in - or not - the souls of the dead. That and occasionally communicate with suitable humans. That's it, that's the full extent of their power (over humans or physical things, at least - it's implied they also have a good deal of power over demons, who are spirits that *can* affect the world, but with the exception of the Bastard they'd never "use" them).

[Eldan]

YISUN was questioned once by their disciples at their speaking house. The questions were the following:
'What is the ultimate reason for existence?'

To which YISUN replied, 'Self-deception.'

'How can a man live in perfect harmony?'

To which YISUN replied, 'Non-existence.'

'What is the ultimate result of all action?'

To which YISUN replied, 'Futility.'

'How best can we serve your will?'

To which YISUN replied, 'Kindly ignore my first three answers.'

Kill Six Billion Demons has a fascinating religion. It's mainly explained in small side stories posted next to the main webcomic. God was bored and committed suicide, which caused them to split in two, male and female, who immediately went to war, then had sex, then split into 777'777 gods, who then created angels, mortals and devils and then died as well. The mortals pretty soon declared war on heaven and killed most of the angels and enslaved the rest. Now the universe is falling apart and a handful of god-kings are picking over the ruins.

YISUN said: let there not be a genesis, for beginnings are false and I am a consummate liar.
The full of it is this – the circular suicide of God is is the perfection of matter.
YISUN lied once and said he had nine hundred and ninety nine thousand names. This is true, but it is also a barefaced lie. The true name of God is I.
Living is an exercise of violence. Exercise of violence is the fate of living
Violence is circular. Perception is not circular and lacks flawlessness – therefore, rejoice in imperfect things, for their rareness is not lacking!
Love of self is the true exercise of the God called I.
Only an idiot cannot place his absolute certainty in paradoxes. The divine suicide is a perfect paradox. A man cannot exist without paradox – that is the full of it

What makes the religion itself interesting is that it teaches a lot of things that go against most other established religions. Ignorance is the way to enlightenment. Violence and reckless ambition are the way to rule creation. God is a liar. In the end, it is all pointless because the universe is circular.

Hansa was of sound mind and proud soul and only once asked YISUN a conceited question, when he was very old and his bones were set about with the dust and bent with age. It was about his own death.
"Lord," said Hansa, allowing a doubt to blossom, "What is ending?"
It was said later he regretted this question but none could confirm the suspicion.
"Ending is a small light in a vast cavern growing dim," said YISUN, plainly, as was the manner.
"When the light goes out, what will happen to the cavern?"
"It and the universe will cease to exist, for how can we see anything without any light, no matter how small?" said YISUN. Hansa was somewhat dismayed, but sensed a lesson, as was the manner.
"Darkness is the natural state of caverns," said he, vexingly, "if I were a cavern, I would be glad to be rid of the pest of light and exist obstinately anyway!"
"Hansa is observant," said YISUN.

[Tom Tearcamel]

Kill 6 Billion Demons is amazing. And it’s religion is incredibly interesting, if pretty dark. Super interesting blend of Gnostic-Heresy, Hinduism, and nihilism. (+ Kung Fu Angels)

[GrayDeath]

Sadly I was beaten to bot my first and second answer (if in reverse Order, Yisun be praised^^), so I`ll go with my third: The Gods in "The Gods are Bastards". Especially the Religions of the Demon Queen and The Thief (to only use their Aspects, dont want to spoil anything^^).
Not only does it show some very interesting Twists on the (at the start almost too much so) stereotypical Pantheon and its relationship to "Demons", it also has a nice, if hinted at, twist right in the middle, and spirals from there (depending on taste thats good or bad).

[nadhim]

I’ve actually never seen a really well done fictional religion. Most of them are caricatures of any real religion. The main problem is that the fictional religious people are all the same. Real religions have some lukewarm adherents, some who are sincerely trying to make a better world, some who are part of the religion only because they grew up that way, some devout believers, and some even fanatical.

[Eldan]

You should read more fiction, then. I know plenty of fantasy fiction full of people who go to church on special days and maybe employ a court priest, but are not religious otherwise.

[DeadMech]

The Tribunal temple of the Dunmer from the elder scrolls was fascinating to me when I was exploring Morrowind. Where to start?

Once upon a time the Chimer were part of the Aldmer but saw their home civilization as decadent so choose to leave under the leadership of a prophet. Around this time three daedric princes assisted the new civilization teaching them how to survive and thrive in the less hospitable lands they settled and grew to revere them. This in contrast with most other societies who revered either the aedra who gave parts of themselves to create the world or the nearly godly heroes of their own races who were among the first generations of mortals who again were descended from or lesser versions of the aedra. The daedra are more like our our ancient gods, beings embodying vast arrays of concepts neither entirely good nor entirely evil. Anyway the old aldmeri tradition of worshiping old aldermi god-king heroes turns into ancestor worship.

Of course their new life isn't easy. The area they inhabit is occupied or bordered by a variety of peoples not interested in having them around. Most importantly the dwemer, a group of underground living magitechnologically advanced agnostic elves. The constant fighting with caused the chimer to further lose their cultural connections to the aldmeri as their new cities were abandoned in favor of a more nomadic lifestlye. But this all changed when the fire nation at... when the nords attacked. Nerevar at an opportune moment unites the chimer tribes and the dwemer eventually forming an alliance to drive back the invaders leading to 300 years of peace. During which time some of the chimer settle permanent settlements abandoning the nomadic lifestyles creating some strain with those who kept the old ways. This lasts until the dwemer stumble across the heart of the the god who tricked the aedra into creating the world and was killed for it. A piece of divine spark which they begin experimenting on in order to create their own mechanical god, presumably for world domination.

So led by Nerevar, his wife Almalexia, warrior poet Vivec, The magus Sotha Sil, and most trusted friend Voryn Dagoth the chimer make war with their once allies. The exact outcome is difficult to ascertain. Perhaps pushed to the breaking point the king of the dwemer and once friend of Nerevar, Dumac uses the tools created to draw an manipulate power from the heart in a desperate gambit. Perhaps it was the creator of the tools Kagrenac. Perhaps it was Nerevar himself who used them. In any event the dwemer throughout the world disappeared in an instant leaving the victorious Nerevar with a difficult choice. Voryn Dagoth pleaded to destroy the tools now in their possession. His other companions urge him to use them for the good of the chimer. He leaves to consult one of the three good daedra Azura leaving Voryn Dagoth to guard them. Though events from here become harder to explain as each side tells the tale differently. In the end the great leader Nerevar when he returned soon met. Was it mortal wounds sustained fighting Dumac? A traitorous Dagoth? His own wife Almalexia along with Vivec and Sotha Sil? It was almost certainly the three and for this Azura cursed the chimer turning them into the dunmer. Voryn Dagoth was now the immortal and twisted Dagoth Ur, having binded himself fully to the heart. And the remaining three were the immortal Tribunal, who bathed in the power of the heart on occasion with use of the tools but who rejected it's corruption.

The three new gods reshaped the settled dunmer people, replacing worship of the 3 daedra who had assisted their people in their early history and times of need with instead worship of themselves. And they were powerful enough that the daedra couldn't do much about it. The nomadic ashlander tribes suspected them of their betrayal but were powerless to do much about it. And for thousands of years they led and protected the dunmer from outside invaders. Until during a war with the empire led by their own godlike king something happened. Dagoth Ur arose and he who embraced the heart's intentions fully was able to engage the three gods and prevent them from renewing their own connection to the heart during one of their pilgrimages there to bath in it's energy. Without this ritual the three would grow weaker in time while Dagoth would only grow more powerful. Even if he or his followers were slain they would be revived by the heart. This forced the three to draw a treaty with the empire, joining it but retaining their culture and leadership of the new province so that they could turn their attention fully to Dagoth Ur.

But their attempts proved futile. Dagoth Ur unleased a blight from the volcano corrupting the land and life around it to which the tribunal gods could only raise a magic barrier to hold it back requiring much of their now dwindling power. They tasked their faithful to attack the volcanic forts of Dagoth Ur's corrupted ash vampire followers to try to regain control of the heart. The tribunal turned to a desperate choice. Taking the vast share of bones and cremated remains of their people out of the temples and tombs in which the dunmer used to seek advise or protection from their ancestors through necromantic magics. The gods used these to create the ghost fence to bolster the barrier holding back the blight to buy themselves time quite literally using the energy of souls of their dead followers. In their continued attempts to reforge contact with the heart they eventually lost two of the three tools to Dagoth Ur's forces, certainly sealing their eventual defeat

This is the state of the Tribunal by the time the game of Morrowind starts. A futile and secret battle. Vivec can do nothing but concentrate his entire being into maintaining the ghost fence unable to even leave his home. Sotha Sil hasn't been seen in some time having become a recluse in his laboratory and eventually murdered by the now insane Almalexia. The Empire knows that Dagoth Ur wont stop as just conquering the dunmer and are aware of a prophesy. That the soul of Nerevar will someday reincarnate into the world, unite the dunmer, and end this threat. So you the player someone who vaguely resembles someone that might fill this prophesy is sent there.

So we have to unwrap this who convoluted mess of truths, half truths, and lies. All the while navigating the alien culture and enviroment as an untrusted outlander. Slowly little by little gaining the favor of the people, learning about the various prophesies, questing to fulfill them. All the while the until you do actually prove yourself to be the reincarnation, keeping your head down in case the temple brands you a heretic and either kills or locks you up as a dissident. Oh and Dagoth Ur is increasingly reaching out to you in your dreams trying to convert you to his side.

All the variations on the stories gives it this realistic vibe, where different groups advance their own versions to their own ends. Anyone who upsets a particular group is likely to end up repressed or censored. There is no shortage of interesting events, plenty of which I haven't bothered mentioning. Books worth of teachings ranging from children's stories meant to teach simple morals, almost indescribable and indecipherable esoteric writings, approved historical accounts, censored heretical accounts, religious tenets and procedures, and the list goes on. It's all quite different from what you usually see in the medium but for as alien and weird as it might seem when you first arrive, by the end you can basically understand the entire culture.

[Eldan]

And that's before we get into the relationship of the settled Dunmer and their gods. Vivec, the warrior-poet, wrote 23 books, or Sermons, describing his life and his philosophy in a pretty self-aggrandizing manner. These are the official texts of the religion. Holy Pilgrimages are to stations in Vivec's life, like his birth-place as a poor farmer. And yet, the relationship of the Dunmer to Vivec is... cynical is perhaps a good description. Many of them, especially the more educated, seem fully aware that he is full of ****. But they are too proud not to project an image of a functioning and noble religion, and Vivec is too powerful to NOT worship. Once, one of the Daedra threw a meteor at his capital and Vivec stopped it in mid-air by talking to it. He left it hanging there, just to show what he could do if people disrespected him. In fact, he built the headquarters of his religious police up there. So the reaction of most Dunmer if you tell them that their god murdered their greatest historical hero in a naked power grab is "Yeah, he'd probably do that. Hail Vivec.", couched in some flowers language.

Presumption is a big part of the official Tribunal religion. They murdered their king. Then they stole the power of creation. And then to top that off, they declared "Remember those older gods you worshipped? They were earlier aspects of us, to prepare our coming. We are the improved version".