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One of the things that bugs me the most about the setting is that we really don't know much about how any of the religions in Eorzea work.
We know about the Twelve, but amusingly, we actually know more about what the Beast Tribes believe about their gods than we do about the religious practices of our own characters' faiths.
A great example of this is the Sanctum of the Twelve in East Shroud.  There are small altars to each of the Twelve throughout the location.  However, we don't see any offerings of any sort.  Do Eorzeans leave offerings to their gods?  There are none to be seen.  Even at the Altar of Nophica in front of the Stillglade Fane, we don't see  any sort of offerings (though the altar itself is, interestingly to me, a large bowl).
When you go to Ul'dah and visit the shrines to Nald'thal, there is a little more there - you actually have candles. Â What isn't clear, at least to me, is whether those candles are there because it's freaking dark inside the shrines (they are in caves, after all!), or whether they are there as offerings or prayers or the like.
We don't know much about the belief systems of each deity beyond the short blurb we're given about them. Â We never see anyone actually worshiping their gods. Â There are no religious texts for us to actually peruse in or out of game, and the only times we're interacting directly with NPCs that are clergy of a deity, they don't really explain what it is they believe or why they are doing what they are doing. Â We're left to extrapolate from vague comments by other NPCs and our own understanding of the situation.
And then there's the question of Hydaelyn herself...only a few people ever mention the crystal. Â Sometimes it seems like her existence might be well known, but other times, it seems like it is known only to a few who happen to have access to that ancient knowledge.
My degree is in Anthropology, so this drives me absolutely nuts. Â Because, the thing is, religion (some kind of spirituality or belief system) is really, really important to most (if not all) cultures. Â It is a hallmark of every culture we've ever found - everyone believes in something. Â That something might not make any logical sense to me, but the belief is still there. Â So what I really want to know is...
We know about the Twelve, but amusingly, we actually know more about what the Beast Tribes believe about their gods than we do about the religious practices of our own characters' faiths.
A great example of this is the Sanctum of the Twelve in East Shroud.  There are small altars to each of the Twelve throughout the location.  However, we don't see any offerings of any sort.  Do Eorzeans leave offerings to their gods?  There are none to be seen.  Even at the Altar of Nophica in front of the Stillglade Fane, we don't see  any sort of offerings (though the altar itself is, interestingly to me, a large bowl).
When you go to Ul'dah and visit the shrines to Nald'thal, there is a little more there - you actually have candles. Â What isn't clear, at least to me, is whether those candles are there because it's freaking dark inside the shrines (they are in caves, after all!), or whether they are there as offerings or prayers or the like.
We don't know much about the belief systems of each deity beyond the short blurb we're given about them. Â We never see anyone actually worshiping their gods. Â There are no religious texts for us to actually peruse in or out of game, and the only times we're interacting directly with NPCs that are clergy of a deity, they don't really explain what it is they believe or why they are doing what they are doing. Â We're left to extrapolate from vague comments by other NPCs and our own understanding of the situation.
And then there's the question of Hydaelyn herself...only a few people ever mention the crystal. Â Sometimes it seems like her existence might be well known, but other times, it seems like it is known only to a few who happen to have access to that ancient knowledge.
My degree is in Anthropology, so this drives me absolutely nuts. Â Because, the thing is, religion (some kind of spirituality or belief system) is really, really important to most (if not all) cultures. Â It is a hallmark of every culture we've ever found - everyone believes in something. Â That something might not make any logical sense to me, but the belief is still there. Â So what I really want to know is...
- How do the Twelve interact with each other?
- What exactly are the belief systems surrounding them?
- If I have a cold, which deity is the one I'm most likely to pray to?
- Is there a deity that represents mercy in all of its forms, and more fascinating to me, is it female? Â (Most pantheons have at least one deity that represents some type of mercy, and I've yet to find one that isn't female, because while female deities can be every bit as terrifying as male deities, in general male deities are not associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion.)
- If Nophica is the patron deity of Gridania, do the people there pray to her when their family members die, or do they pray to Nald'thal?
- Are the deities jealous? Â Which is to say, if you are Ishgardian and you pray to a deity other than Halone - let's say Lymlaen - would that constitute heresy? Â Would a Wood Wailer pray to Halone on the eve of battle, or would he pray to Nophica (who appears to be a pacifist, but is the patron of Gridania!)?
- What are priests of Nophica called? Â Does she even have clergy? Â Yes, there are people standing around her altar outside of the Stillglade Fane, but they appear to be Conjurers. Â Does this mean that Conjurers in service to the Fane are, by default, clergy of Nophica? Â Or is something else going on here?
- What are priests of every deity called? Â Or does each deity even have a priesthood?
- What offerings are acceptable to each deity? Â Do they even ask for/accept offerings?
- What rituals and rites does each deity require? Â Do they require rituals and rites at all?