Scarterran Holy Symbols in general
Every culture and land in Scarterra has the same nine deities, commonly referred to as "the Nine". But not everyone agrees on how to worship the Nine or even if the Nine are worthy of worship. This of course leads to a huge diversity of holy symbols to represent the Nine.
Of course, theurgists will craft or select holy symbols based on the temple designs and holy symbols they grew up surrounded by, so this cultural diffusion of holy both ways. That said, more often that not, theurgists are the true trend centers with the rest of Scarterra following them and not the other way around. As for symbols of the Nine itself as a collective entity, the most commonly seen icon is the symbol of the Cult of the Compact. Nine spokes sticking from a circle or eye representing nine arrows. This abstractly represents the Divine Rebellion uniting to attack Turoch. This symbol dates all the way back to the Second Age at least. A great many relics of that age have that symbol on them and it was picked up again by Third Age mortals of all stripes. But there are also variants of this symbol where each spoke of is tipped with one of the individual symbols of the Nine rather than by fletched arrows. Anything presented in a set of nine can be a symbol of the Nine, nine hands, nine swords, nine flowers, nine trees, nine stars. Sometimes symbols of the Nine are trios. Especially three interlocking rings because nine is a trinity of trinities. As for solitary symbols, most of these symbols are localized to one area or one tribe based on what is important to then. For instance, the Zegdelian gnomes rely on reindeer for their survival above all other natural resources. To them, reindeer are a symbol of the Nine, but to everyone else, reindeer are just reindeer. Silverwood trees are sometimes used to represent the Nine collectively. If there is a solitary symbol of the Nine that is universally recognized, that would be it since most Scarterrans believes that all nine of the Nine had a hand in their creation.-Priest Benek of the Cult of the CompactA theurgist usually requires a holy symbol to cast their spells, but there isn't usually a standard holy symbol. As long as the symbol means something to the individual carrying it, the symbol can be used to channel the holy power of the Nine. rven if other people don't like or even recognizze the symbol. That said, most holy symbols wielded by theurgists follow recognizable traditions and patterns. If a powerful or well-known theurgist has a distinctive holy symbol that they use, non-spell casting mortals may copy that symbol design for their own worship and the symbol style may be incorporated into newly constructed or newly renovated temples.
Maylar Symbols
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Maylar's divine trophy is a spear forged out Turoch's heart. Maylar values spears in general because they are an equalizer. They are an effective weapon that is quite easy to make no matter how destitute or primitive a person is. No matter how much a cowardly lord may try to limit the ability of his subjects to defend themselves, they cannot easily prevent a man from making a sharp stick without breaking their hands.A common symbol for the Herders of Men is a spear crossed with a shepherd's crook. The Decadents don't often broadcast their affiliation but they have been known to show a spear crossed with a scepter. There is no rule that Maylar symbols must incorporate spears in some way. Blood, powerful predators. fangs, claws, skulls, heavy winds, animal skins, antlers, and thorns have all been commonly used in Maylar holy symbols. Maylar's followers believe in testing their strength so much so that we are named the Testers by other Scarterrans. As a young lad, my first serious test of strength was surviving a winter in the Border Baronies hinterlands by myself. Afterwards, I carved a small piece of wood to depict a snow covered mountain and for me that is a holy symbol of Maylar, but most it's just another Borderlander wood carving, and a relatively simple one at that. Red and black are commonly seen on Maylar symbols. I myself prefer to dress to blend in with my surroundings so I favor Maylar symbols that aren't as loud. Other Testers dress to stand out and pick holy symbols that are likewise loud and brazen."It is very common to see Maylar symbols made from crossed spears. A lot of Maylar priests and theurgist will mix a spear with something else. If a holy warrior of Maylar favors a battle axe, he may wear a holy symbol showing a spear crossed with a battle axe. Likewise, given how popular long swords are among spell-casting warriors, you see a lot of icons where spears are crossed with long swords.Tester Icon by me
Mera Symbols
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by me with Midjourney
by Me with Midjourney
It is not very common to see a symbol of Mera that doesn't involve water or fire to some degree, but it is hardly forbidden. Mera is also associated with hearts, clasped hands, flowers, fish, aloe leaves, and the color blue among other things. Mera's symbol of power is a comb forged out of Turoch's liver. So it's not uncommon to see stylized combs used Mera holy symbols"-Beslyfle the gnome, matron of Fumaya's Tenders"It is less common to see radically unique and personalized symbols of Mera than it is to see radically unique symbols of the rest of the Nine. Mera is the goddess of water and the goddess of the hearth. A majority of Mera symbols are some variation of an image flame encased by a drop of water. A lot of our temples have ovens or braziers shaped like water droplets.
Korus Holy Symbols
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by me with Midjourney
Crude draft of Stewards Icon by me
Different regions of Scarterra have different trees ubiquitous to them, so there is there is no standard holy tree. Sometimes holy symbols are fashioned after whatever tree is most available but certain trees have certain connotations. Oaks are associated with strength, chestnut trees with benevolence, conifers with endurance, willows with adaptability. and apple trees with agriculture. For some reason, maples are associated with so called "leafers"...I have no idea how that symbolism came to be. I am not a leafer, I am simply celibate. I have friends who are—never mind, this is tangent that is pertinent to your question about Korus holy symbols. Besides trees, other symbols of Korus include four elements, flails (both as weapons and tools), food crops, domesticated animals, wild animals, sea creatures and beautiful natural features. Many times these so called "secondary symbols" are incorporated with trees. Korus is the god of agriculture, so it is common for Korus symbols to incorporate whatever staple crop is most important in the local areas. In Fumaya, this usually means wheat. In Swynfaredia, this usually means maize. I never been very far south myself, but I hear many southern lands use rice imagery in their Korus symbols or make symbols out of rice." Korus is a god of dichotomies and bridges, split between different worlds. Nature and civilization, law and chaos, light and dark, among other things so many symbols of Korus are also likewise dichotomous.""Korus is the god of a great many different things, so Korus' symbols take the form of a great many different images. but he is best known as the god of plants, especially trees. Because trees are large, imposing, long-lived and majestic, a disproportionately high number of symbols of Korus' power and wisdom is a stylistic tree.
Nami Symbols
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Ancient Greek Inspired Nami Symbol by me with Nightcafe
I was practically raised at a Rover-run vineyard, and I was seemingly born with a green thumb, so I have a depiction of grapes on my personal holy symbol with a few swirls to represent Nami's winds. I'm hardly the only Rover there with grapes on her icon. I have a late auntie-goat's Nami symbol in my pouch for good luck. Hers incorporates rain and rainbows because she valued her service at the Tapukeah Zeyvem Memorial Hospital, and I strive to honor her legacy when I am on my shift at the hospital. Now that I'm part of Fumaya Satyr Irregulars, I commissioned a bastard sword with a lightning symbol on the pommel."Aleesia the satyr, vintner and Fumayan Rovercomissioned portrait of Aleesia the Satyr by Zeta Gardner"Rovers and even lay people who want to honor Nami are encouraged to make their holy symbols a representation of their personal identity as much as it is a representation of Nami. That said, there are a lot of commonalities. Nami is the goddess of all weather so a lot of her holy symbols are often related. She is called the Lady of the Winds for good reason so wind iconography is the norm. Wind is invisible to eyes of course but is often represented in art as swirling lines. Lightning is said to represent might, rain is said to represent benevolence, snow commonly represents endurance, rainbows represent creativity and free thinking, and sunny clear skies represent serenity.
Greymoria Symbols
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Basic Greymoria Symbol 1 by Me using a combination of Nightcafe and MS Paint
Kahdisterian Greymoria Symbol by Me using Nightcafe
Not every worshiper of the Dark Mother wants to broadcast her piety to the world, so we have some very subtle and personal holy symbols. We Children are admittedly a fractious lot so we have a lot of unique holy symbols to represent a political or theological view. Greymoria's role of the goddess of magic alone is multifaceted since magic is multifaceted so almost any mystical symbol can incorporated into a holy symbol for the Dark Mother. This includes stars, chalices, wands, bells, candles, books, potion vials and more esoteric and abstract symbols most commoners would not understand. Purple is a common color for Greymoria symbols but far from universally applied, nor is it exclusive to the Dark Mother. Every one of the Nine has animals associated with them but we Children take them more seriously because we have the most and the best spirit summoners so you see a lot of symbols depicting ravens and polecats. Greymoria is known as the Mother of Undeath, and she is rightfully feared for this, but Greymoria is the protector of the honored dead as well, reprenting both the positive and negative of death in one mighty being. Death imagery such as bones, grave dirt, scythes, shovels shadows and the like is commonly incorporated into Greymoria symbols. Even imagery of sleep and dreams fall under the Dark Mother's purview. The most common symbol used by Greymoria's faithful is an upside heart, but there are many variations of this. The upside heart represents many things: the love that Greymoria was unrightfully denied, the harsh but necessary actions she takes for the good of Scarterra and the suffered she and her faithful have persevered through, and that is just scratching the surface."-Carcelli the Arcane Priestessby Eron12 with Hero Forge"I know every priestess likes to say "my group has the most this' or my group has the best that', but I can say with reasonable confidence that the Children have the most varied and diverse holy symbols of any faction in Scarterra. Greymoria is a complex deity with a diverse portfolio of divine influence so symbology to represent her is likewise diverse and varied.
Khemra Symbols
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by Me using Nightcafe
Dwarf Khemra Icon #1 by Me using Nightcafe to generate gold jewelry
by me with Midjourney
Khemra Shield by Me using Nightcafe
We Keepers have five divisions among ourselves with a color for each division: orange for the Dawn Order, yellow for the Day Order, White for the Zenith Order, red for the Dusk Order, and purple for the Eclipse Order. All of these colors can be incoporated into holy symbols. Yellow is a baseline for many of our vestments because yellow dye is easier to make and purchase in quantity, so a member of the Eclipse Order is likely to wear yellow robes with purple accents rather than a purple robe. Same thing for the other Orders. This and that the fact that the Day Order is the largest and most public of our Orders means that in the minds of many commoners, yellow is the default color of Khemra's priesthood and by extension, Khemra herself."-Apogee Jaromir of the Zenithby Me with Hero Forge"Khemra's holy symbols are among the most recognizable and obvious in all of Scarterra. Almost all Khemra symbols involve a stylistic version of the sun and a majority have a woman's face or a single eye prominently on the face of the sun. Books, scrolls, shields, and maces, kites, and leopards are all things symbolically linked to Khemra but even when these things are depicted in a stylistic and symbolic banner, the sun is usually included some fashion.
Zarthus Symbols
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by me with Midjourney
by me with Midjourney
Lanterns are so prevailent in our temple decor and outdoor worship processions that "Lanterns of Zarthus" has become the nickname for Zarthus' priests and priestesses. Different phases of the moon have different symbology. Admittedly it is confusing because different phases of the moon mean different things to different cultures and even different people. Sometimes a fool moon is the sign of an investigator because it is a bright light and in the darkness and sometimes a crescent moon is the sign of an investigator because it's a tiny sliver of light in the darkness. Half-moons can represent temperance, balance, sacrfice, or dichotomies just to name a few. Besides lanterns and the moon, other symbols of Zarthus include nocturnal animals such as foxes, cats, and owls. Zarthus symbol of power is a rapier, so rapiers are incorporated into many Zarthus icons or else Lanterns opt to carry rapiers with moon patterns on the hilt. Blue and white are the most common colors associated with Zarthus but this is a custom not a rule. Zarthus symbology has more diversity of colors than the rest of the Nine save that of Nami and maybe Korus.-Zajac of the Fumayan Lanternsby Eron12 with HeroforgeZarthus is the god of the moon both in a literal and metaphorical sense. The moon shines a light in the darkness and Zarthus charges us with shining a light in the darkness both to provide hope to the hopeless and to expose hidden evils to light. A lot Zarthus holy symbols involve the moon of course. Other symbolgs involve a light in the darkness that is not a moon. Candles, torches, and campfires have all been used in Zarthus iconography but lanterns of course have become the norm in the last few centuries.
Hallisan Symbols
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Guardian Icon by me
I even have a holy symbol with an axe crossed with a quill because I was an am a scholar of Hallisan. Me and other scholars don't often showcase these symbols outside of libraries and studies because the other Guardians sometimes look down on them. A lot of warriors favor a weapon other than a battle axe, so they will swap the standard battle axe with their favorite weapon. Then some symbols use TWO weapons. Meckelorner dwarves are big Hallisan worshipers and a lot of dwarf guardians paint a symbol of a battle axe crossed with a warhammer on their armor and shields. Some Hallisan-fearing farmers go the opposite route and carry symbols crossing a woodsman axe with a smith's hammer or a carpenters hammer. Besides crossed weapons and tools, other common symbols include shields, eagles, lions, the color red, crowns, stones, anvils."-Ragani the gnome GuardianRagani portrait by Eron12 using Hero Forge"The most commonly seen holy symbol of Hallisan is a blacksmith's hammer crossed with a battle axe. A battle axe of course, is Hallisan's divine trophy and Hallisan is the god of smithing and metalworking. The symbol is pretty straightforward. Hallisan is the god not just of smithing but of all hard work and skilled craftmanship. Whether priests or lay persons, a lot of people carry Hallisan symbols that swap the hammer for their own preferred tool.
Phidas Symbols
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by Me using Nightcafe
Since Phidas' warriors and clerics usually wear ceremonial masks when on duty, or in some cases for almost all waking hours, it is a bit redundant for us to carry a token of a mask as a sign of our devotion when we wear a sign of our devotion on our faces. Redundant holy symbols are not a bad thing, especially for theurgists, so we do carry a few mask-based holy symbols, but we are likely to use other symbols of Phidas' wisdom and power including scales, coins, quills, ledgers, daggers, crowns, scepters and a few less obvious things. Many of these alternate symbols still include small mask icons as part of them, such as a scepter topped with a tiny mask."-Danuta, Fumayan Maskby Eron12 with Hero Forge"It goes without saying that masks feature heavily in Phidas' symbology. Phidas' symbol of power, but more than that, Phidas' mask symbolizes his sacrifice and dedication as it represents the injuries he took on behalf of all of Scarterra. Unsuprisingly, Phidas holy symbols used and displayed by commoners represents an icon or jewelry with a stylized mask. That said, there is probably a bigger gulf between the holy symbols carried by Phidas worshiping commoners and nobles and the holy symbols carried by Phidas' chosen priests and priestesses.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
There are no standard materials for holy symbols in Scarterra.
For a theurgist casting one of the sixteen divine spheres, quick reference guide, it doesn't matter if a holy symbol if a holy symbol is made out of wood, stone, metal, knot work, clay, bone or almost anything.
A holy symbol doesn't even have to be three dimensional, a theurgist can cast a divine spell from a tattoo on their skin or a drawing on a piece of parchment.
Rare forms of specialized divine magic require specific holy symbols. bone shaping, unsurprisingly requires a holy symbol carved out of bone or horn. Divine scrying protection requires a holy symbol made out of lead.
Either as a sign of devotion or to flex their social status, many Scarterrans, theurgists or otherwise, will strive to make holy symbols out of valuable materials. Holy symbols made of precious metals such as silver, gold or even platinum are well-known. Silverwood is an extremely popular material for carved holy symbols.
Because silver and Silverwood are believed resonate with the Nine's collective power, they are very commonly seen. Those that can't afford these materials may still paint or dye their holy symbols silver or grey to approximate a silver coloration.
Non-theurgists still carry or wear holy symbols as symbols of their devotion and piety and they are just as likely to have holy symbols in their jewelry, clothes, pockets, weapons and tools, and the like. It is said that few mortals are more pious than those staring death in the face. Warriors especially are likely to decorate their weapons and armor in the symbols of the Nine. If they want to invoke the power of less respectable members of the Nine or if they believe in private peity, they can wear holy symbols under their clothes or keep holy symbols in their bed roll."-Daana, Defender Of The Hearth, Paladinby Eron12 with Hero Forge"Theurgists, especially theurgist soldiers and adventurers are likely to carry multiple holy symbols, not just as a sign of devotion but for the same reason a warrior carries a backup weapon, in case they are "disarmed". When holy warrior goes into battle may wear a holy symbol around neck, have one etched onto her armor, painted on her shield, on the pommel of her sword, on a signet ring, and another in her pouch or backpack. I never go into my battle myself with fewer than four symbols of Mera's grace and protection.
History
Mortals have used symbols to represent the Nine pretty much since the dawn of the the First Age. Some currently used symbols have truly ancient historical roots spanning multiple ages while other symbols are relatively new. Zarthus has only become associated with lanterns in the last several hundred years.
Significance
Theurgists, be they anointed or favored souls usually need to use holy symbols to channel divine magic.
Among the general population, holy symbols are used as aids in ritual and prayers or as outward signs of piety.
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