The Sovereign Host is a group of nine deities collectively representing the entire world, but focusing on aspects of civilization—community, the protection of the weak, the slaying of wild beasts, fertility, construction, and the like. The Sovereign Host is the most widely worshipped body in Khorvaire. Nearly everyone offers prayers to the Host as a whole and to individual deities for specific actions. For example, a farmer might whisper a prayer of thanks to Arawai when his baby is born healthy, and a blacksmith might sing the songs of Onatar when working at her forge.

The Sovereign Host finds worshipers among all races and from all walks of life—peasants, kings, and adventurers. The faithful worship the pantheon as a whole, rather than devoting themselves to specific deities. Worshipers of the Sovereign Host are called Vassals.

As a group, the Host exhorts its followers to:

• Place your trust in the community. The group is stronger by far than the individual. The great light of a city is composed of the thousands of flames of its citizens. You must ensure that your flame is as bright as you can make it.
• Treat others as they deserve to be treated. If they haven’t harmed you or yours, treat them kindly.
• Bring the light of civilization to the darkness of the wilds.

Structure

The Sovereign Host has a looser structure than The Church of the Silver Flame. Many variations and subsects of the faith exist. Many temples are only loosely aligned—in a small village, a skilled smith might double as the priest because people believe he’s close to Onatar. A midwife might be seen as speaking for Arawai and Boldrei.

There are institutions that train and ordain priests in the ways of the Sovereign Host—and indeed, it is from these locations that most of the liturgical councils operate—but formally ordained priests are the minority of religious leaders among the Vassals. Many priests, particularly those in smaller communities, come into their posts naturally. A wise individual might wind up giving advice to neighbours more and more often until he or she becomes a de facto priest.

Tenets of Faith

The Doctrine of Universal Sovereignty: As is the world, so are the gods. As are the gods, so is the world.

The Doctrine of the Divine Host: The Sovereign Host is one name, and speaks with one voice. The gods are the letters of that name, and the sound of that voice.