Veldanism

The most common symbol used to represent the Veldanist religion. (Many variants exist, and the symbol has no official status).

Veldanism is a religion found primarily in Lendosa. It has its roots in tribal beliefs that existed in the country before it was settled by its modern inhabitants, although has been modified considerably since then.

Veldanism was once the dominant religion of Lendosa, and it was the state religion of both the First Lendian Republic and the High Kingdom of Piolsa. It gradually lost ground to Cruisanism, however, and during the time of the Lendosan Alliance (a merger of Lendia and Piolsa), religious strife caused Veldanism to lose its official status — the country has been officially secular since that time. Today, only around 11% of the religious population of Lendosa follows the Veldanist religion — this equates to around 7% of the total Lendosan population. Unlike the other two major religions in Lendosa (Cruisanism and Larism), Veldanism has been experiencing a slight growth in numbers.

The Veldanist religion is heavily grounded in nature, reflecting the importance of the natural environment to early tribes. It was codifed in the 7th and 6th Centuries BP, having previously been a loosely organised collection of sometimes-conflicting beliefs. Veldanism is nominally polytheistic, but there are not many Veldanists who actually believe in the existence of the deities — rather, the deities are seen simply as a method of describing and labelling the world. The gods are seen as merely the personifications of underlying principles and concepts. Most Veldanists use the gods as a way to "organise" their religious practice — although they recognise that the god does not actually exist, it is considered easier to devote one's attention to a solid, concrete identity than to an abstract idea. (Some Veldanists, however, reject the use of deities as a distraction, and believe that it is more "pure" to focus on the ideas directly.)

In total, there are over a hundred deities followed by Veldanists, although individual Veldanists are likely to follow only ten or fifteen — many are specific to certain areas. There are, however, seven deities who are considered most important. These are listed in the table below.

Symbol	Name	Literal domain	Abstract domain
	Caranto	Trees, forests.	Growth, strength, life.
	Dosro	Sun, day, warmth.	Sustenance, help, reliability.
	Lana	Sea, lakes, rivers, water.	Replenishment, cleansing, rejuvenation.
	Liuria	Rain, wind, storms, lightning.	Change, activity, freedom.
	Mia	Stars, night, cold.	Rest, peace, calm.
	Niana	Fields, grass, gardens, farming.	Prosperity, potential.
	Sardono	Mountains, hills, valleys.	Safety, stability, permanance.

The organisational structure of Veldanism is quite loose — there is no controlling authority or central figure. All shrines operate independently, although many of them are linked through voluntary associations. Many Veldanists do not visit shrines, and there is no religious obligation to do so — the religion can be practiced in private just as well as in communion.