The scattered tribes and settlements of Altania have no unified theology.  Perhaps they did ages ago, in the days before the drow, when Altania was a kingdom.  But those days are long gone.  Outsiders divide Altanian religion into two distinct parts:  the worship of the Divine Couple (the goddess Hedonae and her brother Neman), and the worship of True Animals and True Places.  Altanians themselves don't worry about classifications.  Some worship the Divine Couple, some the Animals, some both.  Many Altanians revere the gods of other lands as well, such as the Pentad of Rostilla and Viridia.  There are also minor deities, like the Sleeping God, who receive some worship.

Unlike most of the faiths of the world, Altanian religions have no blessed afterlife.  They teach that after sleeping in the earth for some time, spirits are reborn to live again.

Hedonae (pronounced heh-DOH-nay) is the Dancing Lady of Pleasure.  She is usually portrayed as a laughing young woman, one foot raised in mid-dance.  Joy, laughter, merriment, and children are her gifts.  Her devotees dedicate themselves to spreading happiness;  they strive to make others' lives as pleasant as possible, for it is pleasure that makes life worthwhile.  This applies to physical pleasures too... giivng Hedonae's worship an unsavory reputation amongst civilized nations.  The phrase "temple of Hedonae" is used as a euphemism for "whore-house" -- and in some places, like Vardane, that accusation rings true.

Hedonae is always paired with her brother, Neman the Hunter.  Neman is portrayed as a young man -- always with a bow, often crouching.  He blesses the arrows of hunters, that they may find their marks, and ensures a plentiful catch.  He clouds the eyes of both animals and enemies, so that a hunter may pass through the jungle unseen.  Altanians who worship both the Divine Couple and the True Animals consider Neman the intermediary between the human world and the animal world.

Some Altanians venerate the True Animals instead of the Divine Couple.  This faith teaches that all species of animals have produced one perfect creature:  the True Bear, the True Frog, the True Horse, etc.  Humans alone have never perfected themselves.  (Some Altanians would disagree and say that Hedonae and Neman are the True Woman and True Man.)  Fortunately the animals, who are older and wiser, take pity on their human brothers.  If a human venerates a True Animal (and shows honor to its lesser siblings), the True Animal will grant him powers.  Each animal has several abilities special to it.  For instance Bear grants endurance and strength;  Squirrel can give speed and alertness.

When a person wishes to dedicate themselves to one of the True Animals, they pray and fast until they receive a vision.  In that dream, the Animal will tell them what they require.  Bear, protector of young, may demand an oath that the human never fail to protect a child or never eat the flesh of a young animal.  If the seeker agrees to this, the Animal grants him blessings and powers.  You can invoke as many True Animals as you please.  But each one demands different things, and the oaths required soon become onerous.

Just as there are True Animals, there are True Places.  Altanians believe that notable features of the land -- the Madreponas River, the Falls of Cattran, Mount Erimon on the Dus borders -- house spirits too.  These landmarks have perfected themselves, and become aware in the process.  Like the True Animals, True Places will grant powers to those who protect and obey them.

In these chaotic times, a number of minor deities are worshipped.  Most of these little demi-gods are venerated in no more than a village, perhaps two.  There is one demi-god that enjoys scattered worship throughout Altania:  the Sleeping God.  The Sleeping God is the lord of pleasant dreams.  Life, his followers say, is nothing but suffering and pain.  The Sleeping God sends us comforts in the night, ephemeral joys that make life tolerable.  Temples of the Sleeping God, which exist in Madreponas and Vardane, offer a variety of intoxicants and drugs for sale -- they consider these "waking dreams" to be the god's sacraments.

The worshippers of the Sleeping God also say that he is the lord of the dead.  When we die, our souls pass into his realm, where they rest and recover strength until they're willing to take up the burden of life again.  Most Altanian witches, however, do not accept this.  They insist it is the earth, not the Sleeping God, which holds the dreaming souls of the dead.