Afterlife in Orden

Folk in Orden believe that most, maybe all, living things have a soul, which is the source of personality, creativity, and memory. The loss of one's soul, either through bargaining with a devil, or being consumed by a demon or otherwise trapped by a warlock, results in slowly losing your personality, your distinctiveness—even memory.

However, there is no popular idea that everyone's soul is immortal and persists forever after death. Most people believe their soul dissipates after death and becomes one with creation. When asked where the soul goes after death, the elf sage responded by blowing out a candle and asking, "Where did the fire go?"

In some cultures, exceptions are made for those mortals who lived an especially virtuous life.

Much the same way the humans of Vanigar believe the bravest among them live on after death drinking and telling tales at the vigbordh—the wartable—most elves believe that should they live a life of sufficient meaning, should they do great deeds and embody Val's ethos, they earn the right to join Val in Arcadia after death. There they will live in a timeless faerie world, "the world that should have been."

Most dwarves believe that those members of each generation who best distinguish themselves earn the right to live forever in Ord's memory. This, they believe, is where their heroes go after death. Uniquely among the speaking peoples, the dwarves believe their god is watching them, watching the world. Ord cannot act, but he judges and remembers.

Some people in Orden, like the hakaan and the orcs believe their ancestors watch over them, although there is no agreement whether their ancestor's souls are watching over them, or just their memory. Or something in between. Sages differ. This belief among the orcs and hakaan is more of an attitude, an assumption, than a religion.