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Religions of Jorune By sholari James G REATER R ELIGIONS The Auris Flame ( Jaspians mainly ) 3 Ejecca ( Erucians mainly ) 3 Mundell Worshippers ( Thodiceans mainly ) 5 Tolamuun ( Sychillians mainly but widespread over the civilised realms ) 5 Sho-Caudal ( Shantas mainly ) 7 Ishara ( Muadra of the civilised realms and other humans ) 7 Dowism ( Dow people mainly, but widespread over the civilised realms ) 9 Terrameer – Cult of the Earth Mother ( Ros Crendorian tribes mainly ) 10 Holy Pluran Church ( Coronians mainly, + other parts of the civilised realms ) 12 Iscin Reverance – Those That Guide ( Iscin Races mainly ) 13 Coralli ( Southern Heridothians and some Burdothians ) 15 Star-Gods of Sobayid ( Sobayans mainly, but also some Ardisians ) 16 Volo-Korrochka – Eternal Caretakers ( Ramian mainly ) 17 Tabbrah ( Trarch mainly ) 19 Heki ( Civilised salu mainly, but also some sailors of other races ) 20 Salume ( Tribal salu mainly ) 21 Chelnus ( Thivin mainly ) 21 M INOR R ELIGIONS Sajja ( Gloundans mainly ) 22 Worshippers of the Cross ( Delmerans mainly ) 23 Sura Scripture ( See’iss nomads mainly ) 23 Sa-Ying ( All but extinct. Few left in Khodre ) 24 The Calling ( Skamaan mainly ) 25 Immorans ( Sky people mainly ) 25 Subjects of the Sleeper ( Vucians mainly ) 26 Keepers of the Written Word ( Some Coastal Kingdoms ) 26 Lunghoth ( Lunghoth tribal nation mainly ) 27 Children of Nuris ( Nuris people mainly ) 28 Children of Lenkha ( Kan Lenkhas mainly ) 28 Doomsayers – Doom Priests ( Widespread ) 29 The Manon’s Young ( Acubon only ) 29 M INOR C ULTS AND S ECTS Tekkol ( Found in Sillipean ports and many large ports of the civilised realms ) 31 Etton ( Found in many cities of the civilised realms ) 31 Kerell ( Found in many cities of the civilised realms ) 32 Sanster ( Found among the educated in many cities of the civilised worlds ) 32 N’Marr ( Nama people only ) 33 Khurites ( Found only in Khodre ) 33 Mundell Cults ( Found in many cities of the civilised realms ) 34 Sajja Cults ( Found in many Burtdothian, Heridothian and Khodren cities ) 34 The Guardians ( The chosen among Lanna’s populace only ) 34 Dypra ( Caji and some humans ) 34 Sharane ( Travelling artists other travellers ) 35 Kharos ( Protectors of the weak. Salam’arine cult ) 35 World Weavers ( Warpsmiths and seekers of isho technology lore ) 35 Drawkiss Order ( Pro-human hate cult. Thantier and big cities ) 35 The Fire of Gends ( Militant caji society associated with Seytras ) 36 Kakulya Brotherhood ( Jaspian trimsmen mainly ) 36 Vojecis Cult ( Thanterian dakrani and some few covens elsewhere ) 36 O THER RELIGIONS AND OTHER RACES 36 2 G REATER RELIGIONS The Auris Flame Auris is the manifestation of the Creator, or rather, the Creative Force, identified by the northern light that can be seen on winter nights. It is the mysterious source of everything and the place where all will go when their time comes (symbolised by the burning of their dead – placing the dead in the ground is to separate a soul from Auris and binding it to the earth). It can be felt through the isho, and in its purest form; the flame. This raw force cannot be asked for favours, but the knowledge that a greater purpose exists brings a strange kind of calm to the Jaspians. Strong believers in fate and interpreting the signs of the future (and thus Auris Will), the Jaspians produce many seers and oracles. After religious disputed in their history, all kinds of temples have been banned throughout the realm of Jasp. Priests are not allowed and seers can not meddle with politics. Religion is to be conducted in the privacy of the home. Wandering seers and other “perceivers” of Auris’ Will or the future are still common in the towns and villages. Most Jaspians have an ornate lamp in a special shrine in their house, which burns with a holy flame, lit during an Auris display. The flame is the focus for meditation or pondering upon the signs that might predict the future, the reason for an occurrence or ones fate. It is an everlasting, creative and destructive flame, which ends life and clears way for new life. Its enigmatic ripples and movements hold the universal secrets for those that are patient enough to see it. Ejecca The cruel Erucian gods are known as the Jecca or Jecca People. Those that understand them or can lure wisdom from them are Ejecca. This is the Erucian name for their priests and has become the name all other people use for this religion. The main Erucian gods are: Jarca. God of Fire. Lord of fires, volcanoes, lava, lightning and heat. Mightiest, oldest and wisest of the Jecca and primary god of all priests. His wisdom brought the hearth fire to the humans and destruction to the enemies of the humans. Powerful, chaotic and dangerous. Cyracy. God of Waters. Lord of the sea, abysses, rivers, lakes and rain. Greatest enemy of Jarca and the most wrathful of the Jecca. Worshipped by mariners. Caris . God of Trees. Lord of the forests, animals and creator of ships (a weapon against Cyracy). Least powerful of the gods but very important to hunters. Vojecis. God of the Earth and Tombs of the Dead. Lord of the Underworld, earthquakes, the soil and the mountains. Worshipped by farmers, but also by the priests who consult him often to watch over the dead. (As an Erucian Tomb God, Vojecis has cults and secret temples in Lanna, Thantis and Toronia, as well as some small covens in Burdoth and Heridoth.) Giira. Godess of the Sun. Lady of warmth, growth, stars, deserts and Bringer of Visions and sight. The only female deity among the Erucians and the only one of the Jecca that will not respond to prayers, offering or rituals. Her powers are great 3 (drought, sunstroke) and she uses it upon the world to battle her former lover Cyracu. She enables humans to see and will sometimes grant visions of wisdom. Evorca. God of Winds. Lord of hurricanes and storms, isho, crystals and the seasons. Enemy of Cyracu and Caris. The wisdom of cutting crystals, navigating along underground crystal lava streams was lured from Evorca. Will most frequently interfere with humans through storms, isho storms and severe seasons. Erucians believe that their gods created them when these were fighting for supremacy over the world. The gods had first created elemental beings of fire, water, trees, earth, sun and wind and these beings were used as soldiers or slaves. As the elementals used their powers in the battles of the gods, great destruction fell upon the world in the form of droughts, floods, earthquakes, forest fires etc. The gods never grew tired of the eternal war and revelled in the destruction it brought. Nothing could fully grow or develop during this time. The elementals, however, grew weary and finally, one day, lay down their weapons. The gods became enraged and started to punish their elementals, destroying many of them. The elementals then fled from their masters and joined with each other to become stronger. Their bodies fused together and created a new creature that would have some of all the powers of the elementals, but none so prominent so that it could create vast destruction of the proportions they had used to. In this way they could outwit the gods, prosper and give the world a chance to grow and flourish. These were the first humans. Humans (Erucians actually, as other humans have lost most of their powers and become empty husks of men) have part of the gods powers and Ejecca priests will early in a person’s life try to discern which power is the strongest (fire, water, tree, earth, sun or wind). This power describes an individuals personality and his actions can be somewhat predicted. Erucians often carry their main elemental visible upon themselves in the form of jewellery or decorate their weapons, ships or clothes with it. Ejecca worshippers believe that humans have an important role in the world and are very capable of creating their own destiny. They have freed themselves from their gods, but still use these to lure favours or protection from them. The relationship with their gods is one of fear and dependence. Ejecca priests will lure wisdom or answers to questions from the gods through complex rituals or by travelling to their “palaces”. Every god has a Grand Palace and several smaller palaces all over the world. These will be places associated with their powers and some of them cannot be reached by humans. (Volcanoes are abodes of Jarca, maelstroms, large waterfalls or great rivers the abode of Cyracy etc.) In such a place the god is very powerful and can destroy humans. But it is here that the priests will have greatest success in luring wisdom from the cruel lords. Temples are often built in or close to these places and are constantly manned by priests. Priests may also manage to force a god to protect, curse or aid a human if he is cunning enough. This can be done anywhere, but will be most successful close to one of the god’s palaces. All kinds of communion with these cruel gods come at a great spiritual price for both the priest and the person asking the favour. Therefore the priests demand a stiff worldly price in the form of money for their services. Erucians in general spend a lot of time satisfying or “bribing” gods not interfere with their lives, temporary avert their attention (when passing a stormy sea, crossing a great river etc) or turn upon someone else (cursing others). They live their lives 4 knowing that the gods are at odds with them, but can be held at bay by their offerings or by the rituals of their priests. Mundell worshippers Most of the Thodicean tribes living in the western Thanterian lowlands as well as the Thodic Mountains are Mundell worshippers. The Thodicean word “Mundell” means “Mirror” and symbolises how one thing can be seen as two or in two different shades – one true and one false. The Mundell worshippers see the world in shades of good and evil. Every place, time of the day and year, every beast and plant can be found somewhere along the scale of light and dark - good and evil. There are no gods, only Good and Evil and its servants. Evil or dark things and creatures are to be avoided or destroyed. People can follow the paths of light or of darkness, although the general belief is that darkness/evil should be avoided at all costs. The shamanistic Mundell priests can see these complex shades of good and evil and can recognise an object or persons place in the order of light or darkness. Complex and pagan rituals must be conducted to please or scare away objects or creatures serving the darkness. Places and objects often have to be cleansed or counter-cursed to be safe for humans. Mundell priests are constantly casting spells, blessing and curses. Their strange altars or scary constructions of bone, feathers, scales and crystals are often seen in the countryside where Mundell worship is strong. Births, weddings, pacts and other important socials event must always be safeguarded against invasion or perversion by evil spirits. Predicting good or evil omens is an important function for all Mundell priests and quite often these omens mean different things in different parts of the Thodicean cultural sphere. As it is the traditional religion of the more tribal Thodicean Culture, Coronians and Erucians have often scoffed at the superstitious people from the mountains and their mad pagan priests. The original Mundell worship has also been adopted by neighbouring cultures who have altered it to suite their environments and needs. Today it is spread as a modern underground cult with distinct prejudices against non-humans such as ramian, cleash, scarmis and croid. Mundell worshippers outside of western Thantier are therefore known as troublemakers and the cult can be found in Thantier, Khodre and Burdoth. Tolamuun Belief in the Windows of the Sky or Lore of the Stars, spread throughout the Lusail province of Burdoth. It started as a minor cult in Sychill and Sydra, that later grew to become the main religion of the Lusail Sagedom. The stars are believed to be windows to other worlds. Just like warps are windows to other places on Jorune. By studying the stars, planets and the moons life and the future can predicted. The different worlds (167 are currently accepted by the High Priest Plenary of Sydra) often have more than one window linked to them. These are bound together in star- signs. The star-signs, planets and moons revolve around the world in complex ways and influence the world differently. Extreme details can be read from the night sky, as well as the behaviour of the sho-sen. Tolamuun priest are mainly astrologers and spend most of their time predicting the future, determining peoples destinies and creating detailed horoscopes. They are known to hoard secrets about the movement and influences of the moons, stars, planets and the sun. The dow seers may present a 5 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |