Hesod:
Hesod is the last of an elder court that
has long left the world. turning their back on the material and leaving
Hesod as watcher and herald. Most conceptions of Hesod depict him as
blind and with broken or cut wings and a great many wounds. Often name
dancer of swords he weilds great swords of silver and gold, both cast in
flame. Hesod is armored in archaic armors that have been unknown for
centuries often covered in a cloak stitched together from sacrificial animals.
Hesod is less that father that many
religions have seen and rather an older brother. Protective but also hard
when instructing and demanding. While the de facto ruler of the spiritual
realm he is often unconcerned with lower entities. Should something rise
up beyond its place he will put it down otherwise he is content to let most
along. This includes entities he once considered enemies. He pushes
the architect to his citadel and maintains a watch but will not cross into
it's lands. The serpent Ophidian is let along to sleep and dream.
Much of the time Hesod is watching for sign
of the hosts return. He is often unable to reach the material due to the
intervention of the Architect. This has been mistaken as uncaring by
some followers.
There are two faiths that follow
Hesod. The main set of followers are from all all races and is completely
open. They see Hesod and a provider but count his waiting into his
plans. They also wait for a deliverance when things will be set
right. The clergy focus on justice/vengence and maintaining the flock as
the focus of their works. The second tradition was established by the
Vreehalija based on works established by the beltinovites and includes a thrust
toward knowledge. They hold that an earlier manifestation of the
architect provided those of Hesods court with knowledge and maintain some
reverence for that early form. The focus of their works are Knowledge and
Justice
One of the ritual days generally celebrated
throughout e'his is the harvest rite. Generally a day of thanks for
plenty it serves more as a day of feast than religious celebration. Even
those uncaring of the faith usually celebrate it as a simple harvest
fest. Beer and food is meant to be consumed to prepare for the coming
winter. Offerings are left often on behalf of departed relatives and the
community is strengthened. The harvest rite is paired with the long night
an feast prepared and left a week later, but unattended in most regions.
The feast is left out some way from the community and left for the dead.
The preparation is done by whatever clergy are present in the area. In
the Aron Veja communities of the north west the long night is a darker
affair. The children and old are usually looked up in a lodge
house. The rest of the towns folk attend with the dead and are disguised
to blend in. This is held in the open air on the same tables as the
harvest rite.
A day observed by few by the aron veja is
the Watch of the Court which is said to be the time ages ago that the elder
court of Hesods king left the understood worlds. During this day the
faithful gaither to reaffirm themselves to hesods wait and deliverance.
This is usually a series of folk sermons outside the town that lasts
several days.
late in the winter at its bleakest some of
the young of the community are sent out to do good works as a sort of children's
crusade.
Ophidian the
serpent
The serpent is the the destroyer now sated
after leveling humanities progress he sleeps. Sometimes the eye flutters
and fixes on something fit for its rage but then it quickly falls back to the
dream. In the past destruction He worked with an mode of the architect,
in the guise of a spider spirit, to destroy the works of man. They were
opposed by Hesod and a minor earth spirit that the spider devoured while Hesod was
forced to retreat. Content Ophidian slept.
Ophidian is a destroyer and changer blind
with passion. In many ways he is the opposite of new mode of the
architect. But his freedom seldom is that of creation which is now too
much bound with the architect. Hesod will be seen to work behind
the works of Ophidian fixing some of what is destroyed in his wake.
Reworking hardships to reveal paths unseen. And when the architect has
let his works take to much Hesod and Ophidian have fought together. This
is the relationship often enemies, often subverting or changing ones goals other
times allies.
The serpent is the dreamer and the deeper
dream is his own. Those who reach it are dwelling in his realm and may
bring back his rage upon themselves. This is a danger of the dreams, to
interfere with those Ophidian cares for in his dreams.
It has been said some north most men of Ohma
follow the way of destruction, but these are unconfirmed rumors.
The Architect
The architect is something of an idiot
king, waking and seeing the world and assuming it was his own creation.
The Architect views the world as his sandbox and is an active if uncaring
entity. Creation and manipulation of creatures has been the focus after
the spider spirit slipped into this mode. Perhaps the this is an after
effect of the earth spirit a final act of defiance that has changed the
architect.
It was somewhere early in the guise of The
Architect that the decrees against metal and machine science were made
canon. This is the reason for the fall of metallurgy within E'his.
Hesod is the Architects main concern of
late as he has made promises of outside entities coming to take away his
power. The architect veiws himself as the prime creator and fines all of
hesods teaching a blasphemy against himself. He is currently building a
more established faith with followers known as the Ecz'Eir. Many of their
rites are direct mockery of Hesod, and serve to undermine Hesod's followers.
A temple that call themselves the Hesodic
dancers perform wild dances within Carinthis in an attempt to elevate
themselves and draw followers. Higher up with the mysteries of the cult
followers are slowly subverted to the architect. This is at first a
doctrine of co acceptance followed by a view of co creation. Rituals are
generally daily for the lowest tier of followers, attempting to gain
exposure. Higher ups have weekly meetings that mainly deal with the work
of the temple. Ritual work is far more abstract and follows an undefined
internal calendar of past important dates.
Most of the internal holy days of the
architect are unknown by the populace in general. The followers usually
carry about their business and meet secretly at night or at other points during
the day. The days are strangely symbolic often following odd
concepts such as the bear over coming the wolves on the rain slicked granite
slab. This is sort of a guided mental exercise that the followers work
through with instruction. At this level few know of the practices and the
only outward sign of the day bay be a tuft of fur pinned to the clothing or
hair worn wet when normally it would be dry.
The Green faith
The green people hold to a religion which
includes the ideas of castes and ideas of reincarnation and mummification.
The focus of the green people is to achieve the form of the highest caste and
maintain the form. The whole of creation is included in a chain of life
with the canisthratu at the bottom and the druidic leaders of the green race at
the highest tier. They belief the form they achieve in death will
affect their form in the next life they live. Due to this they will
commit suicide to maintain their form as part of a cultural ritual.
Thought that refuse to join in the suicide rituals are forced or hunted
down. Some of the longest standing high leaders have gone through
mummification to further cement their state. There are rumors of some
even entering into undeath within the pyramids of the forest.
