Knowledge (Memory Fading)
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This Memory Fading page is a stub. More information will be provided eventually. |
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Religion of Memory Fading
Religion is extremely important to many people of Memory Fading. There are very few entirely atheistic cultures on Alsa Eru, and of those, all but the Sirish have other spiritual beliefs (the Sirish tend to believe in only cold, hard logic). There are several distinct religions that are followed on the continent (and planet). In particular, there is Daenism, which is the monotheistic religion of many different peoples - most notably, the humans of Alsa Eru; there is the polytheistic religion of the Myari which has its own myths, legends, and beliefs, and has actually attracted quite a few other non-Myari followers in the recent years; and there is Kowuya, which is a pantheon of deities in a religion the Laons brought with them from their homeland. The Sydhi are an animistic people, believing in a powerful, spiritual force known as The Green, and the Trakloks follow a very ancient faith in ancestral worship, which they call Gardul Han, or the "Hallowed Path." Other races and cultures also have spiritual and religious beliefs, and will be detailed at a later time.
Religion is practiced very differently throughout the different races and cultures of Alsa Eru. Some races have an almost casual worship and belief systems, whereas others have a strict, orthodox religion. For instance, the Myari originally brought the Faith of the High Lords with them from the Far West, and their practice of the religion was very casual. If a Myari warrior was about to enter a dangerous battle, he would offer a quick prayer to Anias for his protection. In the same day, if the battle was won, he may offer a prayer of thanks to Kain for sparing his life. Humans (in particular, Gaardans and Arudorans), are much more religious in their spiritual beliefs. In cities and towns in Riddesgaard, it is not uncommon to have specific worship days inside specific temples and shrines to particular deities in the Faith.
Daenism
Daenism is a relatively new religion, in the grand scope of things. Around a thousand years ago, a man was born named Tidus Daen, who claimed three things which have stuck around to this day. He preached that he was the son of God, that there was only One God, and that by believing in this One God, one could die and live an eternal afterlife in Heaven. Followers grew in numbers, until the once-small, cult-ish religion became continent-spanning. The emperor of Tlek at the time, Tobius Hvesto, became worried when Tidus began preaching of freedom from tyranny, and waged war on the followers of Tidus. The Daenites, as they referred to themselves, fought back hard, but they were no match for the Tlek army. Tidus was captured, then carried out into sea, where he was strapped to an anchor and lowered into the water. Stories say that the emperor and his advisors taunted Tidus as he was lowered, asking him, “Where is your One God now?” They didn’t taunt long, however. Out of seemingly nowhere, a storm developed, and as the Tleks were raising the anchor to which Tidus was strapped, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the ship, instantly killing all aboard and setting the boat afire. Watchers from afar say that as the boat was sinking, the form of a man rose out of the water, straight into the sky. Daenites believe this to mean that a One God actually was watching over Tidus, and thus punished his persecutors, and rescued (or resurrected) the suffering son of God. To this day, Daenism is the most widespread religion on Alsa Aru.
Faith in the High Lords
When the Myari fled some “great, terrible darkness” in the far western lands, they brought with them a very old religion. In their religion, the world was created by a beautiful and powerful goddess named Aune, who created a paradise of a world. However, evil soon entered, and to save the people of Ord, Aune sacrificed herself. Her essence broke apart into thousands of pieces. Some of these became new beings, very powerful deities in their own rights, and the rest fell to Ord, settled in place, and became spirit nexuses. These Children of Aune were originally twelve, and they all shared Aune's memories and a portion of her power. They were not very much alike in personality and temperament, however, and soon began to bicker and fight with each other. The fighting eventually became a full war in the heavens, and it is said that for forty days, the skies wept blood and ash as the gods battled above. Several of the gods were killed, their bodies cast into the cosmos. Three of the gods, all of the darker nature, realized that if they were somehow able to become one, they would be powerful enough to overthrow the rest of the Children. The three became merged, but could not decide how best to split their power. A chaotic internal struggle took place within the god, and the goodly Children were able to capture and imprison the dark god due to its insanity. They named the god Bahal, a word often translated as The Darkening, and imprisoned it outside of Time and Space. The remaining six Children looked upon the world and saw the death and destruction that had happened during their War, and vowed to from then on protect Ord's children from the likes of Bahal. In recent years, many humans of Alsa Eru - in particular, many Arudorans and some Gaardans - have adopted this religion as their own. In human lands, this religion is called the “Faith of the High Lords.” The Myari make no names for their version of these beliefs, though they have been known to simply call the deities “The Children”.
Gardul Han
Gardul Han, the “Hallowed Path,” is the belief amongst Trakloks that their ancestors watch over and protect them. This faith has very ancient beginnings, and came with the Trakloks from their ancestral homeland. According to them, their ancestors not only watch over their day-to-day lives, but keep them prepared for the Tokeddu, or “Endtimes.”
The Hallowed Path
He who stands on
An unfamiliar threshold
Shall look first one way
Shall look down to his feet
As he walks paths of gold
Better gear than good sense
A walker cannot carry
Better than riches
Better than nourishment
As he boards yonder ferry
Released ‘cross the river
Waters filled with wrath
Search not for answers
Search not for desires
On this hallowed Path
As all things pass silently
So too shall our calls
Weep not for our fathers
Weep not for our brothers
Who walk lonely halls
- -an excerpt from the Herin Yareng
One cannot speak of the Walk and the Path without speaking first of the Herin Yareng, the sacred texts of the Gardul Han, or Hallowed Path. The Herin Yareng is a series of ancient texts that were carved on a set of one hundred ninety-three stone tablets, thousands of years ago. They hold on them the preachings and tenets of a traklok named Kordul Vi Dol, who was supposedly able to see far into both the future, and the past, and was able to capture the messages of Aune. Trakloks do not view the Herin Yareng as a set-in-stone dogma, but rather as a guide on how to live in harmony with the rest of the world. Some of the most oft-quoted passages speak of the need to believe in and have faith in the words of the trakloks' departed ancestors, and thus form the basis of Gardul Han.
The tablets have never left traklok hands - for several thousand years now, they have resided always in the Yewen Had, or “Hall of Memory,” under the care of traklok kings and lorists. In past time, many trakloks - and even a few sydhi and humans - would visit the Hall and read the tablets, even though it has always been said that only a traklok may fully understand and comprehend the meaning of the texts. However, those times ended with the War of the Nine Sins. The Hall is now in a heavily-guarded section of Erdstading, the capital of Duarmenstor, and only trakloks - in particular, those in the highest positions of authority - are allowed to view the Herin Yareng.
The Herin Yareng is divided into two sets of tablets. The much larger set, composed of a hundred sixty stones, gives a full account of the noble history of the trakloks, along with their parting of ways with the brishkur. It also details the codes, principles, and values of Gardul Han and the traklok lifestyle in general. The other set of thirty-three tablets contains a series of fortunes and destinies in store for trakloks and Ord. Up until five hundred years ago, these thirty-three tablets were not considered part of the canon of the Herin Yareng, and were considered more musings and parables of how best to live to avoid various metaphoric fates. With the coming and passing of the War of the Nine Sins, those who study the Herin Yareng were able to see far too many direct correlations for them to just be coincidence. Now these tablets are studied extensively; while most don't seem to talk of specific events to come, and speak more on probable fates, destinies, and fortunes, a few relate directly to the Tokeddu, or Endtimes, as well as the Dark Walk.
The Dark Walk
On the tallest mountain in Duarmenstor, known as Skrimgulun Kortre, or "Court of Skrimgul," is a dark cave. As though a gaping maw into a tenebrous abyss, and wrapped in the swirling mists of the high altitudes, the opening overlooks the entirety of the Bhaeron Sea. None alive have ventured this dark realm, and none other than the trakloks even know of its existence. It is called the Welken Brangwen, or "Walk of Darkness Pure," and is one of the most important aspects of Gardul Han.
For several thousand years now, the Dark Walk has been the final act of a ruling traklok. When a king of Duarmenstor has gotten too old to continue his reign, he will tell his people that it is time to battle the Masque, a mythological entity that chased the trakloks from their original homeland eons ago. He will then pass his Karduk Del, or clan dagger, on to his son, which signifies the passing of his rulership. In a small ceremony that involves only family and friends, the aging king will go to the top of Skrimgulun Kortre, and will walk the Dark Walk. If the king is invalid, or too weak to walk on his own, he will be aided by his First Brother or his First Son to a point within, and will be left to fend for himself.
While the Dark Walk has been observed for thousands of years, recently, newly-understood passages in the Herin Yareng have led to some interesting speculation and foresight. According to several of the tablets, a traklok king who is “adorned with black roses and rides through silver stars” will soon descend into the Dark Walk, and this will be one of the signs that the Tokeddu approaches.
Traklok males of a non royal heritage use the term, “Walking the Dark Path,” to signify that they are approaching death, but there is no true Walk for them. Instead, they will head a small family ceremony in which they will pass on their Karduk Del to their oldest son, and drink from a “Cup of Sleep.” This fast-acting and painless poison allows them to pass peacefully in their beds. Elderly traklok females also use the Cup of Sleep to pass on, but without the ceremony of the males. The remains of the dead are cremated, and their ashes are inserted into a new candle for the family's "Shrine of the Father."
To Honor Those Who Have Passed
For uncountable centuries, trakloks have revered their dead - both ancient and recent - as wise and noble spirits who have continue their existence long after their physical bodies passed on. It is believed that seven generations of traklok ancestors watch over living trakloks, and when another traklok dies and joins this Assembly of Fathers, the oldest of those will pass on into Burvohl's Arms. The basis of this ancestral worship stems from two very important passages in the Herin Yareng. The first says that "those who have gone before" have a continual and beneficial interest in the affairs of the living, and the second says that trakloks must placate the dead, who will ask for favors, but will grant great boons in return. Trakloks follow these tenets in numerous ways.
All trakloks have a Vada Yelig, or “Shrine of the Father,” at the main entryway into their homestead. The shrine typically consists of painted stones surrounding numerous small candles, which in turn circle the traklok family's Karduk Del. Each candle represents a departed ancestor, but obviously not every traklok who has Walked the Dark Path can be shown by a candle, or shrines would have thousands, if not tens of thousands of candles to be lit every morning. Every night, at High Moon, the candles are extinguished in silence by the clan father, and a silent prayer of protection is offered up to the ancestors' spirits so that the family may sleep safely through the night.
It is said that the forefathers of a traklok will keep vigil when the traklok cannot watch his own back. A common traklok colloquialism is "May your sire's sight be greater than your own," often said before major (or minor) battles, as well as hunting expeditions. Expressions such as these usually have a two-fold purpose. First, to say essentially, "luck be with you," but second, and more important when concerning the Gardul Han, to say, "If you don't have the strength, hopefully your ancestors will."
Before a particularly important battle or ritual that takes special preparation, often a traklok will use the family's Karduk Del make small cuts along his forearms. It is believed that if the traklok's ancestors favor him, they will come into his body for a short time, granting him extra strength. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see traklok males (and some females) with numerous light scars down their arms.
The Arms of Waiting Burvohl
Burvohl is the mythical first ancestor in many traklok stories and legends. It is said that when he passed on, his spirit was so strong that it would not leave the planet. Burvohl kept vigil over his family, friends, and fellow soldiers for years, then decades, and then centuries. Finally, when seven generations had passed since his death, he finally felt that the traklok race was strong enough to continue on without his guardianship. He passed on from this world, and awaits his children in the paradise realms. However, he stated that each of his children must also guard over seven generations before they can join him. Once a traklok has passed on, and has guarded over seven subsequent generations of trakloks, he may too pass on into Burvohl's waiting arms, who whispers simply, "Well done, my son."
Kowuya
Kowuya was brought over by the Laons from Laon-has when the people first came to Alsa Eru. It was the official national religion of Laon until its breaking a few years ago, and is still followed closely in all three of the sates of current Laon. It is a polytheistic religion with several hundred named gods and goddesses, and worship is highly structured. Most Laons are highly religious and go to several worship ceremonies a month. The faith is heavily integrated into the various laws and customs of the Laons.
Characteristics and Practices
Kowuya is a very structured religion, with many different moral teachings, all written in a text called the Shuru-Kowuya, or "Book of Kowuya." It looks highly upon success, honor, and dignity, and most rulers are selected based on how closely they follow the models in the Book of Kowuya. One of the most striking themes in Kowuya is a deep and profound reverence for discipline, in particular when it is used in the Art of Warfare, or Tinshi-Pal. There are also several sins that are considered much more offensive than others in Kowuya. They are the sins of kinslaying, incest, and blasphemy.
The number five is considered holy by the religion, with their symbol - a five pointed star - pointed to the five most important aspects of the religion: Cleanliness, Duty, Honor, Integrity, and Tradition.
(more to come)
Marusai-Ir
Everything has a spirit, and every spirit is connected.
Most sydhi follow a spiritual belief similar to animism, called Maru, which means "all creation." This belief takes into account several aspects of other religions, as well as knowledge that the sydhi have observed in their immortal lives.
When first goddess Aune died, and her body broke into infinite pieces, those pieces infused themselves with everything on Ord, including flora, fauna, rocks, rivers, and thinking creatures. Thus, everything on the planet has some sort of life - and even a bit of the Deity - within, even if it is a life that is not fully perceivable to other rational beings. All of the energy of of these spirits and primal deities is tied into a source called the Sai, which when translated to human tongue, comes close to "the Sum of Gods."
The Sai is an omnipresent source of life-giving force that constantly takes in and releases energy from the birth and death of spirits, beings, and deities. As a spirit dies, such as when a tree is felled, or when a warrior is slain, their life force is absorbed by the Sai, which then spreads this life force out amongst new lives being born, such as a seedling that is about to sprout, or a baby coming from the mother's womb.
Sydhi are not religious in any sense that is understandable to non-sydhi, though they do follow a tradition they call Marusai-Ir, which loosely translates to "respect for the energy of the Gods." They don't beg favors of their spirits, or plead with the Sai, or presume any sort of heaven or hell. They simply acknowledge and respect the source of all energy - spiritual and physical - on Ord. They know that when they die, their spirit and inner deity will be taken in by the Sai, and given new life in another form.
Obviously, through this tradition, the sydhi acknowledge the former existence of Aune, as well as the current existence of the High Lords. They know that these fantastic entities exist(ed). They simply believe that, just like the fish in the sea, the whisper in the wind, and the soul of the myari, those powerful beings are given power and existence by something far greater - a noumenal force that can only be called "the Sum of the Gods."
Kai
The Sai has an opposite force that is little spoken of, either due to its unknowable presence, or its frightening prospects. Called the Kai, this force is essentially the source of all negative energy in the universe. It is not correct to call it the source of death, for death is just a natural part of the Sai - the energies that ebb and flow throughout all things. It is more correct to call it the absence of life, or even the energy of "nothingness." The Kai is the source of the energies of undead, void, and shadow, and is far from understood, even by the immortal sydhi.
Marusai-Ar
If Marusai-Ir means "respect for the energy of the Gods," then Marusai-Ar means "to take the energy of the Gods." It is a powerful tradition that began with the world-shaping Aedryn, and has continued on throughout the evolution of the sydhi, urshael, and certain others. Though the sydhi practice a much subtler version of this tradition than the urshael, or the lost Aedryn, it is still a powerful force that when used properly, can create life from death, or vice versa. In the last several thousand years, most sydhi have given up this tradition, with one notable exception six hundred years ago. However, they still practice a lesser form of the tradition as a way of mental stimulation, and far to the north, the urshael still have masters of the tradition as well.
Cosmology
Ord is large, but the universe is a much larger place. Planes and planets tend to be synonymous with each other to scholars, and tend to be nothing more than myths to the common-folk. When night watchers look up to one of the four moons in the sky, they rarely know that these moons are the source of most magic on Ord. And the average person thinking on demons and monsters in the dark don't realize just how close the homes of those creatures are.
Ord and the Moons
Ord is the third planet in a system of seven that circle around a yellow sun.
Day Sky
There is one sun in the sky of Ord, called by the trakloks "Mother Sun." It has many other names amongst numerous other cultures. It lights the sky for approximately 16 hours a day during the summer, and 10-12 hours a day during the winter. Over the recent years, it has seen some sort of magical dimming, and though commoners are worried about the significance, they have no idea how important and ominous the dark spots on the sun are.
Night Sky
Orbiting Ord are four moons; each composed solely of a primary element. They were named several thousand years ago by ancient heroes of Ord. Hysa , the Fire Moon, is a reddish-orange orb. When it is in the sky, the night never gets darker than a typical dusk. Shalgeth , the Air Moon, is a greenish-silver gaseous moon. It emits a soft silvery glow that is very similar to Planet Earth's moon. Thorsh, the Water Moon, is bluish-white, and emits a blue glow over the planet when it is out. Finally, Sherk, the Earth moon, is a brownish-green ball of stone that emits very little light. Thorsh has a revolution of once around Ord every thirty days, while the rest have large, elliptical revolutions that give the moons much longer times to circle Ord. Hysa completes a circuit once every sixty days, and Sherk makes it all the way around Ord every eighty days. All three of these moons follow a similar plane, and rise in the southeastern sky, follow a path along the northern hemisphere, and settle in the northwestern horizon. Shalgeth rotates on a very different plane from the other three moons, rising in the northeast, and slowly crossing the sky along a northwesterly arc, settling in the southwest. It takes Shalgeth one hundred seventy (170) days to circle Ord.
