Post by Arethar of Dheynor on Oct 1, 2012 13:53:42 GMT -5
There are two major religions in and around Dheynor: Draknen and Sianeh.
Followed in: West Dheynor, South Dheynor and Enden.
Basis: The old books, namely, "The First Principle"; "Draknen - Way of Life"; "The Seven Scriptures of the Gods" ; etc.
Beliefs: The believers of Draknen believe in multiple deities. There are deities for elements, for natural phenomena, for wealth, safety, happiness, and everything else that people generally desire. Most people worship one or two deities (popular among these are the goddess of the night, the god of war, the goddess of winds and seas, the mother goddess, the god of wealth, the child god and the god of darkness) and visit special temples. Deities are also more common in certain parts of the land, such as the God of Wealth who is the patron god of Enden.
Worship rituals defer from place to place. For example, the Goddess of Death is often placated by sacrifices of animals, the goddess of winds and seas is often given salt and water as an offering, while the god of war is honored by the singing of old war songs. There are often elaborate rites that take place in many temples, where the priests will perform these rituals to absolve you of your guilt, remove the shadow of evil from you, and to keep you safe, healthy and rich. These are often done in return for a lot of money.
Some things, however, are common no matter where you belong to and which deity you worship. These include the "Holy Bath", a ritual done every morning wherein the person bathes while chanting the name of the deity he or she believes in, and certain principles of food. Most people following this religion will not touch any root vegetables, such as onions and carrots.
Following a certain deity requires certain sacrifices. One must register as a follower in the closest temple, and from then on pay a certain temple tax as determined by the priests. The temple must be visited at least once a month in any weather, and when the priests summon one must go there. However, in return one gets a community that will help one in difficult times, the right to own land in the locality, and a direct connection to their patron god or goddess. [Please note that despite the fact that land laws have changed since the Emperor invaded, one still requires a temple certificate to be recognized as a citizen of Dheynor in the smaller cities and villages.]
Special beliefs: People who belong to this religion find certain trees sacred. They also belief that their sins in this life will determine whether they enjoy a good afterlife or a an afterlife of rotting in hell. This is to be determined, it is said, by your patron god or goddess, and if one does not belong to a certain temple then your spirit is condemned to wander earth forever. People following this religion bury their dead. Only very rich people can afford to have tombs for their dead.
Followed in: North and East Dheynor.
Basis: The teaching of the seven holy saints, as recorded in "One voice of one god"
Beliefs: The people following Sianeh believe in just one god. Moreover, they do not believe in idol worship, unlike the people following Draknen. Therefore, the two religions are considered very different from one another and the followers of each religion believe that the followers of the other religion are condemned to damnation.
Sianeh started very long ago, when a group of seven saints (some believe that they were brothers, others record them to be friends) were said to be blessed with a divine revelation from God that enabled them to form the seven-step path, of whom each were a single step. The seven-step path in brief is as follows: one god, one tongue, one worship, one temple, one giving, one receiving and one life. To summarize, this means that a follower of this religion would have one god, speak one tongue, worship once a day, all of the followers would worship in a single temple, each follower must do one act of charity per year, and is permitted to receive one great gift in a year, and finally that they will have only one life.
The people following Sianeh believe neither in elaborate rituals nor in abstaining from consuming certain foods, except in certain months when they observe fast days. Sianeh religion gives one the right to enjoy life fully, as one gets only one life, and if one can take pleasure without hurting another then this pleasure is a way of worship. This sentiment is appreciated by people following the stricter Draknen way of worship.
Special beliefs: People following Sianeh consider some special stones to be lucky and holy. For example, the emerald is said to give you peace, the topaz stone is said to bring you safety, and the sapphire makes you a beloved of the God. Therefore, people following this religion are often heavily bedecked in costly gems. People following this religion bury their dead along with food, clothing and money. They believe that the person journeys from there to an afterlife of nothingness, and that the items are needed to complete the journey. The people following this religion believe that if you do wrong you will be punished in your life, but with death you will have peace.
Draknen
Followed in: West Dheynor, South Dheynor and Enden.
Basis: The old books, namely, "The First Principle"; "Draknen - Way of Life"; "The Seven Scriptures of the Gods" ; etc.
Beliefs: The believers of Draknen believe in multiple deities. There are deities for elements, for natural phenomena, for wealth, safety, happiness, and everything else that people generally desire. Most people worship one or two deities (popular among these are the goddess of the night, the god of war, the goddess of winds and seas, the mother goddess, the god of wealth, the child god and the god of darkness) and visit special temples. Deities are also more common in certain parts of the land, such as the God of Wealth who is the patron god of Enden.
Worship rituals defer from place to place. For example, the Goddess of Death is often placated by sacrifices of animals, the goddess of winds and seas is often given salt and water as an offering, while the god of war is honored by the singing of old war songs. There are often elaborate rites that take place in many temples, where the priests will perform these rituals to absolve you of your guilt, remove the shadow of evil from you, and to keep you safe, healthy and rich. These are often done in return for a lot of money.
Some things, however, are common no matter where you belong to and which deity you worship. These include the "Holy Bath", a ritual done every morning wherein the person bathes while chanting the name of the deity he or she believes in, and certain principles of food. Most people following this religion will not touch any root vegetables, such as onions and carrots.
Following a certain deity requires certain sacrifices. One must register as a follower in the closest temple, and from then on pay a certain temple tax as determined by the priests. The temple must be visited at least once a month in any weather, and when the priests summon one must go there. However, in return one gets a community that will help one in difficult times, the right to own land in the locality, and a direct connection to their patron god or goddess. [Please note that despite the fact that land laws have changed since the Emperor invaded, one still requires a temple certificate to be recognized as a citizen of Dheynor in the smaller cities and villages.]
Special beliefs: People who belong to this religion find certain trees sacred. They also belief that their sins in this life will determine whether they enjoy a good afterlife or a an afterlife of rotting in hell. This is to be determined, it is said, by your patron god or goddess, and if one does not belong to a certain temple then your spirit is condemned to wander earth forever. People following this religion bury their dead. Only very rich people can afford to have tombs for their dead.
Sianeh
[/color][/center]Followed in: North and East Dheynor.
Basis: The teaching of the seven holy saints, as recorded in "One voice of one god"
Beliefs: The people following Sianeh believe in just one god. Moreover, they do not believe in idol worship, unlike the people following Draknen. Therefore, the two religions are considered very different from one another and the followers of each religion believe that the followers of the other religion are condemned to damnation.
Sianeh started very long ago, when a group of seven saints (some believe that they were brothers, others record them to be friends) were said to be blessed with a divine revelation from God that enabled them to form the seven-step path, of whom each were a single step. The seven-step path in brief is as follows: one god, one tongue, one worship, one temple, one giving, one receiving and one life. To summarize, this means that a follower of this religion would have one god, speak one tongue, worship once a day, all of the followers would worship in a single temple, each follower must do one act of charity per year, and is permitted to receive one great gift in a year, and finally that they will have only one life.
The people following Sianeh believe neither in elaborate rituals nor in abstaining from consuming certain foods, except in certain months when they observe fast days. Sianeh religion gives one the right to enjoy life fully, as one gets only one life, and if one can take pleasure without hurting another then this pleasure is a way of worship. This sentiment is appreciated by people following the stricter Draknen way of worship.
Special beliefs: People following Sianeh consider some special stones to be lucky and holy. For example, the emerald is said to give you peace, the topaz stone is said to bring you safety, and the sapphire makes you a beloved of the God. Therefore, people following this religion are often heavily bedecked in costly gems. People following this religion bury their dead along with food, clothing and money. They believe that the person journeys from there to an afterlife of nothingness, and that the items are needed to complete the journey. The people following this religion believe that if you do wrong you will be punished in your life, but with death you will have peace.
The following are the principal languages spoken in Dheynor and the countries around it:
- Sianehese: Spoken mostly in the north and east. It is often referred to as the "one tongue" and people who follow Sianeh will often refuse to speak any other.
- Dheynorian: The language of the masses in Dheynor and Enden, though the people in Enden speak a bastard version of Dheynorian which they call Endien, the salient aspects of both languages being same.
- Shan: A mixture of Sianehese and Dheynorian developed after the invasion of the emperor in order to facilitate communication between the two groups.
Please note, in roleplaying you need not write in a different language, only note which language your character speaks, and write the actual text in english.
