WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0023 0023
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Chapter 2: THE STRUGGLE FOR KHITUS
all, not that many followers would know such. Regardless, they teach that the gods will emerge through the
Shadazim to war upon the face of Khitus and establish
a new hierarchy for the coming age. Only when Khitus
is blasted clean of nonbelievers, they insist, will the ancient gods return to build the world anew (through their
loyal Shadazim and their followers, of course).
Shadazim and their followers are zealots, convinced
that all others are inferior and incorrect. Violence
against nonbelievers is encouraged. True Shadazim
who worship an actual ancient god can derive priestly
powers from them, but that connection is often tenuous
and far weaker than the days before the Dragon Kings.
Sham Shadazim resort solely to trickery and borrowed
magic to convince their followers of their legitimacy.
A Shadazim need only gather followers to qualify for
ranking himself as such, and any magical or powerful
demonstrations help fill their ranks.
Each Shadazim expects and preaches that his particular deity shall return soon to take control of Khitus in
some capacity. Other Shadazim and their supposed gods
are considered charlatans unless they have made some
massive demonstration of godly power or control (and
even then, some claim other gods are demons cloaked
as gods and not true gods). People tend to be more
skeptical of Shadazim than they are of the Trakeen who
preach worship of the departed Dragon Kings; after all,
the Dragon Kings are widely accepted as having been
real and only recently estranged from the world. So,
Shadazim have an inherently more difficult time proselytizing, though they are bolstered by the simple fact
that they can summon god-granted priestly magic.
Gathering worshipers, though, is a double-edged sword.
While they are the fuel that fires the god’s attention, they
have needs and must be looked after. They must be fed,
clothed and sheltered. They expect counsel and encouragement, consistent teachings and attention. They can
be flighty, lose faith, become skeptical and leave. Shadazim flocks are rife with schisms; at any time an emergent
preacher may part company and take half the flock with
him. At times they must also be protected. As the Shadazim treats the least of his flock, so the others judge his
compassion for them. Just one careless action can cause
an entire congregation to label him a charlatan.
All Shadazim share a cutthroat hunger for power, their
rise to power often helped by assassinating capable officials to install loyal lackeys in their place. The Right
Minders expect to be welcomed in all courts and lay
down curses of blasphemy and doom upon those who
do not respect them (though the strength of said curses
varies with the beliefs of those afflicted, and with the
Shadazim’s power).
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