WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0163 0163
Bạn đang xem bản rút gọn của tài liệu. Xem và tải ngay bản đầy đủ của tài liệu tại đây (1.52 MB, 1 trang )
Chapter 9: GODS & DEMIGODS
worship Meshezes is to sit back in righteous realization
that all activity, planning , or anxious effort, are ultimately purposeless. Only the fool exerts himself against
the inevitable embrace of the Shambler. Let others
weaken themselves through self-centered endeavor;
the Shambler’s faithful gather strength through inertia.
Meshezite gatherings are drunken festivals, as the decay of fermentation also falls beneath the god’s purview.
Revelers drink themselves into a stupor amid their own
accumulated filth, often gathered in vast pits in places hidden away beneath the light of the moons and stars. Priests
tempt the young with alcohol and lure them into the cult.
They collectively scoff at the efforts of the ambitious, the
motivated, those fools who would better themselves and
the world. Trinkets of their efforts—bricks and jewels, books
and artwork—are tossed into the filth pits and ridiculed by
inebriated priests spouting spite and derision.
Najus, the Wise
Najus has no physical form, but exists in all light, according to his white-robed Shadazim. He is a god of infinite knowledge, the absolute patron of study and reason.
He favors the teacher and the scholar, and on a cursory
examination would appear to lead a clergy devoted to
learning and understanding. Buried in the depths of
Najus’s teachings lie his true intentions: knowledge and
reason are to be sought and applied ruthlessly to take
power and hold it. Reason for its own sake has no purpose,
whereas reason as a means for political power is supreme.
Clergy of Najus
Najus’s priests are obsessed with light. They experiment
with jewels, glass, and obsidian, spreading sunlight onto
white sheets and worshiping the colors within. They worship fire and revel in its closeness, the pain of its touch, the
scars it leaves upon the body; a Najite often has scarred
flesh upon his cheeks, forehead, and hands. Any object that
ever once rode along with a floating earth mote is valued
because it was once much closer to the divine sun. They
shun darkness, keeping hidden during this time of minimum power until the dawn, the most auspicious time of
day when rites are most fully witnessed by the distant god
himself. The sun is not Najus in physical form, but he is the
master of it and everything that generates light.
Najite Shadazim busy themselves with debate and experimentation with light. They spread their word in open callings
beneath white tents on the outskirts of towns and villages, in
brilliant jamborees with colorful banners. Zealots, however,
are convinced that non-believers must be extinguished
by fire, so they have a reputation as arsonists and are often
shunned accordingly. While they most often wear white
robes during official functions, allowing the light of day to
dance upon their flesh is important, as well; nude rituals only
occur in private, away from the prying eyes of non-believers.
There are also many who point to enmity between
Najite Shadazim and the Gare Attessa, though few can
say why, other than “it has always been so.” At least a
few Cheldar have discovered that the Chroniclers were
once the clergy of Najus during the Classic Age (or at
least some of them started so). For some unknown reasons, they abandoned the god in favor of the Daragkarik
and now do their utmost to prevent this knowledge from
coming to light. Even those of Najus do not know, though
they petition for enlightenment from their god often.
Phatrash, the Bull
Phatrash derives his form from the Makadan ideal of
strength—the Bull. He is traditionally depicted as a tremendous, wide-horned bull, black of hide and bright
white of eye. His heavy hooves crater the ground, his
steaming breath can blast mountains and warm the winds
to carry rain to where it is needed. He is a god of fertility and of strength. Feasts rich in meat and blood-infused
beverages are auspicious for celebrating newborns, preparing for hunts and slaughters, and gathering soldiers for
war. Many invoke Phatrash to bring new sons into a family
or to improve one’s herds and the health of one’s animals.
Myths credit the Bull with raising a host of shaggy,
broad shouldered beasts that pull enormous wagons
and chariots to ferry the faithful armies from place to
place to thwart his enemies. A single such chariot can
hold 20 human archers or spearmen into battle. Sacrifices of grain and fine grass bring His favor, as does the
burning of dung in enormous fires at both dawn and
dusk. Any ground torn up by a stampede is considered
holy and an auspicious place to seek Phatrash’s favor for
three consecutive nights. Battles have been fought over
such ground to protect His holy ground from infidels.
Clergy of Phatrash
The bull god’s Shadazim wear heavy hides, the hairs
twined with colorful beads and often caked with dried
dung; flies buzz around them constantly. Bathing is discouraged. They urge the faithful to shun the sedentary
lifestyle of the farmer for a wandering existence following herds of cattle. Guiding the herds is the blessed prerogative of the priests, who for the most part let them
wander freely around the world. Any who challenge
their right to graze are marked as heretics and subjected
to ridicule or worse. Phatrash favors babes born while
on the move, their families graced with gifts from every
important family until its first summer has passed.
161
