Lloegyr-Religion

Those Who Have Gone Before Us

Religion

Each culture has its own religion... or at least it did once. Surely the old gods of the Kraki and Heorots were once different, and the tales of the Dunmar-Gog have references to names long since forgotten. But on Lloegyr, there are only two: the Faith of Arim, and the Dunmar-Gog. The Dunmar-Gog is a faith of the moon, and by far the most common of the old ways (although there are whispers of hermits and wild women who still revere forgotten gods). The Faith of Arim, however, is a foreign faith, full of proselytizers, and has come to dominate the Heorots, the Kraki, and the Vincians.

=A Note on the Wyrd= Neither the Faith of Arim nor the Dunmar-Gog have much to say on the Wyrd. It's not something priests and priestesses talk much about; it is an inconvenient fact despite their preaching and powers, every man must meet his Wyrd, and there is nothing God or Mortal can do to change that.

The Kraki and the Heorots are an old people, there are those who remember bits and pieces of ancient stories. The Kraki, in particular, only converted to the Faith of Arim a generation or two ago, and it's impossible to deny they had their own gods, and even their own magic. But while they might turn from their old faith, they will not abandoned the truth of the Wyrd. Your spark may belong to Arim, but your destiny belongs to the ages.

This concept has spread to the Aels, and even the Wahla and Vincians. Even the Dunmar-Gog, and their world of the wheel, has taken on a more fatalistic tone, as it would seem the Wyrd means for the wheel to be broken, just as the Faithful amongst the Heorots know they shall live short and bloody lives with a fool's hope in a spark they can never see. In Lloegyr, religion can be a political force or a mystical art for the priests, but to the commoners, it's a bit of solace and folly that they use to comfort themselves, as they march to their ultimate fate.

=The Faith of Arim= "The flesh is corrupt."

This is the first teaching of the Faith of Arim, the first thing the wandering priest tells the wayward soul. It is repeated over and over by the Faithful, typically to mean "It is what it is." A simple statement, it is also easily defendable, as the world is a terrible place where terrible things happen to honorable people. And from this simple statement, the Faith of Arim grows.

While the occultists of Arim might try to explain the various spells of the Dunmar-Gog, the simple fact of the matter is the Aels have magic. How could any pagan turn away from the source of such power? The Faithful of Arim know no spells nor possess any workers of miracles, as such a thing is the province of Daemurg, the dark spirit. Instead, the Faith of Arim preaches the wisdom of Arim the Revealer, an angel of the one true god, the Unnamed, and his rejection of the demons of the old world. As such, the priests of Arim have no mystical powers with which they can gain converts. Instead, they use a great deal of zeal, and a story based off that one simple statement.

The World of the Unnamed
This world, the Arimites argue, is inherently flawed: a mockery of the divine. In a perfect world, there would be no death or justice, children would not die of disease or starvation, war would not destroy the common folk so that kings might call a little more land their own. This is because the world is not the making of the Unnamed God, it is the work of the Daemurg.

In the beginning, there was the Unnamed One, who was so because he was the namer and the first being, and unlike anything made of this world. It is He who named all things, starting with the Heavens, and then His Angels, and He dwelt in this perfect realm unmolested. All things in this world are but pale reflections, shadows of exists in the Unnamed One's realm. All the angels were made in an aspect of the Unnamed One: the Judge, the Seer, the Forgiver and so on.

One angel, however, was named "Daemurg," who was the greatest of all, for he was, like his creator, a namer. But the names he gave were shadows of those given by the creator. It is he who made the earth and the sea, who made the trees of the forest and the beasts of the land, and lastly, he made man. But the earth quakes and the sea is salty, trees fall and beasts die, and all of the Daemurg's creations were flawed. And the most flawed of these were men... his last creation. For they were creatures of malice and hate... something unknown by any other creature.

When the Daemurg saw what he had done, his wits left him, and he shattered into a thousand demons, all infected with the baseness of this new world. And for ages, these demons ruled over man as little gods, and there was little hope for the world.

And the Unnamed One did not see this, for He was so perfect he could not know the vileness that was the world. But his angels did, and one by one they attempted to save the creations of Daemurg. In turn, they visited this realm, but each of them failed in their efforts. One tried to offer wisdom, but while this covered their nakedness and feed their young, it also gave them steel and fire with which to destroy themselves. One tried to cleanse the world of the wicked with a great flood, but the demons saved some of their servants and continued. One tried to give them a great kingdom, thinking it would lead them closer to the Unnamed One, but that kingdom grew corrupt and fell, like all kingdoms do.

But one of the angels, the least of their number, knew what had to be done. He was Arim, the Angel of Mercy, and he descended from the Unnamed Realm and took the flesh of a meek old man. And there he taught a small group of followers of the Unnamed One, and how to recognize the "Signs of Perfection." And then he sacrificed himself, part of his divine essence filling the body of every mortal in the world.

Now, within all of men, there exists a divine Spark, a small aspect of the Mercy of the Unnamed One. This Spark is a man's soul, and is the gift of Arim. If one nurtures it, and it survives to the end of his days, he might be returned with the Spark to paradise above. If he squanders it, it fades, and he will never be part of the whole of Arim.

The Quality of Mercy
The dogma of Arim centers around "the Quality of Mercy," or acknowledging, protecting, and nurturing the Spark of Arim in every mortal. To the Faith of Arim, each individual is an end unto themselves, and the purpose of the clergy is to ensure that the spark endures to join with the Unnamed One. All things of this world are inherently flawed, and many of the stories of the Book of Names consist of the folly of "great men" and the triumph of commoners.

To attend the Quality of Mercy, the Faith acknowledges seven Sacraments, and a priests most important job is to bring the Sacraments to as many individuals as possible. This means the Faith are dogged proselytizers, and much more focused on service to their laymen. It also means that the church is much more dogmatic than other "pagan" religions, and more likely to enforce them on others. After all, while the Spark must endure, the Flesh is Corrupt... so if the spark can only be saved by the death of the vessel, so be it.

The first sacrament is the Anointing, which marks an individual as a member of the faith. This involves a small flame (for children it is often a candle, although there is some prestige to using larger flames), pressed to the temple, the left breast over the heart, or the palms. A person is anointed upon conversion or birth, to acknowledge the Spark within them, and then again at important life events such as marriage or coronation.

Just as the Anointing acknowledges the Spark, the Scourging frees it. This is the last rite of any Faithful, and involves the letting of blood, either on the death bed or as soon as possible after death. The letting of the blood allows the Spark to escape its wretched coil... whether the individual has been Anointed or not. The Faithful acknowledge the Lost: individuals who will never accept Anointing, or so corrupted by the world it threatens their Spark. In this case, the Faith advocates the scourging: letting their blood by sword or axe.

Two sacraments are regularly performed. The Sacrament of the Liturgy ensures that all Faithful learn the lessons of the Book of Names, a great tome possessed my almost all clergy (and even illiterate lords rich enough to own one). The message of the Book protects the Spark by offering guidance to the Faithful, and so the Liturgy is typically performed by most priests daily, and congregations gather once a tenday in most areas so that the masses can hear it.

When the Liturgy is read, most priests will also offer Penance, which is one of the most potent of the Sacraments, politically. If a member of the Faith becomes tainted by thought or deed, it will threaten his or her Spark. To remove this threat, it has to be corrected. A confession must be made to a priest, who will then tell the Faithful what he or she must do to correct it. Usually, this is some sort of correction: the Faith believes in righting past wrongs, as opposed to creating more pain through punishment. However, once this Penance is named, the individual is Honor bound (level 3 sin) to pursue it. While there is no obligation to take the Sacrament of Penance regularly, the priest generally try to have their Faithful take it as often as possible, for both spiritual and pragmatic reasons.

The Faith also has a great deal of power due to the Sacrament of Tithing: charity is vital to the Faith of Arim, and priests generally collect gold and distribute it to the masses (or at least most of it). The ability to draw a tithe is an immense source of wealth, but most priests understand the purpose of charity (both pragmatically and morally). A person may Tithe directly, giving charity to those who need it, but a priest will still pass the coffer during his or her liturgy.

The final political power of the priesthood is the Edict. A common saying in the Faith is "The Truth Cannot Be Seen," meaning that truth is the provence of Unnamed One, and not the world of the Daemurg. Whenever the priest is asked a question, he or she may respond "The Truth Cannot Be Seen," and what follows will be considered an Edict. The questioner is Honor-bound to treat the Edict as truth (a level 3 sin), and as such, most individuals are quite careful about questioning priests. In practice, this is a common method of trial in Arimite lands... and most priests are very conservative with this Sacrament. After all, the Flesh is Corrupt, and easily pierced by swords: a few too many Edicts, and a priest will find himself with many enemies.

Finally, there is the Mantling, where an individual swears to the priesthood. Not only an initiation, but also a rebirth, the Mantle of Arim washes all sins away, ends all debts, and removes all ties of family. A potent ritual, both spiritually and legally, it also allows them to administer the Sacraments... with all the power that entails.

The Clergy
The great strength of the Faithful is their dedicated, and more importantly, well-organized clergy. While they lose any land or title previously held, the Faith provides for them, and they exist in a wealthy hierarchy that reaches far to the South and the City of Tiber. Every priest knows his or her place, and every priest is well-supported and prepared for his or her role.

The Clergy organizes by rank and Order. All priests have a rank, to determine who commands who, and with the Sacraments of Penance, Edict, and Tithing, it is important that every individual clergyman is controlled. A Bishop of any order may command an Vicar, who intern holds authority over every Pastor. Further, the Faith is very strict on maintaining one individual of a given rank and order in a given area (with the exception of lower ranks), so it is quite clear who every individual serves. Additionally, the priesthood is divided into Orders, so that every priest knows how they must serve Arim.

There are five, and only five, ranks. At the top of the hierarchy is the Primate, who oversees all members of an Order in a large geographic area. There is a Primate of Lloegyr, and of Vincia, and another of the Kraki. The Primate may have one or more Bishops who serve him, each administering to a single diocese that is often analogous to a local Earl or Count. Beneath the Bishop is the Vicar, who administers a single city or village, and then the Abbots, who have particular offices assigned to them by the Vicar. The Abbots may have any number of holy men assisting in their duties, who are called Brethren. Different Orders vary in how they utilize Abbots and Brethren: a Black Vicar might have an Abbot in charge of beekeeping, and that Abbot's Brethren might all be beekeepers, while another Abbot sees to the stables. A White Abbot might see to a single church within a large city, or merely the Sacrament of Confession in a small town.

There are, however, many Orders. The three largest are the Order of the Hidden Names (the Blacks), the Order of the Sublime Sea (the Blues), and the Order of the Heavy Mantle (the Whites). All of them are identified by the colors of their mantle, and openly referred to as such. Generally, the Order of the Hidden Names are scholars and monastics who collect and study esoteric knowledge, while the Order of the Sublime Sea are the wanderers (and chief proselytizers). The Order of the Heavy Mantle is by far the most public and common, for they administer the Sacraments to the Faithful, and as such also wield the political power of the church.

More Orders exist than those three. The Order of the Page (the Reds) are a hidden priesthood, devoted to demon-hunting and the defense of the Faith, and never display their mantle openly. The Order of the Wooden Road (Green) are messengers who ensure that lines of communication remain open. Various cultures have different orders, known only in their lands, but there is theoretically no limit to the number of Orders the faith can boast.

What is certain is that the Orders work quite effectively together. Although there is a fair amount of backstabbing inherent to any worldly organization, all priests are fulling indoctrinated with the need to maintain a monolithic front. This unity makes the Faith of Arim a potent (and some might say unstoppable) force in the North.

Arim Status
Status (Religion - Arim) is much simpler than its counterpart: a single dot of status denotes a member of the Priesthood, and with some exceptions, all have the same privileges and restrictions. No priest can have any other form of Status, and all priests have the right to perform Sacraments, except as described below. Further, all priests of the rank of Abbot or higher have received some sort of training, and taken the Mantle of an Order (Brethren all wear the gray Mantle of a novice):
 * The Order of the Heavy Mantle (the Whites) - The Whites are the tenders of the Faithful. They are encountered in great Cathedrals and common villages, and serve both peasants and kings. Their primary responsibility is to see to the Sacraments of the Anointed, as such they also see to the Liturgy, Penance, Edicts, and Tithes of the masses. They are the richest order, and the most politically influential.
 * Game Mechanics: The Whites gain one dot of Resources and one dot of Holdings for every dot of Status (Religion)
 * The Order of the Hidden Names (the Blacks) - These are the scholars of the Faith, who spend their time analyzing the Tome of Names for secret codes and messages. They also are keepers of occult lore and history, and rightfully feared by many pagans: they know ancient defenses against dark magic, and trained in them quite well. They are a cloistered order, meaning they can only administer the Sacraments to other Mantled priests, nor may they marry or have Holdings.
 * Game Mechanics: The Blacks may add their dots of Status (Religion) to any supernatural resistance draw.
 * The Order of the Page (the Reds) - A secret Order, the Reds do not reveal themselves to outsiders, so that they may better seek out the servants of the Daemurg and destroy them. They are an order of demon-hunters, but they use trickery as much as steel to do so. They are a Hidden Order: they can only administer the Sacraments to their own Order, but may retain other forms of Status as a measure of anonymity.
 * Game Mechanics: The Reds may purchase Fighting Styles at half cost, and Social Skill Specialties at 2 XP (Vincians may purchase them at 1 XP).
 * The Order of the Sublime Sea (the Blues) - It is the job of the Blues to travel to new places and convert the pagan masses, as such they often find themselves wandering far from home. They are among the least "holy" of the priesthood, as their job is go places where Arim is not welcome. The are also amongst the most resourceful. There are very few Blue Bishops and Vicars, as they have little need of a large hierarchy... most of them reside in Tiber far to the South. Still, they are one of the few Orders (along with the Whites) to have no restrictions on who they offer the Sacraments
 * Game Mechanics: The Blues gain the following merits when they take the Mantle: Fast Reflexes, Fleet of Foot, Ingratiating Wanderer, and two Languages.
 * The Order of the Wooden Road (the Greens) - An example of a small, specialized Order, the Order of the Wooden Road are the messengers and couriers of the Faith, and in high demand for their riding skills. Like all specialized Orders, they are Cloistered.
 * Game Mechanics: The Greens represent an example of a specialized Order: they may add their dots of Status (Religion) to a single skill (in this case Ride).

Ranks of the Faith of Arim

Status 1 - Brother or Sister

Status 2 - Abbot (the lowest rank to belong to an Order)

Status 3 - Vicar

Status 4 - Bishop

Status 5 - Primate

=Dunmar-Gog= Once, there were thousands of little gods, or so the Aels say.

No one knows the number, but as every god had its time, there was a set number. Of this much, all are sure. If there once was a god of dawn, there was a god of noon, and of sunset, and of midnight. If there was a god of spring, there was one for summer, autumn, and fall. But this was long ago, before the moon rose above all.

The Dunmar-Gog are, quite literally, the Gods of the Moon, and they were the spirits worshiped by Aels when the world was young and the Marching Times but a speck on the horizon. To understand the Aels, you must understand the moons, for theirs is a world of the wheel.

Aelic society is both timeless and obsessed with time. To them, the world is an unending circle, with the months and seasons leading into one after another. The Dunmar-Gog represent this: the triumph of the Moon, which will always wax and wane, and then return. In Lloegyr, a year is made of twelve months, and each month is exactly one year cycle of the moon. This fact was not lost on the ancient Aels, and while they had other gods in times no longer remembered, eventually, the Dunmar-Gog rose supreme over all others, until the ancient gods are (called the Dunmar-Mas, or Lost Gods) are no longer even remembered.

Aelic society mirrors their mythology: every year the same tale is told, and the cycle repeats endlessly. The Aels are ruled by one Queen, but her responsibility is to see the turn of each month, for each month sees a new ruler. With the coming of the Heorots (and their foreign sense of history), this way of life is under attack, and the influence of the moon is waning.

The World Tale of the Dunmar-Gog
The Dunmar-Gog are twelve gods, each ascendent during a particular moon. They exist in four seasons and three cabals. Spring is the season of life and birth, Summer the season of war, Autumn the season of harvest, and Winter the season of death. Each season has a member of each cabal: the Welcomers, or gods of the world, begin the season with their will, the Wildings, or gods of the wind, sustain it with their passion, and the Monsters, or gods of spirit, end it with their Wyrd. The succession is best explained with the World Tale, or the annual cycle of the moon.

''Danna, first Queen of the Aels, wakes to find herself naked and alone. She cries out in surprise and then weeps in sorrow, before she steadies herself, and sets out into the world to find a mate. She finds Geor, the strong Wind the East who crossed the ocean to be with her, and they lie together in light of the moon. However, the Feytem, the King and Queen of the Others, see them, and in their jealous strike down Geor, just as Danna quickens with child.''

''Danna gives birth to a young girl, Valka, who knows her father was cut down in treachery. She knows know who did it, so she travels to the land of her father, and finds many warriors there, in the land of the Guth. The captain of the Dragon ship, Ultan, leads them down the Southern Wind, where they fight many battles, before they meet the seven worms known as the Dratem. The Dratem destroy all things, and Valka met her fate there, but slew the wyrms with her last breath.''

''There, her sword and shield were found by a girl of the Southern men, known as Arda, a practical creature like many of her kind. She sold the shield and used the sword to plow her fields, but she was tricked by the Wind of the West named Okni, who claimed snuck into her hut while a strong wind blew. Okni stole her grain and gold and left in its place a bag of 40,000 finger bones, one for each of the Skaytem, the Exalted Dead, which Arda learned to cherish more than her worldly riches.''

''Okni scattered the gold, and used the gold to pay a debt to Wraun, the dark man of Wahla, who knew the proper worth of such things. The grain was all eaten by the she-wolf of the North, Parza, on whose back Wraun rode down into the realm of the Viltem, the 13 fiends of the World Below. There, he used the gold to buy their kingdom, and sent them off. In vengeance, they took the most beautiful creature of their realm, a maiden, who they left naked and alone outside the gates of their old lands.''

This story contains many secrets and mysteries, and each Priestess adds her own tales to it. But the structure of each season remains the same… there is a human (three times a woman and once a man) who wants something, and is affected in his or travel by a creature of the Wind, but has his or her fate decided by a creature not of this world. This creates a cycle within a cycle, a beginning, middle, and end, to each season.

It also tells each Priestess of her lot in the world.

The Twelve Gods of the Dunmar-Gog
The first god is Danna; she is the goddess of early Spring, and the Aels hold her most precious of all. She is the first of the Welcomers, and the matron of love and lust and childbirth. She is present at all beginnings, but she sees all endings. Her priestesses are known for their powers of prophecy and vision, and are considered ascendent over all others: the Queen is the High Priestess of Danna, and considered her direct descendent. The mantle has been passed down from mother to daughter unbroken since antiquity (although there is a legend of Eveliese the Usurper, and that the line of Danna ended long ago).

After Danna comes Geor, the Champion. The first Wilding, he is the Wind of the East and a champion. He is young and beautiful and powerful, but fated for an early death. All living creatures love and admire him, and his priestesses are known for their powers of persuasion.

The Feytem are the first of the Monsters, and ruled by their two monarchs. The fey hold court in the dark corners of the world, and are wicked and jealous creatures, who exist to teach harsh lessons to the young. Their priestesses have the power of illusion, and are tasked with punishing ignorance and stupidity.

After the first cycle, the Aels worship Valka, who is a warrior goddess, and generally associated with the Guth (even though the Guth have turned from the old ways). Hers is a brutal path, one of the sword, but also of justice, which can only be paid for in blood. Her priestesses have the power to bend mens minds to their will, and in her time the Aels will go to war.

She is carried to war by the sea captain, Ultan, who is the Wind of South. He is an ally, but a terrible one, prone to anger and frenzy. He is the patron of fury, of wrath and violence for its own sake. His priestesses command the weather, and are naturally favored by sailors.

Both of them meet their ends at the hands of the seven wyrms (or the seven-headed wyrm, depending on the tale) known as the Dratem. The Dratem are force of pure destruction, who cut down the proud and powerful, and bring humility to the great. His priestesses have terrible powers to influence the Wyrd, and are charged with punishing the great crime of hubris, and tearing down those who would shirk from their oath.

In the aftermath of destruction comes Arda, who is a practical goddess and thought to be the patron of the Kraki and Heorots (who also turned from the old ways). Her portray represents the Aelic view of those people: unimaginative but productive, and she is the goddess of both hard labor and the harvest. She also knows how to heal: her priestesses are the finest healers in Lloegyr.

She is tricked by Okni, the Western Wind, who is both an agent of chaos and change. He’s also a culture hero to Aels: they see him as god who brings all good things, and is honored with mead and feasts and all things debauched. In the midst of this debauchery, Okni stays unseen, and his priestesses have similar powers of concealment. They have no charge, but seek to bring change and growth through adversity before the winter comes.

The Skaytem are one of the gifts of Okni… they are the exalted dead, heroes of yore, who ought be remembered during their time. They are worshipped through the telling of stories, and collect tales from across the world. Their priestesses have power over magic itself, and when they hold power the Aels focus on the mystic and arcane. They also see to the bargains and treaties of the Aels, which must be seen to before the winter comes.

The lord of winter (and of the Wahla, which is very similar to the Aelic word for winter) is Wraun. He is a fearsome and aloof god, but a rigidly fair one who abides by the letter of all his promises. He rules the underworld, and his priestesses are feared as Necromancers by many. He is also the god of gold and minerals, and as such his moon is commonly used for taxes, even in lands that do not keep the Old Ways.

His ally is Parza, the she-wolf of the North, who represents all things wild and untamed. All beasts that walk and birds that fly owe her obedience, and her priestesses have similar powers over animals. She is not much worshipped by the Aels, but rather feared, and no mortal is so powerful he does not fear the woods by moonlight.

Finally, in exile there are the 13 fiends of the Underworld, the Viltem, who are considered extremely unlucky. They rule over the coldest reaches of winter, and are the only truly evil of the Dunmar-Gog. They have no priestess, although rumors of demon worshippers never cease in the northern reaches of Lloegyr.

The Priestess and Wizards of the Dunmar-Gog
The Aels are ruled by their priestesses, who are the matriarchs of their tribes. Virtually every tribe will have twelve priestesses: the title is passed from mother to daughter, and if a line dies out, then another woman will be selected to represent the one of the gods of the Dunmar-Gog, so that each moon is represented. When a particular god’s moon is in the sky, that Priestess is the tribe’s leader… in that moon, her word is law. However, the Priestess of Danna is considered the High Priestess of a tribe… while she cannot counter the word of a Priestess in her moon, she can silence her. Should the Priestess of Danna silence a moon, it is considered a bad omen, and a stain upon the Priestess she silenced.

Additionally, there is a Royal Tribe of the Aels, who are supposedly closest to the Gods. This is the Tribe of Onellen, and all priestesses of this tribe are considered High Priestesses. Just as a Priest has authority over their tribe, the High Priestesses have authority over all Aels.

The Aels are ruled by one of the High Priestesses; specifically, it is believed that the Royal line goes back to to Danna, and every Queen has given birth to a daughter who lived to adulthood. There are legends that this line was broken ages ago, but the Legend of Eveliese the Usurper is consider sacrilegious amongst the Aels, and most refuse to speak of it.

This is not the only thing that the Aels do not like to speak of: even more common than priestesses are wizards: men touched by Dunmar-Gog. The Dunmar-Gog offer the Aels the gift of magic, and while the priestess are bound my norms and mores, the wizard exist independent of religious structure. They keep forbidden knowledge, and consort with foreigners. It was a wizard, Caledon, that brought Queen Jenevra to Castus’ wedding bed, and many Aels are not likely to forgive him for the disgrace the Queen recently suffered. He is, in many ways, the archetypical wizard: powerful, mysterious, and beholden to no law but his own.

Usurpers
A particular situation bears special discussion: that of the usurper.

There have been repeated references to the twelve priesthoods, but in reality, there are only eleven. The Viltem, the 13 fiends, have no priestesses, and their wizards are typically shunned during that season. In Viltem, the Aels are typically silent at best, and lawless at worst. The dead of winter (corresponding to February in our world) is dark and unlucky time, with no festivals or law.

This is not to say the Viltem do not have their followers, however.

The usurper is an unfortunate reality to the the Aels. Despite her best efforts, a priestess may die without an heir. When this happens, her position must be filled by a Usurper. Considered unlucky, usurpers are touched by the Viltem: there is something inherently sinister about them. They may be noble and true and almost all keep devoutly to their chosen god, but they are not true born, but rather the work of bad luck and ill magic. At best, they are women touched by their moon, who take up a vital responsibility despite the social stigma it applies.

There are worse scenarios, of course. Typically, a usurper is a woman touched by the appropriate moon. For example, if a priestess of Valka dies without a successor, then another woman touched by Valka will usurp her. But what if there are no women touched by Valka in the tribe? Then, it would fall to one of those touched by the Viltem, the only ones who exist outside the priesthood, to claim Valka as her own. Such a case is a rarity, and many Aels will abandon their tribe is a fiend-born priestess claims a moon.

And then there is the case of those who take the wrong moon. This is an extraordinarily rare case: a child is born under a new moon, and thought to be touched by the moon of her birth, but actually touched of the previous moon. In such a case, the child would assume the priesthood of the wrong moon, unwittingly becoming a Usurper (this specific case is the subject of the legend of Eviliese). She would have no idea she is a tool of the Viltem, and such cases are typically ruinous.

Dunmar-Gog Status
Status (Religion: Dunmar-Gog) is complex, because each priestess has power at different times and over different elements. While her status always applies in religious matters, it also allows her to command any Ael in her tribe (who is Honor-Bound to obey). Further, some priestess have power over multiple tribes, and priestess of Danna have power over other priestess. Use the following guidelines:

Status 1: This represents a character "touched" by the Dunmar-Gog. They are considered to be a special breed of people, and sometimes possess strange and mysterious powers. However, while they are honored by those who keep the Dunmar-Gog sacred (and receive the appropriate bonuses to social draws), they don not have any political power. This is the highest status a man can have in this religion, as well as the highest status any member of the Wahla can hold (an exception are members of the Onellen tribe, see below). Only Aelic and Wahla characters can purchase this status. When a character gains this status, they most select one of the Dunmar-Gog as their patron god.

Status 2: A character with this status is a priestess of the Dunmar-Gog, and wields political power over her tribe. She only possesses such power while her moon is in the sky, however, during such time, she is treated as the liege of all members of her tribe for the purposes of Honor. There is only one priestess for each moon in any tribe. The association of Aelic months to months in the real world is as follows:
 * March - Danna (note: all priestesses of Danna are at least Status 3)
 * April - Geor
 * May - Feytem
 * June - Valka
 * July - Ultan
 * August - Dratem
 * September - Arta
 * October - Okni
 * November - Skaytem
 * December - Wraun
 * January - Parza
 * February - Viltem

Viltem has no priestesses... it is sometimes referred to as "the Wizard's month" although occultists know this is not quite accurate. During this time, there is no political authority amongst the Aels (but being exceptionally cold in Lloegyr during these months, it has rarely been an issue).

Status 3: This is a tribe's priestess of Danna. In addition to her political power during the early spring, she may silence any other priestess in her tribe at any time. When a priestess of Danna silences another, they may not speak on the topic until the moon changes. To do so is a violation of Honor (level 3). Additionally, any member of the Onellen tribe holds this level of status, but does not wield any authority, save for the High Priestesses.

Status 4: These are the High Priestesses, the priestesses of the Onellen. They have power over all Aels, and serve as the "royal family" of those faithful to the Dunmar-Gog.

Status 5: The High Priestess of Danna, currently Ala, daughter of Castus.

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