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The World of Teréth End - Religions - Dekàlan Gods |
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"The messenger before you has the 12,000 Aur I promised for the coffers of your Temple. As always, it was a pleasure visiting Taldàna. I hope to return for a longer period my next visit north. Your hospitality was as always, memorable. I cannot wait for the next opporunity to extend this good will between our temples." - Old Taládan letter to a High Priest of Amra from a High Priest of Kandlan  |
Chapter Six - Path The Great Teacher, The Lorekeeper, The Nine Flames of Anugth
The legend of a white ape emerging from the Shar to give the Nine Flames to the Uren of Anugth is told repeatedly in the lands of Panath. The white ape is named by legend as Kugùntor and is believed to have been a messenger of the god Path. No where in Pathic mythology does does the god manifest itself in mortal form. The most material form taken by Path was in the form of the Lurdurun of Ta'ul Mafur, who died from burns and wounds received at the annunciation. When determining a form to represent Path, the image of an elderly teacher is sometimes used. Statues and images of Path are ocassionally accompanied by images of Kuguntor as well, usually with a large open book on his lap and fire erupting from the pages. Kuguntor lived with the Anugthians for many years before returning to the jungle. During his stay, a temple was built of wood and bone (materials readily available in the surrounding forests). In the center of the First Temple was a beautiful creation of fire turned to gold. Nine tendrils of golden flame rose from the "fire" which Kuguntor taught represented the nine truths of Path (now referred to as the Nine Flames of Anugth). The truths (misinterpreted as "laws" by Lanas marauders centuries later) were lost during the conquest of the city in 114 AR, when Terrud's warriors ransacked Anugth and carried its treasures away to fund further campaigns. Record states that the Nine Flames of Anugth were destroyed in 88 AR at Tor Tremendum, following the loss of countless crews and people transporting the relic to Lanas. When the holy relic was finally consumed by great furnace fires, the magic that was released engulfed the island kingdom, searing the eyes and flesh of all its inhabitants (save those in holy places). It is for this reason that the Empire's expansion did not continue until almost twenty years later, when the next generation of "seeing" warriors could be gathered. There were many attempts to eradicate mention of the Nine Truths shortly after the fall of Panath, and to replace the "truths" with the teaching of great Iráen's Eshatan. Each attempt to erase mention of the pillars failed. Since the fall of the Dekàlan Empire, the halls have been named for the Truths, carved in the Anugthic letters. The Divine Aspects The Priesthood Day-to-Day Activities: It is important for the faithful of Path to learn something new on each day, and to retain that knowledge. It is customary for priests of the Great Teacher to keep a writing paper with them during travels to record things that were are seen and learned. Each dawn, the priests of Path welcomes the coming sun with prayers of hope for the day to come. The faithful are duty bound to aid and teach those seeking enlightenment and learning, though such instruction often expects a tithe and instruction in the Great Teacher's ways as well. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The people of Panath celebrate each Monthturn as a time of reverence and reflection on the lessons of Path. During these days, all faithful are required to visit their local Halls and share some recent revelations with their fellow followers or the resident priests. A little known rite practiced by some followers of Path, is the practice of moonbirth. Moonbirth is a ceremony in which an unborn child is taken from the mother by caesarean under the full face of a moon. It is believed that this ritual will insure that the child becomes a mage of some degree. The ceremony requires an adept of great skill both at rite and chirurgery; without these, the mother and often the child both die. One reason the rite is little known as seldom practiced is that it does not always have the desired result. There are many accounts of moonbirths that have not resulted in children of the Tapestry. Furthermore, and even less well-known, is that in rare incidents, botched rites have resulted in the creation of Nulls, creatures that cannot affect or be affected by magic. Nulls are considered aberrations by the Temple of Path, and seldom survive to adulthood. Major Centers of Worship: Unlike most of the Dekàlan Temples, the Order of Anugth does not have a central High Temple, but instead maintain and worship at nine great Halls which are all situated in and around the city of Panath. Perhaps important to understanding the Nine Truths is a look at the great halls of Path, which are devoted to: Discovery (artuin), History (egirhin), Medicine (vikiruin), Knowledge (siluruin), Law (hirdun), Literature (kiruid), Magic (eluin), Mathematics (erduin) and Truth (haruin). According to ancient Pathic scriptures, it is upon these pillars that rest the weight of civilization. Curiously absent from the Pathic teachings are any mentions of virtue, and good or evil. Spells of the Faithful GURPS Spells:
The Davra Orkid available to Pathic spellcasters is: Body
(F1), Communication (F2), Divination
(F3), Elemental Fire (F1), Elemental
Water (F1), Enchantment (F1), Manipulation
(F1), Gate (F2), Healing
(F1), Meta (F2), Mind
(F2) and Wards (F2).
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Navigation Dekàlan Gods There are ten major gods traditionally worshipped by Dekàlans. Amra (beauty, love) Other gods have emerged in the same lands since the fall of Dekàlas. While some are new, some ancient deities have experienced a resurgence of faith. Eiron (law, duty) Domains Spellcasting clerics of Path have access to the following domains Fire Worshippers of his aspects have access to different domains. Imèru's priesthood have access to Inquisition (DF) while Kugùntor's priesthood has access to Fire Details The Nine Pillars of the Pathic faith define those lores on which civilization rests upon. It is believed by Pathic scholars, that without a firm commitment to the understanding of any of these pillars, a civilization will collapse. Artuin (Discovery) It is notable that although the words are
commonly written in the Anugthic script, they are not Panathan in origin,
but instead derived from either an old Sharan
tongue or Askeral. The last record of the Scroll of the Nine Truths dates to the 5th century HK when it was brought to an island near Panath, so that a priest of Path might be miraculously healed by its presence. During the 4th and 5th century it was widely believed that the scroll itself held miraculous powers, being the first lesson of the Great Teacher. |
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Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), DF (Defenders of the Faith), FR (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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