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The World of Teréth End - Religions - Dekàlan Gods/FONT> |
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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 People  |
Chapter Eight - Sudul The Dreaming Goddess, Goddess of Sleep, Lady of the Mist, Queen of Dreams
The face of Sudul (SOO-duhl) is never shone, but scriptures from the temple of the Dreaming God refer to the deity in feminine terms; Sudool (early form of Sudul) being a feminine name (meaning "dreamer"). An asexual or hermaphroditic portrayal of the deity would not be unique within the Dekàlan pantheon (c.f. Draun, Zyrr), but the feminine maintains a balance of gender within the pantheon. The Prayer of the Blossoms is an important prayer that children are forced to memorize from an early age in the Dreamlands. The learning of the prayer requires one skill rank in Religion (Sudul). For information on how the prayer works, see Prayer of the Blossoms. The Divine Aspects Jarjatha (dream mistress) (jzhar-JZHAH-tha) is the dream mistress, who visits mortals in the night, pulling threads of memory from days past, and sprinkling dust from others' lives into the mix. She is represented as a luminous moth leaving a helical contrail of silver dust in her wake. The Cult of Jarjatha is large in the Dreamlands, specifically Jadth. Many view her as a deity of good fortune, a distinction probably more appropriate for Zalan or her aspects. Why worship Jarjatha? Jarjatha promises intervention against the forces of Daggon, a very real threat in the Dreamlands. Many have encountered Daggon's minions in their dreams, or when the dreaming winds (see Blooms) blow through the villages and cities each spring (and summer and fall). Others believe that Jarjatha brings good luck, and that the faithful may find good fortune on the winds that blow from the dark jungles of the Dreamlands. Whichever reason people cling to, the worship of Jarjatha is a cult of hope, promise, and safety. The minions of Jarjatha are called the Jargath. Some have reported that the Jargath appear as beautiful ethereal winged-swordmaidens of great elegance, while others (a much smaller number) have recalled ferocious demons with fiery eyes, razor-like teeth and rending claws emerging from within the guise of a a beautiful figure. It is common that male Uren often perceive the Jargath as scantily clad women while females see them as handsome, well-muscled men. No matter what form the Jargath takes, their eyes always appear a mirroring silver. Prayers to Jarjatha are often answered by Jargath. Daggon (the horrible) (DAG-gohn) is the weaver of nightmares. Although Daggon appears in a variety of forms, he is referred to as male. Unlike the Aspects of other gods, the Aspects of Sudul reportedly rampage freely among mortals, doing as they wish. Jarjatha spends an inordinate amount of time undoing the damage done by Daggon, who does the reverse, stirring otherwise peaceful slumbers into harrowing experiences that leave mortals shaking and sweating in their beds. Why worship Daggon? Most followers of Daggon are not evil, and would be insulted by the very idea that their deity is. The mainstream worship of Daggon is a search for answers within the mysteries and folds of the unknown. The Dagari are seen as the keepers of knowledge, knowledge that the mortal Uren are not prepared to know. The corrupting power of that knowledge has warped and disfigured the noble Dagari, who despite this terrible cost, continue to guard mortal minds from the abominable truths. Worshippers of Daggon claim to be shielded from the nightmares that plague the rest of humanity. This may be the position of the majority of Daggon's followers, but others embrace the horrible aspect as the destroyer of good, an entropic force seeking to return all creation to its original untainted state, of Chaos. Daggon and his minions respond positively to both positions. The cohorts of Daggon are called the Dagari. Few descriptions of the Dagari match for these monsters of The Dream of Sudul are shapeless creatures who adapt body parts as needed, mostly it appears to throw fear and loathing into the hearts of mortal dreamers. Though the reports of the Dagari sightings vary widely, some common elements of the monsters include roving eyes, slobbering maws, and long toothed tentacles that flay the flesh from the bones of the dreaming wayward. Like all denizens of The Dream though, the Dagari are masters of shapeshifting and can appear as innocent as a newborn before revealing their vile nature. Regardless of what form the Dagari assume however, they are unable to communicate in any tongue but Dreamspeak, and their own snarling slobbering language (if in fact it is). Prayers or pleas to Daggon are often answered by Dagari. The Cult Worship of the Sudul is an ancient practice, dating back to the earliest days of the Dekàlan Empire. The cult was formed by sages who studied the writings and teachings of Te'zanah, a native prophetess who emerged from the Dreamlands with three jade scrolls. The scrolls detailed the perils of a character named Sudul'ah who fought to survive the machinations of two immortal figures, Jarjath'ah and Daggon'ah (dream and nightmare). The story presented is known as The Ordeal of Sudul'ah, and describes her decent into madness and eventual re-birth into divinity, and master of the aspects. Later iterations of the story introduce Path as giving Sudul'ah the insight to beat her adversaries, though this is not included in the original version (not that anyone has seen the jade scrolls in over a thousand years). The Priesthood The Temple (meaning "cult") of Sudul is unlike other Dekàlan Temples. First, the priests and faithful of Sudul (dubbed Sudulites) are part of a vast decentralized organization. Whether this apparent disorganization is a product of the temple's ethereal philosophies, or the lack of an established Kyrm Orsudul is unknown. Very little can be discerned about the group's heirarchy since the faithful rarely meet to discuss or debate issues concerning the cult. A heirarchy of some sort must exist however as the temple of Sudul has never failed to send a representative to the Council of Lanàdus. Priests around the City of Jadth often wear faceless masks for their ceremonies and select official duties. The masks represent a separation from the physical world. Southern priests often tattoo themselves completely. Southern Jadth is remarkable for its tattooists' use of colored and invisible inks (sotah). Followers of Jarjatha may also wear grey and white mantles. Followers of Daggon do not distinguish themselves through their dress. Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Sudul make strange traveling companions, as they prefer to sleep during every non-active moment. They are very adept at falling fast asleep in an instant, and rarely suffer from a poor night's sleep, even in less than ideal circumstances. There are small prayers which are spoken, whispered, or murmured before falling asleep and just after waking; but these seem natural, and almost spoken unconsciously. All Sudulite prayers are very brief, and there are virtually no organized ceremonies, other than what amount to large slumber parties. Sudulite homes and temples are kept well-stocked with soporific wines, elixirs, drugs, incenses, and herbs that invoke special dreams. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The only "holy day" for the followers of Sudul is the night of the First of Aldruan, the longest night of the year (northern hemisphere). It is believed that Sudul and his minions visit the faithful on this night and plant special visions and portents in their minds. Many priests claim to receive puzzles which they contemplate (and sleep) upon for the remainder of the year. Usually some lesson learned during the course of the year helps to solve the puzzle given. Oracles (mystics) of Sudul charge high prices on this night, for their words are said to come from the god herself (rather than her aspects) on this one night of the year. Major Centers of Worship: The main area of worship for the Dreaming Order is located at the "Old City" in the city-state of Jadth. The centerpiece of the "Old City" is a massive piece of masonry known as "The Bowls". The Temple of Sudul does not have a High Temple within the Waking World. There are few Orders within the Temple of Sudul, apart from the priesthood (i.e. the Dreaming Order). The term Sudulite usually refers to priests though it does not uncommonly refer to any follower of the deity. Another item that separates the Temple from most others within the Dekàlan pantheon (excepting Amra) is an absence of a military order (Roth has a military order, but not a fighting military order). In the city-state of Jadth, where most of Sudul's faithful reside, the role of militarty enforcement falls to two groups; the Order of the Red Knights and the Illuminated (a secular group with strong ties to the temple). Order of the Red Knights are a fraternity of templar-esque soldiers that defend the religions and values of bygone Dekàlas. Not expressly associated with the temple of Sudul, the Order maintains a large organization in the city-state of Jadth defending what it sees as one of the only unconquered Dekàlan city-states. (see Ordus Thardám Merdúl) The Illuminated is a mysterious organization found near sites deemed holy by the temple of Sudul. Unlike most Orders, the Illuminated have no interest in identifying colors or vestments, preferring not to advertise their presence at all. The name of the organization has trickled into the common rumors from disenchanted Red Knights or Sudulite priests who have told stories about a secret Order sponsored by the Temple as an early-warning system against trouble around the sacred sites. Despite this, no one in the City of Jadth seems to know who the Illuminated are or can recall ever meeting or seeing one of its members. (see The Illuminated) Spells of the Faithful D&D Spells: GURPS Spells:
The Davra Orkid available to Sudulite spellcasters is: Creation-Illusion
(F2), Divination (F3), Elemental
Fire (F1), Elemental Water (F1), Emotion
(F2), Enchantment (F1), Manipulation
(F1), 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 Sudul have access to the following domains Air Worshippers of her aspects have access to different domains. Jarjatha's priesthood have access to Air while Daggons priesthood has access to Air The Dream: A few of those that worship Sudul have discovered a shared "altered state" known as The Dream, or the Collective Dream. There are several ways to achieve The Dream as studied and practiced by the faithful of Sudul, but the most common means (by the unititiated) is by subjection to the dreaming winds. Those thrust unbidden into The Dream are often unprepared for the metaphysical "world" that awaits them, an experience that leaves many as gibbering slobbering idiots should they ever escape. Most physical laws do not exist within The Dream, though the experience parallels the waking world in many ways. Though no two experiences within The Dream are identical, similarities have been reported among those that have ventured there, and returned. Those entering The Dream leave their physical body behind, unprotected. The body's metabolism slows when the dreamer-animus leaves, meaning that hunger, dehydration, suffocation, etc. take 4x the normal time to affect the body. There seem to be five main inhabitants within The Dream. First, are the Uren with their various factions, (the Sudulites are the most notable within the Dreamlands). The second group of note are the Sentries. The third and fourth factions (and most numerous) are the demons of Daggon (dagari) and Jarjatha (jargath) who battle ceaselessly across the landscape. Within Jadth, three groups are initiated in the ways of The Dream, the Sudulites, the Illuminated, and the Order of the Night Lotus. D&D: Those entering The Dream appear as an Image (a dreaming body). The only abilities that transfer to The Dream are intelligence (Int), wisdom (Wis), and most importantly charisma (Cha). All uninitiated characters entering The Dream gain 4 hit points (Commoner, Level 1) plus their Cha modifier. Within The Dream strength is replaced by Wis, dexterity is replaced by Int, and constitution is replaced by Cha . A second tier of "health" is similarly established based on Wis, but these are sanity points. Every time a character's sanity points reach negatives, a new insanity (read: role-playing opportunity) blossoms within the character. The only class levels that transfer wholly, are priests or monks of a dream cult, and now-warrior psionicist classes. Tranferred classes replace the Commoner level, they are not added to it. Denizens of The Dream are considered Outsiders (see MMp6), and through extreme force of will (1d4 points of temporary ability damage per hour) may manifest within the waking world. This manifestation is based upon a feat called Manifest Self, and carries many restrictions although many of these obstacles are avoided on the darkest nights. |
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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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