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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clay_More" data-source="post: 4395954" data-attributes="member: 9813">This is the one of the nine "brothers" in my campaign setting Balmortis. Thakulion is inspired by a brutal version of medieval Christianity while some of the elven legends of the deity have roots in animism. My goal in regards to the deities in my campaign is to have a rather small number of thoroughly described deities. As mentioned, there are nine deities, and three of those are hardly "deities", but more akin to representations of three basic forces of nature (life, death and magic). The remaining six deities are divided into three "good" deities and three "evil" (even though, in my campaign, alignment has very little influence). As you might see below, the description of the deity is quite big (and a few more things are actually coming a bit later). I apologize (well, I apologize to those who actually take the effort to read the darn thing).ThakulionPrince of ScarsThakulion is the Prince of Scars, the first-born of the three holy brothers and the guiding light. Thakulion stands for a world in which everything is well-ordered, where everyone knows their place. Thakulion also stands for pain and suffering and his worshipers firmly believe that pain hardens their soul so that they might better serve both their god as well as their king. Of all of the gods, Thakulion is the one that supports the nobility the most and his worshipers are always encouraged to adhere to the law of the land as long as that law is not opposed to the actions of the church of Thakulion.LegendThe legend of the birth of Thakulion seems to follow a pattern found in many elven myths, in that it gives the god traits inherited from animals. According to the elven legends, Thakulion was born from the corpse of a wolverine and raised by a boar with golden tusks. According to the legend, the boar is supposed to have wounded and maimed the infant god when it found it before it accepted to raise the child. The elven legends of the god tell of many stories in which Thakulion defeats various foes, many of them through pure persistence. In virtually all stories, the god is badly wounded but still manages to survive and prevail. The modern church of Thakulion has rejected the majority of elven legends as fabrications. The only legend which the church has canonized is the legend of the five wolverines (five is a sacred number in the worship of Thakulion and it is repeated in many rites and rituals). Five years after the birth of Thakulion, on a night where five stars shine in the sky in a perfect arc, the man meets a small pack of wolverines while wandering in the forest. The wolverines demands to know the name of the god. The god tells the wolverines that he is Thakulion, the maimed son. The wolverines tell Thakulion that he is the heart of one of their kin, that he must be killed so that the spirit of the wolverine may be set free. Thakulion immediately flees from the pack, hoping to make it back to the boar. In a small cave, Thakulion finds his guardian and tells him of the wolverines that are pursuing him. The boar, fearing that the wolverines will take his golden tusks, tells Thakulion that he has no intention of fighting the pack, that he intends to flee. The god-child grabs the boar and rips out the golden tusks, telling the boar that if he wont fight, at least he can give him weapons with which to defend his life. From the tusks, Thakulion crafts a mighty spear with which to defend himself. When the wolverines arrive, the god immediately attacks them and kills all except five. The five surviving wolverines are thrown into the sky, each of them thrown into one of the five stars forming the arc in the sky. On the first star, the wolverine Lupius is shackled to an enormous boulder. The boulder rests on the bottom of an infinitely big ocean on the star, the pressure of the water squeezing the body of Lupius with such enormous force that his blood is transformed into hardened gemstone, jasper, also called "Blood of Lupius". On the second star, the wolverine Daemic lives in a cage. Every morning, the cage is lowered into a cauldron of boiling water and the wolverine is cooked until all his flesh is gone. When the cage is raised at nightfall, the wolverine comes back to life and spends the night howling profanities at the moon. The steam rising from a boiling cauldron is therefore called the "Breath of Daemic". On the third star, the wolverine Caperis resides in a beautiful mansion. Here, he lies on a magnificent bed surrounded by the most juicy and exotic fruits on can imagine. On every single piece of fruit, a voracious crab lives, a crab that tears out the claws of Caperis whenever he attempts to take a piece of fruit. The claws plunge from the sky, burrowing through the soil of Balmortis until they emerge from the ceiling of the caves beneath the ground, forming stalactites, known as the "Claws of Caperis". On the fourth star, the wolverine Siman sleeps. Every day, the wolverine sleeps and dreams of the five most beautiful women any man can imagine. The women play and sing with Siman in his dreams. Every night, Siman awakes to find five skeletons around him on the barren star, the remains of the five muses that Thakulion used to punish him with. Every night Siman cries at the loss of the muses, cursing his lonely fate. The tears of Siman fall to the ground during night, and when day comes they grow into weeping willows, called the "Tears of Siman". On the fifth star, the wolverine Papan is imprisoned. Chained to a pillar, Papan is exposed to the vile storm of the star on which he lives. The storm is everlasting and instead of water the sky rains shards of glass. The storm tears away the flesh of Papan, flesh that falls to the ground in bloody chunks. The flesh eventually forms a small hill, called the "Mound of Papan", located just near the Spire of Repentance. The legend of the five wolverines is the only elven legend accepted by the present church of Thakulion. The rest of the holy texts used by the church deals exclusively with the actions of the many saints and holy people of Thakulion that have lived throughout history. The church has rewritten the old tome which contains the edicts of the faith, the "Benedictem", removing many of the ancient elven passages. Despite the efforts of the church to remove the elven influence on the religion, the most famous saint remains the old elven warrior Ra Amoon and his mace, the fabled Agonus, remains the most powerful and revered artifact of the faith.Teachings- Pain. Pain is the feeling of weakness leaving the body. Pain removes fear and doubt from the soul. The followers of Thakulion believe that pain is the greatest sacrament of their god, that it has a holy power to deliver them from evil. All followers are expected to inflict pain upon themselves in one form or another. Normal worshipers only follow this teaching once a year, when the Five-Fold Festival is held. Pain is divided into five types according to the type inflicted on the five wolverines (or the five herexia, as they are normally called). The Lupius pain is also called the pain of weight, and it is usually administered by placing something heavy on the subject for a prolonged period of time. A normal Lupius rite would have the practitioner lying on a flat surface with a "benedictem stone" on his belly. The benedictem stone is a stone carved to resemble the holy book. The Daemic pain is called the pain of heat, and it is administered by burning the subject. A normal worshiper of Thakulion will use boiling water to burn himself, while the more zealous clergy usually use iron rods. The Caperis pain is called the pain of hunger and it is practiced as simple fasting. A period of fasting can last from as little as sunrise to sunset, to as much as three months. The Siman pain is known as the pain of loss. The Siman pain is considered one of the more tricky types of pain to administer, as it involves the subject being separated from his loved ones for a long period of time. Usually, the normal worshipers simply administer the Siman pain by spending a day apart from their family. The Thakulion clergy, especially the War-Heralds, apply the Siman pain by never seeing their family again after they join the church. The last pain is the Papan pain, or the pain of cutting. It is normally administered through self-mutilation of some kind. The normal way of applying Papan pain is by make small cuts, usually along the top of the lower arms. Holy texts of the Thakulion religion sometimes have very elaborate diagrams depicting the safe places to cut during a Papan ritual. The clergy, especially the War-Heralds, have a number of more severe practices used during a Papan ritual. The "Egad" practice has the worshiper pulling out his fingernails and burning himself across the fingertip to prevent the nail from growing out again while the "Kiss of Thakulion" practice consists of the worshiper being struck three times in the teeth with a heavy silver hammer. The Kiss of Thakulion is rarely practiced anymore, only a very few War-Heralds have been known to still perform the rite. According to legend, elven Thakulion worshipers would sometimes travel with a special slave after having been subjected to the Kiss of Thakulion, a slave responsible for chewing the food of their toothless master before spitting it out and feeding it to him. - Scars. Scars is history engraved in skin. Scars are greater signs of determination and power than any medal. The teachings about scars are closely related to the teachings of pain. Since scars form after a wound heals, they are memories of pain. It is considered heresy to create a scar without pain, for example by administering a sedative or pain killing drug before inflicting the wound. Children who are born with a scar are considered blessed, unless the scar is shaped like one of the five heretic symbols (the symbols of herexia), in which case the child is considered to be possessed by the wolverine spirit. A legend exists within the church of Thakulion that there is a secret symbol called the Epiphanos. According to legend, a faithful can speak directly with Thakulion if he possesses a scar shaped exactly like the Epiphanos. If he is true and devout, Thakulion will grant he bearer of the Epiphanos great power while he walks on Balmortis and a vast empire with many servants will be reserved for him in the afterlife. - Respect. Respect is the foundation of society, an echo of the glory of the afterlife. Respect is circular and infinite. A very vital part of the Thakulion faith is respect and the adherence to the hierarchy of the land. A true believer must respect those above him. Older people must be respected for their wisdom and the work that they have done. The nobility and the king must be respected for their providence and the heavy burden of leadership that they bear. The church and the clergy must be respected for their knowledge and their task of bringing the word of the Benedictem to the faithful. The Thakulion church believes there is a strict hierarchy that binds all things together and that you must respect all things above you in the hierarchy. Plants are above the soil and the rain, animals are above the plants, sentient races are above the plants and the faithful of Thakulion are above all sentient beings with Thakulion being above everyone. Since people who do not believe in Thakulion are outside the hierarchy, the respect spoken of by the church does not extend to them. - Protocol. The Benedictem describes a huge number of rites that a true faithful must perform in the daily life at special events. These rites are said to promote order and reverence, constantly reminding the worshipers of Thakulion about his existence and power. The most common rite is the five-fold kiss performed before a follower enters a building for the first time. The side of the door is kissed five times, and the name of a wolverine is whispered before each kiss. This rite is performed to clear away the ghosts of the herexia before entering, to purify the building. Another common rite is the five-fold blessing, performed five times per day at specific times by the devout. The rite consists of a symbolic application of the five pains, first the worshiper places his left hand on top of his right hand to symbolize weight, then he breathes on the hands to symbolize heat, then he takes a grain of rice or a pinch of wheat (usually carried around in a purse by Thakulion believers) and throws it on the ground to symbolize fasting, then he touches his holy symbol to symbolize absence from his family and finally he pinches the palm of his hand to cutting pain of Papan. A skilled worshiper can perform the five-fold blessing in mere seconds.TitlesThe church of Thakulion is divided into a strict hierarchy and adherence to the hierarchy is one of the foundations of the religion. The following titles exist within the church and some of its branches.Grand Patriarch: The grand patriarch is the absolute head of the church of Thakulion. Currently the position is held by Saint Neopaul, a chosen one of Thakulion who has lived for six hundred years so far. Grand patriarch saint Neopaul resides near the high cathedral in Castle Laumakis. Patriarch: Beneath the grand patriarch are the common patriarchs. Each branch of the Thakulion church in other countries have a patriarch appointed to lead all the activities of the church in that country. Even though the patriarchs are supposedly above the archbishops in power, in reality there are some archbishops inside Laumakis who have greater influence and power than some patriarchs, since Laumakis is considered the base of the religion. While an archbishop might count tens of thousands of members amongst his flock, some patriarchs, such as the patriarchs of Rosvald or Emerik, count only a few hundred members of their branch of the church. Nine patriarchs are currently denominated. - Patriarch Samuel, head of the church in Cay Adair - Patriarch Jocelyn, head of the church in Rosvald - Patriarch Farafra, head of the church in Zel Nagash - Patriarch Majkal, head of the church in Sayomore - Patriarch Enok, head of the church in Montelival - Patriarch Gerrik, head of the church in Malmark - Patriarch Sindes, head of the church in Cay Nogulh - Patriarch Leonidas, head of the church of Emerik - Patriarch Lindevahl, head of the church in LaumakisThe nine patriarch are summoned once every fourth year to attend a conference in Laumakis where matters of the faith are discussed. It is rare for Patriarch Farafra from Zel Nagash to attend, but the remaining eight patriarch always attend the conference. Traditionally, only the patriarchs and grand patriarch attended the conference, but with the rise to power of some of the arch-bishops, a special rule has been made that allows a few select arch-bishops to attend.Archbishop: The archbishop title is a somewhat curious title in the church since it carries one of several meanings. Some archbishops have been appointed their title because they are the leaders of a region inside a country, a region considered so important to the church that a mere bishop title would be insufficient for its leader. Many of the regions of Laumakis have had arch-bishops appointed, as well as a very few of the regions in Cay Adair and Montelival. In addition to being the leader of a region of a country, some archbishops have been given their title to denote their importance to the church. For example, the head of the cathedral in Castle Laumakis has the title of archbishop, the head of the holy library has the title, the captain of the Epiphany has the title and the two secretaries under grand patriarch saint Neopaul have the title of archbishops. Some of the leaders of the various monk orders or the war-heralds have also been given an honorary archbishop title. Unlike the patriarch title that has a very fixed meaning, the power and duties of an archbishop vary widely.Bishop: The bishop title is given to the heads of a regional church. Most countries in which the Thakulion church operates have been further divided into a number of regions, over which either a bishop or archbishop resides. Vicar: Beneath the bishops are the vicars. A vicar is a member of the faith who has been appointed leader of a single church. Abbot: Abbot is a title given to the leader of an abbey. An abbey is different from a church by the fact that it is not open to the public as a church is. Priest: Priest is the title for the common servant of the church who has not been appointed to the leader of a church or abbey. All members of the church are classified as priests, but it is customary to refer to someone by their highest title. Even though a bishop is also a priest, he is hardly ever called priest.Acolyte: An acolyte is a priest in training. It takes seven years for an acolyte to finish his studies to become an ordained priest.In addition to the formal titles noted above that indicate a priests formal rank in the hierarchy of the church, a number of additional titles exist to denote special functions.Dean: In a church, abbey or cathedral, the dean is responsible for the internal management of the institution. While the institution itself is run by the archbishop, bishop, vicar or abbot, a dean is always appointed to answer to the formal leader of the institution. In smaller churches or abbeys, the dean also acts as treasurer, while larger institutions usually have a priest especially appointed to the title of treasurer to handle the economical management of the institution. Preceptor: The preceptor title is given to members of the faith that are responsible for teaching acolytes during their training. Precentor: The precentor is a title only given to a special member of the largest institutions of the faith. The precentor is responsible for the music of a cathedral, including the training of a choir and the maintenance of the music instruments. Theurgist: The theurgist is a special advisor appointed to serve under higher-ranking members of the church. The theurgist is responsible for advising their master on matters relating to arcane magic or the workings of other religions. Inquisitor: The inquisitor is responsible for the faith of the members of the clergy. Unlike all other functions of the church which all have some contact with the parish, the inquisitor deals solely in internal matters of the faith. The inquisitor is responsible for rooting out priests who have faltered in their faith to either remove their position or execute them. Execution is only an option with priests who have violated grocely against the edicts of the faith, while removal is the standard method for dealing with a faithless priest. The inquisitors are a bit special in the hierarchy of the church, as they are permitted to question any member of the church disregarding rank. In addition to all of the titles noted above, the various orders of the church have titles of their own (the monk orders and the war-heralds). CeremoniesThere are a number of ceremonies performed by the Thakulion faith on special days. The members of the parish are expected to attend most if not all these ceremonies. Boar's Feast: The Boar's Feast is held on the first Monday of April to celebrate the birth of Thakulion from the carcass of the wolverine and the death of the boar five years later. In the afternoon of the boar's feast, the clergy of the church will don a special costume reserved specially for this celebration, a costume resembling the wolverine from which Thakulion was born, the Opus Lupine. The service celebrates the martyrdom of the Opus Lupine to give birth to Thakulion. The members of the parish are expected to donate miniature gold or silver tusks to the church. These gift tusks are said to symbolize how the member of the parish denounces himself of the greed exhibited by both the boar and the wolverine. In the evening of Boar's Feast, it is customary for all members of the parish to celebrate the day by having a dinner party where they serve roasted boar or pig. In some of the regions of the world where boars or pigs are not to be found, it is common for the faithful to construct special dishes made to resemble boars. Usually, these dishes are boar figures made from mashed potatoes or corn. After the dinner, the children are given special treats, candy made from honey and roasted almonds, shaped like small boars. It is strictly forbidden to eat any remains of the feast after the day has ended, including the candy. Five-Fold Festival: The Five-Fold Festival is a celebration of the five pains of the herexia, held in the last week of November. During each day of the festival, the members of the parish must subject themselves to one of the five pains in a fixed order. On the first day, the pain of Lupius is administered. The worshipers go to their local church and sit in front of the altar with a benedictem stone placed on their hands. On the second day of the festival, the pain of Daemic is administered. The worshipers again go to their local church where a small, silver cauldron with water is boiling all day. The worshipers are expected to quickly put one finger into the boiling water. On the third day, the pain of Caperis is administered. The third day is simply a day of fasting where the worshipers are expected to refrain from eating between sunrise and sunset. On the fourth day comes the pain of Siman. The local church is separated into sections by scarlet curtains and the worshipers are expected to split up into the different sections so that they are separated from their family from sunset to sunrise. The entire day is spent inside the church in prayer. On the fifth and last day, the pain of Papan is administered. The parish are again expected to go to their local church, where the vicar or bishop will be responsible for a ceremony that end with the worshipers going up to the altar to receive three small cuts to the palm of their hand. On the fifth day of the festival, it is customary for the worshipers to hold a big feast, usually in the street, to celebrate the end of the festival. Everyone attending the feast brings a number of dishes to donate to the feast, and it is considered rude to deny anyone access to the food. It is the only day of the year where the worshipers are expected to give to the poor. Retribution: Fifteen days after the Boar's Feast comes another special celebration called Retribution. On this day, the Thakulion worshipers celebrate their freedom and their duty to fight against anyone who tries to hinder their faith. On this day it is customary for the local ruler to hold a number of parades, and the Thakulion worshipers themselves often have special parades in the street where they wear scarlet uniforms and carry weapons. According to legend, Retribution is the best day to atone for your sins by inflicting pain upon yourself. Some Thakulion worshipers even commit ritual suicide on Retribution day by tying themselves to a horse or mule that is then walked around the city throughout the day at the head of parade. Someone committing suicide on this special day is called a "Piet". When the crowd learns that a piet will be heading a parade, they arm themselves will small silver needles. If you can get blood on your needle from the piet, it is considered good luck and the needle will give you a good life for five years.</blockquote>

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