Ellurian Religion
| Ellurian pantheon | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type: | Polytheistic |
| Deities: | Gitaro, Grelon, Ekki |
| Regional Origins: | Elluria |
| Regions Where Prevalent: | Tollor, Elluria, Emil |
Ellurians follow a wide range of gods, but centre around the primacy of ancient Gitaro, Grelon, and Ekki. The Del-Ot holiday of the Ellurian religion is often marked by a pilgrimage to the holy island of El-Ekki. According to Ellurian mythology, the gods once walked the earth and actively involved themselves in the affairs of mortals, until the chief deity Gitaro decreed that humans should be the masters of their own destiny.
The Alesians naturally brought their own religious practices from their distant homeland, and have erected temples to their own gods in Garusk and other Ellurian cities. There is an effort under way by the Alesian priests to merge the two religions by identifying the Alesian and Ellurian deities with one another, starting with Jornos and Gitaro, since both are solar deities at the heads of their pantheons.
Mythology
The Root Scripture of Gitaro
POLAR was the son of Evus, who was the son of Agalio. Polar had dreams at a young age about the island of the gods that was to the south of his villiage. The dreams told the young man that he should sail to Calabaro, the city of the gods, and speak with Gitaro about the fate of mankind. Polar was a poor farmer and a Loquite,[1] and knew of only one man who had a ship that could make it to the island.
His brother Azur, who was not the son of Evus but the son of Thus, who was a captain of a Dolluthian ship named the Eorek. The god Seviro appeared before Azur and ordered him to take Polar to the island, and he obeyed. Polar, Azur, and thirty one Dolluthians set sail for the island, and before an hour's time, Azur tried to push Polar into the shark-infested waters. The gods sent a gull to help Polar by gouging out Azur's eyes, and Azur fell into the water. The crew tried to kill Polar because they were afraid, but the goddess Kili appeared before them and told them that Polar had done no wrong.
Polar arrived at the island unharmed, and he walked to the city of Calabaro where Gitaro was waiting for him atop a golden throne, with the other gods arrayed to his left and to his right. Each bore a stone tablet, which they presented to Polar in turn. "Man controls his own fate now," Gitaro said, "For now it is nature that needs our control the most." Polar read the tablets, on which were written final instructions for mankind. As he looked up from reading the tablets the gods were gone, and the city of Calabaro was no longer there. Polar stayed on the island for nine days.
And the gods, having given Polar these instructions, left to control the world around them, so that it could hold steady against Time.
GITARO, who went to control the sun, wrote, "You should do no harm to the innocent, and if a man is found guilty of theft or malice, he should not be punished more than his crime is worth."
EKKI, who went to control the soil, wrote, "You should not take too much, but you should moderate you food, drink, and pleasure so as not to throw away the balance that the earth has given you."
NYL, who went to control the moon, wrote, "Honor your rulers, for it is they who have been chosen to mediate the disputes of man."
GRELON, who went to control the thunder, wrote, "Treat your servants with care, for you may all be called on to serve the gods at any given moment."
LUER, who went to control the trees, wrote, "Protect your children so that they will one day run your business and prosper."
LACH, who went to control the mountains, wrote, "You should stand strong against any aggressor, so that you may insure that your children will have just rule."
KILI, who went to control the rain, wrote, "Forgive those who have wronged you in the past."
RUFEL, who went to control the harvest, wrote, "Give to your needy neighbors what they need, but not so much that it takes the food from your children's mouths."
SEVIRO, who went to control the sea, wrote, "Celebrate your lives and be merry, for life is a wonderful gift indeed!"
Belief System
The most important religious celebration in the Ellurian religion is the Del-Ot festival, which begins on the 24th of Second Seed, and lasts until the first day of Mid Year. Each of the nine days is devoted to a different deity, and has a different focus. Del-Ot celebrations are common in any city with a significant Ellurian population, and many of the faithful make pilgrimages to the sacred island of El-Ekki to celebrate the festival.
The Nine Days of Del-Ot
- Gitaro: Reflections Day / Sacrifice
- Ekki: Fasting Day
- Nyl: Royal Assembly
- Grelon: Labor Day
- Luer: Passage to Manhood
- Lach: Military Processions
- Kili: Forgiveness Day
- Rufel: Gift Day
- Seviro: Celebration Day
- ↑ Loquites, Dolluthians, and Harons were three ancient peoples who are the ancestral stock of present-day Ellurians.
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