The Realm of Austur Discussion Topic 2: Chatting Mad

I figure since this has been a long time coming, I should probably start posting it now. So here. Enjoy.

Religion and Religious practices in Shiryu

-Section 1, Chapter 1: The Pantheon

Aanu(Ah-Nu): The Chief Deity of the Shiryuan Pantheon, and the God of War, Peace, Justice, Divine Retribution and the Ocean. He is usually depicted by artists as a giant man, over a thousand feet tall with a long flowing beard, walking through the ocean, wielding the Trident of War and the Crown of Peace. The duality He represents- War and Peace, Justice and Vengeance, and the wrathful and giving nature of the ocean- lies at the very heart of the Shiryuan people. He is the most beloved of all the gods. His wife is Dheynilia, the Goddess of the Sky, the Harvest, and the Land, and his Mistress is Nemicia, the Goddess of Love and Beauty. His children are Salokmir, God of Strength, Creation, and Wisdom, Kieannu, Goddess of Time and Balance, Vigil, God of Man and Gatekeeper of Heaven, Raizel, God of Fire and the Forge, Archon, Goddess of Order and Chaos, and Eya, Goddess of Plague, Jealousy, Hatred, and Destruction.

Dheynilia(Day-Nil-Lia): The Queen of the Gods, and the wife of Aanu. While Her husband's domain encompasses the vast ocean, Her domain stretches over both the land and the sky. She is perhaps the wisest of all the gods, and is often the mediator during disputes. It is for this reason She is also believed to be the Patroness of Diplomats and Politicians; not to be confused with Dar'Valnu, the Goddess of Plots, Tricks, and Magic. However, some texts state that Dar'Valnu is simply an aspect of Dheynilia; In times of Stability, Day. In times of Chaos, Valnu, which is translated as 'Night' in the Shiryuan language. For this reason, She is often considered the Goddess of Order and Chaos as well. However, most religious scholars attribute Chaos and Order to Her daughter, the Goddess Archon. She is depicted as a beautiful woman in a gown of starlight and a crown of leaves, riding in a golden chariot of Sunfire, which is pulled by Akmanu, the Winds of Fate. She is often simply known as 'Day', expect in the most stringent texts and ceremonies.

Salokmir(Sal-Lok-Mir): The Firstborn son of Aanu and Day, and the Personification of Strength and Wisdom. He is seen as the personification of the best attributes of Humankind, and he is worshipped as the Creator of Humanity, not his father. He married Kieannu, Goddess of Time, and sired three children on her; Vashnu, Goddess of the Hunt, Fertility, and Marriage, Akmanu, God of Fate and the Four Winds, and Valdaran, Protector of Forests and God of Nature. He is often known simply as Soul, for he is the very soul of his creations.

Kieannu(Kee-Ah-Nu): The eldest daughter of Aanu and Day, and the wife of Soul, she presides over Time and Balance. When a mortal ascends to Heaven, they are greeted by the Three Trials, who decide if they are worthy to enter the Hall of Ages; Vigil, who stands guard at the Gates, Akmanu who spins the Wheel of Fate, and Kieannu with her Scales, who weighs the Good and Evil and delivers the Final Judgement. She is depicted as a surprisingly jovial, cheerful woman who is easily saddened by the plights of her people. Of all the Gods, she is the only one to be eternally loyal to her husband, and is considered the Patroness of all happy marriages as a result. During traditional Shiryuan weddings, the couple must ask for her blessing before her daughter's. She is also known as the Goddess of Forgiveness, for she even forgave her husband, when he repented after straying from her, in what is now known as 'The Hundred Day Walk.'

Vigil: A mortal warrior who ascended to the ranks of Godhood, he was given the glorious but unending task of watching over those below and guarding the gates to heaven. His story is well known and beloved throughout all of Shiryu, and he is the chief of the Triumvirate, or 'Three Paragons', the only three mortals to ever achieve Godhood. He was raised as the son of a simple fisherman and his wife, and although his true father was Aanu Himself, he did not have a spec of divine power in him. His journey did not truly begin until he was eighteen years of age, when his village was ransacked by soldiers of a Tribe at war with his own. His father was butchered, his younger sister and mother raped and left for dead, and he himself only survived because Aanu took pity on him, and concealed him within the shallow waters of the nearby sea. He eventually united the Warring Tribes of Shiryu, and founded the first Great House; He was named Emperor, and upon his death, he ascended to Godhood to join his father. He was later named the first Paragon.

Raizel(Rah-I-Zel, spoken quickly): The God of Fire and the Forge, and the benefactor of humankind. He gave humans the forbidden gift of fire, a power reserved only for the Gods, and was disfigured and cast out of Heaven for his treachery. He walked among humanity for several centuries, little more than a bitter hermit full of contempt and hatred, until on one fateful day he met a young girl named Dianna. She was apprentice to the Lorekeeper and Chief of the nearest village, and an aspiring huntress. It is said Day grieved for the loss of her son, and took pity on him, encouraging the young huntress to go into the Forbidden Wood on a morn when She knew Raizel would be out in the forest, gathering herbs. Dianna fell in love with him at first sight, and after visiting Raizel's hut on three separate occasions, pleading with him to take her as his apprentice, the old god finally relented. She soon became his lover and eventually his wife, and the story of their romance became a beloved folktale in Shiryu, and even play, entitled 'The Three Visits'. However, Dianna was a mortal and he was not. After giving him three healthy children, who inherited their father's immortality, she grew old and withered. Upon her deathbed, Raizel cried out, and was so distraught that his sister Kieannu wept, creating what is now known as Lake Dianna(Also known as Lake Kaguya. See "The Great Reform"). Aanu's heart softened, and He too wept at His childrens' tears. He returned Raizel to Heaven, and made Dianna the Goddess of Devotion, making her the second Paragon.

*Break for post length*

Searching through Episode 1 to check up on the occasional minor detail when the search engine refuses to work for you for some reason is a bigger pain than it should be.

I might know whatever details you're looking for. Feel free to ask me here or in a PM if it would make things faster.

Hey GX, what am I waiting for to have Vincent show up? The end of Elia and Irving's encounter? What kind of encounter is it, and have you two planned anything already? If you have planned what's going to happen, will you PM me the details?

I need to know what to expect beforehand, so I can plan my next post better, and not get caught off guard.

Isn't there suppose to be a mini-series of him coming out in April or May?

Sorry... I've tried writing that letter 5 times and each time it has too much purple prose to fit the character. I'll attempt again tonight since I didn't have time for my other project.

(Shiryuan Pantheon cont)

Archon(Arr-CHon): The Goddess of Chaos and Order. While some scholars believe she is simply an aspect of Day, most agree that she is Day's daughter instead. While Aanu represents the duality of all things, and Kieannu judges the balance of mortals, It is Archon who is said to physically maintain the balance of the world. In this way, some consider her the greatest and most awe inspiring of all the gods, greater even than her parents. While she is worshipped in all circles, her worship is most prevalent in the Shiryuan Seekers, the elite force that oversees all justice in Shiryu. She is depicted as a beautiful woman garbed in resplendent light, wielding a spear of darkness and a sword of light.

Eya(I-Ya): The most feared of all the Gods. A cunning goddess whose cruelty knows no bounds, most Shiryuans refuse to even speak her name out of fear of summoning her, or drawing her ire. She is the Goddess of Plague, Destruction, Hatred, Jealousy, and all things Shiryuans find abhorrent and wrong. She is the very personification of darkness. As it is written in the Old Texts, "From Love and Beauty, came Hatred and Jealousy. And from Hatred and Jealousy, inevitably came Death." She is the daughter of Aanu and Nemicia, and she is the mother of Lazarus, the Shiryuan God of Death. It is said, during the End Times, when the Oceans erupt and the Mountains walk, she will bring about the Dreaded Return, and cause the End of the World.

Nemicia(Also known as Nivian. See "The Great Reform"): The longtime consort of Aanu, and one of the primary Deities in both Shiryuan religion and lore. She is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and the personification of all that is good and wise. However, as the Old Texts teach us, the greatest darkness springs forth from the shadow of the greatest light. She is the mother of Eya, Goddess of Destruction, and the grandmother of Lazarus, the God of Death. It is said she and Aanu share the domain of the Ocean, and for this reason, she is widely considered the Goddess of the Sea.

As soon as you're ready, yes. Do you mind posting first to get things started? I'm working on a project for math right now.

I think you could design an awesome location, so I'll leave it ip to you. Go crazy with it if you want. I do want it to be large, and with various hazards. Someplace that's hard to find, at least partially underground, and not very well lit would be nice thematically.