Oiraons
Oiraon Religion
In the Oiraon universe, there exists a small amount of spiritual energy in the world that may be shaped by will and desire. As Oiraon civilization established itself and their intelligence and conceptual ability grew stronger, the spiritual energy solidified into their believes. With more overarching ideas (such as life and land) forming greater gods like Archi and Sei, and smaller concepts forming minor gods. These gods are in truth, shapeless beings, but when appearing before mortals, they take the appearance of the species they are showing themselves to. This is why to Oiraons, they appear in the shape of Oiraons.
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Major Gods:
There are 2 main creator gods in the Oiraon religion worshipped by all Oiraon species, Archi and Sei. Sei controls the passage of life and death while Archi manages the land and resources that enable the Oiraons to thrive. Together, their names make Archisei, meaning the beginning, for they are believed by Oiraons to have created the world and brought life from nothing. For wealth and prosperity, one would pray towards Archi and those under them, while for health and fertility, one would pray towards Sei and those under them. Their worship rituals include the sacrifice of valuable gifts and tribal celebrations.
Of the 2 gods, Sei is cold, cold like the indifference of death to the suffering of the individual, for death is not personal. Archi is the warmth to Sei's cold like the sun rays that helps life persist in the land, they are hence the 2 sides of a coin.
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Minor Gods:
Each creation god has a hierarchy of gods working under them known as minor gods. There are thousands of minor gods, each in charge of their individual region. Aside from the creator gods, the Oiraons in the different biomes will only worship the minor gods that rule over their specific region. (E.g Under Archi - minor god that rules over freshwater lakes.)
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Nuyuki - Minor god of the North Winds
One of the notable minor gods is Nuyuki. Nuyuki controls the North Winds and works directly under Archi. The North Winds travels around the world but ultimately returns to the North pole, their true home. When the North winds blow, this is when Oiraons began their preparation for winter. Being born of the air, Nuyuki is a wandering god, beholden to none except Archi. Despite their literal cold exterior, they protect the tribes who worship them fiercely. It is said when you hear the North Winds howl, the end is near. The tribes that worship Nuyuki typically live near the north pole and are arctic, mountain and water Oiraons. The worship ritual includes sacrificing the best fish of each catch to them.
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Nuyuki design credits to Dusk
Poppet - Minor god of romantic and selfless love
Another minor god is Poppet, the god of romantic and selfless love. Poppet's tale is one wrought with tragedy and unrequited love, for Poppet was not a god at birth, but instead, was made. They were born to a water tribe who lived near the seas, with a coat of dull reddish brown, like the last leaf on an autumn's tree. Born with the mutation of dwarfism, they were of small stature. Due to this, they were fated to have a life resigned to one of solitude, for they knew that no one would find them a suitable partner. Yet Poppet still fell in love, they loved more fiercely than the howls of the North wind, more fierce than the untamed waters of the dark seas. It did not matter that their love was not returned, hope was all Poppet had. They prayed to the gods feverishly every night for the well-being of their love and did not ask for anything in return. Until one fateless night, in the rushing waters of a mighty storm that no one could foresee, Poppet sacrificed themself to save the life of their love. The mighty god Sei, touched by this act of self-sacrifice, use their spiritual energy to honor Poppet by raising them to godhood after death, in representation of true romantic and selfless love.
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Poppet design credits to Catofwinter
Shiva design credits to Drao
Shiva - Minor god of warfare
The god of warfare, long forgotten by the world, bears the name Shiva. His tale is one of abandonment before his rise to glory. Born to parents whose faces he does not remember, he had to fend for himself in the harsh desert sands as a fletchling. After weeks of malnutrition, he was found by a small group of Oiraons when he was about to collapse from exhaustion. His new family nurtured him back to health and brought him up to adulthood. Being an outcast, he fit right in with his new tribe members, who were also rejected by their own tribe, and it kept growing by each new moon. They all shared a common trauma, outcasted from their own tribes and families, left to die to the sands. Their new tribe, unlike the usual mono-biomed, was composed of those from all the lands, from as far as the tropical jungles of the west, to all the way up to the distant arctic north. With the strength of so many
members in the tribe, they occupied one of the largest oases in the desert. It was prime territory, for in the land of the scorching sands, water was gold. Shiva’s feathers were a beautiful blend with the colour of the blue waters which they called their paradise, and of the white sand that surrounds them. Giant in stature and fierce in temperament, he rose to the rank of war general. Rumours were that he had Arctic blood in him, though not even he knew if such a thing was true. He fought ferociously in battle and led his troop to countless victories, using whatever tactics were necessary to defend against others who seeked their territory. Until a fateful battle arrived that changed the tide of war. For one hundred days, he and his flock fought against a joint opposition of many tribes from the southern desert who wished to control the oasis for themselves, many of whom were the former tribes of his own people. Both sides suffered a tremendous loss, and on the sunbreak of the hundredth day, Shiva and his remaining flock were finally able to vanquish the opposition. Though this victory came with a cost; Shiva's once beautiful blue feathers had been stained crimson from his injuries, his talons soaked in his fallen foes' blood and his magnificent wings that were his most stunning trait had been broken beyond recovery. Collapsing on the sands illuminated by the rising sun and surrounded by family, he took his final breath and slipped away to his eternal rest.
Sei the great god of life and death, recognised Shiva’s valorous sacrifice for his family and tribe, ascended him to godhood, where he continues to watch over his tribe and the desert in which it thrives even hundreds of generations later.
Nox - Minor god of chaos
Long ago it was once told, came a winter's night bitter and cold. Forsaken by her faithless flock, a night goddess screeches betrayed and shocked. Fallen from her former grace, she killed without mercy those who thought she could be replaced. The greater gods united against her ruthless reign, to prevent the spread of further bloodshed and pain. Hence on this hallow day the dark one was slain, her hatred grew where her body laid. She wasnt gone not even close, in her final breath a last note rose. She shall return to make the world burn.
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