An excerpt from "The Holy Text"

Creation of the Gods and of the Earth

In the beginning, there was light, and there was dark. The light manifested, took form, and became Respit. Simultaneously was the dark, just as the light. The dark manifested, took form, and it became Ramaeesh. In the beginning the was the light, and there was the dark. And nothing was; and everything was.

Now with the dark and with the light, was She. She was of the Void, that great, inescapable darkness both within and without the light. And She-of-the-Void kept balance between the Light and the Dark, for they fought ceaselessly. The Light was cruel, and sought to illuminate the Void in harsh bright illumination. The Dark was silent, watchful, and desired to envelop the Void in a peaceful dim. And from the turmoil was born Hate, War, and Chaos.

War in the heavens was waged for millennia; a ceaseless struggle between Light and Dark; neither good, neither evil. War took the form of Bellamoria, and she was pleasing in beauty, for the spoils of War are enticing to all.

Chaos spread through the Void, a chaos that ripped the seams of reality and unreality to shreads. The Chaos and Madness was Acemis, and he delighted in horror and death.

And the war continued between the Light and the Dark, neither winning, neither losing. But the other Gods were not content with the strife. They schemed for many years, waiting, watching for any opportunity to settle the dispute. But She-of-the-Void was most watchful of all. She created the world, and in this world she placed the trees and wheat and all the plants on the land. She made the waters and the skies, and all the creatures that inhabited. She created the creatures of the land, the beasts of the feild. And finally, She created Man.

And when She had finished, she called to her the Light and the Dark, for they each desired to see the new world She had made. And so She called the Light to one side of the world, and bound him there with a thread of fire. He raged day and night, for he was not content to be chained to the earth. Then, seeing Respit was securely trapped, She ripped a portion of his robe and called Ramaeesh to the other side of the world, claiming that Respit was dead. She was going to bind the Dark, but Ramaeesh knew of the Goddesses scheme. He willingly stayed on his side of the world, fully desiring peace at last. And so the Day and Night were created. And the Sun is where Respit resides, burning the unworthy and welcoming the valiant after death. And it is said that only the bravest warriors may live in the Halls of the Sun eternally. Ramaeesh inhabits the Moon in his Holy silver sanctuary. And the truly beautiful, innocent, and pure are welcomed to bathe in the Pools of Ithuru and walk in the silver forests eternally. And the young children of man who have died before their time are given life anew at the right hand of Ramaeesh.

When the world was created, She-of-the-Void appointed spirits to guard the new creation. The forests were given to Ekroob, for she was compassionate to the beasts in the trees and across the ground. The seas were given to Mahazen, for he had the temper of the raging waters, as well as the care for mankind and their mariners. Fire and fertility were given to the Goddess War, Bellamoria, for her passion and beauty, as well as her ferocity.

The rivers, ponds, and streams were gifted to Ramaeesh for his willingness to bring peace in the heavens, and for his innocent self-sacrifice. He was also given command over the blood of all living things, for without blood, Man cannot survive.

The bravery and valor of Man, as well as their victories and conquests, were given to Tahadis, for he triumphed eternal. And it is said that the wicked dead may be redeemed on the Holy Battlefield of Tahadis.

And the Great Knowledge of Man was given to Ellah to command. She was gifted also with music and arts.

And everything was balanced, and all was good.

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Festivals of the Gods, by Narvee'a Yatu, Grand Hierophant of Ellah

The full account of the festivals of the Revered Ones, as recorded in the year 460.

The Festival of the Golden Dome: Celebrated in the Reji Desert, this month-long occasion is honored with the singing of hymns, the giving of gifts, and weekly parades of worshipers and performers. Acrobats, merchants, and musicians flock to the United Cities of Reji to cater to the celebrants. The Festival celebrates Respit, God of the Sun, for his benevolence. Worshipers will also beg the God for another year of Daylight.

The Festival of Silent Pools: A solemn festival honoring the God Respit, this is a month long event as well. Celebrated globally, but most extravagantly in Reji, people will bathe in pools in monasteries of Ramaeesh if available, or in ponds and streams if not. Theses cleanings will begin at dusk and continue all night. Other events include feasts, the burning of incense, ritual dances, and city-wide vigils of complete silence. In the Grand Temple of Ramaeesh, a young boy between the ages of fifteen years and seventeen years will bathe in the Pool of Moons. He must be physically beautiful, without blemish, and spiritually pure and innocent or else the God will reject him. If the boy is not rejected by the God, he is ritually sacrificed. His blood will be drained into the pool, and the boy's soul is sent to the Pools of Ithuru on wisps of incense, where he will reign as a prince over the face of the moon.

The Festival of Holy Fire: Celebrated globally, but mainly in the Vra'a Savannah. This event spans three weeks and is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Bellamoria. Burnt sacrifices of cattle an ox are offered to the Goddess. Great sacrificial fires are lit in the outskirts of the cities, and wild dances are performed around the flames. Many people are married or have children as a result of this festival as Bellamoria blesses young couples with fertility. Priestesses of Bellamoria are ordained during this festival, and one Fireseer is appointed.

The Feast of Decay: This holy day is celebrated to ward off the demons of Acemis. Many graves are blessed with incense and adorned with gold and silver trinkets. People will wear masks to hide themselves from the face of the Mad God, and many wear amulets when going to sleep to guard themselves from nightmares.

The Righteous Games: A tournament held in the first months of the summer, this competition is dedicated to Tahadis, Bellamoria, and Ramaeesh. Held in the great Arena of Ma'ak on the Mahazenian Coast, people from every city in the Sacred Land come to compete in tournaments ranging from combat, athletics, and other physical feats. Winners of this festival are given lavish gifts and are catered to for the rest of their lives. Any blood spilt during this competition is given to Ramaeesh as sacrifice.

Atonement: A holy day in the middle of winter, Atonement is a day when everyone may repent their sins to the Revered Ones, especially Respit, Ramaeesh, and She-of-the-Void. People fast, pray, and bathe in sacred pools for cleansing. Extremists, such as the Flagellants, may beat, flog, or even whip themselves in repentance.

Heavenly Beings and Deities

By Sa'vi Harma Bati

"And the Gods in Heaven created for themselves divine servants, good and bad according to their purpose."

-A Psalm of Sadiva

The Revered Ones have been known to create holy and unholy spirits to carry out their divine will. This guide is written to shed light on these creatures and the Gods who created them.

•Respit•

God of Light, Daytime, and the Sun. Respit is known as a fierce God. He is bright, angry, and righteous. Patron of warriors and kings, Respit values royalty and valor.

-The Phoenix- the Phoenix is a bird of beautiful iridescent colors. When this bird has reached the end of its life, it will burst into flames. From the ashes of the old bird, a new one will be born. Phoenixes are the holy servants of Respit in the Halls of Heavenly Light.

•Ramaeesh•

God of Darkness, silence, blood, and innocence. Streams and ponds are sacred to Ramaeesh. The God is seen as docile, kindly, albeit mysterious. In some legends, Ramaeesh is seen as dubious and even mischievous, but this is very rare. More often than not, he is holy and innocent.

-Ithuru- The Spirit-Wolf companion of Ramaeesh, he is depicted most often as an entirely black wolf with silver eyes. He is the greatest companion to Ramaeesh; his holy ally in battle, in the hunt, and when traversing the realms of mortal man.

-Seraphim- Heavenly servants of Ramaeesh, these entities take on the form of beautiful young women with glowing silver wings. Sometimes these beings have swords or incense braziers. Mostly depicted as benevolent and docile.

•She-of-the-Void•

The most mysterious of the Revered Ones, not much is known about her. She seems to be infinitely wise, and devoted to balance.

•Bellamoria•

Goddess of Fire, War, Passion, and Fertility, she is generally depicted as sultry and seductive. Neither good nor bad, she often entices mortal men to be with her, whether that be in the form of warfare or lust. She is a skilled warrior and lover in equal respects. She has had many mortal lovers.

-Succubi- Demons of lust and love, these beautiful female spirits seduce men and enslave them for the Goddess.

-Incubi- Demonic male counterparts to the Succubus, these beautiful masculine spirits seduce women and enslave them for the Goddess

-Djinn- Elemental spirits of fire, these entities loom like men made entirely of flames. Often found fighting or causing strife. They are the heavenly soldiers of the Goddess

•Acemis•

The Demon God of Decay, insanity, nightmares, and dreams, he is malevolent. The only beneficent face of Acemis is his role as the guide of the dead into the Underworld. Acemis is also Lord of the Five Hells.

-Demons- Evil spirits whose only purpose is to harm or possess mortals. Some are physically violent, some beautiful, some sneaky, and some can cause nightmares.

-Wraiths- The souls of the dead who have forgotten their original identity. They now aid Acemis in leading souls to the Underworld.

-Wights- Reanimated corpses of the dead, possessed by powerful demons

-Ghosts- The restless souls of the dead

•Ekroob•

Goddess of Nature, the forest, and woodland creatures. She also has dominion over the seasons. She is generally a compassionate Goddess.

-Dryads- Woodland spirits who take the form of trees. Theses creatures are a combination of wood and spirit, manifesting like a woman made of wood, vines, flowers, branches, and leaves.

-Nymphs- Woodland spirits that take the form of leaves or petals. They will take the form of women made entirely out of swirling leaves or petals.

•Tahadis•

God of Victory, conquest, and athleticism. He is an aggressive God, yet a benevolent one. He is often worshipped by soldiers and athletes, but also by kings.

•Ellah•

Goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts. She is very compassionate toward man, and many pray to her for inspiration.

•Mahazen•

God of Seas, storms, sailors, and pirates. He is an angry, forceful God. When sailors pray to him, the pray he is not around as opposed to that he would protect them.

-The Krackan- a terrible creature resembling a giant octopus, many deaths are attributed to this colossus.

-Sirens- Female creatures with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. They sing and lure men to their deaths upon rocky shoals and sandbars.

-Xi'tu Fish- Like enormous, boat sized angler fish, they have been known to destroy ships and their crews.

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