Legends of Belariath

Merfolk Religion

Pantheon

Akakios

Aspect of Primary Deity: Ocean

Known/Revered by: Sarenheits-race of merfolk

Hierarchy: Lesser Path God of Darkness

Dominions: Murder, Debauchery, Sadism

Symbol: Bound Mermaid wrapped in thorns

Holy Days/Celebrations:

Akakios celebrates the time of autumn when things of nature begin to die, when Gaea begins to lose some of her powers, he enjoys the feelings of the earth losing its hold on life even if only for a time.

His power culminates on Old Hallows Eve and it is then that the Sarnheits are strongest; their magic is most potent for taking the sailors from the surface as Akakios whips the waves and sends the storms making the arms of the sweet siren Sarnheits so much more appealing to sailors.

Special Ceremonies:

The extent of this festival of pure evil and murder that is held each hallows eve would horrify Giran and Carain if they truly knew just what all was involved, it’s a 12 hour continuance of torture, pain, sadism and general debauchery. It puts Akakios each year at this time at his strongest and so he begins the 3 day war again.

Introduction:

History and Lore:

Akakios had lived in Gaea’s realm as well, in league with all the other Gods and Goddesses he had fallen in love with the beautiful Carain and she in turn had loved him back. At that time he was handsome, beautiful to the point of being envied by others, both for his looks at for the fact that Carain had chosen him above the others. Unfortunately he became conceited, selfish.

Carain, who had at first loved him with all her heart started to drift away his selfish and conceited ways battling with the constant jealousy he had over her friends drove her slowly from him, she tried to get him to change his ways but he was so sure he was perfect that nothing changed.

The loss of Carain was the final straw, his mind twisted, the emotions of the Gods far surpass anything humans can even begin to imagine, and when his mind cracked he became a soul like no other, nothing like him had even been known. His visage began to reflect in ways the twisted darkness that was his soul, he began to retreat, not wanting to be near anyone as the changes became more and more visible, hiding out almost he tried then to change his ways but to no avail, the further things went the more he knew he had no redemption and so he began to embrace the darkness.

He felt the folds of the realm at that point and once gone the changes became faster and faster until the beautiful deity had become the dark, dreary, murderous creature that we know as Akakios.

Carain, who was devastated by these changes in the one she loved turned to her friends for love and support and in time she drew closer and close to Giran, although she had never intended it in time her love for Akakios faded, changed to a kind of pity her eyes fell on Giran, never to change. Akakios was furious regarding this for he had hoped Carain would come, change herself, be with him, his dreams in tatters he vowed to never rest until Giran was dead and Carain was miserable and alone.

As time passed and he saw that Giran and Carain had taken to them the Angivos he claimed for himself the Sarnheits, changed them, warped them, twisted them to his own ways, at first he saw the, as merely an army for his use but he soon learned that they could help him grow, and so each year he builds his power to higher to higher levels then starts into the 3 day war on the day following Old Hallows Eve, to claim more followers, and more power through death and destruction.

On the end of the 3rd Day Akakios faces off against Giran personally to try and defeat him, thus far he has been thrown back time and again but his power grows, who is to say that he will always lose.

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Restrictions/Taboos for Followers:

They must not bypass any opportunity to create mayhem and fear that will strengthen their God or be found to help any Angivo, all Angivos MUST be returned for torture.

Carain

Name of Deity: Carain

Aspect of Primary Deity: Ocean

Known/Revered by: Angivos

Hierarchy: Lesser Path Goddess of Light

Dominions: Passion, Lust, Love

Symbol: Open oyster shell with a pearl in the middle and a rose wrapping around it.

Holy Days/Celebrations: The rainy season between the breaking of the winter till the heat of the soaring sun is a special time for the followers of Carain and Giran. Those months symbolize the leaving of the merfolk from their icy home to the protective waters of Kaimana. It is a time of renewal, to give thanks to their Goddess and God.

Special Ceremonies:

Birth

The miracle of birth is highly important to the race of merfolk for when they had lived in their icy world, without food, they almost died out since successful pregnancies were few and far between. For each expecting mother, they are to go to the closet temple and thank Carain for the miracle and to give offerings of flowers, shells, and etc. When the merbaby arrives, a celebration is held for the child and it is the Head Priest/ess that names the child for the name comes to them from Carain herself, if the child is female that is. Male children would receive their name from Giran.

Marriage

Since Carain governs the domain of love, all marriages are held within her name. The wedding celebration last a week during the couples choosing. On the first day, both partners are separated, spending the day and night praying to their respectable God or Goddess.

Upon the second day, a huge feast is given usually by the parents of the bride, however the groom and bride are kept at separate ends of the table, still unable to be with one another or even see each other.

The third night in their separate marriage homes, they are visited by many for this is the night of tests.

For the first test, each is offered their prized desires handed to them in exchange for not marrying the other. Example, if the groom was just a mere guard and desired to be a captain then the position would be offered and all he would have to do is not marry. If they both pass the test each would receive a blessing or a gift to be shared within their new home. However, if one did not pass, they would have to live a year apart and be unable to wed.

The second test is one of riches. They are given the chance to have all the gold and riches within the realm, in exchange for leaving each other. Again, if they pass, they move onto the next test.

The third test is perhaps the hardest of them all, for it tests the true will of the lovers. Both bride and groom are visited by other single merfolk of the opposite sex in hopes to seduce them into betraying the loyalty to their lover. If either gives into the advances of the single merfolk, they loose their right to wed once again.

However, if they pass, they are left in peace for the rest of the evening, left to pray or sleep or whatever they choose as long as they stay within the home. On the morning of the fourth day, both bride and groom are woken and taken to separate rooms within the same building. There they are prepared by their family members for the big night.

The bride is dressed in glorious shells, flowers, and any other item they wish. Once they are both ready, they are led into a large hall where a lavish ceremony is held celebrating the joining of the two merfolk. Before the wedding is complete, the two lovers end the ceremony with a lover’s dance, leading out of the hall and towards their new home. The last nights and days of the marriage ceremony are nothing but celebration, celebration, celebration!

Introduction: The Queen of the sea and consort of Giran, the Sea God. Carain is queen of the undines, or merfolk, and therefore known for her music, her ability to see the future, her spells of enchantment and her great beauty. The souls of those who have drowned are said to go into her realm. She is the patron of girls and young women who have not yet married.

History and Lore: Carain had been a rather lonely Goddess until she met Akakios. Despite his looks, she had fallen in love with him at first sight. Of all the Gods in the realm, she had chosen him to be her partner in life. Years past and despite their love being so wonderful at the beginning...it started to change...Akakios started to change. He became more and more conceited, selfish and worst of all; he tried to prevent Carain from visiting her friends even trying to prevent her from her Goddess duties. She tried and tried, but only failed to get him to change, for he seemed blind to her needs and desires.

Late one night, while Akakios slept, she snuck out and went to visit Giran. He had become a close friend during these troubled times, and it was what she needed the most right now. She would visit him every time Akakios left to deal with things or at night after he had gone to bed and eventually Giran and Carain fell in love. Carain hadn't meant to fall in love with Giran for her heart still belonged to Akakios, but she could see just how dark Akakios was growing and this scared her.

Eventually her love for Akakios turned into pity, for her love for Giran was growing. When Akakios left the realm in all his darkness, she turned to Giran and it was no time until they were wed. A few years later, her and Giran were approached by Gaea in request to care for a group of merfolk. They gladly accepted. Many more years passed in peace, that is until the night the Angivos were attacked! Akakios too, had acquired his own group of merfolk called the Sarenheits and had sent them to destroy the Angivos. Giran would spring into action and Carain would do her best to watch over the women and children Angivos while the men fought, though some women were taken despite her efforts to save them all. The 3 Day War this event would be called as this happened yearly and each year Akakios growing more and more powerful, but luckily Giran was able to push him back. But...one could only wonder how long he could keep it up.

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Restrictions/Taboos for Followers:

* If they do not attend the yearly ceremony, they will loose her favor and must come to the festival and beg for forgiveness. If they do not, they will be casted out and made to either live alone or take on the likeness of a Sarenheit until they have made amends.

*It is forbidden for those of the Merfolk to despoil the waters they hold dear, any doing so is immediately renounced by the race as a whole and thus marked, usually a brand on the forehead or biceps.

Merfolk will not willingly go near flames, nor own any magic that deals with the fire sphere. The flames dry out their flesh faster, and most Merfolk that have been near flames feel an immediate need to drench themselves in water to halt the scaling process their skin goes through, which causes an intense pain and often bleeding.

Giran

Name of Deity: Giran

Aspect of Primary Deity: Ocean

Known/Revered by: Angivos

Hierarchy: Lesser Path God of Shadow

Dominions: Necessity, Protection, Justice

Symbol: A large conch shell standing upright with a swirl of water wrapping about it.

Special Ceremonies:

Death

As Carain deals with the beginning of life, Giran deals with the ending. There are many theories as to what happens when a merfolk dies. Some say that they are a race with no soul and return to the waters as sea foam. This is only half true, for merfolk do have souls, just like any other living creature. If the fallen merfolk has lived for hundreds of years and has let their wishes of moving on to the after-life known, the body is brought to the temple for preparation. The body would be wrapped head to toe in soft layers of white dyed seaweed then decorated with flowers, shells, and something of personal value. Those of the temple then would bring the body to the surface and lay it upon a group of smooth sunning rocks. The area around the body would then be decorated in more sea flowers. All of this would be done when the moon hides behind the clouds, the waters caressed with thick fog so humans might not stumble upon this ritual. After prayers to Giran to guide the soul to the embrace of the sea foam to live forever among the waves, they would leave the body resting there to be taken by Giran and transformed in foam.

If the merfolk had only a short time upon this earth, a young merchild or another and they had been unable to tell of their desires to return or live within the sea foam, they would be brought back to the living. The fallen merfolk’s body would be prepared as any others; however instead of going to the surface for the sea foam ritual, they are taken to Giran’s giant oyster shell and placed within. Giran would be prayed too and worshipped, those family members who brought the boy to the shell, would beg Giran for the return of their loved one. If their prayers are answered, the shell would close and remain closed until the breath of life fills the fallen merfolk once again. It could take up to days, weeks, or even months.

Introduction: King of the seashore or ocean, the Sea God. Personification of the ocean; be it good or evil. He causes storms with his anger and the skalds say a ship went into "Giran's wide jaws" when it wrecked. Sailors fear Giran, and it is thought he sometimes surface as a large sea beast to destroy ships. His icons are the whales, his brethren. Hunted by man, He occasionally throws storms at them to stop their attempts.

History and Lore: Giran had been the one of the few Gods to care about the watery realm, taking care of it on his own was a large responsibility, almost too big to care for on his own. From afar he had admired Carain, secretly loving her but she was with Akakios and Giran had no wish to get between them.

He watched the changes in Akakios, watched out he treated Carain, not letting her do as she pleased, always trying to keep her locked up, away from her duties as a Goddess. One night as he was settling the sea after a large storm, Carain came to him in secret. She told him of how selfish Akakios was becoming, how very conceited. She was devastated and having made friends with Giran during the past years, she fell to him for support. Giran comforted her where he could, though this was something he had dreamed of, even though Carain still gave her heart to Akakios. During this time of being a friend to Carain, they couldn't help but fall in love with one another, however Akakios seeing this became enraged and soon his mind cracked and he became a soul like no other, so dark that no bit of light could pierce through him.

Giran and Carain lived happily within their love, soon even becoming wedded. Time would pass and they would be approached by Gaea in a request for both of them to watch after the Angivos, a group of merfolk that sought guidance and aid. They agreed and led the Angivos to lead a peaceful life. Peaceful until they found out that Akakios had taken another group of merfolk, called the Sarenheits, and had twisted them to his will.

One night as Giran and Carain slept, trumpets sounded below...an attack on the Angivos! They had not been prepared for such a bold move by Akakios, this of all things they didn't think he'd do. Giran and Carain immediately spring into action and Giran and Akakios begin fighting. This would be known years later as the 3 Day war. On the end of the 3rd Day Akakios faces off against Giran personally to try and defeat him, thus far he has been thrown back time and again but his power grows, who is to say that he will always lose? Only time would tell.

Avatar appears as: Either a large sea serpant like Liviathan or as a large merman holding a tritan in hand riding atop whales.

Restrictions/Taboos for Followers:

In following the god, Giran, Angivos are expected to not kill others unless it is in self defense or protecting those of the home. Those that do kill for unnecessary reasons are to be casted out and left to defend themselves on their own. Also, Angivos will not use excessive amounts of the ocean life, like killing more fish than needed or taking things naturally found within the waters and selling them for personal gain.

Special Dates

The long weeks of rain during the spring months are all special to the Merfolk, the bringing of their blessed water from the heavens above causing a great celebration, often appearing as an underwater faire. Grand banquets, religious orgies to their Water goddess, tournaments are all commonly seen for these few weeks.

Death

Death is a solemn occasion for the Merfolk, when one of their kin returns to the oceans depths from whence the Great mother spawned them from. Of course, they could always get resurrected at the Tower Unigo, and nothing’s prohibiting that.