Mori Theology and Dieties
Keywords:
MORI-THEOLOGY
Theology
The Alaghi worship a triumvirate of gods, although these have a
definite heirarchy based on their importance, history and legends.
Foremost is the Earth-mother, very close to the nature-deity
Tirradyn, known to many cultures as Kahryn. She is credited with
creating the natural realm, in particular the rainforest and making
it fertile for the peoples and creatures within. Her great temple is
a prominent feature of the ancient Mori city, and her clerics revered
as healers, mediators and counsellors. The chief priestess is almost
always female, and the Earth-mother represented as a stout matriarch
adorned with flowers and foliage.
The other two gods of the Mori also have parallels to those followed
elsewhere, although in tribal legend are portrayed as rivals, inferior
gods struggling for precedence and to be the Earth-mother's consort.
The Rain-father is god of the clouds, rivers and element of water.
The Alaghi avoid much of his realm, building their mud-brick homes in
places proof from flood, but accept his influence as essential for
the rainforest to thrive. His cult is far smaller, but fisherfolk
offer bones and teeth and - in rare dry spells - rites are conducted
to appease the clouds, held on treetop shrines. Visitors have
suggested that he is an aspect of Nereus. The Rain-father is also the
main god of the Lizardmen and Jalachara, who represent him as a
wingless blue-green dragon. His shamen are potent rangers, although
few have the education or broader knowledge to be a cleric or druid.
The Sun-father is a god of strength and conflict, much of his cult
and following being lost in the past of the tribe. There were once
many more tribes through the jungle, different cultures and faiths.
But the Mori warred with their neighbours, inspired by the Sun god,
emptied the other settlements to be swallowed by the jungle. Captives
were offered at his shrine, a practice nearly revived recently. This
influence threatened the jungle as a whole, other Alaghi tribes were
assimilated and warbands attempted genocide of the swamp dwellers.
The other two gods checked the Sun-father's power, managing to reason
with him, and the three now keep an uneasy peace. The Sun-father is
shown as a massive Alaghi warrior or a golden sun with humanoid
features. His shrines are open to the air and light, especially dawn
and dusk when he wakes and retires. His followers and priests are
male, drawn mainly from the hunter castes. Many have proved themself
against an anaconda, jaguar or similar beast. But they are wily
opponents, having adjusted to the situation. The Sun-father is
comparable in ways to the god Grakor.