The Turbulence

'Wow! This must be the work of a god. What name would be good for it?' - Every Xanthun Elf On Everything

The ever-shifting tides of the Turbulence are a considerable source of consternation for foreigners in the Xanthun Empire (and for many Xanthun elves themselves). Gods rise and fall. Language adjusts. Stories change. No formal codification of deities, rules, traditions, or rituals exists and every pocket of Xanthun influence seemingly creates their own pantheon. In fact, the name itself is debated among different sects, though all capture the concept of constant flux.

Gods for Everything

The Turbulence by SK Kage (via MidJourney)

Aemark scholars puzzle over the Empire's religious and technological progress because of the elven tendency to hew to the new and discard the old. Every other nation in eastern Turan, from Rundheart to the far reaches of the Al'Orphic Alliance, builds upon their accomplishments and previous works. Societal growth is enabled by incrementally improving known process, with leeway for leaps forwards from novel ideas. Xanthun, by contrast, appears a haphazard dice game with bouts of innovation stemming from luck (with plenty of argument). The same attitude pervades the Turbulence where gods are defined and named on a whim. Whatever type of beings are popular, or those with an attractive legend, rapidly insert themselves into the local culture. Those with wider appeal spread through internal trade and evangelism driven by the elven reaction 'Yeah. Seems like a better idea.' For example, recently, the Turbulence featured a god of sailing: a bright, benevolent sea serpent bestowing fortune. In this time, which was unusually long for the dogma (about a decade), Xanthun ships would trail glass crystals behind them to refract beautiful patterns beneath the waves, honoring the deity. Then, a period of terrible storms washed over the Aexan Channel. Rather than ascribe such fate to an offense to the god of sailing, Xanthun sailors shifted their belief system to a lord of the sea: a wrathful, slumbering leviathan enraged by ships passing over its domain. Now, they throw the leaves of irontrees into the water as a ritual of protection. Of course, these traditions are followed loosely and only so far as any individual elf shows interest. Most elves eagerly practice new rituals aligned to their newly preferred pantheon only to wane in devotion after the heady passion of initial adoption. Showcasing this pattern, religious evangelists in Xanthun proselytize a god one year and a different one the next, often from the very same location.

Traditions and Rituals

It should come as no surprise that few consistent, established rituals in the Turbulence exist. However, there are a few common rites. First, traditions typically involve the offer of physical items, even though the object might be small or otherwise unimportant. Second, said article is almost always lost in the process whether by destruction, exchanging hands, or simply abandoned. Third, elves often use the 'wrong' item. For instance, should a custom call for a silver coin, they may employ a copper piece. Or, when a specific plant is required, any flora with the general characteristics is considered 'good enough.' When interviewing elves on cultural expeditions, Aemark scholars received numerous replies with the phrase 'it's the thought that counts.' This axiom, and the implications of it, sour ties between the Xanthun Empire and other nations, particularly the Al'Orphic Alliance, which places great emphasis on tradition. The few rituals that survive beyond a few years relate to the concept of loss. In particular, the 'loss of the past,' referred to as 'Maehl.' The closest approximation in Rundic is 'nostalgia,' but specifically the feeling of sadness associated with it. Elves do not dwell on this emotion and seek new experiences to avoid it (according to Aemark observations), but perhaps the tacit acknowledgement in preserving Maehl traditions is how the Empire honors its history. One such custom is that of An'Xan Aiki, where departing explorers carve their name into a stone obelisk, which is not erased until they return. The obelisk is effectively a list of those lost at sea or who never returned, removed from Xanthun in a way. The ritual has survived for centuries, throughout which there have been no less than three dozen different sea-, exploration-, or sailing-related gods and deities.

God of Floofery!

Take heart, fellow elves! The harvest this year has been blessed by Bun-Bun, god of fluff. The Happy-Foot has thumped thrice and brought much rice! Whiskers be praised! This is actually my ad. I created it as a joke, but I simultaneously offended and intrigued several Xanthun elves.