Overview
The Scholars of the Blood Moon are one of the younger beliefs and are categorised as a cult since they are not believing in one of the more common religions, phanteons and/or deities.
Their population consists of nearly all races, except from Trolls, Giants and Goblins. Exceptions were made for some Goblins for the kitchen.
Religious beliefs
The Scholars of the Red Moons believe in
Vurleyar, a god with two faces, female breasts, male reproduction organs, four arms and four swords, goes with "they/them" as pronouns.
They believe that Vurleyar is imprisoned in the moon and is colouring it every fifty years blood red because they have gained enough power again to recieve the blood of the unworthy. On this date the Blood Knights will march against a target which is chosen by the Blood Archivar. They attempt to clean the infidels and deliver the blood of the unworthy to Vurleyar, called the Rite of Cleansing.
This is happening at every lunar eclipse.
Preparation & Execution
In order to fulfill their duty as a Scholar of the Blood Moon every Blood Seer, Blood Knight and Blood Scholar is praying to the forebearers trying to speak with them. The forebearers are trying to teach the "younger ones" tactics, wisdom and general good advice for their life and the Rite of Cleansing.
The Rite of Cleansing is executed when the moon is red, the so called Blood Moon (lunar eclipse). Every Blood Seer, Blood Knight and Blood Scholar is praying to the forebearers to speak with them one last time before they march. They sacrifice a few drops of blood on top of the
Scaly Peak on the white sands of the Monastery before deploying.
There is no music, there is no feast, there is no jolly company, there is only the grim will of
Vurleyar.
Structure
The structure is quite simple.
- Blood Archivar
- Blood Scholar
- Blood Seer (including Blood Knights)
- Blood Apprentice
Blood Apprentices are the pupils of the Scholars and have to go through a trial period of twelve months after being accepted. After this time they have to take an exam to get the rank of a Blood Seer. If they don't succeed, they can take the exam a second time and if they fail again they get sacrificed to Vurleyar.
If one is getting the rank of a Blood Seer one could decide if one wants to stay a Blood Seer (with all duties included) or if one wants to be in the management of a Blood Scholar or the military part of a Blood Knight.
The rank of a Scholar is a prestige rank. Those people are the true Scholars of the Blood because they get samples of blood from all over the continent and are authorised to issue instructions to the Blood Seers and Apprentices.
On top of the Scholars reigns the Blood Archivar, the most experienced Scholar and chosen aspect of Vurleyar. He/She/They is the voice and word of Vurleyar, speaks in the name of the god and speaks only the truth.
Blood Seers
The Blood Seer rank is the most common rank. They respond to the everyday needs of other Scholars, of the Archivar, as well as the requests of the common folk. They help on the fields, they are smiths, woodworkers, weaver, miner. They tend to the privy and the sewers and to the supply of ink and parchment.
Blood Scholars
Blood Scholars are a little bit higher in the hierarchy as the Seers and are authorised to issue instructions, praise and punishment. They mostly work in the Monastery and are trying to speak with the forebearers when not deciphering old inscriptions, tomes and scrolls. They only report to the Archivar.
Blood Archivar
The Blood Archivar is the chosen mouth and will of Vurleyar. In a open ritual the Archivar is chosen by the god and assigned the title of the Blood Archivar. He/she/them can now speak with the god Vurleyar, with the forebearers (entombed deep inside the monastery), and decides where the next Rite of Cleansing is executed.
Blood Knights
The Blood Knights are on the same level as a Blood Seer but in a military way. They consists of all races and in this part of the Scholars of the Blood Moon they have a general, some officers and a huge number of well-trained Blood Knights.
Mythology
Vurleyar is the one true god which gave the humans the burden of life.
Vurleyar was free once. They tumbled through the universe, drunk with power, bloodlust and the flavour of blood on their tongue. They destroyed entire worlds with their four swords.
Eventually they got bored and saw the world of Koria which was barren and only filled with animals. So they gave their very lifeblood and with the blood and a little bit of clay they created the
humans.
They saw it was good, but the Sun was envious and imprisoned Vurleyar in the moon behind bars and strong magic which draws power from Vurleyar. They only can regain their power every fifty years and colour the moon blood red.
Wow those guys are sick... at least they seem to be only really dangerous every 50 years.
Nice dark idea.
On another note: your last Title "Mythology & Lore" is not "centered"
Thanks for the heads-up, saw it and will fix it after the ceremony, just to be sure. And thank you, we might have a visit from the Scholars or the Knights in the stories. Or maybe with another try to capture the Spiral. Well, every 50 years seems to be very long, but that is for nearly every human once in a lifetime. Dark and grim lifetime, so to speak. :P