Dzel Priests of the Mushrooms

Short introduction

The Priest of the Mushrooms is one of the two religious specialists present in every Dzel Luak tribe. Considering their mobile nature and their constant exchanges, the position of the Priest of the Mushrooms can be seen as normated among all the Dzel. There is no tribe without their two priests, the other one being the Priest of the Ground, so that these must be seen as a vital institution in Dzel society. Also, other than the Priests of the Ground, they commune and work together, as to find ways to not strain their natural environment too much.

Roughly speaking, the Priest of the Mushrooms is tasked with all cultic responsibilities revolving around mushrooms, that is conversing with all different kinds of mushroom spirits, bringing sacrifices to them, harvesting materials and ingredients originating from mushrooms for the purpose of rites and cultic endeavours and so on. In the broader sense, since the majority of the Dzels economy is based on mushrooms and mushroom products, he is also a healer and an alchemist, though the latter is also true for the Priest of the Ground, albeit in different situations and functions.

History

As the Dzel are an illiterate culture, nothing is known about the past of the position of the Priest of the Mushrooms. Considering their tasks nowadays reach farther than only what is related to mushrooms in general, it is well possible, that in the beginning, there were more specialised types of priests for all different types of tasks and responsibilities, before these became subsumed under the supervision of the Priest of the Mushrooms.

Tasks and role in society

When the Dzel prepare to migrate from one of their temporary settlements to the next, it is the Priest of the Mushrooms task to show gratitude to the mushrooms in the area that was used to harvest food and collect materials. The most important mushroom to the Dzel is the Lúsmorl, giver of light in the dark underground caves and caverns. The Lúsmorl is hardly touched by the Dzel, with the exception of the Priest of the Mushroom, who is alone allowed to harvest it for alchemic or medicinal ingredients.

The Lúsmorl play such an important role for the Dzel, that not only are the most rites and sacrifices dedicated to them, but also they are always the first mushrooms to be adressed in any kind of ritual they play a role in. The Lúsmorl is seen as a gift of grace from the gods, after sending the great flood that started the Era of the Water, which was the gods punishment for the then ruling Luak. Sorry for their excessive wrath, the gods, after forcing the Luak underground, they are supposed to have created the Lúsmorl - a light in the dark, so that they could survive even without the sun.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion