The Tescarana belief system is one transmitted through oral tradition, with slight local variations. Lacking a centralized authority on the right practices of the faith, the Tescarana follow in the footsteps in their ancestors, each
Nethvis learning from their predecessor in the clan. There are three "levels" of divinity in the Tescarana system, with the three "Great Gods" being the main objects of worship. Above them is
Divine Fate, less a god and more a cosmic plan. Not worshipped in any real sense, the Tescarana do not pray to
Divine Fate or seek answers from it, but believe that this greater, hidden, unknowable power holds even the Great Gods in thrall to its design. In recent times, Runberi missionaries have attempted to identify the Tescarana idea of Divine Fate with their goddess Nuwa, but this syncretism has very few adherents.
Many Tescarana religious rites relate to the concept of divine domains, and asking the deity for permission before doing something that may intrude on their domain. For example, to lay a ship out at sea requires the blessing of Tinia, as the sea belongs to him. The Tescarana have an elaborate tradition of omens, as well as reading the entrails of animal sacrifices to ascertain the will of the gods.
The Great Gods
The Great Gods are Tinia, Uni, and Cel. Tinia is the god of the open sky and open ocean, the father of all fish and all birds, all-seeing, ruling over the waves and the rains. He is prayed to for calm seas and plentiful fish, among other things. The shipbuilders hold him as their patron, and newly built vessels are traditionally consecrated to Tinia by the clan
Nethvis, and sending a ship to sea without the blessing of Tinia is considered bad luck, as it intrudes on the sea god's dominion without permission. He is commonly depicted as an eagle.
Uni is the mother of men, the progenitor of the clans, and the goddess of love and war. It is said she is most like the people who worship her, for she populated the Tescaries with living, breathing, thinking men. She is prayed to for primarily interpersonal affairs, for health, for success in love and war. Children are considered a gift from Uni, and her name, and baptisms involve a sacrifice to her. Leaders of men hold Uni as their patron. She is commonly depicted as a matron.
Cel is the god of the earth, the god of all that lives on the earth, the god of the underworld, the god of the trees, the shrubs, and the god of the beasts that walk the land. Thus, while the Tescarana are a maritime culture, they practice ground burial, seen as a way of surrendering the dead to their rightful domain, to Cel. It is also customary to pray to Cel before planting anything, as the ground is his domain and anything that grows may only do so with his blessing. Hunters, farmers and shepherds hold Cel as their patron. He is commonly depicted as a ram.
Children of Uni
Each clan has a mythical ancestor, a child of the mother of men who founded the clan. Some ancestors have been forgotten as the clans who claimed them have died out, and other clans claim the same ancestor (something that can both unite and divide the clans in question). The ancestor-deity is prayed to for advice and blessing when dealing with the future of the clan, and for dealing between clans and is considered a sort of protective spirit. While all Tescarana acknowledge each other's clan ancestors as real, it is not considered appropriate to appeal, pray, or attempt to study the omens of any ancestor except those of one's own clan.
I love the descriptions of the three great gods. They all sound like really fascinating beings. The idea of ancestor-deities is fun too. I can imagine the drama that could be caused by clans claiming the same ancestor, particularly if they didn't like each other.