The Cult of the Sun Gods

Tremble before the majesty of Shezarkai's decadent, bloody gods

The Cult of the Sun Gods are a grouping of separate cults are consolidated into one over cult in Shezarkai that worships the rulers of their great cities. This was done to better consolidate the power of the cults and to present a unified image to the people of Shezarkai, and it has worked incredibly. None question the cult, for there's is the will of the great god rulers.

Divine Origins

The origins of Ashtekhu are detailed in the history of the kingdoms, but the cults history would be birthed from the cult that worshipped Ashtekhu when she had just became a vampire. From these remnants that moved with her to the Plane of Fire, this cult would immediately catch on like wildfire, becoming the sole religion of the Shezarkaian people. However over time ti would grow and splinter, as Ashtekhu would carefully choose a select few of her most trusted followers to give them the gift of vampirism, and godhood. From this cults would form around these gods, and follow them to their new cities. However this would present a problem as the cults would be separated by distance and ideology, who was to say rebellion and heresy could grow within these gaps. Sensing this, Ashtekhu would work with The Speaker of Ashtekhu to formally unify the many cults under one banner. So it was that the cults would become one, The Cult of the Sun Gods. This would only help unify the common people as well, for Shezarkai now feels like one people, and one voice singing out praise to the air for their glorious, bloody gods.

Cosmological Views

The false old god of Rameshka may have birthed the world, but it was all a lie, made to fuel his own ego and his own twisted goals. It is Ashtekhu who would free the Shezarkaian people from this form of bondage, and from this freedom she created 4 children to help her care for the Shezarkai people. They are the benevolent gods of the people, or at least, that's what the church and the common folk believe....

Tenets of Faith

Tenants vary based on the god, however all preach two things: obey the vampiric gods and the cult, and give sacrifice to the gods for they are owed it for their benevolence.

Worship

Worship is strict for the priests of the Sun Gods. They must remain pure, not in the sense as abstaining from wordly pleasures, for many priests are married and revel in the bounties of life, no this instead means they must bathe several times per day in ritual pools to remove any impurity that has attached itself to their bodies, as well as pray several times a day to always show their faith to their gods. They wear mantles on their heads to show which god they worship, and clothes they wear must be of high quality and clean at all times. Perfection in form is demanded from the priests and priestesses, and so they have an almost otherworldly beauty and sense of awe all around them.

Priesthood

The priesthood occupy a position of privilege in fair Shezarkai. They are seen as one of the more direct assertions of their gods wills, and as such are to be obeyed without question. The one who rules over the cult is hand picked by Ashtekhu herself, known as the Speaker of Ashtekhu. Titles under this can vary based on which cult they are apart of, however all leaders of those cults answer to the Speaker.

Granted Divine Powers

The great and bountiful powers of the Shezarkaian gods is given freely to those who would but kneel in devotion and service to them.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Cult of the Sun Gods is the state religion of the Shezarkai faith, and so can be felt in all walks of life. The Cult has grown powerful, and so is able to influence political mandates to their benefit, of course never doing such things that would dare harm the power of their gods. They have even been able to assassinate political rivals or upstart priests daring to go against the faith. Much of the nobility is apart of the cult, and so the churches influence can even be felt in business and other aspects of daily life.

Type

Religious, Cult

Deities

• Akhek, Shezarkaian God of Death, Grave, and Twilight
• Ashtekhu, God Pharaoh of Shezarkai
• Makara, Shezarkaian Goddess of Arcana and Knowledge
• Maut-nefer, Shezarkaian Goddess of Life, Nature, and Storms
• Mi-amen, Shezarkaian God of Strength, Zeal, and Forge
• Nekhtou, Shezarkaian God of Courage, Ambition, and Unbending Will