Ahnua
The Blood God
A powerful entity, he is feared by many. He reminds them of pain and suffering. He demands it of his followers. He is responsible for designing genetic structures and maintaining them, and it is his belief that the way to maintain them is by weeding out the weak and empowering the strong, as a reward for their hard work. He is the one who makes sure that one's struggles and personal losses are rewarded by fate. He pushes the balance in favor of those who have suffered, especially when they underwent hardships willingly. He is also the one who appreciates sacrifice the most. Not just personal sacrifice but also in the form of payment in blood, sweat, or tears.Sacrifice
The Sacrificial daggers are the only divine artifacts of which there are multiple. There are exactly thirty-six. They are made out of obsidian and have a handle wrapped in snake skin, and a jagged triangular blade. They have the power to grant great power when used properly. When an animal is killed with one of these daggers, according to the proper ritual, the one performing the ritual is granted the skin of the sacrificed animal for one day and one night, starting immediately. During this time, the dagger will fuse with the user's skin. When the time is up, both the user and the dagger will return to normal. When a human being is sacrificed according to the proper ritual, the one performing the ritual will be granted the strength and intelligence, skills, and knowledge of the person that was sacrificed, in addition to his own, for exactly one day and one night. Some of the knowledge and skills might stay after the time is up if they were used properly and are therefore integrated into the user's own knowledge and skills, but all borrowed intelligence and strength will be relinquished when the day and night run out.Altar
All rituals of the blood god require an altar that is built on a sacred blood temple. These do not have to be large, but there are certain structural and architectural requirements for such a temple to count as a blood temple. It must be a pyramid constructed as a square, with progressively smaller squares layered on top. These layers must be at least three and made of either limestone, basalt, or granite. It may be hollow, but there shall be no other materials within the structure. The altar must be placed on top, it must be solid, and the same material rules apply. The altar must be large enough to accommodate a fully grown adult male and be high enough to be at the same level as an adult man's upper thigh.Temples
Most large temples have stood for centuries, if not millennia, as constructing massive structures of stone is a task few are able to accomplish, and no large temples have been built in recent years. Smaller ceremonial temples may still be erected, but these are built simply to the minimal requirements, in order to successfully execute Anua's sacred rituals. Blood priests are rare in most parts of the world, where Anhua is not as popular and worshipped only by small groups, separate from the rest of society. However, there are regions where Ahnua is the most popular of the gods; here, there are blood priests. Priests will perform ritual sacrifices and organize blood games, in which people fight to the death so only the strongest may survive. The dead might be consumed by means of ritual cannibalism, where the priests get the best parts, such as the eyes, and the rest is distributed among the general population.Related Articles:
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