Faith of Araushnee
Mythology & Lore
The faith of Araushnee is concentrated, mainly, on the islands of Far Ellysme, with glistening crystal towers, and a key pillar of a system built on societies and focused progression. A caste system, of sorts, built on the strictest meritocracy, where those with the greatest focus can progress as far as they wish, encouraged to try new things and join multiple paths to glory.
The faith dreams regularly, journeying through the skeins of fate, drifting in the dusk-lit world of prophecy and distant whispers. They are great seers, they can see beyond the veil of this world, and this responsibility lies heavily upon them all. On Far Ellysme, the highest champions of the faith are often sorrowful, carrying a deep burden that few can understand. For the higher they climb in the ranks, the darker their dreams become. In fact, the Burden, as it is called, often claims the sanity of many of Araushnee’s highest priests, and as a result her faith also has developed a phenomenal skill with counselling and support for those struggling. Some temples to Araushnee are quiet, healing-focused establishments where small numbers of her faithful tend to those who have been broken by the Burden along the way.
Elsewhere on Torthe, the faith is more scattered, either with single practitioners, or small “cells” of faithful. Small clusters of the faithful gather, often around areas where the Nux have been most active, inspired by their actions and skill. There are very few of these faithful who ascend to the higher ranks, because the high rulers of Far Ellysme have decreed it unsafe to allow worshippers with a Burden to walk too far from their protection.
Sometimes, faithful of Araushnee will vanish, having lost to their Burden, and these are always hunted down and taken into protective custody, or given silent mercy, for fear that the Dark Dream will spread further in minds across Torthe. For those who have given in to the Dark Dream entirely, even death cannot free them, for there is a fear what damage their souls might do if they returned to Araushnee with the shadowed corruption of the Dark Dream upon them. For those, the crystals of Far Ellysme are their eternal chambers, frozen for all eternity in crystals deep within the island, where they are seen as martyrs to the faith – sacrificing their eternal souls for the good of Araushnee’s soul.
Tenets of Faith
- Focus on what matters to the People, to Araushnee, to your realm, to your clan, to your path, to your family, and to you – in that order.
- Greatness is possible for all – eliminate all distraction that prevents you from achieving it.
- Pride will move your feet when they are heavy with the weight of the world – cling to your self, and your pride, and you will prosper.
- Find the lost ones of the world, and keep them close – in the shadows of the world’s societies, you will find those who have been wronged. Their stories are more powerful than all the whispers of golden rulers.
- You represent the People in all that you do – cultivate mystery, love, fear, wonder, whatever works to ensure that our words are heard and acted upon.
- Remember your dreams, write down your dreams, memorise your dreams, act on your dreams. They are the strands that lead you to Araushnee’s heart.
- Prune branches aggressively, but seek not to hurt the tree; prune trees aggressively, but seek not to hurt the forest; prune forests aggressively, but seek not to hurt the world. And yes, prune the world aggressively, but seek not to hurt what is beyond it.
- You are followers of a Queen – act like it.
- Always replant, soothe, encourage, build pride in those who have none; build hope where it does not exist; laugh where it cannot be permitted; find the dark spaces and let the tiniest pinprick of light flow there.
Priesthood
Ranks within the faith:
Spiders, closed eyes, moons, webs, crystals, all these and any similar, are the symbolism of Araushnee.
- There are many ranks, all leading towards the centre of the great web, where the High Dreamer sees all, communing directly with Araushnee. The further up the ranks (and there are many, and all different names) a priest will rise, the more distant and dreaming they become. The High Dreamer can rarely move or wake, in near-constant communication with the Queen of Dreams.
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