Boknice275 1196 Share Posted April 22, 2023 (edited) We are all living examples of Creation’s wonder, and it is our duty to venerate it fully Ka’tau is the organizing principle of all life. - -Excerpts from ancient hieroglyphic writings discovered in the tomb of the Amun Prophet, the founder and first priest of the Ka’tau faith. What is Ka’tau? Ka’tau, simply put, is a faith that puts emphasis on the nature of reality and the aspects therein. It is an ancient spiritualist religion once practiced by a set of desert-faring tribes collectively termed the Rah’muns. According to the lore of this ancient faith, all of Creation emerged from a void of vast nothingness upon command of the Lord of the Eternal Sun, bursting into existence upon the growth of a fireball now known as the Eternal Sun. The period from this creation event to now has been governed by what is called “Ka’tau,” the existential principle of order, harmony, and justice. From Ka’tau, Rah’muns believe they can access Heka, or divine magic, and use it towards the ends of defending Creation and strengthening its aspects. Heka is starkly distinguished from the arcane arts and other varieties of magic due to its source, which emerges from Creation as personified through the spirits. As such, Heka is only accessible to the faithful and those duly allied with denizens of Ka’tau through proper spiritual practices. Ka’tau adherents worship three major figures (named the Divine Three) in order of significance: Ra'tuhmet, Lord of the Eternal Sun; Hesthor, lady of pure waters, preservation, and bovine purging; and Kalthet, lady of Grand Warfare, Rah’mun crusades, and siege machine offensives. There are a myriad of other deities within the Ka’tau faith, but the Divine Three are the most significant aspects of creation. Ka’tau’s rays give rise to life and render it visible; Hesthor’s waters preserve the body in its proper state, and purges impurities and corruptions; finally, Kalthet’s shield and sword protects the Rah’muns from from all enemies in battle. These three entities are ubiquitous throughout Rah’munian mythos, legends, and hieroglyphic writings. They are often invoked when the time if appropriate in daily life in many different ways. During the morning, Rah’munians are expected to bow towards the sun and recite several prayers for Ra’tuhmet’s flames to burn brighter. In addition to that, they use wax figurines to represent their deities and other ritualistic tools, such as incense, water, herbs, and jewels to accompany their prayers. Rah’mun culture is full of a variety of rituals and practices: a prayer for daily cleansing, a ritual of strategy in devotion to Kalthet, and so forth. For the Rah’munians, rituals are a way of accessing Heka, upon which their entire cosmology is based. The Divine Three Ra’tuhmet Ra’tuhmet upon his throne radiating with solar power “And to ye, my children of Ra’hu, I bring light. And the light shall persist throughout your lands forevermore; kindling in your souls. You shall bear my light and share it for all to see. The forces of darkness shall not consume ye, and eternal night will never manifest.” - Prophetic Scroll of Ra’tu, 1:1 Ra’tuhmet is the spirit of eternal sunlight and solar wrath. According to Ra’humian lore, he is both the originator of the universe and its flaming source. Heka is said to reside within the core of the eternal sun, and only answers the call who first understand Ra’tuhmet’s resolute power. While Heka as a concept far transcends one entity, it presupposes the existence of creation, all of which originates with Ra’tuhmet’s primordial power. One of the most powerful of the three, Ra’tuhmet’s power is the fuel for all of creation; sunlight nourishes crops, wards off the dangers of darkness, is closely related to fire, and makes all discovery in the world possible. By this logic, any denizen of darkness (literal or metaphysical, including the void) is an enemy of Ra’tuhmet. Ra’tuhmet’s second aspect, solar wrath, manifests towards enemies of the light. In Ra’humian lore, Ra’tuhmet goes to war against a nameless primordial entity (believed to be related to a primordial spirit of darkness) called “Keop” whose goal is to consume the light - and by consequence all of creation - to bring about the end of times. It is believed that Keop’s power causes all manner of spiritual corruption. Every night, Ra’tuhmet rides his golden chariot of sunlight into Keop's domain accompanied by Kalthet surrounded by hosts of other spirits and helpers and wages war against Keop and his hosts. Sunrise is associated with Ra’tuhmet’s eternal victory, hence earning him the title “Lord of the Eternal Sun.” Furious bursts of sunlight, solar flares, stars dying out, all are said to represent some variation of Ra’tuhmet’s fury. Daily rituals to Ra’tuhmet include burning black wax figurines of Keop and stomping upon them whilst praying for Ra’tuhmet to prevail over him. Some devotees create pictures of Keop and spit upon them, then trample upon them, or drown them in blessed water while also reciting a variety of curses upon his name. Others create wooden figurines and tear them apart limb-by-limb while reciting some of the same curses. In strict lore terms, Ra’tuhmet is considered a lesser of Aztran, and some of the Rah'mun belief about him is greatly exaggerated. Hesthor, Lady of Pure Waters, Preservation, and Bovine Purging. Two prominent depictions of Hesthor. “All you bearers of my sacred milken waters of purity must hear this: I am come to deliver your souls from the temptations of all who deny mine waters. The Aengu-daemons, the deceiver Iblees and his machinations, the false idols of the humans, and the tools of Keop shall fall beneath your feet as you call forth my milken purity. Maintain your souls like pools of sacred water that reject all impurities that may assail you. Herd your soul like sacred bovines in a barn and never divorce thy conscience from thine conduct. Drink from these sacred pools, my children, and ye shall never become thirsty.” - Ancient Prophecy of Milken Revelation. Hesthor is perhaps the second most important figure out of the “divine three.” Whereas Ra’tuhmet births life, Hesthor preserves and cleanses it within her divine milken waters. Some Rah’ums contend she is perhaps more important than Ra’thumet for the mere fact that every ritual and act of Heka must involve an invocation to Hesthor. The Rah’uman culture emphasizes cleansing everything, from one’s self to dwelling places, grave tombs, buildings, religious sights, and even ceremonies before they commence. No Rah’uman can practice Heka without the Cow Mother’s blessing. In Rah’uman lore, Hesthor was birthed from a second burst of sunlight that occurred slightly after the initial creation event. This burst of sunlight was made of pure blue fire infused with divine essence which was the purest thing in existence at that time. From that, Hesthor built her domain in the spiritual realm and helped recruit the first men and elves - the initial tribe of Rah’mun, according to their lore - to the cause of purity. She particularly infused her essence into a certain crop of animals in the primitive world which are now known as cows. Initially these bovines were humanoid, bearing features of both elves and men and acting as emissaries of Hesthor’s milken waters. A catastrophic attack from Iblees, however, wiped out most of the humanoid bovines and caused the rest to hide by assuming a purely animal form. Till this day, Rah’muns believe all bovines bear the divine essence of the Cow Mother and they, along with their milk, must be preserved at any cost out of respect to her. Cow milk, pure waters, and olive oil are all sacraments to followers of Hesthor which can be used to cleanse impurities and preserve the soul. Whereas Ra’tuhmet is focused particularly on warding off “dark” creatures, Hesthor’s wrath encompasses all sources of impurity and deviant authorities, even those considered “holy” by groups like the Paladins of Xan or the Templars of Malechediael. Having said that, the Rah’muns have historically applied Hesthor to more pressing evils, such as the spawn of Keop, infernalists, necromancers, and other forces destined to corrupt Creation. Indeed, some of the most powerful and vicious forms of Heka are invocations of Hesthor against impure beings. Mythos describes priests of Hesthor conjuring bursts of white spiritual essence in the form of a giant wave or mist encompassing the targets of Hesthorian Heka and striking them with immense, crippling pain or outright killing them. Much like Ra’tuhmet, Hesthor also has a unique foe of her own, though he is merely one of many entities who have locked horns with her over the centuries. Kazul, a greater Inferi from the Moz Strimoza, is considered another prominent adversary in the Rah’mun faith along with Keop. Kazul is blamed for the destruction of the humanoid bovines, and is cited as a lieutenant in the forces of the Arch-deceiver, Iblees. He is often depicted as a towering wolf-headed brute overrun with infernal strength, bearing accursed weapons. His armor is described as leaking pools of blood red malflame, the same kind which also appears on his ears and mouth. There are numerous incantations of Heka to use specifically against Kazul, the Inferi in general, and the Arch-Deceiver Iblees, all of which invoke the power of Hesthor in some form. Hesthor is often depicted as a white cow glowing with ethereal light. She oftentimes wields a crook and flail, which are common cultural artifacts for the Rah’muns. In actuality, Hesthor is a lesser of Scorthuz whose power has waned since the near-extinction of the Rah’muns. Kalthet, Lady of Grand Warfare, Rah’mun Crusades and Siege Machines Kalthet upon her golden throne. The enemies of you, my children, may have masses of armies and weapons, but I have vested you with wisdom. With my guidance you shall see the weaknesses of your foes and strike at them at the right time. And when that time comes, my hand shall guide you to victory. - Ancient scroll of warfare, Kalthet prophecy Kalthet is the patron of grand warfare, rah’mun crusades, and siege machinery. In Rah’mun lore, she is a dedicated ally of Ra’tuhmet in his war against Keop, organizing grand strategies to outsmart and upend the horror’s machinations. Unlike a typical war god, Kalthet’s strength comes in both her strategic prowess upon the battlefield and her use of specific instruments of war, although she herself is a formidable foe throughout different mythos when she must fight directly. Kalthet worship reflects the Rah’muns emphasis on planning over sheer prowess in war. Building siege equipment, spears, and swords whilst beckoning the wisdom of Kalthet is considered a sacred ritual. Every victory in combat is considered a ritual to Kalthet, as is every modest defeat. Kalthet oftentimes appears as a lion-headed woman with a halo over her head who wields a bronze spear and sword. She is sometimes depicted as commanding an army whilst standing behind a set of siege machines. Worship of Kalthet is one reason Rah’muns emphasize purity and intellection over sheer strength. Strength can crush one’s enemy, but intellect can outsmart them ten-times over. Rah’mun texts claim Kalthet will return with the Divine Three to usher in a crusade to wage war the enemies of Creation and their deities permanently from reality. This final event is called the “Ra’Tuh.” Until that point, she grants wisdom to her adherents to overcome the enemy through her wisdom. Kalthet is a lesser of Vulka. Fallen Deities The fallen deities of Ka’tau, known as Rek’tugs, are the chief object of scorn amongst the faith’s adherents. These entities are not worshiped except by the most deviant and outcast of Ka’tau. Legends abound of dark magicians - those who pervert Heka - invoking the name of the Rek’tugs in their practices. While there are countless Rek’tugs scattered throughout Ka’tau text, only two are emphasized in daily Rah’mun life: Keop and Kazul. Keop A Manifestation of Keop “The world was made imperfect. And by my might, I shall render it perfect in MY image.” - Keop to Ra’tuhmet during one of their battles. The origins of this monstrosity are unknown, but his presence is ubiquitous throughout Ka’tauian literature. Keop is known as a powerful spirit of fearing the darkness whose express goal is to plunge the world in darkness, making him opposed to the Ra'tuhmet's eternal light. As mentioned previously, Keop is the subject of much scorn from the Rah’muns, being invoked in violent rituals to empower the Divine Three against him. Worship of Keop is quite taboo amongst the Rah’muns and is punished by death, should the practitioner refuse to be cured by Hesthor’s pure waters. Keop is constantly at war with Ra’tuhmet and Kalthet, whereas Hesthor also opposes him but in a less direct manner than the aforementioned. Keop worship includes spreading fear, bringing forth darkness into areas where it does not belong, and other actions that defy the order of reality. It is believed that a select few Keopian priests (shamans) have a direct link with Keop, and take orders from him to spread his will throughout the lands. These particular unknown individuals are called the “harbingers'' and remain specific targets for Ka’tauian priesthood. Kazul Kazul’s final form. “To the infernal hells all souls belong, for true power is found in rebellion against all.” - Unknown attribution Kazul’s origins are less opaque, but this figure still excites much terror within the hearts of Rah’muns. Kazul is known as a bloodthirsty Inferi from the Moz Strimoza who, according to legend, is a lieutenant in Iblees’s army. Kazul is said to command his own regiment of lesser Inferi that he uses to terrorize denizens of the world. In Rah’mun legend, he played a role in wiping out the original bovine humanoids who served Hesthor, igniting the ancient rivalry between the two forces. His chief adversary is indeed Hesthor, who is prophesied to overcome him during the final battle. Kazul is a lesser focus within the Rah’mun faith compared to Keop, who is seen as an all-encompassing foe, but he is still taken quite seriously. There are several prayers and rituals within Ka’tau specifically directed against infernalist beings like Kazul, most of which are recited daily by practicing Rah’muns. Some of these prayers include requests for Hesthor to eviscerate the infernalists, and others are more involved rituals which involve casting figurines of Kazul and Iblees into pools of blessed water to “drown.” Much like Keop, it is believed that certain dark magicians can commune with and even summon Kazul, and those individuals are considered targets for the faithful. Rah’mun Principles Brotherhood is immutable. Do not betray a member of the tribe unless they violate the Ka’tau, or the Heka. In this rare case, bring them before Ra’thumet for judgment. Ka’tau is everything; Heka is the essence of everything. Using Heka is tantamount to manipulating creation itself. The Divine Three are resolute and come before any other entities. They are the true deities. Purity is not a preference, it is a requirement. There must be no compromise with the impure or the wicked; Hesthor’s waters consume them. Prayer is not optional; a true Rah’mun is a praying Rah’mun. The intellect is much stronger than the sword alone. Allow your mind to guide your sword through Kalthet’s example and you shall never lose. A Rah’mun is one who recognizes his role as an agent of Creation. The impure and the allies of darkness cannot receive the blessings of the Ka’tau. Ka’tau, not one’s own opinions, is the guiding principle of everyday life. Keop and Kazul shall fall, as shall their followers. Show no mercy in the war against these forces. OOC: Spoiler This is my new spirit religion for shamanism RPers. If anyone's interested in RPing a Rah'mun or a Rah'mun influenced spiritualist let me know! Edited September 12, 2023 by Boknice275 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoanOfArc 4586 Share Posted April 22, 2023 Very cute in every sense of the word. I enjoy the aesthetic you were going for and I couldn’t really find anything wrong. I really do enjoy the fact you have fallen deities too—- having an eldritch horror as a fallen deity is really neat. Only thing that I may recommend is that you can always just act like these gods are the spirits themselves. gods on lotc don’t really care what you call them as long as they get worship as power of thought increases their power (plus spirits especially need prayers in their spiritual wars). Or you could always have it that these spirits psyoped the religion like Malleus in the Red Faith. Let’s you acknowledge the faith having a “real” god even if it isn’t what god they wanted. Either way, not to detract, I like this piece a lot and I hope it spreads! Canonism being the dominant religion is a bore and having some other faiths run around would be great 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteppeNomad 1552 Share Posted May 4, 2023 Beautiful Lads March in procession, tanned from the desert sun. Hail, that sun, that great feathery serpent, and the grand lady of the purest. Hail the machines of war, and curse the tarnished, may they drown in her waters, pierced by her arrows, burned by his light. The lad strokes his beard and dons his head dress. Applying his eyeliner. "Hail Heka!" 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mannamannaa 1626 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Spoiler I love this lore! Very well done Boknice =) BTW, Seeing as these domains overlap with pre-exisiting Greaters, are these simply different names/personas of the related Beings like Aztran, Vulka, and such? Or are they intended to be wholy separate and thus challenging for those positions? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts