Martyna Z'muir at 00:49, 26 October 2011

2011-10-26T00:49:47Z

Martyna Z'muir: Protected "GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies & Guard:2011:Ouroboros:Mythology of Zealan" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

2011-10-26T00:48:46Z

Protected "GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies & Guard:2011:Ouroboros:Mythology of Zealan" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Martyna Z'muir: Created page with "'''Title: Mythology of Zealan''' '''Author: Yradan the Scholar'''
Throughout the ages our people have looked beyond themselves to find the answers to the many myster..."

2011-10-26T00:48:37Z

Created page with "'''Title: Mythology of Zealan''' '''Author: Yradan the Scholar''' <br> Throughout the ages our people have looked beyond themselves to find the answers to the many myster..."

New page

'''Title: Mythology of Zealan'''

'''Author: Yradan the Scholar'''

<br>
Throughout the ages our
people have looked beyond
themselves to find the
answers to the many
mysteries of life. Today
we know that the Titans,
masters of the four
elements, control our
destinies and direct the
many forces that affect
our lives. However, such
was not always the case.

Our Zealan forebears
know not of the power
of the Titans. Instead
they worshipped the
common emotions. Not
realizing that feelings are
popular sensations
experienced by all people,
the Zealans elevated the
three primary emotions --
joy, grief, and fear --
to the ranks of deities.
The goddess of joy they
named Felicitar, giving her
the powers of inciting
and nurturing happiness.
To the one called Doloras,
the Zealans attributed
the emotion of grief,
giving him the role of
judging the dead. Our
ancestors assigned the
seemingly opposing roles
of bringer of fear and
protectress against fear
to Timyra.

Even older texts indicate
that the Zealans initially
believed in not three, but
six such deities! In
addition to the rulers of
joy, grief, and fear,
Amoras ruled love, Odion
controlled hate, and
Apathas stood between
them, in the role of
arbiter and balance.
Through time, however,
the Zealans found it
difficult and inconvenient
to pay homage to so
many gods and goddesses,
so they elected to
combine the aspects into
three.

Though anthropomorphic in
nature, each of the gods
and goddesses was
associated with an animal
and said to be able to
take its form. Felicitar
was patron of scorpions,
Doloras of jackals, and
Timyra of crocodiles.
Odion was associated with
lions, Apathas with cats,
and Amoras is said to
have chosen humans as
her favored pet and
form.

Each of the Zealan
deities had a symbol.
Felicitar's was the sun.
Doloras, sometimes said
to be her twin brother,
sometimes her husband,
was symbolized by an
eclipsed sun. Timyra's
symbol was a teardrop.
Symbols of the other
three are also known:
Odion�s was a flame-red
scimitar, Amoras�s was
an open palm displaying a
heart, and Apathas�s was
balanced scales.

A confusing aspect of
the Zealan gods serves
to display the fickle
nature of our ancestors'
beliefs. The Zealans
believed that, while the
deities ruled the emotions,
they were also subject
to them. The more
Zealans who experience a
particular feeling, the
stronger that deity's
power grew. Conversely,
discarded emotions,
however temporary, meant
a weakened deity, forcing
some to enter
near-catatonic states
until they gained enough
followers to re-emerge.
Thus, an improbable cycle
took place. As Timyra
planted the seed of fear
within one of her
subjects, and as that
seed grew and took root
in others, Timyra would
become more powerful,
spreading the fear even
further.

Though most Zealans
believed they had contact
with their gods through
their thoughts and
emotions, only the royal
family, sorcerers, and a
select few others were
allowed to speak directly
to them. The Zealans and
their sturdy wooden
golems constructed
pyramid temples housing
gaudy shrines to each of
the three or six patrons.
A great pyramid, which is
still standing, was
constructed and filled
with deadly traps. Secret
passages were made for
the sorcerers to enter,
while the few Zealans
who dared to seek an
audience with the gods
were forced to overcome
the foils of the pyramid.
Many died trying, few
succeeded.

Having passed through the
test of the great
pyramid, a Zealan follower
would then be allowed to
pray for a boon from
one or all of the gods.
Regardless of whether
the plea was heeded,
considerable sacrifices of
animals and valuables were
required. Rarely did these
acts lead to any benefit,
though some stories claim
that the first pharaoh
had conferred with the
gods and goddesses,
through his adoratrice,
before he was able to
unify the warring tribes.

There is much to be
learned from studying the
mythology of the past.
Although we know today
that the powers of the
Titans are -- unlike the
deities of our forbears
-- quite real, we can
learn much about the
violent and emotional
personalities of our
ancestors.
<br>

----

Back to [[GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies & Guard:2011:Ouroboros|Ouroboros]]

← Older revision	Revision as of 00:48, 26 October 2011
(No difference)

GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies & Guard:2011:Ouroboros:Mythology of Zealan - Revision history

Martyna Z'muir at 00:49, 26 October 2011

Martyna Z'muir: Protected "GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies & Guard:2011:Ouroboros:Mythology of Zealan" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Martyna Z'muir: Created page with "'''Title: Mythology of Zealan''' '''Author: Yradan the Scholar''' Throughout the ages our people have looked beyond themselves to find the answers to the many myster..."

Martyna Z'muir: Created page with "'''Title: Mythology of Zealan''' '''Author: Yradan the Scholar'''
Throughout the ages our people have looked beyond themselves to find the answers to the many myster..."