Kharajyr Religion

The Kharajyr have no name for their religion, they see it as the only true faith and no other religions existed during their time in ancient Asulon. The Kharajyr believe in two gods. Metztli, the creator of everything and moon goddess, along with Abssyl, the sun god and enemy of the Kharajyr.

In Kharajyr stories of Metztli, she created the sea and island before any other. She made the white Kharajyr known as Tlatlannti as a perfect vision for her race but it was difficult to make more of this perfection, so she made seperate children similar image but with different furs to be led by the Tlatlannti. Metztli was believed to create the ocelots to guide the Kharajyr, and created rest of the world for the Kharajyr. Trials for her children.

Although Metztli is actually an Daemon but Kharajyr has no knowledge of this as they never enountered the four decendant races and find it non-sense to the Kharajyr.

Abssyl, he is Iblees in Kharajyr language. The stories goes he was a jealous brother of Metztli, he disliked the children she has made so he shines his light onto the children but Metztli has shielded her children from the light so they may not burn. He is the evil of the world.

The Kharajyr on Heaven

Death is something the Kharajyr both fear and are highly superstitious of. Although the Kharajyr do not necessarily believe in heaven in a literal sense, they do believe that upon death they go to join their holy mother Metztli, in the skies. It is believed that upon death the souls of the Kharajyr head skywards and form the entourage of Metztli, to accompany her through the universe for eternity as a star. The Rituals of Metztli - credit to Lucas Prior to rituals taking place, the Priests must bathe in the "Pool of Metztli" within the Temple. This serves to both energise them in terms of absorbing some of Metztli's power, as well as psyching them up for the coming ritual.

Ritual of the Moon

The ritual of the Moon is the standard common sacrificial ritual. The victim is lain across an altar and a special sacrificial blade would be plunged into the victims chest, the heart would then be surgically removed by the priest and held up for the collection of Kharajyr to see. The sacrificial blade is previously bathed in the sacred pools and blessed by the priests, then coated in a neurotoxin known as Tetrodotoxin, which effectually stops the nervous system responding, paralysing the target. It is not unknown for a victim to have an overdose of this toxin and die from lung and heart malfunction before they can be sacrificed. The toxin itself is extracted from certain fish, octopi, toads and newts. Priest: O’ Mother of the Blessed, Light of the World and O’ Sainted of all, hear our prayer and accept our gifts.

On this night, O’ Moon Mother, we give to you a life, a one whom is unworthy of your praise and gift. O’ Mother! Hear our prayer!

• The priest will then plunge the blade into the victims chest, and will remove the heart. He will then reach into the chest and grab out the heart, and hold it up to the moon for all to see.*

As the heart grows silent, let the soul of the body rise into the sky and the energy of the body used to empower our Great Mother! O’ Mother! Accept our gift, and bestow onto us your blessing!

All: O’ Mother! Hear our prayer! Ritual of War The ritual of war is a ritual in which a sacrifice is made to Metztli to ensure her support in the coming battle. The Military Aelkos (Tultelkos) leads the ritual, using the priests and priestesses as support. Much alike to the sacrificial ritual, the blade is coated in Tetrodotoxin to ensure the death is as painless, clean and problem free as possible. Although Metztli does not have any recorded physical impact on the battles, the ritual is used as a morale booster for the entire Kharajyr people. Although some theories have developed claiming that Metztli indirectly influences the outcome of the battles by changing small things; such as making a cloud cover the moon to hide her warriors from being detected, or revealing the moon once again so a creeping enemy may become visible. Additionally inverse theories have also come to light, claiming if the ritual does not take place the opposite will happen; although both theories are just myth and have no substantial evidence to back the claims. Tultelkos: Night Mother, keep is safe from our enemies. Grant us protection from those who wish upon us the evils of the sun! Purify our souls and minds with your all encompassing wisdom and might.

Priests: Grant us wisdom!

Tultelkos: Watcher of the Stars, grant us the power of the night! Muffle our movements and keep us under your cloak of aegis. Give us the strength to smite our enemies in a single blow!

Priests: Grant us strength!

Tultelkos: O’ Moon Mother, we beseech of you! Allow us the heart and courage to act upon your will, and to spread the influence of the blessed race upon all of the worlds!

Priests: Grant us courage!

Tultelkos: Goddess over all, we give unto you this life in return for these gifts we so seek!

• The Tultelkos will then thrust the knife down into the victim, but instead of cutting out the heart, instead the Tultelkos will cut deeper into the flesh and allow as much blood as possible to flow out of the body, as it is symbolic for the flood of the Kharajyr who will consume their enemies.*

All: Thank you O’ Great Mother!

A little explanation, you don’t really have to include this on the front page but perhaps it makes the prayers make a little more sense. I tried to make this sound very… cultish. Filled with riddles and unclear language

The “Grant us wisdom” prayer is mainly focusing on that of allowing insight into the enemies plans, but also a plea for protection from the enemies eyes, and the ability to see which plans to put into effect when to grant maximum advantage for the Kharajyr.

The “Grant us strength” prayer is not so much focusing on brute strength, but more strength used as a much looser definition, more the “power” of the Kharajyr and allowing them to strike swiftly and as powerfully as possible, usually with the use of stealth or other guerrilla tactics.

The “Grant us courage” prayer is as it looks, they are asking Metztli for courage for the oncoming battle. Ritual of Plenty The ritual of plenty like most others contains a sacrifice to ensure Metztli’s blessing. It is believed that by sacrificing another race (Commonly termed “Apes”) or another animal will bring the rains for the oncoming growing season. The reason for this ceremony directly translates to “the blood of the enemy will nourish the seeds of our crops”. This is not entirely constant due to the fact of the usage of animals of substitutes when an “enemy” cannot be found for the sacrifice, although an enemy is preferred over an animal for the sacrifice. Usually it is the Craftsman Aelkos (Truluk) who perfoms this ritual, although it is not uncommon for a priest to also perform this ritual. The Ritual of Plenty is one of the least formal and shortest of the ceremonies, and it is usually performed by priests in some of the more rurual communities. Rarely there will be a giant ceremony in the capital which is mainly performed by the Truluk.

Priest: From the ground spurts the child of the earth, it grants us nourishment and fills our stores with plenty. We thank the Mother for her gifts, and in return we offer this sacrifice!

All: The rains must come!

Priest: The Blood shall run down the steps and soak into the earth. It shall feed our crops, as the blood of our enemy returns to the cycle!

All: The rains must come!

Priest: Take the flesh of this beast as a gift of our subservience to your gloriousness, and in return bestow us with the rains to wash away the famine!

All: The rains must come!

Priest: With these words I surrender this life, in return for the rains to sustain a thousand more!

All: The rains must come!

Priest: The rains must come!

• As the leader of the ceremony finishes the word “come”, the knife is thrust into the heart of the ape/beast and the blood is left to drain down the steps.*

Priest: The rains are coming. Ritual of Order The ritual of order is lead by different people depending on the times and the will of the Tlatlanni. During the ritual a lot of gifts are slowly thrown into the holy moon pool to signify the priest giving up all his worldly possessions that he holds dear and instead embracing Metztli as all that they require. No blood is to be spilled as it is thought that an ape’s blood would “taint” the ceremony. In this ceremony the Tlatlanni does not have to be present, but is permitted to enter the ceremony. No others other than Aelkos or the Tlatlanni may enter the ceremony on punishment of being buried in the sand. The prospective priest will come into the ritual chamber with just their undergarments and their clothes and all worldly possessions in their hands. Priest: Lady Mother of the Moon, we call upon you in this night!

• The priest who spoke will dip their paw into the water and sprinkle some on their forehead; after the priest does so the rest of the priests will follow suit.*

Second Priest: The moon has risen, the mother is rising, all hail the moon goddess.

Third priest (or first again if there are only two at the time): Lady Mother, Lady Mother, listen to the song of the soul, for one wishes to become your servant this night!

• The prospective priest will step forward, all items they will donate being held in their hands.*

Second Priest: For one whom wishes the servitude of the mother must embrace nothing but the divine!

First Priest: Throw away your garments, throw away your jewels, throw away your weapons, these are nothing.

Third Priest (or first continuing): The mothers embrace will be your garments, the moon shall be your jewels and the wisdom of the Night shall be your weapons!

All Priests together: Embrace the Night!

• The prospective priest will throw away all of the items into the moon pool.*

First Priest: You submerge a Kharajyr.

• The priests will then lower the prospective priest into the pool until they are completely submerged. After a small amount of time they will be brought up again.*

All Priests together: You remerge a chosen one. Welcome [brother/sister].