Zahavan Polytheism



Zahavan Polytheism is the broad term for the myriad beliefs and traditions held by Zahavans. Zahavan religion is practical and contractual, based on the principle of "I give that you might give". Religion depended on knowledge and the of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on faith or dogma, although it was believed that those lacking in conviction would have a more difficult time in attaining divine favor.

In Zahavan polytheism the divine acted like humans and have human faults. The divine will interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. Additionally at times certain gods would be opposed to others, and they would try to outdo each other. Many of the myths and legends regarding the divine are presented as historical events or fact in Zahavan culture and are deeply interwoven with Zahavan political and cultural history.

While the Zahavan religion has a structured priestly class and a set tradition based rules and doctrine it is largely a cult based religion where individuals are expected to go through introspection and determine which divine entities most resonate with their lives and worship them accordingly. The only exception to this being that of the Imperial cult, to which all Zahavans are expected to pay homage.

During the reign of Iskander Korthuphos II all the myths, legends, and other religious texts of Zahavan religion were compiled into the Epitoma Aiona or Book of the Heavens. This book contains not only the tales of the divine, their deeds, but also outlines on the specific guidelines to properly conduct rituals, prayers and other religious based services.

For ordinary Zahavans, religion is a part of daily life. Each home has a household shrine at which prayers and offerings to the family's chosen deities and ancestors are offered. Each community has shrines and sacred places such as springs and groves, plazas, or temples. The Zahavan calendar is structured around religious observances. Both men and women and in some cases even children all participate in a range of religious activities. Some religious rituals can only be conducted by men, while others can only be conducted by women.

Founding Myth and Divine Destiny
As stated in The Epitoma Aiona in the eons after the creation of the cosmos and the world the gods divided up the world each seeking to establish their own realm within the mortal plane, and each attempting to one up each other, and take more of the world for themselves.

Zahavan myth teaches that in the eons before the establishment of the Empire, the lands it now occupies were ruled by Mortarius, and his cult of daemons, beasts, and other creatures from the underworld. Mankind was enslaved and their souls used to sustain the realm of the underworld on the mortal plane of existence. Amongst this scene of goom and despair there was a mortal woman, named Karmia, whose beauty was so great that she caught the attention of the gods themselves. Mortarius took great delight in parading her before his brothers and sisters, taking particular delight in showing off his mortal prize to his greatest rival the god Areius.

Not all of the divine looked on mortals the same way, the goddess Mageia, daughter of Areius, whom had given mankind life and a soul, found Mortarius' wanton cruelty and deplorable treatment of humanity disgusting, and unbecoming of divine nature. She implored her father to do something. Areius, who shared his daughters views toward his brother decided to act, but could not openly confront his brother, less he risk starting a grand war between all the divines which could have catastrophic consequences for the entire cosmos. Instead Areius, with the help of his daughter managed to distract Mortarius long enough for allies to steal away his prize, the mortal woman Karmia.

Areius blessed Karmia with a child and hid the two away in the realm of his brother, Taktos where the child Zahavarius, meaning carrier of divine light was able to mature and grow strong. After many years in the realm of Taktos, Karmia told her son the true nature of his birth, and where he had come from. At nearly the same time, Mortarius had finally deduced whom had been behind the disappearance of his prized Karmia, and the clouds of war had begun to form in the divine realms.

While the gods could fight freely amongst themselves in the divine realms, they were limited to what they could do directly on the mortal plane, instead each god or goddess would have to rely on mortal beings or creatures to carry out their will, the coming conflict would not only determine who ruled the divine, but the mortal realms as well.

Zahavarius gathered a great army of men from across the world and with the help of Areius via special armor, and weapons led his army into the mortal realm of Mortarius, managing to vanquish the god of the underworlds forces freeing the people there. At the conclusion of his campaign Zahavarius declined an offer from Areius to join him in the divine realms, choosing instead to remain on the mortal realm and continue to protect, and guide mankind declaring that he and his descendants shall be the bulwark for humanity against the nefarious forces of darkness for all time. With his campaign finished, and mankind's freedom won, Zahavarius and what was left of his army settled down, forming the city state of Arcanium which would go on to become the empire that exists today.

Morality
Zahavan morality is a complex and intricate overlapping of several ideals, namely consisting of elements of in that what benefits the Imperium as a whole, is better than what may benefit just the individual, or a minority. Zahavan morality is also defined by the notion that one should seek to do their best, or strive for perfection in all things, but to do so within their means, thus much of Zahavan morality centers around the idea of living up to one's full potential, while at the same time trying to not over value ones abilities, to do your best and excel will result in reward, to attempt to much or do things beyond ones abilities will often result in failure, shame, or dishonor.

In addition to these loose concepts there are also more defined principals that guide Zahavan morality.

Mutual Trust
Trust/trustworthiness, good faith/faithfulness, confidence, reliability and credibility are all considered vitally important qualities in both Zahavan faith, and culture overall. If one is not reliable or trustworthy, it is believed that the gods will not consider ones prayers or offerings sincere, and worse they may view them as insult, resulting in divine punishment.

Likewise if an individual is not considered reliable then they are often seen as a drain on the rest of society as other members of society have to now pull the offenders weight. There are many tales in Zahava folklore that highlight both the divine and secular misfortunes that will befall a person who lies, or is otherwise unreliable.

Another reason that trust, and faithfulness is so highly regarded is the traditional practice of securing contracts orally, although in the modern era contracts are typically made both orally and by the legally binding signing of documents. The practice is still common in many rural villages and townships.

Duty
Duty as defined by Zahavan culture is the attitude of dutiful respect towards the gods, homeland, parents and family, which required the maintenance of relationships in a moral and dutiful manner. Part of ones Duty is the proper offering of sacrifices and the correct ritual performance, but beyond this duty is considered to be the inner devotion and righteousness of the individual.

In Zahavan culture there are numerous civilian and military awards and honors for those who are deemed to have performed their duties, even if doing so was detrimental to themselves. It is considered the duty of children to care for their parents, which is why many Zahavan households, including those of the upper class have extended family living with them all in one house, or in the same compound.

Likewise it is considered ones duty to carry out religious rites and ceremonies at the proper date and time, and in the proper manner. Lastly the notion that it is the individuals duty to do things that benefit the Imperium as a whole in this way all citizens of the Imperium have a duty to care for one another.

Adherence to Religion and ones Cult
While duty and trust entail both religious aspects of morality, they also focus largely on the morality of the individual. Adherence to religion, and ones cult, or cults is strictly a moral of religious nature. The notion being that persons should always properly honor the gods, by conducting the required rituals and ceremonies, in the correct manner, and that persons should pledge themselves to a deity and seek guidance from their respective cult in all matters. The individual should free themselves from worldly thoughts and allow the divine to guide them on their path to their destiny. In this way the individual is binding themselves to their chosen deity.

Adherence to religion also implies one should not waiver from the faith, and that doing so is a sign of both weakness and an insult to ones ancestors, the gods themselves. The individual should accept the Primogenitor as the protector and spiritual guide for humanity on behalf of the pantheon.

Role of Women in Religion
Women participate or are present for almost all festivals, ceremonies, rituals, or other observances. Some rituals specifically require the presence of women, and the level of participation in the religious ceremonies differs dependent upon the ceremony being conducted. For example women may be present and will typically prepare food and drink offerings prior to the ceremony, and often recite prayers or oaths during religious ceremonies, women however do not typically conduct the ritual sacrifice of animals, while other religious ceremonies, such as the recitation of prayers and oaths during the birth of a child are reserved solely for women.

Similary women are present in almost all of the religious orders, or Ecclesiac colleges, while other religious orders are comprised entirely of women, such as the cult of Mageia, whose priestesses are all required to be mothers, while priestesses for Hexerius are required to be virgins. There are a number of cults, rituals, prayers, and deities dedicated to women, often including women and children and focused largely on the act of childbirth and of caring for children. Many of the religious colleges also reserved special titles for female members of the priestly orders, women have also frequently held the highest ecclasiac ranks in a number of religious orders, in addition to several Empresses being declared and sitting on the Imperial throne.

Women playing a crucial role in many religious practices is due in part to the Zahavan desire to maintain balance in life, as is the case many deities who are male have female counterparts who either compliment or oppose them. As the Imperium expanded, newer religions and their deities were often assimilated into the Pantheon, with many of these newer religious orders offering membership, and even leadership to women.

Marriage even sometimes is a requirement for certain Ecclesiarc, the head priest of the Temple of Areius and the head priestess of Nourmenia are required to be married, forbidden to divorce, and if one of the pair died the other would have to resign from their post. The priest and pirestess of Areius and Nourmenia, known commonly as the Union of Light even have their own special religious regalia to show their status. In certain rituals involving both Areius and Nourmenia the priestess of Nourmenia would carry out the act of sacrificing an animal.

Women also played a key role in domestic cults, with mothers and daughters typically being the ones to prepare offerings for the household deities, and making the offerings to the household shrines while husbands and sons typically recited prayers, or oaths.

Some of the daughters of the Imperial house are selected to make up their own special branch of the Imperial cult, sworn to chastity and forbidden from marriage they are tasked with carrying out a number of rituals and ceremonies designed to safeguard the Emperor's mortal status from the influence of evil, to secure blessings on the Imperial house for good fortune, and good health. These women and young girls are referred to as the Sanctus Sorores, or Divine Sisterhood often are capable of gathering political influence and large amounts of personal wealth due to their perceived religious importance.

Historically women have often been portrayed as being more inclined to use or seek out and use sources of magic and more likely to believe in superstition, with many tales and myths featuring witches as a character or villain. The belief that women are more naturally in-tuned to the supernatural is also why women are often frequently chosen to serve as oracles in the Ordo Divination

Religion and the Military
Zahavans believe military success is dependent upon personal virtue and skill of the commander, in addition to the collective virtue of the soldiers he leads coupled with divine blessing. Should a commander, or his army be lacking in faith, or commit great offenses against the gods it shall result in military misfortune or disaster. This is why before all military campaigns, and even before the declaration of war itself every effort must be made to ensure divine blessing on the endeavor.

It is common place for commanders to make vows to the gods in exchange for victory in battle or, in the case of more lavish promises in exchange for a successful campaign. Such as promising the construction and commemoration of a lavish temple, or the offering of a great number of sacrifices should they aid the commander and give them victory.

Each Zahavan solider has their own personal deity, on top of the divine chosen for their formation by their commander, these selected deities often change the higher up the formation hierarchy one goes. Typically soldiers are permitted to carry small wooden carvings of their personal deities and may honor them in their quarters, while each formation has a specially designated area for the conducting of religious rites and ceremonies to its deity. These rituals and ceremonies are conducted by designated religious personnel to ensure the conduct of each ceremony or ritual is carried out correctly, in addition these religious personnel are responsible for the interpretation of omens and other signs from the gods while on campaign.

successful completion of a campaign was believed to represent a favorable relationship, and closeness with the gods. It would be common for the commanding officer to be dressed as Hexerius and for him to make an offering a portion of his own spoils taken from the campaign at the shrine of Hexerius in the temple dedicated to the god of war upon their return.

In addition to the divine pantheon, all Zahavan forts, bases, and camps have special areas designated for the worship of the Imperial cult, with another select group of personnel dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of the Imperial shrines and images. All Zahavan soldiers are required to make vows to the Imperial cult and oaths of loyalty to the Primogenitor himself, it also common for the current empress or other matriarchal member of the Imperial family to be referred to as mother by the soldiery.

The most extreme vow a solider could make is the promise of ones own life along with those of the enemies they fell in combat to the gods of the underworld. Such acts of self sacrifice are often made in extreme circumstances, such as during a siege where a soldier may offer their own life in exchange for the promise of safety and survival of their family or fellow soldiers.

On occasion when military events ended in failure, it was often blamed on the commander's failure to acquire divine blessings, in fact numerous times throughout history, the loss of a battle particularly one conducted after omens were interpreted to be poor would result in the complete ruin of the commanding officers political and military career. To avoid this shame it was common then for commanders, after a great defeat to offer themselves as restitution for any offenses they, or their army had committed against the divine and then to commit ritualistic suicide often by falling onto their own sword, or having their second in command slit their throats while another staff officer simultaneously pierced their heart.

Prima Materium
According to the Epitoma Aiona the gods themselves are possibly creations of the Prima Materium, also known as the realm of Empyrean.

It is argued by some scholars that the gods themselves are, like mankind creations of a higher being, or beings, perhaps creating the divine in their likeness, in the same manner which the gods are said to have created mankind in their own image. This, some speculate is why the gods posses similar virtues and vices to mankind in the tales of their interactions not only with mankind but with one another.

Others speculate that the gods were created by more significant entities to be shepherds over the world, and this is why in general each god or goddess is limited in scope as to what aspects of the physical world which they can manipulate or control. It ensures no one deity can be fully in control of all aspects of the physical world, and that a certain balance and level of order must be maintained.

Artifacts, Texts, and Relics
The Zahavan religion is ancient, with many of its tales and myths going back over two thousand years. Throughout its evolving history various artifacts, sacred texts, or collections of texts, and other relics believed to have divine properties or that are considered vital for the proper carrying out of rituals and ceremonies have come into the Ecclasia's possession.

All relics are artifacts are considered property of the Primogenitor, as a descendant of the divine it is believed only the Primogenitor, or another person with Sanctorus Sanguis can weild true power and control the divine abilities the relics and artifacts are rumored to posses. The relics, texts, and artifacts kept and studied by the ecclasia, with many still used today to conduct specific rituals and ceremonies.

The shrines and temples which house these relics also serve as sites of pilgrimage for many Zahavans, it is common for members of certain cults, or those whom have pledged themselves to certain deities to make annual trips to places where their chosen deities most sacred artifacts are kept believing doing so is mandatory to properly honor the gods.

Epitoma Aiona
Zahavan polytheism does not have a holy book that is comparable to the Koran, or Bible of Islam and Christianity. Instead, the Epitoma Aiona, or Book of the Heavens is a collection of stories and tales that recount the various myths and legends of creation, stories about interactions between the various divine beings, and tales of heros and other interactions between the gods and mortals.

The Epitoma Aiona also contains the rules and conventions for the proper procedures for conducting all religious ceremonies and rituals, such as how sacrifices should be made, what animal should be used and when and what prayers or incantations should be said during the ceremony. The Epitoma Aiona also contains all of the proper prayers and songs which should be recited and the outlined practices followed rigidly during any and all ceremonies or rituals. Zahavans believe to differ from adherence to the traditional and strict set of rules will result in offending the gods and therefore have their requests ignored, or worse yet incur the wrath of the gods upon them for failing to properly worship them.

With such importance placed upon following rituals and prayers exactly as tradition dictates children are taught from the Epitoma Aiona at an early age, and it is common for families to read from the book and recite prayers or conduct rituals together as a form of practice, this is typically done two or three times a week usually following the evening meal and before many people go to sleep for the night. Priests, Priestesses, Lectors, and other members of the Ecclasia also run classes studying the Epitoma Aiona daily where cult members or citizens may come to follow along themselves and observe the rituals being carried out.

The Epitoma Aiona is he most published book in Zahava, with many families owning several copies, in many instances each member of the family has their own version. In modern times the various books, rituals and ceremonies have been divided up into smaller more manageable books so that one may study the prayers and rituals of their chosen deity more easily. Still most families have at least one full copy of the Epitoma Aiona, typically kept within part of the families shrine to the familial ancestors.

Crown of Zahavarius
The crown of Zahavarius is the name given to the crown worn by the Primogenitor. It is said to imbue the wearer with Zahavarius' wisdom, and strength while also providing them with divine protection to their body and soul by warding off evil spirits and disease. The Primogenitor Kamateros was so convinced of the crowns protective properties he had a special device fashioned to keep the crown upon his head at all times. Ironically it is believed the rubbing of the crown opened a wound on Kamateros' head leading to the infection which killed him. Officially he was said to have fallen out of favor with the gods, and thus the spirit of Zahavarius himself had temporarily stripped the crown of its magical properties.

Black staff of Mortarius
The black staff of Morarius is a black wooden staff, intertwined with a lizard and a spider and topped with a snake head. It is believed to have been the staff Mortarius himself had dropped after Zahavarius had defeated him, thus freeing mankind, and the mortal realm from Moratrius' evil rule. The staff is believed to allow the one holding it the ability to wield enormous powers of the divine among which raising and commanding the dead is among the rumored abilities the staff possess. The staff itself is used in a number of rituals, honoring Mortarius and on October 31 the staff is used and believed to open a temporary gateway between the mortal realm and that of the dead, allowing the spirits of the dead to freely roam the earth once again, to visit loved ones left behind or take care of unfinished business.

The Obsidian Throne
The throne on which the Primogenitor sits is called the Obsidian throne, made out of sculpted Obsidian the throne is believed to have been made by Dersius himself with Obsidian believed to have divine properties which would provide protection from the forces of the underworld and other bad or evil entities. Obsidian was also historically used early on to fashion a number of weapons and tools, and ceremonial jewelry and sculptures by early Zahavans. The Obsidian throne refers rhetorically to the head of state and the institution of the Zahavan Imperial house itself.

Major Gods and Goddesses
The major gods and goddess of the Zahavan pantheon are considered to be masters of the respective realms, ruling over them as kings or queens. All are of course under Areius' the ruler of the divines and father to Zahavarius. Zahavans believe each god and goddess has lesser gods, either as their children or as divine creations along with other mythical beings and creatures to carry out their will on earth or otherwise serve them. While the gods typically are cooperative, rivalries between deities do exist, and from time to tome the gods are will use both their divine assistants, and, through various means of manipulation mortals to carry out plots against one another.

Areius


Areius is the king of the gods husband to Nourmenia, father to Zelos, Caphan, Notos, and Mageia. He is the son of Abedia and Ecarus, brother to Taktos, Mortarius, Tiberias, Nourmenia, and Galene. Areius is the god of authority, governance, and justice. Areius is also the chief deity of the Imperial state religion, and is believed to be father to Zahavarius and thus grandfather to all Zahavan people. As such Areius is often featured on Zahavan coinage, and Primogenitors or other officials are often depicted at the right side of Areius in artworks or sculptures. As the god of authority, Areius is seen as the divine witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend.

Areius along with his daughter Mageia and brother Mortarius are key characters in the Zahavan creation myth. With Areius and Mageia cooperating together to ensure the hero, Zahavarius could be born and lead the forces of justice and good against the darkness and evil of Mortarius. As father to Zahavarius Areius offered to make his half mortal son a member of the divine race, Zahavarius refused choosing instead to remain on the mortal plane to ensure Mortarius and his nefarious supporters would never again threaten humanity.

Areius is often depicted as an eldery man, with a full white beard and long white hair. He is often shown wearing the regalia of the Primogenitor, along with other Imperial honors, wearing a white toga or robe which itself is often embroidered with gold and it is common for Areius to be depicted semi nude. Also common are depictions that show him seated on a throne, which again bears resemblance to the worldly Imperial throne. Areius is typically associated with the sky or heavens which is seen as the divine's domain. In addition to swearing loyalty to the Primogenitor, all Imperial officials additionally swear an oath of loyalty to Areius upon taking office.

The sacred animal of Areius is the Eagle. Acceptable sacrificial animals for Areius are white oxen or rams with gilded horns or lamb. More festivals and holidays on the Zahavan calendar are dedicated to Areius than any other deity.

Caphan
Caphan is a son of Areius and Nourmenia, husband of Notos, and father to Hexerius, Tempestus, and chalkos. Caphan serves as the god of the sky, and heavens. While Areius rules the divine realm it is Caphan's duty to ensure everything is kept in working order. Caphan is responsible for the placement of stars, the sun, the moon. Caphan, along with his wife ensure the winds which control weather keep circulating the globe.

Caphan is also depicted similar to his father Areius, as an older mature man sometimes partially nude. To distinguish between the two Caphan is always portrayed in a colored robe, while Areius is typically shown wearing all white. Sometimes Caphan has his wife, or children shown around him as well.

Due to Caphan's task of ensuring the heavens remain in their proper order he is a common deity among naval and other sea faring personnel as traditionally the stars have been used for seaward navigation and winds for power. It is typical to find shrines to Caphan near harbors or other ship facilities, shrines to Caphan are also common at astrology and astronomy educational institutions, the largest shrine being at the Imperial observatory in Moriae. The sacred animals of Caphan are the Ospreys, and Macaws. Acceptable sacrificial animals are sheep, bulls and pigs.

Festivals to Caphan often mark the dates of successful expeditions abroad, or following rains after a long drought or may occur following a long string of favorable weather in general.

Dersius
Dersius is the god of the forge, craftsmanship, and fire. Dersius is a brother to Abedia, Auli, Ecarus, Karsius, Noctililius, Morbidios, and Orexes. Dersius is often depicted clothed, or partially nude working with a hammer and anvil, typically forging a weapon or piece of armor. He is also sometimes depicted overlooking the building of a great work, such as a temple or other monument.

Dersius is important in Zahavan religion as the forger of weapons and armor for the other divines, and ensuring that Zahavan mortal weapons and armor are of a high quality. As the god of craftsman, proper offerings to Dersius are necessary during construction planning and engineering to ensure that the project will be completed, and done safely. Most important of all however, is the myth of how Dersius took an ember from his great forge the sun, and gave it to mankind thereby giving fire to humanity and allowing mankind to advance technologically in ways which would have otherwise been impossible.

Sacred animals of Dersius include wasps and bees, weaver birds, and the Hyrax. Acceptable offerings include rams, bulls, and horses or oxen. There are several festivals and holidays dedicated to Dersius throughout the Zahavan year.

Hexerius


Hexerius is the god of war, and conquest, Heroism, and Self-Sacrifice, and is the Son of the god Caphan and goddess Notos, and the brother to Tempestus. Hexerius is second in importance only to Areius, and is the most prominent of the military gods in the religion of the Imperial army. Many of the festivals and celebrations honoring Hexerius occur in March and October, which typically marked the beginning and end of military campaign seasons. Hexerius is believe to represent military power as a way to secure peace.

The sacred animals of Hexerius are the wolf, the bear, and the Caracara. Each of these animals are said to embody the traits of Hexerius, and serve as he servants or messengers on earth. Acceptable sacrificial animals include pigs, rams, oxen or bulls. It is customary even today that before any military operation is undertaken an offering to Hexerius is made, in hopes of gaining his favor and thus ensuring victory.

Hexerius is typically depicted as a bearded mature man, often clad in armor but also depicted semi-nude, or nude with a shield and spear or sword and helmet. The sword of Hexerius is kept in the temple to Hexerius, the Sanctorium Divinatum on the grounds of the Sanctorus Basileius in Arcanium. The sword is said to tremble or shake if war or an attack against the Imperium is imminent.

Karsius
Karsius is the god of strength, sports, and athletes. He is brother to Abedia, Auli, Ecarus, Dersius, Noctililius, Morbidios, and Orexes. Karsius is often depicted nude, partially nude, or in armor as a younger man typically bearded although his face is not always shown, and has varied in different depictions. He is typically shown performing a great act of strength. A common example is the portrayal of Karsius wrestling one or more mythological creatures such as Minotaur, or to show him throwing a javelin over the horizon during a series of games. With physical fitness being a key aspect for both men and women in the Zahavan culture Karsius is a popular deity, and is honored with a full week of feasts, celebrations and ceremonies during and after the Kharmideian Games.

Karsius is also a popular deity among the military, both in hopes he will help them maintain good physical condition but that he will also grant the the strength and courage necessary to achieve victory in battle. It is common to see many soldiers wearing trinkets or adorning equipment and vehicles with fetishes or other symbols of Karsius among other deities. Karsius is also a common deity in hospitals as many of the sick, particularly those who have serious illnesses like cancer will seek to be imbued with his divine strength and courage so that they may undergo their treatments without fear.

Karsius' sacred animals are the lion, bull elephants, and gorilla. Acceptable sacrifices include water buffalo bulls, rams, and domestic hares. There are festivals and games throughout the year to honor Karsius, typically in conjunction with other gods like Hexerius.

Mageia


Mageia is the daughter of Areius and Nourmenia, sister to Notos, Caphan, and Zelos, aunt to Tempestus and Hexerius. Mageia is the goddess of life and the soul, it is believed Mageia retrieves a soul from the Prima Materium, via the river of souls then places the soul inside a clay molding of a person or animal she has made. In this manner Mageia gave birth to mankind, and is the creator of all animals and mythological creatures. Mageia is seen as the first "mother" to every human being on the planet past, present, and future. Mageia is also another key member of the divines in the Zahavan creation myth along with her father Areius and uncle Mortarius. It is also believed that, in giving a soul to her creations Mageia is responsible for spirits, ghosts and other specters who remain tethered to the mortal plane even after death.

In the times of cosmic antiquity, Mageia had had her creations, mankind taken from her via a trick and used by Mortarius to sustain his realm of the dead within the mortal plane of existence. It was at Mageia's insistence, and primarily with her help that Areius was able to trick his brother Mortarius and rescue Karmia, Mortarius' prized mortal trophy. This led to an affair between Areius and Karmia which resulted in the demi-god son, Zahavarius who would eventually defeat Mortarius and declare himself and his descendants protectors of mankind and the mortal realm for all time.

Mageia is typically shown as a pregnant, partially clothed woman sitting in a garden or forest, she is occasionally shown besides members of her divine family, or with mythological creatures which she has created. Sacred animals to Mageia are the rabbit, fox, and song birds. Acceptable sacrifices include only female animals such as cows, sheep, or sows which should be white or sacrificed in prime number amounts. Festivals for Mageia typically are conducted in spring when plants and flowers bloom and animals typically give birth, or after the birth of a child. It is also customary to make offerings to Mageia at a funeral service in hopes of ensuring the deceased's soul is able to move on and find peace in the afterlife.

Notos
Notos is wife and sister to Caphan, the daughter of Areius and Nourmenia, and sister of Mageia and Zelos. Notos is goddess of the four winds, and works with her husband and brother Caphan to ensure the weather patterns and winds continue to circulate the globe as they are designed to. Notos also sometimes works with Tempestus, giving him great gusts of wind with which to wreak the mayhem and destruction he is ordered to do or with Tiberias to generate great swells in the sea upon his request.

Notos is one of the few deities who is rarely depicted alone and is often shown fully nude or partially nude. Typically Notos is shown beside her mythological guardian, Khuebus. Khuebus was, according to the myth at one time a mortal woman, whom was Caphan's love interest. Notos, with whom Caphan had already had a romantic relationship became jealous when Caphan turned down her suggestion that the two be wed, choosing instead to pursue mortal women. This went on for some time until Caphan happened across the mortal woman Iasonae. Iasonae and Caphan fell madly in love and Caphan even had plans to ask Areius to make her a member of the divines. Upon hearing this Notos flew into a rage, and kidnapped Iasonae, taking her to her uncle Mortarius. In exchange for one thousand mortal souls Notos had Mortarius transform the once beautiful Iasonae into a hiedous part human, part, angel, part puma beast whom was subservient to Notos and Notos alone.

Notos returned to Caphan, showing him what she had done, Caphan was originally devastated, asking Areius if he could undo what Mortarius had done but Areius refused. Caphan then sulked for years, leaving his position and allowing the heavens to fall into disarray.Scholars suggest this time is the cause for global climatic changes that occurred in ____ resulting in the ____ ice age. After years of trying Notos, with help from her brother and sister was able to convince Caphan to return, Caphan realizing that should he chose anyone but Notos to marry she would likely again sabotage him, reluctantly agreed to wed his sister.

Notos is, particularly in modern times less celebrated than she was during the age of sail, however festivals and rituals honoring her often coincide with events honoring her husband. She is also the chief deity among many of Zahavan's sailboat racing teams. Sacred animals to Notos include the mythological Khuebus, swifts, and Skuas. Acceptable sacrifices to Notos include doves, cows or bulls, and sheep or rams.

Pyremius
Pyremius is the god of the sun, the planets, light, and hope. He is the opposing force in the universe to his brother Noctilius. Pyremius is brother to Abedia, Auli, Ecarus, Karsius, Noctililius, Morbidios, Orexes and Dersius.

It is believed every day that Pyremius sends forth untold numbers of sprites and other familiars to earth, they carry with them rays of sunlight which are necessary to sustain life on earth, to ensure all sides of the planet receive the rays of sunlight Pyremius, pulls the earth in an orbit around the sun with a great lasso causing it to rotate as he tows it around in orbit. Pyremius is sometimes shown with a great number of lassos pulling all the planets around the sun, and ensuring they remain in their correct positions.

Pyremius also allows his brother, Dersius to use the heat of the sun to forge his divine weapons and armor. After Dersius took an ember from the sun and gave fire to man Pyremius was furious, and in an effort to punish Dersius, Pyremius allowed fewer and fewer familiars to carry light to earth, this resulted in an ice age lasting ____ years. It was not until Mageia pleaded with Pyremius that he allowed the familiars to be free once more bringing life back to the world.

He is often shown as a half nude, or fully nude young man whom has a portion of his body within a firey orb representing the sun, he is also sometimes portrayed as a man whose body is aflame, or simply a face on an orb representing the sun. Pyremius is an important deity in the Zahavan pantheon, for which rituals of thanks are conducted every morning at sun rise, and rituals asking for his return are conducted at sun set, festivals and ceremonies are held at each of the four dates marking the beginning of one of the seasons, and a special festival and celebration is held yearly in Pyremius' honor on the longest day of the year. Pyremius is a popular deity among astronomers and farmers

Sacred animals to Pyremius are the Barbet, fox kestrel, and golden cats. Acceptable offerings are bulls or oxen, rams, pigs (males only), and horses.

Taktos
Taktos is the god of Order, and is often also attributed as being the god of justice in that justice should be fair, and that punishments should be equal to the offenses one has committed. He is the son of Abedia and Ecarus, brother to Areius, Mortarius, Tiberias, Nourmenia, and Galene. Taktos often swings his allegience between Areius and Mortarius when the two are at odds, much to the dismay of the opposite party. Taktos is supposed to temper excessive thoughts or traits such as greed, lust, or Megalomania with a pragmatic approach. Too much of any one thing, either good or evil results in chaos as an imbalance grows between cosmic forces. Taktos has no concept of good or evil, he is merely interested in preserving a state of cosmic equilibrium.

Taktos is typically shown alone, in a harsh or unforgiving setting clad in armor and wielding his sword, Libro. Libro is a special sword forged by Dersius, that has the ability to cut through any material such as ones fate, and even posses the ability to kill a divine being. The sword was entrusted to Taktos by Areius himself and it is adorned with scales, meant to signify the sword, and Taktos' purpose of preserving a perfect balance.

In the Zahavan creation myth Taktos assists Zahavarius by directing Dersius to forge special armor and weapons for Zahavarius' followers which would allow them to combat the forces of Mortarius ultimately leading to Zahavarius' victory. Taktos' sacred animals are the stag, the maned wolf, and the mongoose. Acceptable sacrifices include bulls, water buffalo, and rams. Rituals to Taktos often take place before any legal proceedings and witnesses must swear oaths of truth to Taktos before any testimony is given, shrines to Taktos are common in court houses and at jails or prisons.

Tempestus
Tempestus is the god of storms, and natural disasters, he is the son of Caphan and Notos, and the brother to Hexerius. Typically Tempestus is seen as carrying out the will of other gods, when they have been greatly offended instead of them doing the so called dirty work themselves. Such was the case when Octavius Valenti's expedition in 50bc was considered lost. It was believed that Valenti had offended one of the other gods, perhaps in Areius himself by giving an improper sacrifice, and so in response to this offense Areius had Tempestus conjure a great typhoon that blew Valenti's expedition off course or sank many of his ships.

As such when a natural disaster does occur, blame is usually levied against the officials in charge as it is believed they have offended the gods in some way and must make atonement. Typically this results in the removal of at least some of the officials and a series of festivals aimed at seeking forgiveness from the gods for whatever transgressions may have been made against them. Shrines to tempestus are often erected at the site of a natural disaster, or nearby in hopes that paying proper tribute will prevent such a tragedy from occurring at the same place twice. It is also customary to making an offering to Tempestus himself before one embarks on any long journey or voyage. On occasion Tempestus has been portrayed as a protector or defender of the Zahavan people, as was the case when in 1040CE a Puhan khanate army was destroyed after a large monsoon caused a massive landslide which directly hit, and destroyed Khanate army in its encampment.

Tempestus is rarely depicted as an actual person, instead he is often shown as an ethereal being, or more typically only a portion such as a limb of Tempestus is shown, often causing some great catastrophe on the world below. The sacred animals of Tempestus are considered to be eels, gulls, and other sea birds. While acceptable sacrifices are cows, sheep, and geese.

Tiberias
Tiberias is the god of the sea, ships, sailors, sea life, salt, sea weather and navigation. Tiberias is the son of Abedia and Ecarus, brother to Areius, Mortarius, Taktos, Nourmenia, and Galene. Tiberias is often depicted as a mature man with a beard, he is often shown semi nude and often features the addition of sea life on his body, typically in the form of tentacles, gills, fins, or barnacles, star fish, and other crustaceans adorning his torso while his lower torso is often that of a fish, sea snake, or eel. Tiberias' face is also often human like in appearance but with the addition of sea life such as gills, spines or other sea life. Other times he is shown being pulled by a chariot across the sea, often by a team of sharks, whales, or other marine creatures instead of horses, another common aspect of Tiberias is the trident and crown, both typically made of gold or aquatic features such as coral.

Tiberias is known as one of the most ill-tempered, moody and greedy of the Zahavan gods, having numerous rows with men, and other members of the Pantheon alike. Tiberias holds a particular dislike for Areius, whom he views as an arrogant and unfit ruler. Tiberias has regularly sided with Mortairus against Areius, including a plot to imprison Areius in a cage they had tricked Darius into crafting, the plot was foiled by Taktos at the last moment. In an effort to prevent further upheaval, Ecarus himself intervened, and gave Tiberias complete sovereignty over the sea, the air above it and the ground beneath it. Tiberias is responsible for the creation of storms, sea monsters, massive tidal waves and all other manners of nautical horrors, which have claimed untold thousands over the centuries.

Because of his ill temper it is considered vital for constant offerings and rituals honoring Tiberias must be conducted, both on ships at sea and at any coastal town less they risk the wrath of a tidal wave wiping the town off the map. It is common for there to be multiple shrines, or if the population is large enough temples in such areas, and ships are often adorned with symbols to Tiberias, with special shrine rooms often set aside for shrines and offerings just for the irritable god of the sea below deck.

Sacred animals to Tiberias include, Whales, giant squids and octopi, sharks, and the albatross. Acceptable sacrifices to Tiberias include white oxen or bulls always in pairs and with their horns gilded with gold plates, rams in groups of four or more, and horses. There are a number of festivals throughout the year honoring Tiberias, with the main celebrations to Tiberias occurring on June first, and August twenty-third.

Zelos
Zelos is a son of Areius and Nourmenia, brother of Caphan, Notos, and Chalkos, uncle of Hexerius and Tempestus. Zelos is the god of good health, medicine and, healing. He serves as the opposing force to Morbidios. Zelos is often depicted as older man with grey hair and beard, clad in pristine and elaborately decorated robes carrying a staff adorned with a golden, softly glowing disc with the face of a man upon it. It is said that Zelos uses the staff to draw out ailments, disease, and even curses placed upon persons or places and that the face within the disc is actually a familiar of Morbidios Zelos trapped when he caught it attempting to poison Areius as part of a plot for Mortarius to overtake the divine kingdoms.

Shrines to Zelos are commonplace at hospitals and other medical facilities, It is also common for families to have a small shrine to Zelos in order to promote good health and wellbeing among family members. It is common practice that when a person falls ill, the entrance and exit to their room is adorned with symbols and fetishes to Zelos. In the Imperium it is required that all medical care givers swear oaths to Zelos and join the cult of Zelos. July 27th is one of the largest celebrations to Zelos with festivals and ceremonies honoring him, in addition to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

The sacred animals of Zelos are the turtles and tortoises, cranes, and butterflies. Acceptable sacrifices to Zelos include sheep or rams, and chickens or roosters.

Minor Gods and Goddesses
In addition to major gods and goddess, the Zahavan pantheon also features minor gods and goddesses. These deities are typically the creations of a major deity and as given specific tasks to aid their masters. They differ from major deities in that they often represent a very narrow scope of the physical, psychological, or emotional vein from which their master represents a broader view, or they may not represent an aspect of the divine at all and instead only have a specific task that they carry out, while maintaining their freedom of thought. An example of such a being is Hosautos, who is a creation of Mortarius. Hosautos' sole purpose is to serve as the guardian to the gateway between the mortal realm of the living and realms of the dead. There are numerous tales however of Hosautos being tricked or bribed to allow persons to cross realms, it is this freedom of choice that differentiates between a minor deity and a mythological creature, the latter being more animalistic than man in terms of thought process.

Hosautos
Hosatuos is a multi headed, multi armed humanoid creature, created by Moratrius whose purpose is to safeguard the the gateway between the mortal realm of the living and realms of the dead ensuring souls stay in the underworld and mortals do not enter the realm of the dead. Hosatuos' many arms and heads allow it to keep an ever watchful eye on the gateway it guards, and to grab any number of souls or persons who may be attempting to cross from one realm to another.

Despite these advantages, there are numerous instances throughout Zahavan mythology where a chosen hero has been able to trick Hosatuos into allowing them to pass, often this feat is accomplished by the use of tools such as a blinding amulet from Pyremius that allowed the epic hero Amadeus Cadexus to cross the gateway twice, once to enter the realm of the dead, and then again after Cadexus had rescued one of the daughters of Pyremius and foil a plot to steal the sun gods light by Mortarius.

Mythological creatures
A number of myths and legends in Zahava contain mythological creatures that a hero must defeat through force of arms, deceit, or a test of wit often a combination of all three. Unlike divine beings mythological creatures are typically mortal, and can be killed. Also unlike the divines Mythological creatures are often more like animals than man, in that they do not typically possess the same level of intellect or problem solving though this is not always the case. Many mythological creatures are actually the creations of deities, whom created the beasts to either stop, or aid the mortal hero of a rival god. In other cases the creatures were created purely for the creators amusement or as a way of showing off to other deities.

In modern times mythological creatures are often used as the antagonist in tales told to children warning them of the dangers on everything from taking gifts from strangers to not minding their parents. However there are also some mythological creatures which are revered, and considered sacred, and are said to bring those who see them good fortune or some other form of boon.

Arbosae
Arbosae are often portrayed as large tree, or other plants that are sentient. Unlike the Lichophe Arbosae are not malevolent by nature. Instead Arbosae are said to be the creations of Abedia herself to act as guardians and custodians of the forests. Arbosae vary widely in their depictions with different heights, colors, and weights, typically Arbosae are portrayed to look similar to the specific type of trees, or plants which they watch over.

A trait that sets Arbosae apart from many other mythical creatures is the fact that they age, albeit much more slowly than human beings, and do eventually die of old age. In Arbosae case it is said death comes in the form of the Arbosae losing sentience and becoming completely tree or plant like. Indeed it is suggested that the largest of trees in the forest were once Arbosae who have since passed on.

Arbosae are similar to shepherds, and believed to communicate and coordinate with one another to ensure the protection of their groves. They are also said to posses enormous strength able to hurl great stone slabs or boulders for miles, or should one be unfortunate enough to commit a sin against the woodland in the presence of an Arbosae pick a man up and snap him in half with little effort.

Arbosae are not as malevolent as other creatures, and, as long as one has not wronged the forest it is said an Arbosae will guide, or even carry those lost from the forest back to safety. It is also believed that the presence of an Arbosae will keep other malicious creatures, like Lichophe away, this belief led to the common practice of building towns or villages with the largest of trees kept in the center as a means of mythological protection.

Lichophe


Lichophes is a humanoid creature, said to inhabit the deepest portions of the forest, typically Lichophe take the form of a man but instead of flesh they are made up of foliage, vines, and branches and other plant materials. Lichophe are said to emit a foul smelling, rotting plant smell and their blood or other secretions are said to be a dark tarry mud consistency. The smell, or evidence of such residue is often the sign that it is too late for the person, or persons who observe them.

The Lichophe is said to lure persons into the forest, through a combination of a soft inviting song, and a harmonious melody of music. However once an individual has become sufficiently lost in the forest the Lichophe's true nature is revealed. For Lichophe are said to gorge themselves on human flesh, although according to experts they willingly will eat carcasses, however above all they crave flesh that is fresh and warm and are most active at night, historically tales of the horrors these creatures carry out involve Lichophe's luring people into the forest on their way home from a tavern, or mischievous children who venture too far from home.

Nyktophyle
Nyktophyles are sometimes portrayed as humanoid creatures, although it is also common to not describe their physical appearance at all, or that they take the form of snakes or spiders. Nyktophyles are said to inhabit forests, marshes, and gardens. When portrayed as humans Nyktophyles are typically depicted as older men, wearing dark often black robes with a hood, over a dark wooden or metal mask often covered in charcoal or painted black.

Nyktophyles are often shown also carrying a cane, and a large sack and are said to wander the streets at night, coming up to the windows of every child's room to check and see if the child is sleeping or not. If a Nyktophyle finds a room with a child awake in it, they are said to begin tapping at the window and occasionally offer the child sweets or some other reward. When the child approaches the window the Nyktophyle snatches them up and throws them into their bag so they can take the child back to their den later and eat them. It is also said that Nyktophyles may live in the closets or under the beds of children's rooms waiting to snatch up children who wont stay in bed after being put down for sleep.

Imperial Cult
The Imperial cult identifies Primogenitors, and members of the Imperial family as having divine authority. The process began in ___ with Primogenitor ___ being declared a direct descendant of Zahavarius himself, thus making _____ a divine being himself, and thereby his children potentially possessing divine lineage as well. This divine lineage had the additional affect of the ruler being viewed as, the first father to all Zahavan citizens thus taking the title Primogenitor.

Until ______ leaders had only been deemed divine posthumously, and only if they were considered worthy of the honor.

The establishment of the Imperial cult has had lasting, and almost immediate effects on the Imperium. As the Imperium expanded it became a state of great religious and cultural diversity, the Imperial cult offered a common Zahavan identity as well as dynastic stability. In Arcanium, and other major cities the Imperial government was well established and entrenched as institutions, while on the ever expanding edges of the empire this was not the case and until newly conquered territories could be properly assimilated there was little reason for the inhabitants to care, or respect imperial institutions. The establishment of the Imperial cult people could recognize not only is the Primogenitor imbued with divine powers, but they themselves are in fact a divine being.

The Imperial cult also established the concept that the Primogenitor's rule was the divine will of the gods and thus both legal and that to go against such rule would be to commit a great act of sacrilege. In return, the Primogenitor was expected to uphold the divine values of virtue, compassion, and fairness, to not do so would suggest that the Primogenitor had made vows to the gods of the underworld, and was breaking the eternal oath Zahavarius made to protect mankind, thus giving a non offending means to removing an unpopular or incompetent Primogenitor.

Domestic Cult
The domestic cult is the cult a family, or person belongs to and attends religious services for on a daily, or weekly basis meeting with other members of the same domestic cult. During these meetings a priest, or priestess will typically give a sermon detailing how one should honor the cults selected deity on a daily basis, in addition to leading the congregation of cult followers through any of the necessary ceremonies or rituals required to properly honor the cults divine matron or patron.

The Magister Templi of the cult may also suggest ways attendants may look for guidance from the gods in their daily lives and what signs they should look for, attendants may offer forth omens or other signs they have witnessed recently for interpretation and the religious officials may conduct a reading of the auspices in addition to other ceremonies to determine if the congregation is within the divine's good graces or if they are in need of atonement for unknown offenses.

Other events are typically held as part of the domestic cult, wedding ceremonies, funerals, and ceremonies where one is receiving certain decorations or awards from the state are often conducted on temple or other holy grounds, the belief being that in doing so the event is sanctioned by the divine and is blessed with good fortunue.

The most well known event to take place as part of a domestic cult is the crowing of the new Primogenitor, where the to be crowned Primogenitor swears an oath to Areius and the pantheon pledging to honor the gods and serve them while also asking for their guidance and protection as the current incarnation of Areius' son Zahavarius.

Xeno Cults
A Xeno cult, is similar to a domestic cult although they involve the worship of deities who do not make up part of the official Zahavan pantheon. The zahavan faith is especially unique in that its doctrine acknowledges there may be multiple deities, in fact an infinite number of deities besides those which makeup the Zahavan pantheon, or that the same deities may simply be known by different names around the world. Due to these beliefs Zahavan religion allows individuals to worship foreign deities and even establish shrines, temples, and other places of worship to them, so long as the clergy submits to having an appointed overseer to ensure no rituals, or other practices violate zahavan laws.

Typically followers of a Xeno cult also worship a domestic deity, or number of deities and while not illegal individuals who do not worship any of the domestic deities experience various degrees of Ostracism and prejudice by society as a whole. Despite this, historically a number of major cult centers to "non-Zahavan" deities continued to prosper and eventually went on to become major population centers.

Historically the primary means for Xeno cults to be brought back to the Imperium was in the form of military veterans, and newly conquered peoples as they returned to the Imperium following a campaign or as they assimilated into Zahavan culture.

Ordo of the Jackal
In zahavan polytheism many animals are associated with specific deities or mythological creatures. The Jackal is one such animal, and is often associated with the dead. Hence the Ordo of the Jackal's primary responsibilities include remembrance of the dead, particularly past Primogenitors and other notable government or military officials and the Ordo's members are responsible for the proper preparation and presentation of bodies at funerals before interring them into their sarcophagi or other vessel for burial.

Ordo members ensure bodies, sarcophagi, and even the burial grounds or crypts are properly cleansed and that the body once interred will be accepted by the divine on their path to whatever afterlife the deceased is to be sent to. This process is considered crucial in the prevention of wandering spirits or ghosts which are said to be ill omens.

Ordo members are easy to distinguish from other religious orders or officials by the black or grey robes they wear, with the Ordo leaders typically carrying a large staff adorned with the head of a jackal at the top. During funeral processions Ordo members typically lead the procession with a Magister Templi at the front, reciting purification prayers and prayers that the deceased's soul will find peace in the afterlife. It is common for ordo members to wear masks or other regalia which resembles that of a jackal during festivals and other religious ceremonies or rituals.

Ordo of Divination
The Ordo Divination is a sacred order of priestesses which is responsible for serving as the voice for the various deities that make up the Zahavan pantheon. Each temple and shrine has a member of the Ordo Divination present at their location. Members of the Ordo Divination are believed to posses the ability to channel and serve as a conduit for the divine, allowing the divine to speak directly through the selected person. This is believed to give members of the Order the ability to offer wise and insightful counsel, or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future.

Members of the Ordo Divination are selected in early childhood, often around the age of nine or ten and undergo a series of tests and evaluations to both confirm their abilities, and to evaluate how strong of a conduit an individual could be, with those persons who showed the strongest channeling abilities being sent to temples and shrines in the capital, or to the Imperial house to serve the Emperor directly. Schooling in the ordo of Divination typically lasts until age thirteen, and those children who are selected are often removed from their families, and will not return to them unless they should fail their evaluations. In exchange for this service to the state, and the gods families who have a child selected for the Order are compensated, with the amount of compensation increasing dependent upon how gifted their child ends up being.

The Order operates a number of schools, at least one per Segmentum where all the selected children are sent for instruction. The selected children are housed, taught, and evaluated at the school, and have no contact with the outside world until they either successfully complete their education or fail and are then returned home. Each order school is headed by an order official known as a Magi, who in turn make up the governing body of the order known as the Aetheric Council, which in turn is headed by the Emperor's own Divinator known as the Speaker of the stars. Beyond running the orders schools and other administrative duties, when issues of great national importance may arise it is not uncommon for the entire council to convene for a group ritual, whereby each member of the council will channel their representative deity with the idea of using the councils combined messages to decipher a more clear message from the gods as opposed to one deity being channeled alone.

After completing their schooling members of the Order are dispatched to a temple, or shrine, or other destination as directed by the Aetheric Council, headed by Speaker of the Stars, the highest ranking member of the Order, who often serves as the Emperor's personal prophet. Upon arrival at their destination the member of the Order will typically spend a year or two becoming attuned to the specific deity or deities which they are meant to channel, in addition to learning the specific rituals, prayers, and ceremonies for their selected deity. After completion of their attunement the Divanator will respond to the questions of citizens, foreigners, and other persons on issues of political impact, war, duty, crime, family, laws—even personal issues.

In times of Antiquity it was common for Emperorers, generals, or statesman to consult the speaker of the stars, or Aetheric Council before declaring war or responding to other major political concerns. The results of these meetings, have at times profoundly affected Zahavan history. Such as the case when Nekelus Terikus, a distant cousin to Emperor Leodenius asked the speaker of the stars if it should be he instead who should rule the Empire to which the speaker of the stars replied "Should you draw your sword against the Emperor a new Dynasty will be founded" Terikus interpreted this to mean he would be successful and that he would head a new Dynasty of rulers over the Imperium. However in the resulting civil war both Leodenius, and Terikus along with his four sons were killed and instead the victorious loyalist general Titulinus was declared Emperor beginning the Neotiam dynasty.

The powers of a Divinator were throughout history, highly sought after and are never doubted. Any inconsistencies between prophecies and events are dismissed as failure to correctly interpret the responses, not an error of the Divinator. This is due to the belief that the Divinator speaks as the deity they are channeling and thus are infallible.

In modern times advisors and other experts use verifiable data to interpret a Divinators response, and do not take the prophecies at their face value. Divinators have also become a popular tourist attraction with many visitors coming from around the world to pay a tribute in exchange for a glimpse of their future

Ancestor Worship
Ancestors are widely revered, honored, and venerated in Zahava. When a person dies, the family observes a thirteen-day mourning period, and conduct a number of rituals and other religious rites separate from the traditional funeral rights. Wealthy Zahavans often have special rooms in their home, or specifically designated areas on their property where a shrine, or even small temple are built specifically for the ancestors, wealthy Zahavans may also have elaborate murals or other artwork depicting the deeds and accomplishments of their ancestors along the walls at the entrance of their home. These shrines, or temples are believed to serve as the physical home for the spirits of ones ancestors. More commonly individuals have a small shrine, or merely carved figures inside their home often kept atop a mantle in the living room.

The primary purpose of ancestor worship is to seek to honor and recollect the actions of ones fore bearers; The importance of paying respect to ancestors lies with the fact that all physical bodily aspects of one's being were created by one's parents, who continued to tend to one's well-being until one was on firm footing. Additionally it is believed that ones Ancestors are capable of returning to the mortal realm and have the capability, albeit a limited one to influence events in the mortal world, thus a properly honored ancestor may influence ones life to have good fortunes such as getting a job following an interview, or getting a promotion at work, conversely to dishonor ones ancestors thusly could potentially have grave consequences for one in many aspects of their day to day lives.

Following marriage the wife typically falls under the protection and domain of her husbands and ancestor worship almost exclusively follows the male line of family lineage.

Typically ancestor worship involves the daily offerings of food and drink such as bread and a small bowl of wine or water, it is also common to leave other common daily used items or items that were favored by a recently deceased relative, such as a pen and paper for an ancestor who liked to draw or write.

Temples and Shrines


Temples are among the most important buildings in Zahavan culture, and some of the richest buildings in Zahavan architecture. Their construction and maintenance is a major part of Zahavan religion, and all towns have at least one main temple or an open aired plaza adorned with a series of shrines. The main room of a temple has a cult image of the deity to whom the temple is dedicated, and often a small altar or series of altars depending on the temple size where practitioners may come to pray or make small offerings. Adjoining rooms are used for housing members of the ecclasia, and their common rooms like a kitchen, dining hall, and food stores in addition to rooms for storing equipment and other items necessary for conducting rituals or offerings.

Public religious ceremonies take place both outdoors, and within temple buildings themselves, while all sacrifices are conducted outdoors on special altars constructed on specially blessed and purified grounds. Some ceremonies are a procession, which may start, visit, or stop at a temple or shrine where an artifact, or offering may be deposited. Within the temples there are typically rows of benches, meant to be used as seating for the conducting of public ceremonies within the temple itself.

Many temples are elaborately decorated with scenes depicting great acts chosen heroes of the god whom the temple or shrine is dedicated to engraved as relief into the stone walls of the temple. Many temples are adorned with a variety of statues, ranging from bronze to carved marble and many have gold or silver chalices and other fine or exotic urns and equipment. While outdoors many temples have elaborate flower gardens or orchards surrounding them. It is common for herbs, incense or oils to be burned both to continually purify the temple as well as to maintain a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere in the temple interior.

By contrast, temples or shrines to the gods of the underworld are typically austere and place a large emphasis on functionality than pomp and grandeur, the rational being that the dead need not be troubled with vanity.

All temples and shrines posses at least one statue, or painting, mosaic, or other work of art in the likeness of the deity to which they are dedicated, this is due to the belief that the divine may possess any object which bears their likeness, thus having such a work of art within the temple may encourage the divine to possess the likeness and allow for direct communications between practitioner and the divine.

Not all religious sites are extravagant or even man made. In rural settings a shrine or temple may be as simple as a small alter, with the bust of a deity placed in a grove, near the entrance of a cave, or near a spring with little more than marked stones used to mark the boundaries of the holy site.

Holidays and Festivals
Unlike many religions who have a handful of major holidays throughout the year Zahavan polytheism typically has some sort of religious ceremony or festival daily, the scope of these celebrations differs greatly with many holidays being celebrated within ones home with family members and neighbors or with the respective cult at the nearest shrine or temple. Celebrations typically last a few hours, while some of the more prominent celebrations and ceremonies last for days or even weeks.

In order to avoid business disruptions in modern times many holiday festivities are postponed and are celebrated later in the afternoon or in the evening so as to cause minimal interruptions while the eccalsia conduct rituals and ceremonies daily to placate the gods in the absence of day long celebrations by the people. Major festivals and celebrations typically see most businesses close and people gather in their local town center to conduct rituals or ceremonies followed by partying and other festive events at home or in public taverns.

Key Holidays
The Zahavan faith has a holiday, ritual, ceremony, or other religious events on almost every day of the year, sometimes these events are merely the recitation of a prayer or series of prayers done at home with the family or in the grounds of a temple before the local ecclasia, while others involve lavish large feasts, dancing or other celebrations with grand ceremonies done publicly before the nation as a whole.

March

 * 1 Ceremonies carried out by the Ecclasiarchs to bless the Imperium, and ensure divine protection for all its citizens
 * 7 Festival and ceremonies carried out in honor of Tempestus, asking for his divine protection from natural disasters
 * 9 Festival and games to honor Notos and Caphan
 * 14 Horse and chariot racing festival dedicated to Hexerius, and Karsius
 * 15 Large communal feasts and festivals celebrating Chalkos, and asking for continued prosperity
 * 16-17 Festival and games to honor Dersius
 * 18 Festival celebrating children and childbirth, celebration honoring mothers and fathers
 * 19 Festival and celebrations for the first day of spring, special ceremonies for Notos, Caphan, and Nourmenia
 * 23 Ceremony where the Primogenitor, with the Magister Bellatorius inspects the armed forces ensuring they are prepared for War, historical mark to the start of the campaign season
 * 24 Festival and ceremonies meant to honor Talitha, goddess of fate. It is customary for lawyers to offer free drafting of wills on this date
 * 31 Festival and ceremonies to honor Taktos

April

 * 1-3 Festivals, games, feasting, and public orgies honoring Orexes, goddess of temptation and desire
 * 4-10 Series of games honoring Karsius, historically the Kharmideian Games would occur during this time
 * 12-19 Festivals, ceremonies, honoring Nourmenia and celebration of good harvests
 * 13 Ceremonies and festivals honoring Noctillius, giving thanks for the sun being allowed to rise again
 * 15 Ceremonies and sacrifices made to Abedia to ensure continued nourishment from the earth
 * 21 Festival of celebration of freedom marks the end of slavery in Zahava
 * 25 Festival and ceremonies to Morbidios, asking to protect the people and the years crops from disease
 * 29 Ceremonies of purification, day of forgiveness

May

 * 1 Festival to and exclusively for women and honoring them, only women may attend
 * 3 Festival to mark the beginning of the wet season, honoring Caphan, Notos, and Tempestus
 * 9 Ceremonies and rituals to honor family ancestors
 * 11 Ceremonies and festivals honoring brotherhood, citizens of the Imperium
 * 13 Ceremonies and rituals to cleanse and purify the temples and shrines throughout the Imperium
 * 15 Festival and ceremonies to honor Zahavan members of the Ecclesia, ask for the gods protection of missionaries
 * 20 Celebration honoring those who have died defending, or in the service of the Imperium or her allies
 * 21 Festival, rituals, games, and ceremonies honoring all members of the Imperial government
 * 25 Ceremonies carried out by the Magos and Ecclasiarchs, reading of the signs and portents to predict the fortune of the Imperium

June

 * 1 Festival and games to honor Tiberias
 * 3 Festival and games to celebrate fisherman, and hunters
 * 5 Festival for the birthday of Zahavarius
 * 7 Festival, ceremonies, and games to honor Galene, popular wedding day in the Imperium
 * 8 Ceremonies to re-commemorate shrines and temples across the Imperium and abroad
 * 10 Festivals to and exclusively for honoring men, only men may attend
 * 11 Games, festivals, ceremonies honoring the various national sports teams
 * 13 Festivals, games, and public orgies celebrating ones sexuality
 * 15 Festivals and ceremonies honoring educators and scholars
 * 19 Celebration and drinking festivals, meant to honor mythological creatures and Zahavan myths and legends
 * 20 Feasts and celebrations marking the start of summer
 * 21 Festival and ceremonies to Hosautos, asking for him to continue keeping the spirits of the dead in the underworld
 * 22 Celebration and Festival in honor of Karmia, mother to Zahavarius
 * 24 Festivals and fairs honoring farmers and other rural traditions
 * 25 Festivals and celebrations seeking good luck and fortune from the gods
 * 27 Celebration and drinking festivals honoring those whom have received the rites of Jus Aetherius
 * 29 Ceremonies of Purification, day of forgiveness

July

 * 1 Festivals honoring the arrival of the Iapetus sea peoples, and proto Zahavan civilizations
 * 5 Celebrations and Festivals for Areius, and to honor the animals used for sacrifices
 * 8 Games honoring the coronation of Primogenitor Argentius
 * 11 Festival and military parade ceremony
 * 13-18 Series of markets and fairs, celebrations of community and regional celebrations
 * 20-30 Games, festivals, and ceremonies honoring Alkimos Reighden
 * 25 Festivals, fairs, and games honoring past Primogenitors, and other heroes of the Imperium
 * 27 Festivals and ceremonies honoring Zelos, doctors and medical professionals
 * 29 Festivals and rituals to Ecarus
 * 30 Commencement ceremony at the conclusion of games honoring Reighden the Magnus

August

 * 1 Festivals and ceremonies honoring youths, particularly those who are seen as transitioning from childhood to adulthood
 * 3 Sacrifices to the gods, thanking them for a good harvest
 * 5 Ceremonies and Festivals asking for the gods, particularly Taktos to forgive those whom have been convicted of crimes and are imprisoned
 * 9 Festivals, games, and ceremonies honoring laborers and workers
 * 11-14 Series of markets and fairs, celebration of entertainers
 * 15 Festival and Ceremonies honoring Auli
 * 17 Ceremonies and festivals to honor ones parents, or grandparents
 * 21 Sacrifices conducted to ward off bad omens, or evil spirits
 * 23 Rituals and ceremonies to Tiberias, asking for a bountiful sea
 * 25 Ceremonies honoring those lost at sea
 * 27 Ceremonies commemorating the first act of Jus Aetherius
 * 28 Ritual and ceremonies of mourning for those who have died to plague, or disease

September

 * 1 Festival and games honoring all the gods and goddesses
 * 3 Festivals to honor good will towards ones neighbors
 * 5 Ceremonies and Rituals conducted to cleanse and purify the Imperial estates
 * 8 Games and festivals honoring Abedia, typically day of planting trees or other plants
 * 10-14 Games, local Markets and Fairs
 * 17 Games and festivals to honor students
 * 19 The Ecclesia meet to elect the new members whom will become the Magos
 * 22 Festivals and celebrations honoring the start of the fall season
 * 23 Festival and ceremonies commemorating the end of the Zahavan civil war in 1904
 * 24-26 Games and festivals honoring the achievements of Zahavan inventors and engineers, honor to Dersius
 * 29 Day set aside for citizens to file their taxes
 * 30 Day of remembrance and to honor the rebuilding of the Imperium after the Khanate conquests

October

 * 1 Ceremonies and rituals dedicated to oaths, trust, and honesty to the gods and among ones neighbors and family
 * 4 Rituals carried out to cleanse ones conscious, day of confession
 * 5 Ceremonies and rituals dedicated to interpretation of dreams
 * 7-10 Days of fasting, to promote purity of ones soul
 * 11 Feast and festival celebrating the successful cleansing of the soul
 * 12 Ceremony and rituals conducted were the weapons of soldiers are purified and blessed by Hexerius
 * 13 Rituals carried out to cleanse villages, towns, and cities
 * 15 Festival and celebration dedicated to brewers and other alcoholic beverages
 * 17 Ceremony where libations of the newest fruit wines were given to shrines and temples across the Imperium
 * 19 Primogenitor's day, where the Imperial government, or Primogenitor gives gifts to all citizens
 * 21 Military parade and games
 * 23 Day of horse and chariot racing to honor Hexerius, and thank him for his aid in conquests
 * 24 Festival and games honoring the Imperial guard, Imperial guard units only parade
 * 25 Markets and Fairs, honoring local businesses
 * 27 Day of remembrance, homes, and streets decorated to resemble the underworld
 * 28 Rituals and ceremonies conducted to purify all cemeteries and tombs
 * 31 Festival, ceremonies and games honoring Mortarius and the spirits of the underworld, believed to be day when spirits can exist in mortal plane

November

 * 2-8 On these dates new members of the Synedrion, the Zahavan senate are elected
 * 5 Festival of love celebrating marriage of Abedia and Ecarus
 * 7 Festival and ceremonies celebrating Ecarus, hoping for positive changes and good fortune for the Imperium
 * 9 Ceremonies and festivals honoring the dedication of the Temples in Arcanium
 * 11 Ceremonies marking the appointment of the new judges on Imperialis Judicatum
 * 12 Celebration honoring the Imperial Armed Forces
 * 14 Festivals and ceremonies honoring Talitha
 * 16 Celebrations for artisans, food merchants, wine makers and artists
 * 20 Celebrations, fairs, and festivals honoring miners and other labor professions
 * 22 Ceremonies followed by city, town, or village and surrounding areas to keep the environment pristine
 * 25 Rituals and ceremonies conducted where citizens ask for forgiveness from the gods for past transgressions
 * 28 Ceremonies honoring Omarhotec, and influential scholar and philosopher
 * 29 Rituals and ceremonies cleansing and purifying divine artifacts and relics
 * 30 Ceremonies and rituals purifying ones home

December

 * 1 Festival and fairs, public orgies dedicated to love and Galene
 * 2 Festivals and fairs commemorating the day Ecarus and Abedia created the divine kingdom and gave life to their children
 * 4
 * 6
 * 7
 * 8
 * 10
 * 12
 * 13
 * 14
 * 16-27 Festivals, fairs, and ceremonies dedicated to the celebration and honoring of all gods and goddesses in the Zahavan pantheon both major and minor
 * 21 Celebrations and feasts marking the start of the winter season
 * 23 Ceremonies commemorating the writing of the first iteration of the Epitoma Aiona.
 * 25
 * 28
 * 29
 * 30

Jus Aetherius
Jus Aetherius (To make Heavenly) is the practice by which the Emperor/Empress or the chief priests of the Zahavan temple declare an individual to be divine, it is typically an honor afforded to persons posthumously although historically the honor has been given to living persons throughout history. Usually to military commanders, or soldiers for extraordinary acts of valor and courage in defense of the Zahavan faith, or Primogenitor.

Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an important aspect of the Zahavan faith. Sacrifices are used as gifts to the gods, or other divine or mythological beings to secure favor with them, or to appease malevolent entities and hopefully prevent them from committing any acts that would bring harm to the person, or persons offering the sacrifice.It is believed that the correct sacrifice, accompanied with proper prayer will reinforce and enhance the powers and attributes of divine beings, and inclined them to render benefits in return with a proper sacrifice being seen as a contract made with the gods.

Offerings made to household deities and ancestors are common, daily occurrences which include leaving food and spilling drink at the household shrines to ensure a safe and prosperous day for the family, similar nightly offerings are made to the servants of the underworld to ward off evil from entering the household. During certain religious festivals, and on on specific holidays more deity specific offerings would be made, either to honor the selected deity on their holy day, or for a larger more national purpose, such as in the event of war sacrifices to ensure victory would likely be made.

The same divine beings who caused disease or harm also had the power to avert it, and so might be placated in advance by the offering of sacrifices among other means of appeasement. Sacrifices may be made to curry divine consideration so as to avoid the inconvenient delays of a long journey, or encounters with banditry, piracy or other bad fortune, additionally upon successful arrival sacrifices may be made in gratitude. In times of great crisis, the government could decree collective public rituals, whereby all able citizens, including women and children, moved in procession from one temple or shrine to the next, supplicating the gods as they went with sacrifices, prayer, and other offerings.

Should the divine fail to honor their end of the bargain, it was common practice that offerings be withheld, or in more extreme instances offerings be made to the offending parties divine rival or rivals.

Animal Sacrifice
The most potent offering is the animal sacrifice, typically of domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs. In order to properly honor the divine, only the best specimens of livestock can be chosen for sacrifice, once chosen the selected animal or animals would be bathed, cleansed with oils and its soul purified by constant recitation of prayer. When the offering was deemed sufficiently purified by the chief religious officer the offering is clad in special sacrificial regalia and garlanded; the horns of oxen might be gilded. In order for the offering to be accepted as pure so the selected animal must seem willing to offer its own life on behalf of those offering it; it must remain calm and be quickly and cleanly dispatched. Typically this is done by slitting the animals throat with a special curved blade.

Each deity has correct, and incorrect animals for offering as sacrifice, dependent upon time of year, the magnitude of the favor the petitioner seeks, and if the offering is meant to be a form of restitution for an act of sacrilege or if it is meant to be a celebratory or request for divine aid.

Gods of the heavens would only have their offerings made in the daytime, and at the conclusion of the ceremony, upon verification that the divine had accepted the offering by the chief priest a feast would be held in honor of the divine where those whom had made the offering would consume the meat of the sacrificed animal, apart from the innards and heart which would be burned in a sacred fire as a means for the divine to join in the feast. Gods of the underworld would typically have their offerings made in the evening or at night and would typically not be followed by a feast, but by a series of sermons and religious songs being recited in their honor.

Human Sacrifice
Human sacrifice, outlawed in modern times was an extremely rare occurrence in ancient times as well. Though not technically a sacrifice all persons who participated in gladiatorial games swore their souls to various deities, and in doing so if killed in the arena would act as sacrifices to their selected divine patrons.

Often effigies, often made of wood or some other flammable material would be used in place of real people. Some suggest that military and criminal executions are a form of human sacrifice, this argument is made largely due to the fact that prior to the death blow being struck on the condemned prayers are recited to purify their souls, and the souls of those carrying out the execution.

Typically however human sacrifice was viewed as an uncivilized, animalistic act, one which clearly set the Imperium apart from the many native tribes which it fought, and eventually conquered as the Imperium expanded. Indeed throughout history there were numerous instances of the act of human sacrifice illegal, carrying extreme penalty should one be found carrying out the act. Despite this, the act of human sacrifice was likely to continue covertly particularly along the fringes of the Imperium.

Omens
Omens are seen to be the earthly response of the gods to official questions or offerings, omens range from interpreting the flight of birds to the formation of a storm, or the clearing of one on the horizon. The highest ranking member of the ecclasia in any settlement has the right to interpret omens as good or bad, if deemed to be bad the interpreting ecclasial member has the authority to stop daily business, alternatively a seemingly bad omen can be re-interpreted to be good.

Some omens are seen to be a response of the divine to waning faith of the Imperium. A particularly destructive typhoon for example could be blamed on a large number of practitioners incorrectly reciting prayer, or doubting the divine. Typically following such events the ranking religious figures declare what number of days in which rituals and ceremonies must be conducted in order to restore the people to the divine's good graces.

While most of the Zahavan faith is clearly outlined, and has rules and structure on what the meanings of words are, how they should be said and other specifics, there are no guidelines as to the interpretation of omens, and interpretations vary widely from one ecclasia member to the next, a comet passing overhead to one for example may signal a coming great misfortune, while another member of the priesthood may deem the comet a sign of coming great fortune, or the birth of an exceptional and divinely chosen person nearby.

Prayers, Oaths and Vows
All rituals, festivals, sacrifices, and other religious events required an accompanying prayer to be effective. Public prayers are offered loudly and clearly by a priest on behalf of the community. Prayer alone is believed to hold independent power with the gods, and thus prayer is considered the single most potent religious action, and knowledge of the correct verbal formulas the key to efficacy. Even prayer by an individual done privately was emulative, a recitation rather than a personal expression, though the specific passage or phrase selected by the individual would be for a particular personal purpose or occasion.

Public religious ritual had to be enacted by specialists and professionals faultlessly; a mistake might require that the action, or even the entire festival, be repeated from the start or in some cases considered a failure and cancelled. The latter would often result in severe punishment for the Ecclesiarchy involved.

Vows are usually a promise made to a deity, usually an offer of sacrifices or a votive offering in exchange for benefits received.

Afterlife and Funerals
Zahavans believe that where your soul goes in the afterlife is directly tied to your actions and choices made during your lifetime. Upon death all souls are transported to the Terrenum Mortarium where the god of the Underworld, Mortarius judges the souls and then sorts them into the different regions of his realm.

Terrenum Mortarium
Terrenum Mortarium, (lit Realm of Moratrius) is the realm where Mortarius, god of the underworld reigns. The Terrenum Mortarium is broken up into four distinct sub regions each with a specific overall theme and specific criteria met for the souls residing in them

The first, the Abyss of Barbarus is the area of the underworld dedicated to those who did not live a good moral life. Criminals, cowards, traitors, and those who committed other dishonorable acts in life are cast here by Mortarius, where they will be tortured for all eternity by the twins Tamar and Tarath for their sins in life. To further torment the souls trapped in Barbarus in between the acts of horror and brutality they are forced to endure they shall be able to gaze upon the Hall of tranquillitas, and see what eternity could have awaited them had they not made the dishonorable choices they did in life.

The second region of Terrenum Mortarium is the plain of Runia, here souls of the apathetic, lazy, unmotivated will wander endlessly, haunted by visions of what their lives could have been, and of their missed opportunities and failures.

The third and most dreaded plane is the eye of terror, here the apparitions of Mortarius roam the immaterium freely, souls sent here must run for the lives lest they be devoured by the demonic fiends that roam the plane, to have ones soul destroyed is considered the worst possible fate a Zahavan can have, having ones soul lost to the immaterium is to lose the ability of ever achieving repentance for ones transgressions, and is believed to bestow bad omens upon ones family.

The last region of the Terrenum Mortarium is the Hall of tranquillitas, here souls who led a good life, were honorable, and who accomplished their duties to family, state, and to the gods will reside. In tranquillitas food, drink, and festivities are endless there is no suffering or conflict and souls will enjoy the company of their loved ones and live a life of luxury.

Villa Mageiaus
In death not all souls are transported immediately to the Terrenum Mortarium, some those who have unfinished work, or whom died young or unexpectedly go to the Villa Mageiaus. Here souls await transport to Terrenum Mortarium and final judgement, or in the case of infants who have died they are cared for by acolytes of the goddess Mageiaus, whom gave birth to all Humanity.

Other souls in the Villa Mageiaus are believed to have unfinished business, such as those who were murdered, mothers who died in childbirth and have not yet seen their children, the last group of Souls who reside in the Villa Mageiaus are those whom have lived mostly honorable lives but must first atone for sins minor enough to not warrant eternity in Barbarus or the plain of Runia but severe enough to not warrant immediate entry into Hall of tranquillitas, such as a habitual liar