the Zalnduu

Zalnduu:

The religion of the Amphicyon





Retta and the Amphicyons regard their religion as part of themselves. Everything they do is usually in service of or for one of their gods or spirits. I will be going over these below.

First I shall go over the spirits and what kinds of things they demand as a sacrifice. And what happens when you refuse.



The Spirits

Battle: battle demands gifts of flesh or sight. You must offer the flesh of yourself or your slain enemies to appease it. Sight is also acceptable. Failure to give tribute means your skin is stripped from your body and kept.

Hunting: Hunting demands bones. One bone of every kill must be offered if it is your food. Failure to do so means you become hunted

War: War demands bodies. The more the better. The more horribly mutilated the better. Failure to do so makes you insane. A war in your mind.

Death: Death only asks for one thing and takes it when your life ends. You cannot fail this sacrifice

Life: Life demands your life in service to it and the rest of the spirits. Life is shown though the hair. Cutting your hair, or failing to sacrifice means you are walking dead and must be destroyed. The next Amphi that see's you will kill you. You are not allowed to fight back. You may gain your hair back if you life has been given to another.

Breath: Breath demands the air in your lungs. Every time you breath out you pray to it. Failure to do so and your breath will be stolen away, and your lungs ripped out.

Nature: Nature demands your service. You are the keeper of nature. Do not harm it. Causing harm will strip you of your connection to nature forever and you shall never hear wind, water, or birds singing.

Animal: Animal demands a prayer before the hunt, after the hunt, and during the hunt. Failure to do so leads to starvation

Blood: Blood demands blood. Yours or someone else. Failure to do so means your blood will be drained.

River: River demands your water. If not given tribute multiple times a day you will go thirsty. You give her tribute by drinking water and saying a prayer of over it. Failure to do so will cause you to dry up as a corpse.

Snow: Snow demands Scent and cold. You must never cover yourself when in a cold environment to let snow hug you. Failure to do so will cause you to freeze to death

Storm: Storm demands praise and your name. Failure to do so marks you for death and strips your of your mind.

Mountain: Mountain demands your soul. Failure to give your should turns you into a soulless creature and marks you for death

Earth: Earth demands your feet. You must sleep on the ground. Failure to do so will cause earthquakes and back cramps

Ocean: Ocean demands your Tears. Failure to grant them when sad will leave you an emotionless shell

Dream: Dream demands your dreams. Failure to dream results in you never waking up

Sky: Sky demands your voice. Failure to roar and sing brings eternal Darkness to your world.

Fire: Fire demands your body heat. You must light a fire and sprinkle herbs on it to invoke him. Failure to do so once a day causes you to burn to death.

Zalnduu spirit names:

Battle: Borrokatzea

Hunting: Ehiza

War: Gerra

Death: Beltza

Life: Bizitza

Breath: Arnasa

Nature: Izaera

Animal: Izaki,

Blood: Odoletan

River: Ibaiaren

Snow: Elurra

Storm: Ekaitz

Mountain: Harria

Earth: Lurra

Ocean: Bazterren

Dream: Ametsa

Sky: Zerua

Fire: Sua





Rituals:

These are the mandatory rituals that Amphicyons must perform.

The Three Trails of maturity:

To be granted permission to be an adult by the spirits an Amphi must go through three trials.

Trial of the soul: This happens when the Amphi is born. Their soul is offered to Mountain. In return they are given their Heartstone in the stone of their birth. The new born Amphi will become soulless and marked for death if the parents do not perform this ritual.

Trail of life: An Amphi offers their live in service to the spirits and to life herself. They are given healthy hair and are never allowed to cut it

Trail of the name: A clay mask is made by the mother or father of what the name of the Amphi shall be. They are then taken to the place of their birth and struck by lightning from Storm. Their name is branded upon their face or back in rare cases. All Amphi's branded on the back are named Tzatch The sound of lightning. They are only given this name if they are born when lighting hits the ground.



Ritual of battle:

Before a battle An Amphi must sit and meditate to commune with Battle. Battle will direct the Amphi to victory and tell them how much flesh they demand. The amount varies

Ritual of war:

Before a war an Amphi must commune with Battle, Blood, and War. They will be instructed how to kill, how much blood must be spilled, how much flesh must be offered, and how many bodies must be given. An Amphi will not stop until they have filled their quota. Symbols will be drawn on the Amphi's body using red and white paint to denote this number.

Ritual of mating:

Amphi's must dress in popper mating chains. These can be handed down by the mother, or father respectively, or made by oneself. Their bodies are painted with gold dye, and a Prayer must be given to life and blood.

Ritual of death:

Upon the end of an Amphi's life they shall leave their possessions in their den and start to wander across the land. They will not hunt, they will not drink, they will not stop until they reach the spot chosen by death and they will die there. Any family they may have shall rejoice in the Amphi's final sacrifice. Their Heartstone turns black and shatters.

Ritual of birth:

An expectant mother must give prayer and tribute to blood daily to keep her baby healthy. She shall Praise life once a week and must wear a dress made from Indocrin skin at all times. Her body shall be painted with red, silver, and black dye. This dye is permanent and will forever stain her fur. The Amphi's family shall rejoice and take care of the mother in this time. If separated the Amphi's family will make the trek back to see the new child. The Father must hunt for the mother. He will not eat during this time as tribute.

Ritual of marriage:

In this ritual the two Amphi's exchange their Heartstones. This is a symbol of love and trust as they trust the other with their very soul and essence. Same sex Marriage is not discriminated against. The stones are to be kept inside for ever or until given back to the original owner. Having your Heartstone given back is a disgrace.

Ritual of the Beast:

When an Amphi matures they will search out the skin and bone of an Indocrin that has died naturally. This skin and bone is kept with them at all times and is considered to be a sacred item. Usually the skull is kept somewhere on their person as well. Amphi's may not have children unless they possess this skin.



Gifts And Sacrifice

To connect further with the spirits Amphi's often sacrifice parts of themselves. Usually this is in the form of one of their five senses But sometimes other things are given. (their skeleton, muscle, flesh, organs, ect.) When they do this they allow the spirits to feel and interact with the world. Since this is their only way to do so. In return for this offering the spirit will give the Amphi something back and usually augmented from the original. However, this comes at a large price. The Amphi is now bound to every desire of that specific Spirit. Failure to obey that spirit results in the spirit taking back what it wave the Amphi. In this case the Amphi does not regain their original sacrifice back. For example: Sight is given to Battle. In exchange battle gives the Amphi better night vision, more control over their ancient eye, and clearer vision. Then the Amphi forsakes the battle ritual and offering of flesh. The Amphi is then left with empty sockets for eyes and the offering of flesh is taken from their own body.



Only a very few Amphi's do not offer something like this to a specific spirit. It's not mandatory but is highly encouraged even if it's very risky. In rare cases the Spirit will decline to give something in return and just keep the offering. This is their right and the Amphi does not complain about it when it happens. An Amphi's will never offer anything to Death. Death does not give anything in return. Some sacrifices are Mandatory for the Amphi to live. See Rituals.



Heartstones

These are the crystallized forms of an Amphi's so as given to them by Mountain. The stone itself will be whatever their birth stone is. See below for a list. Heartstones are sacred and are only given away under extreme conditions or when an Amphi mates. (see marriage ritual). Heartstones are kept inside of the Amphi at all times. If an Amphi needs access to it they can cough it up at any time they please. They do this by literally coughing it out of their mouth. If a Heartstone is ever Shattered the Amphi dies. To help keep tabs on their family Soulstones are often given out to children from the mother and father and traded between siblings. (see below for Soulstones) Heartstones are the size of an Amphi's fist

Soulstones:

Soul stones are small round stones that reflect the Amphi's Heartstone. The size of them varies but most are the size of a human fist.



List of birth stones:

January Birthstone

January Gemstone: Garnet

January Birthstone Color: Deep Red

February Birthstone

February Gemstone: Amethyst

February Birthstone Color: Purple

March Birthstone

March Gemstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone

March Birthstone Color: Pale Blue

April Birthstone

April Gemstone: Diamond

April Birthstone Color: White, Clear

May Birthstone

May Gemstone: Emerald

May Birthstone Color: Green

June Birthstone

June Gemstone: Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite

June Birthstone Color: White or Purple

July Birthstone

July Gemstone: Ruby

July Birthstone Color: Red

August Birthstone

August Gemstone: Peridot, Sardonyx

August Birthstone Color: Pale Green

September Birthstone

September Gemstone: Sapphire

September Birthstone Color: Deep Blue

October Birthstone

October Gemstone: Opal, Pink Tourmaline

October Birthstone Color: Multi-color, Pink

November Birthstone

November Gemstone: Citrine, Yellow Topaz

November Birthstone Color: Yellow

December Birthstone

December Gemstone: Blue Topaz, Turquoise

December Birthstone Color: Blue







Names:

Names are very important to the Amphi's. After all it is branded on them. In most cases the Parents chose the first name of their children. This is usually based on a quirk that they have, Something they enjoy doing, Or just something pretty. This name isn't used until the child is two or three usually. This is also when they go though the Trial of the Name. In rare cases the name of a child is determined the second they are born. Below is a list of these rare names and what they mean. The last name of an Amphi is where they were born. Obomsawin, For example means "On a mountain". Retta's mother, Angwusonomataqa, Was born in a field of corn. Volvoretta's name, Volvoretta Obomsawin, means "Butterfly Born on a Mountain", her mother, Sanuye Angwusonomataqa, means "Snow Princess Born in a Field of Corn." Amphi's do not have middle names. In cases where two or more last names over lap the parents chose one or combine them. Example: Beltza Ahtahkakoopgauerdianbaso. "All black child born in a forest at midnight under the stars"



First Names that are given at birth:

Tzatch: Born as lightning strikes the ground outside. Those with this name become Shamans and seers.

Heriotza: Born as their mother died. Those with this name are shunned and often do not reach maturity.

Tximistaren: Born in a winter thunderstorm. Those born with this name become great warriors

Kaktall: Born as thunder claps. Those born with this name are praised for their roar.

Odola: Their mother did not bleed in birth. Sought out as mates for good genes.

Sanuye: Born with white fur and named after the spirit of Snow. (albinos)

Beltza: All black. Black eyes, fur, hair. Named after the Spirit of Death

Urrezko Begi: Born with golden eyes (1 in 10,000 chance). Not to be confused with the golden eyes granted after sacrifice. Those born with this are channelers. (one of four Amphi names that include a middle name)

Zilarrezko Begi: born with Silver eyes (one in 5000 chance) . Those born with this are Seers (one of four Amphi names that include a middle name)

Bakoitiak Begi: Heterochromia. These are the most beautiful Amphi's there are. (one of four Amphi names that include a middle name)

Konbinatuak Arima: Hermaphrodites. (one of four Amphi names that include a middle name)

Urakanak: born during a tornado or hurricane. Generally wild Childs

Sua: born during a forest fire. Named after the spirit of fire. Are always good hunters





Last names:

Obomsawin: Born on a mountain

Angwusonomataqa: Born in a Corn field

Ahtahkakoop: Born under the stars

Gauerdian: born at midnight

Eguerditikaurrera: born at noon

Baso: Born in a Forest

Neguan: Born while snowing

Euria: Born while raining

Haizetsuena: Born while wind blows

Pradera: Born in a meadow

Korapilo: born in a grove

Zikinkeria: Born in a den (common name)

Ibaiaren: born near a river

Korrontea: born near a stream

Udaberrian: born near a hot spring

Udan: born in great heat

Hotza: born in great cold

Uhinak: born near an ocean

Hiria: Born in a city (insult name)

Loreak: born in a field of flowers

Arroka: born in or on rocks/rocky terrain

Basamortuan: born in a desert

Kaktomuakz: Born near a volcano

Aintzira: born near a lake

Urmael: born near a pond

Arroila: born in/near a canyon

Ilargia: born under a full moon





Herbal mixes

Smoke leaf: Combination of tobacco, thyme, and rosemary

Spirit powder: sage, belladonna, Indian paintbrush, columbine, and wolfsbane



Dyes and stain symbols

Spiral: Fluidity

Square spiral: Strength

Circle: Awareness

Handprint: honor

Band: Service

Double band: Respect

Triple band: Love

Eye line: Beauty and trust

Long line: Dedication

Short line: Trust

Spots: Binding/bound

Crescent: Life

Thorn: Courage

V: Determination

X: Marked for death.

Triple Diagonal lines: disgrace

Triple Vertical line: Murderer

Claw mark: Huntress/hunter

Arrow: Warrior

Third eye: Seer

Flame: shaman

Infinity sign: Soulless

Sideways six: Lifeless

Circle with a dot: Newborn

Chain/double helix: Slave

Upside down Triangle: Mother

Right side up Triangle: Father

Circle in a circle: mated

Circle within a Circle and a slash though the inner circle: Divorced



Sacred Beasts

There is a group of Animals that the Amphicyon consider sacred. They are Considered the walking vessels of the spirits and are never hunted, nor ever killed. These are the Indocrins. They are 30 feet tall, 40 feet long, Giant rhino like creatures that weigh between 20 and 50 tons. If an Amphi sees one being hunted by humans or other things they are compelled to defend the beast with their life. Taking the life of an Indocrin is the most egregious crime an Amphi can commit. If they commit this crime they will kill themselves on the spot. If an Amphi kills itself they will not go to the afterlife





Afterlife

Amphicyons believe that when you die your spirit if deemed worth becomes a star in the sky. To gain this honor you must adhere to all of the Tenants and rituals of Zalnduu, have children, mate, and have achieve the peak of your ability in your given profession. If you have not completed these tasks then you will become a blade of grass.



Classes:

All Amphicyons hunt for their own food unless pregnant

Shaman: Weavers of nature and conjurers of spirits. They have the ability to manifest the Spirits into the physical plane. Must have the proper first name to be one. Dangerous in fights and will weave other's souls and Heartstones if asked by the spirits. Usually have a single patron that they give their entire body (with the exception of life and mountain, and storm) too. (Effect status in fights, stamina, strength, ect) Only bound by their chosen Spirit



Seer: Fortune tellers. They pass on the religion to the next generation and can divine people fortunes. Do not fight. Are not bound by Battle nor War. Must have proper first name



Channeler: Spirit Speakers. They Constantly let the spirits Speak though them and have no control over their own voice. They weave spells and use them in battle. Must have proper first name. Ranged Class



Hunter: At home in the forest and nearly every Terrain they specialize in large, or hard to take down prey. They are the fastest of the classes. They are NOT allowed to use weapons except in war. Only then are they allowed a spear.



Warrior: Well balanced and fantastic fighters. They are skilled with shields, axes, and hammers. They are the strongest of all the classes



Disgraced ones: No magical ability, no weapon ability, no great hunting skill. This is a class comprised of those who have forgone their tenants, broken pledges to spirits, have no souls, no emotions, or no live. These are marked for death and bare an X on their chest, face, and arms. If seen by another Amphi they will be killed on sight.