Servants of Kalona
Uppercase Kalona refers to the deity; lowercase kalona refers to the breed.
The Messenger refers to Járngrímur.
Belief System
Uppercase Kalona refers to the deity; lowercase kalona refers to the breed.
The Messenger refers to Járngrímur.
Belief System
The kalona that walk the earth today are here by their Master's will; the Raven Mocker, the great Kalona, freed his servants from the underworld to do his bidding. It is said that they entered the mortal plane from the Demon Tree, the same tree that pure shifters use as their own doorway to this day.
Shifters, especially pure, are seen as betrayers of Kalona. They were not ordered to come to the surface, but rather escaped against Kalona's will, ignoring His orders and acting of their own selfish accords. The true followers of Kalona are tasked with returning these beasts to the underworld -- and to their Master -- by way of death. Oyahusa is seen as a human who stole some of Kalona's power and is using the corpse powder to create twisted versions of shifters of his own; both are blights to be disposed of. Angeni charms change nothing about these beliefs.
Wishing Star: Asking the Wishing Star for anything is strictly forbidden. It is seen as a rogue spirit, its results too unpredictable to be considered the work of Kalona. If it were Him, He would only bless his true followers, and never with anything but a pure kalona as the result. As making a wish on the Wishing Star is seen as devotion to another deity or spirit, it is an act of betrayal. The kalona who made the wish and the resulting foal(s) are marked as enemies of Kalona.
- OOC: What does this mean for non-traditional couples/groups? They can still be entered into breeding raffles, of course -- and in this case, it is seen as wishing for a gift from Kalona rather than the spirits or Wishing Star, since the resulting foals would always be pure Kalona. I don't want to restrict who you enter into Wishing Stars, but just keep in mind the spirit of the herd when you consider entering -- it is intended for pure kalonas, and there will be consequences for non-pure kalona children. If you enter your kalona into a Wishing Star and the resulting foal(s) are pure kalona, then ICly they can be considered blessings from Kalona and welcomed. However, if the results are not pure kalona, the offspring can ICly be unrelated to the couple entered -- or a plot to cause some drama within the herd! Just keep in mind the parent and the non-pure kalona children won't be welcome anymore.
Rituals
Offerings: All kills, regardless of the reason they occurred, must be dedicated to Kalona. This is done by a simple declaration of offering ("I make this kill in Your name" or "I offer this soul to the Raven Mocker", etc) and consuming the heart before eating anything else. For larger scale killings, the declaration and the consumption of at least one victim's heart is all that is necessary. During war times, consumption of the heart can be skipped. Optionally, some may bathe in the blood of their victims. It is believed that doing so grants them blessings from Kalona to make them stronger, more powerful.
Death: All spirits of kalona that have died return to the underworld; whether it is to serve Kalona or be tortured by Him depends on the life the kalona lead. If they were devout and honored Him, they will live in luxury serving under Him and want for nothing. Endless prey to hunt, flavored meats so utterly decadent that their taste has never been experienced on the mortal plane, no more pain or hunger or thirst. A hedonistic paradise. Those that turn their backs on Him are thrown to the Pit; a gaping maw of a canyon with jagged rocks along the edges like teeth, ensuring no escape. The Pit received its namesake for being exactly that; a deep crater where the shifters lurk, tearing their victims limb from limb, over and over for eternity -- pain, starvation, dehydration, but unable to die.
Rebirth: Pure kalona who were led astray or never knew the teachings of Kalona still have hope to correct their course in life. If they swear to dedicate their lives to Kalona and receive the Messenger's blessing, their past transgressions can be forgiven and they can start their life anew.
