The Rhus

The Rhus are a loose group of ancient and unknowable deities which are predominantly venerated by the Zoryavela of The Elven Strain, far in the north-east of Kashura in The Devoj Wilderness. According to the hymns and stories of the faith, The Rhus are both the original creators of The World, as well as personified manifestations of its countless aspects. Their influence is far-reaching but subtle, their words and advice cryptic but never deceitful, their whims ever-shifting and their aid almost always carries a price.
While creeds and tenets vary for the individual Rhus, the faith nonetheless has some core principles, such as Truth, the importance of sacrifice and respect for, though not veneration of, the natural world.
Some scholars say that The Veiled Mother, a deity mostly venerated by the tribes far in the north of Griselderyn is or at least used to be considered as one of The Rhus, though followers of the core creed nowadays do not worship her in any way.

Quick Summary:

“From mirrored realms they came to be, reflecting truth for all to see.”

The Rhus are generally viewed as something between gods, nature-spirits and otherworldly entities. As the creators of Kashura, they had to originate from somewhere else, as one cannot originate from a place that did not exist before themselves. This place, or realm, is called Ternog, The Mirror Realm, The First World or The Otherworld, as it is known to people of other religious traditions.
This Realm is said to be the “true world”, reflecting reality without lies and falsehoods, and the place where all souls originate and one day return to, should they make the perilous final voyage across Noita, The Great Chasm, which separates our world from The Mirror Realm.
The Rhus are countless and vary greatly in power and influence. Most are only venerated by single villages and towns, closer to a local folk legend than an actual god, while some have accumulated followers in larger communities and networks, though their influence is still relatively minor. There are however a select few, which are almost universally venerated, respected, worshiped and feared: Moryana, Lesovik and Perkonoi.
While it is not uncommon to have people dedicating themselves to only one of The Rhus, more often than not followers petition any number of them, as their portfolios deal with vastly different matters.

The Great Rhus:

Moryana is also often referred to as The Fates, The Shepherd, She Who Holds the Strands, The Queen of Bones, The Raven, The Darkest Light and She who shines brightest in the absence of light. She is viewed by many as the greatest of The Great Rhus, her numerous domains including things such as Life and Death, Light and Dark, Beginning and End, the Journey and the Destination, and even Fate itself.
As The Rhus are generally understood to possess a true form beyond most mortals comprehension, they are often depicted in very abstract ways. Moryana for one is often said to take the form of an indistinct shadow at the borders of perception or a pale blue fire which does not shed any light. Should she need to take a more physical form she is often described as an indistinct amalgam of humanoid and animal bones held together by strands of shadow and light, or a raven with “too many eyes”.
Concepts such as sex and gender generally don’t apply to The Rhus, making it all the more notable that Moryana not just prefers, but demands to be referred to as a she.
Ravens and other Corvids are said to be very closely linked to Moryana, and her followers deem them to be both messengers and agents of the enigmatic deity.
As one of the few Rhus which actively involves herself with the lives of mortals and the one which freed the Zoryavela (see: The Elven Strain) from the yoke of The Tutelars, Moyana is generally perceived to be a sympathetic entity, at least as far as The Rhus are concerned.
Lesovik is also often referred to as The Wilds, The Hunter, It that Stalks, It that Howls and It that Hungers. It is viewed by many as the most primal of The Rhus, reflecting The Wilderness and all that inhabit it in their most brutal, uninhibited form. Lesovik counts things such as The Wilds (Including animals and plants) and The Hunt, but also primal desires such as Hunger and Lust among its domains.
Lesovik is one of very few Rhus to prefer a physical manifestation over an incorporeal one. It is most often described as a “way too tall”, thin and almost skeletal figure with “too many limbs”, though closer inspection would reveal that its body consists of gnarly wooden knots and bone-like branches. In this form its head would most often take the shape of the skull of an elk complete with antlers, and a deep, ominous red glow where the eyes would be, blood-like ichor flowing from them like tears.
As opposed to Moryana, Lesovik is much less interested and invested in mortals and their lives. To it they are animals just like any other. To petition Lesovik is a risky bargain, for it is known to “take what it is owed” by force should it deem a sacrifice insufficient.
Perkonoi is also often referred to as The Storm, The War, The Fire, It that carries Pestilence, The Lost and It that shrouds itself in Conflict. As opposed to Moryana, who is characterized by her dualistic nature between two extremes and brings them together in harmony, Perkonoi is an entity which thrives in conflict, counting War, Disease and Natural Disasters among its countless domains.
Perkonoi is often depicted as a swarm of insects feasting on diseased carrion or a shadowy figure only made visible by the crack of lightning. One of its more common physical manifestations is a flayed, bleeding body with “too many rows of teeth”, moving in disgusting and unnatural ways.
Despite the domains which it holds, Perkonoi is not necessarily viewed as a hostile entity. Conflict on its own is not necessarily a bad thing after all, for it is conflict which allows mortals to grow and become better. Perkonoi as such is understood as an entity which tests mortals in their convictions through tragedy and conflict, either having them perish or grow from the experience, making them a better version of themselves.
Furthermore, Perkonoi is often petitioned to stave off disease and tragedy, and is generally known to be one of the more reasonable Rhus in its demands. Those who have experienced tragedy generally find it much easier to petition Perkonoi for aid.

Core Beliefs:

While creeds and tenets vary for the individual Rhus, the faith nonetheless has some core principles and beliefs:

Svern, Truth and the falsehoods of Life:

Truth is the end-all be-all of The Rhus, for truth is enlightenment and to lie is to embrace the falsehoods of the imperfect world, Svern, our world. The world we live in is a reflection of the true world Ternog, a mirrored but nonetheless flawed, or rather false copy, for Svern is a place covered in veils and layers of falsehood, hiding the truth that lies beneath.
To embrace truth and reject lies is therefore not as simple as to stop lying to oneself and others, but an arduous journey in uncovering the truth hiding in plain sight, a path towards spiritual enlightenment requiring years, if not decades to properly understand.
Those who master this path are said to be favored and welcomed by The Rhus, for they see the world as The Rhus do. They are said to possess “divine sight”, which allows them not only to unveil truth with ease, but also navigate Noita, making their final voyage much more likely to succeed once their time has finally come.

Life and Sacrifice:

In the belief system of The Rhus, all life is a result of sacrifice, or rather of exchange. Take food for example: to nourish one thing another must generally end, this can either be meant in a more literal sense, as in a hunter killing his prey, or in a more roundabout sense, such as a plant taking nourishment from the soil, which again resulted from the previous deaths of animals and plants preceding it.
Sacrifice and death are therefore not things to be mourned, but celebrated. After all, what thing could be more noble than to nourish and facilitate the growth of another?
The Rhus, like life itself, demand sacrifices to bestow their favor. They care relatively little for wealth and coin, as true sacrifices are of flesh, blood and bone.
The Rhus never lie, and never abandon those which have earned and kept their favor, and even though their aid usually comes in the form of cryptic advice, there are stories of them intervening personally into the matters of the living, if the sacrifices they were offered were of truly outstanding value.

Ternog, The First World:

The Mirror Realm, and the true world as far as The Rhus and their followers are concerned. It is from Ternog where The Rhus are said to originate, a world without falsehoods, where everything is as it should be. It is said to be a mirrored version of our world, Svern, or rather it is our world which is the mirrored version of Ternog.
Little else is known about it, for the only ones which are said to have laid eyes on Ternog are The Rhus, and those which make the final voyage across Noita, The Great Chasm. Stories exist of great mages attempting to make the journey between Svern and Ternog with the power of Magic alone, though none of them have ever returned to tell the tale.

Noita, The Great Chasm:

Noita, often referred to as The Great Chasm or The In-between, is as the names suggest the space which lies between and around Svern and Ternog. Descriptions vary greatly of course, but it is most often described as an infinite and unknowable expanse cloaked in darkness, inhabited by dangerous beings known as the Chernobog, or Dark Ones, which are said to feast on the souls of those which try to cross through their home.
To be able to navigate this terrible place one must be adept at unveiling the hidden truths, as Noita is a place made of falsehood and deceit, a place that will do everything to keep those within it trapped forever. Without this ability one is doomed to lose their way and to wander The Great Chasm eternally, eventually either turning into Chernobog themselves or being consumed by one of them. Some say that it is technically possible to find their way to Ternog by accident, though the chances of doing so are vanishingly small, infinity is pretty big after all.

The Final Voyage:

The followers of The Rhus believe that after their death, every living being with a soul, which includes all people, most animals and some plants, are sent to Noita. As previously described, most lose themselves in it, eventually becoming just another part of The Great Chasm. It must not be this way however, for long ago The Rhus Moryana created a path for the souls of the dead to follow, allowing them to safely traverse The Great Chasm and reach Ternog. This path however is well-hidden under layers of falsehood, nearly impossible to find for those untrained in the art of separating truth from falsehood. A defense against the Chernobog, for they would surely destroy it were they ever capable of discovering it.
This is by no means a guarantee for success though, as Noita remains a treacherous place to navigate even for those which see past its deceit. Those who make it to Ternog however are welcomed amongst The Rhus, free to live an eternal life unburdened by deceit. Finally, those which prove themselves worthy are even said to eventually become Rhus themselves.

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