The Starfaith of the Aes

The young blond priest of the Creator stared with disgust at the rabbit bones spread out on the wooden floor, which was still covered in the blood and entrails of the very rabbit which, only an hour before, had been the owner of said bones. The elder Aes, an Aes mystic, put the entrails into the flames of the nearby hearth, where they burnt with hissing and sizzling sounds, while he was reading the oracle of the bones.
The disgust of the priest from Haven did not originate from the bloody ordeal. The Church itself had its own fair share in bloody rituals. The disgust was reserved for the Aes who stood in a circle and waited for the older shaman to finish.
"Heathens, uncultured... all of them" the priest said, yet lowly enough, such that only the man next to him could overhear it.
The middle aged man, dark haired, with a rugged beard that was showing a few white streaks already and a general aura of... authorative ruggedness... around him, lifted his hand. They had asked the Aes if they would help them, and the Aes had decided to ask their mystic.
"Listen carefully..." the rugged man said with a dark, smoky voice. "You want a trip to R'hyll in a ship that can transport all the things you... i will say... acquired... for your church library here. My ship can do that. But it is short on crew. So please do NOT upset all those sailors who could actually help us. It might also aid us in keeping our teeth... understood?"
The priest nodded, albeit in an irritated fashion. His gaze returned back to the "heathen" spectacle, yet his arms folded in front of his chest.
The old Aes who sat over the rabbitbones grunted and frowned.
"Barduhenna reports that her grandparents are about to argue again, and Versa agrees. Angboda won't sit calm when Donar's voice rises. Don't set sail today, wait at least a few days longer..." the man said.
"For the sake of..." was the one thing that the priest said. He turned for the man next to him and said, lowly again: "Come on... this is urgent. We shouldn't stay in this town longer than absolutely necessary with all that stuff in the bilge of your cog. There were sailors in a harbor tavern that looked hungry enough to hire on basically any ship. They weren't even Aes...."
The captain shook his head wordlessly. "No... we wait."
The priest was speechless for a few seconds, but then started into a temper tantrum
"What? Are you believing this heathen bullsh..."
He didn't get any further before the fist of the captain knocked him out and sent him flying. He regained his senses as he was lifted from the floor at the collar of his robe, the captains face close enough to his, such that the priest could smell the mead in his breath as he hissed lowly through his teeth:
"Listen.... Winter is not yet fully over and the sea and harbors around here are not ice free. I don't know if a storm is coming, but the people around here believe so. The trip through the ice is hard enough, so I would rather have the best of the best at my side. And look. The best of the best just decided that it would be better to stay. So we stay. Another word, and you look for another ship... understood?"

— Scene in the Long house of the Gods in Windskog

Structure

The Starfaith, or Síðgardianism as it is called by the followers of Church of the Creator , is by far less organized than the large religions the likes of the Church itself or the The Faith of the Seven.
Even Thane Vikeerk Rosvikson, the Perun Mystic of Thorhjal and Wît of Perun is meerly a first among equals.
One reason might be the sheer number of deities that are part of the pantheon of the starfaith or the decentralized way in which the gods are worshipped.

The Thane

The Völsr of every sacred place elect a "Thane" from their midst, who leads them, cares for the worldly decisions necessary to keep a sacred place running and who keeps the peace between the Völsr that care for the place.
The word thane literally translates into "servant" or "liegeman", but the importance of the task saw to it that it has become a revered title in its own. In case only one Völsr cares for a sacred place, he automatically inherits this title. Wandering Völsr can't be thenns (plural of thane), as there is no sacred place to care for, hence there are no decisions to be made to ensure its upkeep. Thenns are secular leaders, not spiritual ones, as spiritual leaders can only be chosen amongst völsr who follow the same god, although they do have some say in spirtiual matters when it comes to the election of a Wît.

The Wît

Wît (speak: veet), pl: Wîten (speak: veeten) are spiritual leaders, and the word literally translates to "wise".

Local Wîten

There are two kinds of Wîten, as the word has been dually reserved. The more common one, is the one present wherever two or more Völsr serve the same god in the same place.
As disagreement is natural amongst humans and gods, not all can have the same say in spiritual matters. This is why, under supervision of the Thane of the respective sacred place, a Wît is elected by all its Völsr who are consectrated to the same god.
This Wît then decides for the further local hierarchy amongst his brothers and sisters in faith.

Wît of a God

A Wît of a god is elected every 7 years on the Raventhing, and keeps his title for the next seven years. He is the voice of the respective god, and decides spiritual arguments that stand between different local Wîten.

The Raventhing and the Wîten of the gods

Every seven years the Völsr of the Starfaith pilger to the Raventhing, which is also called the Wîtenagemot (Wise-Meeting) of Ravens.
This specific Thing happens on a large grove north of Windskog, which is surrounded by fifty oaks and fifty steles, where each stele is consecrated to one of the gods.
Here the Völsr elect a special Wît for each of their gods who is, for the next seven years, considered the voice of this god among the Aes.
Every Völsr has one vote to vote for the Wît of "his" god, but is also, automatically, egligible for being elected, if he or she doesn't withdraw in favor of someone else. This usually happens during the first days of the Thing, when favourites crystallize from the flock of Völsr.
Once all Wîten have been elected, the names are written down on a parchment, which is then burnt in a sacifice, in order to inform the gods of the decision.
At the afternoon of the next day, when the gods had time to consider the vote of their followers, while they were feasting and resting in their hall, they answer through the Ravens of the "Ravencallers", which is the name of those Völsr who wear, and were accepted by, an amulet of Huginn and Muninn.
If the Ravens remain calm at the proclamation of a name, the name stands. If they fly up, another Wît has to be elected.
This is also the reason why the Thing is named as it is, and not because of the many ravens which nest in the oaks that surround the grove, although this has certainly lent to it.
Those who have been elected are respectfully referred to as Wît of (name of the god), such that the Wît which had been elected by the völsr of Perun is referred to as "Wît of Perun".

Cosmological Views

Ragnarök and the Creation of Ardu (Síðgard)

Once the world was created by Freyr . It was a time when the fate of all worlds was good, and Jormergund, the worldsnake, was all but a faint prophecy of Ragnarök in the far future.
Freyr called the world Felgard: the hidden Garden, for he knew of the song of the Völsr, that prophesized Ragnarök, and feared it. In order to protect Felgard he decided to hide it in the deep core of Ygg, the world Ash, where the lifeforce was the strongest. And thus the sweetest fruit of Ygg did not hang on its branches but was hidden in one of it's knotholes.
But it couldn't be hidden from the three alfr, who are also known as the norns or fates: Verthande , Urdr and Skold saw the world appear in the patterns of Skolds weave, and so they confronted Freyr. Freyr knew the more would know about it's existence, the more probable it was for Jormergund to learn of it too, costing the gods valuable time when they had to defend it. So he urged the norns to keep it secret, such that Felgard could defended and become the seed to sow a new universe after Ragnarök.
But Verthande, Urdr and Skold found pleasure in Freyr's work and in exchange for keeping it secret, they demanded from him to allow them to hide in the garden from time to time. And they asked for permission to create a race of beings in their likeness, something which Perun hadn't allowed them to do yet on any other world. In his dilemma, Freyr agreed, and so the nornfolk or fateborn, which some call elves came into being in Felgard.
Then, one day, Jormergund freed itself, and Ragnarök began.
One world after the other fell, swallowed by Jormergund or corrupted by its poison, until only Felgard remained, well hidden in Ygg's trunk. When Ragnarök began, Freyr had told Perun and the other gods from his work, and Perun decided to gather the last humans and carry them to Felgard, which was now redubbed Síðgard: the late Garden.
It was on their way, when the gods were met by four Dana, another kin of gods, who were looking for refuge together with the humans they carried, and from whom the Culmerians descend. These four were Morig Hen, Corm, Dagdamagh and Aeg Amanach. In exchange for their help in the fight against Jormergund and her servants, Perun granted them their request.
Jormergund though learned about the hidden garden too late, and, as Freyr had planned, was already too big and engorged on all the other worlds she had devoured, such that she couldn't easily follow through into the knothole, and had to wait outside.
But its servants could pass through, for since the start of Ragnarök the worldsnake had gained many followers from all the worlds it did consume, who were now eager to please her, such they wouldn't be consumed themself. These are the demons which constantly try to enter the knothole and reach Síðgard, to turn the humans into plaguebeasts themselves, in order to prevent them from ascending after death.
For, by gnawing on it, the worldsnake constantly tries to widen the gash that leads into the knothole which carries the world, and the gods constantly fight to postpone this for as long as possible, for when the day comes, that the mouth of the worldsnake will fit through, then the last fight will begin, and the fate of Síðgard and the universe will be decided.
But every generation they succeed in fighting the worldsnake off, their numbers are bolstered by warriors from Síðgard, who are born, live their lives, die and ascend in order to join them in the fight.

The hall of the Gods and the eternal fight

During day, when Baldr's light, the Sun, prevents the incursion of plaguebeasts, the gods rest in their Hall and heed the prayers of their followers in Síðgard. This is why prayers are answered only in the morning when the gods return from their fight and give part of their resolve to those who prayed for it to use it in the wonders done in their name.
The hall lies close to "the Gash", which is the entrance of the knothole that holds the world.
Here they feast and rest until nightfall with the heroes who rose from Síðgard, and who are not on duty fighting off the worldsnake at the gash.
When night falls however they spread out to defend the different other passageways, which lead into the knothole and which had been cut by the servants of the snake, when they recognized that they couldn't pass through the gash itself, which remains defended by all the heroes that have yet risen from Síðgard.

The Counterrealm

As the first demons arrived in the knothole, Lydjara , the wife of Tyrr, and the goddess of all Wards and Spirit Protections, recognized that it was too easy for them to reach Síðgard after having passed the gods watch, and so she encapsulated the world in the Counterrealm, a realm which the servants of the worldsnake would first have to pass. She also created the Veil, a last, almost impenetrable wall, that separates the counterrealm from the real world. Thus it was ensured that, once a demon had escaped the watch of the gods and the risen heroes, there was still time to catch it, before it could wreck havoc on the world.

Origin of the Stars

Since the arrival of the Humans in Síðgard, Baldr the Sun and Orden the Moon illuminated the world. Baldr by day, and his brother Orden by night. Ordens strength pales compared to Baldr however, and over the course of a month his light vanishes, until he eventually falls asleep completely during his watch every Truenight.
Once, this was the time, when the sky was entriely black, for without Orden only "the Gash" illuminated it.This is, and has always been, the time when Plaguebeasts are the strongest, for the worldsnake was born from darkness and thrives in it, and so do her servants. At first her servants tried to pass through the gash itself, but the guard of the gods, and the risen humans,was strong there, and so the plaguebeasts couldn't succeed. Hence they began to drill and cut holes of their own into the worldash, and the gods had to spread out, defending each new passageway separately.
Yet the light of Orden couldn't reach this far, and so more and more plaguebeasts would pass únnoticed by the watch of the gods every night.
So Orden, weaker than his brother but of a bigger heart and mind, decided to cut himself apart, to share his light with the other gods. The wound was deep, and Orden, the Moon, which the Nornfolk and the Havenians call Emonara, never fully recovered. This is the reason why even today one can see his body half torn in the night sky.
But the sacrifice was made, and as all gods tasted from his lifeforce, they received his light, and henceforth, as they took position at the passageways that the plaguebeasts had carved out, the servants of the worldsnake couldn't sneak past them easily anymore.
Today, every night, a faithful soul who looks up to the sky can see the stars, which are the the gods fighting for them, and regain confidence in their protection. And because of this, the faith is also called the Starfaith.

Chernog's Rebellion and Banishment

Chernog was once a great warrior of the gods, albeit brutal and violent he was effective, and so it was him who led the fight of the humans at the gash.
But his heart was seduced by the worldsnake, who sought to seed discontent within the ranks of the gods. Fighting at the forefront every day, she hissed questions and doubt into his ear, talking about why Perun was leading gods, and not the greatest warrior?
Of all gods the fiercest, Chernog's heart wasn't controlled by his mind though, and thus he began to question Perun's authority just as the worldsnake had intended.
Finally, he rose and rallied his children Fenrir and Warga to challenge Perun, even egainst the counsel of his wife, the Morig Hen. Perun wouldn't have it however and he beat Chernog and his children down in the following fight.
The other gods asked Perun to smite Chernog for his betrayal, but Perun in his wisdom decided that, even with his flaws, Chernog was needed in the garden. He decreed that he couldn't remain in the Hall of the Gods, for the worldsnake was too close and Perun feared her further poisoning Chernogs mind. So he was relinquished from fighting the world snake directly, and banished together with his children from the Hall as a punishment.
His new task became to roam the counterrealm that lies between the Hall of the gods and the world, to hunt the plaguebeasts, which had escaped the watch of the other gods. This is where he lives now, together with children Fenrir and Warga, although he sees them rarely as they are too wild for even him to control and have lost faith in him.
Perun also very well recognized that the counsel of the Morig Hen against the uprising had been in self interest, in order to wait for a better, more opportunate time, but she seduced him, and thus escaped the punishment, and bore Geri the She Wolf.
This is why there are no stars for Chernog, Fenrir and Warga, for they do the "Wild hunt" in the depths of the counterrealm, the hunt for demons, plaguebeasts and humans unworthy to ascend to the halls of the gods.
But whenever one sees a falling star, it is Chernog or one of his children, who are hunting after a demon on its way to Síðgard.

Worship

Temples and Sacred Places

The Boss and the Jester by cyrgan

Steles depicting Perun (left) and Ogni Bogni (right)

Dedicated temples to one god are something unknown to the Aes.The closest thing the Starfaith has to temples are long houses with several sacred steles which are consecrated to one God each. These long houses can be found in the large aesgardian cities, although most villages have at least one scared place full of steles, usually next to the place where Things (aesgardian councils) are held, with Völsr living nearby to hold the ceremonies.
There is no system for the amount, or type, of steles in such a sacred place however, and each mystic can add one for their god if they please, if the space is sufficient. This has led to it that the largest steles often belong to the gods with the most inclusive domains, like Freyr, Donar, Nanna and Perun, while the steles of other gods are usually smaller and more confined to the corners and edges of the respective holy places.
Yet just like the steles in these places, the mystics working here are not bound to be consecrated to one specific god of the fifity. Just like the sacred places are usually having more than one stele, hence serving more than one god, the mystics serving there can be consecrated to any of the fifty. So, despite having no dedicated "temples" to any singular of the gods, the Aes, in a sense, have temples, or at least sacred places dedicated to the startfaith as a whole.
This also means that any of the Völsinn or Völsa present can theoretically hold any of the mundane rituals like marriages or funerals.
Only when seeking out direct assistance from the gods or when trying to have a stele blessed, the Aes set out to actually seek a Völsinn or Völsa who serves the god into which domain the request falls. This leads to it, that believers, who have a specific request, sometimes set out for long treks to visit the mystics of a specific god.
Sacred places are not limited to being long houses though, although in large cities they often are. Sometimes they are just grove with steles or a cave close to the village.

Personal Worship

Aes do not necessarily need a Völsr or even a sacred place to practice their faith, which caters to their need for individualism. Most homes have steles of one or two gods whom the inhabitants feel very connected to, and it is left up to the faithful to decide how and when to pray.
Nevertheless in dire times, and when there are larger rituals to be held, like marriages, burials or coming of age rituals, or when they ask for a specific wonder, Aes turn do to their Völsr.

Priesthood

A cleric of the starfaith, or Völsr as the Aes call them (Völsinn if male or Völsa if female), which literally translates into mystic or seer, may be consecrated to one of the fifty gods, but when working his wonders it is not the only god he calls upon. Völsinn and Völsa in the Starfaith understand the gods as a unit, themselves as their speakers, and they speak to all of them. So a Wonder of Life like a healing may very well be asked from Freyr, but a wonder of truth would be asked from Vana.
When deciding for a life as a mystic, believers begin a long spiritual search in order to understand the gods, and their own place in their creation. This search often takes years and is a search for a god as much as it is a search for self-knowledge. Only when both is achieved the mystic chooses a god (or is chosen, the Aes themselves are not entirely clear in this aspect).
The process is very reminiscent to that of some barbarians going onto a spiritual quest to find their spirit animal, only that it is a god to bind to, whom the future cleric is seeking to find, not an animal, even though most gods also have animals deemed close to them.
Henceforth, all wonders which fall into the domains of said god come easier to the respective mystic.
A Völsr then has to decide which life to live. Most Völsr stay at one place and care for the sacred places in their villages. They are called by the village inhabitants in case a major ritual like a marriage, or burial, has to be performed, and see to it that the steles are well kept. In case a major stele is damaged, they assign people to get a new one from the closest Völsr who is bound to the respective god. Smaller ones they often repair on their own, arguing that "the remaining wood" has kept its holy spirit. If possible they replace them later, when they happen to have the chance, like when a wandering cleric comes by for example, or when they have to set out on a journey themself.
Not all völsr remain stationary however, some decide for the life of a wandering mystic, roaming the land and spreading the faith, adding steles of their god to places which lack them yet or replacing those who were damaged.

Granted Divine Powers

The divine powers granted to Völsinn and Völsa of the starfaith do not differ greatly from the powers which other gods of the similar domains grant. One of the differences that starfaith mystics experience though, is the independence of holy starfaith artifacts from the domains, or gods, their users follow, if those who use the artifacts are at least consecrated to one of the fifty.
A good example are the Amulets of Huginn and Muninn. Quite rare objects, and consecrated to Perun , all Völsa or Völsinn can use them, if they are accepted by the artifacts. This is regardless of whom of the fifty gods they are consecrated to. Followers of other Gods, like the Father in the Faith of the Seven, or the Father Aspect of the Creator can't use them however, despite being of the Protection Domain just like Perun.

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Starcult, Síðgardianism,

Demonym

Sidgardians, Star Followers.

Leader

Vikeerk Rosvikson

Deities

• Aeg Amanach
• Airun
• Angboda
• Baldr
• Barduhenna
• Bil
• Birga
• Bor
• Chernog
• Corm
• Dagdamagh
• Dold
• Donar
• Edda
• Eira
• Fenrir
• Firbog
• Freki
• Freyr
• Friga
• Geri
• Grida
• Hadur
• Helven
• Hnoss
• Huginn
• Korrd
• Lokvin
• Lydjara
• Megann
• Mjalner
• Morig Hen
• Muninn
• Nanna
• Njör
• Ogmer
• Ogni Bogni
• Orden
• Perun
• Ron
• Sága
• Skold
• Svarg
• Tyrr
• Urdr
• Vana
• Var
• Versa
• Verthande
• Warga

Divines

• Aeg Amanach
• Airun
• Angboda
• Baldr
• Barduhenna
• Bil
• Bor
• Chernog
• Corm
• Dagdamagh
• Dold
• Donar
• Eira
• Fenrir
• Firbog
• Freki
• Freyr
• Friga
• Geri
• Grida
• Hadur
• Helven
• Hnoss
• Huginn
• Korrd
• Lokvin
• Lydjara
• Megann
• Mjalner
• Morig Hen
• Muninn
• Nanna
• Njör
• Ogmer
• Ogni Bogni
• Orden
• Perun
• Ron
• Sága
• Skold
• Svarg
• Tyrr
• Urdr
• Vana
• Var
• Versa
• Verthande
• Warga