The Religion of the Andeamer

The gods and goddesses are of great importance to the Andeamer. Their religion is tightly interwoven into their societies. Where one may find variation within the culture of the Andeamer and their cities, religion has proven to stand the test of time. The belief system of the Andeamer has appeared to remain static over the centuries and before the great war. In the aftermath of nuclear destruction, survivors pushed towards the very edges of the continent. This migration disrupted the homogenous state of pre-war Andeamer not just in their language but in cultures, genotypes, and phenotypes. The global and largely unchanged piece of the Andeamer has been their beliefs, which can roughly ascribe as their religion. There are slight variations, mostly found in the most remote people of Vinde Yal Mäsvyel.

Andeamer venerate Mazarath. Mazarath is the mother of all Andeamer, but not their creator according to their beliefs. Ënokh, whom they refer to as the father, is their true creator. Beneath these two deities are their vassals, athehlï. Athehlï serve Mazarath and include her children, the thïsenyär, gods and goddesses of the Andeamer.

Within this religion, we find many kinds of spiritual beings including what the Andeamer called the ätherä. Mazarath and Ënokh are said to be ätherä and so is Akhemaaz, the Abyssal King. In the court of the Abyssal King are the thespïra, the challengers. Some of these thespïra are ätherä and the Greater Voids while some are not. Those who are not ätherä are thought to be created by the Greater Voids.

Not all ätherä align themselves with Mazarath or Akhemaaz. The majority, in fact, are considered neutral and go about their own agenda. These äthesïn have hindered and they have helped the Andeamer throughout time. These ätherä come with many different names given by their observable attributes. For example, there are ätherä that live within the deep of the ocean. Some of these beings guide seafarers back to safe shores and others have caused great storms and calamities to claim the souls of sailors.

Mythology & Lore

The entire pantheon of gods, goddesses, and spirits of the Andeamer is immense, however the core deities are the 11 listed here. Outside of the core deities would be the ätherä, athehlï, and thespïra. The thïsenyär are their own category with a fixed number as they are the divine children of Mazarath created from herself.

• Mazarath

Mazarath is the mother of the Andeamer. She is the Empress of the divine realm in which the thïsenyär and athehlï inhabit. Like, Ënokh and many of her vassals, Mazarath is an ätherä. Mazarath is said to reside in Ursanistyn, her own realm inhabited by her athehlï and physical home of the thïsenyär.

• Ënokh

The true creator of the Andeamer. He exists outside Mazarath’s realm of Ursanistyn and is the physical planet the Andeamer live on. The Andeamer revere him through a respect for the natural world. They do separate themselves from the natural world in a way Humans do as well such as living in artificial environments. However, the Andeamer appear to follow a set of unspoken rules regarding the natural world. For example, there is seldom waste. When hunted, all parts of animals are used and rarely discarded. Recycling of damaged goods and things has become somewhat of an art-form to test how creative and imaginative one can get when reusing items.

• Mïzärn

The mystical son. He was the seventh thïsenyär created by Marëkhs. His sphere is all the Andeamer may never know or understand. Mïzärn is attributed to prophecy and magic. He is the wisest of the thïsenyär given he renounced his divinity as he foresaw how his sphere could be used to bring great destruction.

• Dïbe

The lady of law and governance. She is fairness, justice, and equality within society and the houses of the Andeamer. She instructed the Andeamer to follow her words as law so they would never descend into the chaos of the Void.

• Mälgraz

The steward of the universe. He is the meticulous mathematician and the quietest of the thïsenyär, perhaps due to his constant work of keeping the forces of nature in motion. He is why the planets turn and the sun shines bright. He is seen in the sacred numbers and patterns that the Andeamer observe.

• Fesäd

The lady of swords and shields. Fesäd’s and Dïbe’s spheres overlap, however Fesäd’s sphere concerns that of sanctioned war and grievances. She and Dïbe created the rules of war so the Andeamer never return to the will of the void. She is the resolution to disputes of kingdoms and commoner’s like.

• Märaak

The gardener of Ënokh. Märaak is the emerald fields of Vindyarr Khrïn and the life in the depths of sea. Where Mälgraz sphere is conceptual, Märaak’s sphere is tangible. He is the beauty of the life that inhabits Ënokh as well as the sentinel that guards it.

• Alkhäd

The harvester and sower. The guide of the mist in the dawn and dusk of life. Alkhäd oversees the death rites and rituals of the Andeamer. He seen in the consuming fire all but the High Priestesses of Mazarath are fed to. He leaves behind the ashes of the purified Andeamer so the Void will not corrupt their physical bodies.

• Älëas

The lover. Älëas is the juvenile glee of first romance and the bond between family. The passion between an artist’s brush and canvas, the poet’s words and pen. Älëas sees that every Andeam is never alone in life. To the Andeamer he is the pleasures of life in whatever form it comes.

• Marëkhs

The Void-God. Neither thïsenyär, ätherä, or thespïra, the Void-God is shadows of night, the faint whispers in the dark, and the knife hidden behind a smile. He represents duality as the Void-God, redemption as Marëkhs, and secrecy as Mariax Stygal, but is a singular deity. The Void-God is an enigma to the Andeamer, but they respect his sphere and its importance in what it teaches them.

• Akhemaaz

The King of the Abyssal Plane and ruler of the Voids. Akhemaaz is ätherä just like Mazarath. He is driven by hate and the desire to dominate. He seeks to twist all life into what he desires, but his goals appear to be solely tied to his hatred of Mazarath.

Ätherä, Äthehlï, and Thespïra

The äthehlï are ätherä who serve Mazarath or the thïsenyär. They are believed to be solely benevolent and peaceful beings, but also rarely leave Ursanistyn to wander the mortal world. The äthehlï are thought to be the only ones who come to physical world, but in the form of High Priestesses. Obscure beliefs of benevolent possession are rarely heard of outside the temples. Many believe äthehlï prefer to cohabit the bodies of the devoted clergy rather than exist without physical form, possibly to hide from thespïra.

Ätherä are neutral beings. They can help and hinder while they roam the mortal plane. Ätherä are thought to have particular spheres they like to align themselves with. These may be items or aspects of nature, such as flora, fauna, or even specific locations. The forests of Mäsvell Dinmaar are said to be inhabitted by many ätherä, some responsible for helping lost travellers while others may be have been the reason some disappear entirely. In attempts to divert the attention of ätherä with harmful intentions, one has an arsenal of items and rituals to keep themselves safe.

A common means of ensuring safety is burning the dried leaves of the emëshï flower. This enormous flower grows all over Ënokh, wherever grass can be found. When dried and burned, the leaves of this flower have a fragrant and pleasant smell that can linger for days. Andeamer myths say this special flower was created by Älëas to provide a variety of beneficial uses. One of the rarer items include a mäs din'märrü, a kind of lantern blessed by a priest or priestess that holds a piece of a meteorite. When brought somewhere where an ätherä or thespïra is, the meteorite emits a faint glow; supposedly other-wordy beings are fearful of being seen in this light.

The thespïra are the malevolent creatures of the Void. The serve the greater voids or wander aimlessly on their own. Sometimes they make their way into the mortal plane and cause suffering and tragedy. Andeamer mythology states they come in a variety as diverse as the ätherä. The greater voids themselves are the most horrendous the thespïra. The Void and Its Denizens by Johannes Winnipeg is specifically about the Void and all current information of what it is and may be.

Cosmological Views

A very long time ago, long before any Andeamer wandered upon the flesh of Ënokh, our universe was but a quiet realm. Quiet, yet not serene. Stars warred against one another. Some exploded and others devoured all in their path. Planets collided, ignited in their battles. Their debris scattered across the expanse, never to rest.

Our universe was very different to that of the ätherä. It was our mother Mazarath who discovered the hidden plane. Soon, others followed her, enamored by the curiosity of this universe. How foreign and strange it was for the ätherä. One of these ätherä was our father, Ënokh. He was a natural explorer, always alone. He did not have the audience that Mazarath attracted, but the preferred such ways. Ënokh wandered the turbulent arena of this world. He admired how the stars and planets created themselves. They had a beginning and end, a concept the ätherä were fascinated by. You see, the ätherä have always existed and always will.

But the stars and planets were not alive like the ätherä. He wondered if life could be given to the stars and planets and moons. Could life be created? Created by something that was not? Ënokh thought and thought of how to create like the planets and stars did themselves. Many ätherä lost interest in our universe for it was a passing curiosity, but Ënokh stayed. Before the last of the ätherä returned to their own world, Ënokh rushed to find them. He found Mazarath and her followers as well as Akhemaaz among those who remained.

He showed them what he had created. What he had molded using the stars and planets and moons. The soul of the Andeamer. The ätherä admired Ënokh’s creation and looked upon the possibilities with wonder and suddenly did the ätherä come rushing back into our chaotic world to satisfy their curiosities. Many tried to attempt what Ënokh did and many failed. He kept his methods a secret and so did the ones who succeeded.

Akhemaaz was one who attempted creating his own soul, a primordial creature to shape and mold. He failed many times. He looked upon Ënokh with jealousy. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t not recreate what Ënokh had made. After many failed attempts, Akhemaaz was overpowered by his own rage and jealousy. He murdered our father Ënokh and stole the soul of the Andeamer. He fled into the Void where he hid from the other ätherä. The Abyssal King changed and shaped the Andeamer to fit his own desire. We were but a vessel of vanity for Akhemaaz, however he was not satisfied and never would be.

Little did the Abyssal King know of the witness, Mariax Stygal. Little escaped the eyes of the lord of secrecy and whispers, borne of the Void. Mariax Stygal saw the injustices done to our father and sought Mazarath. He knew she would believe his witness and with her loyal Vassals, they would avenge our father Ënokh.

This great war of the gods made the chaos of the universe look as sparks compared to a raging fire. Vassals warred against Akhemaaz and were met with surprise when new creatures emerged from the Void. Corrupted Andeamer were the first of the Void-spawn. Such abominations enraged Mazarath. Our Mother found the Abyssal King after a long search, hiding deep within the Void upon a throne of our enslaved ancestors. She fought him, however Akhemaaz did not fight fairly. She was wounded, but so was he.

Mariax Stygal came to her aid. She had shown him the damage of the battle; seven shards of herself. The Void-God collected these pieces and healed our Mother. The war had finally subsided. The Void had retreated and Akhemaaz had disappeared, but he would not stay hidden for long. Our Mother retrieved what remained of the Andeamer and found Ënokh. She hoped returning us to him would return some life into him, but it did not. However, Mazarath would not give up. She conferred with the Void-God who had proven himself a loyal ally to her what should be done, for their battle would be naught if the surviving Andeamer perished after the torment of the Void.

Mariax Stygal took what remained of Ënokh and turned him into the world we inhabit today. His very soul is what breathes life into our planet, from the grass of the land and the water of the oceans Ënokh is everywhere. Here, Mariax Stygal and Mazarath knew we would thrive.

However, the Andeamer needed more to guide them in the father’s absence. From the seven shards of battle, Mariax Stygal had created the thïsenyär, the divine guides the Andeamer would look to and follow.

The first was Mälgraz who would bring order into chaos. He is distant as his tasks draw him everywhere so our world can remain safe. He created the outer worlds to protect our own from the Void’s gaze. The second son is Märaak, like his brother his sphere brings order into chaos, but the gardener tends to our father’s flesh to provide us with all we need. Third came Alkhäd, who taught us how reproduce and that we must die to make room for the new. Fourth was Dïbe, the sister of order, who taught us the laws to live by, so we do not succumb to the Voidly influence invoked through injustices and inequalities. Fifth, the twin of Dïbe is Fesäd who taught us to protect ourselves from all harm. She forged swords and armor for the Andeamer to wield when we must, and we learned these arts from her. The sixth is Älëas, both brother and sister, they taught us to regain our emotion and love. The seventh is the son

Mïzärn who taught us to harness our own powers and that of the universe.

However, Mazarath saw Mariax Stygal also had much to offer the Andeamer. She called him Marëkhs, the teacher of redemption and example of how not everything is our world is as it seems. As the Void-God, he is the redeemer and the lord of shadows.

Priestess Mäsellä, Scribe and Librarian of the Temple of Mazarath

Priesthood

The clergy belonging to each deity is sub-divided into their own temples. The sub-division does not mean they are separate “churches” or institutions. For every thïsenyär and Mazarath there is in individual temple composed of its own clergy and hierarchy. The temples devoted the thïsenyär all fall beneath the Temple of Mazarath in status. Ultimately, it is the temple of Mazarath that leads the formal religion of the Andeamer. The thïsenyär all have priests and priestesses. They are senior individuals with centuries of reverence and study behind them. Beneath them are typically students striving to become priests or priestesses. Their numbers aren’t as large as others in their orders. Clerics are more in line of what you might think of when thinking about a priest or priestess. It is the clerics that rebuke the words of their gods; they number the most and typically the students of priests and priestesses. Priests and priestesses do the same as well as offer their own learned wisdom.

One can find temples in every city. Travelling the wilderness, one can even find various shrines. Their devoted deity can be interpreted through the symbols present on the shrine or temple. For example, Mazarath is symbolized by an eye, however not just any eye. This is a right eye with a silver iris and black sclera, Mazarath’s own eye. Mälgraz is depicted by the organized solar system, an array of the planets revolving around the sun. The clergy of each temple has its own variations. The clergy following Mïzärn with be structured differently and even carry different ranks than the followers of Märaak. The temple of Märaak is considered the most “loosely” organized and even “laid-back” of the temples. Each organization reflects their deity in structure and worship. However, the tradition of joining a Temple is always followed by essentially leaving life in a House and their family behind them. This does not mean they may never have contact with family ever. It is merely an act of devotion to their god. One must put aside any distraction and self-interest in regard to socio-political status.

Before an organized curriculum of academia was shared among the various kingdoms of Ënokh, the temple of Mälgraz provided a place for scientific endeavors. The priests and priestesses of this temple still continue this tradition, happy to contribute alongside other organized academics such as the Academy of the Valgaartiran. They can be easily compared to scientist and scholars, especially of the natural world given the sphere of the deity they worship

The temple of Mïzärn is similar in that they are scholars with academic pursuits, however the sphere of Mïzärn is left to his reclusive followers. It is here the magically inclined Andeamer can be found. The priests and priestesses of Mïzärn are only ever those gifted with his sphere and where they can safely learn to harness to their gifts. Mïzärn’s clergy tends towards reclusiveness and keep to themselves unless summoned. Much of their knowledge is kept among themselves for obvious reasons, but there are those outside the order that seek magical knowledge.

The loose structure of Märaak comes from their typically nomadic and seldom materialistic way of life. The followers of Märaak are the Gardener’s gardeners. They travel Ënokh and observe, study, and map the natural world. Their temples and shrines are often beautiful gardens and they are known to conserve and farm, but their ideology also makes room for Märaak’s natural order. This natural order includes death in the cycle of life. The temples of Fesäd and Dïbe appear similar and both are known for their discipline and sternness. For centuries, the temple of Fesäd has taught generations of martial discipline in its varieties. Dïbe’s institution concerns matters of law and justice and its priests and priestesses are summoned concerning such matters across Ënokh. Both temples contemplate the words and ideologies of their gods as they are both important aspects of Andeamer society.

Fesäd’s priests and priestesses deal with matters of war and act as mediators among nations. Both temples carry the important rank of dithyärr. They are nearly on par in rank of the priests and priestesses but their position acts more along the lines of peacekeepers and typically organize themselves in number beneath a single priests or priestess. In Dïbe’s clergy they accompany their priest or priestess to duel’s in matters of grievances.

Alkhäd’s clergy tend to stay in the background of daily life. They are seldom seen because they only come out during the end of life. They are responsible for funeral rites and tending of the dead. See the section of “Life and Death” for further explanation.

The temple of Älëas is thought to be second to Mälgraz to informality and serene nature. The clergy of Älëas in the modern years is known to promote and preserve culture. Their temple has been long standing in offering schooling in the arts. Another aspect of their temple concerns matters of love and intimacy. Prostitution among the Andeamer is not a matter of morality and thus does not carry the same stigmas or notions one may find on Earth. It is a profession controlled by the temple of Älëas. It is not considered a profession one would give their entire life to unless they are among the clergy of Älëas. However, it is these functions allow the temple of Älëas to be responsible for promotion and conservation of culture across Ënokh and through the ages.

The temple of Marëkhs and Mariax Stygal, together the Void-God, is a matter of confusion even among the Andeamer. Many say the temple does not truly exist, but apparently had in the past. In place of an organized temple the Andeamer say it is certain profession that venerate the Void-God. Spies for instance. Others claim the spheres of the Void-God and Mïzärn overlap, thus their temple could be shared and given that Mïzärn is a humble god who rejects divinity this thought is only reinforced.

The Void-God is complex matter for the Andeamer. He represents duality and how things are never as they truly appear. He is the necessary evils of life and a reminder that even these matters of “evil” are arbitrary. Nothing is truly good or bad and merely is. Matters of his sphere are left to the spymasters and clergy of Mïzärn. Common Andeamer prefer the easier manifestation as Marëkhs, the deity of redemption and seldom discuss the Voidly nature of the god in casual conversation.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Divines

• Älëas
• Alkhäd
• Dïbe
• Ënokh
• Fesäd
• Mälgraz
• Märaak
• Mïzärn
• The Void-God