The Book of Teeth

The Parasoza is the definitive book of Vopa, the Yalisi Priesthood, but there exists a secondary text that discusses cosmology and emphasizes different idols.
The Book of Teeth is a 1,204 line poem that tells the story of wormstone from the perspective of Vesi, the world. As Azatara, god of the other world, sinks their teeth into Vesi before they broke apart, Vesi sings of the nature of change, the source of pain and suffering in the world, and the desire to adventure into the unknown.
The poem ends as Azatara disappears, leaving their teeth behind, and Vesi vows to meet it again while their skin already begins to heal itself over the scars.

Purpose

The Book of Teeth is a meditation on life that resonates with many people. It is the primary text for those who practice Libo. Passages are read aloud or recited in prayers.

Historical Details

Background

Sumiga wrote the Parasoza after receiving visions from Pemija, the great moon. The work lays out the basic cosmology of the Yalisi world and chronicles the fight between Azatara and Vesi in great detail.
The Book of Teeth arrived years after the original Parasoza started to disseminate to people outside of the priesthood itself. Many understand it to be a direct response to the Parasoza.

History

The exact origins of the Book of Teeth are unknown. Modern scholars believe it to be adapted piecemeal from various heretical oral traditions. The poem is made up of different sections and some are radically different from each other, suggesting multiple authors.

Public Reaction

The Vopa majority in the Yalisi Empire believe the Book of Teeth to be propaganda for a losing side. Their primary goddess Pemija is devoted to change and mutation. Vesi advocates for stillness and being present with one's current self in the Book of Teeth, so while the Book is formally introduced in public education, it is framed purely as a historical document rather than a religious one.