With its orgins in the Early States Era of Terotan History, the ancient religion practiced by the people of Karieba was referred to as Shylarovi, the way of the plains. Brought with them from their ancestral lands of the Great Steppe as they fled the Brume’s relentless onslaught, the original nomads had an initially simple set of beliefs that evolved convergently with their civilization to become a robust pantheon of eight gods and goddesses.
According to their creation myths, from the Great Steppe the first aethrin came forth from the land to enjoy its plentiful bounty along with the various beasts that they would share it with. This led to an animistic belief system, in which all life is treated equally upon the world, and while killing for food was permissible, overhunting and cruelty to any life were frowned upon. When the Brume began to encroach on the ancient Kariebans and their flight from their paradise began, it was with the blessing of the prime deity of the pantheon known simply as the Bogkoń (lit. God Horse) that their lifelong equine companions evolved, becoming the Sevalaćians. They had uncanny intelligence, and the swiftness required to outrun the Brume and begin the Great Journey. For their gift and protection, they became the first known inatheri to be worshiped.
As the Great Journey progressed, the ancient Kariebans’ needs were seen to by three other Gods said to have sprung forth from the Bogkoń as Their children: the Bogień, Bogvodi, and Bogwilka (lit. God Fire, God Water, and God Wolf respectively). Seeing to the basic needs of the Karieban nomads and their great yurts, the four inatheri saw Their children safely to the shores of the Morze Lez (Sea of Tears). This was the end of the Three Tribes Great Journey, and they had no choice but to settle the new lands they ended up in. As they awaited their potential destruction, the Three Tribes and the clans within them began to form the societies that would eventually make up Prezia, Jarvkoti, and Kuria, cultivating the Leylines of Myzelis.
No longer needing to consistently flee the Brume for the first time since before their recorded history, the Kariebans began to develop the lands they now called home. Farming, construction, forestry, and new and diverse cultural creations of music and dance began to emerge. With the change to their societies, four new inatheri came into being: the Dzerwo Bóg, the Urozhay Bóg, Lyubova Bóg, and Kości Bóg (lit. God of Trees, God of Harvests, God of Love, and God of Bones). This second wave of inatheri marked the biggest reform in Shylarovi pre-Cicloism. After the Brume parted ways in the Morze Lez, allowing travel between the Peninsula and Karieba, the religion underwent more turbulent changes as Cicloism was introduced. Its appeal to the common person was persuasive, and more importantly, the desire for better relations with the rest of Terota convinced some Hataman and Opikea to convert. The coast of Karieba were full of converts to Cicloism especially, and they preserved many of the traditions and mythos of Shylarovi as they began to adopt the new religion since it lacked a central authority by design. Unfortunately, however, this also led to conflict. A Krekas, or a Crack, is what Kariebans called wars between Hataman who converted to Cicloism and those who desired to preserve Shylarovi. The Arenian Empire, still relatively young at this point, took the chance to militarily support their allies, helping in the spread of Cicloism. Due to the decentralized political authority of Karieban societies however, Cicloism was never able to fully take over, so now, even in the modern day one can find Shylarovi away from the coast and in the hills and mountains close to the Brume despite it being in the minority.
According to their creation myths, from the Great Steppe the first aethrin came forth from the land to enjoy its plentiful bounty along with the various beasts that they would share it with. This led to an animistic belief system, in which all life is treated equally upon the world, and while killing for food was permissible, overhunting and cruelty to any life were frowned upon. When the Brume began to encroach on the ancient Kariebans and their flight from their paradise began, it was with the blessing of the prime deity of the pantheon known simply as the Bogkoń (lit. God Horse) that their lifelong equine companions evolved, becoming the Sevalaćians. They had uncanny intelligence, and the swiftness required to outrun the Brume and begin the Great Journey. For their gift and protection, they became the first known inatheri to be worshiped.
As the Great Journey progressed, the ancient Kariebans’ needs were seen to by three other Gods said to have sprung forth from the Bogkoń as Their children: the Bogień, Bogvodi, and Bogwilka (lit. God Fire, God Water, and God Wolf respectively). Seeing to the basic needs of the Karieban nomads and their great yurts, the four inatheri saw Their children safely to the shores of the Morze Lez (Sea of Tears). This was the end of the Three Tribes Great Journey, and they had no choice but to settle the new lands they ended up in. As they awaited their potential destruction, the Three Tribes and the clans within them began to form the societies that would eventually make up Prezia, Jarvkoti, and Kuria, cultivating the Leylines of Myzelis.
No longer needing to consistently flee the Brume for the first time since before their recorded history, the Kariebans began to develop the lands they now called home. Farming, construction, forestry, and new and diverse cultural creations of music and dance began to emerge. With the change to their societies, four new inatheri came into being: the Dzerwo Bóg, the Urozhay Bóg, Lyubova Bóg, and Kości Bóg (lit. God of Trees, God of Harvests, God of Love, and God of Bones). This second wave of inatheri marked the biggest reform in Shylarovi pre-Cicloism. After the Brume parted ways in the Morze Lez, allowing travel between the Peninsula and Karieba, the religion underwent more turbulent changes as Cicloism was introduced. Its appeal to the common person was persuasive, and more importantly, the desire for better relations with the rest of Terota convinced some Hataman and Opikea to convert. The coast of Karieba were full of converts to Cicloism especially, and they preserved many of the traditions and mythos of Shylarovi as they began to adopt the new religion since it lacked a central authority by design. Unfortunately, however, this also led to conflict. A Krekas, or a Crack, is what Kariebans called wars between Hataman who converted to Cicloism and those who desired to preserve Shylarovi. The Arenian Empire, still relatively young at this point, took the chance to militarily support their allies, helping in the spread of Cicloism. Due to the decentralized political authority of Karieban societies however, Cicloism was never able to fully take over, so now, even in the modern day one can find Shylarovi away from the coast and in the hills and mountains close to the Brume despite it being in the minority.
Author
Rosa Z.
Rosa Z.
