Dragon Cults of Inkrimane
Not all in the Children of Aktar greeted the coming of the dragon Inkrimane with despair and hatred. Among those in the hinterlands of the Thaner kingdoms, the coming of the dragon and the shattering of Thaner power in the mountains was a long-awaited judgment meted upon their oppressors for their crimes. In the lands fully controlled by the dragon and her thralls, some who remained swore their fealty and devotion in the hopes of avoiding her wrath. In the Gafahraz in particular, some of the Gafhi joined the dragon's ranks willingly, seeing an opportunity to break from a weakened Agbith that if anything had become more viciously extractive as the loss of their core power base and the demands of their armies demanded more and more coin and grain to maintain.
To many of these people, the mighty Inkrimane morphed from monster to goddess. Descending from the skies to bring down an empire, particularly those former subjects of the Thaner kingdoms who did not directly face the devastation caused by the dragon's passing have come to see her as god, or near enough to one to make no real difference. Though the cults of Inkrimane have no formal organization, and indeed the object of their worship appears to have taken no note of them, they do have some common characteristics.
To the Cultists of Inkrimane, bronze is commonly held as a sacred material, and the bronze claw is a common and recognized symbol of the dragon's faithful. It is also claimed that the bronze claw may buy safe passage or at least relative indifference from the dragonthralls that roam Inkrimane. More distressingly, the rumor also claims that those that devote themselves to the dragon become warped physically and mentally, beginning to resemble the dragonthralls.
Tenets of Faith
The core tenet of the Cults of Inkrimane is that the dragon is great, the dragon is (sometimes) good, and the dragon is the rightful ruler of the Holy mount of Aktar. Lacking holy texts, influential philosophers, or other features that would guide the cult to a more uniform worship, the cultists worship the dragon's power. The rites practiced can vary wildly, often being adaptations of the traditional rites of the groups that have converted to dragon-worship, only modified to have the dragon-queen as their object.
Founding Date
442
Type
Religious, Cult
Parent Organization
Divines
Related Traditions
Related Ethnicities
I wonder if, given enough time, the cults will form into a more organised religion. Looking at your dates, it seems they've only been a thing for about 90 years? I can see why a being who "liberates" them from their oppressors could end up being worshipped. I love this line in particular: ' To many of these people, the mighty Inkrimane morphed from monster to goddess.'