Ancestor Shrine
Along with providing an unparalled vista, this lofty site is Sonchihilic's most sacred. After a ritual climb up past the Arch of Sky, the people of the city come to present offerings and prayers to those who have come before at the Rosepetal Ancestor Shrine. Whereas the separate ceremonies held at The Perch are meant to attune one to the world in a general sense, ancestor worship places one in direct contact with divinity, each lineage being traced to a spiritual progenitor, or Ntúazí, totem guardians, and so a great amount of decorum is typically practiced here. However, the town's fighting force, the ágch ˈmíraz (Fire-Fierce), traditionally keepers of the sacred fire, are stationed here as well. At the Shrine, they oversee worship, to ensure proper protocols are observed and to physically deter any inappropriate conduct. In the rest of town they operate as a normal patrol, but are treated with much more respect than your usual town guard given their religious affiliations. They train in the fighting arts at the Dancer's Ground, and their performances form something of a public spectacle at midday and sundown.
Comments