Tribute to Venderus
"Today, Venderus, our wise and all-powerful Sun-Father, we thank you for your creation of the world, for the air we breathe, for giving us the light within our souls so that we may walk the paths you have set for us. For you are the Lord of the World, and we are your instruments and servants, and we humbly beseech your blessing; or if we are moving contrary to your ways, the wisdom to change our path."Within the Solar Faith and the Kalriv Empire, the process of worship is referred to as 'paying tribute' to the sun god, Venderus. As the faith is intrinsically tied to the Empire and many of its laws and rituals, the act is a heavily proscribed action with steps that must be followed to the letter. The observance of a Tribute is considered mandatory for the entire Kalriv populace, at least once a week. Exceptions can be made if a person is particularly sick, but this must be certified by a Solar priest. Not attending a session is punished severely, with Solar enforcers rounding up absentees and usually administering whippings, often accompanied by scorn and judgment from one's peers.
-a typical prayer invoking Venderus at the Tribute
History
The practice of paying tribute to Venderus is said to date all the way back to the founding of Var Kalriv by the prophet Mikos and the chief Kalros; it is said that Mikos himself led the first tribute when the Kalriv wandered the Venderan Desert. When Mikos designed the social order of the Kalriv people, the regular practice of tribute to Venderus was instituted both in Var Kalriv and in new settlements founded or conquered by the Kalriv tribe.
For the first three millenia of the Solar Faith's existence, Solars were permitted considerable leeway in how they interpreted and implemented Tributes. While the High Solar still oversaw these rituals and ensured they did not veer into what was considered heresy, generally Solars were trusted to interpret the religious lore of Venderus and dispense that knowledge to their peoples.
With the coalescence of the tribe into a monolithic Empire, the practice has become much more proscribed and centralised in its design, with most of its steps disseminated by the High Solar from the Venderan Ziggurat in Var Kalriv. In recent centuries there has been much less tolerance for creative license with the rituals and words being taken, and Solars who stray too far from the intended course can face punishment. Nevertheless, some ecclesiastic orders, such as the Sunburst Legion, are permitted to be somewhat more flexible with their implementation.
As the Empire takes more territory in the Sapphire Coast and adds towns and villages to its territory, the same expectations of tribute have been pressed onto the populace. Elementalism is significantly suppressed in these areas; although in some cases to avoid riots, Tributes are held parallel to Elemental Temple sacrifices and gradually phased out in favour of the former.
"The Tribute to Venderus is about honouring our god and his chosen founders. The Guardians are not our gods. Legionaries are not our gods. This is dangerously close to blasphemy."A controversial element of the Tribute in recent centuries has been the integration of martial ideals and a form of martial worship into the ceremony. Initially the rituals were purely dedicated to Venderus, the Kalriv people and Mikos, but over time rituals honouring the Overlord, the fallen warriors and the living warriors have become intertwined with the more spiritual-based rituals. Some of the more traditional of the Solars have voiced their discomfort of this, however with the political dominance of the Guardian class and the requirements of most High Solars to keep them sated, these concerns have not gained much traction.
-A Solar priest during the proposals to add prayers relating to Kalriv soldiers, alive and dead, into the Tribute
Execution
A Tribute to Venderus usually takes place at the top of a ziggurat, the common form of temple in the Solar Faith. In most cities and towns, these are dedicated buildings constructed of adobe with a broad worship floor at its very top. In small towns or villages, these may be constructed from wooden frames.
Where possible, all worshippers gather around the top tier of the ziggurat, arranged in order of castes; the Solar priests in the centre, the Guardian nobility surrounding them, then Forgers, and then Labourers. Slaves are not considered Kalriv by mainstream Kalriv society, and therefore are not permitted to partake. In areas with particularly large ziggurats and large populations, other castes can be stacked around the ziggurat's tiers.
The Tribute begins at first light, with the highest ranking Solar calling upon the sun god Venderus to witness the Tribute to be presented to him. At this point, the brazier in the centre of the ziggurat is lit, symbolically calling the attention of the god and beginning the prayers proper.
The first prayer of the Tribute is dedicated to the glorification of the sun god Venderus, thanking him for the creation of the world, and his uplifting of the Kalriv people to their current heights of glory. It also involves a pledge of faith in his plan for the world, along with requests for him to impart the strength and wisdom on all the Kalriv people to continue to implement his will on Annyrion. Most worshippers will light sticks of incense during this moment, and will also offer small tokens from the week's work - produce, a small trinket, a small piece of construction, anything a person has produced - to be presented to the brazier or repurposed by the Solars in the service of the Faith.
The second prayer is directed towards the prophet Mikos, who founded Var Kalriv and who laid down the societal foundation for the Kalriv people. The prayers here usually reflect upon his wisdom and the lessons he imparted, along with a commitment to remain true to his vision for the Kalriv people.
The third prayer is directed towards the Kalriv people, paying tribute to their strength, their moral qualities, and their destiny to lead all of Arikanda into the light of Venderus.
The fourth prayer pays homage to the great warriors who have laid down their lives for the spread of Venderus' word and the expansion of the Kalriv Empire. Prayers made here thank them for their service to the Empire, extol their great deeds, and invoke their protection and good favour from beyond the sky. During this part of the ritual, a trumpeter will play the Fanfare of the Ascended, a song to commemorate the fallen, while all attendees salute the top of the ziggurat.
The fifth prayer venerates the current Overlord, thanking him for his leadership of the Kalriv people to glory and victory, and asks Venderus to protect his health and life so he may continue to lead the Kalriv to the edges of the world. This is punctuated by another salute, this one pointed in the general direction of Var Kalriv in relation to the ritual (or if in Var Kalriv, in the direction of the Venderan Ziggurat; or the sky, if on the Ziggurat itself)
The sixth prayer pays homage to the living Guardians and legionaries under the command of the Overlord, and involves venerating their attributes, honour and prowess in battle, and asks Venderus to cast his aegis of protection over them. Another series of salutes are made to the top of the ziggurat.
The ritual is timed so that the sixth prayer reaches its end at the same time that the effects of dawn are faded and the sky is now blue beneath the sun. At this point, the faithful may approach Solar priests, seeking guidance and advice on a variety of matters. The base of the ziggurat also sees many gatherings where Kalriv may socialise with their friends, colleagues and other members of their caste. This often serves to build social cohesion, along with forming relationships and bonds between other Kalriv.
Participants
All tribute paid to Venderus must be led by a priest of the Solars, a societal caste of priests and scholars who have been bred, raised and educated specifically to implement and honour the will of Venderus among the Kalriv peoples. This is non-negotiable; leading tribute without a Solar is considered an act of heresy and is punished by being rendered a slave.
Observance
Tribute rituals take place during the dawn, and are usually on a day selected by the Solar in a particular city or village. Normally this is chosen to be the time where it is most feasible for everybody within an area to stop work for the period of a few hours. In the case of larger cities, multiple Solars can run tribute at different times.
Important Locations
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Nice article - definitely worth polishing post Summer Camp!