Ryeong (ɾjʌŋ)
The Ryeong are the spirits and gods born from the beliefs of the Rengo and Chilseongsin peoples of the Seom Islands. Like all Numina, they are born of the Egregoric Force, which translates collective belief into physical reality. The Ryeong are most often found anchored within the land and waters of the Seom Islands, but a branch of the family has srpung up in the Daemado Islands since the Imugi have been living there.
General Characteristics
The Ryeong are usually broken down into two categories, gods and ancestors. These categories are not a measure of power - some of the ancestral spirits are more powerful than some of the gods. Instead, it is a description of their origins. All of the ancestral spirits were once a mortal being, while the gods were born directly from the world and the Dream.
Gods can be found in every part of the world. There are gods of the home, of the fields, and of the wilderness. The worshippers of the Ryeong consider the gods as commonplace, and will greet them casually throughout their day. Small offerings of food and drink are routine, and the gods who accept them will perform small tasks in exchange. A god of the hearth can keep the fire at the right temperature to bake bread, while one of the outhouse helps keep the smell from seeping out.
Above the small gods are the great ones. These gods are more difficult to approach - even those who are friendly to people, like Heuk and Suyeon, might casually destroy a mortal with a glance if surprised. When the intercession of a great god is desired, it is considered best to ask a mu-suk or shaman to find the right path. This typically involves the aid of an ancestral spirit, who can be coaxed out of the underworld by offerings and may be willing to carry messages to the great gods.
Major Figures
- Heuk: The Tiger King of the Seom Islands, Heuk is the great god most physically connected to the lives of its population. His temple is on the island of Jiyul, and the forests around it are filled with wooden tiger statues. It is said that these statues will come to life to defend the temple if it is ever threatened.
- Jinseo: Of all the ancestral spirits of the Ryeong, few are as widely revered as Jinseo. Her worship is prohibited by the Empire of Wamato, for in life she led a rebellion against the Empire that nearly freed the Rengo and Chilseongsin. While her rebellion ultimately failed, her people have made her a symbol of undying hopes. Shrines to Jinseo are hidden throughout the Seom Islands, and she is frequently asked to intercede with the greater gods on behalf of mortals.
- Suyeon: Suyeon is the dragon goddess of the seas and waters of the Seom Islands. She ruled all below the surface during the age of Muria, and faith in her has never wavered. All ships of the Rengo and Chilseongsin bear a shrine to Suyeon, and those who drowned are said to enter into her court after death.
Significant Times & Places
Shrines to gods and ancestors are found throughout the Seom Islands, and while worship is a part of daily life, there are a number of holidays when special celebrations are held. One of the most important of these is the Jeseon, a ritual to honor the ancestors of one's family. There are four Jeseon ceremonies a year, held midway between each solstice and equinox. Stories of the ancestors are told, and a great feast is prepared to nourish all those who have passed beneath the world and sea.
Another important ceremony is Sangdo, held on the tenth day of Gongsuwol (which is called Kannazuki on the Chōju Calendar. This celebration is dedicated to all the gods of the household, to honor them for their work and blessings throughout the year. A different meal is laid out in each room of the home, with delicacies chosen to suit each household god.
Related Pantheons
The Ryeong are most closely related to the Kami patheon, worshipped by the Yanjin people. Over the years that the Seom Islands have been a part of the Empire, the Yanjin have attempted to claim that the Ryeong are a subfamily of the Kami, and not a pantheon in their own right. This has had very limited success - while some of the Ryeong have adopted aspects similar to the Kami, they remain solidly their own family of Numina. A large reason for this is the worship of the Chilseongsin. The Yanjin do not acknowledge most non-humans as people, and the worship of the Ryeong by the Chilseongsin is a major bulwark in retaining their separate identity from the Kami.
Librarian's Note
Hello out there! If you are reading this, you must be tapping into our world from another dimension (and if that confuses you, check out my diary for a better explanation). But since you aren't from here, it might seem strange that the Rengo and the Chilseongsin, who aren't the same species and didn't come from the same universe, would share a language and a culture and a pantheon. And that is because it is strange - but I am here to explain what happened.
You see, all worlds are connected to each other via The Dream, and that means that there is a surprising amount of unconcious cultural exchange going on, all the time. Worlds all over are sharing ideas and beliefs and forming associations across the shared dreamscape, and that can lead them to develop in startlingly similar ways.
Now, when the Nakaal pulled humans into this world all those years ago, the associations formed by parallel cultures was a key part of the process. The magic they used followed those well-trodden paths to find people who already had a lot in common with the places they were going to wind up. Sometimes the fit was approximate at best - but in the Seom Islands, it was as close a match as could be imagined. The Rengo and the Chilseongsin were cultural twins, with a shared language, similar beliefs, and gods who could only be distiguished by minor details like hair vs. scales.
And there you have it! I hope that helps - happy reading! - The Librarian of Foxbridge
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