Seven Pillars of Mrassa

(the Seven Pillars draw heavily on the seven rongstan in Ladakhi religion, as laid out in this article, but this isn’t meant to be an accurate representation of that religion)   The tabaxi of Mrassa worship seven gods, variously known as the Seven Pillars, Seven Brothers, Seven Rivers, Seven Goats, etc. These are known as violent, angry spirits (possibly demons) who came to Mrassa, found that they liked it, and settled down here. They are protector gods, with a strong feeling of peace with the potential for storm under the surface; they were calmed by Mrassa, and in turn they keep it safe.   Six of the Seven Pillars always appear in pairs, very similar in appearance except they are always the opposite of each other in one particular way: one will be black and one white (pure colour, not human skin tones), one male and one female, one cruel and one kind, etc. This, and their tendency to finish each other’s sentences, makes some people think that each of these pairs are actually opposite aspects of the same being.

 
The Seventh Pillar

The Seventh Pillar never manifests at all. He is considered to be the most dangerous, most volatile of the gods; when he came to Mrassa he found a pure water spring deep in a cleft in the mountains, and decided to stay there, in peace, lest he unleash himself on the world. This spring is the site of the Paratti monastery and its nuns.   In art, the Seventh Pillar is represented as a stern man with long, flowing grey hair (or a tabaxi man with a grey mane). He is the protector of this spring, and the patron of revealed secrets.

 
The Chained Ones

Two of the other demon-gods of Mrassa are known as the Chained Ones. When they manifest in the mundane world, they are identical, except that one’s legs are chained, and one’s arms are chained. Otherwise their appearance changes from one manifestation to the next. They might look humanish, or tabaxi-like, or obviously demonic.   Sometimes the one with chained legs rides on the shoulders of the one with chained arms. Sometimes one will appear apparently alone, but the other is always nearby. They are so similar that they are sometimes thought to be two aspects of the same fiendish being.   The Chained Ones are known to be the most active, most trickster-y of the Seven Pillars. If they weren’t holding themselves back, they would be actively malicious; the rumour is that they voluntarily chained themselves, because they knew they couldn’t be trusted even by themselves.   Though the Chained Ones live in, or are associated with, Mrassa, they also currently have a peculiar relationship with Alltafri Oska.

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