Church of the The Broken God

Also known simple as the Zathite church, the Zathites were once a predominant religion found across the entire world of Veska. It was this former faith of Elves that once found itself as the dominating religion across the world. A collapse occurred after the Elves found their beliefs straying more towards the Fae in their beliefs. In time, the once-great empire that supported the Zathites collapsed and went into recession, forcing the cult to be spoken of only in hushed tones and whispered murmurings.
The Zathites declined in power shortly after the demise of their draconic God, Zzath. The Fae tore the serpent into hundreds of pieces, leaving his broken, still-living body scattered across the world.
They are now seen as nothing more than an occult organization, whose history is left long lost -- the crusades of Tregaron did well to nearly erase what dregs remained of their meager faith, but as an old Zathite saying goes: If it wishes to kill you, then simply survive.

Structure

Zathites follow a strict predator and prey hierarchy. It is very rare for somebody to step out of line without a casualty being caused, as the weight of one's title is carried strictly upon how much power they carry. Zathites strictly believe in survival of the fittest; the predators are to be served and followed as examples, while the weak are to serve as stepping stones for them to stand upon. Despite that, there are simple positions of power within the faith that are followed and noted.
Mochinchantli: The Mochinchantli, also often called the Mochin, is the high priest of the Zathite cult. They are often comparable to a God within the Zathite faith, being seen as the voice of Zzath. The Mochinchantli rarely wavers from their rulership, as their immortal lifespan allows them to rule for as long as they remain strong enough to sustain it. Exceptions are made for when the Mochinchantli is killed, in which case, the slayer is granted the new title.
The title comes from the Sahali words Mochin -which means all, and Chantli, which roughly translates to priest. This position is essentially the Zathite cult's equivalent of a 'high priest'
Xitlashi: Aside from the Mochin, the Xitlashi are seen as among the most important priests within the faith. They are the ones that are trusted to safeguard an important piece of Zzath. Within the cult, they are seen as important priests guard over a lost relic of their deity, destined to bring it back together and restore their broken god into his former glory.
Currently, there are three known relics of Zzath, detailed below.
Chantli: The Chantli are the immortal priests of Zzath, those that have been trusted enough to drink of his blood, and thusly granted some modicum of his immortality and eternal life. Chantli are venerated as apex predators, with only the Mochin or Xitlashi surpassing them.

Culture

Strength above all. That's the most fundamental part of a Zathite's ideals; might makes right, the weak are nothing more than a resource, and the strong are entitled to taking from them. The Zathites have a very predator and prey mindset; predators are entitled to take what is rightfully theres, whereas prey serves its place by acting as an important stepping stone for the strong to continue their legacy.
Zathites view modern society as a whole as foolish and misguided, for they find more value in bestial instincts than reliance on technology.

Public Agenda

The entire goal of the cult is to find all the lost pieces of Zzath, so that they may bring their deity back together and restore the faith back to its former glory.

Assets

Vampirism: Vampirism is the most known 'asset' that the coven happens to carry. The Zathites are often credited as the founding fathers of the disease. To this day, vampirism is very common among those that are within the Zathite faith.

History

The Sahali were among the very first empires to be founded on Veska. This civilization remained in power for thousands of years, with worship being centered around Zzath and his Dragons. During this time, the Zathites didn't even use the name 'Zathite' to describe their faith; they were known as the Sahali, a race of humans and Elves that banded together with the sole goal to ascend into dragons. Zzath promised this power through drinking his blood, which the coven happily supped from.
The blood of Zzath twisted people; some developed scales, others a predatory demeanor, and most documented, those 'blessed' by Zzath developed the very first few cases of vampirism.
The Sahali collapsed shortly after the dragons and Fae forsook belief in Zzath, leaving the cult to dwindle into the small, rumor-shrouded coven it is now. There are many other points in history that the Zathite cult influenced; namely the fall of human nobility and the beginnings of the violent crusades that lead to the Elven people being expulsed from Tregaron.

Cosmological Views

Zzath was the first creature to live upon the world, a slithering worm that bore its way towards the surface of Veska. With his very first breathe, life was breathed into the very air, leaving grey land growing lush, vibrant and green. When he breathed in, this same life flowed into his second mouth. Zzath learned the necessity of predation from an early age; necessary sacrifices must be made for the strong to survive. With his first breathe giving life to the flora, his blood is what created the fauna.
Zathites believe that the very water surrounding the planet itself is diluted from his blood, yet lacking the power it used to carry, and yet remaining potent enough to sustain everything and everyone. It is a necessity to live with water, and yet Zzath's blood remains the purest form of it.
In time, everything that Zzath did became a holy relic; from his breathe, life sprang. From his blood, the world's predators and greatest conquerors, and from his word, the mans and guidance to attain the same immortality that he carries. Those that remained faithful to Zzath were allowed to be granted the privilege of acting as the greatest predator of the world; to sup upon his blood is to prey upon a God, and with that blood, they were granted immortality that made the Sahali empire as prevalent as it was.
Alas, the Sahali collapsed after Zzath's children, the Dragons, had united with the Fae to dethrone him of his rule. He was hacked to bits, thousands of pieces, scattered, fractured, and sent across the world. The world's mightiest predator was no more; Zzath was now nothing more than a Broken God, with a scant few followers seeking to bring those pieces back so that they may bring their lost lord back to his former glory.

Tenets of Faith

Fear the strong. Plead for mercy, and learn from their success.

Winnow the weak, but show mercy to their prostration. Accept their acceptance. Foster them into the strong.

An animal, no matter how lowly, is a noble thing. To live as a beast is a most wondrous thing. Let instincts guide you. Thoughts only lead to indecisiveness. Indecisiveness leads to death.

Do not pity those that would turn away immortality. Those that would deny Zzath's gift are but lambs for the slaughter.

While the Zathite faith favors the strong over the weak, they still have a firm belief that this hierarchy should never be abused. Those that are weak and accepting of their position will learn to eventually grow into a new position of power. Such is the cycle of nature and growth. The Zathites also favor the concept of instincts and decisiveness over thought and reasoning. For thinking only leaves one vulnerable to predators, while snap decisions will not only save a life, but provide ruthless efficiency that allows one to quicken their growth.

Ethics

It is considered a grievous waste to bring harm to those that are accepting to their fate as prey, without the approval of a Chantli. The Chantli are obeyed without question. To deny a Chantli or higher priest of power within the faith is to challenge them directly; it is within a Chantli's rights to kill those that would defy them.

Worship

Zathites were incredibly fond of blood sacrifice; their faith frequently hosted great hunts and proving grounds for the Chantli of the faith, whom were expected to hunt and slay dangerous prey to be sacrificed in Zzath's name. They often preferred not to drink the blood of those that accepted their faith; fellow Zathites were often either seen as predators that needed to continue growing, or students that needed to ascend further. Thus, it was, and still is common for them to prefer hunting creatures that are outside of their faith.
Zathites are particularly fond of Elven or Fae sacrifices; those that denied his faith and left his coven to fracture.

Granted Divine Powers

Perhaps the most important thing to the Zathite faith is the immortality Zzath bestows upon his followers. Those that follow him are granted youth -- long life, and those that prove themselves to him are allowed to be granted a brief glimpse into what it's like to become the ultimate predator. Drinking of Zzath's blood is considered the highest honour within the Zathite faith, and also a source of great power. Those that drink of the serpent's blood grow immortal.
With time, serpentine qualities develop in those that dine upon his blood and follow his beliefs. Worshipers call this ascendency. The steady transformation into the perfect predator; a creature in Zzath's image. True predators develop scales, tails, fangs and venom, and on top of their immortality, develop serpentine qualities that mark them as mighty predators in the eyes of Zzath.

Political Influence & Intrigue

While the Zathites have long since lost their grip on politics, they once held a lot of sway when over the Elves. Elvish worshipers of Zzath were incredibly common, to the point that the Elves as a race evolved into nigh-immortal beings. This blessing diluted shortly after the Crusades, when most of Zzath's cult was beginning to disband. 
A shadow of its former glory, the Zathites used to always have a say in Elven politics. They were often the ones that made the decisions for the Elven people as a whole, for the word of a priest was often viewed as the word of a King.

"Blood flows where his voice echoes."

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

Church of Zzath

Demonym

Zathite

Leader

Mochin Airden

Leader Title

Mochinchantli

Deities

• Zzath

Official Languages

• Sahali

Related Species

• Elves