Dhunian Faiths
While in ancient days the worship of the Wurm was widespread, the fall of the Molgur led to the adoption of Dhunian practices by surviving trollkin, ogrun, and goblin tribes. The worship of Dhunia is accepted in the human kingdoms, though many view it as primitive. This religion was ignored by human theologians until recently, and most humans still know little about it. The rare shrines to Dhunia found in human towns and cities are generally located in districts with sizable resident populations of trollkin, gobbers, or ogrun. These are usually outdoor monuments in stone with rune-carved columns but may include a large central abstract depiction of the pregnant goddess. Much larger and more impressive Dhunian holy sites exist in dedicated communities of these races.
For most Dhunians, worship is a private affair; they rarely congregate except at seasonal rituals. Dhunians pray to the goddess in times of travail and seek her blessings for childbirth or conception, as fertility is one of her main concerns. Her connection to the passing seasons leads her worshipers to make offerings and conduct celebratory feasts during the equinoxes.
Dhunian communities often support at least one, and often several, shamans, who have studied the ways of the goddess and instruct others in spiritual beliefs. A shaman’s role is similar to that of a priest, but he may also serve as a chief or an advisor to a chief. Dhunia favors those who are stalwart in the defense of their families, and although she is not depicted as aggressive, some of her shamans are accomplished warriors and invoke her name when entering battle. While most shamans are rooted to a specific community, some prefer a nomadic existence and travel from village to village, offering spiritual council and sharing news. Among the trollkin, Dhunian shamans are often looked to for lore concerning the full-blood trolls that coexist with wilderness kriels and serve as beasts of labor and war.
Each Dhunian race has different ways of revering the goddess, but it is common for pious believers to keep runic necklaces or adornments on their person or weapons. These are often small pieces of stone or metal inscribed with simple runes believed to bring good fortune and protection. Some of these are ancient and carry considerable symbolic importance. The runes do not name Dhunia herself but describe desirable attributes or convey meanings of protection or prowess in battle. They are looked upon as akin to permanent prayers to Dhunia requesting her blessings for those who wear them.
The Dhunian faith has no specific holy text, with beliefs passed orally through the generations. Runic writings inscribed on columns near Dhunian settlements typically describe the deeds of notable members of the community. This is particularly common among trollkin, who prefer to immortalize the stories of their ancestors in stone. These writings may be copied onto parchment scrolls by charcoal rubbings from the original stone inscriptions, with such scrolls often carried by shamans and chroniclers who speak Dhunia’s praises through the example of those she has blessed.
For the Dhunian races, there exists a primal connection between Dhunia and the Devourer Wurm; Dhunia is “the mother” and the Wurm “the father.” This divine relationship is a violent one, as the Wurm represents baser instincts such as hatred, jealousy, and envy. They seek to control these dangerous impulses and find solace through Dhunia. Given the tremendous stigma associated with the Wurm in human communities, the connection between Dhunia and the Devourer is rarely broached with outsiders. Similarly, most Dhunians know better than to discuss their belief that Menoth was also born of Dhunia and the Wurm, a belief outright heretical to Menites and Morrowans alike, except perhaps to a handful extremely open-minded Sancteum theologians.
Comments