Chapter 9: GODS & DEMIGODS worship Meshezes is to sit back in righteous realization that all activity, planning , or anxious effort, are ultimately purposeless Only the fool exerts himself against the inevitable embrace of the Shambler Let others weaken themselves through self-centered endeavor; the Shambler’s faithful gather strength through inertia Meshezite gatherings are drunken festivals, as the decay of fermentation also falls beneath the god’s purview Revelers drink themselves into a stupor amid their own accumulated filth, often gathered in vast pits in places hidden away beneath the light of the moons and stars Priests tempt the young with alcohol and lure them into the cult They collectively scoff at the efforts of the ambitious, the motivated, those fools who would better themselves and the world Trinkets of their efforts—bricks and jewels, books and artwork—are tossed into the filth pits and ridiculed by inebriated priests spouting spite and derision Najus, the Wise Najus has no physical form, but exists in all light, according to his white-robed Shadazim He is a god of infinite knowledge, the absolute patron of study and reason He favors the teacher and the scholar, and on a cursory examination would appear to lead a clergy devoted to learning and understanding Buried in the depths of Najus’s teachings lie his true intentions: knowledge and reason are to be sought and applied ruthlessly to take power and hold it Reason for its own sake has no purpose, whereas reason as a means for political power is supreme Clergy of Najus Najus’s priests are obsessed with light They experiment with jewels, glass, and obsidian, spreading sunlight onto white sheets and worshiping the colors within They worship fire and revel in its closeness, the pain of its touch, the scars it leaves upon the body; a Najite often has scarred flesh upon his cheeks, forehead, and hands Any object that ever once rode along with a floating earth mote is valued because it was once much closer to the divine sun They shun darkness, keeping hidden during this time of minimum power until the dawn, the most auspicious time of day when rites are most fully witnessed by the distant god himself The sun is not Najus in physical form, but he is the master of it and everything that generates light Najite Shadazim busy themselves with debate and experimentation with light They spread their word in open callings beneath white tents on the outskirts of towns and villages, in brilliant jamborees with colorful banners Zealots, however, are convinced that non-believers must be extinguished by fire, so they have a reputation as arsonists and are often shunned accordingly While they most often wear white robes during official functions, allowing the light of day to dance upon their flesh is important, as well; nude rituals only occur in private, away from the prying eyes of non-believers There are also many who point to enmity between Najite Shadazim and the Gare Attessa, though few can say why, other than “it has always been so.” At least a few Cheldar have discovered that the Chroniclers were once the clergy of Najus during the Classic Age (or at least some of them started so) For some unknown reasons, they abandoned the god in favor of the Daragkarik and now their utmost to prevent this knowledge from coming to light Even those of Najus not know, though they petition for enlightenment from their god often Phatrash, the Bull Phatrash derives his form from the Makadan ideal of strength—the Bull He is traditionally depicted as a tremendous, wide-horned bull, black of hide and bright white of eye His heavy hooves crater the ground, his steaming breath can blast mountains and warm the winds to carry rain to where it is needed He is a god of fertility and of strength Feasts rich in meat and blood-infused beverages are auspicious for celebrating newborns, preparing for hunts and slaughters, and gathering soldiers for war Many invoke Phatrash to bring new sons into a family or to improve one’s herds and the health of one’s animals Myths credit the Bull with raising a host of shaggy, broad shouldered beasts that pull enormous wagons and chariots to ferry the faithful armies from place to place to thwart his enemies A single such chariot can hold 20 human archers or spearmen into battle Sacrifices of grain and fine grass bring His favor, as does the burning of dung in enormous fires at both dawn and dusk Any ground torn up by a stampede is considered holy and an auspicious place to seek Phatrash’s favor for three consecutive nights Battles have been fought over such ground to protect His holy ground from infidels Clergy of Phatrash The bull god’s Shadazim wear heavy hides, the hairs twined with colorful beads and often caked with dried dung; flies buzz around them constantly Bathing is discouraged They urge the faithful to shun the sedentary lifestyle of the farmer for a wandering existence following herds of cattle Guiding the herds is the blessed prerogative of the priests, who for the most part let them wander freely around the world Any who challenge their right to graze are marked as heretics and subjected to ridicule or worse Phatrash favors babes born while on the move, their families graced with gifts from every important family until its first summer has passed 161