Primordial Worship
Samond is home to natural spirits of often gargantuan form and unimaginable power. These are known as “Primordials” and are thought by many to be fey of great significance. There are some who call these beings the “Wild Gods,” and worship them as fierce deities.
Primordials are rarely seen, and are generally apathetic to human affairs. They usually only make their presence known when roused or angered. Even then, Primordials are often only identified by the destruction left in their wake, or the lesser fey dispatched to deliver their wrath.
Those who revere the Wild Gods do so through tribute and ritual. There is no formal scripture of the Wild Gods, although some traditions catalogue various rites and rituals in their honor. When their will is expressed, it is often through cryptic visions received during communion.
While these religious practices are considered primitive and heretical to much of the world, they are observed by the nobility of Entador. Furthermore, many travelers passing through the distant wilds know it to be wise to offer these beings proper tribute, even if they do not see them as gods deserving of worship.
The Primordials are numerous and mysterious, beings of myth. Below are some known to humanity:
Akudiahaku - Lava flows from the obsidian gills of this gargantuan shark which devours the ocean and exhudes new land. Akudiahaku is considered ancient even by the standards of primordials. When ships are scuttled the reverent will do so with willing human sacrifices bound to the masts, singing songs of praise and gratitude as the vessal is consumed by the waves. It is thought Akudiahaku is responsible for the formation of the Jagged Isles.
Magloth - Magloth is a great spirit of the worlds burning heart. He is of the mountains, and churning fields of magma. Magloth is a colossal scaled reptile bathed in fire, and is believed to reside in the deep recesses of the earth. A proper tribute to Magloth is the meat and bones of a great beast, incinerated over a bed of hematite.
Muiro - Muiro supposedly takes the form of a great primate, often among a gang of vicious macaques. Some claim that Muiro will appear in the deepest reaches of the wild and speak to humans, expressing bitter disappointment when he does. A proper tribute to Muiro is a bundle of fruit or nuts left high in the trees.
Irai Jyrngur - A great Badger with a coat of jagged metal plates. Irai Jyrngur is thought to reside deep within the Bulwark and is patron of many heathen blacksmiths and warriors, including those of the Iron League. Irai Jyrngur is thought to be angered by tribute and praise, and is revered only through quiet respect and healthy distance.
Novus - Great spirit of the sun, Novus is seen as a benevolent spirit. Some desert tribes worshiped Novus as the god above all before abandoning those beliefs upon becoming a part of the Vefali Sultanate. Tribute is not given to Novus, but reverence is expressed through poetry.
Bubhuksha - Bubhuksha personifies death as a stalking hunter. Bubhuksha is a terrible spider who makes her lair in barrows and caverns. A proper tribute to Bubhuksha is live prey, bound and left to die in a dark recess. Rituals concerned with Bubhuksha often involve ingesting belladonna and inducing horrific visions.
Shiomau - thought to be an invincible serpant who commands lightning, when Shiomau would be harmed, their scales instead petrify, once incased in stone they shed their skin born anew. Shiomau is paid tribute by travelers in dangerous roads, and sailors beset by storms. Some warriors also revere Shiomau for swiftness, lethality, and protection in battle. Usually, rituals invoking Shiomau involve anointing the participants with quicksilver.
Crasta - Patron of many of the Skogarv clans, and sailors across Antora. Crasta is depicted an inquisitive armored octopus lurking in the depths. Crasta’s tentacles can reach the surface even while resting at the bottom of the sea, and has been known to drag down ships which capture its curiosity. Tributes to Crasta are typically curios affixed to a detachable anchor which aim to occupy the beast in place of the ship and crew.
Ara Amora - Thought by her worshipers to have been a primordial of carnal desire, their depiction varies considerably but always reflects that. Ara Amora is revered through acts of carnal desire often under ritual circumstances. They have been missing many years, her reverent believe they departed in sorrow when they realized their love could never be truly reciprocated. The Church of Valra however, believes she was redeemed and raised up to become an Angel in Valra's service. Certain scholars argue serious issues with both of these theories, and theories of her absence are fiercely debated in certain circles