Songaskia: Difference between revisions

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At its core, Shambala is a religion declaring the Black Desert Dragons (and other Dragons by extension) as divine beings, but more notably the Black Desert Dragons. It is believed that while the celestial body of the sun was at one point very mundane, that during the Great Storm, the Dragons gave up their bodies and magic to give birth to the Songaskians, and then had their souls transcend to the sun, where they would form one all-god called Shambala, who continues to bless the Songaskian people, and watch out over them, and pass judgment where necessary. Shambala is primarily worshiped through recitations of holy texts called Haana’s, usually while facing the sun and placing one’s hands with the palm in the direction of the sun, one on each side of the sun, while praying with one’s eyes closed, letting the sunlight cover the face. To cover one’s head is heresy to the Songaskians, and so Songaskians must never wear any clothing article on top of their head. Anyone wearing hats or armor while in the Masaya or in a Songaskian’s home who is not a Songaskian themselves will be quickly if not roughly urged to remove their blasphemous item, as the Songaskians believe that to cover one’s head, disallows Shambala from peering into the soul of the individual and judge them.

Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present.

Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present. Notably, despite these types of Mages existing, the Songaskian Masaya still has a strict one-state religion, and any Songaskian or foreigner in their ranks who does not explicitly worship Shambala, is a traitor to the Masaya.

===Attitudes to Void/Exist===

Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve be raided for their loot to aid in the Songaskian utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.

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 At its core, Shambala is a religion declaring the Black Desert Dragons (and other Dragons by extension) as divine beings, but more notably the Black Desert Dragons. It is believed that while the celestial body of the sun was at one point very mundane, that during the Great Storm, the Dragons gave up their bodies and magic to give birth to the Songaskians, and then had their souls transcend to the sun, where they would form one all-god called Shambala, who continues to bless the Songaskian people, and watch out over them, and pass judgment where necessary. Shambala is primarily worshiped through recitations of holy texts called Haana’s, usually while facing the sun and placing one’s hands with the palm in the direction of the sun, one on each side of the sun, while praying with one’s eyes closed, letting the sunlight cover the face. To cover one’s head is heresy to the Songaskians, and so Songaskians must never wear any clothing article on top of their head. Anyone wearing hats or armor while in the Masaya or in a Songaskian’s home who is not a Songaskian themselves will be quickly if not roughly urged to remove their blasphemous item, as the Songaskians believe that to cover one’s head, disallows Shambala from peering into the soul of the individual and judge them.
-Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present.
+Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present. Notably, despite these types of Mages existing, the Songaskian Masaya still has a strict one-state religion, and any Songaskian or foreigner in their ranks who does not explicitly worship Shambala, is a traitor to the Masaya.
 ===Attitudes to Void/Exist===
 Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve be raided for their loot to aid in the Songaskian utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.