Baskarr, or the Faces of Baskarr as it is more commonly called, is a Religion primarily worshiped by the Asha and Feka Asha, dating back all the way to the Dewamenet Empire. As a result, Baskarr is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continually worshiped religion for tens of thousands of years. However, because of the Dewamenet-Allorn War, and the subsequent enslavement of the Asha to the Allorn, it is generally assumed in the modern era that what is modern Baskarr is not the same as Dewamenet Baskarr, with aspects of the religion and nuances lost to time and Nelfin interference. The religion survived through word of mouth in enslaved communities, and after tens of thousands of years of separation, small differences and changes converged into new beliefs and concepts. As such, while it is perhaps the oldest continually worshiped religion, it is also an incredibly unstable religion that habitually experiences radical changes as ancient Dewamenet history and legacy is unearthed in the modern era.
Core Identity
Baskarr is a religion centered around the concept of Ma’at which is loosely translated to Karma in Common. Ma’at is the golden rule of the world to Baskarr, one that divines world order, peace, stability, hierarchy and correctness and justice. The idea that one will receive back what one does upon others, or that one will inflict back on others what has been inflicted on them. Everything that happens in the world to any person is deterministic because of what this person has done prior in their life, the sum of their actions, thoughts, emotions and wants and needs, and how the Gods arbitrate this process. The term Baskarr itself means Origins in the old Dewamenet language, with the five Gods of Baskarr believed to be the five original Asha from which all other Asha were born, created, or wished into existence, though the topic of how the Asha were created exactly by their Gods is still a controversial one.
Tenets
Bravery: Baskarr demands that its followers be brave, for bravery inspires others, and by showing bravery, the faithful can depend on others to show bravery and support when they are in need. Bravery in this context can also mean bravery not to be sinful or doubtful.
Calm: Baskarr demands by nature a calmness and kindness to not inflict undue cruelty and harm onto others what has not already been inflicted on one’s self. Note this is not the same as passivity, it simply means that Baskarr faithful should not start a fight, but always end one.
Pleasure: Baskarr permits its worshipers a great deal of personal leisure and satisfaction, proclaiming that the natural world itself has no Ma’at, and as such the world is the fruits of labor of the faithful to use in whatever way they wish and desire.
Vengeful: Baskarr demands that Ma’at scores are settled. They are not strictly the same as revenge demands of other religions, but more a way of indicating that in the absence of divine retribution, the faithful should exact what was inflicted on them back onto the perpetrators.
Charity: Baskarr honors the concept of charity through Ma’at, believing that what is charitably given, shall be equally received further in life. Charity and communal lifestyle are a major focus point of the Baskarr faith, and by extension much of Asha society.
Honest: Baskarr does not demand honesty per se, but indicates that every lie is returned with a lie, no matter how big or small. For each lie uttered, the person will receive a lie in return, and most faithful don’t want to bargain with the risk of a white lie returned with a major lie.
Pride: Baskarr is a somewhat unique faith, in that it demands physical perfection. Core to its concepts is the idea that in order to take care of others and receive their blessings in return, a person must first take care of themselves, their health, mental health, and appearance, and be prideful of them.
Vanity: A very important aspect of Baskarr, because of the concept of Pride, is Vanity, and to display one’s means. Baskarr worshipers spend a lot on accessorizing and grooming themselves to the most ideal physical and mental presentation that they can present. Body modification is part of this, though there are notable exceptions such as Magical changes.
Ma’at: The more core concept of Baskarr is Ma’at, or Karma, the idea that every action, thought, emotion, want, and desire, is paid forward and received back in some form later in life, and that the Gods hold the scales of balance of receiving and giving. The Afterlife also plays into this, in that if someone has much Ma’at due, they are permitted, but if they took too much, they are denied.
Retribution: While most would consider Ma’at to be a tenet that results in a pacifist community, the exact opposite is true. The Baskarr faithful do not simply wait for the Gods to enact justice onto others, but do it themselves in most cases. This is even considered pious, because by enacting justice on a person before their death, the Baskarr faithful are balancing the scales, thus making their enemies more likely to pass into the afterlife, which is considered an act of kindness or compassion.
Beliefs
Narrative: In Baskarr, each newborn person creates a new soul that is a challenge to the soul bearer. The world is filled with both good and bad things, and bad things in particular seduce the soul into acting out of Ma’at, or with excessive greed, excessive violence, or excessive denial of freedom of movement. Throughout life, the faithful enact decisions and actions on each other, which add onto a scale of balance between giving and taking that each soul represents. A person can make amends for evil deeds, or be inflicted retribution upon their soul by others, thus correcting any imbalances. When a Soul passes to the Afterlife, which is called the Dauat, the gods weigh the soul’s value against that of a feather, which is said to weigh a near zero when it comes to Ma’at. Those who have sinned a lot have a heavy soul, while those with good Ma’at have a lighter soul, thus making the feather heavier. Those with heavy souls are rejected and sent back to Aloria, condemned to live the life of a diminutive animal. For example if a feline Asha’s soul was deemed too heavy, they are sent back to Aloria to live their life as a domestic cat. This is also why Baskarr worshipers hold specific animals in holy esteem. Even though they are burdened souls, repentance as a domestic or wild animal is considered holy repentance, and to kill such an animal is considered a grave crime against the Gods. Souls that are deemed light enough to stay in Dauat are given their own boat and sent sailing on the eternal ocean. It is said that the Dauat is an eternally calm ocean under a perfectly lit starry night sky, where the souls of those deemed worthy sail forever without need or want, and able to visit the boats of their friends and loved ones, as well as pets. Because pets go to the Dauat automatically (domestic animals cannot commit sins), it is believed that those who are condemned to be reincarnated as a dog or a cat will automatically pass to the Dauat once their repentance is up. This makes Baskarr a unique faith in that it is the only religion where everyone gets to go to the afterlife of pristine quality, regardless of how badly they behave, though being re-incarnated is still considered a huge risk. While Baskarr worshipers hold domestic cats, dogs, otters, and horses in high esteem and consider them holy animals, other religions do not. If a domestic cat in which a reincarnated soul resides is killed by someone who is not a Baskarr worshiper, the soul is destroyed and disappears forever. This is why Baskarr worshipers abhor animal abuse or the slaughter and eating of holy animals.
Asha Faith: Baskarr is technically a religion for only Asha, though the explosion of Half-Asha in Asha societies, as well as some converts of non-Asha who worship Baskarr, cause some complication with the religion. The whole of the Baskarr reincarnation cycle is based on the person being an Asha, so lacking Asha physiology in the purest sense causes problems. Most Baskarr priests have agreed on a principle of adoption, meaning that a Half-Asha is guaranteed entry since they have some Asha blood, but also that non-Asha can enter the Dauat if they are soul-bound to an Asha or Half-Asha. This soul binding ritual can be between lovers, friends, siblings, it doesn’t really matter. The non-Asha’s soul is however valued based on the Ma’at of the Asha or Half-Asha they are attached to. If for example the Asha is deemed unworthy, then the non-Asha’s soul (when they inevitably reach Dauat) they will also be deemed unworthy, and vice versa.
Holy Animals: Here follows a list of all Holy Animals to the Baskarr Faith: Domestic Cats, Large Cats, Domestic Canines, Wild Canines, Otters, Beavers, Horses, Donkeys, Rats, Squirrels, Rabbits, Mice, Ferrets, Deer, Bears, and Primates. Notably not included are any bovine, avian, or fish species. This is because none of them are found among Asha appearances, thus safe to hunt and consume. Many Baskarr worshipers as a result are pescatarian, as only consuming fish meat ensures that no accidental holy animal meat is consumed.
Canon Evil: There is no true Canon Evil for Baskarr worshipers, they acknowledge that evil resides in all creation, even the Gods themselves, and that evil is simply giving in to evil actions that inflict suffering, harm, or loss on others. However, there are certain things that are more prone to evil than others. Baskarr worshipers in particular identify Magic users and the Afflicted as more prone to evil than others, and likely having a much worse Ma’at. Baskarr worshipers are not necessarily hostile to Magic users, but must always acknowledge that these practitioners are capable of extreme harm, even accidental, and within the scope of Asha history have committed the greatest evils of all: genocide and enslavement.
Identity: Baskarr has explicit genders, male, female, and the “third”, which is best understood to be non-binary. This applies to both genders and sexes. There is no distinction towards sexual orientation, or gender-identity bias, though there are certain traits that are strongly identified with gender-identity bias. For example, the god of fertility and progeny is male, and as such, virility or fertility is considered a male trait, while the goddess of knowledge is female, and as such, foresight and intellect are distinctly female traits. Non-binary individuals are capable of claiming both because Baskarr considers non-binary to imply “both” instead of “neither”.
Conversion: Baskarr has no real laws on conversion, though there is a general expectation that all Asha and Half-Asha should be Baskarr, and if they are not, they should be convinced to follow Baskarr by the other Asha in their community. Non-Asha can join so long as they engage in the soul-bonded ritual and offering. Conversion away from Baskarr is not strictly illegal in that it does not cause anyone to wish to inflict violence, however it is considered a complete loss of Ma’at, because rejecting the God causes them to put stones on the scale. Converting away from Baskarr does not mean the Gods do not get to judge the soul.
Sins & Taboo: The worst cases of sinning and taboo for Baskarr are enslavement of others, genocide and mass-violence, using Magic to murder, lack of hygiene, lack of self-care and exercise, killing and or consuming the meat of Holy Animals, destroying statues of the Gods, and impeding on the freedom of movement of others, except when that should be to inflict harm, commit crime, or invade private property.
Gods and Goddesses
Baskarr has the so-called Faces of Baskarr. The Faces refer to each of the Gods, thus the Gods are the “Faces of Origins”. The exact nature of the Faces is still highly debated among the Baskarr worshipers, Some believe them to be imminently divine individuals who existed before the Asha, others believe them to have been immensely powerful Asha who were born divine and thus shaped the faith as they came along. Whatever the truth, it is known at least that the five Faces were present during the Dewamenet days. There are presumed to be other Gods, and some of the excavations in the Paysec Desert in Ithania have revealed as much, but many of the details of the Otter and Okapi Gods have been lost to time, even if they can roughly be identified. Because no common consensus can be created for these Gods, they are not officially included, but many Baskarr faithful await the days that their pantheon is once more complete.
Akhet, Lord of Thousand Sons
Identity: Akhet, Lord of Thousand Sons, and Sun-God is said to be the first Baskarr God, having emerged into the world and immediately began to devour its many pleasures. Yah was then formed to stop him.
Themes: Akhet is a god of fertility, agriculture, wealth, opulence, war, combat, raw strength, and leadership. Akhet’s greatest flaw is that he is beset by an unquenchable thirst for the pleasures of life, such as drinking wine, eating food, and carnal desires.
Depictions: Akhet is an immensely large and bulk-muscle framed Rat Asha with golden metallic fur that shines brightly in the sunlight alongside golden eyes, an orange Satoor woven with his symbol of red sun with yellow accents, and a pose that is often inviting or alluring.
Worship: Akhet worship is done through the purchase of gold leaf which is rubbed between a worshiper’s hands over a bowl of water, during which words are said. When the bottom of the bowl is covered in golden flakes, it is rapidly heated and processed so that the bowl can then be used to drink wine, now decorated with that gold. Common blessings are wishes for good harvests, the staving off of wet and dry seasons, and success in battle and business, while curses are spoken in the name of infidelity and loneliness. This is a rare practice to do in full however, due to the expense.
Worship House: Akhet’s greatest temple is the Temple of the Eternal Sun in the Asha state of Gizkh, which functions as a center of pleasure and delight for all classes of society, so long as a donation to the temple is possible, though the building’s services are divided based on wealth.
Shrines: Akhet’s shrines are an uncommon sight due to the wealth and prestige such sites demand. However, they feature a golden statue of the god or icon of his Satoor symbol placed above a spread of rich fabric with new bowls and a pair of golden vessels for water and wine respectively.
Manifestation: Akhet commonly enters the mortal realm, disguised as a Rat Asha with a golden fur-patch on his back, whereupon he enjoys himself to his fullest, often with a targeted woman (and sometimes man) regardless of marital status, before vanishing.
Relations: Akhet is the partner of Yah, but they are not bound in matrimony. Akhet instead focuses his time on the mortal world, and has been a known lover of many prominent Asha, married or unmarried, over the past three centuries, with other folktale interactions with the Asha when they were enslaved.
Other Notes: Baskarr worshipers believe that bad flirting is caused by Akhet’s influence, so in response to it, Baskarr worshipers commonly say “For Akhet’s sake” and may then “beat the Akhet out” by slapping a person on the back of the head, should the guilty party not get the hint.
Yah, Lady of the Heavens
Identity: Yah, Lady of the Heavens and Moon-Goddess, is the second oldest and most intelligent of the Baskarr Gods. She emerged and engaged Akhet in a chase for many years, wearing him down but growing impressed by her prey. Their chase ended in cooperation rather than conquest or defeat.
Themes: Yah is represented by the Moon, and is a goddess of learning, foresight, precognition, diligence, sacrifice, parenthood and defense. Yah’s greatest flaw is indifference, or inability to act, as she holds up the heavens and prevents the celestial bodies in the sky from falling to Aloria. How she gained this task is unclear.
Depictions: Yah is a physically imposing, bulky Lioness Asha, with purple-blue arms speckled with constellations and nebulae, dark gray fur on the rest of their body, a dark blue Satoor decorated with one or more phases of the moon along stars, and her form commonly depicted holding up the moon while also gazing at it. Yah’s torso is bound down to appear less feminine, which has led to some debate about her gender-identity, but she is still presumed female.
Worship: Yah worship can be done with any coin mostly made of Silver (this includes the Regal, which is Silver plated with Gold), and involves the saying of prayers and wishes under moonlight before then throwing it into a body of water, be that a pond or the ocean itself.
Worship House: Yah’s greatest center of worship is the Well of Moonlight, a strange, seemingly bottomless clear-water pool in the desert of Khene in the Ashal Isles that perfectly reflects the night sky and moonlight high above.
Shrines: Shrines to Yah are ponds, fountains, rivers, and cliffsiders found near Asha communities, often featuring a statue or iconography of the goddess as well as hundreds if not thousands of untouched coins laying at the bottom of the water.
Manifestation: Yah is only said to appear when the Moon is in eclipse, when her powers are strongest, able to fully lift the sky with one arm and use such time to address whatever matter may demand her attention. She has very rarely appeared to mortals however, instead dealing with the affairs of the other Baskarr Gods.
Relations: Yah and Akhet are not husband and wife, being more akin to siblings, but function as parental roles to the other Faces of Baskarr. However, because Akhet constantly seeks new lovers and experiences in the mortal realm, Yah is the theoretical single parent saddled with most of the responsibility.
Other Notes: Connections between Yah and the now lost Moon-Well Goddess of the pre-Allorn Nelfin are very strong, due to common associations with pools of water as sites of worship and iconography of the moon. These ties are harshly rejected by the modern Allorn as Asha-fueled lies.
Ankh, Hands without Forgiving
Identity: Ankh, Hands without Forgiving and Earth-Mother, is the first of the younger Faces of Baskarr, and a goddess considered the most fierce and brave though with an uncertain origin.
Themes: Ankh is said to have lost her hands as a punishment for some now-obscured divine crime and created Living Metal to replace these limbs. She then shared this gift with the Asha, but she is also the goddess of other metals, forging, crafting, creativity, inspiration, retribution and recompense. Her greatest flaw is disobedience and unlawfulness.
Depictions: Ankh is a large and brawny female Polar Bear Asha with cream white fur, over-sized punching gloves made of Living Metal, Living Metal jewelry around her neck and sometimes in her ears, a burgundy colored Satoor with the purple and red flames of the forge, or imagery of Living Metal as a woven pattern. Ankh is usually depicted in some pre-punch stance, or inspecting her craftsmanship.
Worship: Ankh worship is passively done while engaging in creative arts whether it is drawing, weaving, writing, forging, or casting through the muttered or frequent performance of “Ankh’s Song,” a ballad-style song in the ancient Dewamenet tongue which has lost almost all modern meaning due to the Language’s near extinction. Another form of Ankh worship is performed by purchasing crafts equipment, raw materials, or other tools for producing, and then giving some of them away to others.
Worship House: The prestigious Ankh-Seshem Temple is both a school in the use of Living Metal for the art of creation, but also a place of judgment and law enforcement. Based out of the city of Qebtu in Nakhoor, this majestic center features stunning Living Metal rivers and vistas over the surrounding regional infrastructure, as well as many marvelous artistic works in the Asha style.
Shrines: Ankh shrines are often found in and around forges, Engineering facilities, artist studios, and guard houses. They feature the icon of a clenched fist thrust into the air, often holding an implement relevant to the location, while beneath them embedded into the shrine is a musical contraption which plays an instrumental rendition of Akh’s Song when activated.
Manifestation: Ankh, while a giving god and one of the most generous of the pantheon, has not been seen as frequently in recent decades for unknown reasons. When she does appear, it is to render judgment on the most heinous offenders of Asha customs, or to offer a final, marvelous element to a creative work to complete it.
Relations: Ankh is engaged in what appears to be a performative marriage to Wadj (as both partners have apparent same-sex romantic inclinations), and often runs interference with Yah on Wadj’s behalf, allowing her husband to avoid punishment for breaking the bonds of marriage.
Other Notes: There are some distinct parallels to be made between the Unionist goddess Elia and Ankh. Both enjoyed punching things with their oversized gloves, both were/are (presumed) to be lesbians, and both were/are married a (presumed) homosexual husband for appearance reasons.
Wadj, Gaze upon Infinity
Identity: Wadj, Gaze upon Infinity and Mind-Bender is one of the younger Faces of Baskarr, and he is considered most devious and deceitful of them all.
Themes: Wadj is the god of intrigue, deceit, plans within plans, but also of design and inventions. His greatest flaw is self-enamorment, being so full of and in love with himself that he does not see obvious threats arise near him.
Depictions: Wadj is depicted as an athletic Bull-terrier or Jackal Asha with dark gray and light brown fur, though he is frequently also depicted as different types of canine Asha due to his shapeshifting nature. Wadj is the only Face of Baskarr without a Satoor, instead always wearing a pair of yellow or sulfuric green Elastan leggings, while steam wafts from his exposed torso, and undecipherable tattoos or lines, each glowing with a yellow/green sulfuric hue, float over his entire form.
Worship: Wadj is not traditionally worshiped, as while not evil, he still commonly plays an antagonist or villain-archetype, a god who always knows in what immense position of power he is, and constantly seeks ways to abuse it.
Worship House: Wadj lacks a central temple of worship, though evidence suggests a vast complex once existed in what is now the Ithanian desert, at the site of his first teachings.
Shrines: Shrines to Wadj are exceptionally rare, but sometimes exist in Engineering and Living Metal facilities in the Ashal Isles, as sites of thanks for the marvels Wadj helped their ancestors to build. No active prayers or offerings are given at these places, unless someone desires the attention of Wadj upon themselves.
Manifestation: Many Dewamenet ruins have depictions of Wadj appearing before the Asha Race, first teaching them Steamtech and later, how to design the most elaborate Living Metal devices that the Asha in the modern era could only ever dream of understanding. Wadj continues to manifest in the mortal realm, with a covered up body he only exposes when he feels he has seduced his target mortal to perform his own desires, something that the Baskarr faithful consider vile (though many would still submit to, in the hopes of unlocking ancient Dewamenet designs).
Relations: Wadj is thought to be in a performative marriage with Ankh, whom he knows to be a lesbian, while she also understands that he is homosexual. It is said this performative marriage exists only because Wadj gave Ankh the designs for mind-controlling Living Metal, and because Ankh serves as a perfect distraction for Yah, who is convinced that Wadj is “settled down”, and thus turns a blind eye to all his escapades on Aloria because a married man couldn’t possibly fornicate out of wedlock.
Other Notes: Wadj’s body lines are immensely important, being the method for his imparting of knowledge onto the Asha he chose and chooses to this day. It is said that Wadj’s body lines look different for each person who gazes upon them, that each inventor sees different lines, different shapes, and different orientations, but that each such a viewing reveals technology of terrifying potential, only for that viewer to understand.
Ra’mut, Guidance of Wayfarers
Identity: Ra’mut, Sea-Strider and Guidance of Wayfarers, is the youngest of the Baskarr Gods and is also considered the most free, with little baggage or intense drives in their nature.
Themes: Ra’mut is the god of freedom and exploration, of travel and the wind, of the ocean and the plantlife, all very different things, but all things intrinsically linked to freedom. Ra’mut’s greatest “flaw” (if it can be considered such) is being average for a god, as they lack the marvelous properties and abilities of other deities.
Depictions: Ra’mut is an athletic non-binary Zebra Asha with white fur and black stripes, as well as a large black mane, and a lime or mint-green Satoor decorated by the feather of the Ma’at. Ra’mut is often shown in a fairly neutral stance, with one arm pointing off into the distance, and the other hand balled into a fist in anticipation for a journey.
Worship: Ra’mut’s worship has many forms due to their own focus on freedom, thus leading to a freedom of expression in practices. The most well known is the act of freeing slaves, a complex and dangerous task in recent decades though aided by the Regalian Empire’s gradual trend toward total abolition. Other forms of worship include the saying or inscribing of prayers onto kites or ribbons, and drawing them up into the air.
Worship House: Ra’mut’s central place of worship is rather mysterious, that being a singular floating barge located in an endless voyage across Aloria upon which the deity often travels. Crewed by none save himself, the barge has made contact with all Corsair Fleets, and made port in over a dozen major Asha cities in the past decade alone. Visitors to Ra’mut’s Barge most commonly offer him supplies or support for his next voyage, usually without realizing it is Ra’mut and simply desiring to help a fellow Asha.
Shrines: Shrines of Ra’mut are simple, featuring a plain altar with a fan of feathers formed from those collected by travelers resting above a compass, astrolabe, and other navigational equipment. Ribbons of prayer, hopes and questions, are affixed to the edges of the altar.
Manifestation: Ra’mut travels around the world as a sagely guide for those whose lives feel like they are at a standstill, and is said to be the most frequent god to mingle with mortals (save Akhet’s frequent, though brief, trips). Most people would never even know if they had met Ra’mut however, as they can mostly be found just sitting in taverns or pubs drinking, and waiting for someone down on their luck to sit down near them at the bar to begin a conversation.
Relations: Ra’mut is thought to be the mediator and communicator between the other Faces of Baskarr. While Akhet and Yah are supposed to guide the others, it is usually only Ra’mut who can attract Yah’s attention, or get Akhet to stop skirt-chasing for a moment to sit down with the others. Equally, he is the only one who can get Wadj and Ankh to sit down and work on something together. He is also the messenger of the gods, carrying their words to mortals, a task most commonly done for Yah due to her constant inability to respond to those beseeching her.
Other Notes: There are some who believe Ra’mut was not born a god, but instead was an ancient Asha of great prestige or one who committed great sacrifice who was uplifted into their current role as a messenger. This is used to explain their rather mundane nature.
Priesthood
Baskarr does not have a priestly hierarchy like Unionism or Estellon, but that does not mean it has no priests at all. Rather, priests are called Diviners, because their task is not so much to preach, but to try and interpret the life-signs or words of the Gods provided to the faithful. While many faithful could live their whole lives without seeing a God once, the actions of the gods can still be interpreted in the world around them. Furthermore, Baskarr Diviners offer social services, a form of therapy for those who have had evil actions inflicted on them, but also to offer advice on how to enact retribution, or practice forgiveness, depending on what the person seeking help wants. To become a Baskarr Diviner, one does not need any formal training, one simply decides to be one. It is usually required however for the Diviner to wear the Satoor in exact design of the god or goddess they primarily represent, with Wadj having some more freedom (or, if the person refuses to wear Elastaan, to wear a pure-black Satoor). Baskarr Temples are also fairly informal because worship is a more personal arrangement. Still, a matter of public acknowledgement of the gods has some value, and as such, shrines with statues of the Faces can be found in all major Asha population centers.
Trivia
The Faces of Baskarr have the misfortune of frequently being misgendered by outsiders due to their large-leaning physical appearance, and because some of them have gender identities different than their appearance, or because they take more appearance traits of the opposite gender.
It is well understood that a lot of the nuance of the faith is not understood because the pantheon is incomplete. It is for example possible that the relation between Akhet and Yah is very different, if Yah’s husband god was supposedly found. Many Baskarr faithful disregard this potential reality for now, under the assumption they will correct their beliefs when new information is brought to light.
There is a constant information war going on between the Allorn Empire and the Ashal States. The Ashal States fund research and excavations into historical sites, but Estellon fundamentalists are well known to enact acts of terrorism on these historical sites as a continuation of erosion of Asha identity. The Allorn revanchists benefit from mitigating Asha nationalism, as millions of Asha are still enslaved in the Allorn and Dread Empires.
