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{{Info religion
{{Info religion
|image = noimg.png
|image = Gdwsgdse.png
|pronunciation = Dregodar
|pronunciation = Dragon Worship
|origins = Unknown
|origins = Unknown, presumed over 7000 years ago
|deities = The [[Dragons]]
|deities = Rhaakhr, Asaph, Saaima, Anlon, and Qaarn
|subsects = Various Sects and Cults
|subsects = Various Foundation Thrones and other Goddesses and Gods
|}}
|}}
Dragon Worship or Dregodar is commonly believed to be the world’s oldest [[Religion]], which at the same time is one of the smallest Religions in the world, even being outclassed by the [[Ailor]]-lead [[Cult of Evoltion]] and some of the more obscure [[Unionist Sects]]. The nickname Dregodar dates back to the earliest Dragon Worship cults among the [[Altalar]] during the days of the [[Allorn Empire]], a name specifically used to refer to their cult. While Dragon Worship is thousands of years older than the Altalar, the last major group of people who worshiped the Dragons were a sect of Altalar, hence it carries their name. Dragon Worship is a somewhat unusual Religion in that it does not require active worship, merely the firm belief in a couple of core tenets. Furthermore, there are heavy implications that while for example [[Estel]] was strongly involved with the [[Faith of Estel]], the Dragons strictly avoided Dragon Worshipers and demanded or asked for no faith from the people of [[Aloria]]. This presents Dragon Worship as a somewhat unique religion where the very divine aspect seems to reject the idea of their own worship, something that definitely does not happen in any other religion.
Dragon Worship or Dregodar is commonly believed to be the world’s oldest [[Religion]], which at the same time is one of the smallest Religions in the world, even being outclassed by the [[Ailor]]-lead [[Cult of Evolution]] and some of the more obscure [[Unionist Sects]]. The nickname Dregodar dates back to the earliest Dragon Worship cults among the [[Altalar]] during the days of the [[Allorn Empire]], a name specifically used to refer to their cult. While Dragon Worship is thousands of years older than the Altalar, the last major group of people who worshiped the Dragons were a sect of Altalar, hence it carries their name. Dragon Worship is a somewhat unusual religion in that while it is absolutely based on providence and present (arguably) divine and sentient Dragons, the Dragons have never acknowledged their divinity or desire to be worshiped. Simply put, while the Faith of Estel is based on [[Avatars of the Gods]] who demanded worship, the Dragons are aware that they were or are worshiped, but are very ambiguous about the idea of them being worshiped, or at the very least have never confirmed the want to be worshiped. This does not mean that Dragons have never interacted with Dragon Worshipers in a positive light. In fact, while they do not ask for worship, they have on many occasions helped those who worshiped them with specific tasks or requests, or heeded the prayer of those in need. Still, no Dragon at any point proposed their own divinity or the duty of the faithful to worship them, which makes Dragon Worship the only religion to have that nuance.  


==History==
==Dragon Worship==
The history of Dragon worship is immensely unclear. It is commonly believed to date all the way back to [[Seraph]] civilization, and has persisted through the millennia in some form or another. This is curious, because no researcher has ever been able to pin down the actual Religion of the Seraph, just understand through ancient tablets that Dragon Worship existed as a small cult among them. The existence of Dragon Worship has been verified in the [[Meraic]] and [[Third Civilization]] also, while the [[Second Civilization]] is suspected to have had some of it also. The Altalar created a cult around it, which was eventually prosecuted by the Estellian mainstream population, and fled north after the Dragons started dying in large numbers. Dragon Worship eventually went underground around the time of [[Cataclysm]] when the [[Isldar]] disappeared from the world’s stage, and when the remaining Dregodar in the Allorn Empire went into hiding. It remained relatively local and unnoticeable among the Ailor, only widely adopted in thinly populated backwaters around where the Dragons used to live. Dragon Worship has been steadily on the decline until around 306 AC during the reappearance of the [[Dragonbloods]]. Now in present times, Dragon Cults are rapidly appearing, and the fortunes of the once-thought extinct Dragons is turning around.  
Dragon Worship does not take place in specific temples or holy sites like occurs in other faiths. In fact, the entire idea of idolization of Dragons is considered taboo among Dragon Worshipers, because one of the core beliefs of Dragon Worship is to acknowledge the flaws in their own gods as imperfect beings. And because their gods are imperfect beings, so too is their creation (the worshipers) imperfect, and in need of improvement. Dragon Temples certainly do exist, though they never really serve the same function as say, a Unionist church would. While one goes to a Unionist church for communal praise of the Spirit and the Emperor, a Dragon Temple is more about community and coming together, and helping each other through whatever ails exist. This is why many Dragon Temples throughout particularly [[Anglia]] and [[Kintyr]] where Dragon Worship has a notable presence, also double as hospitals and healing centers or soup kitchens and orphanages. Many buildings are not even clearly visible as Dragon Temples, because their identity was cleverly hidden in the masonry, with only few emblems recognizable at entrances for those initiated in the symbols. For many centuries, Dragon Worshipers were persecuted, first in the Allorn Empire when it turned against the Dragons and started killing them, and later by the Ailor as they started stamping out non-Unionists religions in favor of aggressive conversion. Enclaves of Dragon Worshipers continue to exist in Anglia, Kintyr and the deep forests of [[Daen]], as well as the northern reaches of [[Ithania]], but by far, is the smallest religion in the world with only a few thousand followers at best.  


==The Dragon Thrones==
Dragon Worship is primarily preached by so called Matrons (which can be either male or female) and exist in rough regional areas. For example, during its zenith, Dragon Worship had a different Matron for each Realm, however in modern times, perhaps only three Matrons still exist, with two likely in hiding. Other regions like Farahdeen also saw a religious shift away from Dragon Worship and into its own distinct religion that acted more like an evolved form of Dragon Worship, such as [[Shambala]]. Another important distinction to be made is that Dragon Worshipers do pray, and that the practice of praying in Unionism may have actually been inspired by it. Praying in Dragon Worship is the idea that a person may ask for aid in a difficult task or problem they cannot solve themselves, in the hopes a Dragon will listen and act. Finally, Dragon Worship has a complicated relationship with the concept of infallible divinity. In Unionism, to deny the will of the Spirit, as in the [[Faith of Estel]] to deny the demands of the Avatars or Talea, is heresy. In Dragon Worship however, there is some nuance. Dragons are commonly said to be “Resolute and Rightly Wrong”. What this means in practice is that so long as a Dragon does not make an absolute statement or demand, Dragon Worshipers have room to negotiate with the actual interpretation or intention of what a Dragon did or said. For example, if a Dragon attacks a coal mine and destroys it, the worshipers may invariably declare that it was the miner’s fault, the coal’s fault, the mine was badly built, or a [[Demon]] lived in it. The worshipers may even attribute a mistake to the Dragon, to believe that it attacked the mine because it thought there was a Demon, even if there was not. If however the Dragon had come down, assumed a humanoid form, and commanded that the mine be closed because a Demon had infested it, then the Dragon Worshipers are not permitted to disagree or disobey the instruction of the Dragon. Dragon Worship as such allows for some wiggle room of interpretation, and even disagreeing with what a Dragon does, but one may never disobey or deny an Order when it is given from the Dragon’s mouth in clear wording.  
Dragons as divine beings are split up based on their species, with each clade of species referred to as a Throne, while one Crown Throne sits at the head of all. Each Throne has a different standard of belief, so while there exist core beliefs in Dragon Worship, any individual Dragon Worshiper will choose one of the Thrones to put their faith towards, and largely ignore all other Thrones. While they certainly still acknowledge the divinity of the other Dragons, they stylize themselves more after the Throne they have chosen. Within a Dragon Worship congregation, it is very possible for a preacher to enforce a single Dragon Throne as their main center of faith, but many congregations also allow members to freely choose.  


===Blue Crown Dragon===
==Dragon Hierarchy==
The Blue Crown Dragon is seen as the steward of all the Dragon species, being chiefly responsible for communication between the Dragon Thrones, and also ruling them by making decisions that affect all other Thrones. They are mediators, rulers, administrators, bureaucrats, and their main colors are blue and purple. Blue Crown Dragons are known to have four limbs, two bat-like wings, an average Dragon body type, are of a large size, while their powers dominate the Soul Rivers and the weather. Blue Crown Dragons were known to communicate with Ailor, and live in the mountains of the [[Regalian Archipelago]] before their disappearance. Those who believe in the Blue Crown Dragon as their chosen Throne have faith synergy with Unionism, a common belief shared among those who worship the Blue Crown Dragon is that the Imperial Spirit is real, but that the Spirit is an inherited collective of Blue Crown Dragon souls that continues to protect Ailor kind through the Emperors. Blue Crown believers are diametrically opposed to [[Void]] and Estel Worship and have a burning hatred for anything Void or [[Exist]] related. Blue Crown followers believe strongly in bringing about the return of the Dragons through whatever means.  
[[File:Dragonstuff.png|260px|thumb|right|This image shows the orientation of all the Dragon Thrones. It is important to note that the Purple Crown Throne technically rules all Thrones, but acknowledged that sometimes they simply cannot due to the difficulty and nuances of politics among Dragons, and have to cut their losses. As such, the primary Realms are depicted as nominally autonomous, even if they all fall under the Purple Crown leadership.]]
The Hierarchy that exists within Dragon Worship is one of duality. The primaries are the major gods and goddesses, Rhaakhr, Asaph, Saaima, Anlon and Qaarn. The primaries are the major gods much like the [[Pantheon of Estel]] has 8 major gods. Supporting these five Dragons however are the secondaries or supporting Thrones. Each primary has 3 secondaries (except the Crown Realm, which has 4), and each of these pairings are considered a “Realm” which are thematically grouped together. These distinctions are based on what Dragon Worshipers have gleaned from real Dragon politics and interactions, and many of these distinctions are also geographical. For example, the Crown Realm has Dragons which are all rumored or known to have centered around the Archipelago and the lands within close vicinity, while the Sky Realm has Dragons known between Farahdeen and the Sihai lands. A primary is always chosen as a Dragon Worshiper’s preferred god or goddess to live up to. Worshipers attempt to emulate their wishes for the world and embody their virtues, while also acknowledging their vices and attempting to minimize them. Secondaries are never worshiped as primary gods and goddesses, but can be rotated between in a supporting role for their primary. It is not possible to worship multiple primaries or secondaries belonging to different primaries than one’s patron primary. This is considered taboo and unfaithfulness to the chosen patron dragon.  


===Yellow Dancing Dragon===
==Dragon Deities==
The Yellow Dancing Dragon is seen as the playful and mischievous jester, interacting with creation by teaching them kindness, communication and social skills. They are entertainers, playwrights, writers, teachers and caretakers and their main colors are yellow and orange. Yellow Dancing Dragons are known to have a snake-like neck with a small head, no legs, but 4 bat like wings and humanoid-size. They are slender and their powers dominate the oceans and fish. They were known to communicate with [[Allar]] in [[Hadar]] and [[Sendras]] until they were wiped out by a plague that the Allar were unable to cure. Those who believe in the Yellow Dancing Dragon have faith synergy with the Great Alchzech on common ground of inclusivity and all-kindness. They are strongly opposed to Unionism however, because of Unionism’s strong xenophobic and racist tendencies. Yellow Dancing followers strongly believe in the need for kindness between others, and solving everything with compromise.  
===Rhaakhr, the Purple Crown===
Rhaakhr represents the Purple Crown as the leader of the Purple Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Crown Realm. As a primary, Rhaakhr’s virtues are leadership, politics, and duty, while his vices are capriciousness, antics and vagueness. Rhaakhr is often depicted as a large and brawny purple and blue dragon with thunderbolts of lightning under its hands and feet. It may also be depicted as an Ailor with long black hair and bright purple eyes and fair soft features, clad in black robes and wandering the forests or farmlands. Prayer to Rhaakhr is done with traditional shrines and statues of Dragons, in fact any Dragon statue will do, even statues depicting the other Thrones. Rhaakhr is often worshiped by leaders, generals, politicians, and thinkers and philosophers, as well as diplomats and explorers. Those that worship Rhaakhr seek to be better people who may turn their resources and power to the better good of all, and to create order and structure where there is chaos and discord. They also acknowledge their own flaws of loneliness and mistrust, vices created by positions of power.  


===Black Desert Dragon===
====Purple Foundational Thrones====
The Black Desert Dragon is seen as the soldier breed of the Dragons, martial, strong, and battling the forces of what Dragon Worshipers call infection. They are soldiers, generals, tacticians, guards, protectors and weapon experts. They have two legs and two wings, appearing more like wyvern, have a long neck and a bulky body while they control sand and heat as well as metal. Their primary colors are black and white. They are not known to have ever entered a humanoid form, and were very numerous (as opposed to the other Dragon Thrones), but disappeared during the [[Great Storm]] in [[Farah’deen]] that saw the collapse of the [[Sariyd Empire]] and the rise of the [[Songaskians]]. It is commonly believed among the Songaskians that they were created by the Black Desert Dragons, but that the Black Desert Dragons ascended to the sun of Shambala, and that actually the sun is divine. As such, Black Desert Dragon believers have a lot of synergy with Shambala, but are strongly opposed to the Dark Savants of the Faith of the Dark Ancients and its inherent darkness. Black Desert Worshipers are strongly in tune with martial skill and prowess.
The Purple Foundational Thrones are Yellow Sea, Gray Stone, Silver Tongue, and Emerald Time. These are each represented by: Yellow Amaar the female dragon of dance and joy but foolishness, Gray Ulm the maale dragon of fortitude and never giving up but weakness, Silver Zaalaanzaal the female dragon of speech and language but misunderstanding, and Emerald Ylon, the male dragon of time and growth but also wasting time. The Purple Foundational Thrones are often depicted as supporting Rhaakhr, flawlessly working with him to secure their mutual goals of peace and order between all Dragons, and all the lands. The Purple Foundational Thrones always have one more Throne than the other Realm Foundations, on account of the Crown Realm being the most central Dragon Realm that governs all others. As such, the Purple Foundational Thrones should always be treated as supporting Dragon deities.  


===Red Mountain Dragon===
===Asaph, the Violet Creation===
The Red Mountain Dragon is seen as the passionate debater, a tinkerer of the world and crafter of volcanoes. They are engineers, logical thinkers, debaters and public speakers. They were known to have four legs, two bat-like wings, a long neck and a bulky body, while their size was similar to that of the Blue Crown Dragon. Their powers presided over Magnetism and Fire, and their primary colors were red and yellow. They were not known to enter humanoid form or communicate with what the Dragon Worshipers identify as creation, and were presumed slain by the [[Dakkar]] during their great rise from the bellows of Aloria before they made contact with the [[Dwarves]]. Red Mountain Dragon believers have no synergy with any faiths, and are in fact opposed to the Great Alchzech. They believe firmly in logical thinking, and perceive religion itself as an illogical variable (though still acknowledge Dragon Worship as real due to their sense of evidence). Red Mountain Believers are always critical thinkers who challenge any notion without empirical evidence.  
Asaph represents the Violet Creation as the leader of the Violet Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Creation Realm. As a primary, Asaph’s virtues are foresight, planning, innovation, while her vices are mistakes, stubbornness and uncompromising. Asaph is often depicted as a snake-like dragon with four wings and two legs coiled up in a bowl or crater, or in a more humanoid form as a young-looking female [[Dwarf]] turning rocks into creatures and putting them in crates. Asaph is unsurprisingly worshiped by traders, performers and primary industry workers like farmers and herbalists, but also cattle herders and other animal-loving people. Prayer to Asaph is done while tending to her creation, meaning Asaph worshippers are not allowed to pray to her until they find a wounded animal or insect or person, and nurture it to health. They believe they may only pray to Asaph and have her hear them while tending to her creation in need. Those that worship Asaph seek to create better things and better the lives of others by the things they make or the ideas they bring forward. They however also acknowledge the vices of philosophers, inaction and stubbornness to dogma, and attempt to avoid narrowmindedness.  


===White Long Dragon===
====Violet Foundational Thrones====
The White Long or White Loong Dragon has a somewhat dubious position in the Dragon Pantheon. Technically the Throne of the White Loong Dragon is not acknowledged in the west (geographically speaking beyond Farah’deen) because many of the Dragon Cults in the west never made contact with the [[Sihai]], and as such were not aware of the existence of the Loong Dragons. Even after acknowledging their existence, many find the idea that Loong are (albeit dormant) still alive in the east, which goes against common doctrine that the Dragons went extinct. The fact that the Loong Dragons still exist but do not interact with, or seem to show any concern over the death of all other Thrones leads many to conclude they probably actually aren’t real Dragons. For those who do acknowledge them, Loong Dragons are commuters of things, whimsical like the wind, and chaos in unpredictability of life. They are wing-less leg-less Dragons with a snake-like body, and their primary color is just white. Those who believe in the Loong Dragons have a special relationship with the moon, as well as Sihai Dragon Worship, which is essentially synonymous to Loong Dragon Worship.
The Violet Foundational Thrones are Green Forest, Rose Metal, and Burgundy Heart. These are each represented by: Green Hulmark the female dragon of nature and growth but also chaos, Rose Tian the male dragon of bounty and wealth but also spoilage, and Burgundy Ayaal the female dragon of utility and function but also abandonment. The Violet Foundational Thrones are less cooperative than the Purple Foundational Thrones, and more divided. As the Creation Realm stands for the different primal disciplines of creation, the Foundational Thrones have neatly divided the different areas of creation between them, with very little cooperation or overlap. As such, the Violet Foundational Thrones are sometimes worshipped on an equal level to the Violet Creation Dragon Asaph.


===Green Nature Dragon===
===Saaima, the White Sky===
The Green Nature Dragon is seen as the tender of nature, the guardian of all evergreen, the flourisher or life on the fields and forests, and the wiser of trees and groves. They are gardeners, tenders to flocks of animals and creators of gardens of plenty. They were known to have two feathered wings, four legs, and have a slender and somewhat smaller size, capable of moving through streets without causing any damage to property. Their powers presided over life giving in the plant realm, but also disease and herbal medicine. Their primary colors were green and yellow. They were not known to enter a humanoid form or communicate with Dragon Worshipers, and were slain entirely by the Altalar during the [[Green Hunt]], a chapter of the wider [[Great Hunt]]. It is commonly believed that the Altalar decided to hunt the Dragons because they could, but a more sinister reason has been implicated that they discovered Dragons were instrumental in de-powering their Archmages, and thus wanted to get rid of the tool used to negatively affect the Altalar. Green Nature Dragons have synergy with Faith of Estel in that both the Green Nature Dragon and Estel are stewards of nature, and govern the same realm. To a degree, the Estel Pantheon can also be acknowledged as allies of the Green Nature Dragons. Green Nature believers seek out to find or create the perfect garden of nature, and hone their tending skills.
Saaima represents the White Sky as the leader of the White Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Sky Realm. As a primary, Saaima’s virtues are tolerance, kindness, self-sacrifice, while her vices are laziness, sloth and slowness. Saaima is often depicted as a Dragon with an immensely long body that coils and turns and twists into a maze of lines. She is also alternatively depicted as an old wrinkled but dignified [[Sihai]] woman with immensely long white hair that folds several times around her towards the bottom of her robe. Saaima always has her eyes closed or is depicted in a state of rest or sleep, though with one hand raised in a stopping motion so as to shield others from something, even while she sleeps. Saaima is often worshiped by priests and healers, but also bureaucrats and soldiers for the guarding light that she brings. Saaima prayer occurs with a small shrine with a depiction of her, flanked by incense and a porcelain or ivory bowl filled with wine, upon which a single white [[Goose]] feather floats. Saaima worshipers believe that the goose feather drifts, where the direction distinguishes Saaima’s will. The feather floating towards her statue means her approval of the wish or prayer, it floating away from her meaning disapproval. If the feather floats left it means yes, and if it floats right it means no. If the feather sinks it means absolute calamity, and if it simply rotates in place, it means Saaima does not deem the person worthy of an answer, challenging them to be better. Those that worship Saaima seek to become more selfless and kind to others, to be the trustworthy shield and confidante others seek out in times of trouble. They must also be vigilant to her vices of becoming a victim and blind to true pain and horrors, as well as a savior complex that often forms in the wake of her ambitions.  


===Silver Majesty Dragon===
====White Foundational Thrones====
The Silver Majesty Dragon is seen as the master of illusions, mirrors, smoke and deception. They are the illusionists, politicians, public figures and crafters of jewelry. They were known to have six limbs and no wings, yet capability to fly, with a long neck and slender body. Their primary colors were silver and dark blue. The Silver Majesty Dragons were a proxy victim of the Great Hunt, dying along with the Violet Night Dragons and the Green Nature Dragons. There is no faith synergy with Silver Majesty, though the [[Nessrassian Faith]] is sometimes used in combination with the deceitful [[Deep Sea Serpent]]. Silver Majesty believers seek out the silver tongue and perfect speech skill, endeavoring to become the greatest deceiver with words.  
The White Foundational Thrones are Blue Arcane, Black Desert, and Orange Veil. These are each represented by: Blue Haas the male dragon of mystery and power but also corruption, Black Kash-Tooral the male dragon of soldiery and defense but also ignorance, and Orange Mvu the female dragon of separation and purity but also defeat. The White Foundational Thrones are treated more like advisors and trusted friends by Saaima of the White Sky Throne, and as such, they are always strongly depicted as supporting deities. That being said, while Saaima is absolutely the main deity, the words and intentions of the Foundational Thrones of the Sky Realm are heeded as valued advice also, even if it contradicts the teachings of Saaima.


===Violet Night Dragon===
===Anlon, the Teal Deep===
The Violet Night Dragon is seen as the master of creation and living things, to be able to give shape to life, and stewarding all creation. It is generally believed among the Dragon worshipers that the Violet Night Dragon created all Races by their designs, and also created all creatures on the world, and then gave them the ability to continue reproducing themselves. They are teachers, philosophers, breeders and caretakers. They were known to have two legs and two bat-like wings with a long neck and a normal body. Their wings were known to appear as if they were the starry night sky, and they were about the same size as the Crown Dragons. Their primary colors were Dark Violet and Burgundy. The Violet Night Dragons were not known to mingle with their creation, but were also extremely limited in number. Only the Crown Dragons are known to have been 7 in number, while all other Dragons were believed to be more than two dozen per throne, Violet Night Dragons were only 3. Two of the Violet Night Dragons were killed during the Great Hunt, the last survived all the way to Ellador, shielded by the Dregodar Cult of Altalar, but died during a pitched battle with the Dwarves, and was resurrected as the undead Ice Dragon Frisit, who is not officially part of the pantheon of Dragon Worship. Violet Night worshipers are fond of body modification, evolution, mutation and improvement. They also believe in the preservation of life, and combat death wherever they can, while trying to cross-breed other animals to produce new species and combinations not thought of before. There is no faith Synergy for the Violet Night Dragon.
Anlon represents the Teal Deep as the leader of the Teal Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Deep Realm. As a primary, Anlon’s virtues are secrecy, disruption and deceit, while her vices are seclusion, mistrust and diversion. Anlon is often depicted as a massive wingless dragon with six legs and a long neck and tail, as he coils around a sphere representing the world. Another way to depict him is with an upper body of a [[Mai-Allar]] and the lower body made of a torrent of water or a water cyclone. Anlon is the lord of trickery, deceit, and secrecy, and any prayers made to him are often hushed under the breath without any edifices. Anlon is often worshiped by rogues and spies but also trial-makers and public speakers. Those that worship Anlon seek to better the world by controlling it with misdirection and smoke and mirrors. Power is the only metric for those that worship Anlon, though they must also remain vigilant to unpopularity and isolation that comes from their positions of deceit and illusion.  


===Rubine Breath Dragon===
====Teal Foundational Thrones====
The Rubine Breath Dragon is seen as the master of poison and blood as well as crystals and gems of the earth. They are alchemists, brewers, tunnelers and sparkling glory of the deep. They were known to be absolutely massive, much larger than the Crown Dragons, and have no legs or wings, but rather be snake-like but immensely distinct from Deep Sea Serpents in their more bulky and bony appearance. Their powers were over poison and acid. Their primary colors were Rubine and Orange, while they were not known to communicate with creation. The Rubine Breath Dragons were killed by Void worshiping Sendrassian Allar before the flight of the other Allar to Hadar, ostensibly to poison the great lakes of Sendras. Their skeletons remain exposed to open air to this day, massive bone structures that continue to poison the land and water around them as they rot, while the area itself is so toxic that even Races who are immune to standard toxins would melt away approaching the bones. The Rubine Breath Dragons have no faith synergy. Those who believe in them, have a strong connection with gems and crystals and their beauty, while enjoying the creation of alchemy and the collecting of shiny and alchemical things.  
The Teal Foundational Thrones are Cyan Coral, Rubine Decay, and Bronze Mind. These are each represented by: Cyan Maffa the female dragon of quirkiness and whimsy but also cannibalism, Rubine Pharta the male dragon of sustenance and nurture but also rot, and Bronze Duurh the female dragon of puppetry and insight but also frailty. The Teal Foundational Thrones are often depicted as wanting to have their own agenda, but being under the control and domination of the Teal Deep Throne, and as such not being able to fully express themselves. As such, the Foundational Thrones are sometimes worshiped on the same level as Anlon, but there is always a clear distinction between primary and secondary Thrones.  


===Gray Stone Dragon===
===Qaarn, the Red Core===
The Gray Stone Dragon is seen as the master of the earth, of stone, of minerals and underground caves and lakes. They were the explorers, the miners, the forgers, and storytellers of endless legends. They were known to have four legs, no wings, and be relatively small, almost as small as a jungle stalker, though with a bulkier body. They were not known to interact with creation, and their exact demise is relatively unclear. It is known that they lived in Ceardia, and only really around Ailor during a time when they caused many earthquakes in the land, presumably being their power over earth and mountains. It is commonly believed that the primitive Ailor killed them all to move into the caves that they lived in, or to just rid themselves of the near constant earth tremors produced by the Gray Stone Dragons. Some further stories state that in the Great Hunt, the last of the species were killed off by Altalar. Gray Stone Dragons have no faith synergy. Those who believe in the Gray Stone Dragons believe in self-enrichment and chase after an opulence and wealth standard they can never achieve, while also wanting to have a place of extreme self-isolation and comfort, a really personal “me” place.
Qaarn represents the Red Core as the leader of the Red Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Core Realm. As a primary, Qaarn’s virtues are strength, endurance and eternity, while his vices are naivety, witless and foolhardiness. Qaarn is often depicted either as a large wing-less dragon with many scales and horns, or a bipedal [[Eronidas]] with red skin and a long scaled mantle with black scaled armor. He is often depicted as old, with a white-scaled beard and long hair, a warrior long past his prime but with experience from the battlefield and having seen enough to be wise. Qaarn prayers are made to an open flame, but can also be made to singing coals or molten steel. Qaarn is frequently worshiped by metallurgists and other craftsmen for his close connection to the deep riches of the earth. Those that worship Qaarn seek to better the world with knowledge and wit, but also with world-wiseness and experience gained from traveling and doing things. They must also remain vigilant to the vices of abandonment and forgetting, as Qaarn is prone to when he is not around to exercise his control.  


===Orange Marble Dragon===
====Red Foundational Thrones====
The Orange Marble Dragon is mostly shrouded in mystery because its existence cannot truly be verified beyond myth and legend. The Orange Marble Dragon was seen as the master of all things beautiful, of buildings, of homes, and of people’s beauty itself. They were the architects, the artists, the painters, the sculptors and those who revered vanity the most. They were very slender and elegant beings, seen as the only Dragons with a semi-humanoid form and dragon-like head, raising twice as tall as Seraph, from where their images are dated. They were capable of reshaping any unliving object into whatever they desired and could create the most beautiful and vivid depictions and visions in others. Their primary colors were orange and white, and they were thought to mingle with creation society more freely than any other Dragons. What exactly happened to them is entirely unknown, since they are presumed to have been extinct for thousands of years. Some theories remain that they were somehow related to the original event which the Dragon Worshipers call the First Infection, when the Seraph created a tear in the Veil and invited in the Void and Exist essences. It is presumed that somehow during this event, the Orange Marble Dragons perished. Those who believe in them chase after beauty standards, always trying to make themselves look more appealing and attractive, and seeking out new techniques to impress others. There is no faith synergy for Orange Marble Dragons.
The Red Foundational Thrones are Brown Bog, Ebony Curse, and Magenta Will. These are each represented by: Brown Tuuth the male dragon of disease and pestilence but also renewal, Ebony Ruunh the male dragon of revenge and usurpation but also healing, and Magenta Palin the female dragon of freedom and free-will but also revolution. The Red Foundational Thrones are by far and large the most independent of the Foundational Thrones, and some worshipers even get away with primarily worshiping them as opposed to Anlon, due to Anlon’s general perceived lack of control. The Foundational Thrones of the Core Realm often just do as they please with little oversight and also have agendas of their own detached from Anlon. Ruunh in particular has some interesting attachments, because it is commonly believed among the Dragon Worshipers that Draga Ifrit of the Cult of Evolution is actually Ruunh touched by the Void or trapped by the Void, most scholars are not in agreement. As such, those that worship Ruunh are often mistaken for Draga Ifrit worshipers and vice versa. To Dragon worshipers, those that worship the name Draga Ifrit are not non-believers per-se, but it is also true to say that nearly any Dragon worshiper that worships Ruunh is generally mistrusted by the Dragon community at large. Either way, there is considerable friction between other Dragon Worshipers, and those that worship Ruunh or Draga Ifrit, or those who believe they are one and the same.


===Brown Death Dragon===
==Festivals==
The Brown Death Dragon is also somewhat unique in that they definitely did not exist, and are merely a metaphorical representation of all Dragons stewarding of the souls of the dead passing over into the Soul Rivers and being splintered and then reborn as many other souls. The Brown Death Dragon is usually just depicted as a shadow of a Dragon having combined visual features of all of them, with a brown hue. Their primary colors are brown and black, and they are depicted as the ferryman of the dead who guide their souls on. The Brown Death Dragon is traditionally not worshiped, but all Dragon Worshipers pay some lip service to them when a close relative or friend dies.  
Dragon Worshipers have a festival for every month of the year, that are shared between all Dragon Worshipers no matter what Dragon Realm or God or Goddess they worship. These are often rare opportunities for Dragon Worshipers to exchange ideas and all worship every Dragon as equal just on that one day, as it is permitted to hold all Dragons in equality only on the holy day of the month. Every month on the 15th a Dragon Festival takes place with a different theme:
 
* 15th of January is the Festival of Before Spring. This Festival is often made to welcome the coming of spring, even if it is stil more than a month off. Due to the weather in the Regalian Archipelago in particular being somewhat off from the rest of the world, spring flowers can be greeted in January. As such, it is common for this festival to feature a lot of flowers and Dragon Worshipers giving curated flower arrangements or bouquets to each other, while offering to help garden in each other’s gardens.
==Beliefs==
* 15th of February is the Festival of the Younglings. This Festival often corresponds to the time when all children from Cycle of Creation are born or have been born, and as such, this festival celebrates not only their birth, but anyone under the age of 15. A frequent activity during this Festival is to bake cookies and hand them out to children, while baking cake with draconic decorations and handing them to adults.
Dragon Worship beliefs are very simple. At a baseline, each and every Dragon worshiper, whether they be Dragon Dogma, Dragon Worship, Loong Worship or Frisit Worship, believe that Dragons are the all-creators, the first sentient race, the greatest sentient race, and the one who created all races who came after. They must set the bar for divinity, they are what is worthy of worship (even if no actual worship is done), and all other religions are pretending at divinity. The Dragon worshipers also believe that 300 years ago, the Dragons at the end of the Immortal War between them and the Infection (Void and Exist powers), engaged in an act called the Denial of Eternity, which ended their immortal reign, and caused their rapid decline and death. Many Dragon Worshipers as such uphold a standard of their dead gods, but many also believe they should be instrumental in bringing about the return of the Dragons as the true lords of the world, even if Dragons themselves have seemingly indicated not wanting to be worshiped, but also not going out of their way to stop it from happening. There is no worship of Dragons, besides the simple idea that if a Dragon comes down to meet a Dragon worshiper and tells them to do something, that they should do it, because that is a divine creature giving them a divine mission. Failing to do so results in expulsion from the Dragon Worship community and branding of being a traitor, which is not entirely a death sentence, since any mission granted by a Dragon afterwards can reinstate a worshiper. This may be hard when there are no Dragons to issue missions however.
* 15th of March is the Festival of Communal Song. This Festival features many Dragon Worshipers coming together in a large grass field wherever as many of them can congregate together for a day of communal song and choir singing.
* 15th of April is the Festival of Gladiators. This Festival features the ritual fighting of many different warriors seeking glories in the name of the Dragons in the All-Faith Arena. It is actually very common to invite warriors of other religions as well to include them in the battle, primarily toi show them the graces of the Dragons also, but also to show off Dragon Warriors and posit them as stronger than other religious warriors.  
* 15th of May is the Festival of the Cycle of Creation. It is commonly seen as the Dragon Worship version of the Love Festival celebrated by other cultures and religions, as much of the themes are the same. For the entire duration of the 15th of May, single Dragon Worshipers seek out other Dragon Worshipers to procreate, while loved ones treat this day as a particularly holy day to conceive children.
* 15th of June is the Festival of Mourning. It is common for this festival to feature processions in the streets of towns and cities where Dragon Worshipers carry candles to the graveyards of other religions, and make displays of flower wreaths and candles to remember those that died, no matter what their religion or culture or citizenship was.
* 15th of July is the Festival of the Stars. Dragon Worshipers come together at night for star-gazing, while many of them also bring food and drinks and all of them have a large communal barbeque or feast under the stars and the moonlight.  
* 15th of August is the Festival of the Sun. Dragon Worshipers often travel to caves, using a large selection of mirrors and shiny objects to reflect light from the outside into the cave and to light up the darkness with natural sunlight by letting it reflect and cascade off of reflective surfaces. It is believed that during this festival, the Dragon Worshipers must bring light to darkness in preparation for winter.
* 15th of September is the Festival of Water. Dragon Worshipers travel cities and towns with balloons and bottles of water, and attempt to splash each other (or non worshipers) with water as a form of blessing and wishing good-luck and good-will to them. In many ways however, it could also be seen as a festival to prank each other, which is why many Dragon Worshipers may come home to a bucket of water precariously balancing on a doorway.
* 15th of October is the Festival of Nurture. Dragon Worshipers come together in communal kitchens and produce one large potluck where every person contributes something to the stew, be it meat or some kind of vegetable of spice. These events also feature a lot of colors, as it is common to have dyed chalk which is smeared across people’s skin and clothes to mark them as worshipers of particular Dragon gods and goddesses.
* 15th of November is the Festival of Demise, in which Dragon Worshipers pay homage to the Dragons that have fallen in past centuries due to what they perceive as the evil and corruption in creation. Previously this Festival was the Festival that celebrated the creation of Dragons, but since they went extinct around Cataclysm, it was changed to a festival to remember their senseless death. Even with the return of Dragons, this Festival remains unchanged as the worshipers deem it important to remember the slaughter as something that should never happen again.
* 15th of December is the wildcard Festival. Matrons decide themselves what the theme of this Festival is, and every year has a different theme. This Festival is also a bit more unusual, as opposed to a single day celebration on the 15th, it is a longer lasting celebration from the 15th to the 22nd, with the most intense celebration occurring on the 18th.  


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Even within Dragon Thrones, worship of individual Dragons over the whole species can occur. For example: Within the clade of Crown Dragons, worshipers might support Rikkira or Raakhr, the Dread and Imperial Dragon respectively, and adopt traits of either that specialize their connection.
*Dragon Thrones actually have multiple Dragons. For example, the Purple Crown Throne has 7 Dragons in it with names, however only the leader, Rhaakhr, is acknowledged as a God for that Throne. Each Throne as such has a leader, which is generally seen as a physical embodiment of all Dragons within that Throne.  
*Dragon Worshipers can change their preferred Dragon Throne, but tend to generally stick with one for their entire lives. Changing a Throne is not seen as something shameful, but continually doing it over and over is.
*Dragon Worshipers can change their preferred Dragon Throne, but tend to generally stick with one for their entire lives. Changing a Throne is not seen as something shameful, but continually doing it over and over is. It is also considered shameful if it is done on a whim, as opposed to a major life event.  
*Frisit Worshipers technically follow the commands of a dead Frost Dragon, which isn’t an official Throne. In the eyes of the other Dragon Worshipers however, they just follow the Violet Night Dragon Throne.  
*It is sometimes believed that Dragon Worship is compatible with Shambala, [[Frisit Worship]] or [[Vultdragon Unionism]]. It is distinctly not however, due to the fallible divinity principle of Dragon Worship. This very idea is repugnant to all other organized religions, and as such, it is not possible to be a Dragon Worshiper and faithful of another religion at the same time.  
*Infantilization or imitation of Dragons where not part of racial Abilities is considered taboo among the Dragon Worshipers. Anyone that uses Magic or some sort of Void or Exist born power to imitate Dragons is considered insulting to Dragon Worship and Dragons.  


{{Religion}}
{{Religion}}
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{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty
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}}
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[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]
[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]

Revision as of 19:24, 16 April 2021

Dragon Worship
Gdwsgdse.png
Religion
Pronunciation Dragon Worship
Origins Unknown, presumed over 7000 years ago
Deities
Rhaakhr, Asaph, Saaima, Anlon, and Qaarn
Subsects
Various Foundation Thrones and other Goddesses and Gods

Dragon Worship or Dregodar is commonly believed to be the world’s oldest Religion, which at the same time is one of the smallest Religions in the world, even being outclassed by the Ailor-lead Cult of Evolution and some of the more obscure Unionist Sects. The nickname Dregodar dates back to the earliest Dragon Worship cults among the Altalar during the days of the Allorn Empire, a name specifically used to refer to their cult. While Dragon Worship is thousands of years older than the Altalar, the last major group of people who worshiped the Dragons were a sect of Altalar, hence it carries their name. Dragon Worship is a somewhat unusual religion in that while it is absolutely based on providence and present (arguably) divine and sentient Dragons, the Dragons have never acknowledged their divinity or desire to be worshiped. Simply put, while the Faith of Estel is based on Avatars of the Gods who demanded worship, the Dragons are aware that they were or are worshiped, but are very ambiguous about the idea of them being worshiped, or at the very least have never confirmed the want to be worshiped. This does not mean that Dragons have never interacted with Dragon Worshipers in a positive light. In fact, while they do not ask for worship, they have on many occasions helped those who worshiped them with specific tasks or requests, or heeded the prayer of those in need. Still, no Dragon at any point proposed their own divinity or the duty of the faithful to worship them, which makes Dragon Worship the only religion to have that nuance.

Dragon Worship

Dragon Worship does not take place in specific temples or holy sites like occurs in other faiths. In fact, the entire idea of idolization of Dragons is considered taboo among Dragon Worshipers, because one of the core beliefs of Dragon Worship is to acknowledge the flaws in their own gods as imperfect beings. And because their gods are imperfect beings, so too is their creation (the worshipers) imperfect, and in need of improvement. Dragon Temples certainly do exist, though they never really serve the same function as say, a Unionist church would. While one goes to a Unionist church for communal praise of the Spirit and the Emperor, a Dragon Temple is more about community and coming together, and helping each other through whatever ails exist. This is why many Dragon Temples throughout particularly Anglia and Kintyr where Dragon Worship has a notable presence, also double as hospitals and healing centers or soup kitchens and orphanages. Many buildings are not even clearly visible as Dragon Temples, because their identity was cleverly hidden in the masonry, with only few emblems recognizable at entrances for those initiated in the symbols. For many centuries, Dragon Worshipers were persecuted, first in the Allorn Empire when it turned against the Dragons and started killing them, and later by the Ailor as they started stamping out non-Unionists religions in favor of aggressive conversion. Enclaves of Dragon Worshipers continue to exist in Anglia, Kintyr and the deep forests of Daen, as well as the northern reaches of Ithania, but by far, is the smallest religion in the world with only a few thousand followers at best.

Dragon Worship is primarily preached by so called Matrons (which can be either male or female) and exist in rough regional areas. For example, during its zenith, Dragon Worship had a different Matron for each Realm, however in modern times, perhaps only three Matrons still exist, with two likely in hiding. Other regions like Farahdeen also saw a religious shift away from Dragon Worship and into its own distinct religion that acted more like an evolved form of Dragon Worship, such as Shambala. Another important distinction to be made is that Dragon Worshipers do pray, and that the practice of praying in Unionism may have actually been inspired by it. Praying in Dragon Worship is the idea that a person may ask for aid in a difficult task or problem they cannot solve themselves, in the hopes a Dragon will listen and act. Finally, Dragon Worship has a complicated relationship with the concept of infallible divinity. In Unionism, to deny the will of the Spirit, as in the Faith of Estel to deny the demands of the Avatars or Talea, is heresy. In Dragon Worship however, there is some nuance. Dragons are commonly said to be “Resolute and Rightly Wrong”. What this means in practice is that so long as a Dragon does not make an absolute statement or demand, Dragon Worshipers have room to negotiate with the actual interpretation or intention of what a Dragon did or said. For example, if a Dragon attacks a coal mine and destroys it, the worshipers may invariably declare that it was the miner’s fault, the coal’s fault, the mine was badly built, or a Demon lived in it. The worshipers may even attribute a mistake to the Dragon, to believe that it attacked the mine because it thought there was a Demon, even if there was not. If however the Dragon had come down, assumed a humanoid form, and commanded that the mine be closed because a Demon had infested it, then the Dragon Worshipers are not permitted to disagree or disobey the instruction of the Dragon. Dragon Worship as such allows for some wiggle room of interpretation, and even disagreeing with what a Dragon does, but one may never disobey or deny an Order when it is given from the Dragon’s mouth in clear wording.

Dragon Hierarchy

This image shows the orientation of all the Dragon Thrones. It is important to note that the Purple Crown Throne technically rules all Thrones, but acknowledged that sometimes they simply cannot due to the difficulty and nuances of politics among Dragons, and have to cut their losses. As such, the primary Realms are depicted as nominally autonomous, even if they all fall under the Purple Crown leadership.

The Hierarchy that exists within Dragon Worship is one of duality. The primaries are the major gods and goddesses, Rhaakhr, Asaph, Saaima, Anlon and Qaarn. The primaries are the major gods much like the Pantheon of Estel has 8 major gods. Supporting these five Dragons however are the secondaries or supporting Thrones. Each primary has 3 secondaries (except the Crown Realm, which has 4), and each of these pairings are considered a “Realm” which are thematically grouped together. These distinctions are based on what Dragon Worshipers have gleaned from real Dragon politics and interactions, and many of these distinctions are also geographical. For example, the Crown Realm has Dragons which are all rumored or known to have centered around the Archipelago and the lands within close vicinity, while the Sky Realm has Dragons known between Farahdeen and the Sihai lands. A primary is always chosen as a Dragon Worshiper’s preferred god or goddess to live up to. Worshipers attempt to emulate their wishes for the world and embody their virtues, while also acknowledging their vices and attempting to minimize them. Secondaries are never worshiped as primary gods and goddesses, but can be rotated between in a supporting role for their primary. It is not possible to worship multiple primaries or secondaries belonging to different primaries than one’s patron primary. This is considered taboo and unfaithfulness to the chosen patron dragon.

Dragon Deities

Rhaakhr, the Purple Crown

Rhaakhr represents the Purple Crown as the leader of the Purple Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Crown Realm. As a primary, Rhaakhr’s virtues are leadership, politics, and duty, while his vices are capriciousness, antics and vagueness. Rhaakhr is often depicted as a large and brawny purple and blue dragon with thunderbolts of lightning under its hands and feet. It may also be depicted as an Ailor with long black hair and bright purple eyes and fair soft features, clad in black robes and wandering the forests or farmlands. Prayer to Rhaakhr is done with traditional shrines and statues of Dragons, in fact any Dragon statue will do, even statues depicting the other Thrones. Rhaakhr is often worshiped by leaders, generals, politicians, and thinkers and philosophers, as well as diplomats and explorers. Those that worship Rhaakhr seek to be better people who may turn their resources and power to the better good of all, and to create order and structure where there is chaos and discord. They also acknowledge their own flaws of loneliness and mistrust, vices created by positions of power.

Purple Foundational Thrones

The Purple Foundational Thrones are Yellow Sea, Gray Stone, Silver Tongue, and Emerald Time. These are each represented by: Yellow Amaar the female dragon of dance and joy but foolishness, Gray Ulm the maale dragon of fortitude and never giving up but weakness, Silver Zaalaanzaal the female dragon of speech and language but misunderstanding, and Emerald Ylon, the male dragon of time and growth but also wasting time. The Purple Foundational Thrones are often depicted as supporting Rhaakhr, flawlessly working with him to secure their mutual goals of peace and order between all Dragons, and all the lands. The Purple Foundational Thrones always have one more Throne than the other Realm Foundations, on account of the Crown Realm being the most central Dragon Realm that governs all others. As such, the Purple Foundational Thrones should always be treated as supporting Dragon deities.

Asaph, the Violet Creation

Asaph represents the Violet Creation as the leader of the Violet Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Creation Realm. As a primary, Asaph’s virtues are foresight, planning, innovation, while her vices are mistakes, stubbornness and uncompromising. Asaph is often depicted as a snake-like dragon with four wings and two legs coiled up in a bowl or crater, or in a more humanoid form as a young-looking female Dwarf turning rocks into creatures and putting them in crates. Asaph is unsurprisingly worshiped by traders, performers and primary industry workers like farmers and herbalists, but also cattle herders and other animal-loving people. Prayer to Asaph is done while tending to her creation, meaning Asaph worshippers are not allowed to pray to her until they find a wounded animal or insect or person, and nurture it to health. They believe they may only pray to Asaph and have her hear them while tending to her creation in need. Those that worship Asaph seek to create better things and better the lives of others by the things they make or the ideas they bring forward. They however also acknowledge the vices of philosophers, inaction and stubbornness to dogma, and attempt to avoid narrowmindedness.

Violet Foundational Thrones

The Violet Foundational Thrones are Green Forest, Rose Metal, and Burgundy Heart. These are each represented by: Green Hulmark the female dragon of nature and growth but also chaos, Rose Tian the male dragon of bounty and wealth but also spoilage, and Burgundy Ayaal the female dragon of utility and function but also abandonment. The Violet Foundational Thrones are less cooperative than the Purple Foundational Thrones, and more divided. As the Creation Realm stands for the different primal disciplines of creation, the Foundational Thrones have neatly divided the different areas of creation between them, with very little cooperation or overlap. As such, the Violet Foundational Thrones are sometimes worshipped on an equal level to the Violet Creation Dragon Asaph.

Saaima, the White Sky

Saaima represents the White Sky as the leader of the White Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Sky Realm. As a primary, Saaima’s virtues are tolerance, kindness, self-sacrifice, while her vices are laziness, sloth and slowness. Saaima is often depicted as a Dragon with an immensely long body that coils and turns and twists into a maze of lines. She is also alternatively depicted as an old wrinkled but dignified Sihai woman with immensely long white hair that folds several times around her towards the bottom of her robe. Saaima always has her eyes closed or is depicted in a state of rest or sleep, though with one hand raised in a stopping motion so as to shield others from something, even while she sleeps. Saaima is often worshiped by priests and healers, but also bureaucrats and soldiers for the guarding light that she brings. Saaima prayer occurs with a small shrine with a depiction of her, flanked by incense and a porcelain or ivory bowl filled with wine, upon which a single white Goose feather floats. Saaima worshipers believe that the goose feather drifts, where the direction distinguishes Saaima’s will. The feather floating towards her statue means her approval of the wish or prayer, it floating away from her meaning disapproval. If the feather floats left it means yes, and if it floats right it means no. If the feather sinks it means absolute calamity, and if it simply rotates in place, it means Saaima does not deem the person worthy of an answer, challenging them to be better. Those that worship Saaima seek to become more selfless and kind to others, to be the trustworthy shield and confidante others seek out in times of trouble. They must also be vigilant to her vices of becoming a victim and blind to true pain and horrors, as well as a savior complex that often forms in the wake of her ambitions.

White Foundational Thrones

The White Foundational Thrones are Blue Arcane, Black Desert, and Orange Veil. These are each represented by: Blue Haas the male dragon of mystery and power but also corruption, Black Kash-Tooral the male dragon of soldiery and defense but also ignorance, and Orange Mvu the female dragon of separation and purity but also defeat. The White Foundational Thrones are treated more like advisors and trusted friends by Saaima of the White Sky Throne, and as such, they are always strongly depicted as supporting deities. That being said, while Saaima is absolutely the main deity, the words and intentions of the Foundational Thrones of the Sky Realm are heeded as valued advice also, even if it contradicts the teachings of Saaima.

Anlon, the Teal Deep

Anlon represents the Teal Deep as the leader of the Teal Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Deep Realm. As a primary, Anlon’s virtues are secrecy, disruption and deceit, while her vices are seclusion, mistrust and diversion. Anlon is often depicted as a massive wingless dragon with six legs and a long neck and tail, as he coils around a sphere representing the world. Another way to depict him is with an upper body of a Mai-Allar and the lower body made of a torrent of water or a water cyclone. Anlon is the lord of trickery, deceit, and secrecy, and any prayers made to him are often hushed under the breath without any edifices. Anlon is often worshiped by rogues and spies but also trial-makers and public speakers. Those that worship Anlon seek to better the world by controlling it with misdirection and smoke and mirrors. Power is the only metric for those that worship Anlon, though they must also remain vigilant to unpopularity and isolation that comes from their positions of deceit and illusion.

Teal Foundational Thrones

The Teal Foundational Thrones are Cyan Coral, Rubine Decay, and Bronze Mind. These are each represented by: Cyan Maffa the female dragon of quirkiness and whimsy but also cannibalism, Rubine Pharta the male dragon of sustenance and nurture but also rot, and Bronze Duurh the female dragon of puppetry and insight but also frailty. The Teal Foundational Thrones are often depicted as wanting to have their own agenda, but being under the control and domination of the Teal Deep Throne, and as such not being able to fully express themselves. As such, the Foundational Thrones are sometimes worshiped on the same level as Anlon, but there is always a clear distinction between primary and secondary Thrones.

Qaarn, the Red Core

Qaarn represents the Red Core as the leader of the Red Throne, becoming also the main deity of the Core Realm. As a primary, Qaarn’s virtues are strength, endurance and eternity, while his vices are naivety, witless and foolhardiness. Qaarn is often depicted either as a large wing-less dragon with many scales and horns, or a bipedal Eronidas with red skin and a long scaled mantle with black scaled armor. He is often depicted as old, with a white-scaled beard and long hair, a warrior long past his prime but with experience from the battlefield and having seen enough to be wise. Qaarn prayers are made to an open flame, but can also be made to singing coals or molten steel. Qaarn is frequently worshiped by metallurgists and other craftsmen for his close connection to the deep riches of the earth. Those that worship Qaarn seek to better the world with knowledge and wit, but also with world-wiseness and experience gained from traveling and doing things. They must also remain vigilant to the vices of abandonment and forgetting, as Qaarn is prone to when he is not around to exercise his control.

Red Foundational Thrones

The Red Foundational Thrones are Brown Bog, Ebony Curse, and Magenta Will. These are each represented by: Brown Tuuth the male dragon of disease and pestilence but also renewal, Ebony Ruunh the male dragon of revenge and usurpation but also healing, and Magenta Palin the female dragon of freedom and free-will but also revolution. The Red Foundational Thrones are by far and large the most independent of the Foundational Thrones, and some worshipers even get away with primarily worshiping them as opposed to Anlon, due to Anlon’s general perceived lack of control. The Foundational Thrones of the Core Realm often just do as they please with little oversight and also have agendas of their own detached from Anlon. Ruunh in particular has some interesting attachments, because it is commonly believed among the Dragon Worshipers that Draga Ifrit of the Cult of Evolution is actually Ruunh touched by the Void or trapped by the Void, most scholars are not in agreement. As such, those that worship Ruunh are often mistaken for Draga Ifrit worshipers and vice versa. To Dragon worshipers, those that worship the name Draga Ifrit are not non-believers per-se, but it is also true to say that nearly any Dragon worshiper that worships Ruunh is generally mistrusted by the Dragon community at large. Either way, there is considerable friction between other Dragon Worshipers, and those that worship Ruunh or Draga Ifrit, or those who believe they are one and the same.

Festivals

Dragon Worshipers have a festival for every month of the year, that are shared between all Dragon Worshipers no matter what Dragon Realm or God or Goddess they worship. These are often rare opportunities for Dragon Worshipers to exchange ideas and all worship every Dragon as equal just on that one day, as it is permitted to hold all Dragons in equality only on the holy day of the month. Every month on the 15th a Dragon Festival takes place with a different theme:

  • 15th of January is the Festival of Before Spring. This Festival is often made to welcome the coming of spring, even if it is stil more than a month off. Due to the weather in the Regalian Archipelago in particular being somewhat off from the rest of the world, spring flowers can be greeted in January. As such, it is common for this festival to feature a lot of flowers and Dragon Worshipers giving curated flower arrangements or bouquets to each other, while offering to help garden in each other’s gardens.
  • 15th of February is the Festival of the Younglings. This Festival often corresponds to the time when all children from Cycle of Creation are born or have been born, and as such, this festival celebrates not only their birth, but anyone under the age of 15. A frequent activity during this Festival is to bake cookies and hand them out to children, while baking cake with draconic decorations and handing them to adults.
  • 15th of March is the Festival of Communal Song. This Festival features many Dragon Worshipers coming together in a large grass field wherever as many of them can congregate together for a day of communal song and choir singing.
  • 15th of April is the Festival of Gladiators. This Festival features the ritual fighting of many different warriors seeking glories in the name of the Dragons in the All-Faith Arena. It is actually very common to invite warriors of other religions as well to include them in the battle, primarily toi show them the graces of the Dragons also, but also to show off Dragon Warriors and posit them as stronger than other religious warriors.
  • 15th of May is the Festival of the Cycle of Creation. It is commonly seen as the Dragon Worship version of the Love Festival celebrated by other cultures and religions, as much of the themes are the same. For the entire duration of the 15th of May, single Dragon Worshipers seek out other Dragon Worshipers to procreate, while loved ones treat this day as a particularly holy day to conceive children.
  • 15th of June is the Festival of Mourning. It is common for this festival to feature processions in the streets of towns and cities where Dragon Worshipers carry candles to the graveyards of other religions, and make displays of flower wreaths and candles to remember those that died, no matter what their religion or culture or citizenship was.
  • 15th of July is the Festival of the Stars. Dragon Worshipers come together at night for star-gazing, while many of them also bring food and drinks and all of them have a large communal barbeque or feast under the stars and the moonlight.
  • 15th of August is the Festival of the Sun. Dragon Worshipers often travel to caves, using a large selection of mirrors and shiny objects to reflect light from the outside into the cave and to light up the darkness with natural sunlight by letting it reflect and cascade off of reflective surfaces. It is believed that during this festival, the Dragon Worshipers must bring light to darkness in preparation for winter.
  • 15th of September is the Festival of Water. Dragon Worshipers travel cities and towns with balloons and bottles of water, and attempt to splash each other (or non worshipers) with water as a form of blessing and wishing good-luck and good-will to them. In many ways however, it could also be seen as a festival to prank each other, which is why many Dragon Worshipers may come home to a bucket of water precariously balancing on a doorway.
  • 15th of October is the Festival of Nurture. Dragon Worshipers come together in communal kitchens and produce one large potluck where every person contributes something to the stew, be it meat or some kind of vegetable of spice. These events also feature a lot of colors, as it is common to have dyed chalk which is smeared across people’s skin and clothes to mark them as worshipers of particular Dragon gods and goddesses.
  • 15th of November is the Festival of Demise, in which Dragon Worshipers pay homage to the Dragons that have fallen in past centuries due to what they perceive as the evil and corruption in creation. Previously this Festival was the Festival that celebrated the creation of Dragons, but since they went extinct around Cataclysm, it was changed to a festival to remember their senseless death. Even with the return of Dragons, this Festival remains unchanged as the worshipers deem it important to remember the slaughter as something that should never happen again.
  • 15th of December is the wildcard Festival. Matrons decide themselves what the theme of this Festival is, and every year has a different theme. This Festival is also a bit more unusual, as opposed to a single day celebration on the 15th, it is a longer lasting celebration from the 15th to the 22nd, with the most intense celebration occurring on the 18th.

Trivia

  • Dragon Thrones actually have multiple Dragons. For example, the Purple Crown Throne has 7 Dragons in it with names, however only the leader, Rhaakhr, is acknowledged as a God for that Throne. Each Throne as such has a leader, which is generally seen as a physical embodiment of all Dragons within that Throne.
  • Dragon Worshipers can change their preferred Dragon Throne, but tend to generally stick with one for their entire lives. Changing a Throne is not seen as something shameful, but continually doing it over and over is. It is also considered shameful if it is done on a whim, as opposed to a major life event.
  • It is sometimes believed that Dragon Worship is compatible with Shambala, Frisit Worship or Vultdragon Unionism. It is distinctly not however, due to the fallible divinity principle of Dragon Worship. This very idea is repugnant to all other organized religions, and as such, it is not possible to be a Dragon Worshiper and faithful of another religion at the same time.
  • Infantilization or imitation of Dragons where not part of racial Abilities is considered taboo among the Dragon Worshipers. Anyone that uses Magic or some sort of Void or Exist born power to imitate Dragons is considered insulting to Dragon Worship and Dragons.

Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Processors HydraLana
Last Editor HydraLana on 04/16/2021.

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