Hebitian Religion

The Hebitian culture is a polytheistic group of people who follow what is known as the Oralian Way which is lead by the female Deity Oralius. She has her husband Oralin and their many in-laws and children. It is believed that truth is subject and is not necessarily the path you are on, but the goal you are seeking at the end.
More detailed information can be found at the links:
*Unity Symbol
*Scroll of Pythia
==General Information==
The Deities have a medium or oracle know as Astraea which is the ceremonial title given to the Guide that interprets the Gods will. The lead Priest is general a rank of Pontiff, however, if one is not there, than the King or Queen of Khu'laa has the power of the Gods inside of them and is considered a priest of the highest order. Sacrifices are often made with animals and sometimes virgins. Blood and the colour purple is considered a highly lucky colour.
Heaven is known to the Hebitian as "the neatherrealm," and Hell is the underverse that is access through the "Well of Souls" which is like purgatory and the souls collect to sort out their issues before moving on to one placement or the next. The underverse is guarded by the "dithparu" who are Urmatali's minors of evil and death. They can only be killed by jevonite daggers, the richest and most expensive material in the Hebitian belief (named after the Smith God Jev).
==The Deities==
The worshipping of Oralius dates back to the first civilization on Cardassia, the Hebitians. In the days of the later Cardassian Union worship was forbidden and followers of the Way were forced into underground movements meeting at night in out of the way locations. Following the end of the Dominion War and the subsequent rise of the democratic Alon Ghemor of the CBI government restrictions on religious freedom were lifted and the Oralian Way saw a growth in popularity but a stigma still remained with many Cardassians finding it difficult to accept the new freedom of speech, words and beliefs.
According to the dictates made by Oralius, the many truths were subjective and that the Way was not a goal but a path. During an accidental trip back through time Amity Liu was mistaken as an incarnation of Oralius because of her slanted eyes. This impacted the general look of Oralius throughout history when Amity returned; however as time progressed those of the religion came to see her as a False Prophet and generally find her role in their religion offensive. Current scholars believe that Oralius and the other gods/goddesses of the Hebitian faith were simplify their understanding of the Bajoran Prophets and Pah-Wraiths
===The Pantheon===
*Oralius - Queen of the Gods
*Orlian - King of the Gods
*Otal - God of the Sea
*Dithparu - Deities of Death (male)
*Sapparu - Deities of Death (female)
*Juranik - God of the Sun
*Atal - Goddess of the Moon
*Cardin - God of War
*Uzani - Goddess of Love
*Uzan - God of Love
*Astraea - Messenger of the Gods (Oracle)
*Zendassia - Goddess of Wisdom
*Lakara - Goddess of Cardassia
*Cula - Goddess of the Netherrealm
*Uramtali - God of the Netherrealm
*Jevon - The Smith God
*Mekk - God of Wine
*Sandecia - Goddess of Time
*Vessa - Goddess of the Home
*Jangin - God of Dorrs
*Begoa - Goddess of Growth
*Cev - Goddess of Flowers
*Uio - God of Wealth
==Rituals==
Worship generally begins with leaders adorning recitation masks which symbolically transform the wearer into Oralius, one will chant:
:The power that moves through me, Animates my life, Animates the mask of Oralius, To speak her words with my voice, To think her thoughts with my mind, To feel her love with my heart, It is the song of morning, Opening up to life, Bringing truth of her wisdom, To those who live in the shadow of the night.
To which the second will reply:
:It is this selfsame power, Turned against creation, Turned against my friend, That can destroy his body with my hand, Reduce his spirit with my hate, Separate his presence from my home: To live without Oralius, Lighting our way to the source, Connecting us to the mystery, Is to live without the tendrils of love.
Following the opening the meetings are filled with humming, chanting, recitations and readings from the Hebitian Records and finally meditation.
The chalice symbol is a familiar one in the Hebitian culture, which involves having the light to follow Oralius' way. It serves the same purpose as a cross in Christianity.
==The Guide (Oracle)==
The Guide for the Oralian Way, also known as an Oralian Guide, was a title held by Cardassian members of the Oralian Way religious movement.
The role of the Guide was to serve as a vessel for Oralius, the central figure in the faith in both ancient as well as modern times. It was not known whether the officials of the Cardassian Union were aware of this position. A woman taking the generations-old traditional name of Astraea held the position of Guide for the Oralian Way during the Occupation of Bajor. 
During an accidental trip back into time Cydja Damar-Bern/Cydja Brosan was mistaken for an incarnation of Astraea or an Oracle.
The oracle of the religion, corresponding with the Prophetic Guide on Bajor, was known to be born with a birthmark of the Unity Symbol. How the symbol was come to be known was an example of that oracles element and therefore a reference to their strongest divine connections.
#Fire Oracle - Juranik (God of the Sun) and Jevon (God of the Smiths).
#Water Oracle - Atal (Goddess of the Moon) and Otal (God of the Sea).
#Earth Oracle - Lakara (Goddess of Cardassia) and Begoa (Goddess of Growth).
#Air Oracle - Zendassia (Goddess of Wisdom) and Oralian (King of the Neatherealm).
They all have lesser Gods/Goddess in which they can influence such as Fire (Uzani - Goddess of Love); Water (Cev - Goddess of Flowers); Earth (Vessa - Goddess of the Home); and Air (Uzan - God of Love).
In general, an air oracle is considered to be the highest of levels because of her direct link to the King himself who is at the right hand of the Queen Oralius.
Often, a parent of a soon to be conceived oracle or already born oracle will receive a burnt mark of Unity on their hand as an indication to be aware of their children. It is considered a great honour to receive this mark. If the previous oracle dies before the new oracle is ready, the parent will remain a stand in for their child until the child is of age.
The oracle also is entitled to a unity necklace, symbolism her unity to the Pontiff and the Pantheon. Most Oracles are female.
Rahne Dhaja (Wolfe) was born in 2404 and is the Bajoran Guide with an inclination to fire; well Sita Indus was born in 2405 and is the Hebitian oracle with an inclination to water.
==Bajoran vs. Cardassian Beliefs==
With the Hebitian religion originating from Bajor and coming to Cardassia Prime c. 7460 -6923 BC (Second Kingdom), Bajorans who practice this ancient religion are an off shoot of the regular Bajoran belief in the Prophets. Cardassian-Hebitian follow the same as is has been for millennium and it is only the Bajorans that differ in these ways:
Like Jewish and Christian religions, there is one God who is the same and it is only a matter of the Prophet that is in dispute. Cardassian-Hebitians relate more to the Jewish side where they are waiting for a true representation of the gods to come, where as the Bajorans believe this has some in the worm hole aliens known as the Prophets.
In lieu of a Pontiff, they have a Kai and instead of priests and priestesses they have Vedeks. They believe that the God of the underverse and his minions are really the Pah-Wraiths and that the Oracle is the Guide (Marcus Wolfe CP/Marcus Wolfe or Eben Dorr CP/Eben Dorr). They follow more basic rituals and are a sect divided from the main branch of religious Bajorans, feeling that the Prophets are not one entities but have names and positions (the Hebitian Deities).
Category:Religion and Positions
Category:Non-Character Information