Religion of Kaaran

As with all Sangheili, the Kaaranese do not have a true pantheon of deities to worship, that role being exclusive to the Forerunners. The belief in the Great Journey is (or was, before the Schism) as strong on Ketesh as anywhere else in the Covenant. However, despite the best efforts of the Prophets, there still remain some remnants of the old religions - symbols, figures, practices and other facets of native Kaaranese culture that resist extermination.
According to Kaaranese belief, those who die persist, their spirits lingering in an afterlife of sorts, the Halls of Detrasa. Some are rumoured to walk among the people, watching and judging. Others have more direct control, guiding the affairs of mortls, able to be appealed to with prayer and veneration, and some small sacrifice of food or drink - ancient Warrum cults once sacrificed maidens, but the practice was banned when the region was conquered by the Mopadan Confederacy. Though not Gods in the traditional sense, the Kaaranese do revere the spirits of their ancestors. Each clan has at least one patron spirit, usually the founder or a particularly successful or famous figure from the clan's history. Some spirits are the patrons of entire nations, or embody particular aspects of the universe that have been ascribed to them. Morheka the Great, founder of the Morhekan Empire, is remembered as its patron spirit and assumes the position normally ascribed to a war deity, while former Joralan matriarch Juno is revered by most of the continent as a guardian of love and fertility. Their borderline-deity status has lead the Prophets to declare the religion heretical, and most of their followers practice in secret or have fled the rest of society to practice in peace.
There have been many modifications to the original religion, with the incorporation of the Great Journey the most readily apparent. Originally an attempt at gaining a small degree of Prophet acceptance, it was retained even after the religion's declaration as heresy by the Prophets, though not in the traditional sense - the Kaaranese belief is that each person must embark upon their own individual Great Journey, purifying themselves so that they might attain Godhood in the next life.
The Torch of Wisdom is commonly used to represent the veneration of these spirits, but its use predates this sytem by many thousands of years. Nevertheless, it has been adopted as a widespread and seemingly innocuous symbol of resistance againt Prophyet religious oppression.
== History ==
===First Exodus of the Followers of Light===
While earlier accounts may have been more complete, what is available to modern scholars on the subject of the Sangheili arrival to Ketesh is confusing and garbled. Much of it is likely to be lost forever, destroyed in any of the dozens of calamities that have befallen various Ketesh civilisations that have risen and fallen over time. Still more has been confused by the incorporation of mythological elements, and the introduction and removal of various aspects - local gods, heroes, places, etc. The only conclusive evidence that the Sangheili even occupied the planet dates back to approximately 90,000 B.C.E. in central Daaran, and the extermination of the Teltaqans. How long they had been established is difficult to determine, but they were still at a pre-Tier Seven stage. 
There are many versions of the tale, and every civilisation and society that Ketesh has played host to has had its own accounts. The earliest describes a "caravan through the stars," perhaps a reference to space travel, and that they were led from their home by an "angel" that wielded a torch of "wisdom". Later accounts include a blade forged from pure "truth," but this is likely a later invention. Exactly what these early Keteshan Sangheili were fleeing from, and from where, is not stated - if any records of it ever did exist, they have been lost. At least one theologian, the Keltashan Thoth 'Keltam, believes that this was intentional, and that whatever secret lies in the past of the Ketesh Sangheili was too dark to be remembered.
The discovery of Middangeard by the UNSC further complicates matters; an abandoned planet on the outer borders of UNSC territory, the planet is further from the Covenant even than Earth, and is home to thousands of cities that were abandoned more than 20,000 years ago by their occupants - bearing remarkable similarities to modern and ancient Ketesh architectural styles throughout history. If this planet is the true home of the Ketesh Sangheili, the question "How did Sangheili reach Ketesh from Sanghelios?" becomes instead "How did Sangheili reach Middangeard, and why did they abandon it for Ketesh
== Kaaranese Spirits ==
=== The Ancient Ones ===
*Bringers of Holy Light– regarded as the creators of the universe and of all life, the Forerunners were the guardians of the universe until they disappeared 100,000 years ago, long before the rise of Sangheili civilisation. All cities and towns have temples and shrines dedicated to their worship, often lavishly built in the style of the Prophets. After the Schism, these were torn down by the Sangheili and replaced with more modest structures in keeping with known Forerunner architectural preferences. All contain at least one “relic” of the Forerunners, usually a small scrap of technology.
*Army of Darkness– the demons that rose up against the Forerunners, consuming the galaxy in its insatiable hunger. The war between the Forerunners and the Flood raged long, devastating much of the galaxy, and was only stopped when the Forerunners embarked upon the Great Journey.
=== The Young Ones ===
*Patron Spirits 
**Morheka the Great - The founder of the Morhekan Empire, Morheka is remembered for many deeds, real and imagined. After leaving the empire in the trusteeship of his son and a council of elders, he travelled across the continent, and his deeds are remembered in local myths and legends. Occasionally, some are embellishments of pre-existing myths re-ascribed to Morheka - the tale of his theft of the Spear of Kr'Rana, the Armour of R'runu, the Blade of Torgu and the Shield of Qiv'ra is certainly a retelling of a much older tale, while his discovery of the Reliquary of Yathaweh may have some truth to it. Given the sheer amount of tales, and retellings, it is difficult to separate the fiction from fact.
**Juno 'Joralan - During the invasion of Morheka by the Mopadan Confederacy, the northern nations originally intended to remain neutral. Juno was a diplomatic envoy, sent to Kotarq to secure the Trinity Alliance between Joralan, Kotarq and Xoram. When a legion of Mopadan warriors crossed the Yathaweh River and attacked border cities, Juno was caught in the conflict. Her lover, Xera 'Kotarq, was killed in battle, and she herself was captured and held as a hostage, the Mopadan's hoping she would prevent her nation from entering the war. Such a move was a mistake - the Morhekan R'runu Legion slaughtered the entire Mopadan force, freeing Juno, and the Trinity nations entered the war on the Morhekan side, forming a permanent partnership. Today, Juno is remembered as a patron spirit of the bonds that bind people together - kinship, friendship, love, duty, and so on, and annual celebrations are held in Joralan to celebrate her freedom by the R'runu Legion, who subsequently adopted her as their own patron spirit.
**Eldra 'Voltak - Although Morheka is currently the centre of Kaaranese culture, Voltakra is the birthplace of Kaaranese science, where a sect of the Cult of Quenyathar experimented with proto-scientific methods. Eldra 'Voltak is the most famous of these, and pioneered true Kaaranese scientific exploration, eventually decrying the continued practice of alchemy as flawed, and founding the University of Theqtar. Much of Eldra's architecture style was adopted in the construction of Sanctum of Virtue, and though most of it was demolished during the Second Morheka Rennaissance, the University of Trerash stands as a testament to his skill. As a spirit, Eldra is often appealed to for wisdom and knowledge, and is often adopted as a patron by new schools and philosophical meeting places. Modern practitioners of Voltakran alchemy have also adopted him as a patron, despite his eventual disgust with the practice.
**Jee'dra - Often called "the despised," the real-life Jee'dra was simply a Nartecan clan leader. His actual rule was a fairly benevolent one, with less border aggression and more focus on internal affairs, though he is remembered for his reaction to incursions by the Duashe'era Hegemony - a "thuduqa" total war, bitterly waged eight hundred years after his death. In death, he is often portrayed as a spirit of vengeance and retribution, though not always a malevolent one. The reputation of the Narteca has seen him often used as an epithet used for unpopular characters.
**Chendra'al - While Kotarq is well known for producing master soldiers and tacticians, Chendra'al is remembered as a master smithy, forging armour and weaponry superior to all competitors, pioneering several techniques that would be adopted across the continent. Though he was often used as a war god by early venerators, the growing popularity of Morheka saw him relegated to more technical exertise. He is often invoked with Eldra as a knowledge patron, more commonly associated with the creation of physical objects than with theoretical knowledge.
**Qun'dara - Exactly who Qun'dara was remains unknown, though historians suspect he was an early ruler in Pre-Morheka, perhaps a member of the Narteca or Morteca clans. Regardless of his origin, he is often treated as a watcher and judger, and occasionally as a guardian, a servant of Shaitan. He is extremely popular across the continent, with most clans claiming some relation to his history. Recent archaeological evidence reveals that his earliest mentions were during the Pre-Morheka period, and that he was already well established when Morheka established his empire.
*Nature Spirits 
**Indara - A generic nature spirit, Indara pioneered Keltash botany, and her observations were carried over to Kaaran. As such, she is often invoked as a patron of hospitals, doctors, and other medical practitioners who rely on the healing effects of certain herbs and plants. More specifically, she is a guardian of forests and jungles, and mother to the Four Wings; Qiv'ra, Kr'Rana, R'runu and Torgu.
***Qiv'ra - patron of the East Wind, Qiv'ra perished as a child in a hunting accident.
***Kr'Rana - Kr'Rana became a member of the Elite Guard of Keltama, leading military expeditions against upstarts trying to fracture away from the empire. He was killed in the eruption of Mount Keltam, but is remembered as the patron of the Northern Wind. He was also adopted by the Morhekan Kr'Rana Legion as their patron spirit.
***R'runu - like Kr'Rana, R'runu was adopted by a Morhekan military force, the R'runu Warrior creche, despite the fact that she never served in the military - she was a famous poet and philosopher in Keltam, and the only surviving child of Indara. She is remembered as the patron of the South Wind, and of the Kaaran continent as a whole.
***Torgu - patron of the West Wind, Torgu was the twin sister of Qiv'ra, and after her brother's death, became a hunter of some renown, eventually rendering the species of the beast that slew her brother utterly extinct. She too perished in the eruption of Mount Keltam.
**Shaitan - While Qun'dara watches the living, it is Shaitan that judges the dead, deciding which Halls they may reside in. Shaitan serves as a ferryman spirit, akin to Anubis or charon from Greek and Egyptian mythology, carrying the souls of the dead from the world of the living to that of the dead. He may have been based on various priests from the Keltash Empire, and reliefs depicting Shaitan have been uncovered in excavated Keltam.
**Detrasa - Detrasa welcomes the spirits of the dead to his Halls, taking them from Shaitan. Not true halls int he physical sense, each is an anfterlife dimension where the dead await reunion with loved ones and the start of the Great Journey. Detrasa serves as a ruler of the afterlife, like Osiris or Hades, with all the Halls of Detrasa serving as his realm. He may be based on Derta 'Keltam, a leader of the Keltash Empire.
== The Halls of Detrasa ==
The Kaaranese afterlife is a complicated realm, and has seen many changes. During the Keltashan Empire, it was regarded as a purgatory dimension, where a soul was tested before being reincarnated into an earthly body. Later, after the Second Exodus, the afterlife became a waiting period to move on to a higher plane of existence - essentially becoming a stop-over point upon a souls journey from the world of the living to the world of the dead. After the arrival of the Prophets, and the spreading of the Great Journey, this became the destination for which the dead awaited, but because they were forced to wait for the living to begin the Journey, the Kaaranese afterlife was forced to grow somewhat, its believers believing that it would have to to accomodate all the souls of the dead.
In traditional western Kaaranese mythology, the river Yathaweh divides the two worlds - while the river is, strictly speaking, a real body of water, it has often been ascibed a certain amount of mysticism. It was the buffer where Morhekan soldiers held the line against invading Mopadan infantry and cavalry for two weeks, and it was turned blood red after the Kotarq Massacre. Today, it has become the divide between the living world and the Halls of Detrasa, where Detrasa welcomes those who await the Journey to their waiting place. Legends hold that, on certain days in certain years, a person crossing the river can accidentally cross to the afterlife and return, bringing messages to loved ones. Others hold that corssing the river earns the favour or wrath of Detrasa himself, depending upon whether the crosser is pure of intentions or not. Since the spread of these myths, no enemy has ever considered invading Morheka by crossing the Yathaweh. Many of the towns and villages believe that sending a dead warrior down the river in a small boat will send his body intact to the spirit world, where he may train and wait for the day where he may aid the living along the Path. To the east of Kaaran, the divide is the river Tarandara, where similar myths are held about it - it is said that Morheka the Great visited both rivers during his pilgrimage, taking from each a small relic of the Gods. Certainly, both rivers flow through a reliquary - the Yathaweh passes through Quenyathar, while the Tarandara passes through Voltakra, where minor relics are often found scattered across the flat plains.
=== Halls of Weeping Shame ===
The Judgements of Shaitan have a heavy effect on where a soul resides after death. Those who do not measure up are sent to the Halls of Weeping Shame, where they must atone for past transgressions. The Halls of Weeping Shame are separated from the Halls Tears by the Great River Yathaweh/Tarandara, where they can see the occupants of the Halls of Tears - further punishment, seeing where they might have gone.
=== Halls of Tears ===
If the Halls of Weeping Shame can be compared to Christian purgatory, then the Halls of Tears are more akin to the Ancient Greek concept of Elysium - a place not too different to the living world, where the dead wait to join their loved ones. While they can also look across the water of Yathaweh/Tarandara, they instead see the living world - the tears of grief shed by the living form the waters of the Tarandara.
=== Halls of The Honoured ===
The Halls of the Honoured are where warriors and others who fell in battle await the Great Journey. In most regards, it resembles the Norse Valhalla closely, where the warriors train and feast, awaiting the day they are called upon to guide the living and dead together to Ascension, when the Great Journey begins. The Legion of Detrasa awaits there, preparing themselves physically and spiritually to protect those who will embark upon the Great Journey from the threats they may face - living warriors believe that they will be forced to battle the Abomination, or the Flood, while scholars insist that there other, far worse threats. Every inhabitant of the Halls of the Honoured carries a lamp, kindled with a fire taken from the Torch of Morheka, where the wisdom and truth of the Forerunners burns eternally, which they shall use to illuminate the path.