Olbut

Olbut is a a polytheistic and animist religion native to the Álfar.
===== Deities =====
Most deities rule over certain areas of nature and are worshiped by many different Álfar tribes. Shrines to these gods are carved from floating blue crystals. The most important deities are as follows:
====== God of sky ======
====== God of water ======
====== Goddess of fertility ======
====== Goddess of the hunt ======
====== Goddess of the moon ======
====== God of archery and wilderness ======
===== Mythology =====
Álfar have many myths about their gods and heroes which are passed down through oral folklore. 
===== Sacred animals =====
The Álfar are great hunters, since the harsh wilderness where they live forces them to be. Due to this, they have great respect for the animals they hunt. Among these sacred animals are bears, which are hunted during a ceremonial hunt after which the fur of the bear is worn out of veneration for the beast. Álfar also hold an affinity for all kinds of water birds, such as swans or ducks.
===== Shamanism =====
Álfar shamans are wise figures of the community with ties to the spiritual world. They are tasked with interacting with spirits of nature or ancestor spirits. 
===== Soul =====
Pagan Álfar belief about the soul is that the soul is composed of three beings. The first, known as the lifeblood, is present in a person’s breath, the warmth of their body and their heartbeat. Lifeblood is given at birth and taken away at death. The second being of one’s soul is the guardian spirit, which is given when someone grows their first teeth or receives their first name. This spirit presents itself in the form of luck and can be strengthened or lost. Newborns are especially vulnerable before they receive their guardian spirit. The third part of one’s soul is a spirit given around the time of birth said to grant an Álfar their personality. Like with the guardian spirit this third spirit can also be lost which results in great sorrow and illness until it is found.
===== Longevity =====
In order to extend their life, many Álfar seek the unity of the three parts of their soul through practices meant to help their physical, emotional and mental well being. Álfar master their inner flow of energy through meditation with the ultimate goal of immortality. This mastery of their soul, has caused many Álfar to reach old ages of several centuries.
===== Burial =====
Álfar bury their dead in graveyards with marked stones that serve as supernatural barriers from the land of the living and the dead. These stones are carved from the floating blue crystals which are abundant in the cold lands of the elves. 
After death, a soul would search for the land of the dead within one complete cycle of the moon. During this time a soul may visit their family until they move permanently to the afterlife. Cursed souls are forbidden from entering their afterlife and instead haunt the wilderness as restless spirits.
===== Ancestor Veneration =====
Álfar fear most spirits but look to the spirits of their ancestors for guidance. They offer sacrifices at sacred sites in order to commune with their ancestors.
===== Afterlife =====
Álfar believe their resting place lies at the bottom of Lake Sulus. It is a dark afterlife, of eternal sleep which shamans may enter through a ritual but this ritual risks the sudden death and rot of the shaman if they are caught by the dead.
Category:Álfar
Category:Faiths