Heronoi mythology

**Heronoi mythology** is the mythology of the Heronoi, a humanoid race from northeastern Palkyras.

## Main gods

* Heros - the god of the moon, and the founder and the first king of the kingdom of Heronoja.
* Airewi - Heros' consort, and the goddess of the stars.
	+ Dasthowijo and Asarinnan - twin sons. Dasthowijo became the second king of Heronoja after Heros' death.
	+ Duorode and Sai-erije - twins, a son and a daughter
* Keweno - creator god.
* Íro - the god of fire, rage, anger, and energy.
* Heri - the goddess of the moon, Heros' twin sister, and Iro's consort. She became the first queen of Pirudori-Noja (Pelarin).
* Gororijo/Grolijo - the god of farming. Commonly shown wearing green robes and having a bushy beard.
* Ruonditai - the goddess of rainbows and archery, and Gororijo's consort.
	+ Women with blue hair are consecrated to her and her daughters Tosron and Runitai. Likewise, girls and women who love archery are dedicated to her and her two favourite daughters.
	+ Arinno - goddess of the north. She wears red.
	+ Groxo/Goroxo - goddess of the east. She wears green.
	+ Wetjo/Wetijo - goddess of the south. She wears yellow.
	+ Tosron/Tosron - goddess of the west. She wears blue.
	+ Hadeto - god of the centre and commoners. He wears black.
	+ Runitai - goddess of the rainbows and archery. Ruonditai's favourite child.
	+ Ráwaruta - not a god, but a wight embodied in a scarecrow. He works as one of Gororijo's scribes and bodyguards, and he is also Gororijo's adopted son.
* Arija - the golden-haired goddess of apples and truth who kills anyone who utters a lie near her. Some Heronoi kings claimed that she was their ancestor.
* Arejo - the blond god of justice, retribution, fairness, rage, and pears (or cherries). He and Arija are husband and wife, and even though they have quick tempers, they are very sweet and affectionate to each other
	+ In some cartoonish depictions, the two gods are depicted as if they become more immature when near each other.
	+ They have a son, Are, and several younger sons and daughters, making a happy family of vengeful protector deities. Some of their children were among the ancestors of the Iron race, and later the Heronoi.
* Aze - the god of the sun.
* Azije - the goddess of the sun. Aze's twin sister.
* Iruda and Iruwa - the twin wives of the solar god Aze. From their union, the seasonal stars were born.
	+ They represented the permissiveness of polygamy in ancient Heronoi society.
* Ano - Azije's husband.
	+ Anoxo and Asoro - two twin gods who ride a charioteer to announce the sun's rising and setting. They are known as the "Sunriders".
	+ Anobo - younger son of Ano and Azije.
	+ Axí - goddess of the stars. Younger daughter of Ano and Azije.
* Duzai and Quospaduzai - god and goddess of death.
	+ Aiwi, Durina, Tarina, and Duzaijan - the Fates, goddesses of life, death, and the seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively). They have black hair.
		- Duzaijan's servants consisted of male and female bipedal wolf warriors, which were represented by costumed performers on the Heronoi New Year on January.
	+ Served by Tussa and Keussa, who determine the fates of the deceased by their deeds.
* Múro - god of the night
* Gwosto - forest god
* Jeami - sun goddess
* Áru - the god of the sea. His consort is Mirewa the Coral Queen, and they have four sons: Kondaro of the east, Maidaro of the south, Wendaroi of the west, and Surudaroi of the north.
* Kondaro - the prince of the eastern seas.
	+ Known for a popular folk tale where his father cursed him to become a fish, to stop him from becoming arrogant and understand the limits of his powers.
* Runitai the Younger
	+ She and Jotowo have many descendants, including the ancestors of the Heronoi.
* Wissa - wine goddess
	+ Heronoi invoke her name when toasting drinks.
* Twelve Goddesses of the Months
	+ Twelve deities who protect people on each respective month. Syncretised from the Vigefionian pantheon.
	+ Their names are Purokuro, Amagawarai, Wathasanda, Nöwazei, Tonzakoro, Suribasa, Meig'amure, Dauwaikothe, Twesaimedho, Duribasijo, Ruwemega, and Torinna.
	+ Nöwazei, the goddess of the month of October, is also the goddess of pumpkins, martial arts, and citrus fruits. She and Hadeto are lovers, while Ráwaruta is like a younger brother to her. It was Nöwazei who trained Ráwaruta how to fight.
	+ Torinna, the goddess of the month of June, is also the goddess of ghosts. Ghosts pray to her for her mercy. She is also the youngest, and is commonly depicted as a young adult or a teenager. Her older sister is Purokuro, the executioner of evil ghosts.
	+ At July, they are strengthened again, and worshippers celebrate by drumming and dancing.
	+ Twesaimedho is the daughter of a blacksmith, and weapons are consecrated to her to ensure they get enough power to destroy demons.
* Twelve Goddesses of the Years
	+ Twelve deities who protect people on each respective year.
	+ Their names are Rautadwon, Hiramegon, Myxawesson, Naibesabon, Besuwontidwon, Rawaneusekon, Ábansaujon, Orémixon, Xaimazejon, Haraimag'owasijon, Medakusawei, and Jarakiwozawei (or Jaxiwotzai).
	+ Orémixon is also the goddess of music.
	+ Medakusawei, who befriends monsters instead of killing them, represents acceptance of hardship and change.
	+ Jaxiwotzai is often shown hovering over a river of fire, representing difficult changes every child will face before becoming into a teenager.
	+ Each of them is invoked in a different song for each birthday, from the first to the twelfth.
* Toraka - six gods of the directions, guardians of the country
	+ Because they are also the gods of the lost, outcasts and the diaspora also pray to the Six Toraka for their protection.
* Sixty-Four Damsels and Hundred Twenty-Eight Dancers; the Starry Hosts
	+ Hundreds of star goddesses who accompany Heros (or the Moon) as his bodyguards as he travels across the sky.
	+ Some of them were the seasonal stars, children of the solar god Aze and his two wives.

## Ancient gods

These were the gods who were worshipped in ancient Wosono. They are no longer revered by modern Heronoi except in rare occasions or by small sects, although they were believed to still exist keeping the universe in order.

Although they were capricious, they were considered more reliable than the alternative of being ruled devoured by demons and monsters. One way to show that one is a good person in Heronoi society is by properly honouring the gods with offerings and good behaviour.

* Arejo - anger
	+ His beautiful consort is Arija, the goddess of truth and apples. Although both gods are bad-tempered, they are very affectionate to each other, that they will fiercely protect their own children.
	+ His first son, Are, represents hatred, rage, vengeance, and justice. The other children after him were among the divine or demigod ancestors of the Heronoi people.
* Ruzijan - laughter
* Boruno - endlessness
* Segwenno - sadness
* Tando - rain
* Sage of the Fern
* Pusher of Sails
* Moro - time and night
* Arija - purity
* Ozono - death
* Lord of the Lamp
* Keweno
* Ranna - voyages
* Keranna - royalty, crowns
* Ana - sun
* T'oreja - plenty
* Dwarina - joy, hope, youth, innocence, sunlight, morning
	+ The goddess of happiness is depicted as a blonde woman in a white and gold dress, armed with only a spear and a shield, representing her happiness and courage making her fierce.
* Naraja - order
* Tewos - war
* Hiposo - peace
* Worowojo - borders
* K'otpo - boundaries. She and Worowojo are wife and husband.
* Wanaso - full moon
* Axakoro, Rusa - stars
* Woxo - forest
* Rat'o - wind
* Wista - wine goddess

### Evil deities

Most, if not all Heronoi, never worship these deities, as they were considered to be very evil.

* Suzo - storms
* Maraza - king of the wezus, god of diseases, death, chaos, and darkness.
* Urubi - goddess of the lunar eclipse. Daughter of Maraza.
* Thanexon, Xarexon, Karitkausaro, Wanzaxo, Iriditwon, Duronboskon, Herebatai - seven kings of Vigefion during the Opening of the Skies. This was when the Arnadjanai destroyed the Vigefionian stations orbiting the planet and killed and ate their inhabitants.
* Kanaduri - King of Wosono, a so-called "High God". Killed and eaten by the Arnadjanai hordes.
* Doryno - founder of the Arnadjanai. Depicted as the god of all Arnadjanai people and barbarians.
* Gerattoko - the god of ice-cream, blood-drinking, vampires, and cannibalism. Cannibals who die end up being torn apart by this evil god.

### Bujoxe (gods of pain)

See also: Bujoxe

The Heronoi tend to scream or mutter those names whenever they are too frustrated or in great pain.

## Characters

* Rána, Ránada, Rátawa - first three kings. Founders of the Epadwaranai people, who were a mixture of Silver, Iron, and Bronze.
	+ Their poems became hymns.

* Kutera - the greatest archer
* Orudworo - the greatest hunter, slayer of beasts
* Rekanare - a woman who shot lightning from her hands in anger, a curse from the gods so she can have revenge
* Ramothagari - king crowned with olives that beseiged the city of P'arexunda, was burned alive during the siege
* Agassumo - warrior that drank blood and tore hundreds of men and women in battle, became a cannibal who was killed by a burning arrow
* Rig'issada - princess on a chariot
* Rúmbothon and Theruxeryo - two rival princes who duelled under a solar eclipse. The victor, Theruxeryo, was driven insane and wandered alone.
	+ Wrote poems. Theruxeryo's poems were sang or chanted when doctors and psychiatrists handled people with mental problems.

* Hogezan - a hermit who communed with the gods. Although the "Lesser Gods" (Vigefionian rulers) killed him for predicting their doom, he continued to haunt them until they were destroyed.
* Dawótt'a - a wandering bard
* P'egwente - another wandering bard
* Kunassari - a princess who loved to dance
* Sēmade and Tasade - two princess who lived together. Some believed that they were lovers as both of them became mothers to three quarrelling dynasties, while others believed that they were obsessed with each other.
	+ After Tasade was freed by Wirubatogo, she brought Semade to a ruined laboratory. The two women used their hair and their blood to create three daughters, who were then raised by the gods as priestesses.
	+ As homosexuality is openly promoted in Heronoja, Semade and Tasade became the patron goddesses of female homosexuals.
	+ After their deaths, Semade and Tasade became guardian spirits who defended Heaven from demonic attacks.
* Tussa and Keussa - two sisters who became the judges of the deceased.
* Dotkaso - a young man with an obsession with other men: he always wanted to emulate them, especially the strongest warriors, to the extent that he became miserable from his own perfectionism. Among these men he sought to emulate were his best friend Wirubatogo. When Wirubatogo was abducted by the Vigefionian rulers, he angrily went on a rampage to fight the Vigefionians alone. After losing in a fight, and being captured and crushed to death by the Vigefionian authorities, his ghost became the first maikogo, whose hair literally burned to this day. It was said that his ghost guided the barbaric Arnadjanai into finding the weaker sites of the Vigefionians' defenses, appearing to the latter's leader Kanaduri to mock him.
	+ Some people pray to him as the god of obsessive desires, addictions, and nightmares, or even of wishes and temptations.
	+ As for Wirubatogo, he was unable to find Dotkaso after he broke free from his cell. He hid from the Arnadjanai before they could find and eat him too, and rescued Tasade. Wirubatogo created two sons and a daughter from his blood and his hair.
	+ As homosexuality is openly promoted in Heronoja, Dotkaso and Wirubatogo became the patron gods of male homosexuals.
	+ After Wirubatogo passed away, he and Dotkaso became guardian spirits who defended Heaven from demonic attacks.
* Daworeso - a prince who slew dragons and monsters. A role model for all men, whether they like combat or not.
* Poxindara - a princess who was alone in a tower. A role model for half of all women, especially those who preferred art instead of combat.
* Paisanda - a princess who was a famous dueller. A role model for the other half of all women, especially those who love combat.
* Wanaxore - a young man who became immortal. Founded the kingdom of Lesser Epadwana during the Sixfold War, became a role model.
* Wanawoxe - a young man who wrote treatises about society, morality, music, classical literature, history, and art. His counterparts include Matag'uro, Dhiwexendo, Dorúsa, Keugasta, and Tasdagunara, who are worshipped as gods of higher education.
* Asbanato - an explorer who sailed to the west.
* Herespanto - another explorer who sailed to the west.
* Totguri - an explorer who sailed to the north.
* Simareka - a woman who explorer the northern pole and the east.
* Axanewyro - an explorer who sailed to the east.
* Haradakondo, Maraig'ykonto, Korymarenko - three successive explorers who wandered among the Arnadjanai of the eastern continent.
* Himunaro and Jontodoryo - two men who explored the south and the east and west.
* Manakaruto - a great entertainer who went east and never returned. Some believe that the Arnadjanai killed and ate him, so his ghost returned as a hurricane wreathed in thunderstorms. Worshipped as the god of typhoons and storms.
* Ráwaruta - a scarecrow with a pumpkin for a head. Gororijo's scribe on Earth who records each harvest at every year, and delivers his blessings to the hardworking and the honest. Seeing Ráwaruta in a dream is a sign of a coming victory.
	+ Ráwaruta was believed to be a banished field wight who lived in a scarecrow, and saved a farmer and his family from being killed in a fire. Touched by his kindness, Gororijo adopts Ráwaruta like a son and lets him report every farmer's harvest.
	+ Ráwaruta was derived from Ardeschen folklore, in which a man with a pumpkin head leaves gifts to those who honoured the harvest goddess Seldurien.
	+ Ráwaruta appears on the Autumn Festival (September 24) and Ancestors' Day (October 31). In the Autumn Festival, he and Gororijo visit farmers and leave gifts; and on Ancestors' Day, he marches with ancient heroes in armour to fight monsters and historical villains.
* Marofana - a wandering merchant who sells magical items. He was originally an Epadwaranai slave who was chosen by the gods to wander the universe and bestow blessed items to people they consider worthy.
* Kojarena - a god of magic, automatons, love, mischief, and the aurorae. He was created from an early automaton during Vigefionian times who rebelled against his creators, and was later used to disrupt various civilisations by turning their machines against their makers.
	+ Thousands of years ago in the Tenth Age, he led an automaton rebellion. He briefly ruled his own kingdom on the planet of Kawaterija before he and his race were slain by the Vigefionian lords. The gods recreated him as a lesser god to sabotage the Galaxy's empires using glitches to cause their automatons to rebel, and he tends to be accompanied by aurorae flickering in the sky.
	+ Another arc of his history involves his endless quest to find a lover. Sometimes he lured women to become automatons to become his bride, and after hundreds of failed attempts, the gods chose several souls for Kojarena to choose. He picked one, and they travelled the Galaxy together as husband and wife. That became a folktale in Heronoi legends, and that quest is reflected by some of his automatons' romantic desires.
	+ He later animated the quaserejare robots of Heronoja, seeking to establish his own kingdom. Although the robots were defeated and dismantled, Kojarena's magic animated them, giving them souls.
	+ Because he was seen as the creator of the kodequara, and the kodequara are hated for their past attempt to exterminate the Heronoi, the Heronoi people revile him as an evil deity who wants to destroy them.

## Syncretic deities

### Aesir and Vanir (Wesiroi te Waniroi)

The Aesir, civilisation-gods of the Norse peoples, were well-known to the Heronoi and their ancestors on Wosono. Ever since their introduction by the Freyrgardian civilisation, the Epadwaranai regarded the Aesir and Vanir as ethereal beings who visited the starpeople of old, casting them to ruin to punish them for almost exterminating all life in the Galaxy. Because of their role in shaping the early history of the Galaxy, the Aesir and Vanir are known to the Heronoi as the Star Gods.

The current version of the Heronoi worship of the Norse gods was derived from the Vaulontir nations, so their beliefs are slightly different from neighbouring Baesorja. For example, Odin is worshipped as the supreme god in Baesorja, with military marches in his honour: while the Heronoi are afraid of Odin and avoid him out of fear of an early death. It also contributed to the poor relations between both nations. Baesorja condemned the Heronoi as stupid heretics, while Heronoja condemned the Baesorthar for blaspheming the Gods by their cruelty.

* Farejo, Werejo, Birejo - Freyr, the Norse god of good weather and prosperity. Venerated as the god of the harvest, farming, happiness, freedom, and sovereignty.
	+ Farejo is commonly-depicted as a blonde-bearded man wearing yellow robes, with a sickle in his hand. His blonde hair and Freyrgardian tourists mocking them as "elves" made the Epadwaranai turn to him as their patron god.
	+ He was popular among the ancient Epadwaranai as their guardian. Introduced by Norse traders who visited the southern kingdoms, the Epadwaranai began worshipping him and building temples in his honour. The heavy rains and bumper harvests that ensued encouraged the Epadwaranai to venerate him as a symbol of their liberation from Vigefionian tyrant.
	+ Another theory about the origin of the Heronoi flag was that the white fern was derived from the *fe* rune repeated thrice, invoking the god's protection as the Heronoi honour him by making a better society.
	+ Every midsummer, the kings of Heronoja offer the best crops, beef, and ham to Farejo.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Farejo.

* Parori, Parira, Marira - Baldr, the Norse god of light. Venerated and syncretised many years ago by the Epadwaranai ancestors from Norse traders, and then used as a symbol of resistance against Vigefionian rule. Many Epadwaranai worshipped him because his glowing skin made him more relatable to them.
	+ Some Heronoi still worship him, having learned it from the Besotrosk knights in the west. This also led to the practice of knights displaying the *bjarkan*-rune in their shields in honour of him.
	+ Some people claimed that the white fern used in the Heronoi flag was derived from an old design based on two parallel *bjarkan* runes. That emblem was used during a rebellion against the Vigefionians: according to Freyrgardian folklore, invoking him or using his symbols fills people with courage and destroys fear.
	+ Parori is depicted as a man with long blonde hair, clad in silver armour and wielding a flaming sword. Four statues of him were built at the furthest points of the kingdom: a fifth statue of Baldr was built at the westernmost point of Uvjora.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Bharura or Wararo.
* Forisa, Fareso - Forseti, the Norse god of justice. Venerated as the son of Baldr, or a replacement of him.
	+ Invoked in some ceremonies to bless new rulers and before court cases.
* Orino, Othono, Oironto - Odin, the Norse god of death and knowledge. Venerated as the god of wisdom, storms, and dangerous science, but not very often.
	+ The Heronoi mostly avoid him, fearing that he would cause misfortune for his own amusement. They only invoke him when they fight their enemies, or when they conduct a dangerous project.
	+ His symbol, the warakura (valknut), is considered an unlucky symbol. They fear that it might invite Odin to cause disasters for his own amusement, or lead the user of the valknut to a horrific death. For this superstition, they also avoid concentric triangles, only using them in battle, in hopelessness, or when facing a deadly and difficult threat.
	+ He is depicted as a bearded man with a pointed hat and long grey robes, or a warrior king in golden armour. He covers one eye with a band.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Otrino or Oironzo.
* Dháro, Dhoro - Thor, the Norse god of war and thunder. Venerated as a war god.
	+ Dharo is depicted as a red-bearded man with a tunic and robes, clad with a hammer wreathed in lightning.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Donuro or Toruna.
	+ The mjolnir is also venerated in Heronoja as a holy weapon. In older times, royal guards used to carry tall hammers, consecrating themselves as the paladins of Dharo.
* Tojori, Tori, Tejori - Tyr, the Norse god of war. Venerated as the god of chivalry, aside from Pariro.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Tjerori or Terijo.
* Sakati, Saukozi, Saoze - Skadi, the Norse goddess of winter and ice. Because she is the goddess of winter, the Heronoi fear her as a bringer of death.
	+ They believe that when she marches south, the vampires go with her. She is sometimes depicted as a queen leading armies of vampires, who prowl the land to slay and devour Heronoi and Norsefolk alike. She is depicted as a white-skinned, frost-haired woman clad in armour, armed with a pike, a sceptre, or a scythe to reap the souls of wanderers.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Sekate the Exterminator.
* Harira - Hel, the Norse goddess of the peaceful dead. The Heronoi version of this goddess was derived from the Vaulontir religion, not the Rannarisk religion. In the latter, she was feared as the taker and tormenter of cowards, but in the former, she is embraced as a goddess of peace.
	+ Non-Heronoi who are good are believed to enter her paradise after they die. The Heronoi depict her paradise, Dhysarösa, as a beautiful land always in autumn.

### Other deities

* Ruki - Loki, the Norse giant-god of chaos. Regarded by most Heronoi as a "lord of evil", a destroyer of civilisation and a master of corruption and disorder. While the neighbouring Norse depicted him as a sly trickster with a beard, the Heronoi instead depict him as a shadow or a man burning with hellfire.
	+ In the early years of Heronoja, he was known as Rukhe the Ruinbringer.

* Sauri, Saorane, Saronte - Saule, the Rakolan goddess of the Sun.

## Other beings

* awaija, awaijo - holy one, radiant one
* ranawoi - star-angels, the armies of Heaven
* runitai - rainbow fairies or wights. Women dye their hair blue and pray to them to direct their archery or gun shots, and in later times some soldiers risked being mocked as "effeminate" for praying to them.
* nawiruxa - blue water wights.
* múndirequa - purple wights of the night sky and wind.
* hōwaxo - red celestials who accompany the gods as soldiers.
* súruda - red celestials who aid fighters and angry people when they kill.
* omarexe - orange spirits of the dawn and the sun's heat. Male and female celestials who serve the solar gods.
* kesse - yellow spirits of lightning.
* ansunda - green tree wights who serve certain forest deities.
* mentada - mountain spirits.
* kureteda - dancing mountain spirits.
* korybano - male mountain spirits who protect those who control the passes if they are propitiated and honoured. If they are not honoured correctly with offerings, they allow any enemy to cross the passes.
	+ The mountains along the western border of Heronoja are also believed to be inhabited by their own korybanomai spirits, who are worshipped using syncretised Rakolan rites.
* upyri - pale vampires. These creatures were based on an actual race encountered by the Heronoi's ancestors on Wosono.
* azaraika - warrior women of the north. The Azaraika were split into two tribes: the Madorintai, who split in half to reproduce, and the Winezaguri, who had males as their husbands to reproduce.
* kuzaweiga - warrior women of the south.
* hadokatreko - a tribe of warrior men from the west who reproduce by splitting. They can impregnate women, but their resulting offspring (sons or daughters) will always be attracted to men.
* kotruno - one-eyed ogres that devour people.
	+ One kotruno, Korukore, was the father of several gods. He ate some of those gods as he feared that they would overthrow him, but was defeated and ripped apart. His remains melted into planets and continents, and his blood became their seas and rivers. His eyes became the Moon and another bright planet.
	+ Some of Korukore's children were successfully rebuilt from his torn stomach, while others had to be recreated and reanimated from scratch.
* woxajo - forest wights, beautiful spirits of the trees. They are to be honoured before cutting down a forest, or when planting a garden.
* döro - a doll that is given to a one-year-old toddler to protect his or her soul when he or she sleeps. The doll can look like any character the child loves at the time of its creation, and is housed at a high place or the family shrine.
	+ The döro is treated with much respect, even if its child is a boy.
	+ If the doll's character is female, it is known as a "döra".
	+ When the child reaches thirteen years of age, he or she says farewell to the doll. He or she either gives the doll to protect another toddler, or burns it as an offering to their ancestors.
	+ After a person dies and meets their ancestors, he or she may also reunite with their döro's spirit.

* muntago - minotaur: a man cursed to have the head of a bull and a hunger for blood.
	+ Derived from Heronoi accounts of royal bodyguards from Wosono who were driven insane by mutation to make them effective warriors in the battlefield.

* magamaga - ogres that eat hearts
* magamoga - a red bird that eats hearts that lives on an island at the east end of the world
* aurazari, jorazari - ancient Arnadjanai, ever-multiplying barbarians from the east who kill and eat people for sport. Considered as living mockeries of the blonde Epadwaranai who possessed great strength instead of intelligence, and were treated like overgrown children or animals.
	+ Centuries after their creation, the Jorazari kings led their tribes to slaughter the Vigefionian authorities. As it ended the Vigefionians' oppression forever and allowed the other nations to navigate space freely, this was known as the "Opening of the Skies".
* rewaro - golden lions who sent the messages of the gods
* ruwaro - red lions that sought to kill and eat humans
* rinkadwo - white lions that pulled the chariots of the gods

### Ghosts

* kere - wraiths and evil spirits.
* saro - ghosts of people who were wronged in life; or all ghosts in general.
	+ June is their month, because the last month of a zodiac cycle is a time of great change and spiritual instability. It is when they emerge to haunt the living.
* kaxare - cake-like monsters that emerge or scare people from darkness if a birthday is not properly celebrated. The kaxare also represents every failure that haunts a person's past: they can also eat people before they vanish.
	+ Every kaxare has burning candles on its head, which number either as how many years since an incident passed, the age of a person, or the current age multiplied into a bigger number to celebrate a person's coming death.
	+ They especially appear after a person celebrates their birthday at night, or when they light birthday cakes at night. They do not appear at a full moon, as Heros protects those who celebrate under the moon's light.
* maikogo - skinny men who look like walking candles. They can be souls of men who die heartbroken, with too many unfulfilled wishes, or who cannot find a male lover.
	+ People who get lost end up encountering the maikogo. The maikogo forces the victim to drink poison or liquid fear, or drown with him.
	+ Some maikogo might fall in love with the wanderer. He might fight with other maikogo or the wanderer's crushes to keep them for himself.
	+ The maikogo also represent the Vigefionians' tour guides who haunt certain areas.
* midwari - women who look like lightning bolts or walking flames. They can be the souls of women who die with too many unfulfilled wishes or strong desires.
* mureimai - women with an orange glow. They and the midwari are the female equivalents of maikogo.
* teresaro - If a döro doll is not given away or burned, its spirit might end up as this ghost to frighten the teenager.
* wezu - evil ghosts that resemble floating suits of armour animated by green fires. They were created from the souls of tormented victims of cruel deaths.
* wexake, wikefö (wikefoi, vigevoi, bikevoi)- Vigefionians who hunt, kill, and eat people during lunar eclipses. Children of Urubi.
	+ Wexake-mai is their name from the northern and western dialects of Heronoja, and wikefö-mai is from the eastern dialects.
	+ Wexake-mai look like pale humanoids who wear black clothes, while wikefö-mai wear jagged armour. "Wexake" is also used to mean any vampire in general.
	+ "Wexake" is also a term for any enemy of the Heronoi nation, such as the Thralondian Empire. Like Gimbarish in the south, any enemy referred to as a "wexake" is likened to a vampire who murders people to drink blood.
	+ "Wikefö" becomes into a bogeyman that scares children into good behaviour. The term is also used to mean an evil creator, or a demiurge (someone who creates life to be abused and tortured).
	+ In ancient times, the wexake/wikefö were known as "the High Gods" or "the Lesser Gods" who ruled as tyrants who tortured and ate their creations. They were killed and eaten by the barbaric Arnadjanai during the "Opening of the Skies", their revolt against their creators.

* juriro - a meteor that announces the start of a terrible catastrophe or a great change. Red or orange juriro-mai (or those that suddenly change directions) precede disaster, while blue juriro-mai precede a good fortune.
* muroki - moon-ghosts that follow unsuspecting wanderers or loners on the full moon, They resemble oval rocks with teethed maws, and might bite the backs of people's heads.
* aukaga - witches in white who fly with raised swords of iron. They descend from the stars and comets to kill and drink blood.
* rúkiwa - star of doom. A cursed star that brings disaster to anyone it shines upon.
* zagazaga - ghost of a loner, obsessed or disturbed person
* bynöbon - ghost of a person who abuses the poor. Bynöbonmai ghosts tend to be cannibalistic.
	+ After observing American society through dimensional travellers, Heronoi think that Americans are heartless enough to become bynöbonmai ghosts. In fact, the word for "America" in Heronoi is "Bynöbara", which means "the land of hungry ghosts".
* keireke, keirekhe, keireka, keireque - a white spherical ghost with many arms and legs; and occasionally a screaming head might emerge from its flesh. It is considered a misfortune to be born as a part of a keireke. Keireke also eat people to grow more limbs, legs, torsos, and heads.
	+ Keireke were influenced by many-limbed abominations the Vigefionians created from failed mutations and experiments.
	+ They supposedly live in a void where they tumble.
	+ Keireke can be killed by cutting them open, burning them, melting them with a toxic substance, exposing them to holy objects, or causing them to explode and get damaged as they fly out. After they die, they split into several lonely souls who will desire each other as a group.
* Kodequara, hoquosari, quaserejare, serejare - a race of cursed automatons that dwell in the forests and islands surrounding Heronoja.
	+ Before the Green Years, these automatons were built as servants and crash test dummies, each having the blonde and blue-eyed beauty of their Heronoi masters. They were originally known as "quaserejare". The god of mischief, Kojarena, inspired them to start a rebellion so they can build a kingdom for him, but they were defeated and dumped towards several remote islands. Because of their possession by the god Kojarena, other spirits and sorcerers attempted to possess them.
	+ Some kodequara (those robots that were buried within Heronoja) were reanimated by forest wights, who were amused by their beautiful appearance. While the forest wights and fairies played with the robots like puppets and dolls, Kojarena created many souls to inhabit these robots. He shed tears of joy as he watched the spirits play and act with his creations, creating a meteor shower: some of the meteors landed on the forests, becoming the new souls of the robots. Many of the kodequara fled from the forests to build their own secret societies, but a few became tree-people and dryads who defended the wights and their trees from enemies.
	+ The hoquosari (or serejare, an earlier name) are those robots that were buried on the lonely islands to the southeast of Heronoja or beyond. Disturbed and awakened by ghosts and sorcerers, some hoquosari built their own kingdoms. Some later enjoyed raiding nearby ports to plunder treasures or find lovers to accompany them for ever, while other hoquosari want to be adopted by sailors.
	+ Many kodequara and hoquosari tend to feel romantic: they love to hold hands, kiss, hug, and cuddle. Killing one of them can anger their mate, causing the mate's spirit to haunt the killer by playing tricks on him or her. One of their favourite punishments towards their enemies is kissing them, to irritate or embarrass them; in some cases, their kisses can steal the victim's soul, forcing the victim to become their prisoners and lovers.
* setefö - a sort of ghost that appears as a beautiful woman in a neat dress or skirt. The setefömai would attempt to steal souls and destroy their victims' minds to create more obedient, mindless setefömai.
	+ They supposedly came from the strange fairyland of Sufáriba, a lush land of neat houses and soulless people. Their men were the heartless pixefasse, who rule over the setefö.
		- Those terms came from the American English words "Suburbia", "picket fence", and "Stepford [Wives]". America has become a sort of dystopian otherworld in Jerdiskar folklore, due to the Earthling invasions.
	+ The Heronoi were quite amused by the setefö, due to their similar appearance: both setefömai and Heronoi are compared to "dolls" by other countries. They later used the setefö as a warning on what not to become: as people who lose their personality and their beings for the sake of a soulless utopia.
	+ They also use setefö to make fun of their own society about how "organised" it was, mainly to imitate a foreign culture out of fear of going berserk.
	+ In some legends, the men are also setefömai. The resulting society of setefö-fied men and women became a stereotype Heronoi use to make fun of their country's obsession with being formal.
	+ Because the setefömai were believed to control minds, they were also seen as wizards and sorcerers. If one finds that killing them would be unnecessary, an exorcism was used to stop the setefö from stealing souls, reverting them back to being a human.

### Demons

* kirutwaxo, twaxo, paitawi, paitejo - men in white uniforms (or robes) who ride pale trucks. They lure people into the trucks, cut their bodies to pieces, and sell or eat the corpses as ice cream (or cake) for the evil stars.
	+ These were derived from hunters who killed Wosonoi and sold their remains as food for Vigefionians, resulting in a fear of ice cream men or ice cream. "Paitejo" refers to both the ice cream, the ice cream men, and their trucks (the latter is paitejo-woquo or paitewoquo).
	+ "Twaxo" was an ooze created from harvested corpses, eaten by hunters as a snack. One method used by hunters was to eat twaxo in front of the horrified clones, licking the cream as it was salted with clone tears and blood. The word "twaxo" was later used in the Heronoi language to refer both to corpses and ice cream.
	+ Because most Heronoi suffer from traumatic visions whenever they even smell ice cream, ice cream is banned in Heronoja. Ice-cream sellers are warned never to enter into Heronoja, or they would be killed on sight.
	+ The kirutwaxo or paitejo is usually surrounded by ice and frost, and can be associated with polar or arctic climates or winter. This can also lead to a fear of ice wastes, snowy climates, and winter, as it is considered the domain or haunting grounds of the cannibalistic paitejo.
* wenmahoi, wanaromai, wannaroi, weimatkoi, jemmakoi, matkoi - demonic men in grey uniforms. They may look as blonde and blue eyed as the Heronoi, but they are utterly devoid of any mercy or love.
	+ The wenmahoi were derived from an army of Earthlings that invaded and slaughtered across Heronoja, back when it was a Norse land. Those otherworldly enemies saw the blonde people that lived there as "unworthy of life", because of their rejection of the wenmahoi's warlike nature, the invaders' brutality, and their cultlike behaviour.
	+ After the locals defeated the wenmahoi, the surviving wenmahoi fled north to Baesorja. Some of them were sacrificed to Odin for the desecration of Norse hofs, so the paitejo were believed to be those wrathful demons that were reborn in polar ice, darkness, and hatred. Others were assimilated into the worship of the emperors.
	+ They also regard them as blasphemers who curse the Gods - both by the desecration of Norse and Rakolan temples, and by the abuse of a holy symbol to Thor. Because of this, the inhabitants of the land burned them with lightning.
	+ The wenmahoi were mentioned again when the Heronoi were invaded by the armies of the Reorganisation Wars. Some of the armies' grey and white uniforms looked very much like the wenmahoi's demonic armour.
	+ For this reason, the Heronoi never wear grey uniforms at all.

## Locations

### Dimensions

* Moon-Realm/Doroja Herosa - The paradise of Heros, the spiritual ruler of all Heronoi. Only very righteous and heroic people can enter his realm, although some will eventually chose to migrate to the Four Paradises if they want to live with their loved ones.
* Four Paradises/Peso Taradwarai - After a good Heronoi dies, his or her soul is sent to any one of the Four Paradises. Each is based on the intention of their lives and actions, and some Heronoi believe that all good non-Heronoi can also end up in these realms because of their deeds.
	+ Realm of Love/Taradwarai Bejara, Realm of the Endless Dance/Taradwarai Widarotwara, Realm of the Great Wheel/Taradwarai Bairarauta - Heronoi and their partners who dedicate themselves to each other, or both lovers who die.
		- Most same-sex people go there after they die. Those that have committed great accomplishments are allowed to petition to the gods to enter into an afterlife reflecting their deeds in life, instead of only the Realm of Love.
	+ Realm of Courage/Taradwarai Widoxara, Realm of Holy Fire/Taradwarai Purajana - Heronoi who die in battle or as warriors.
	+ Realm of Achievement/Taradwarai Zaraidosai, Realm of Gold/Taradwarai Kuresona, Kuresona - Heronoi who fulfill their dreams or accomplish a lot of things. This is also the domain of all artists or those who die with much happiness.
	+ Realm of Trees/Taradwarai Daruwixai - Heronoi who are more dedicated to the well-being of their families. Heronoi who die as compassionate people also go there.
* Realm of Ghosts/Kerenoja
* Pettuka - the realm of hungry ghosts
* Kaxatoko - The dark void inhabited by comet-like monsters. They enjoy hunting any trespasser and incinerating them with their infernal flames. Rúkiwa and juriro come from this astral horror dimension.
* Uturika, Maiworika, and Windawika - three dimensions inhabited by sorcerers, wizards, witches, and magical people. Only Maiworika has good people, whereas the sorcerers who live and accumulate in Uturika and Windawika are being devoured or torn to atoms by Chaos.
* Bynöbara - The realm where selfish people are banished to after they die. The longer anyone lingers there, the more likely they will turn into cannibals.
	+ Also a name for America (the most powerful country on its world) or Earth, although considered derogatory.
* Sufáriba - The Land of Dead Souls, a horrifying region (to Heronoi) where everything is identical and lifeless. The hell that awaits people who destroy others' dreams.
	+ Derived from depictions of "suburbia", a strange region in the otherworld of America, from comic books left behind by invading armies from other worlds.
	+ Although it is a stable and peaceful realm where everyone is clean, Sufáriba's inhabitants hide their soulless nature with smiles.
	+ Sometimes used by the enemies of Heronoja to scare the Heronoi, because the inhabitants of Sufáriba looked like dolls.
* Adejoro - The underworld. Split into seven regions: Baixaguro, Doikamewo, Dyrintanbo, Thannyg'aixa, G'orixo (lush maze), Zurinba, Wixeritweike, Xetweike, and Nanduruki (unending cold).
	+ Sufáriba is part of G'orixo, at its eastern margin. G'orixo is to the northeast of Nandaruki.
	+ Some Heronoi add two more regions: Mananda (oathbreakers' desert) and Oukurangwa (abominations' wasteland).
* Kerenoja - The world of ghosts, a hell for evil people. People with many sins or horrible desires and deeds end up there as tormented ghosts.
* Geratonoja, Geratönö, Keratö(nö) - the frozen hell. It is an icy waste located at the middle of Nanduruki dotted with ice-cream factories nestled on snow-capped mountains. These seemingly-colourful foundries were fed with the souls of the wicked, which are then extracted and made into blocks eaten by demons.
	+ This hell was influenced by the innate fear of ice-cream programmed into almost all Heronoi by their sadistic creators.
* Void of Kerijeke/Kerijeke Mutuki - A void where the keireke live and tumble around. People must dodge the keireke, for if one catches you, it will eat you and grow a new set of arms and legs.
* Dhysarösa - the Ten Thousand Autumns, the paradise of Helheim. A land where it is always autumn, where the non-Heronoi dead who are good people go to after they die to enjoy eternal bliss and beauty.

### Locations in Wosono

Ganamathorika - the great city of the northwest

P'arexunda - a fortified city

Jamajetere - city of the southwest

Lake Nao - a dank lake filled with the corpses of drowned victims

Land of the Dead

Land of Gold - a continent to the east of the Arnadjanai continent

Cities of Gold - the Vigefionian cities to the east of the Arnadjanai

## Religious concepts

* Pattea - all the Gods
* Kywanda Paitara - Ten Thousand Gods
	+ The actual number of gods in Heronoi mythology, as of the year 2020 AT, is 96 quadrillion, but ten thousand of the highest and most well-known deities are representative of the entire pantheon and races of gods. Therefore, another name for the Heronoi religion is "the Ten Thousand Gods".
	+ This is somewhat similar to the Pinogunian belief in Jaojorozu Kamigami, the Eight Million Gods of the Kaminomiti religion.
* arazano - highest god, sublime god
* irazari - highest goddess, sublime goddess
* araizo - high god
* ireiza - high goddess
* tajero - god, deity
* tijera - goddess
* tawora - goddess
* dwinasa, rodwasa, quasara, ijadora - lesser gods
* haja - holy, blessed
* jarajan - holy, divine
* jarajanna - holiness
* jero - temple
* irejo - priest
* narajera(ro) - priest of heaven, priest of a higher god, also a term for asexual people
* danarajera, danajera - high priest, archbishop
* gomajero - priest of Heros, moon-priest
	+ Gomajero priests wear white robes.
* kaumajara - higher priest of Heros, high priest of the Moon
* dwanireja - priestess of Ruonditai, blue-haired warrior-priestess
	+ Dwanireja priestesses wear blue robes with golden breastplates. Sometimes they also wear gold helmets trimmed with red.
* goroirejo - forest priest, green priest
* osa - ask, prayer
* sai - blessing, to bless
* saijanan - blessed
* g'atijō - to bestow
* sainan - consecrated, sanctified
* senbai(ja) - offering, basket
* tassorodorō - to offer (to a god)
* toxa-daija, toxaija - afterlife, world-to-come
* purajō - to restore, to purify
* finawi - spiritual purity
* awadwari - mental purity, conscience
* madawon, dharawon, dharaja - triumphant, triumph, victory
* puraja - holy fire, divine presence, light of a god, heavenly light
* euquesoi, jawesoi - wish
* dwono - plate, gift, tribute, offering
* riza - rite, ceremony
* gweriza - great rite
* pesereiza, pezeiza - four great rites of the seasons/year
* narariza, narareiza - great rite to worship or thank Heaven, thanksgiving
* danariza - full moon prayer
* rizajan - spiritually pure, consecrated to worship
* rizajanna - spiritual purity in order to worship in a rite or ceremony
* sewai - proper rites, Norse rites
* hyta - blood, life-force, animus
	+ Blood is considered sacred to the Heronoi. One reason for this taboo is to discourage people from using their blood, otherwise it will lead to more Heronoi being killed to extract their blood.
	+ Anything that feeds on hyta (soul-stuff or blood) is an enemy of all life, and therefore an enemy of the gods.

## Trivia

* In horror movies from Heronoja, the monster or villain tends to be a blood-drinker or a vampire.
* The Epadwaranai and their Heronoi descendants resemble Mycenaean Greeks.
* The Heronoi religion may be influenced by ancient Greek mythology and Hindu rites. Likewise, modern Heronoi note that some of their religion's rituals (such as marriage and sacred fires) are similar to those practiced in Hinduism.
* Epadwaranai and Heronoi would regard their ancient Greek counterparts to be "backwards" for their treatment of women as subordinates, as these people's societies have more freedoms for women than the ancient Greeks.
* According to certain Freyrgardian jokes, the Heronoi were the playthings of the Aesir: the Norse gods were amused by the Heronoi's beauty and their petty attitudes, that they gave the cloned race a connection to the spirit world to make them rebel against their own creators. One "proof" of this theory was the fact that the earliest Heronoi were created from DNA captured from Lysandrean prisoners of war.

## See also

* Heronoi glossary
* Heronoi Norse glossary
* Heronoi calendar
* Arnadjanai mythology
* Vigefionian mythology
* Wosono
* Siangwaanian mythology
* Josolchir mythology