Sarmelonid pantheon

The **Sarmelonid pantheon** (Wainaksiltar Sarmelonidō/Wozonidō) is the variant of Vozonid religion that is practiced during the Sarmelonid Empire's age.

## High gods

Three gods are venerated as the highest deities during Sarmelonid times: Zomjonor, Pjosaroz, and Tarhunz. Zomjonor represents the people of the empire, Pjosaroz represents the authority of the emperors, and Tarhunz symbolises victory over evil and the gods using the Sarmelonids as instruments of their divine will.

Together they are represented as a trident: Zomjonor with his emerald, Pjosaroz with his spinel, and Tarhunz with his diamond.

* Zomjonor - The Vozonid god of gryphons, dreams, the moon, and the Vozonid people.
* Pjosaroz - The four-headed Vozonid god who defends the universe.
* Tarhunz - The Gauvajut god of thunder, weather, and the favour of the Heavens.

## Gauvajut gods

* Hannahanna - The goddess of the earth.
* Arinna - The blonde goddess of the sun.
* Purulli - The goddess of the harvest. She and Arinna are the daughters of Tarhunz and Hannahanna.
* Telebinoz - The son of Tarhunz and Hannahanna, and the god of technology and war.
* Sarrumbol - The chief son of Tarhunz and Hannahanna, and the god of leadership and authority.
* Khasamalin - The god of knowledge, science, and technology.
* Kaurosipaz - The goddess of medicine and healing.

## Other gods

* Kalandil - The god of time.
* Nimboz - The god of age and entropy.
* Sammakari - The god of the sea.
* Lauwariz - The goddess of the sea, consort of Sammakari.
* Athuzol, Rjesazol, Rindaisol, and Graudaros - The four sons of Sammakari and Lauwariz, and the kings of the four directions within the seas.
* Sūwal and Sūwalijaz - The god and goddess of death. They judge every soul who has died.
	+ Their mount is a chariot pulled by two flaming hyenas.
* Thosornon - The god of scholars.
* Tuoroz - The god of war and fury.
* Taimeoz - The god of strategy.
* Tolezjoz - The god of weapons. He, Tuoroz, and Taimeoz are triplet-brothers.
* Māwajoz - the Mamaovian sea god and king, Lord Māui, venerated in Vozonid religion as the patron and master of the Western Hemisphere, travel, the weather, and its oceans. Travellers pray to him before going anywhere to the Western Hemisphere of Jerde (Mamaovia's islands, Bujan, Daizhou, Prisapura, etc.) or sailing westward.
	+ Some Mamaovians claimed that the independence of Bujan and other colonies from Vozonid rule was secretly aided by Mawajoz, who controlled the weather to allow them to prevail and expel the Vozonids.
* Lonoz, Lonoroz, Ronnoz - the Hilan god of art, justice, and peace, Lord Lono or Rongo. The Mamaovian kingdoms, former allies to the Sarmelonid Empire, suggested that worshipping Māui was improper, so the Vozonids should instead pray to Lono. For blessings related to travelling by sea or the Western Hemisphere (where Hila and other Mamaovian allies still exist today), Sammakari the sea god was enough.
	+ In some universities, Lono is worshipped before festivals related to classical art, to seek his blessings.
* Tūmataunoz - Tūmatauenga, the Hiriwan god of war. Popularised at the same time when relations between Vozolaz and Hiriwa grew, causing some Sarmelonid regiments to pray to him to seek his blessings against their enemies before battle.
* Tanthjarnoz - The god of technology.
* Sixteen Dancers - The goddesses of classical art, time, the months, and the seasons.
* Nine Sages - Nine heroes that fought against various threats.
* Deiroz - The god of crossroads, travel and commerce.
* Irjaz - The solar goddess.
* Khotton - The lunar god, and Zomjonor's scribe.
* Ōțonōr - The god of bonfires, fire, torches, light, heat, courage, success, cremations (for good people and heroes), and victory.
	+ Ōțonōr also oversees every funeral held for righteous people, where he is invoked to prepare the soul for either Paradise, or ascension to godhood. It was believed to be he who dresses heroic souls and escorts them to a divine palanquin borne by four gryphons, who will take the soul to Heaven to become a protector god.
	+ Ōțonōr covers the soul of the deceased with a red-orange cloak.

## Minor deities

* Ták'ol, Iwandoi, Džōrul, Sæjanoz, Ljurokhon, and Žirazelon - six war gods invoked by the military. They represent speed and accuracy, morale, leadership, order, courage, and fury.

## Older pantheons

The gods commonly-known in modern times as the "Sarmelonid gods" are the deities venerated during Ratirminoz's time. Before that, the Sarmelonids of old worshipped different gods over the span of their civilisation's millennia of existence.

### Old Sarmelonid era

These were the gods worshipped during the reign of Emperor Sarmelon I.

Some of the gods during Silojennid times were also venerated by Sarmelon I.

* Tarakhonzo - Tarhunz, supreme king of Heaven and patron of the Gauvajut civilisation. Venerated as the lord of civilisation and the destroyer of evil.

### Sīlojennid era

These were the gods worshipped during the reign of Emperor Silojennoz. These were simply Sarmelonid gods who were renamed after their equivalents in the Perenian pantheon.

* Ranaroz - the Creator and Smith
* Jawatarai - the Mother and Gardener
* Danarod - the Celestial Dancer
* Akāla - the Weaver. Also the goddess of time: considered an aspect of Kali.
* Toronar, Wjorodar, and Mjarodar - the three gods of war. They are brothers.
* Dāradoz - the Lord of War and Leadership
* Isuorau - the Great Teacher, the Lord of Wisdom. Considered an aspect of Ishvara, who in turn is an aspect of Shiva.
* Shuratoz - the Hunter
* Autshazra - the Lord of Archers
* Metsharoz - the Lord of Swords
* Warjotshar - the Lord of Spears
* Hiraunez, Airaunez, Krimaurez, Thojanez - the Goddesses of the Four Winds
* Audzharoz, Mareshanoz, Ishandaroz, Wjanbadroz, Kronaidroz, Sowaitroz, Kjonaradoz, and Trewjandoz - the Gods of the Eight Directions
* Bisāra, Wethjara, Noisāra, Oiwadra, K'orjanda, Zatrinja, Zomaidrae, Kjotrozari, Shōrizaura, Dzhomitrau, Dzhodatrau, Kronjaera, Wizaetra, Hiraizara, Drinauri, and Tormari - the Sixteen Goddesses of the Stars
* Himoraz - The Sun Goddess
* Kaudaroz - The Moon God
* Kaunotai - The Gryphon God
* Etjomai - The Spinel Goddess

## Deified people

According to Sarmelonid religion, people who have done extraordinarily good deeds (such as ruling over a country) will have their souls raised to godhood after their deaths. The reigning emperor is considered a god because he is responsible for various rites for the well-being of the empire, even though any who are considered wicked are no longer worshipped by the people.

### Mythological

* Nag'ūr-Wanno and Ossorina - the first man and woman.

### Emperors

* Sarmelon I - the founder of the Sarmelonid civilisation, he turned the Vozonid people towards the favour of the gods by adopting Gauvajut rites.
	+ After his death, he became a guardian spirit of the emperors and their civilisation. Sometimes, his name was also used as an alternative name for the whole Vozonid Empire.
	+ Father Sarmelon, Sarmelon the Great, Sarmelon the Holy
* Zoirondo - the emperor who brought many pests from all over the world be killed, and fed to his people and the world, ending a hunger crisis.
	+ After his death, he was worshipped as the god of cooking, discernment, food, and good harvests.
	+ Destroyer of Hunger, Feastbringer
* Īralto IV - the emperor who saved the world with his people, by recycling the filth of the world, getting too rich, and then spending his vast riches to improve poorer lands and failing small businesses.
	+ After his death, he was worshipped as the god of success, victory, the forge, and wisdom.
	+ Lord of Smiths
* Gimærin - the empress who avoided plunging Vozolaz into a worldwide economic crisis.
	+ After her death, she was venerated by some women as a protector and a bestower of wisdom.
	+ the Radiant, Enthroned with Stars
* Jangirwoz - the emperor who loved to dance.
* Bāndotson I Aukolhoz, Aukolhoz - the emperor who improved education throughout Vozolaz and its colonies.
	+ After his death, he became into a god of education.
	+ the Enlightened
* Ōndyrinoz - the emperor who defeated the second Kuelgon occupation of Vozolaz. He also fought against the Igarin Empire and earned allies among the rest of Jerde by supplying them in their revolt against the Jerdiskar Alliance to gain access to resources in space.
	+ Victorious One
	+ Destroyer of Poverty
	+ the Uplifter
	+ He Who Raises
* Alhjozor - the emperor who dared keep a hyena, Alguin the Silent, as his pet to frighten his corrupt court into serving the people.
	+ After his death, he became a wrathful god of death and justice. They became the greatest ghost hunters in the service of the Lord of Death, and slayers of mighty demons in the spirit realm. Idols and portraits of him and his hyena are painted in green to make them look more frightening.
	+ Some Sarmelonid courthouses have statues of hyenas with spears, the traditional weapon of the death god Suwal. These usually indicate places where the worst criminals were executed.
	+ the Grim, the Hunter
* Jothakkon - son of Alhjozor
* Siōlkotrin IV - chosen son of Jothakkon
	+ the Great Architect
	+ He and his father were later worshipped by revolutionaries in Vozonid space colonies as their patron deities.
* Hannomjuroz - the emperor who led expeditions to contact the Freyrgardian and Londurilli humans in the Galaxy.
	+ After his death, he became into a god of diplomacy.
* Zaighoroz - the emperor who prepared his nation for war against various enemies.
	+ After his death, he became into a god of courage and compassion.
	+ the Just, the Heavenly Judge, the Scribe of Souls, the Radiant Lord, the Serene Lord
* Sīlōjennoz - the emperor who led a crusade to defeat the monstrous Kuelgons.
	+ After his death, he became into a god of war and rage.
	+ As the liberator of many worlds, many aliens also worshipped and syncretised him as Filojen, the god of freedom.
	+ the Liberator, the Redeemer
* Zolhondoz - the emperor who defeated the Konjor Supercorporation, binding it under Vozonid control.
	+ After his death, he became a god of wisdom.
	+ Terror over all Terrors, Slayer of the Dragon
* Zannoz - a benevolent monarch who led the Sarmelonids after the collapse of their empire.
	+ After his death, he became a god of cats.
	+ Cat King, the Restorer
* Nizojal - a courageous monarch who resisted his father's excessive cruelty.
	+ Venerated in Irajon as the spiritual guardian of their nation.
	+ Although he lived far after the end of Sarmelonid times, he is counted as a Sarmelonid god-emperor due to his nation, Irajon, being a direct successor of the empire.
	+ This was why in some eras, worshipping him was illegal in Vozolaz. In modern Azgo, it is legal to pray to him and other Sarmelonid emperors and gods.
	+ Green Prince

### Other heroes

* Suntšo Rhyombiro (Sarmelon II) - the successor of Sarmelon I, and the smartest of his five brothers.
* Jaraituro, Miraituro, Naraituro, Irjowanthoz, Tharawjoroz - the brothers of Suntsho. They would have used their divine powers for evil since they would have become rivals of their brother, but they instead dedicated themselves to defending Vozolaz.
	+ One of the most popular legends involved each brother being tempted by the unholy spirits of evil Terrans to give in to their darkest emotions: fear, hate, anger, greed, anxiety, etc. Although they sometimes did, eventually they resisted, for someone or a friend showed them the full extent of the Terrans' corruption.
	+ After each prince died or disappeared, they became protector gods.
* Sixteen Paladins - Sixteen mortal men who followed Sarmelon I in killing the demons. They were granted a fraction of his divine power, and then as demigods after their emperor died, being given the emperor's divine strength into their bodies. Like the princes, they refused to become evil, seeking only their own pleasures rather than to waste away.
	+ According to legend, this was because they had seen the Terrans and their corruption, so they refused to become like the infernal Terrans.
	+ Some of these men were the ones who convinced Suntsho and his brothers to avoid the evils of the Terrans.
	+ The Sixteen Paladins were later assigned as protector deities to several regions of Vozolaz after their deaths. The brothers of Suntsho, having also ascended to godhood, trained the Paladins and the various ascended spirits as divine protectors of Vozolaz.
	+ Kaidolan became the patron of the northeast, including the colony of Zōrilan (Siangwaan and Sakautari nations east of it).
	+ Kjazoloi became the patron of the west, Vilon (Toralis), and the western colonies. He was also believed to assist the Wonao revolutionaries in overthrowing Sarmelonid rule, to punish the emperors for corruption and tyranny.
	+ As protectors of the regions of Vozolaz, they were later venerated by the slave revolts. The leaders of the revolts believed that they were following Sarmelon's will by punishing wicked people.
* Ascended ghosts - the spirits of Ardeschis, Kleshans, Terrans, and other evil or blackmailed soldiers who sought to escape their demonic overlords. Their chance came when Sarmelon was born, and a gryphon spirit helped them escape. When Sarmelon grew to manhood, they aided him as an army of spirits against the demons, seeking to erase the taint of Hell on their souls.
	+ The gods purified the spirits, cleansing them of every connection to Hell. They lived alongside the wights and fairies in protecting Vozolaz from supernatural threats, while their mortal ally fended off human and alien foes.
	+ After the emperor died, the wights dressed all the ghosts and prayed as the ghosts ascended to Heaven as celestials, added among the many armies of good stars and angels. New stars and constellations were allegedly sighted on the months following the emperor's death, even by the Barabyol Kuelgons, who were unable to harvest the stars as they magically burned any ship that sought to harvest them.
	+ Some of these spirits were also the armies of Suntsho, his brothers, and the Sixteen Paladins, as divine spirits who protect Vozolaz.
	+ One of these gods was believed to become the patron deity of Nandegakko, a distant planet. Although most of its people are atheists who did not worship him, he was believed to use magical powers to help them overthrow the Igarin tyrants and murderers.

## Characters

* Aljatroz - the surviving brother of the wicked king Manditur III. As an immortal who remained a young adult, he guided Sarmelon I and his descendants, before becoming a hermit who tells the messages of the Gods. He disappeared, and was believed to be taken to Heaven, where he was transformed into a gryphon to advise the emperors.

## Lesser beings

* ašarpau - star-angels, the armies of Heaven.
* jauparoz - gryphon-like angels who serve as the footsoldiers of the gods.
* nišaipau - wights of the land and roads
* kaljandoz, krilandoz - wights who hold lanterns and protect travellers along the roads.
* drodžaroz - wights who guard roads to keep travellers safe from dangers.
* rjòšo - wights of the seas, waters, and rains
* aroidoz - a wight-warrior, a tree spirit clad in armour and armed with spears or swords
* karki-kattok, kjattok - spinel dwarf
* karkidāri, kargjāri - spinel nymph
* karkituźi, kirdodži - spinel warrior, army of the earth goddess
* bedžatri, bedžari - the black and white warriors who bring the dead to Suwal's court below the Universe. The white bedžariso bring the souls of the good to Paradise, while the dark bedžariso drag the evildoers to Hell.
	+ Some bedzhatri also ride on chariots pulled by hyenas, or on the backs of great, fiery hyenas. These are lords and champions of the Lord of Death, hunting evildoers and leading armies of spirits to fight the forces of evil.
* zūğol - the hyena spirits of the underworld who serve Suwal. They help the bedzhatri catch runaway ghosts to be judged in the underworld.
	+ They are sometimes known as "hellhounds" due to the similarities to the dreaded dogs and wolves.
* Twelve Ministers of the Underworld - twelve earth-wights who record the deeds of the righteous and wicked.
* tadžuroz, red knights - the protective spirits of the earth, and the warriors of the war gods.
* dotšuroz, black knights - the spirits of the night
* "wonderhorse" - a black mare born from shadows that was the pet and gift of the moon god, a servant of Zomjonor.

## Evil beings

### Devils (god-like demons)

* Illujankoz - the Devil, a four-headed dragon who seeks to devour the universe
* Ubosæ - the god of lies
* Khurjo - the god of disease
* Murinta - the goddess of death and murder
* Dadubul - the goddess of depravity
* Tolhùmol - the evil god of the Terrans
	+ Konjors and Imperial Igarins are also considered as Terrans because of their cruelty,
* Athagatholgoz - a demonic conqueror who devoured three universes

### Demons

* khurjozol - spirits of plague
* rat demons
* lujankoz - dragon demons
* tærajul - Terran demon

## Locations

### Major locations

* Imbar - Heaven, the domain of the Gods, Celestials, and heroes. It is a realm of gardens and palace-cities of precious stones.
* Naubisan - Paradise, the domain of the righteous and innocent. Like Imbar, it consists mostly of lush forests and gardens.
* Wjorallaz - Fairyland, the realm of the wights. Usually a spirit realm of lush forests and jungles.
* Aeklutari - the False Heaven, the domain of a race of evil celestials and gods. While they are against the Gods and Hell, they are hostile to humanity. They are the remnants of the Celestial Empire.
* Jonzonallaz, Jonzollaz, Zomilaz - The spirit world, the realm of dreams.
* Wjormoz - Hell, the domain of evil beings and evildoers. A horrific realm consisting of melting islands that devour each other.
* Dulkombaz - The Black Ocean, a festering Void that devours anything that drowns in it.
* Julkoz - The Void, home to various demons and monsters.

### Cosmic places

* Moon Palace
* Zomjonor's Cube - an enormous cube of emerald where the god Zomjonor lives.
* The Celestial Sea, The Last Sea, The Crystal Sea, The Holy Sea - a great body of water floating in space around what appears to be a great gate. Beyond it is Imbar, Heaven, the realm of the Gods.
	+ A small portion of Celestials are good, and some of them live along the islands around the Holy Sea. A single pale path brings ships closer to the Last Gate, and then to Heaven.
* Zæču, Zæčural, Zæčal - the Land of Suffering, the Torment. A blasted, volcanic wasteland where the Terrans came from, ruled by cruel overlords.
	+ From the fiery rifts tearing this horrific realm, every sin committed across history lands on the lava, forming a new Terran man or woman with a body of shadows and hellfire. Therefore, every Terran is a demon in this mythology.
	+ Zæču is the northern section of Wjormoz, or a different hell located north beyond a great chasm.
* Chasm of Turmoil, Straits of Turmoil - a valley or sea between Wjormoz and Zaechu, inhabited by beasts and demonic armies. Evildoers who end up there get eaten by the inhabitants.
* Nawo - the black sea south of the pink void of Wjormoz, where cannibals and sadists go to after their deaths.

### Legendary places

* Bazluren - the Distant Shores
	+ Any stock country based on Bulanabek, known as Bazluren after its very distant location in the easternmost edges of world maps; or Djasilan, to the north. Often, these two are conflated into a single culture.
	+ Depicted either as a country of yurts and mounds; or dotted with lavish striped and domed palaces of gold. Either way, Bazluren is often either a tropical or steppes country.
	+ Often placed east or south.
* Tirezjo - the Sunny Tirs
	+ Any stock country based on Tirkiatlor, between Rukania and Djasilan.
	+ Depicted as mountainous jungles dotted with mountain-like cities, topped with temples and universities. Its people are depicted as still riding on raptors, even as they have moved on to mechanical vehicles in real life.
	+ Often placed east.
* Bazailaz, Baiglyraz - the Far East
	+ Any stock country based on ancient Rukania, then known as Roriz after its most famous kingdom.
	+ Depicted as a land of rolling fields, white castles, gold domes, knights, and (more commonly) bazaars. Beyond the cities lies endless jungle and fantastic domains, from giants to fairies and monster kingdoms.
	+ It is often the place where heroes sailed eastward to purchase its spinels. Those who returned home with at least a single spinel from Bazailaz were hailed as heroes.
	+ Often placed east.

## Religious practices

* Large towers, known as fire towers, are erected as monuments to the empire's might and to Pjosaroz. They also function as universities.
* Some people dedicate themselves to their deities for several days or weeks, seeking the gods to answer their prayers. They are known as att'yruso (singular: att'yru), and they wear white bands around their shoulders. To symbolise their dedication to their deities, they cannot drink alcohol or enjoy certain forms of entertainment (such as television, fast or loud music) until their interval ends. Some also refuse to drink or eat at day.
* In a proper religious ceremony to worship the gods, Sarmelonids beat great drums and bells as they chant monotonous hymns and dance before their idols. Sarmelonids attend temple services every full and new moon days, while more religious Sarmelonids also attend every Saturday.
* The gryphon is a holy animal. It represents the power and the wisdom of the gods.
* The spinel and the emerald are holy gems. Both of them represent divine power and protection.
* It was a common practice to feed meat to gryphons for good luck -- people either fed pieces of meat to the royal *araukoppo* of the Imperial Household every full moon or on Emerald Week, or killed horses as sacrifices. A cheaper alternative was to feed one's pet *araukoz* gryphon due to their smaller size and capability of being trained.
* The numbers four, eight, and sixteen are holy numbers. They are represented by stars, which adds to their association with Heaven and the Gods.
	+ Four represents the favour of the Gods (as a basic form of protection) and the start of one's own ascension, just as there are four basic directions of the compass.
	+ Eight symbolises completion, dedication, and the omnipresence of the Gods, just as there are eight cardinal directions.
	+ Sixteen is the most sacred of all numbers, symbolising perfection, completion, absolute knowledge, and achievement.
	+ People tend to place eight or sixteen sharp objects around places or things to consecrate them before the Gods. There range from flags to spinel crystals and blades tipped or embedded with spinels, to towers and torches.
* Green and blue are sacred colours in the Vozonid religion, as they represent life and holiness, and trees and the sky. Their opposite is pink, the colour of Chaos, horrors, and Hell.
* There are two popular kinds of priests. The first type, who conducts the main rituals, wears white or green robes with purple and gold lines, with a turbaned helmet. The second type wears a gryphon costume, dances during certain ceremonies to worship the gods or conducts sacrificing offerings to certain deities (like Zomjonor and Pjosaroz) and to ancestors.
	+ The Gauvajut priest is a sakunni, and the Vozonid gryphon-priest is a suwandoi. The suwandoi is a remnant of pre-Sarmelonid animism.
* Animals are offered as sacrifices to the gods in greater requests. The priest brings an animal (such as a buffalo, a boar, or a chicken) to an altar outside the temple, slits its throat, and burns the body on the altar. In normal requests, only cooked meat is offered to the gods and burned at altars or bowls. In fact, every meat stall in Vozolaz as a separate shelf for sacrificial animal meat, marked by red sashes around the shelf or an idol of the shop's patron god.
* Vozonids wear red and black robes when they mourn the dead, and they raise black flags with red stripes at funerals.
* The body of the deceased is borne by eight priests. Four wear white robes, and four wear black robes, representing the deeds of the deceased's life. They bring the body to a pyre, where the leader of the procession reads prayers to Sūwal to announce the soul's arrival.
	+ If all eight priests wear black, the deceased is an evil person who is hated by many. No prayers are uttered for the deceased's soul, but a series of condemnations are read from another scroll that describe the torments that await the deceased when they descend into Hell. The mourners would instead curse the deceased, or celebrate the evildoer's death and the end of their crimes.
	+ If all eight priests wear white, the deceased is a righteous person who is loved and honoured by many. The funeral has become a joyous occasion, as it indicates that the deceased would either definitely enter Paradise or ascend to Heaven as a new god. As the leader of the procession lights the pyre, fireworks are launched to announce the soul's ascension, and glasses and cups are raised to celebrate the soul's accomplishments in life. There were even marching bands to celebrate the deceased becoming a god.
	+ One custom used for righteous people is to place an empty chair or throne on the pyre. When it is burned, it is believed to become a magical carriage that will bring the soul to Heaven.
* The rosy maple moth is a sign that the deceased has entered Paradise.

### Sôtùl (sins)

* Wearing pink
* Touching a rat
* Dirtying or stepping on a spinel gem
* Throwing a spinel gem or any money into the sea
* Harming a gryphon
* Eating the flesh of a sapient being
* Harming a priest
* Harming a k'æjólwon priest

## Religious terminology

* krawjoz - god, deity
* Niebas - Heaven, the Gods
* sruōdan - shrine
* drauso, grindal, daural, krōndo - temple (krōndo is the general word)
* krawjodar, wàiloz, girmōd, droson, džoradol - large temple
* kwasserai - mandala, dais, platform for altars, great temple
	+ The Great Orrery, a sacred site for the emperors, was known as the "Bawal Kwasserai" (Great Mandala).
* arutoi - magic circle, circle of spinels, protective barrier
* karkijazul - a spear with a spinel tip, a sacred spear
* att'yru - an oathbound person, a person in the process of spiritual purification
* mjæraz - blessing, boon, gift of the Gods
* maid̦orà - great festival
* lues-woinda - to worship
* lues-wjori - to pray
* šarlae, šarlaje - praise, glory to ...
* lues-hjaþau - to consecrate
* sruwana - offering
* sæk'uruza - sacrifice
* toigroz - priest
* noroidroz - high priest
* Takha Noiroz - Pontifex, High Priest of the Vozonid Empire
	+ The head of the Vozonid state religion, the highest priest of the Sarmelonid Empire. He assists the Emperor in conducting many great rites for the well-being of the empire.
* sakunni - priest of a Gauvajut god
	+ The sakunni conducts major rites for most Vozonid and Gauvajut deities.
* suwandoi - gryphon-priest
	+ The suwandoi dances in ceremonies to Vozonid deities, and offers the meat and food as sacrifices to the deities.
* duțuondōl - a seer, a priest or a blessed person with the ability to see spirits, a priest of the wights
	+ This kind of priest conducts rites for wights, and communicates with them for their messages to mortals.
* zrjōnoriz, zrjṑriz - a "dream warrior", a specialised priest who conducts an exorcism
	+ The zrjṑriz enters into a trance, where celestials and gods train him to fight supernatural threats. When they are not entering trances, they assist priests in rites, or are trained in the military or as bodyguards, being able to use swords and guns.
	+ Some zrjorisso later join regiments in the Vozonid imperial army, as specialised fighters, officers, and special operatives. It could be either due to their love of martial arts or their desire to fight.
	+ A few also join military regiments as among the few mages in the Vozonid military to counter sorcerers from enemy armies.
	+ These and the k'æjólwonso were the only magic-users in the Vozonid imperial armed forces, yet only used against enemy mages and supernatural threats, such as demons summoned by the Konjors or Imperial Igarins.
	+ When they die, they become celestials. Zrjṑrisso priests are also among the spirits who escort heroes and the righteous to Heaven.
* thanudžôl - a demigod, a person of divine blood
	+ The term thanudžôl refers both to people of divine ancestry *and* having supernatural powers, and emperors (who were obligated to conduct rites for the nation). Because emperors were too obvious, it was later used only for superpowered demigods, not monarchs.
	+ Although "thanudžôl" was also used towards mutants and superpeople in older times, the term was only correct when said people had divine ancestry.
* k'æjólwon - a nonbinary priest, a priest that is neither male or female, a sort of exorcist
	+ K'æjólwonso tend to be more active on directly helping people, such as medical aid, mental support, or emergencies. They tend to be priests of Zomjonor (the god of the common people), and they wear white.
	+ Because k'æjólwonso do not consider themselves male or female, they are regarded in superstition as being at greater risk from evil spirits. So they also end up becoming exorcists who banish and defeat evil spirits to keep themselves and the community safe. Many k'æjólwonso have an androgynous appearance.
	+ K'aejolwonso and zrjorisso priests are also members of demon-hunting regiments, specialised and experienced military personnel assigned to fight the occasional demonic incursion into the empire. They use trained magic, weaponry, and firearms that incorporate Celestial technology, making them more deadly to the abominations of the Void.
	+ It is considered a bad day if a whole regiment of these magic-users were to show up in a battle, as the threat they would face is much more dangerous: most likely, demonic, supernatural, or magical, which is more difficult to defeat.
* lues-miþ(a) - to mourn
* miþoroz - shroud, mourning
* sazora, mæþolaz - funeral
* minæþul - funeral procession, march of the coffin to the pyre
* bujon, nundu, gjuntu, krunnoku - pyre
* lhatul, gosulkor, sulunkor - cremation
* ōțaraz - a happy funeral, the ascension of a deceased hero to Heaven
	+ As soon as people see that all eight priests bearing the coffin are dressed in white, they do not mourn the death of the person, but cheer and celebrate the coming ascension of that soul to become a protector god.
* sôtùl - great sin, offense, forbidden
* lues-njôtùl - to commit a great sin, to destroy yourself

## Trivia

* The Sarmelonid religion may be influenced by Hittite, Thai, Japanese, Balinese, and Chinese rites and mythology. It may also be influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism, especially Southeast Asian practices.

## See also

* Sarmelonid glossary
* Sarmelonid calendar
* Igarin mythology
* Kuelgon mythology
* Novantirna mythology

### Descendants

* Vovtarlan mythology
* Josolchir mythology
* Azgovian mythology