Foronolnur

Foronolnur, which means Disciples of Fire in Nolghashin, is the religion of Irinoslwen and is the root religion of all the nation around the gulf within The Sea of Fangs. It is believed to be ancient, and has its origins when a goddess, known as The Mother, gave wisdom to the Nolghas under Kornoln Illuvein, who is remembered as the first disciple of The Mother.

## Myths and Beliefs

### The Birth of The World

In the beginning, the only things in existence were the Creator and a vast world of stone, ruled by the cruel Old Gods. One day, The Creator saw it fit to carve the stone into the world as it is known today. However, it was still a world of rock, so The Creator put into the world air and water, but it began to do something else. The Creator created other spirits to govern over the world. These spirits were like The Creator in the sense that they were sentient, but could not match them in terms of power. So the world became reshaped and a new order was put into place. However, the Old Gods were sure to not take their usurpation quietly, but their most hated enemy was still yet to come.

One day, the daughter of the creator came down from the sky to explore the world The Creator and the spirits had sculpted. When she arrived, she was quickly disappointed as the world at this time was devoid of life. No grass or trees grew, no animals scurried in the underbrush, and no people made their marks on the earth. She resolved to change this immediately, and create a world of laughter and fun. The first thing she aspired to make were all that is green within the world. Perhaps for months, she toiled endlessly to craft something out of mere stone and air but she could not bring life. As she despaired, she happened to stumble across a stream, and realized there was yet one element to try to forge life out of. With water, at last the first plants took root in the world. Grass sprouted in vast fields, trees were shaped to grow high, and many spirits began calling them their home. The world now breathed, but it still lacked the joy and laughter the daughter desired. It still lacked any movement.

The daughter’s next task was to fill the world with animals. The stories of the Nolghas say it took a year to perfect the movement of the beasts, birds, and fish, but it took a decade to perfect their minds. This is a common saying within Irinoslwen, which basically means the mastery of the mind is as important as the mastery of the body, though the path to enlightenment is a harder one. When the world was populated by herbivores, carnivores, and all else in-between, the daughter was briefly satisfied.

Soon though, the daughter became bored once more. She watched the animals, but they always did the same things. The prey would eat the plants, the predators eat the prey, and when the predators die they cultivate the plants. She was searching for something more… dynamic. Using the method of movement for the animals, The Mother began to experiment on the minds of various clay dolls in order to make them adaptable and changing. However, this time she was truly stumped. No amount of toying with these new being’s minds would make them able to progress, live, and make the world their own. Suddenly realization struck her. Like how The Creator made the spirits, perhaps she could make spirits specifically to allow these creatures to make their own fate. The element she discovered through research if the spirits was Fire. This is why followers of Foronolnur hold fire in such reverence. While the name literally means `Disciples of Fire`, the implication is that they are worshippers of the fundamental aspect of life, the soul.

With the creation of life, the daughter was now equal to The Creator in power, for she had birthed something new, something that shall change the world forever. With the birth of sentient life, the goddess of the world was given a new title: The Mother. Each of the races of Delthoria was hand-crafted by The Mother, and given the gift of fire, the soul. She travelled all over the world and populated the entire globe with sentient life. However, the gift of fire took a significant toll on The Mother’s own soul. Eventually, when she birthed the last of the sentients, she began to die. Her place of death she decided would be where she first arrived on The World, the cliffs of what is now Irïellarth. When she reached to top of the cliffs, she bathed herself in the light of the sun one last time, and gave up her soul. Her corpse was taken by her closest followers, the Nolghas, and placed in an ornate Sarcophagus which is housed in the catacombs of Irïellarth. One last twist, is that with her dying breath, The Mother offered up her soul to the world as a whole. This is believed by studiers of myths to be The Nolghas’ theory on the origin of magic, specifically magic usable by the races of Delthoria.

## Prophets

### Kornoln Illuvein

Kornoln Illuvein was the first High Chieftain of The Nolghas. She is remembered as the first disciple to The Mother of All Creation. She is the first prophet of Foronolnur and has also been declared the Great Nemesis of Illmonyor, Devourer of Gods. Illuvein started off her life as a primordial Nolghas, one of the first of the species, and created by The Mother herself. When she encountered The Mother while searching the wilds for nourishment, she was in awe of the divinity of The Mother. From that day forth, it is said that Illuvein wandered the world with The Mother wherever she went to create life. This devotion to The Mother earned her the ire of The Old Gods of Stone. In time, The Mother began calling Iristos by the name beared by her descendents for thousands of years, Kornoln. It means spirit of fire in the language of The Nolghas. When The Mother gave up her soul, she first travelled to what is now Irïellarth, where she had first arrived on the world, and incidentally where Illuvein’s people resided. Upon the spear-like cliffs of the land, The Mother died, but she left the power to rule over The Nolghas within Kornoln Illuvein. She started by separating leading figures of The Nolghas community into 3 tribes, The Korell, The Korumn, and The Kormalro. These tribes would always hold power in Irinoslwen throughout the thousands of years of their existance.

With the rule of Irinoslwen established for thousands of years, Kornoln Illuvein’s story starts to become lost to myths. She started the position of High Chieftain and Iriynforh (High Priest) and held both until her death, that much is known for a fact. It’s also known that she popularized the worship of The Mother among the Nolghas and spread her wisdom her entire lifetime. One myth about Illuvein that seems to be more metaphor than fact. This concerns her clash with Illmonyor, chiefest of the Old Gods and enemy of all life. Given what is known about the Old Gods of Stone and their relationship to The Old Western Empire, it is probable that this clash is symbolic of ancient Nolghas’ conflict with The Empire. Another myth about Illuvein concerns the birth of The Wendigos. It is said that Illmonyor cursed her husband to become consumed by darkness. His true name is not remembered today, for now he only bears the name Foghiwen, a cursed name for the Father of The Wendigos. So it was that The Mother’s first disciple was doomed for eternity to clash with her husband. A great clash occurred when The Nolghas and Wendigos discovered each other, and over the years more blood was shed. Eventually, The Nolghas began winning the war against their savage brethren, and stormed their main den. Illuvein was present at this raid and so was Foghiwen. Accursed as he was, Illuvein could not bring herself to slay her husband on the battlefield, and so she allowed him to flee with the rest of The Wendigos into the deep forest. With her husband gone, Illuvein devoted all her time to ruling over The Nolghas and raising her children. She was remembered as a wise and just ruler, and when she died she went peacefully. She was succeeded by her son, Kornoln Ghinol.

### Kornoln Iristos

A descendant of the line of Illuvein, though only in name, Kornoln Iristos was the first sovereign of Irinoslwen to take on the title of High Lord. He brought many new ideals and advances to Irinoslwen, and his life is explained in greater detail here. It is believed by some that he is in fact Kornoln Illuvein reincarnated, as their souls share similar energies according to religious scholars and storytellers.

## Holidays

### **Tolfynas en Solthos**

The greatest celebration for believers in Foronolnur is Tolfynas en Solthos, The Dawn Festival, that is celebrated at the end of winter. It celebrates the passing of The Mother and in contemporary Irinoslwen also celebrates the birth of High Lord Kornoln Iristos. In it, the sarcophagus of The Mother is brought out of its chamber in the catacombs and brought into open air upon an altar so that The Creator may see her, their daughter, again. This ceremony is done with great decoration and they parade the sarcophagus through the main street of Irïellarth. People offer all kinds of tribute to a pyre at the foot of the altar. These offerings can range from simple gifts of food to great donations of wealth. The ultimate sacrifice is a maiden selected to be burned along with the tributes. To become this maiden is one of the highest honours in Irinoslic society, and it is said that they will be part of The Mother’s spirit when she rises again. However, the entrance into the lottery must be purely consensual, or else the Nolghas risk corrupting The Mother’s soul. The maiden is paraded in the same manner of The Mother, albeit she is in a palanquin not a sarcophagus. Her final destination is the great altar overlooking the sea. It is at this location that she burns, and the yearly sacrifice is complete. Tolfynas en Solthos is also Irinoslwen’s New Year Celebration, based on the birth of Kornoln Iristos.

### The 8 Nights of Ovinendi

The Nolghas believe that Ovinendi, the Darkest Nights of the year, is the time when the barrier between the spirit realm and material world is at its weakest. This tradition is observed during the week that precedes the Winter Solstice. During this time, spirits of dark and light, but mostly dark, venture into the world to give gifts and cause mischief wherever they may be found. In particular, there are 7 spirits that rule the nights of Ovinendi, that each person must look out for. Each night, a powerful spirit is unleashed upon the world. These great spirits are typically malicious, excluding the spirits that appear on the final nights. The purpose of these nights is to remind believers of Foronolnur of the danger and strength possessed by the spirits and teach the proper reverence for the natural order.

**The First Night: Illmonyor, Devourer of Gods -** The very first spirit to appear is also by far the evilest and deadliest of all the spirits of Ovinendi. Illmonyor takes the form of a Northern Ocean Sea Serpent that swims through the sky. Horrifyingly, when it hunts, it seemingly devours the stars themselves. Its size is such that it brings forth more darkness in these times. This spirit hunts through the night devouring unfortunate creatures, and has become a sort of boogeyman in Irinoslwen that Nolghas parents use to terrify their children into good behaviour. However, it’s unconfirmed whether or not Illmonyor is particularly attracted to evil deeds. It is prophecies that Illmonyor will start the near end of the world by devouring the gods themselves. This was prophecied in the revelations of Iristos.

**The Second Night: Otelghil, The Hundred Eyed Watcher -** This spirit is a terror on the minds of Irinoslwen’s citizens, but is ironically the least deadly of all the spirits. Otelghil is believed to transcend time itself, having no ending and no beginning, a relic of eons long gone. This spirit seems to simply watch the people of the world, for what reason it is not known. When this spirit appears, paranoia increases significantly. A number of people always seem to get the feeling they’re being watched, and are unable to get a wink of sleep. Nobody can say what form this spirit takes, as it spies from the shadows and none have seen it. Through the revelations of Iristos about the world of the spirits, Otelghil’s primary form is that of a Frog that stretches across the night sky. It is even said that on Ovinendi, every star is an eye of Otelghil.

**The Third Night: Alndigo, of The Unending Hunger -** The gluttonous spirit stalks the Northern land, devouring unwatched food and livestock… or lonely children. This spirit is known to fear fire, but will boldly break down doors into homes in shadowy areas. No amount food has ever been known to satisfy him, as any offerings left for him are seen as an invitation to break into a home and devour everything, absolutely everything, edible within it. This spirit typically takes the form of a large, blood-soaked Wendigo. He and is his wife, Envamgo, are the only spirits known to have any sort of relationship status.

**The Fourth Night: Envamgo, of The Endless Thirst -** This spirit prowls throughout the Northern lands, but only appears in areas where there are bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and coastlines. When she is not seen, it means she is starved. When she is in this state, she can appear in any water source, like cups, streams, and puddles. This spirit is known to exclusively drink blood and alcohol, and unlike her husband, accepts offerings to leave people alone. She is known to drain blood completely from victims, which range from livestock to lonely children. She typically takes the form of a veiled woman of the human species, dressed in scarlet robes. She and her husband, Alndigo, are the only spirits known to have any sort of relationship status.

**The Fifth Night: Ellarwa, of The Wolf Winds -** This spirit is known to summon great winds and blizzards to terrorize the people of Irinoslwen. It is also the point of Ovinendi when predators increase in aggression, especially wolves. The wind blows so hard that it sounds like the howl of a terrifying wolf. This both terrifies many citizens and compels wolves to seek blood. The blizzards and howling combines sometimes, very rarely, summons a Blizzard Wyvern. The winds compel people to find adequate shelter at night, though strangely has never been known to blow down houses entirely. This spirit takes the form of a shadow of indeterminate shape. This shadow cares not for the laws of light, and can appear anywhere it wants, in whatsoever form it wishes. Wherever this shadow is seen, people know to find shelter fast.

**The Sixth Night: Frikenor, Lord of Thunder -** This spirit is one of the only two spirits that appear specifically once during Ovinendi. The Night that Frikenor appears spells no sleep for the people of Irinoslwen. The Night is filled with great booms of thunder, that is sure to terrify everything that hears it. Fortunately for the citizens of Irinoslwen, the Lord of Thunder frightens away both spirits and the living. This spirit, if ever seen, is reported to take the form of a humanoid Storm Wyvern, clothed in clouds. This spirit can be seen dashing across the sky from cloud to cloud during the night it rules.

**The Seventh Night: Meyiri, Harbinger of The Gods -** This spirit is also known as the seeker of fire. Meyiri seeks out all sources of light and fire, and snuffs them out. This night is celebrated exactly on the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. While not explicitly deadly, sometimes a Nolghas needs the heat and light of a flame, and Meyiri extinguishes it indiscriminately. The appearance of this spirit signifies to the people of Irinoslwen that hope is on the horizon, which is ironic because fire is seen as the divine element. However, in making this the darkest night of the year, he makes it the safest. During this night, Illmonyor’s aggression reaches its peak, and it seeks out all sources of light, as do the other dark spirits. When consuming the flames, he also gains power and becomes the huntsmen of the gods. He vanquishes all of the spirit’s but Illmonyor until next Ovinendi. Meyiri is so swift and hidden during this night that none can say what it looks like.

**The Final Night: The Irinumte, The Chosen Dead -** The Final Night of Ovinendi unleashes not simply one spirit, but an entire army of the valorous dead. Their purpose is to finish what Meyiri started, and cast Illmonyor back into the dark void that awaits it at the end of time, where it will remain until next Ovinendi. This army of the dead breaks the veil between the afterlife and this world, so if one is lucky, they may catch a glimpse of their ancestors. However, it is not wise to seek out the Ghost Army. If one incurs their wrath, they are sure to immediately join their ranks. If the Army of The Dead somehow crosses someone’s path, they should either hide or show the proper respect, which includes bowing with one’s head to the floor. After an intense battle, these warriors manage to banish Illmonyor, and bringing light back into the world. The day following the arrival of The Irinumte is Ghillusoln, a great festival of the Nolghas celebrating light. They celebrate it on the day after to show respect to The Irinumte and not distract them from their battle with Illmonyor.

### Ghillusoln

Ghillusoln started as a tradition when former High Chieftain Kornoln Melkron became lost in the woods with his hunting parties. It was Ovinendi, the darkest and most evil nights of the year and they were deep in the woods, meaning the stars could not illuminate their path back home. To help guide his adoptive father home, Kornoln Iristos suggested great masses parade the streets with candles in hand to make Irïellarth stand out against the dark endless night. By some great miracle, the candles seemingly summoned an Aurora that stretched across the North sky. This aurora marked the High Chieftain’s path back home, and made everyone a little less scared of the dark.

The festival itself is a celebration of light. Ghillusoln literally means `Beginning of the Sun` in Nolghashin. It is celebrated the night after the final night of Ovinendi, where the host of the dead drove out the dark spirits of winter. The people celebrate Ghillusoln by prohecting as much light as possible into the dark night sky. The main ritual is parading through the streets holding candles, to commemorate the time the people saved former High Chieftain Kornoln Melkron. In each city, there are vendors that set up shop in popular spots. These merchants typically sell exotic goods and foods from distant lands. The festival of lights is at its peak in Irïellarth, where the Iristos Obelisk illuminates the city in starlight and the people’s candlelight.