Bók af Sjants

Within the Daudinistic Order a **Sjant** is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to Daudin. Those designated by the Order as Sjants often have their bodies entombed within a shrine dedicated to them where the faithful may pray and worship. The Sjants and their individual deeds are written down in The Following book which is an integral part of Daudinist worship.

## Introduction

*All comes from dust and through the cycle of decay and renewal to dust we will return*

The following is a collection of all the Sjants, their lives, and their deeds dating back to the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi by his holiness The Prophet, Sjant Einar Einaren.

## The Sjants

### Sjant Einar Einaren, the Prophet

When he was a young man Einar Einaren was a Kaupmaður and traveled across Ef'tar selling his wares and goods. One year after his season of trading on the coast Einar, his wife and his younger cousin sailed up river to the land on which the City of Beinlandi now sits. Einar and his companions made camp there, as he slept he heard a raspy voice in his ear. The voice spoke unto Einar, beckoning him forth into a cave nearby. He ventured deep into the bowels of the world eventually discovering an elaborate stone sarcophagus. The voice boomed within the chamber "The land you camp on is holy, build upon it, farm on it, and live upon it; invigorate the cycle of decay and renewal and your reward will be fruitful.” From that day Einar took up the task as Daudin's Prophet and survant in Ef'tar. Einar then spread the gospel of life from death to his family who summited to it, Einar then laboured with his companions and new skóguran converts to establish the Holy City from which Daudin's eternal truth of decay and renewal now radiate. Einar would go on to lead The Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi as Daudin's appointed King; his reign would prove to be the most important in Beinlandish history. After his death in 42 Eftir, his Holiness the Prophet Einar Einaren's body would be entombed within the chapel in his castle in Beinlandi.

### Sjant Alfhilda, Wife of the Prophet

Alfhilda was born in the later half of the Kaupmaður Tímabil (Trading period) of the Skóguran People. As a young girl she met a young Kaupmaður named Einar, Alfhilda's father was a trade partner of the young Einar and as time went on the pair began to court one another eventually leading to marriage. During one fateful winter Einar had the nature of life and death revealed to him and Alfhilda soon summited to the truth that had been revealed. Alfhilda would go on to be the first Queen of The Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi and soon she and the Prophet were blessed with the birth of a young babe. Upon the death of her husband Alfhilda would act as an advisor to the young prince turned king and guide Beinlandi into its next era.

### Sjant Álfþór, Son of the Prophet

Álfþór was the only child of the Prophet Einar Einaren and Queen Alfhilda. Before his birth his father Einar received a devine revelation leading to the foundation of the Daudinistic Order. Álfþór's parents and his second cousin Bartól would become some of the religions first members and go on to help found The Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi. After his fathers lengthy reign as king Álfþór would ascend to the throne in the year 42 Eftir, his reign would last for 25 years; during said reign Álfþór would expand the borders of Beinlandi, secure alliances with neighboring nations and oversee the construction of the Svart Musteri (Black Temple), the headquarters of the Daudinistic Order and one of the holliest locations in Beinlandi.

### Sjant Bartól, the Bard

Bartól was a first maternal cousin of his Holiness the Prophet Einar Einaren. As a child, Einar took care of him. During the winter of the year 0 Eftir he, his older cousin Einar and his wife Alfhilda traveled from their season of trading on the north western coast inland to the mountains of the north where they made camp. Soon after making camp Einar received his devine revelation and converted Bartól who became one of the first believers in Daudism. After his conversion Bartól took it upon himself to travel and spread the word of Daudin, inadvertently starting a long tradition of future Presturs, Presturas and Sjants to travel and sing as he did. After years of traveling about the lands Bartól found himself in a land of great open plains. It was in this savage land that Sjant Bartól would be martyred, having angered a Lord of this land with his preaching's, he was taken into custody and sentenced without trial. Bartól's bones and limbs were broken and mangled with a wheel, his body was then braided between its spokes. The men then repeatedly stabbed his flesh and the wheel was stuck to a post where he would be left on display to die of his injuries. Bartól's body would be recovered by the Knights of Einar and enshrined within Beinlandi.

### Sjant Tungl, the Zealous

Tungl Græn Kapa was a noble and one of the first converts to the Daudinistic Order. Tungl and his family the Græn Kapa would become more and more zealous within the earlier years of The Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi, under his vision the Knights of Einar would be founded. The Knights would act as the right hand of the Prophet and as a military force to purge the land of heresy. During the conflict with the Northern Tribes and later the Tribal Confederation of Göltur, Tungl and his knights would prove greatly effective. Tungl is said to have single handedly ended the battle of köld þoka by impaling the tribal leaders on his lance.

### Sjant Njáll, the Advisor

Njáll was born in the month of Sjöunda in the year 26 Eftir to a family of hog farmers within Beinlandi. When Njáll was but a boy Prince Álfþór became King, upon his coronation he called for advisors to be brought to him. The young boy claimed that Daudin had anointed him to be the advisor to the new king. Thusly Álfþór believed this claim to be a falsity and called for the boy prove it, Njáll was taken to a great pit of fire and told that if Daudin truly favoured him then the fire would do him no harm. The boy plunged into the pit and to everyone's amazement swam about in it unharmed; Álfþór took it as a sign and made the young boy his advisor. Njáll would serve his sovereign faithfully for the rest of his life and rise to be one of the most respected in the land.

### Sjant Fórna, the Victim

Once there was a young maiden named Fórna who was both great in beauty and brains, her looks drew all the men in but it was her mind that made them stay. Fórna was beloved by most in her village, except for some of her peers whos ire she had drawn. One afternoon as she strolled about the the glen a group of her peers surrounded her and stabbed repeatedly in a fit of rage and jealousy. Amazingly each time the daggers and farming tools pierced Fórna's body it instead inflicted the wounds back upon her would be attackers eventually ending in their demise.

### Sjant Gamalt, the kind

Daudin's cycle of decay and renewal could be felt all through the land as the masses died of the Skarlat plague. The cities of Beinlandi sat half empty and lawlessness ruled, it was in this atmosphere that Gamalt an aged noble old enough to remember the era of Einar opened his home to the poor. Calling out to his servants he decreed "Bring me mead and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither. Thou and I shall see all dine!" The poor and ill of the city lurched into the warmth of his home and dined at his table with him, Gamalt's servants warned him not to be so close to the sick yet he soothed them with this "If Daudin finds me ripe to be used in the cycle of decay and renewal then I have nothing to fear, the fear of death is nothing in comparison to compassion." to the amazement of everyone Gamalt never fell ill and in the years after the Skarlat plague he continued to open his home to the poor and ill until his death.

### Sjant Klaus, the merry

Klaus was once a soldier in his youth however as he grew old he cared less for drawing blood and more for bringing joy in the dead of winter. With a cane in his hand and a bag of trinkets and goods on his back he would trod from town to town during the harsh dead of winter. Risking frost bite and and the wild animals of the woods Klaus would not stray from his mission to bring a ray of light through the dark of the winter when Daudin's cycle of decay and renewal was at its peak. As Klaus strolled from town to town he would sing the hymns of the Presturs and take joy that though Daudin could take him at any time he was happy.

### Sjant Björn, the Hunter

Björn was a huntsman in the deep forests of Beinlandi where he lived contently on the edge of his village. The local lord's land was said to be home to a terrible beast of a bear that could not be killed or wounded by any mortal weapon. However, Björn was a stubborn young man and he asked his lord if he might hunt the beast down and stop its reign of terror over the town. Björn went deep into darkness of the woods where the snow was deep and crisp. He began to track the beast even deeper to the heart of the woods where he found it in a clearing, he froze as the bear turned to face him, its jowls wet with fresh blood. Without thinking Björn drew his blade and charges into the beast who he wrestled before plunging the blade deep into its side. Björn took the bear's pelt and fashioned it into a carpet for his lord, the meat he gifted to his fellow villagers and the bones and teeth he made into charms and trinkets for it is Daudin's will that we aid his cycle of decay and renewal.

### Sjant Sigrún, the Traveler

Sigrún was the daughter of a farmer but one day she felt compelled to travel as a Prestura and preach about Daudin and his unending cycle of decay and renewal. Sigrún traveled bare foot across the known world singing about Daudin and the Sjants through harsh winter and the bitter heat of summer. Once as she traversed the back country of Tanûleng a heretic among the thorns forced her to crawl, yet Sigrún with one prayer made him hear Daudin's call. Never asking for reward Sigrún traveled for the rest of her life in Sjantly poverty simply talking about Daudin and doing good deeds where she went.

### Sjant Rós, the Pilgrim

Rós had lived in lands far away, when she was a child a traveling Prestur preached the word of Daudin to her and she was converted. When she had became a young woman Rós decided to take the pilgrimage to Beinlandi as all believers from outside the holy land must do. While she travelled Rós brought apples in her satchel, as she walked she would discard the apples about the lands. Rós also had a love of flowers and always made sure to stop and pick them. Thanks to Rós orchards and fields of flowers began to spread across the land, brining its inhabitance both food an beauty. However when Rós entered the lands of a viscous war lord she was accosted by his men, yet when they tried to lay a hand on her flowers and vegetation sprouted forth from every orifice of their bodies killing them instantly.

### Sjant Helga, the Martyr

Helga was a Prestura sent to enlighten the lands of the south however when she reached those lands she found them hostile to her preaching and Daudins truths. The people of the town she had visited conspired against her, and on a warm summer eve they called for her to dine with them. The heretics put poison in her meal and drink, yet Helga did not succumb to Daudins embrace; next the heretics tried to stab her, yet when they tried to lift the knife they found themselves unable. Finally the heretics had enough, they bound Helga and plunged her into the river where she at last accepted Duadins embrace.

### Sjant Leif, the Warrior

Leif was a prince and descendent of his Holiness the Prophet Einar Einaren, upon the news of the martyrdom of Sjant Helga reaching his ears Leif flew into a righteous rage. Leading an army of the faithful the young prince crossed the mountains and marched south. There he and his men scouted the village of heretics, as day rose Leif and his army prayed for Daudins favour and flew the banners not of Beinlandi but of Daudin and the Daudinistic Order. Suddenly an otherworldly trumpet roared like a lion through the air and the troops of Leif took it upon themselves to charge. The army of the righteous surged down the mountainside on horseback and on foot, they entered the heretical town and cleansed it entirely of life. The homes were set to the torch and the land salted for eternity and the body of Sjant Helga was recovered and returned to Beinlandi.

### Sjant Anna, the Radiant

Anna was but a girl when she joined the Daudinistic Order as a Prestura, there she proved herself to be adept at the art of necromancy and communion with the second dead. One day a letter came from a distant land asking for her assistance in raising the dead, accepting the offer Anna traveled west to help. There she raised the body of a dead boy and gave him life again through the power of Daudin. Thought the faithful father and boy were grateful converts they lived in a land of heretics, their fellow villagers ceased the three of them and tried them for witchcraft. Anna was resilient and held out; alas she was found guilty and burnt at the stake. As the flames engulfed Anna a group of converted women who had witnessed her necromancy held her hand and wept. Anna's martyrdom would not be in vain though, for as she burned the fire spread out of control and soon engulphed the whole village killing the heretics and sparing the converts who remained.