Rian Folk Traditions

Rian Folk Traditions are a set of religious beliefs that span large parts of the west and small sections of the east. The Rian Folk traditions can trace their origins back to the Mahiele, which in common means "Blessed by the Stars". The Traditions that populate the continent begin around 80,000 years ago in the forests of present day Paulahia. The traditions have become integrated into the Rian culture, making practicing the religion for those of Rian culture especially easy. The traditions have had time to grow and now total 41.3 million people across two continents. Today the sacred grove, where it is taught that the first Mahiele were blessed, is well kept and well visited by thousands of dedicated peoples.

The traditions are easy to pickup. There is no source of religious knowledge that one can come upon by studying. Religious knowledge is only ever true if it leaves the mouth of a Mahiele, until another Mahiele overwrites them. The latest Mahiele are always correct as they receive the most recent visions. Mahiele are those that are said to have been touched by the Stars, blessed with divine knowledge. Depending on the species, the type and amount of knowledge can vary. It can also be said that the knowledge can change over time as the Stars are living breathing beings capable of change, and to dispute that is to dispute life itself.

To become a Mahiele is a simple matter of faith and chance. When completing the monthly tuning ceremony any person can become a Mahiele if their skin begins to glow with the purple light of the Stars and their eyes see the colorful splendor of the Night. Once a person has become a Mahiele they are appointed for life and cannot give up the position, even if they fall to the temptations of soil and bone.

The temptations of soil and bone are the antithesis to the Star's light. According to the first Mahiele, in a vision that has never been revised and each subsequent Mahiele has backed up, the stars call to us to break the bonds of our world and transcend to sit among their grace. Looking with a trained eye into the night sky will allow you to see among the greatest of the Mahiele sitting as pure light gracing us with their knowledge. The temptations of soil and bone hold us back from this light. The temptations of soil and bone are simple, they are the temptations of killing, of greed, of rape, and of stagnation. These are the four mortal ideals that we must overcome if we want to grace the night sky. It is possible for the anyone to join the chorus of the night sky, even if you are not a Mahiele, but as of yet in 8,000 years only one person who was not one has joined the sky.

To join the chorus of the night sky is to become a Star that graces the heavens. It is said that when the night is as bright as day then all on earth will live in paradise and be forever free from the temptations of soil and bone. The only non-Mahiele to reach the night sky was a woman. She lived a simple life farming and providing for her community. Nobody every expected her to join the chorus of the night sky. But as she lay dying on her deathbed a Mahiele came to her and knelt by her bed. They blessed her for the work she had done and she thanked the Mahiele. Her last words were "thank you" as she breathed her last breath she began to fill the room with a beautiful light and her family and the Mahiele watched as her body dissolved into light. They rushed outside the house in the middle of a summer thunderstorm to see a brilliant flash of light as her Star raced into the night sky. It still shines to this day bright and proud. Those who saw the Star join the chorus of the night were said to weep for eleven days straight, and were blessed with fortune till their death.

To contrast this most Mahiele join the chorus of the night by simply fading into dust and and a star shines anew in the sky. She lived a truely brilliant life and no one knows how she did it.

One important ritual for the Rian Folk Traditions is the tuning ceremony. The ceremony happens on the night of every new moon. On that night, all those who are able to make it to a suitable place gather to preform the ritual. A place is suitable if there can be a contained fire and there is a overhead covering that allows through small pinpricks of light. The first of these ceremonies were held in the sacred grove, so tree cover is preferred but it can be artificial. Once the preparations are made and darkness falls across the land the ceremony beings. All in attendance take turns striking two pieces of holy metal together over the fire to cleanse hatred from the soul. While you are not taking your turn striking the metals, all others sing a chorus said to be as close to the chorus of the night as humans can produce. No instruments are allowed to be played as the group sings a song of gratitude. The song is slow and low and hangs to the forest floor like fog. Those who were not raised in the Rian Folk Traditions are said to be cursed if they hear the melody without an invitation. The song is said to be so haunting that it singlehandedly repelled an invasion when then invaders attacked on the night of the full moon they heard the song and fled for their lives.

According to the legends passed down from generations all the Stars in the night sky, those that were not first mortals, are each a deity. They live in the night sky spreading the word to all those planets that might receive their holy words.

The Sacred grove of trees in Paulahia is a small set of trees that glow purple every time a Mahiele is made and are said to have been planted by the first of the Stars, though nobody knows which was the first, and to debate which was is considered sacrilege