Adu'walkaa Church

**The Adu'walkaa Church** is the largest established faith system in Hul. The word *Adu'walkaa* derives from the words ***Adu** and **Waalkanna**,* meaning ***Sun*** and ***Creator God**.* Members of the Church of Adu'walkaa are called The Adu'waltaai and they believe in the supreme being Waalkanna as their primary deity. This church is the largest organized religion worshiping the Overgod. As a result, they have close ties with other churches such as the Empyrean Church and the gnostic cults of Delt. To some in the Delt, the Adu'Walkaa Church is simply an organized gnostic cult and therefore considered heretical.

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> O wonder! O wonder! . . . The wonders are six: The bird sings without being taught; the plant flourishes without being nourished; the water runs without being chased; the world turns without being pushed; the sun flys without being thrown; the stars bloom without being sown. These things fill me with wonder. Let us all pray to our God! O God, who hast caused me to pass the day cause me to pass the night as well!
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> - Common nightly prayer
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The headquarters of the Church is in the city of Haiiar'ai. There are also churches in the city of Mahale, and Sunnuth in Olgun Quisir.

## Belief

The main religious belief of Adu'walkaa Church is that Waalkanna (the creator) is the father and creator of the universe and has many manifestations known as The A'yaan*.* The A'yaan serve as intermediary spirits between Waalkanna and his creations. The A'yaan (divine sparks) are known to possess chosen men and women, who are then given the title *Qaltti*. All creatures are believed to be assigned an Qaltti by Waalkanna for guidance and protection, similar to how the Empyrean Church views saints. Waalkanna also has attendants, lesser beings that serve him directly. The church refers to these beings as the Er'maa, or angles. It is through these being that the church interprets the will of Waalkanna.

Adu'waltaai live according to the Suulti, the moral and legal principles that guide the interactions betwee humans and gods. The breach of the Suulti is regarded a sin and is condemned by *Waalkanna*.

### Waalkanna

Waalkanna is the supreme being and is omniscient, and omnipotent deity. He is benevolent, but is also known to be a distant and aloof diety. He is personified by the Sun and is often conflated with the Deltic concept of Frey. This supreme being is addressed through a variety of names in the different regions and many believe that the term Waalkanna means 'the God with many names'. The term is believed to indicate that Waalkanna is the origin of everything, is mysterious and he is the one that can not be interfered with, spoken to, or truly understood. Most of the congression of the church believe that Waalkanna is so distant and alien that they do not attempt to commune with him, chosing to commune with his agents insted. Prayers to Waalkanna are regularly made, though not expected to be answered.

### Maaram

*Maaram* refers to the divinity of women as well as the Mother Goddess. Maaram is a creation of Waalkanna, though she was elevated to an equal position in the cosmos. Marram was believed to help barren women conceive a child and help pregnant women give birth without complications. The Adu'waltaai traditionally pray for Maaram biweekly both for wealth, and fertility. Maaram is often conflated with the Deltic old-god Danu, similar to the way Waalkanna is thought to be a representation of Frey. Prayers to Maaram are occasionally known to be answered by the Empyrean Titan Materan, though the Adu'walkaa Church believe her to simply be an agent of the greater deity Maaram.

### The A'yaan and Qaltti

The *A'yaan* are the spirit manifestations of Waalkanna, and are generally considered to be synonomous to the Divine Sparks, but also used to describe most celestials. They are believed to be part of the divinity of Waalkanna and serve as intermediaries between God and his creations. The A'yann are not capable of creation but provide a way to know true divinity. They can possess men and women, creating the Qaltti, or Avatars of Waalkanna, and thus speak with the people directly. Different regions of Hul hold varying beliefs and understandings of what the A'yaan and Qaltti are capable of. While some argue that A'yann can't act alone without an order from Waalkanna, others claim that the A'yann are independant and able to directly affect all aspects of life. The Adu'walkaa Church generally believes that all creations of Waalkanna have an associated A'yann. It is very common for people to paint or tattoo their skin with symbols depicting what A'yann they or their families associate with.

### The Er'maa

The Er'maa are the attendants of Waalkanna and Marram. Also known as the Attendant Gods, Seraphim, or Archangels are a council of six lesser gods who attend to the creations of the greater gods Waalkanna and Maaram. Direct divine interaction with the Adu'walkaa Church is prmarily done through one of these six lesser gods. Much of the Church iconography uses angelic symbolism in refference to the attendant gods.

## The Qaalu Institution

The Qaalu Institution is an important institution in the Hulese religious and social system, somewhat similar to the Empyrean Templar, Shining Blades of Nuadun, or other knightly orders of the Northern continents. It serves to protect the Adu'walkaa Church as well as Hulese culture and tradition. Qaalu is from the Tedic word *qaal*, which translates as 'pure, holy, sacred, blameless, or blank'. In the Qaalu Institution, the Qaltti are believed to be messengers of *Waalkanna* because they are attached to the A'yaan*.* There are a variety of myths on how the first Qaalu (paladin) originated. While there is no consensus on the divine origin of the Qaalu Institution, records of the order have existed since the first age. The Qaalu are the guardians of the laws of Waalkanna*.* A myriad of factors including maturity, acceptance in the community, moral qualification, social status and other leadership qualities are taken into consideration when a Qaalu is chosen.

As representatives of the church, the Qaalu have a moral and social responsibility to uphold the highest standards of ethics and practice it. The Qaalu institution is expected to remain politically neutral and serve as a place of fair deliberation. Similarly, the paladins are obliged to condemn tyranny and support the democratic systems among the individual villages, bands, and trade-matrons.

## Religious Ceremonies

### Irree'chaa

Irree'chaa is a thanksgiving ceremony that is celebrated twice a year, in the spring (**Irree'cha Melka**) and the autumn (**Irree'cha Afsaa**). This is the ceremony where the Adu'waltaai give thanks to the dual gods and admire and appreciate their creations and their interconnectedness. The Irre'cha Melka is traditionally held at the shore of any freshwater lake or river, while Irree'cha Afsaa is held at the seashore.

### Okeraa

The Adu'waltaai believe that when a person dies their spirit returns to its place of origin, brimming with the experience of life and ready to share it with Waalkanna. To help with the passing of a spirit. A great gathering takes place where the deeds and triumphs of the deceased are spoken by their kin. This is one of the few times when bragging of ones accomplishments are socially acceptable.

## Scripture and Sacred Texts

### The Second World Book

The Adu'waltaai religion has only one recognized sacred text. The Kitaaba-lam Addunyaa, or The Second World Book is a massive tome comprising the sacred scriptures and rites of the Adu'walkaa Church. It was not claimed to be the original World Book, but a restoration of the original text. Legend states that the original scriptures outlining the creation of the world and the secrets of the universe was given to mankind by Waalkanna, but when the orignal text was eaten by a bull, Waalkanna was so disappointed he refused to give mankind another copy. The faithful who follow this religion hence look to glean the secrets of the book by peering into the intestines of cows. This practice, called haruspicy, is one of the few magical practices tolerated by the Hulese people. The Second World Book was created from the information gathered through haruspicy.

### The Primer of Horns

This small bull horn book, called the Jecha Gaanfa, or Primer of Horns is carried by the paladins of the Qaalu Institution. It is a book of cultural law as much as one of rites and rituals. Few outside the order ever read the book, though they are often encouraged to do so. The writing is very dry and Hulese readers often chafe at the idea of a centralized dictatorial authority.

### The Scroll of Cyprean

This winding scroll is not often considered holy text by the main body of the Adu'walkaa Church, but some consider it so. It is the manifesto of the stone giant Cyprean and outlines his thoughts on arcane magic. Cyprean is considered a saint by the Empyrean Church and as such, his writings also carry some weight in the Adu'Walkaa Church. These writings lead to the formation of the Knights Cyprean, an order that seem to walk the line between the two churches. It is because of Cyprean and his apostles that much of the Hulese people reject and fear arcane magic.

## Heirarchy

The church has no official heirarchy. Priests are trained through apprenticeships and often learn through ritual study and haruspicy. Elder Priests are simply priests who have successfully trained at least one apprentice. Apprenticeships generally take between 10-15 years. The only exception is the Amanuensis, who works to compile the various writings of priests into the master copy of the Second World Book. Theirs is a position of high honour and they will hold the position for as long as their peers deem them able.