Mojudan

In an ever changing world, some beliefs fade and are half remembered, while others adapt with the times. The ancient belief system of the Mojudan has always acknowledged change as an inherent part of life and put a heavy emphasis on history and one's legacy. It should be no surprise then that it came to exist alongside the **Weave**, mostly followed by **Kihai** and some **Cuthail**. The **Verse** may have brought them together in the **Wildchoir**, but for them, it is not the first story, and it won't be the last.

# Doctrine

Here is detailed the religious doctrine of the Mojudan, tenets which are a constant in a faith that often is adapted to its locale.

## A Shared Whole

Fundamentally, there is no existence truly separate from any other. We are all part of the world, and we are all shaped by it and shape it in turn. It is our duty to be conscious of our influence on those around us, on our environment, and on the world at large. We must all strive to make a positive impact, to leave the world better than it is.

While nothing is not in some way connected, some bonds are of course stronger than others. Ultimately, the things we cherish are the things we must alter, for nothing can remain the same forever. When not tended to, so many things rot and turn to dust, and in the end, even the mountains shift. There we see another great truth of our world: There is nothing that can remain unchanging, to exist is to change.

## To Exist is to Change

There is no existence that can not act and cannot be acted upon. All is always in motion, and in a sense, all is alive. We must be aware of this, so we can see where we are headed, and where the world around us is headed. Change is inevitable, it is not always for the better, it is not always for the worse, it must not always be encouraged, but the existence of change must always be accepted. It is like a constant stream, there is no halting it, only bending it in different ways, for the world will move even when we refuse to believe it.

Even in death our influence on the world does not fade, and neither have our ancestors faded in turn. Their impact will forever be felt, and it is up to us to realise this, to remember their names and faces, to continue on their legacy and existence, not just as people, but as ideals to strive towards. Even if a name is forgotten its legacy can still be felt in the world. It can be seen in the movement of the rocks, in the placement of the flowers, and in the rolling of the hills. Nothing truly stands separate, not even the past.

## Cycles of Life

The world has no beginning and no end, for either would imply there is a point of division, where the world stops and something else begins. The world can change in grave and sweeping ways, but even then entire cities may be lost and found, and people may perish only for their legacies to live and walk amongst us once more. In the end, nothing can truly be lost.

In a way, these beliefs are why adherents of the Mojudan typically reject the existence of a soul, as other faiths may term it. There is nothing that passes on to a great afterlife, nothing ephemeral trapped inside our bodies awaiting release. What remains of us, what remains of all things, is their legacy. We are more than our flesh, but all that lies beyond is still forever part of the world.

## Faces of Veneration

Nothing exists separately, including our ideas and legends. Forgetting them may not erase their presence, but remembering them allows us to use their influence as tools to shape the world and shape the self. There are many things to strive for in life, and for every legacy one might embody, there is a mask that represents its ideal. Be it of great legends that live among the people, whose touch is felt throughout their culture. Be it of their ancestors and friends, who they understood much more dearly. Be it of the Moju, who lurk deep in the world, but not at all separate from it, whose influence is felt in so many things.

## The Moju

There is much worthy of veneration that lays hidden out of sight. So many great and terrible influences that require an understanding of one’s environment to find. Nothing stands seperate or intangible, not even the deeper processes of the world. The Moju embody these, they remain out of sight, but are as much a part of the world as everything else. They wander forgotten paths, they lurk in the deeper forests, but their whispers carry on the wind, their splendour in the rustling of the leaves, their grace in the doe we hunt and their beneficence in the grain we grow, and when they so wish, they can reveal themselves in truth. A rare event, to be certain, but not unheard of.

The Moju act for many reasons, but ultimately, they too change the world by their existence and hold to their own ideals and legacies. Some hold dearly to rules that must be respected, some offer gifts in return for sacrifice, some involve themselves in our affairs when struck by flights of fancy. Their motivations are as many and as disparate as our own.

Just like we wear masks, most Moju take the forms of animals, relating their own existence to the stories carried within the world around us. The reason they rarely take on a guise like our own is because we are ultimately more distant from them, and they like it that way. Although certainly there are myths of Moju that have become Kihai, even a few legends that claim all Kihai were once Moju, or that all people were once Moju.

### Common Roles and Guises of the Moju

* Wind Moju are often proud and powerful, represented by large birds or frogs depending on the climate. Wind Moju bring the weather with them, be it hail, rain or thunder. Greater Wind Moju are often vengeful, while lesser ones are keen to earn praise. Typically frogs represent humid weather, and the more meat a bird has in its diet the more likely it is to be a Moju of lightning. Be especially wary of carrion eaters, for they oft delight in heatwaves and blizzards.
* River Moju are often clever, yet fickle, with whims changing. They can be represented by herons, fish, or mammals living near water like shrews and otters. Often a great River Moju will have a court of lesser River Moju serving them, often like fat sluggish decadent kings, with a sour temper. Should you earn their favour, however, they can send decrees through every little stream.
* Harvest Moju show how everything changes, even they themselves. These were once inhabitants of the forests, fields and hills that have taken to living by farms, often providing good harvests in return for offerings.
* Lords of the Forest typically take the guise of gargantuan animals, like wolves, deer and bears. These are beings of immense power, ruling over certain parts of the forest with a pack of similar creatures in which they stand with clear dominance and regal poise.
* Plains Moju often take the forms of horses, sheep and gazelles. They are known for their flighty nature, quick to run away from threats. They spend much of their time running around and giving each other distant stares.
* Hill Moju are usually boars, plowing the dirt into heaps in one big game of having the most and the biggest piles of them all, often creating rolling landscapes as the Moju all compete against each other. Sometimes, however, one comes out as a clear winner, forming a hill that dwarfs all others.
* Mountain Moju are usually goats. They often come in groups, with the elders being lethargic and hard to anger, but dangerous should you earn their ire. The younger Moju move through the landscape without issue while coyly looking back at those who would dare follow them. They love issuing challenges and toying with people.
* Desert Moju typically take the forms of snakes, coyotes and hyenas. They are always tricksy and a bit unpleasant, but they grow irate if they are ignored. One of their tricks is specific to those Moju whose lands turned into desert, who can still bring forth the seeming of the lands they once represented.
* Sea Moju are usually wise sea serpents or large turtles. These creatures are often calm, but massive, and can cause much danger if angered or forgotten. Know where they migrate when you set out by boat. Many a tale exists of sea Moju carrying islands on their backs.
* Fire Moju are some of the cleverest of them all. They typically reside near people, the smaller ones are useful tricksters that gave the Kihai the secrets of cooking and metallurgy. When dealing with fire, one should be wary of Spark Sprites, which are dangerous in their ambition to spread fire from the forges and be witnessed by all. Sometimes Spark Sprites are born in the wild from the fury of the wind, reminding adherents that change can not be avoided, but it can certainly be dealt with in a variety of ways.
* Volcano Moju often take the form of salamanders. They slumber for years on end, but when they wake, they shape the world in their image. Few things remain unaltered by their touch, wood burns, the sky blackens, but when they are done scalding the earth, it is left fertile and ready for new life. For this reason, some venerate them like the Harvest Moju, although these worshippers typically aim less at pleasing them and more at predicting the end of their current nap.
* City Moju often take the guises of rats and foxes. They are almost always a thieving sort, gladly taking whatever they can get to survive hidden between the business of urban life. Of these, rats are considered least desirable, because they often spread diseases and are very hard to please. One should watch out when seeing foxes, however, as they can often lead people into the wrong part of town to shake them off.
* Hearth Moju often take the guises of cats and ferrets. They are invaluable in keeping City Moju out of the house, but will only act if they receive plenty of gifts. As such, many adherents of the Mojudan that live in cities will have a shrine at home for these Moju.

# Hidden Shrines

Since most Moju wish to remain hidden, most shrines dedicated to them are off the beaten path. They lie in places like the deep of the woods, hidden between the mountains, constantly in motion across the deserts, or on a small isle in the middle of a lake or sea, among others. There are many places where Moju would rather dwell than where they are easily found. There are many places where they can be left relatively alone, yet, at times, grace pilgrims with their presence.

Even City Moju prefer alleys, Hearth Moju want an undisturbed corner in which to nap, and Spark Sprites, well, perhaps are the sole exception that wants to be seen, but that is not always a good thing.

Shrinekeepers tend to these many shrines, living lives in relative solitude, leaving behind most ties of friends and family to dedicate themselves solely to venerating the Moju. These positions are passed down through apprenticeships, and the only people allowed to live within these hidden shrines are their keepers and their students. Most shrines are associated with a particular mask, which represents the Moju it honours. Shrines never have more keepers than they have Moju, and sometimes a shrine's last Shrinekeeper perishes without a student, only for their successor to arrive centuries later as someone that comes to the forgotten shrine looking to find themselves.

Shrinekeepers are expected to practice a host of arts, typically including botany, calligraphy, poetry, and philosophy, along with a martial tradition passed down from their teacher. As with all adherents of the Mojudan, they must recognise there is no way to leave the world unchanging, so they aspire to change it for the better. Although unlike most adherents, Shrinekeepers focus on a very specific part of the world, seeking to render their shrine a shining example of beauty, while defending it against any who would defile it.

# Syncretism

The Verse is important. If the adherents of the Mojudan didn’t think so, they wouldn’t be in the Wildchoir. While it brought people together, and contributed to who they are today, its legacy is one of many. It may be the first song of the Wildchoir, but it isn’t the first song of these people, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Adherents typically believe Spears focus too much on the division. The Mojudan says that spirit and flesh are one, that the places where Spears travel by rite can be reached on foot. That said, they acknowledge there is truth in the lessons they derive from their Tacnu Zoku, and hold great respect for the way they keep the legacies of their ancestors between their hands.

# Rites

Funerals of the Mojudan focus on the legacy of the deceased. Pivotal moments out of the life story of the dead and their lasting influence are recaptured in tale, poetry, song, theater, and whatever art form those close to them may wish. The deceased is typically buried underneath a tree, but building structures or using engraved stones to mark especially important people is not unheard of.

Marriages focus on how those being wed affected each other, and how they will continue to affect each other. To render the event, its meaning and its promises into a lasting image, it is tradition for those being wed to make something together, be it a poetry book, a garden, a sword, anything that can serve as a tangible sign of cooperation and love. This so-called “Wedding Art” must be shown great care, as it continues to represent the marriage. In the unfortunate case where it is destroyed but people still desire to stay married, they traditionally have to remarry, renewing their vows and creating a new Wedding Art.

Not every couple chooses to marry or stay married. Divorce, while often seen as tragic, is not frowned upon in the Mojudan, as change must be acknowledged, no matter how painful. Likewise, the Mojudan does not frown on those born out of wedlock, but it does look down on those that refuse to acknowledge their own children. This all is not to say marriage is not meaningful, as it is rarely without a lasting legacy.

Many other rites exist that focus on capturing the legacies of specific figures, but these come with many differences. Commonly they use art to exalt certain ideals. Mojudan plays are especially well known for their layers of symbolism and their expressive masks. As adherents say, nothing is truly separate, and that applies doubly so for the metaphors utilised in Mojudan theater.