Istenek

The 8 gods of man or Istenek is the most major religion in the world. Originally this religion formed from the cradle of life (think indus river valley) and as technology and trade began to expand it expanded to every corner of the world. In every city, you will find somebody of Istenek faith. It is a polytheistic religion focused on the worship of each aspect of the world, with a different god for each. The main worship is under that of Purian Istenek but there are many sub-religions.

## Gods

### Dalar

goddess of the moon, death, peace, marriage

### Palan

goddess of civilization, innovation, wisdom

### Areif

god of war, bloodshed, conquering, slavery

### Teless

Goddess of the sky, storm, the stars, hospitality, and dreams

### Roshtas

Goddess of love, beauty, lust, and longing

#### Paneic Version

Viewed as another goddess of war because what is longing without war and bloodshed? An older version of this goddess before her later apparition.

#### Sillian Version

More seen as a goddess of pure undying love without bloodshed or lust. Most common idolization of her. She is described as a changeling in this version, with the ability to wear your true love's face on her own.

#### Roshan Version

The version of the goddess that her followers of her cult veiw her as. More lustful and egotistical in this apparition

## Worship

In order to be a worshipper of Istenek, one must use a solar calendar, as each god has a day of faith. It is considered bad luck to not pray to a god on their day. For example, it is common to pray to Dalik during the peak of the summer months in order to ensure a bountiful harvest.

### Afterlife

The afterlife is a central belief in Istenek. It is believed that when one dies, they will either be sent to the eternal darkness, known as Dalakar, or the eternal light, known as Dalikar. If one is sent to the darkness, they are free from the world and its strife, with the ability to rest in peace. However, if one is sent to Dalikar, they will suffer. Their skin will boil and burn, and they will become a corpse after death.

### Wedding Practices

Wedding practices are also an important part of Istenek. During a wedding ceremony, both the groom and bride enter wearing hooded cloaks that display their family's history or personal history, which are mostly passed down through the family. The priest will say a prayer over each person and then remove their hoods. The entire ceremony is spoken in Sanctus, the religious language of Istenek. At the end of the ceremony, the priest will remove the bride's cloak and the groom will remove his own, draping it on the bride's shoulders. This tradition symbolizes the groom bringing the bride under his protection and into his family.

It is said that one who catches a glimpse of the groom or bride as they walk down the aisle with their hood over their face will be granted good luck. However, this is only practiced in the Selvos faith. More commonly after the cloaking of the bride the groom will place his forehead against the bride's feet and pray to the goddess Dalar for blessing, a man who does not do so is to have a cursed marrige.

## Selvos

A form of Istenek that has changed since its origins. It is the more common form of Istenek in the northern, more human, kingdoms.

## Cult of Roshtas (Roshan Istenke)

The Cult of Roshtas is a sub-religion that focuses solely on the worship of the goddess Roshtas. They believe that Roshtas is the most important of all the gods and goddesses, as she represents love, beauty, and passion.

### Practices

Followers of the Cult of Roshtas often hold elaborate festivals and ceremonies in honor of the goddess. They also create beautiful works of art and music as a way to pay homage to her.

### Differences

Unlike Purian Istenek, the Cult of Roshtas places all of its focus on the worship of a single deity, rather than the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses. They also do not have a specific day of worship, as they believe that every day should be devoted to the goddess Roshtas.

## Velanian Istenek

This sub-religion is practiced mainly in the coastal regions of the continent. They believe in the same gods as Purian Istenek but place more emphasis on the worship of Miros, the god of the sea. They believe that Miros provides them with the bounty of the sea and that it's important to honor him through offerings and prayers. Velanian Istenek also believes in the importance of hospitality and generosity, especially towards travelers and strangers.