The Dulamen

**The Dulamen** are a group of nomadic zealots who reside in the desert, often spreading their religion and imposing it on either willing or unwilling participants.

## History

Dulamah was abandoned as a young child with his parents hailing from the kingdom of Aedwin. He was a brilliant pale color, and his hair of black with skin kept smooth by his herbalist parents. Unknown why the parents abandoned him in the desert, he was placed in an area with many creatures and a rock well nearby, providing enough food and water for Dulamah to survive. After he was abandoned, he slowly turned to insanity as nobody came around to the desert aside from the occasional traveller.

With his skin, his mind grew darker and he began hallucinating motherly figures that talked to him from the sand. Not knowing how to cope with this, Dulamah accepted the hallucinations as motherly figures and eventually subconciously assigned them to things that made Dulamah feel safe. The warm sands beneath him guiding his every step, the rocks surrounding his hole of a home, and the sun lighting his day and bringing warmth to him. As his mind continued to deteriorate, so did the morals of the three hallucinations, "forcing" Dulamah to brand himself with an insignia melted into a lost dagger nearby. This symbol would later be described as an ornate circle representing the three "goddesses."

Dulamah turned to worship, and looked to other religions he had only seen slices of to make his worship feel as if it meant something. The goddesses were pleased with him, and allowed him to leave and enter the desert at any time he would like, finally letting him free from his lonesome hole. Before he could head out, however, he met with a roving group of nomads who wished for company. He took the opportunity, and began to indoctrinate the people into his religion.

## Events of the Roleplay

Dulamah took the roving group to his desert encampment, showing them dirty water and sheltering them. All the while he asked for their names and stories, their stories being something they didn't give easily but their names free for Dulamah to remember. One of the group suggested that they band together after Dulamah gave his story, and they all agreed that Dulamah should lead any group they come up with. A fellow group member suggested they name the group the Dulamen while Dulamah himself suggested they acquire outfits from Aedwin and weaponry to defend themselves. They all raided the tailor to acquire yellow and white armor, and got chainmail hoods for head protection. The Dulamen as an official group was born.

The Dulamen hounded on people, as Dulamah didn't know what to do with the sextant at his disposal. Eventually he landed on harrassing Aenora Ridgwell, the wife of Tomas Ridgwell, due to Dulamah being taught by the goddesses that those who passed through the desert while married were horrid people, the women being greedy by only allowing one man to be with her. In retaliation against Aenora, Dulamah stole her dress and started kicking her until they were interrupted by a group of people who wished to use the cathedral. Dulamah ran with a fellow group member carrying Aenora, with four of the five Dulamen going back to their desert encampment while Dulamah himself and another of his men were chased to the forests beneath Hallengard. Dulamah and the other were forced to give up their items to the puruers, Dulamah recongnizing that he was underpowered and understaffed to take on the heavily armored pursuers. They left back to the camp where they met with Aenora being branded on her left hand, just as all members had been before.

Aenora was let free, and was told she can walk the desert freely with the brand. More and more people came, and they all got branded as well, with some (like Ianto del Rossi) also having their possessions branded. They eventually found a girl of 12 years, Adelais Rolfe, and branded her without a second thought before Dulamah recongnized her as an avatar of Terran, the Goddess of Rock, Stone, and Sculpting. She was given proper robes, and made into the one who would give the final word within the group. Her only request upon being idolized was to stay up past curfew and be given bread. Upon the request, Dulamah and a fellow member, Abby, set out to the farm near Aedwin to raid their wheat supply and make bread. Chanting could be heard in many places, and in many ways during that time, but they all sent the same message: "BREAD FOR TERRAN."

The Dulamen had a feast at the encampment, but a scout saw that the newest King of Aedwin, Vain, had crossed into the desert without a second thought. Dulamah quickly gathered everyone to not only brand Vain, but bring the crown to their idol, Terran.

## Beliefs

The Dulamen believe there are three godesses and that only conduits of the trio should be put above all else. The trio of goddesses are as follows: Terran (goddess of rock, stone, and sculpting) Haren (goddess of the sand) and Jua (goddess of the sun and heat). Only one negative figure is known in the culture, and it is ??? (god of the moon, dark, and cold).

### Terran

Terran is often depicted as a woman caked and covered in dirt, often smelling bitter and foul. Legends say she sculpted the islands out of a single cube of pure rock, and eventually, with the help of the two other goddesses, created life. After the creation of life, Terran was rumored to either become a snake or take the form of a young woman, considering Terran is the youngest of the trio. As with the two other goddesses, she was exhausted after molding stone and creating life, and wishes only for relaxation and sustinence, letting people fend for themselves.

### Haren

Haren is often depicted as a highly bandaged, flexible woman who protects all of her creations with her immortal life. Not much is known about Haren other then that she is the protector of moral life, even though she cannot interfere with mortals.

### Jua

Jua is often depicted as larger than average, and with a glow that burns her image into the retinas of whoever looks at her. If one focuses enough, they may see a maiden with the palest of skin and golden hair. She is the eldest of the trio of goddesses, and was believed to have coordinated the creation of life, and produced the cube of pure rock that Terran would later work with.

## Worship

Spending time in the sun for the purpose of darkening one's skin is often regarded as either a form of prayer or worship, and verbal prayers also may come to play. The main form of worship is branding one's left hand with an ornate circle of three segments, representing the trio of goddesses. With the brand, one doesn't need permission from the trio to leave and enter the desert, nor do they need to verbally worship or lay in the sun.

## Culture

The Dulamen only have three known words of their tounge. "Yej" for yes, "Nej" for no, and "F" as a sign of agreement. The words are used interchangably with English. Conduits and people of higher ranking in the Dulamen faith often wear a glove of golden color on their left hand, most of the time cut off of spare Lauchette armor or the occasional lost golden cloth.

## Criticism

Many a Halesman think that the Dulamen are a group of insane zealots, praising goddesses that shouldn't be and praising them in highly violent and unorthodox ways.