Zomjonor

**Zomjonōr** is the Vozonid god of gryphons, dreams, the resting mind, the Moon, creativity, and insanity. Due to his association with gryphons, which became a symbol of the Vozonid people, he is regarded as their national god and their civilisations, replacing Pjosaroz.

## The Gryphon God of Vozolaz

He is served by an army of gryphon spirits who guard the living from demonic attacks. He lives in a floating palace inside an enormous, hollow cube of jade or emerald, with its only entrance consisting of a hundred gates that reveal an aspect of the visitor's soul.

Gryphons are associated with Zomjonor, as they and black cats are his favourite animals. Vozonids who are more devout would bow and prostrate before a gryphon, feed meat to gryphons as offerings to their favourite god, and keep statues of gryphons to protect them as they sleep. Killing a gryphon offends Zomjonor, but he blesses and pardons those who protect themselves if a wild gryphon attacks them.

## Worship

His birthday falls somewhere in mid-November, and is celebrated as a sacred festival. It is observed with wearing costumes, blue lanterns, or dances where performers wear gryphon costumes. Its name is "Bandazil [Zomjonorzy]", or simply as "Bandazil".

Blue is his sacred colour.

Even though the Sarmelonid Empire revered him as a symbol of the Vozonid people, he is worshipped alongside two other gods, Pjosaroz, and Tarhunz. Zomjonor represents the will of the people, Pjosaroz represents the authority of the Emperors, and Tarhunz represents the favour of the gods.

He is also seen in another trio, with Sammakari the sea god, and Zoval, the god of death.

## Lord of Cats

One popular Vozonid legend claimed that long ago, during a period of the Gauvajut Empire under a wicked emperor, murders were widespread. One night, a cat fled a burning town, and prayed to Heaven. The gods took pity on the animal, and offered their protection to all cats for their faithful service to humans by killing pests and being companions to the lonely.

Some versions of this legend also claim that it was a hundred cats who knelt to Heaven. Zomjonor descended from the clouds and pointed a whisk at a black cat. The black cat was taken to Heaven, where he became one of Zomjonor's ministers, Aitōryz. Henceforth, while every cat is sacred to a particular god of the Vozonid pantheon, black cats especially are favoured by Zomjonor.

Black cats are considered sacred to Zomjonor; their association with such a popular deity leads to better luck than with other cats. Although they are not worshipped, they are believed to bring his blessings to whoever who sees them. Seeing a black cat at night is auspicious because it shows that Zomjonor's protection is here; black cats are brought to dying people to bless them with access to Paradise; and giving a black cat or kitten would bring great blessings to the receiver.

Conversely, killing a black cat is like murdering a gryphon when not in self-defence - it makes the god angry at killing an animal he loves.

Pests, especially rats, that are killed or caught by cats are cut open and beheaded. Then the dead animal's remains are offered to Zomjonor as a burnt offering. A larger portion is fed back to the pet as a gift to congratulate its successful kill. After the sacrifice, the owner usually cleans the area where the pest's body is laid down, and then washes the cat's mouth. Pests killed by black cats are considered as very auspicious offerings.

## Subordinates

### Specific characters

* Aitōryz - a black cat who was raised as one of Zomjonor's ministers.
* Aljatroz - an immortal who guided Emperor Sarmelon I. He was taken to Heaven on a chariot.
* Akkaivaroz - one of the generals of Zomjonor's divine army, a gryphon spirit. Supposedly a protector of the east, master of the east wind. God of sailors and travellers.
* Nījomaivoz - gryphon spirit, second general, master of the west wind. He supposedly guides heroes to Paradise or Heaven, due to him being a patron of the west, a sacred direction. Patron of musicians and artists, he is a friend and advisor of the Crossroads God, another protector of travellers.
* Jamosondoi - gryphon spirit, third general, lord of the north wind. Represents summer, as Vozolaz is at the southern hemisphere where the north (near the equator and tropics) is hotter.
* Tonuldroi - gryphon spirit, fourth general, lord of the south wind. Also a rain god who protects farmers from floods and storms.

### Divine armies

* Jauporosso - gryphon spirits who are his celestial armies
* Jurakilso - furies and other spirits who are defeated, but offered a place in the god's heavenly ranks. They punish the wicked by driving them to madness or accelerating their ruin, but bless the virtuous by inspiring them into greater feats of creativity.
* Hysauloi - Celestials who resemble walking flowering vines. They protect newborn children, and escort murdered children to Heaven.
* Moon guards, Khotinjōr - white-coloured Celestials who are Zomjonor's sentinels on Jerde's Moon and other moons. Usually devout Vozonids leave offerings and pray to the moon guards for their protection.

## Trivia

* His name means "king of dreams". It should be pronounced as "ZOM-yoh-nore".
* Zomjonor was perhaps based on Cai Shen and Morpheus.
* The hundred soul gates in Zomjonor's emerald cube were inspired by a video of Gilda singing the song "Aoi Tori" (blue bird) while standing on a row of torii gates.