Kaelyrs believe the world to have been made by the three primordial gods (who were possibly Triis, judging from their special powers). The world-making myth tells a story of three divine beings that could bend and manipulate the world around them however they pleased, and as they ran around in the sky, dancing, loving, and having fun, many different things came from upon their mighty hands: the stars, the light and the darkness, the deep colours of the heavenly dome above the world. Maashuban could create anything from nothing, Sahothyl could direct the forces of the world, and Umenor could give anything the ability to bloom and wither. Together they represent the triangle of natural laws - Shaping, Guidance, and Regulation - in which Kaelyrs see the structure of the world. In legends and myths, these gods have a lot of power, but they aren’t omnipotent, and each has their own weaknesses and strengths. In some of the most detailed religious scrolls, there are mentions of a force “that stands even higher above the primordial gods and that gave birth to them and shaped their personalities”.
Maashuban, Sahothyl and Umenor are also believed to be the forebears of the Kaelyrian nation. According to legend, they used to live freely in the vast space, but one day Sahothyl announced they were getting bored. The most energetic, curious, and lavish of the three, they wanted to make a special place, full of mysteries and adventures, one that would be different from the never-ending void of stars. That’s how the land, later named Farnaor by Kaelyrs, came to be - a giant world of vibrant red and yellow hues, filled with light and fire that matched Sahothyl’s cunning eyes. Umenor, being a smart and creative inventor, came up with countless species of beasts, plants, and rock to inhabit the newly-made fiery domain, while the risky Maashuban made up dangerous challenges and competitions, so Sahothyl had plenty of fun. Since the three gods led a care-free and fun life, they also had many divine children, and Sahothyl’s land seemed like an interesting adventure to some of them - their home used to be the sky, like their parents’, and most thought of it as a pretty boring place where they didn’t have much to do. The gods’ offspring soon were roaming the hot red world, competing, surviving and exploring, showing off their powers to each other and throwing parties to praise their parents. It must also be noted that according to these beliefs Kaelyrs were never feral and appeared in Farnaor as they are today when the children of the gods descended from the skies.
One day Maashuban challenged Umenor to a “mountfall” fight, which was a kind of competition to figure out who was stronger. It didn’t involve any actual fighting; instead, two gods clasped their hands behind their backs and rammed into each other’s torsos, locking necks, pressing into shoulders, and pushing as hard as they could. The one to fall first would be called “a fallen mountain”, and Maashuban, as vigorous and competitive as they were, wanted to prove they were the strongest of the three gods. Umenor was very proud, so they agreed, but since both gods were extremely tough, the intense fight lasted for days. At some point the competition grew so heated that even Sahothyl’s pleadings didn’t stop it. Agitated by their desire to win, the two stomped and pushed so heavily that the earth beneath their feet cracked, and the whole world shook in terror as the land’s surface broke into large pieces. Only when they realized how much damage they had done, Maashuban and Umenor stopped; this was also to take Sahothyl’s scolding. The gods held the fragments, but they couldn’t piece them back together no matter how hard they tried - the heat of their competition produced too much energy that even they couldn’t control. In some versions of the myth, the fact that the three gods couldn’t reverse the damage is seen as one of the divine laws of justice that even heavenly beings can’t avoid - they had to face the consequences of their irrational actions and be forever bound by debt to their partner.
To help their children and countless descendants survive in the broken land, the gods shared a tiny bit of their own magic with those who needed it most. One of such descendants who received the gods’ blessing was Kaelu, the trio’s grandson. He inherited his grandparents’ will, strength and resourcefulness, so he used the blessing to gather around some other people and settled with them in what is believed to be the first proto-commune. Given his close relation to the gods, Kaelu lived very long, was incredibly tall and strong - he protected those who joined him and built a house next to his, he taught many generations to conquer mountains and use magic. He did so much good that others started calling themselves by a derivative of his name - Kaelyr - showing their deepest respect and appreciation.
One of the most famous examples of Kaelyrs using their religion in everyday life is the taiyon - this widely accepted coin has a hole in the centre that looks like a triangle with circles at its points - the symbol of the three primordial gods, united as one, also called the “divine triangle”. Circles, connected by lines, and triangular shapes or different sizes and variations are everywhere on Farnaor. They are believed to be message paths between the earthly world and the gods, so they can often be seen surrounded by other patterns or pictures that symbolize what is wished for: for example, drawing divine triangles among pictures of herbs and crops is a wish for a rich harvest; a divine triangle surrounded by depictions of weather, like sun, wind, rain and snow is a wish for that particular weather etc. Divine patterns are used in medicine and shamanism, and shrines are usually built in the shape of the divine triangle.
“Curses” and “blessings” are common concepts; Kaelyrs respect everything connected to them, and it’s prohibited to say anything bad about curses, since they are seen as justified punishments or will-testing challenges. Being very tall, strong, beautiful, or smart is considered a blessing, and nowadays thanking the gods for any sort of success, personal or someone else’s, is basically an everyday thing. The Supremes are usually seen as the gods’ favorites, the worthiest of divine power. The horrifying phenomenon of changing, on the other hand, is the worst, the scariest of curses.
Shamanism is a big part of the Kaelyrs’ culture. Shamans are important members of each commune, and they dedicate their life to learning the ways of the world, which are, of course, connected to the primordial gods and their divine children. When asking for blessings, shamans must know the approach to every god they speak to, and they must know who exactly to ask for a specific blessing. Thus, Maashuban is believed to be a patron of warriors, protectors, and guardians, the one who grants strength of spirit, lights up fire where it has dimmed, and leads flaming hearts to victory, they respect loyalty, discipline and dedication; Sahothyl is a patron of life and death, the one who guides seeds to the light, waters to the soil, and people to their destined fate, and help those who feel confused or unsure about their life path, they value an open heart and a lively spirit; Umenor is a proud benefactor of science and medicine, the one who holds answers to all questions, and grants their blessing of wisdom to those they deem worthy of bringing progress to the world, they prize rationality, self-sacrifice, and passion for exploration. Some of the gods’ descendants have become heroes, or idols, who are also worshipped at shrines: they are glorified for their innovations or heroic labors, adored for kind deeds, praised for their contribution to the building of civilization. There are also idols who gained a following while being rather debatable - so far there are only two that have a rather noticeable following: Noa, a son of Sahothyl and Umenor, who is praised as “a guide for lost souls”, like Sahothyl themselves, but “more effective”, since he is very cunning and offers an actual working piece of advice for a good payment, but when a person isn’t able to pay right away, he offers to come back to it later, which usually results in him taking something way more valuable than the person had originally expected to give; and Ashana, a daughter of Umenor and Maashuban, whose main strength is her seductive nature - for it she has been deemed a home-wrecker by some, and the idol of beauty and sexuality by others.
Shamans are often on equal terms with doctors when it comes to treating maladies. Shamans use more traditional methods and rely heavily on connection with the gods, while doctors use modern healing methods; they might seem as rivals, but in fact shamans and doctors trust each other’s judgement and thoroughly research each other’s strengths to be able to tell who might have the right experience for a case. There is always a shaman in every commune, they are usually settled in one place and rarely travel; there are no shamans in the Region Watch, however, but there are usually at least one-two doctors per Watch Hall, and doctors are the ones who travel a lot across Farnaor, accompany caravans, and visit remote communes to offer medical services. Despite using the most effective modern techniques, doctors are still not completely separated from religion: they use talismans, read short prayers at the end of procedures, and draw blazewood tattoos the same way shamans do - in divine patterns that are meant to amplify the healing effects on a body.
Shrines, built for Kaelyrs to pray at and offer different goods to the gods, are kept by preachers - Kaelyrs who specialize in reading religious texts and also help those who feel conflicted, lost, or frustrated in finding their faith again. They are very respected, because they dedicate their entire life to studying religion and learning to understand the gods, as well as teaching other to do the same. There are sometimes schools at the shrines where preachers guide those who are interested onto the path of belief (as well as teaching common subjects and sciences, like math, history and art, on the side). For these reasons, preachers are very important, and just like it is with commune chiefs, they should be trustworthy to avoid spreading misinformation or twisting the way people think of the gods. Umenor and Sahothyl’s son Ykai is believed to be the first preacher who specifically took it upon himself to share his parents’ glory with others, which is why his statues and murals depicting different moments from his life are often found at shrines. Ykai is a symbol of pure faith; he is called a prophet, too, because throughout his long existence he had predicted many important events - some of his prophecies are yet to be decoded by modern preachers and scholars.
Mountfall fighting - the very competition that, according to legend, caused Farnaor to break into pieces - is a very popular sport. Since Maashuban and Umenor were trying to figure out who was stronger, mountfall fighting holds a special meaning for Kaelyrs; it’s often performed among the most ambitious youth for the sake of earning the champion’s title or drawing attention (usually their parents’, guardian’s, or love interest’s), and sometimes even as a way to solve arguments, others treat mountfall as a fun game. There is even a tournament held across the whole Farnaor for mountfall fighters to compete for glory, and it can be a really tough one, too: the longest record of an unbeatable champion lasted for 15 years. The basic rules of mountfall haven’t changed much over thousands of years: two competitors have their hands tied behind their backs and stand in a field, they have to make their opponent either step outside the line or fall to the ground. They aren’t allowed to use their legs to punch or their heads to hit each other, only their necks to lock in, and legs to push off the ground. Torso and shoulders play a role in keeping the balance, but they also can be used to trick the opponent into falling. There are variations of the game: for example, the field can have different shapes, sometimes even crossed out with multiple lines, and these lines need to stay intact while the competitors fight within a certain time limit; the “reverse mountfall”, when the opponents push into each other’s backs; or the “blind mountfall”, when the competitors fight blindfolded.
Tattoos, despite not having religious origin, are an important part of religious life of Kaelyrs. They aren’t the permanent kind, but temporary paintings on the body made with different types of material - natural paint, ink, charcoal, substances made from plants or minerals. There are plenty of patterns used as tattoos, but they all carry a spiritual purpose: strengthening, protection, a wish for good luck, blessings from gods etc. Newborns traditionally get a special tattoo on their face, chest and belly; this is an important ritual of getting their first blessing, it’s carried out by the local shaman who talks to gods upon the birth of the baby and receives messages from those of them who favor the newborn (usually it’s one god); after that, the shaman creates a unique pattern from those gods’ symbols to be painted onto the newborn’s body. If the shaman receives no messages, it’s considered a bad omen, and instead the baby gets a neutral tattoo to bless it with a good life.
Fun fact: shamans make different neutral tattoos that are unique to their commune; there are most likely no neutral tattoos on Farnaor that look completely the same.
Starting a few days after birth, Kaelyrian babies are often bathed in herbs infused water that’s supposed to strengthen their bodies. The older the child, the less often parents add medicinal plants to its bath, and usually they don’t do it after the kid turns five (although even some adult Kaelyrs like herbal baths, and they are used commonly to treat various illnesses). Dead bodies are also wiped with herbal water before cremation. Herbs are considered sacred and are believed to have healing properties when injested (prepared by shamans or doctors) or hung around the house. Kaelyrs sometimes wear herb bells - pendants or charms of different shapes made from wood, bone, crystal or metal with crushed herbs inside; they are used by those with chronic illnesses, anxiety, or for spiritual protection. During festivals, weddings, commemorations, burials, memorial days, and many casual occasions at shrines the herbs in herb bells are burned, akin to incense.