The war of the Religions
Jalifa sat down on a stone bench and shot a look to the girl who was calmly sitting beside her with disgust. Ayja, the girl who came with the other tribe just a moon ago for ceremonial purposes, was always like that. Yahad knew what she's been up to. Yahad is their tribal god who has the form of a wild bull. Jalifa, however, did not worship Yahad. She was part of a minority that worshipped the Dark lynx, a god feared by all. Ayja was sweaty, her long auburn hair stuck, matted, to her skull. She was dressed in skins right for her rank; an alfiji, priestess in training. Unlike the rest of her clan, she was dressed in long deerskin robes up to her ankles all year long. On her forehead was a crude tattoo of a dark half- moon, symbolizing the priestesses. She showed almost no expression except for a trace of a smile at the edge of her full red lips. To impress people to get what she wanted, she had been taught to show no facial expression whatsoever. Ayja was bored out of her wits. I know that we're not supposed to show expression, she thought irritably, but I'm so bored! At least tonight she would have something to do. Tonight would be the ceremony to welcome spirits and to mourn the passing of several hunters who died the night before. The day passed quickly. At night, Ayja donned her formal alfiji robes and stepped onto the raised wooden platform. Her priestess-master, Lajifa, was not here; she had to attend to other tribes. Ayja would take Lajifa's place tonight. She looked uncannily real as she towered over the huddled tribesmen. She cleared her throat and announced in a clear voice, "I am alfiji Ayja Russetshelm, apprentice to Priestess Lajifa Russetshelm. May the Lynx ease the dead." She had learnt this trick of lifting her voice from Lajifa, making Ayja sound intimidating. She rustled her robes and went on. "Visitors Athel Treeshaven and Arkif Treeshaven were brought to the city of the dead the night before in an honorable bear hunt." She paused. "We are here to reflect on the impression those two brothers made on our lives." Drawing out a skull of some sort, she stepped down dramatically from the makeshift stage and whispered in a strange voice, "Great Father, help them pass through evil's minions. Guide them to your great palace. May they rest there. Your servant awaits your word." The crowd murmured, then shifted. "May the Father protect us," they said. An old man stood up. His face was haggard and worn. "We are all faithful followers of the Priestess order. The truly faithful ones will execute lakjaf. " He drew out a pocketknife, sharpened on stone, and slit his finger. Ayja winced as warm blood slid down his finger. She hastened to collect exactly 14 drops, the chosen number, of blood in the ivory bowl. The bowl was already copper colored, stained from blood sacrifices years ago. The crowd hastened to do the same. After collecting a full bowl, she dipped a palm leaf in the blood and sprinkled it first over the corpses, then over herself and finally the crowd. Barbarians, thought Jalifa as she watched from a crack in the stone recess, nothing but barbarians. Even though they look mysterious and powerful, they were nothing. Nothing but people who don't follow Yahad's orders. "What's this?" Jalifa whirled around. "Why is a girl here? Only the people of Russetshelm are allowed here, to watch the rites. She must die." It was the old man again. His eyes blazed with fire to see a person break the sacred codes. "State your name." "App-p-rentice Flamerin Jalifa Stonesfire, honored priest." "Stonesfire.the land skilled in making weapons. Is that correct?" "Yes, priest." She stopped stuttering and became calm. "Don't 'priest' me, I'm not a priest. Lajifed Russetshelm." "Fedis Lajifed," She bowed slightly and gulped, "I'd best be going." His eyes narrowed. "Don't think you're going so easy, young flamerin." He turned to the silent crowd behind him. "Don't you think she should at least join our order?" The crowd murmured in agreement. Lajifred turned to Ayja. "Well, Fedisa alfiji?" Alfijis were greatly respected; there were only a tiny number in the vast majority. Ayja took out a bone-carved knife. It was for ceremonial purposes, but the tip was still razor sharp. She idly pricked at her finger. The process immediately drew blood. "We will just have to wait for a sign from the Lynx."
Lakjaf= blood sacrifice Alfiji= apprentice to priestess Alfijir= apprentice to priest Fedis= respected, sir, honored
Let me get this straight. There are 4 clans, Fire, Water, Woods and Darkness. There are tribes inside each clan. Like in Fire there's Stonesfire, Firesgold and Flamesbright. The magicians or whatever you call thems are flamers and flamerins. In Water, there's Liquidsea and Lilystream. The magicians there are Listreams. In Woods, there's only 1 tribe (because the people like to be peaceful) Treeshaven. The magicians are Elidors and Elidoras. The people of Darkness are Russetshelm, with priestesses and priests.
Jalifa sat down on a stone bench and shot a look to the girl who was calmly sitting beside her with disgust. Ayja, the girl who came with the other tribe just a moon ago for ceremonial purposes, was always like that. Yahad knew what she's been up to. Yahad is their tribal god who has the form of a wild bull. Jalifa, however, did not worship Yahad. She was part of a minority that worshipped the Dark lynx, a god feared by all. Ayja was sweaty, her long auburn hair stuck, matted, to her skull. She was dressed in skins right for her rank; an alfiji, priestess in training. Unlike the rest of her clan, she was dressed in long deerskin robes up to her ankles all year long. On her forehead was a crude tattoo of a dark half- moon, symbolizing the priestesses. She showed almost no expression except for a trace of a smile at the edge of her full red lips. To impress people to get what she wanted, she had been taught to show no facial expression whatsoever. Ayja was bored out of her wits. I know that we're not supposed to show expression, she thought irritably, but I'm so bored! At least tonight she would have something to do. Tonight would be the ceremony to welcome spirits and to mourn the passing of several hunters who died the night before. The day passed quickly. At night, Ayja donned her formal alfiji robes and stepped onto the raised wooden platform. Her priestess-master, Lajifa, was not here; she had to attend to other tribes. Ayja would take Lajifa's place tonight. She looked uncannily real as she towered over the huddled tribesmen. She cleared her throat and announced in a clear voice, "I am alfiji Ayja Russetshelm, apprentice to Priestess Lajifa Russetshelm. May the Lynx ease the dead." She had learnt this trick of lifting her voice from Lajifa, making Ayja sound intimidating. She rustled her robes and went on. "Visitors Athel Treeshaven and Arkif Treeshaven were brought to the city of the dead the night before in an honorable bear hunt." She paused. "We are here to reflect on the impression those two brothers made on our lives." Drawing out a skull of some sort, she stepped down dramatically from the makeshift stage and whispered in a strange voice, "Great Father, help them pass through evil's minions. Guide them to your great palace. May they rest there. Your servant awaits your word." The crowd murmured, then shifted. "May the Father protect us," they said. An old man stood up. His face was haggard and worn. "We are all faithful followers of the Priestess order. The truly faithful ones will execute lakjaf. " He drew out a pocketknife, sharpened on stone, and slit his finger. Ayja winced as warm blood slid down his finger. She hastened to collect exactly 14 drops, the chosen number, of blood in the ivory bowl. The bowl was already copper colored, stained from blood sacrifices years ago. The crowd hastened to do the same. After collecting a full bowl, she dipped a palm leaf in the blood and sprinkled it first over the corpses, then over herself and finally the crowd. Barbarians, thought Jalifa as she watched from a crack in the stone recess, nothing but barbarians. Even though they look mysterious and powerful, they were nothing. Nothing but people who don't follow Yahad's orders. "What's this?" Jalifa whirled around. "Why is a girl here? Only the people of Russetshelm are allowed here, to watch the rites. She must die." It was the old man again. His eyes blazed with fire to see a person break the sacred codes. "State your name." "App-p-rentice Flamerin Jalifa Stonesfire, honored priest." "Stonesfire.the land skilled in making weapons. Is that correct?" "Yes, priest." She stopped stuttering and became calm. "Don't 'priest' me, I'm not a priest. Lajifed Russetshelm." "Fedis Lajifed," She bowed slightly and gulped, "I'd best be going." His eyes narrowed. "Don't think you're going so easy, young flamerin." He turned to the silent crowd behind him. "Don't you think she should at least join our order?" The crowd murmured in agreement. Lajifred turned to Ayja. "Well, Fedisa alfiji?" Alfijis were greatly respected; there were only a tiny number in the vast majority. Ayja took out a bone-carved knife. It was for ceremonial purposes, but the tip was still razor sharp. She idly pricked at her finger. The process immediately drew blood. "We will just have to wait for a sign from the Lynx."
Lakjaf= blood sacrifice Alfiji= apprentice to priestess Alfijir= apprentice to priest Fedis= respected, sir, honored
Let me get this straight. There are 4 clans, Fire, Water, Woods and Darkness. There are tribes inside each clan. Like in Fire there's Stonesfire, Firesgold and Flamesbright. The magicians or whatever you call thems are flamers and flamerins. In Water, there's Liquidsea and Lilystream. The magicians there are Listreams. In Woods, there's only 1 tribe (because the people like to be peaceful) Treeshaven. The magicians are Elidors and Elidoras. The people of Darkness are Russetshelm, with priestesses and priests.