A seemingly eternally patient preacher with an enormous secret hidden well within his eloquent, flowery words. Deceptive depravity flows through his thoughts like heroin through the veins of an addict. The use of religion to cover the truth of a once-great stallion’s ongoing sins. Missionary from a far land, desperate to spread the word of the truly highest god. Veil of goodness that shrouds the evil within. A corrupt preacher with a covert agenda beyond his sermons.
Oukd Oura and Duvura Rahmukd
a god and her family of worshippers
There is one great god that rules over everything - created everyone; created you and me and Kisamoa and any other gods you’ve experienced in your life. Though many horses believe in only subdivision gods like Kisamoa, there is one true divine one that ranks supreme in the eyes of the Bourqutsarq (bor-cuts-arc). This higher being usually takes the form of a mare and is therefore referred to as a she, but has been known to morph into other things like dragons, ants, elephants, mist, and more. With no specific name, this divine one is simply referred to as Oukd Oura (oaked or-uh), Qtsurur (cuts-your-er), or the more easily pronounced Goud (gowd).
A small herd known as the Duvura Rahmukd that live in the Valley of Tsradar (sh-ray-der) discovered Oukd Oura centuries ago when she revealed herself to them in her most well-known form: a white mare. The power that emanated from the being was thrice as strong as anything they’d felt from other subdivision gods and therefore realized who she was and where she ranked among all the gods (the top). Centuries later, the Duvura Rahmukd have an entire religion based on this higher power, everything they do, say, think revolves around this god. This herd knows Oukd Oura as the highest source of power in existence. They worship her with rituals, morals, prayers, sacrifices, and more. All of the members of this small herd take on an ethereal sort of appearance, usually solidly white with varying body types and occasional splotches of color here and there.
With the religion came a hierarchy that gave each horse in the Duvura Rahmukd a different job that included a series of day-to-day tasks and larger life goals and missions with it. The structure was that of a common herd: Commoners- the civilians that made up the bulk of the herd, Doctors- those that heal through the use of magic and herbs, Combatants- fighters who train to protect the herd and obliterate any opponents, Seers- oracles that contact Gouda through direct and indirect ways, Specters- thieves and spies that are used to gain knowledge or tangible things through the use of nonviolent ways such as spying or trickery, Crafters- horses who are able to create things from materials and substances around them, Leaders- an elected mare and stallion who oversee all the activities.
In every way possible, she has infiltrated their lives. Oukd Oura is a marginal part of the Duvura Rahmukd of Tsradar's lives, culture, identity. A life without her is a life with no oxygen- pointless and extremely short-lived.
Bourqutsarq and Worshipping
the worshippers and their principles
The Bourqutsarq are known for their belief of balancing forces: dark vs. light, evil vs. good, female vs. male, frost vs. fire, etc. Though these balancing forces are commonly known as yin and yang, the Bourqutsarq never refer to them as such, instead referring to the forces with pronouns, as if they are actual beings. They never doubt the relationship between the forces, knowing all too well that doubting them is completely useless for no matter how much one would think one force outweighs the other, it is never true. Bourqutsarq often pray to the forces whenever they pray to Oukd Oura, not in order to turn the tides in their favor, but actually to thank them for the hard work they do. Any following beliefs work well with the idea of forces (which are truly the building blocks of this religion).
The Bourqutsarq believe worshipping Oukd Oura will bring harmony into their lives, for they have finally find the ultimate god to pray to, a being capable of mass healing and mass destruction. To be aware of Oukd Oura is to be aware of the intense power she carries, the intense power everyone carries within them. No matter how powerful one may become, it is important to never tilt too much into one of the forces, for then they will only find chaos and destruction. Most worshippers of Oukd Oura believe a large part of the religion is spreading it and enlightening those that are unaware of the supreme god. Though the end-all-be-all task for Bourqutsarq is not missionary work, the horses do find it to be important for the religion. It is claimed that a grand sense of understanding and serenity washes over those who have accepted Oukd Oura into their lives, for she will always accept them back while granting them good fortune and less heartache. The benefits and feelings that come with converting to Bourqutsarq are much, much deeper than detailed here, but these words are the basic guideline of what this is.
The practices of the Bourqutsarq are vast and of common occurrence, though are small enough tasks to be far from burdensome. The most common practice is praying when the sun rises in the wee hours of the morning and again when the moon rises many hours later. It is believed that dusk and dawn are the best times to connect with Oukd Oura because this is when she is closest to her followers, changing the sky from day to night or vice versa. Another practice, though less common, is sacrifices of any sorts, from animals to food. The simple act of giving something meaningful to the god is meant to further an individuals bond with her, though is not necessary. These are just two examples of the seemingly infinite amount of practices.
All Bourqutsarq decorate themselves lavishly at the turn of every year, grateful that another safe year has gone by. Through thick and thin, Oukd Oura is a beacon of hope throughout the Bourqutsarq lives' and should be honored because of it. A pool of white-bodied horses covered in beautiful ornamental decorations parade through the land on the first day of every year, excited to say that their god has helped them through one more year of life.
Despite the joys of worshipping her, there are rules to be abided by. Worshippers are expected to love strangers as much as they would their own progeny, for all life is meaningful and should not be ranked in any sort of way. Sex is sinful when not done properly (think, abstinence until marriage). Preachers are never allowed to engage in any sort of sexual activity, so as not to mar their holy divinity. The religion can be strict, and those who waver from it are usually hit with bad luck and misfortune. Those who do sin are able to ask for forgiveness but must cleanse themselves of all worldly possessions to do so and still may risk a small penalty dealt by Oukd Oura herself. The Bourqutsarq are told to never give up on non-believers, for eventually it is thought they will come around. Those who mock the religion are dealt misfortune. Worshippers are generally open-minded individuals, but tend to never stray from Oukd Oura or their beliefs.
The Prophecy and Important Figures
people of significance and value
blehblah
Omens of Life
signs symbolic of good or evil
Any lunar events are signs of Oukd Oura carefully watching her people from above. It is believed that during any lunar event, bad luck may befall any who wander alone in the darkness of night, however, the following weeks and days of a lunar event are prosperous and bountiful for all who survive the night. Therefore making lunar eclipses evil omens for the weak, yet good omens for the strong. There is a common belief among the Bourqutsarq that loneliness should be avoided, as that is where most horses waiver from the religion- a huge no-no, so it should be no surprise that lunar events tend to force horses together, rather than separate them.
White frogs are very uncommon finds in the Tsradar Valley, but are never regarded as a good omen. The frogs bring misfortune to all those who lay eyes upon them. Their slimy skin is said to be poisonous to all those who are avid, devoted worshippers. Sinners are unaffected by the frog, by misfortune is brought upon them in other ways.
The white deer is the greatest omen of all. The rare sighting of a white deer is one of the world's many wonders, according to the Bourqutsarq. The grace and beauty that radiates from the creatures are believed to transfer to all who witness it, instilling beauty and regality in those few lucky souls.
The white koi is both a good and bad omen. Should one witness the koi alone, it is a curse. The white koi breeds friendship, trust, and hospitality within those that glance at it, however what use are those traits to a single, lonely being? Not useful. Therefore, the koi will instill depression, solitude, and famine in those who dare look at it with no company.
more will be added as yezdao comes across different 'omens' within the rift.