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Th'akh on Ouerea

Most of the followers of Th'akh on Ouerea arrived in the post-contact wave of colonists, with settlers from across the Hegemony recruited to settle the new world. As such, Ouerea is home to nearly every variation of Th’akh found on Moghes, though with those practiced in the regions of the former Traditionalist Coalition being less common. Shrines can be found across the planet dedicated to the Court of Stars, the Stone Lords of the Zazalai Mountains, the River Court of the Southlands and a thousand other variations of the faith. While many keep to the traditions and rituals of their ancestors, the cosmopolitan and independent culture of Ouerea has shaped the practice of Th’akh on the planet.

There is much less of a focus on particular holy sites and ancestral spirits in Ouerean Th’akh - the Unathi on this world are the first and second generation of colonists. There are no honored ancestors who have walked before them on this world, and most believe that, while they watch Ouerea from the spirit world, their ancestors remain on Moghes. For better or for worse, Ouerean Th’akhists know that they will be the ancestors whose spirits are invoked by future generations, the founders of a new civilisation and a new world. This has led to the rise of what is known as Ouerean Syncretism by theological scholars, and simply ‘Ouerean Th’akh’ by others.

Ouerean Th’akh is a synthesis of a thousand variations on the faith - while the colonists all have their own spirit-gods and sacred rituals, their own clans and honored ancestors, they are all equally outsiders now, facing new spirits of a strange new world. The spirits of Ouerea are viewed as wilder and more primal forces than those of Moghes, solely forces of the elemental nature of the planet uninfluenced by the Sinta’Unathi. As such, many Th’akh shamans on Ouerea are equal parts teacher, preacher and survivalist - exemplifying the pioneering spirit of the first Ouereans in learning to work with the spirits of the new world, naming them and seeking to shape a harmonious relationship. Some of the more prominent among these shamans have been vocal in opposition to Hephaestus Industries’ expansion onto the planet, believing that their exploitation of Ouerea will lead to great spiritual misfortune across the planet.

Respect for both the old spirits of Moghes and the new spirits of Ouerea is the duality that shapes Ouerean Th’akh - its shamans teach that the colonists have brought their spirits with them in part, and that only through achieving a peace between the old and the new can one reach true harmony. Those who abandon their old ways and traditions completely may be dishonorable and bring shame to their ancestors - but those who cling to them and refuse to adapt will surely invite the wrath of the Ouerean spirits upon themselves. Widespread exposure to human and Skrell culture has also shaped Ouerean Th’akh in a way that most other variations of the faith have not yet seen. Humans and Skrell are recognized as having their own spirits that they carry with them, both ancestral and reflected in the Th’akh understanding of the alien religions. While there are no known alien converts to Th’akh, the shamans of the faith often seek to work closely with alien religious figures in furthering mutual understanding of both each other, and the world they must share.

Due to the nature of Th’akh, human and Skrell faiths are generally acknowledged as being equally real to Unathi ones - the Qebalak ‘spirits of the stars’ and the deities of the various human faiths are considered to be alien spirits brought here by their followers. They are not venerated by Ouerean Th’akhists, but offerings are sometimes given to them by Unathi who wish to gain their favor for dealing with Skrell and humans.

Spirits of Ouerea

Azsaei Zis Azua (Crimson-Toothed Liberty)

“Red the blades and red the fires,
Let our struggle only grow,
Aid us ‘gainst the tyrant’s ire,
Red your teeth that find his throat.”
-A common prayer to Azsaei Zis Azua from the days of the Revolution.

A new spirit that emerged during the years of feudal oppression, Azsaei Zis Azua (Sinta'Unathi: Crimson-Toothed Liberty) is believed to have been born on Ouerea, formed from the spirits of those who died at the hands of the tyrant Yiztek. It is a spirit of freedom, justice, change, and revolutionary violence. It is usually depicted as a young, androgynous Unathi, holding a flaming spear in one hand - though occasionally as a human or Skrell, as their souls are believed to have become part of Azsaei Zis Azua as they perished in the struggle against oppression.

Shrines to this Zyola are often built upon battlefields or sites of import to the Ouerean Revolution. It is often invoked in remembrance of the Ouerean people’s struggle for freedom, and Ouerean Unathi who feel they have been wronged in some way will often call upon it to grant them justice or vengeance. A statue of Azsaei Zis Azua, in its Unathi form, marks the entrance to the Synod of Scales - a solemn reminder to the new government that the freedom Ouerea prizes was not given, but won by blood. Shamans dedicating themselves to Crimson-Toothed Liberty are often political radicals, striving for further liberation of the Ouerean people whether by word or by blade. The spirit is often venerated by members of the Warriors of Liberty, and the party's official symbol is a stylized depiction of Azsaei Zis Azua's burning spear.

The Izoaei

A collective name for many of the zo’zyola of Ouerea, the Izoaei (Sinta-Unathi: Primordial) are considered to be formless and wild spirits, manifestations of the raw and elemental forces of the world - spirits of stone and wind and water, free from names or bonds that the spirits of Moghes hold. The shamans of Ouerea believe that it is their responsibility to shape the Izoaei, to keep them appeased and guide them into a new state of being. Shrines are rarely built to these nameless spirits, but offerings are commonplace - with shamans believing that it is important to allow the Izoaei to grow accustomed to the presence of life on their world, lest their wrath spell doom for the colony.

Shamans of the Izoaei are an odd blend of scientist, survivalist, and exorcist. Research and understanding of alien worlds is believed to be a method of both honoring and shaping the Izoaei - as Sinta come to better know their new world, so do the spirits of that world come to better understand Sinta. Many of these shamans will take extensive journeys into the Ouerean wilderness, in the hopes of coming to better know the Izoaei and to shape their presence into one that welcomes alien settlement. Shamans of the Izoaei will also often gather in preparation for or in the wake of natural disasters, providing aid in an attempt to bind or banish hostile Izoaei and to shield Ouerea against their harm. Veneration of the Izoaei has spread from Ouerea, with colonists on various other Hegemony worlds practicing similar rituals in order to overcome hostile environments.

The Founders

The five Unathi who first set foot on Ouerea are viewed with immense respect by Ouerean civilization, often venerated as particularly revered ancestors - though they bear no blood relation to most modern Ouerean Unathi, they are ancestors in spirit to the modern-day colony. Historical sites often hold shrines to the Founders, and even non-Th’akh or even non-Unathi Ouereans will often leave offerings there in honor of the planet’s history.

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