Th'akh

Contents

Overview

"You, whose bones I carry,
Whose memories I hold,
Grant me your wisdom now, that I might know the path."
-Ancient Th'akh prayer of the Tza Prairie

Th'akh, literally translated to "ancestor devotion" in Sinta'Azaziba, is the oldest and most pervasive religion among Unathi. Dating back before even the First Hegemony, Th'akh has been a mainstay belief across almost every culture on Moghes for centuries, even millennia, partially due to Unathite stubbornness. Th'akh's core tenet is simple: worship the spirits so that they may smile on you, reward your devotion, and you may join the Spirit World and avoid reincarnation. The spirits are a multitude that exists within nature, whether alive or inanimate, and are varying in power, from small impish devils to ancient and powerful spirit-gods. Particularly nasty natural disasters, plagues, and misfortunes were often attributed to particularly strong groups of spiteful spirits or even evil spirit-gods influencing events in the material world. In order to stave off these ills, Th'akh worshippers believe in almost paganistic ritualism; however, the widespread nature of the religion (and the various interpretations of spirits and spirit-gods) means that two believers could have an entirely different set of practices. It is claimed that the short lifespan of Unathi lent to the credence of the religion, yet it is speculation at best. Monks that practice oral tradition; aquatic Sinta that revere the sea; a nation devoted to an ancient god-king: Th'akh is as diverse as the stars in the sky.

Doctrines and Worship

Th'akh is not a single religion, but a framework - the core beliefs of a thousand wildly divergent faiths across Moghes. The base of Th'akh is the idea of the spirit world as a constant presence, where spirits good and evil, great and small, dwell. The duty of a shaman is to act as a mediator between the spirit world and the mortal one, to ensure that balance is maintained and that the spirits are appeased. Though one Th'akh sect might have wildly different practices from another, they would still acknowledge the existence of its central spirits and their doctrines. This has led to Th'akh being a faith very open to alien religions - after all, other worlds and other peoples likely have their own spirits and gods with their own demands too.

The Spirit World

Another dimension layered over our own, the Spirit World is believed to resemble the Material World in many aspects. However, its connection to the Material World is not uniform; in some places, there are stronger presences of the Spiritual World than others. This realm of the dead harbors all spirits, and only the strongest may cross over into our plane without any sort of special help. Certain times of year (often celebrated in Unathite culture) are some of the few times more ordinary spirits can cross over into our realm, and places with a stronger connection to the Spirit World can make it easier for a spirit to cross over— whether strong conviction for their ideal or a personal vendetta to fulfill. In myth and history, the Spirit World is said to have an effect on the Material, and similarly, the Material World has an effect on the Spiritual. This means pollution, weather, and buildings would all affect the world of the spirits, which leads Th'akh believers to respect their environment and give the spirits a clean afterlife as a result.

Scientifically, it is strongly believed by Th'akh scientists to be the strange otherworld known as Bluespace, although human and Sk'akh scholars have laughed that off. It would at least explain some anomalous events that have occurred and why Unathi are so religious if this phenomenon has occurred throughout their history, yet without concrete evidence, this is merely a foolish thought entertained by those supposedly "enlightened" by the advances of humans and Skrell.

The Spirit World is ruled by the Zyola, a pantheon of beings that are among some of the first spirits to have been created. Each of these Zyola do not necessarily adhere to a single ideal because they are powerful enough to flip between them depending on their attitude. Some Zyola, however, are rarely flipped by their mood. Different clans and pantheons of Zyola are believed to rule different regions of the Spirit World, with most Th'akh regions of Moghes having their own Zyola pantheons to worship - from the strange and capricious River Court of the Southlands to the ancestral souls of the Most Honored in the Broken Coalition.

Reincarnation

Usually, a soul returning to the Spirit World becomes a wandering spirit, a kyula. Only those that were extremely benevolent or cruel in life become resident spirits: zo'zyola. Reincarnation remains an option for kyula until they come to lean heavily towards an ideal, at which point they become a zo'zyola. It is said that the time leading up to someone becoming a resident spirit are simply trials to temper them in the meanwhile.

Most clans believe strongly that ancestors are more likely to be reborn into their clan as a hatchling. Bloodlines are thus considered extremely important to many as a result, so much so that pairings incapable of reproducing children are encouraged to find a surrogate within the clan. However, ancestors can be of any range, from powerful warriors to wicked tricksters. Each zo'zyola embodies an "ideal," and these sets of ideals can vary depending on a Unathi's upbringing and their own view of Th'akh.

Evil and Good

The most prevalent set of ideals, evil and good are a simple enough pair of beliefs for the many to cling onto. Evil and good zo'zyola represent just that: evil residents are responsible for the ills, woes, and misfortunes of those that are living, while good zo'zyola pass their blessings and favor onto those that worship them. Each spirit demands respect and gifts, lest you get on their bad side. It is said that, with the ideals of evil and good, rarely a zo'zyola may be allowed to reincarnate to preserve the balance between these conflicting sides. In times of great despair, a lost hero may return to the Material; conversely, prosperous times do not last forever as an infamous criminal is often born again. It is a stark way of painting the world with little room for grey areas. Most stories about these spirits tend to be dramatic and teach about cultural ideas— with some often painting other cultures or peoples as evil zo'zyola.

Zo'zyola of these ideals are stark rivals, always competing to get the upper hand for however long. Their story is cyclical, and even in the darkest hours and brightest times throughout history, neither side will fully exist without the other.

Decay, Energy, Growth, and Time

Another set of ideals, these four do not paint the world as being black and white and instead offer a different perspective: nuance exists everywhere. The zo'zyola here can be described less as cosmic forces, but more as processes. Like evil and good resident spirits, there are parallels here: growth spirits are those that foster life as it continues along to maturity, while decay follows maturity to the point of death; similarly, residents of energy give motion and power to creatures of the world, while spirits of time decide how long something may be in this world. In this context, “maturity” is a poor translation— this term is not a set age or physical development, but rather the peak of life within someone. It may be when a Unathi becomes three years old or after they have become a Saa at the long age of 40.

Resident spirits of this variety are forced to cooperate and compromise in various ways. Time zo'zyola find that everything has a natural end, and they merely choose when a being's end will be— extending something's "time" is in their best interest, as a premature end requires more energy from them. Energy spirits, conversely, are best seen as explosively powerful; fostering a being along for a shorter amount of time means less power is needed to give it life. Growth and decay zo'zyola always butt heads about how far along maturity should happen in a being's time. Most of the parables about these spirits are diverse and exemplify universally good values.

None of these spirits are explicitly evil or good, and as such, one can only begin to imagine if they will become a zo'zyola after they pass. Instead of rivals, these zo'zyola teach that harmony must be present for life to flourish, yet avoid the harsh truth that making peace with your enemies is sometimes an impossible task.

Bloodlines, Spirits, and Spirit-Gods

To many Unathi, spirits have a natural place in their life. Appeasing the spirits is said to bring good luck, and angering them brings you anything from bowel issues to natural disasters. Some spirits can change forms, becoming an Angry spirit, Vengeful spirit, or Guiding spirit depending on the situation. These wandering spirits, known as 'kyula,' linger in the Spirit World until they are able to be reincarnated. It is widely recognized that some spirits have an immutable form that is either evil or good, one that is the result of how they lived and died. Resident spirits as they are called, or 'zo'zyola,' are rarely able to reincarnate and thus become permanent beings within the Spirit World. The longer a spirit remains in the realm of the dead, the more power it accrues as it masters the powers of the realm. These spirit-gods, the Zyola, are the most powerful and revered among Th'akh spirits and typically the most ancient as well. Due to the nuance of Th'akh, there are thousands of other spirit forms regionalized to different cultures and customs that are not mentioned. Some of the most widespread pantheons of Zyola include the Dumos Clan, the Court of Stars; the Ocean Den, Guardians of the Deep; and the Eight-Pointed Cross, the Scalemates of the Burning Mother.

The Dumos Clan, the Court of Stars

The Court of Stars gets its name because the stars and constellations in Moghes' sky were named after beings within this pantheon. Zyola in a vast amount, the beliefs of those that follow the Dumos Clan adhere generally to the ideals of spirits of growth, energy, time, and decay. They take up the ideals of the Four Forces rather than Light and Dark. The spirit-gods of this pantheon have some ideals they stick to, but being as powerful as they are, the Four Forces typically bend to them more than the other way around. As such, they can command themselves over any lesser zo'zyola with ease should they embody a certain ideal strongly enough. Their stories teach that the world is complex and driven by many different factors, sometimes outside of our control, but situations can be what we make of them. There are almost innumerable tales, myths, and parables regarding this sect of the religion (so feel free to get creative with them!), and every one attempts to explain the natural world or tell a merely amusing, disgusting, or sorrowful story. The most notable Zyola are the Titans of the Stars, the figures that are immutably present in almost every variation of the faith.

Sa'par, the Solstice King— generally respected as the most powerful Zyola, Sa'par was the one to organize the spirit-gods against the masses of zo'zyola terrorizing the Material. A great many stories depict this spirit as committing acts both wrong and right and playing into any of the four ideals of the spirits; most pressingly, Sa'par tends to uphold time on a cosmic scale in his stories and folklore. Depicted as a large Unathi noble, the only deviance from the typical Sinta is his additional set of arms which he uses to push apart the Material and Spirit Worlds. His domains are cosmos, power, and leadership, though more minor aspects include balance, judgment, and knowledge.

Cresi, the Blessed Matriarch— the spirit that assumes stewardship over all others and tends to spirits that are injured or weakened by their conflicts with others. A being of growth, Creswi represents the development of the galaxy throughout time. She is naturally kind, yet wicked to those that cross her. Her form is unique in that her tail is said to span miles, and when she is angered, her tail stomps with thunderous force to cause earthquakes. She shares the same domains as Sa'par, but hers regard female interpretations of the domains in Unathite society.

Gruzz, the Vile Trickster— Gruzz is the most notable spirit-god that is usually one of energy due to their seemingly endless enthusiasm for trickery and causing mischief. From harmless pranks to terrible catastrophes, most energy put forth into the world is sworn to their name. They notably do not have a gender, and most stories tend to depict them as being either. Their domains are trickery, chaos, and misfortune.

Dalskso, the Decaying Earth— Dalskso is unique due to being a collection of powerful zo'zyola that banded together and betrayed their kind. In a sort of karmic fate, their attempt to fuse together failed horribly, resulting in them becoming an amalgamation of spirits. They fled shortly underground and exercise their power from there, usually to malicious pursuits. Their monstrous form lurks under the earth, said to be the core of Moghes; Dalskso embodies decay in all things, whether natural or forced. To this end, many acts of evil done in the name of a faith are attributed to his name, especially those accused of practicing necromancy and other vile means of witchcraft. Their domains are death, illness, twilight, and greed.

Jakali, the Hermetic Winged Serpent— the obvious feature that differentiates this spirit-god from the rest is their form. They are a giant azure arbek with three pairs of wings; he is the final arbiter in a lot of stories as Jakali is believed to be inherently impartial due to his remote residence in the sky. He is seen as a deliverer of omens, hence why the view of azures can be overtly negative or positive in some cultures. Due to his omens and impartial judgment, his ideal is attributed mostly to time. His domains are judgment, balance, and travel.

Galzifrax, the Raucous Sailor— generally regarded as a bastard among seafolk. Galzifrax is a naturally bored spirit-god, finding the suffering of mortals by his hand of creating storms and disasters to be amusing to him. He does not care what people think of him, so long as they respect him— and offer interesting treasures and stories from their sailing. Most people end up speaking spite of Galzifrax as often as they show him reverence. Galzifrax is a being of energy like Gruzz, so his ideal is naturally that. His domains are oceans, storms, and stories.

Tiserse, the Timely Fisherman— a fisher of remarkable talent, she is one to never stray from routine and is one of the more reliable— and fickle— spirit-gods in the pantheon. She upholds the world and its cycles by continuing to make it spin; it is said that, should she deviate from her routine for any reason, the world would fall into chaos. Tiserse's impressive punctuality makes her major ideal time; however, she is often attributed to decay due to her cyclical nature and near-impossibly set ways. Her domains are the seasons, bounty, and harvests.

Archozmi, the Watchful Lorekeeper— the reclusive spirit-god that records histories of the galaxy. Everything that has ever happened, she writes in her endless Book of Time, and to meet this demand, a vast number of zo'zyola get recruited to help her. Answers to any problem are said to lie in its pages; plenty of stories involve Archozmi merely due to the other Zyolas' jealousy of her possession of this book. Despite the Zyola's Book of Time and recordings of it, she is attributed to decay, as she watches all things come to pass. Her domains are lore and wisdom.

Aosr, the Vibrant Druid— this spirit-god is one of the few to remain near-permanently cheerful. In numerous tales, despite hardship inflicted by the other Zyola or some zo'zyola, Aosr is an example of fun and revelry. His natural talents include being able to turn into animals, and some claim that the odd behavior of livestock or a pet saving its owner is Aosr's doing. His ideals change frequently, being someone who displays the characteristics of growth, energy, and decay, yet he is rarely one to emphasize the importance of time. The only significant moments his wrath is incurred are on those that heavily destroy nature; stories about him and the Contact War are often bleak. His domains are nature, life, and revelry.

Riz'dabari, the War Hero— Riz'dabari is a hot-headed yet valiant warrior. His involvement in stories often plays on his fierce temper, which the other spirit-gods use to their advantage in varying conflicts. His most notable depiction includes him with two tails, each of which are prehensile enough to wield a weapon apiece: a mace and a shortsword. His hands are reserved for a shield and a greatsword, which Riz'dabari is able to wield with one hand due to his massive strength. Their ideal shifts the most depending on the stories and who reveres him, but scholars argue that the most fitting and consistent placement of his ideal is under energy and time. His domains are war, honor, and emotions.

Shamans of the Stars

Most shamans practicing under the Court of Stars spirit-gods recognize all of them as being important in the world order. More minor Zyola are brought up and can vary from clan to clan, but these remain the near-constants. These shamans often pick one of them that represents not only themselves but the village or town they work out of the most and venerate them heavily. They are usually known by an appropriate title (such as one devoted to Aosr being Druids of the Stars or those of Archozmi being Bookkeepers). Rarely is one ever devoted to Sa'par or Cresi unless they head a notably large church within a city or district.

Shamans of the Stars typically feel their spirit-god chooses them rather than them choosing their patron. This comes in the form of some divine message, whether a significant event takes place, a prophetic dream occurs, or there is a sudden epiphany and feeling of note that washes over the shaman in question. After this, the holy man typically tries to learn as much as they can about the patron that has chosen them in an attempt to preach their specific messages.

Those that walk down this road take up a field of study relevant to their patron in an attempt to further understand who that spirit-god is and what makes them the way they are. A devotee of Riz'dabari may become a warrior in some specialization, whether something as simple as guarding a town you grew up in or an inspiring feat, like becoming a Kataphract. Some have wondered if the Priests of the Aspect among the Church of Sk'akh have adapted their ideas from this point of Th'akh culture, but given the amount of interplay between these two major religions throughout Unathi history, whoever coined this concept first is unfortunately lost to time and the destruction of warfare.

Lingering Souls

Lingering spirits can be any sort of spirit, whether a traveling kyula or powerful Zyola. They are spirits that have a reason to stick to a specific area, whether to protect their loved ones or wreak havoc on those that wronged them. Small towns might have a 'village spirit'— this is usually a legend to the townsfolk, a hero that performed many deeds, or someone who died under nebulous circumstances. Ancestral Th'akh settlements are sometimes said to be blessed by developing the land, yet cursed for those who forsake it; Unathi that stray from it for too long or leave entirely often become cursed in some way or form.

Angered Spirits

Lingering spirits that face scorn, not enough worship and recognition, or have some agenda from when they were alive are known as angered spirits. Angered spirits can be of any variety; evil spirits might seek to cause destruction just for the fun of it, while a good spirit may become angry due to an injustice taking place. Objects and supernatural beings are the common attributes for angered spirits, manifesting themselves for a cause known only to those that know their tale. These spirits can often be associated or likened to horror myths and similar tales found in humanity. A widowed woman who hides her face— be careful not to ask where her tail is, or else she might take yours; bristling scales as they flare up for no apparent reason may be the spirit of a hatchling warning you that danger is on the horizon; committing dishonorable acts summons a ghastly apparition of a warrior, one that will correct your misgivings by the harsh edge of their blade! Localized spirits like these all have their history, and although not all Unathi know the individual stories of each spirit, the morals they teach are usually universally understood among Sinta.

A curse is one of the worst things to happen to a living Unathi— even worse if this curse were to follow you into your death, as those spirits who have cursed you may finally come to you in the spirit world for final vengeance.

Appeased Ghosts

Not all spirits remain angry forever, though. Offerings of gifts, prayers of thanks (or warding), and activities to please can quell an angered spirit to appease them. Appeased spirits are docile at worst and helpful at best. Just like angered spirits, appeased ones can be of any variety with their motivations all different depending on their ideal. Miracles that are not scientifically explainable, sudden changes of luck or fortune, and ghastly specters guiding Unathi away from harm are all examples of an appeased spirit's manifestation.

To properly give worship to the spirits, an effigy or totem is devoted to a specific clan, ancestor, or spiritual concept. These items of worship are traditionally crafted by a shaman or by the individual paying respect. They are usually crafted out of natural materials like bone or wood and shaped into whatever represents the being of worship. The item of worship should be brought with the worshiper wherever they go or be set up as a small shrine in a home or workplace. On Moghes and abroad, Sk'akh worshippers have stereotyped Th'akh effigies as items of blood magic.

The traditional way to pay respects to clan effigies was to shed a single drop of related blood, which in theory strengthens the ancestral connection between the spiritual and the living. Clans in the Izweski Hegemony have been extremely looked down upon for this practice, and it is viewed as heretical. To the traditional spirit worshiper, however, it is a moment of reflection and deep memory.

Additional Beliefs

The foundation of Th'akh belief is the spirit is the true individual while the body is a vessel that the spirit inhabits. A kyula is instilled within a vessel from the Spirit World during its development in an egg as part of the creation of life and reincarnation process. After death, it either returns to the realm of the dead as a traveling spirit or evolves into a zo'zyola, eventually becoming a Zyola if it stays there long enough.

Th'akh shamans near-universally believe synthetics cannot possess a soul and do not even count as living things. No matter how expertly a synthetic may imitate life, it remains a tool; an extremely convincing computer with text-to-speech. Shamans in the extremely small minority who disagree are often shunned by their colleagues and communities. Th'akh believes that, near universally, other species do have souls. Whether or not they play a role in the beliefs of Th'akh is highly contested by both shamans and practitioners of the faith.

Th'akh shamans have somewhat mixed views on prosthetic limbs. The belief is that they damage the soul. The said "phantom pains" (supposedly feeling a "ghost limb" after it has been removed in some way, like an amputated arm) led most to believe that, despite physical injury, a creature retains its prior shape after passing away. Due to this, and because of the consensus that synthetic parts cannot possess a soul, many feel prosthetic limbs can maim the very soul of a Unathi— once the limb is replaced with a prosthesis, that part of the soul is lost. In contrast, other shamans feel prosthetic limbs are completely normal and necessary. Because of the decentralized nature of the faith, results may vary when consulting different shamans. There is an overwhelming tendency for shamans to still view those with prosthetics as disabled still, even if they do not view prostheses as a negative thing. Regarding this, Aut'akh are not viewed as inherently evil by Th'akh, but still frowned upon for being heretics and led astray.

Th'akh shamans also believe that, due to reincarnation, it is possible for a soul to be placed into an egg that does not match its sex. When this occurs, a Unathi may claim the soul of a different sex than their own; however, recanting this can be seen as extremely dishonorable due to lying, and even claiming this fact about one's self without a shaman's agreement may lead to doubt from their clan and peers. Sk'akh does not believe in reincarnation, and thus believes that this is not possible.

Non-traditional relationships are frowned on by most Th'akh shamans because of the cultural importance of arranged marriage and one's duty to continue a clan's bloodline. Because of the eternal nature of existence in this life and the afterlife, shamans heavily stress the importance of monogamous relationships— eventually, the ghosts of past-scorned lovers can cause problems in their jealousy, or their ancestors could become frustrated with the continued lack of grandchildren! Relationships for shamans are taught as combining three aspects: lust, or physical desire; love, or romantic desire; and duty, or proper desire. The more these three are balanced, the longer and healthier the relationship is for the couple and the entire Clan. With that said, a same-sex couple is not seen as a proper end-goal for many varieties of Th'akh, due to the idea of a duty to perpetuate a clan's bloodline. This view varies wildly with shamans with some being completely accepting of the concept of same-sex couples being eternal, but most shamans caution against non-traditional relationships in general. Marriage is usually a traditional political contract between two clans to combine their dynasty for Sk'akh and the Hegemony; despite this, there are still no mechanisms in place for same-sex marriages in the Th'akh faith with marriage being viewed as symbolic of continuing both clans through a new, stronger bloodline.

Items of Power

Th'akh universally believes items can be imbued with power if a soul becomes attached to it. This has a myriad of applications: a sword can be enchanted by the soul of a hero to bless the wielder with a greater warrior's resolve; an item that is said to bring good luck may be attached to the spirit of an ancestor; a doll may be hexed by a malicious banshee to allow a warlock to curse another creature. It is part of the more superstitious sets of beliefs under Th'akh, and even more casual worshippers buy into mystical believes and folk lore set by their predecessors.

Unlike Aut'akh, Th'akh believes that a soul cannot inhabit items, only bond to them. Aut'akh take this Th'akh belief a step further with its doctrines and radical execution of the Th'akh faith.

Burial Rites

Burial rites are similar on solid ground or in space. If a person dies, the body must be tended to and made as presentable as possible in order to appease the passing spirit, which can often become upset and therefore malicious if they see their former body being defaced. The corpse should have any open incisions cauterized and all wounds should be sealed and treated with gauze or an advanced trauma pack to stop any bleeding. The corpse should then be dressed in a white uniform or the uniform the person died in— whichever is more respectable or available. The funeral should be communal with the shaman overseeing the viewing and encouraging people to share stories of how the person lived a good life. Once this is done, the body should be buried, stored away, or left in a crypt or tomb as Th'akhists often believe any wounds to the body will follow them through to the Spirit World.

Alien Gods

The Th'akh faith acknowledges the existence of spirits on worlds beyond Moghes, with the gods of various alien faiths being viewed as powerful Zyola of their own worlds. Th'akh practitioners tend to find more common ground with polytheistic faiths, as they often bear more similarities to the spirits they are familiar with - but in general, Th'akh tends to acknowledge the existence of other spirits and other gods. Though there is long-lasting bad blood between Th'akh and Sk'akh, Th'akh doctrine does acknowledge the existence of Sk'akh as a powerful Zyola - simply denying its power as the one true god of the Sinta people.

The Th'akh stance on alien religion has played a significant role in the conversion of the Kazhkz-Han'san to the Moroz Holy Tribunal. Though many, particularly among the older and more traditional Han'san, bristle at being asked to abandon their old spirits, the idea of paying respect and worship to the Zyola which rules their new home was not a difficult one to adopt in and of itself - after all, what is one more powerful spirit in the vastness of the universe? Among the younger generation of Dominian Unathi, the Goddess is a sign of their new status - a powerful spirit who has aided and protected them when the gods of their ancestors were silent.

Th'akh and Gender

In Th’akh societies, the traditions and ritual surrounding gender are as infinitely varied as the religion itself. The followers of the Most Honored in the Broken Coalition often will change their genders to better follow in the footsteps of one of their own ancestral spirits in a ceremony involving a ritual of communion with their ancestors; while to the west the followers of the Stone Lords of Zazalai view it as a sacred duty, to be undertaken to better serve a role. Practitioners of Kopesk Th’akh view changing gender as a ceremonial rebirth, with the Sinta in question being bathed in the waters of the Moghresian Sea by shamans to be returned in their new role; while Tza Prairie Th’akhists will often view their Lonely Crusades as an act of gender discovery, with some clans not gendering a hatchling at all until they have completed their trial of adulthood. Gender is a generally much more personal affair in Th'akh than Sk'akh, with religious oversight being often sought-out, but not required as in the Church.

Organization

There are countless sects of Th'akh, and each one is organized differently. Some are more individually-focused, while others are more organized and hierarchal. The shamans of the Kopesk States - now called the Torn Cities were as organized as any Sk'akh church, ruling the region as a theocracy under their faith. In other regions such as the Tza Prairie, shamans hold largely solitary positions, with one or two shamans attending to the spiritual needs of each clan. There are a few common elements in most of these belief systems, however.

Shamans

An alligator-esque unathi shaman lights an incense and prays. Spirit-gods, often represented with yellow and purple hues, are Th'akh's iconoclastic and most notable difference with Sk'akh's belief and reverence of the Three-Face God. Art made by Haydizzle, or Petrichor#0098 on Discord.

Nearly every settlement has a village shaman: an elderly person, typically a man, with a special connection to the Spirit World. Practices inevitably vary between them, but there are a couple of constants among most. Shamans consume mind-altering herbs to interact with the realm of spirits and channel their energies into the Material. Clans and even as far back to the time of tribes— a shaman calls upon the spirits to imbibe and bless weaponry and Sinta with their powers and blessings. Markings to pair on these blades and bodies supposedly fill a Unathi with great courage and superior strength. In modern times, due to the scarcity of shamans and the spread-out nature of Unathi, a complex rune or hilt adornment that is blessed and sanctified is utilized instead, touched (supposedly) by a notable ancestor of the wielder.

A shaman's duties in a clan varied, but any important event, such as marriage, birth, a death in the community, a disaster: all of these would see the shaman's involvement in some way. The spirits are seen to interact with the world in a myriad of ways, and as such, a shaman's chief duty would be to assuage damage done by them and curry their favor whenever possible. Besides this, these small village priests often lead community projects to better the village, such as gardens, community activities, and education on new situations or for a hatchling's betterment.

Shamans tend towards a simple life and naturally dedicate their efforts to lead their community. Spiritual leaders first and foremost, they often avoid the trifling conflict that comes with politics. The Izweski Nation exploited this, however; they drafted many into the army to make them perform rituals for soldiers, often under duress. After the war ended with the nuclear devastation, the shamans began to be discriminated against by the government, and many are leaving the Izweski nation as traveling shamans or even leaving Moghes entirely.

The Th'akh shaman's wear of choice is most indelibly the maxtlatl, a loan word from Basic, but the closest encompassing term for the robe in a native tongue is a zlukti, or 'spirit garb.' Some tribes have differing honorifics for the garments, though each outfit had unifying similarities. Popular adornments include dried and pressed grass, although feathers and studded stones are common too. Each adornment on the chestpiece, whether feathers, stones, or metals, is made by another shaman who has passed away: the more colorful the attire, the older it is. The headgear of the Th'akhist ensemble has a more special component to it. Besides the emulated frills made with straw or feathers, the authentic Unathite skull is from the bones of the previous owner, the deceased shaman that came before. Other cultures see it as barbaric: Unathi believe that this enables shamans to call upon their predecessors' wisdom as spirits to empower them. Interestingly enough, wristguards as a part of the maxtatl did not become prevalent until much later in Th'akh tradition. As time passed and garb was passed down from shaman to shaman, attire became cluttered with adornments. Bracers were designed as a method of adding more charms to remember previous shamans without an outfit becoming too noisy— despite its eye-popping and loud nature.

The Akhanzi Order

Portrait of Vuthix Akhandi, circa 2459.

The Akhanzi Order is the oldest known Th'akh religious group on Moghes. Akhanzi itself translates to "Spirit Wanderers" in the general sense. Historical sites of the Order go all the way back to 1200 BCE, over a thousand years before Unathi ended their nomadic lifestyles and built the first towns. The Akhanzi built their temples in secluded mountainous areas where they were insulated from the greater outside world and able to practice their faiths, nearly unchanged, for thousands of years. The Order focuses on inward perfection of the self with its philosophies stressing the importance of understanding the world (reimagined as 'the universe' in contemporary times) and the wishes of their ancestors. They are highly dedicated to knowledge and the preservation of knowledge.

Each temple of the Order has a commune of male and female shamans that are dedicated to its maintenance and preservation. When they join the Order, they renounce their Clan name and all ties to their family and other organizations before taking on the title of Akhandi. New recruits serve as acolytes and can be promoted at any time, but by tradition, it usually requires the approval of multiple shamans within the same temple. Temples are dedicated to learning as well as teaching. It is not uncommon for Unathi to pick up the tradition of storytelling, a pursuit honored and revered among Th'akhists. Some Akhanzi shamans even memorize entire books from cover to cover in dedication to the knowledge it contains and to cite its wisdom to others.

The shamans live in a symbiotic relationship with their local communities; the people of a village or town bring the temple offerings of food, water, or other material goods. In exchange for being provided for, the shamans, in turn, use their temples as places of learning for all Unathi that ask in fields such as astronomy, history, mathematics, and philosophy. There are also several sections of the Order which teach more physical pursuits, such as martial arts, farming, fishing, or ranching. While technically they will offer lessons to any Unathi that asks, it is traditional for you to provide an offering of food or supplies in a fair exchange.

Mountain Temples

Temples are ancient and incredibly sacred to the Akhanzi Order. Defilement of the temples is an unthinkable crime. Unfortunately, many of these temples were razed to the ground by the Sk'akh Inquisition in May of 2460, and their archives were lost. Some survivors of the crusade have fled to space and many are congregating in Tau Ceti. There they maintain large community centers that act as libraries, colleges, and living areas for the shamans and to help support the communities in poverty that reside there. The Order is still struggling to restore fragments of its lost archives while having to rely on the memory of the older members who committed texts to memory. Now, they serve as important facilities of education for both Unathi and others within Tau Ceti.

Politics

On a large scale, Th'akh has never wielded as much political influence over Moghes as the Sk'akh Church has. Though there are many Th'akh faithful across the Hegemony, they lack a singular unifying structure to advocate for them, and to exert the kind of pressure that Sk'akh can upon the Hegemon. During the Iron Crusade, many Th'akh shamans were killed by the soldiers of the Maraziite Order, which largely operated unchecked by the Izweski until its fall in 2462. The closest thing to a Th'akh political force was the Akhanzi Order, which was driven from Moghes by the Maraziites.

On a regional scale, however, Th'akh shamans have wielded significant political power. The most notable example of this is the Torn Cities, which were a Th'akh theocracy ruled by the shamans known as Storm Heralds prior to the Contact War. Nearly all Th'akh nobles will have a court shaman to act as an advisor on spiritual matters, with some nobles in more cosmopolitan regions such as the Southlands having both a Th'akh shaman and Sk'akh priest present in their court. The greatest political force for Th'akh is concentrated in the Tza Prairie, a majority-Th'akh region ruled by Overlord Azui Hutay'zai, who has put his significant power to use in favor of Th'akh many times - most notably in 2465, when he appointed an Archpriest of the Sk'akh Church in order to swing the vote in favor of paying reparations to the Akhanzi. Whether Hutay'zai will be able to further leverage his influence in favor of Th'akh remains to be seen.

Religious Holidays

Each Th'akh practice has its own set of holidays and relevant rituals, with few being held in common. The most noteworthy of these is one that has spread beyond exclusively Th'akh - the Keeping of Memories, an ancient festival originating in the Tza Prairie thousands of years ago.

The Keeping of Memories

The Keeping of Memories is a holiday that marks the true beginning of Travakh, the Season of Ancestors, though for the Intergalactic Standard, it is traditionally observed on December 7th. A basic festivity in premise, the Keeping of Memories festival is one for Unathi to celebrate their ancestors and the realm that houses them: the spirit world. Though it has been a recorded celebration for centuries, the exact origins of the event have been lost to the contact war, with only fables and stories from each religion giving guesswork as to where it originated.

Traditionally, the day is full of close-knit celebrations to citywide parades, and a majority of Unathi remain unproductive from sunrise to sunset. Feasts are common during this day as one larger meal is prepared in the morning to be enjoyed, allowing the rest of daylight hours to be devoted towards other activities. When food is prepared, portions of it are reserved in remembrance for ancestors who have recently passed, while some food is saved for revered ancestors of note, like clan heroes, renowned warriors, and powerful healers. Food is served to empty seats as Unathi believe the spirits of those lost sit with them on this spiritually-charged occasion.

In preparation for the day, Unathi will often decorate their bodies with paint, though with what often depends on the religion. Th’akh (and, by extension, Aut’akh) often choose symbols or names of those in their clan that no longer walk the lands they do. Children usually receive paintings of fables and stories of old that represent virtues they aspire for. Sk’akh and Si’akh are more uniform; emblematic and larger symbols are drawn along the back, chest, or most of their body. These can represent aspects of the Great Spirit, common prayers, or blessings, all things the receiving Unathi hope to gain by showing favor with Sk’akh. Si’akh recently will specifically show somewhat violent depictions of how they view reincarnation and often go for flames as body paintings.

Celebrations themselves can vary widely from city to city, clan to clan. Parades themselves often include lively music as a centerpiece, with dancing and song from attendees being commonplace. Unathi tend to do this with other observed holidays outside of Hegemony space, which leads to weird looks and strange gazes from other species. Customs of a clan regarding the Keeping of Memories rarely change, though, and it is a chance for the clan elders to remind and teach the young of their own clan’s history and the significance of their traditions.

The holy men of the day remain extraordinarily busy, as one can imagine. Th’akh shamans often anoint clan elders with a blessing of spiritual power so that, in their stead, these Unathi may perform ceremonies and even reach out to the spirit world. Keeping of Memories celebrations lead to the spirit world’s boundaries weakening, Unathi say, and so reaching out to specific ancestors becomes easier to do, with the right offerings and preparation. However, Sk’akh priests do not believe the power they wield can be ‘lent’ as Th’akh does. As a result, these priests are needed in the flesh to perform ceremonies, and to prevent being overworked, a handsome tithe from the entire clan is required to be given to the Sk’akh Church.

Despite this, all Unathi share one concrete aspect of the holiday: the retelling of stories. Whether Sk’akh parables, notable memories of ancestors, or ancient fables of healer-shamans and warrior-heroes, Unathi take the occasion to tell stories with one another. It is appropriate for Unathi to share these stories with those they know and people they have never met, for a person never truly dies if their memories live on.