God of the Ymodi
White Fury, Wreaker of Vengeance, Guardian of Himod, Rage of the High Waters
Demigod
Wajok is physically embodied in the dangerous rapids of the upper Weben river. In the spirit world, he has a vaguely humanoid, vaguely ursine form composed of rapidly moving water constantly breaking into whitewater plumes.
Wajok is the chief deity of the Ymodi people, and rules all the spirits of their rugged land. Although a spirit of water, and primarily associated with that element, his power is wider than that, and embraces many other types of spirit. He is seen primarily as the guardian of the land, who protects it from enemies, and only secondarily as the protector of the Ymodi people. He is an angry god but can be calmed by sacrifices, primarily of hunted animals, but also including captured human enemies. He is assisted by a small pantheon of animal totems.
Source: Ymodi 1-2
Where did the world come from? [1]
In the beginning was the One, which was beyond human understanding. First the One created the Sky and the Earth, and then it set the sun and moon in the sky, to light the new world and to keep out the darkness. For a long time, this was all there was to the world, and the Earth lay barren and dry, with nothing but stones and dust as far as the eye could see in any direction. But then the Sky took pity on the Earth, and created water, which poured down out of the heavens, and made the rivers and the seas.
Where did I come from?
The Sky and the Earth created many living things. Those that the Earth created became plants, which are good for little but eating or making shelters and tools from. Those that came from the Sky became spirits, which only the shaman can see, but which live all about us. Those that came from the mingling of Sky and Earth became beasts, and humans, which have material bodies, yet also possess souls.
Many generations ago, our own ancestors left their old homeland because the hunting there was no longer so good, and strange peoples had begun to live in the valleys and in the mountains. They came at last to this land, Himod, and found it a pleasant place, with no other peoples living there at that time. But then the Equani came from the west, the direction from which all bad things originate, and sought to kill us for no more reason than their own twisted enjoyment. We were a peaceful people in those days, and did not have the warriors that we have now, so the victory of the Equani seemed certain.
But then Wajok, the great spirit of the river, rose up and attacked the Equani and slew dozens of them, sending the survivors running back to their homelands bedraggled and full of fear. Wajok then revealed himself to our shamans, and told them that this land would be ours forever more, for he hated the Equani as much as we did. And so now we follow him, and must take care not to anger him, for he could easily withdraw his protection if he so wished.
Why am I here?
You are here as part of the great cycles of the world, the life and death which is the fate of all things. Your responsibility is to your fellows, for all Ymodi must protect each other if we are to prosper. In so doing, you ensure the survival not only of your fellows, but of yourself as well, for one day you will be reborn among the children of the tribes.
Survival in this world is often hard, but that is the price we pay for our freedom. Without struggle and effort, the soul grows weak and is unable to protect its fellows when true disaster strikes, as it inevitably will in even the most seemingly peaceful environment.
What happens after we die?
Our souls and bodies cannot remain together forever. Through force or through the passage of time, they will eventually be separated. We call this separation "death", and it is a natural part of existence which all living things must eventually face. When we die, our bodies return to the Earth, and our souls to the Sky where they will spend time above the clouds, awaiting their chance to be reborn into a new body.
What are the totems of our people?
Just as Wajok is the guardian of Himod, so each of the tribes of our people also have their own, lesser, guardian spirits. These spirits help protect the tribe from its enemies, and gives all of the adults of the tribe some of its particular strength. Sometimes, when two small tribes have to merge for mutual protection, the new tribe so formed may use have two totems for a while, but this never lasts long. The totems, and the powers they grant [2] are as follows:
What can you tell me about magic?
Shamans have the natural ability to see that which is invisible to normal people. We can see into the spirit world, and call forth the beings that dwell there in order to pull them forth into this world that others may question them. The mightier spirits can grant us other powers, which are what we call 'magic'. But every time we draw forth spirits, we run a risk, for many are hostile and will fight if they can.
What of the other Gods? Tell me the Truth about...[3]
Siem
The great spirit of dreams is rarely interested in humanity, and provides no benefit to us. Although he is worshipped by some of our neighbours to the north and east, this is only because they are able to lead safe lives and do not have to struggle for survival as we do. As a result, this spirit and his followers are of little consequence to us, and can be safely ignored.
Ilvir
This is the great spirit who forms the Ivashu, and sends them out across the world for his own inscrutable purposes. Although he is not without power, he provides little protection to those who follow him, which is no doubt why they were defeated by the Yellow-hairs and now serve them as slaves. His ways are strange, and not to be trusted, but his followers are not great warriors.
Sarajin
The Yellow-hairs say they follow this spirit of ice and cold. He is a powerful spirit, and gives them powers to strike out at their enemies. For this reason, we show his followers and shamans respect, although, of course, being foreigners, we can never fully trust them.
Cothlynn [4]
Cothlynn is the spirit of the sun, a powerful being and one of the earliest children of the One. However, she is remote and knows nothing of the harsh realities of survival in this rugged land. For that reason, our ancestors long ago ceased to worship her in favour of Wajok, whose aims are far closer to our own, and whose powers are more useful.
Kemlar [5]
This is the guardian spirit of the evil Equani. His followers are without any redeeming features, and delight in torture and killing even among their own kind. Fortunately, his shamans are few, for the Equani are too violent and wicked for many spirits to be willing to trust them.
[1] This mythology is intentionally similar to that of the Taelda, from whom the Ymodi split in relatively recent times.
[2] For rules as to how these powers apply to invidual members of the tribe, see the Ymodi Shamans page.
[3] Not all gods are listed here. The Ymodi have little, if any, knowledge of most of the religions of civilised Harn, as they have significant contact only with the Orbaalese.
[4] The god of the Taelda.
[5] The god of the Equani. The Ymodi have no real knowledge of his worship among the Urdu and Kubora.
To the Ymodi shamans page
This document was created 19th September 1998 by Jamie 'Trotsky' Revell.
Comments are welcome.