The Tsumi's current religion, which is enforced and regulated strongly to have no dissidents or heretics, is the Saweyan Pantheon. A polytheistic belief that mostly reveres the goddess of all, Saweya, Mistress of all above and below.

The common belief tells the tale of Saweya, who was always ever-present. Early on, she was the goddess of the twin suns, though she grew as far more people believed her influence to be in everything. A dogma was written, an early draft some of the more fanatical elements of the pantheon followed, namely, Saweyan was the only goddess, that had given life to all and now watched it ensue, both in luck and pain, although this draft was eventually scrapped. A majority of their followers refused to believe that Saweya also was responsible for illness, bad fortune, death and any of the negative connotations. It conflicted heavily with the idea of Saweya granting unconditional love and life.

This was how the polytheistic nature formed. Several of the believers have gathered and claim they have heard Saweya's voice, stating that she was not the only one. Other gods were present, but she was their ruler as well. And so, these priests began creating their religion.

In the beginning, there was Saweya. She granted life to all and watched over the planet. Aiding with the farm harvest, being at the side of those ill and dying, embracing all in her light. Rich or poor, grey or red, male or female, straight, gay, or bisexual. However, misfortune struck as it always does, bad harvests still occurred, and wars regularly broke out. And with this, the priests as mentioned earlier began writing her dogma, focused on the voices they heard locked in a massive temple dedicated to the god-queen herself.

The story starts traditionally, with Saweya being the benevolent but naive goddess meeting another Tsumi, Ywach, the god of war, who promises her help with ruling the kingdom she brought to life. Admitting to how much strain it is to order her land from the heavens, she agrees with the Tsumi. He promises Saweya that suffering is natural and that her kingdom would only grow more powerful due to it. She agreed to his offer and watched how the first wars began to tear the Tsumi apart. While she hated to see their pain, she couldn't deny how much the progressed. Working closely together with Saweya, Ywach decided to attempt for her hand. Ywach succeeded, becoming known as the god-king of the pantheon.

The two of them ruled their kingdom from the heavens together, though as the Tsumi population grew, the wars intensified. And soon, Ywach decided there was an overpopulation. War would solve it, but wouldn't wouldn't keep it regulated. This is how the minor gods came into play. Both children from Ywach and Saweya, as well as deities that originated much like Ywach, used the god-queen's naivete to their advantage.

• God-queen Saweya: Also known as the 'great goddess,' often mentioned as 'the goddess,' is the original god of the namesaked pantheon. She created the universe and blew life into the Tsumi as they are now. She symbolizes love, life, beauty and in more archaic, pre-space-faring reiterations of the dogma, the twin suns. Often depicted as a woman with large horns, dressed in a meld between a beautiful golden dress and metal armor and a single sword in one hand with a beautiful flower in the other.
• God-king Ywach: Mostly referred to as Ywach or Ywach the stalwart, is Saweya's lover and the second god to enter the pantheon. He represents war, glory in battle and the warrior's life. Decadent, lavish and filled with bloody conflict. Often depicted as a large man, with a huge suit of armor and a red cloak, with a massive ax as a weapon.
• Danmadan of the pits: Originally the eldest son of Saweya and Ywach, Danmadan the valourous was defeated in a bloody confrontation with his father. The eldest son sought to overtook his father's position to take the position of the god-king, although he failed when his father openly challenged him to a Karrak. A sort of war between two individuals where they bring the mass of their own forces and armies, pitting them together. Danmadan was defeated and his army of demigods, ascended soldiers and blood angels laid in tatters. Though he was dishonored after an attempt on his father's life through means of assassination, long after the Karrak was over. This was when his father tore off his wings, shattered his horns and threw him down to the pits. Which is the Tsumi equivalent of hell. Where he became Danmadan of the pits, gatekeeper of Tsumi's equivalent of hell. He represents death, anguish and epidemic. A vile being with broken horns, a hunched back. Often wearing a large cloak which casts a shade over his face. From which only green serpentine eyes are visible. Danmadan often lugs around a large scythe, the shaft is a thick, wooden branch that hasn't been cut down to size or smoothed over. Several branches and leaves still grow from it.
• Seterral the mischievous: Most often depicted as a large, snow white Carallin¹⁾ with two tongues and three tails, Seterral is the god of gambling and ill will, lying and cheating. Seterral is called on for good odds during the throwing of dice, but cursed all the same. Seterral has no honour and most Tsumi view him as evil, where the dogma recognizes him as just a nescessary evil. Everyone has to be lucky and everyone's met with bad luck throughout their life. Seterral was around way back before Ywach and Saweya became married, always exerting his influence. His story is one of mystery and just assumed to be created by accident by Saweya. And he grew too cunning and mischievous to be killed by the likes of Saweya and even Ywach.
• Svatolek the agregarian: As the name would suggest otherwise, Svatolek is not limited to farming. This deity used to be worshipped heavily by farmers, though he grew more to be the god of fertility. Be it in soil or in womb. Certainly with the selective breeding and their augmented children, Svatolek has seen a massive surge of popularity. Svatolek takes the form of a large, naked male Tsumi, sculpted and muscled as a beautiful and strong male. Where some people stick to fertility, Svatolek has more than once been associated with lust as well.
• Stetark of Inferno: Stetark, closely affiliated with Danmadan, is he who seats beyond the pits. Tsumi afterlife comes in a variety of levels. The Pits is a vile and shameful place, but Inferno is the eternal fire. The punishment to burn eternally. Though some Tsumi embrace this and say they're fireborn, or that they have tasted the Inferno. Or that they are Stetark's blessed few. While originally seen as heretical, the idea gained more and more tract and was accepted in the Saweyan Church. Stetark isn't considered as vile and shameful as Danmadan and even glorified in battle. Stetark, according to Tsumi mythos, is the elder brother of Danmadan, formed when Ywach's seed strayed into a volcano. Which errupted and gave birth to the titanic Stetark.
• Feldark, long winter: Attributed to the long winter, Feldark is the entity the Tsumi believed to take fprù after the birth of Stetark. Feldark is Stetark's mortal nemesis, but promises the eternal frost as a punishment. It was said that Stetark's birth drained so much energy and warmth from the surrounding, that Feldark was born. Originally a spirit of nature, the volatile, volcanic winter that followed, made Feldark into the vengeful being the Tsumi believe to be. Several addages in Tsumi society are attributed to Feldark's anger, one of which being; “Upon Feldark, may our anger brittle your bones.” Feldark is often called upon during promises of vengeance and personal vendetta.
• Hayden, master of puppets: Hayden, is actually a Tsumi that has been alive at one point. To call him dead, would be an overstatement. Hayden is patient zero. The first test subject that had been exposed to the bioweapon that is the HVI strain, in theory, Hayden is the first warslave. He sits at the core of the plaguestar and is the primary instinct derived from the HVI strain. The first walking, breathing and reasoning host. Hayden is the Plaguestar, the HVI strain. And while he mindlessly seeks to expand at any cost, he is capable of complex thought and reasoning. The Tsumi worship, or at least consider him as a deity, for the simple reason that he is reckoning. The end of all days, the destruction of the Tsumi as a whole.

It is now believed that the gods are incredibly advanced beings that live at the very center of the galaxy. That watch all and exert their influence from beyond. Though the dogma has iterated that Saweya was on Teryan, the Tsumi home planet, at the very beginning. And several stories have convinced believers that the gods sometimes walk amongst them, every Tsumi is born and indoctrinated into this religion.

With the extinction event that drove the remaining Tsumi from Teryan, some more radical elements have begun preaching self-chastising. That the Strain was a punishment from Saweya herself. Deterring the Tsumi from playing gods themselves. Some have seen it as a righteous punishment, even amongst the survivors, there are those that indulge in self-flagellation, ritualistic scarring. And the less savoury desire to make others atone for this sin. While most Tsumi don't agree to this radicalization, self mutilation always had a place in the Saweyan church. Even though little put it into actual practice.

What a Tsumi understands under sin, a major crime against not only their fellow believes, but against their very belief. The only word in Tsumi language that is used to reference to these crimes also directly translates to 'shame'. These sins come in a variety, the most capital one being weakness. Others, sinning directly against Saweya or Ywhach, consist of dishonour in combat, raising your hand against anyone unprovoked, backstabbing, treason, murder without a proper duel, etc. It leaves little to the imagination what a Tsumi hates and what is shameful in their society.

The Sin-burdened are most comparable to angels. The Saweyan church explains these so called 'Sin-burdened' as fallen warriors and sacrifices. Martyrs that shouldered the crimes and burdens of their peers. Before treading into Stetark's fire. Their body falling apart. Yet their spirit remained. These spirits remained in Stetark's fire, because they were stained with a sin of another, not their own. And thus, he nor Danmadan could influence them. After a large conglomeration of these souls were trapped in Stetark's inferno, Ywach decided to free them. Creating the Sin-burdened.

These take the form of Tsumi with large, fiery and skeletal wings, able to bellow fire, bleeding liquid magma. A passage in their dogma describes them as following; “Large, blazing lights in the sky. Those that absolved us of our sin and dishonour came from the skies. Their wings, burning brilliant as Saweya's light. Their eyes, bright as the morning sun after a night of grievous battle. Their skin, black upon black, cracked shells with Stetark's inferno reflected in those cracks. With each breath, was a gust of flame. One panicked, one struck, but they were not harmed by the mere mortal's blow. Liquid fire poured from their veins as they forgave their assailaint. They only told us they came to collect our dead and guide them to Ywach for judgement.”

IQ created this article on 2018/08/21 15:31.

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