"You Meksornmalians [1] speak of gods and spirits and essences, as if it matters where a god lives. It doesn't really. There are other ways to recognize the differences which are more important to us.
First are the Avanparloth, the High Gods. They are perfect and transcendent and do not reside in neither the land of gods, spirits nor essences. The Avanparloth are the gods of the gods, which all good gods worship. They are too perfect and distant to listen to ordinary worship. The only way to address the Avanparloth is High Worship, as taught by Chaquandarath [2] and written in the Yederjalif [3]. Correct rites of High Worship bring liberation, like practice of mysticism does, but it is too difficult for most mortals. The only place left where High Worship is practiced is the high temple of Vith in Hanfarador. The great treasure of he high temple is the last copy of the Yederjalif.
Second are the Parloth, the Gods. They are also called the Between-Gods, because they are the gods of all people, regardless of which island you come from. They are gods, spirits and essences who obey and uphold Vith's World Order. They live in the gods world, the spirit world and the essence world. You worship the Parloth with the rites of Ombardaru, Festanur and Martalak [4]. Some of the Parloth are also mystics, like Hensarava, the celestial archer and Mairnali, the goddess of compassion.
Third are the Parondpara, the Small Gods. These are the gods of the islands. The Parondpara are gods of their own island alone. Most of them are here and now, living on their islands [5], but some of them live in the otherworlds, but have chosen to be the gods of one island. Lumavoxoran, the god of Haragala is one of them, that is why the Haragalans can use his magic away from their island. Greatest of the Parondpara is Hobimarong, the god who is always right.
I will not give a number to the Adpara, the antigods, because that would sully Korudel's gift [6]. The antigods are all the gods, spirits and essences who do not obey and uphold Vith's world order, by choice of by ignorance. Many of them - your gods - are great and strong, but their strength is wasted in the best case and a great danger in the worst.
Finally there are the mystics. Both gods and mortals can practice mysticism. This is the highest form for mysticism brings liberation into that which is neither physical nor non-physical, like the Avanparloth are by nature. The way to reach liberation can be taught, but it cannot be described, only experienced. There have been many sages who have taught different ways. Some mystics, who follow the ways of legendary sages like Mashunasan and Larn Hasamador do not worship any gods or use any magic. Others use magic found by the sages who founded the way or worship a god who is a mystic and use the magic of the god."
[1] Meksornmali is the Vithelan name for the lands west
of the Sensan mountains (known as Shan Shan in Kralorela)
[2] The High Priest, one of the High Gods
[3] The most ancient and holy religious scripture of
Vithela
[4] The wayward sons of Vith who took up impure magic
of gods, spirits and essences, but were brought to
insight by Vith's wisdom and transformed their magic
to an acceptable form
[5] Guardian beings in HQ terminology
[6] The high god Korudel is the god of mathematics
/Nils W
Powered by hypermail