Yahal

From Mizahar Lore

Current revision as of 09:04, 24 March 2014

Yahal

God of Purity and Faithfulness
Race	God
Domain	Faithfulness and Purity
Divine rank	3
Symbols	Pair of Wings
Cults	None
Worshipped in	Throughout Mizahar, especially among the Benshira

Appearance

While gods are spiritual creatures given to varied forms, Yahal is commonly seen as a man in the prime of his life with long light brown hair. He wears a persimmon-colored tunic and cloak with red and gold accents and golden sandles laced up to his calves. Around his waist he wears a brilliant gold belt. Yahal is often seen carrying a glittering gold spear. To his followers, the belt and spear represent faith and purity: faith holds fast and purity pierces the unclean. Perhaps the most notable of Yahal's physical traits are the prismatic wings that extend out from his shoulders. To his followers, the wings symbolize that god's willingness to help his worshipers to rise above impurity and faithlessness.

In paintings and sculptures, Yahal is often depicted as battling back horrific beasts of corruption and degradation.

Domain

Yahal is the personification of purity and faithfulness. Before the Valterrian, he fought diligently against Rhysol's spreading corruption. With Sylir and Tyveth as allies, the trio were able to keep Rhysol in check. This allowed Yahal to build a strong following among the mortals of Mizahar. There were even a number of monasteries devoted to Yahal. These secluded places along with their monk inhabitants, offered those seeking purity a chance to cleanse themselves of physical, mental and spiritual corruption. Following the Valterrian and the spread of chaos throughout the land, Yahal lost much ground in his battle against Rhysol. Few, if any, of the old monasteries remain and those seeking to be purified are few and far between. However, Yahal has found increased worship from the Benshira in the time following the Valterrian.

Yahal offers purification and clarity of self to those who choose to follow him. Having faith in one's beliefs and in one's self means everything to Yahal. Those who falter in their faith open themselves up to corruption. In that, Rhysol grows ever stronger. In order to be accepted by Yahal, one must actively oppose deceit, betrayal, dishonesty and thoughtlessness. In return for maintaining a pure mind, body and soul, Yahal often grants the gnosis of Ennervism.

Yahal is worshipped largely by the Benshira Humans and Syliran Knights, and will sometimes appear among them or in dreams. Those who have heard him, describe his voice as still and quiet, like a wind in the desert.

Yahal's spiritual domain is occasionally seen or felt in pieces by his followers. They speak of a jasper fortress with white banners and hills covered in orchards and vineyards. It is said one feels they are both returning home and beginning a new quest when reaching its borders.

Attitude

Just as Yahal is faithful to his followers, he demands faithfulness from those who worship him. Those who serve him describe Yahal like a loving husband who grows jealous when his wife wanders. Yahal will allow misfortune to fall on those who abandon his ways so they will learn their folly. But because he is faithful, Yahal will have mercy on those who call out to him with a pure heart.

Yahal does not discourage worship of other gods that are aligned with his ethos of faith and purity. He feels that a follower's love for noble traits in other gods will only make the follower a person of stronger character. Personal growth and a deeper understanding of goodness is Yahal's ultimate goal for his followers.

Yahal is benevolent to his followers, often appearing in dreams and giving divine encouragement through his priests. Portions of this encouragement has been gathered in various writings called Penita Scrolls. Stern in his demand for purity, Yahal will dole out a special punishment against those who write words that are not his. This punishment is a crippling of the right hand, called a withering. As such, those who think they have heard a divine word worthy of the Penita often spend a great deal of time in prayer before transcribing it.

Worship

Faithfulness to Yahal is demonstrated through three different ways: the sacrifice of selfish desire, trust in one's own self or deity and prayer.

Sacrifice of selfish desire involves avoiding those things that can lead to addiction, greed, laziness or any other state of being that actively lessens one's greater potential. By doing things that improve one's life while also improving the lives of others, a faithful follower will find their actions well received by Yahal.

Trusting Yahal is a high form of praise. It is exhibited through the follower's peace of mind as he goes where Yahal leads. Sometimes Yahal's commands do not make earthly sense, so a follower must exercise trust in Yahal's goodness. Biyram leaving his wealthy father's land for an empty desert is a common example of trust in Yahal. Trusting one's own self, being faithful to one's own beliefs and upholding promises made are other ways of exercising trust in the name of Yahal.

Prayer is not always petitioning Yahal with needs. Often it is singing praise or thanks for what Yahal has done in the follower's life. Prayer can be with or without words. It is the act of communing with Yahal and his principles. Prayer can also be sharing with Yahal the deeds one has performed that have bettered not only the worshiper but others as well.

Mark Opposition

Yahal is the incarnation of purity and faith. As such, he will not mark those who have allowed corruption and impurity into their souls. This in no way means that Yahal will abandon such individuals as he will always work to remove impurity and corruption from the land but it does mean that he will not mark such people without them first being cleansed to his high standards. Those marked by and/or serving the will of the Dark Gods will not be marked by Yahal. If his followers are somehow marked by these evil deities, the circumstances of such marking are scrutinized closely by the God of Purity. If his followers seek to distance themselves from the dark marks and avoid their corrupting effects, Yahal will see this and aid in this internal conflict of the soul. If the follower embraces these marks and offers themselves in any way to the dark one who marked them, Yahal will turn his marks negative upon the impure, former follower.

Manifestations