Tom Godling 3rd Class

I'm going to present myself to my people as two very different gods; Oitir and Owain. Both are gods primarily of water and dispite their differences don't oppose each other.

Owain

In the priesthood the majority of life vocations would be those serving Owain. This comes to about 70% of the permanent preisthood. Priests of Owain wear a small Oar broach or necklace.

Oitir

Oitir is a terrible violent god. Storms, bent masts, snapped keels, broken drowned bodies, swapped homes, war and revenge are his domains. His day is mid-winter and he usually marks it with a great storm.

His symbol is the Axe. His priesthood wear an axe symbol, or wield on in battle. His permanent priesthood is small. In times of need, building a great ship, waror raids, it is swelled by temporary vocations. His axe symbol refers to both the weapon of death and tool of warship building.

Oitir looks a bit like that, except on horns.

Symbol

The Symbol on my section of the Amulet shall be a crossed Oar and Axe.

Amulet

My section of the amulet will basically be a giant coin. Both sides will display my Symbol. The Oar is to be depicted in white the Axe black. The rest of the amulet should be a neutral grey.

[Optional Added Extra?] If either Oitir or Owain are doing something really big with the amulet their relevant section should be surrounded by a nimbus of glowing light. So if Oitir spends racks of prayer to kick up a huge storm the axe should glow be suurounded by a red glow. If Owain uses it the Oar should be surrounded by a blue glow.

My People

The Gyda (gee-DA) (I know nothing of phonetics I'm guessing)

A hearty people that appear to be of almost standard human stock. Natural sailors, inured to the cold of driving wind and rain. They're only unusual feature is their fingers and toes are slightly webbed, as far as the first finger knuckle. This confers a slight swimming bonus.

The Gyda will have an instinctive sence of the way home. Home been determined by the location of my section of the amulet. Most Gyda during their lives will try to visit the amulet at least once.

They prize their freedom greatly. Huge cramped walled cities would not be for them. Instead numerous smaller settlements. Also while areas of villages might be protected most people would not be prepared to live within walls.

Song and Storytelling shall be their main entertainments. Reading and writing shall not come easily to the Gyda. Traditions and histories shall be past on orally.

Naval ++
Hardiness +
Direction Sense +
Swimming +
Drink Sea-Water +

Cann't drink pure Water -
Writing --
Stone building aversion --

Mythology

Oitir and Owain found the ancestors of the Gyda elsewhere living in squalor and brought them to the land of Nickos. To do this they were brought aboard the mighty ship Eindride, which sailed across sea and sky until landing at Eindride Bay. This became the site of the Gyda's capital city Eindride Fall. Some would say that the Bay was formed by the mighty keel of the ship. The Brothers then taught the Gyda what they needed to know to survive on this new world.

Religion

Worship

Most prayer shall take the form of song. Prayers to Owain are joyous. They thank him for what he has bestowed in the past and ask for his continued belevelence. Pray to Oitir include War Chant entailling the impending destruction of enemies. But also wails and mourning for drowned sons and pityful cries asking to be spared from the dangers of the ocean.

Sacrafice shall also be expected. Food, weapons, jewelry and in extreme cases people are fed to the sea in order to gain important blessings. A Fisherman might throw some smoked fish into the sea to ensure Owain will grant him good hauls. the Vegg might drown a load of prisoners or slaves asking Owain to help in a coming war. If you are about to go on a long voyage it would be a good idea to scarfice something so that your in the Brothers' good books. (Not that the brothers bother with something as pathatic and irrelevant as writting).

After-Life

Those Gyda who have lived good lives, can expect a place in Gyda heaven. Gyda heaven is on the mighty ship Eindride. On board they get to sail about for eternity across sea and sky, the food's good, drink free flowing, friends and lovers plentiful. Basically once you join the Brothers onboard Eindride everythink is a nice as it possibly could be.

Every Mid-Winters night the Brothers come along and pick up the souls of those worthy few who have died in the last year. Those who were unworthy but not entirely bad are left on the world to be re-born so they can try again. Those who are down-right bad nasty and un-Gyda like are sucked down to the deepest coldest part of the ocean where they are contained in dispair and lonelyness forever.

Its a bad idea to be about to much on Mid-Winter encase your picked up by mistake. Stow aways are not treated kindly. Much better to stick in your hut or ship and remember the dead. If you've had a death in he family its a good idea to light a signal fire to speed's Eindride's collection of your loved one.

Naughty and Nice

Good Gyda don't kill other Gyda without extreme provication. They listen to and do what the preists say. They pray and scarifice to the brothers. Theft and laviness are also looked down on. Gyda most also care for all their children, however monogamy is not expected.

Priesthood

The priesthood known as the Kolvegg (KOL-vegg) also will form the government of the Gyda. Owain's priests are called the Sol, Oitir's the Vegg. The Kol being more numerous shall run most day to day matters. Fishing, farming weaving and trading will be within their jurisdiction. Kol Merchants would travel on most trading ships. The Kol would also be in charge of gathering food for armies and supplies for Vegg naval projects.

The Vegg will deal with crime, construction, raiding and war. Imprisoning of other Gyda being considered quite distaste the Vegg shall punish criminals through service, exile, mutilation, drowning or in the worst cases burning. Burnt Gyda of course are unable to be guided across the sea of death to the afterlife

Temples

No temple to just Owain or Oitir singularily will be permitted. Temples must honour both gods jointly. Personnal shrines to either or both gods will be allowed.

The primary feature of all temples will be four great columns. Two shall be dark and known as the arms of Oitir, the other two light, the arms of Owain. Simple temples would use 4 great trunks leaning into a central point. Kinda like a pyramid with just the corner edges. On top of the central point would be the Symbol, or in the greatest temple the Amulet. Between the posts should be a pool of blessed water.

Feastdays

Feast of Owain Mid-Summer
Pre-ceded by several days of sports and competitions. Swimming, water-polo boat racing, sparring, running, archery, who can catch the biggest fish etc.. Champions are then honoured at the festival.

Feast of Oitir Mid-Winter
A day for staying indoors listening to tales of the ancestors. Also a time to mourn and celebrate all who have past in the last year. Also the night when the Brothers come on Eindride and collect the souls of those worthy few who will now spend enernity sailing sea and sky.

The Equinoxs
The Days of Balance. Minor holidays marking the passing of Summer into Winter and vice-versa.

Feast of the Finding
Celebrates Owain and Oitir finding the ancestors of the Gyda living in misery on a poor land and bringing them across sky and sea in the mighty ship Eindride. Eindride is also know as the father of ships.

Feast of the Founding
Oitir and Owain brought the Gyda to Raiv on Eindride, this feast celebrates the landing and the founding of the Gyda's first city at the point where they were dropped.

Government

The Kolvegg (priests) form the government of the Gyda. There are many ranks amoungst the priests. Orders from a higher rank are to be obeyed. The supreme council of the Kolvegg is formed of the 2 highest ranking Vegg and 2 highest Kol. Each year the council at Mid-Summer apoints one of its own as Helmsman. The Helmsman is the highest amoung the Gyda. During war time the council can hold an emergency re-appointment to put a Vegg in charge, in case the ruling Kol does not feel they are up to ruling the Gyda during a military emergency.

Starting Places

Large Dot 'Endride Fall' Capital Starting 500 people. Its also the site of Main Temple with Amulet Suspended above that. Temple in centre of village.

Small Dot 'Helluvi' large Hamlet 200 people.

Starting Tech

Level 3 - Naval

Level 2 - Refinning and Weapon Melee

Level 1 - Construction, Mining, Tactics and Coastal Farming