Akasha-Palla, The Claw-Carver

Followers and Priesthood

Though the continent of Ruatiwanga and its people are a polytheistic culture who venerates each of the Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara as a collective pantheon, it is not usually uncommon for the particularly devout to dedicate themselves to one such deity within the pantheon - and in the case of Akash-Palla, better known to the citizens of Ruatiwanga as The Claw-Carver or The Lord of Good Blood, First of the Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara and Brother to Trishna-Kapur(Sister Moon, Goddess of the Rain, Storms, and Community), this typically entails those who find themselves entering the field of battle often, who delight in what others would deem the "horrors" of war, or any who care so deeply about their tribe or pack that they would devout themselves wholesale to their growth at any cost. Ultimately, the reasons one may dedicate themselves to The Claw-Carver will vary wildly from one creature to another, but most all creatures on Ruatiwanga come to know the Claw-Carver at some point in their lives, even in passing - for while all creatures give prayers and offerings to the Claw-Carver that he may bless their hunt, bless their battlefield, and grant them protection on their path to the pinnacle, only a select few find the steel enough in their souls to dedicate themselves to the eternal hunt and the unending chase for glory, greatness, and prosperity; to devote themselves to the great race amongst all living creatures started at the dawn of reality where the reward is ultimate dominance and the price for failure is death(Or worse, dishonor). Unlike many other Sky Gods, however, the reasons one might join the faith of the Claw-Carver are often very grounded in reality and commonplace - whether it be finding faith on the battlefield in the thrill of violence, a personal oath to chase glory at any cost, or born from a deep love of one's tribe, family, or pack such that they would devote their entire lives and spiritual beings to chasing their prosperity at any cost - all these reasons and more can and have led countless creatures all across Ruatiwanga into the faith of the Claw-Carver, though not all stay in it for their entire lives.   Though many of the followers of the Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara can come from nearly all walks of life - which holds true even for the likes of the Claw-Carver - the Claw-Carver's faith is somewhat unusual as it is one of the two faiths that are largely Shersūra dominant; that is, Shersūra make up a larger than is usual number of followers when compared to other deities. However, this by no means is to say that other species cannot or have not joined the Claw-Carver's faithful - simply that Shersūra have a cultural predisposition to Akash-Palla and his ideals that most other races simply lack. Regardless, the followers of the Claw-Carver can and have come from nearly all walks of life - though they are comparatively rarer in more highly civilized areas - and can be found amongst all species and ages, though followers of the prime ages are much more common than any other.   Obsessed with glory and the thrill of the hunt, the faithful of the Claw-Carver decorate themselves in dark reds and stark whites - delighting in the contrast of blood and purity - and almost universally adorn themselves with the trophies of their past hunts and glories. As a proud and sometimes even arrogant people, the Claw-Carver's followers dress in whichever ways best show off not only their personal achievements, but their tribal affiliations, lineages, and histories - proudly displaying as much of their past glories and accomplishments as possible at any given time. As a result, they tend to dress lightly and daub themselves with red or yellow or white paints - decorating their fur or skin with ritualistic lines along their vital meridians or arteries as a baseline "tattoo" done to honor Akash-Palla, which is added to over the course of their lives with small symbols or paintings which depict the events they are most proud of during their lives. To this end, they often wear large necklaces or other adornments bearing trophies of past conquests - tooths and skulls or body parts being the most common - though worn pelts and furs are another very popular method of accomplishing this as well. They are rarely subtle, ultimately, in their dress and depictions - often preferring to paint the symbol of the Claw-Carver upon their bodies or clothing and display as much of their glory as is possible without reaching into the realm of the impractical(As they may delight in battle at a moment's notice). Of note, however, white paint is usually reserved for religious figures or those in the faith with the highest authority or glories.   Though his followers can be rare inside more civilized areas, they are nonetheless commonplace everywhere across Ruatiwanga - often serving as warriors, generals, hunters, and proud leaders of communities in the outlying fringes or wilds far from the reaches of civilization. Virtually any who seek glory or delight in the spilling of blood may well be found in the faith of the Claw-Carver - making them one of the most ubiquitous and widespread faiths on Ruatiwanga, though also one of the most divisive for their often unapologetic and ruthless natures.  

Ethics

Increasingly vilified as savages and monsters in the modern era of Ruatiwangan "Enlightenment" and often viewed as ruthless villains or outdated relics who cling to the "old ways" without merit, the followers of the Claw-Carver are a lot whose ethics and morality often seems plainly cut-and-dried on first glance but which often reveals its subtle depth only upon a closer inspection. Ultimately, however, they are a faith whose beliefs make them easily despised and hated - believing ardently in the purity of the hunt, followers of the Claw-Carver hunt because, quite simply, they believe that one's worth is measured in the blood he has spilled. Battle and the hunt, to the followers of the Claw-Carver, is a holy act - the original way men prayed to the Gods, showed their Piety, and proved the surety of their ideals to both their fellows and the Divine. This belief is no mere allegory, either - the followers of the Claw-Carver view battle as their first, last, and greatest test of mettle and of worth, and the way by which their lives are measured both by their tribe, their pack, and by the Gods themselves; The means by which they claim their fate, the means by which they earn respect, and the means by which all issues worth arguing over are settled. However, it is important to understand that it is not just the killing blow or the hunt itself which proves so spiritually significant to them, but the acts which one undertakes while on the Hunt that define them - a good hunt, they believe is a measure of one's nature as a beast, and the means by which two souls are pitted against each other in every way that matters; to place one's honor, one's beliefs, and one's very nature on the line and on full display and to bear everything about yourself to another in a battle whether it be to the death or not - that is the means by which they believe their worth is measured. Ultimately, to the followers of the Claw-Carver, a good hunt is an almost religious experience - a display of utmost respect for another to put everything on the line, to not dishonor them by going easy or not trying one's best, almost an expression of divine love to both the hunter, the hunted, and the Gods which watch. One can imagine then, that the trophies the faithful so often enjoy showing off on their body either in physical trophy form or in the tapestries painted upon their fur may well paint the picture of not only their glories, but their character - a monument to their actions, to their character, to the ways they conduct themselves, to how they act when death is right behind them; the measure of their life, painted on their skin and beared for the world to see and marvel at as if to say "Here I am, world - marvel at my nature and know the beauty of my body, my spirit, and my glories". To bring dishonor onto a hunt or the spilling of blood is, ultimately, one of the most shameful acts a follower of the Claw-Carver can do - whether it be by treating his foe lightly, not taking them seriously, to show mercy to one's target, or to in some way bring dishonor upon the hunt in ways which can often vary from faithful to faithful(Sometimes including things such as ganging up on a foe, not giving their foe last words, to win via overly treacherous or tricksy means, and so on).   To this end, it is easy to despise a follower of the Claw-Carver, for they are often brutish, combative, and confrontational - especially his Shersūran followers - as a way of making "spot-judgements" of another's nature and making determinations for another's character in situations where true open Combat may not be acceptable or reasonable. Though this habit goes quite far to giving them their reputation of brutish thugs and murderers, in truth this confrontational nature is often followed by jovial laughing or compliments if the target of their harsh words spits back in their faces or is quick to accept their challenge and give as good as they got; all worthy signs of one's character that followers of the Claw-Carver find agreeable. To those who shy away or fear such words, they are often marked by the follower in question as an easy mark or target of a future hunt.   Ultimately, followers of the Claw-Carver are ambitious and avaricious by their very nature - believing in constant motion in life in the pursuit of greatness and glory, and in the race towards the pinnacle of all things which is often referred to by many contemporary scholars as "The Survival of the Fittest". Holding one's pack or tribe in the highest regard, seeking more than what you have, giving your best and proving your dominance over any who would challenge you - these are the core values of the Claw-Carver's faithful and those which they hold in the very highest regard; Believing in one hand that ruthless and merciless competition inevitably fosters the greatest and mightiest beings while on the other hand holding firm that one must never hold grudges or grow hateful in defeat, as it is a natural part of the race of life, followers of the Claw-Carver see intrinsic value in struggle and competition - often going to great lengths to win or prove themselves the best yet often the first to forgive after a loss or to swear themselves to those who prove themselves their masters, they believe almost religiously in "The Survival of the Fittest" and the idea that, so long as the best rise to the top, there cannot and should not be any grudges or hard feelings along the way - for such is merely nature itself running its course, and the Will of God made manifest. Firm believers in duty and honor, followers of the Claw-Carver shun and decry the selfish ruler or warrior - believing that those who rise to the top have a duty to use that power and the authority it brings to see to the responsibility of those they rose past on the path to the top, and any who in turn helped see to their prosperity. For, ultimately, while the best must rise to the top, what matters most of all to them is one's pack, tribe, or other "community" structure - which they attribute an almost spiritual sentience to; a thing which is due the glories of those who make it up, and functions only when all work to make it happen. Ironically, this makes followers of the Claw-Carver natural "family men" - for while their own glory and greatness is always amongst their greatest concerns, a lion is nothing without his pack, and his glories meaningless if those who know of them are not around to speak of them.   Lastly and perhaps most crucially, followers of the Claw-Carver are firm believers in a moderated lifestyle - seeing the sins of Indulgence, Indolence, and Apathy as the greatest threats to life itself that must be avoided at all costs, and hallmarks of the weak and unworthy. This is not to say, of course, that they do not believe in enjoying a good meal or taking a good rest - simply that, as a child of God who has a duty to chase his own glories and thus the glories of God, one cannot reach that greatness if one is too blinded by worldly pleasures to have the discipline and drive to succeed. Equity, Balance, and Equality are thus, as one may expect, critical values to them - and are at the core of why so many of their rank have come to despise civilization and the current "Era of Enlightenment" that Ruatiwanga has now found itself in. For while so many across the continent concern themselves with the idea of "Equality" and the notion that all races are entitled to life, protection, and freedom from wanton hunting, followers of the Claw-Carver hold a very different notion of equality - one that holds all creatures as little more than beasts. To them, the only equality that matters is equality of opportunity - all men, as children of god, are afforded only a scant few things: The Right to Live, the Right to Die, and the Right to fight for one's self and others. Equality, ultimately, is holding true to these ideals - giving each creature a chance to live, to die, and to fight - and most importantly of all, equality amongst standards; The notion of not holding one creature to a standard one would not hold one's self to is important to followers of the Claw-Carver, and often lies at the heart of their complaints with modern Ruatiwangan life - as those who so deeply concern themselves with the rights of other "prey" and "predator" species and issuing laws to protect one from the other, to them, inherently create divisions and distract life from its true, simple purpose: to live, to die, and to fight in defense of the previous two rights.