Purdue Fantasy Club

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====== Ra ======

//"Through his design, we enact his will."//

Whether it be the land you walk on, or the endless sky above, all is the domain of Lord Ra, Bearer of Light. Through the divine Laws of Order, the formless darkness was given shape and meaning. Through the Precepts of Light, his divine will manifests through the faithful few who have dedicated themselves to the preservation of order, and to the final triumph over darkness. 

At one time, the common people shuttered at the thought of a Ra’ite coming to their home. It was an omen that something lurked in the shadows and that their home would be turned to a pile of ash. They walked on the path of darkness, the very thing they sought to destroy, but the light never fades. The Faith of Ra was reformed and committed themselves to better serve the people. Order and fighting evil were not ends in and of themselves, but the means to which Ra’s creation could be protected.

===== Avatars =====
The Aspects of Ra deviate significantly from other deities. While other gods may have alternate forms due to how certain cultures or sects view them, Ra’s aspects are more accurately termed his avatars. These are scholars, warriors, and kings who have been chosen by Ra-prime to act as his manifestation on the material plane. The identity of each Avatar is highly debated between followers, especially those between Cayahli and Jaern. Each avatar is an embodiment of the various virtues and facets of Ra’s existence. The Light-bearer has manifested 6 separate times:

====Surya, the Star King, the 1st Avatar of Ra====
When creation was young, Ra filled the universe with light and the mightiest forms of light are the stars that bring order to the heavens. Within the birth of stars came the birth of worlds, and when those worlds create life, they always look to the sky to see the great light shining upon them.  It was this Ra who had married an incarnation of Rudri. This Ra manifested shortly after the awakening of Ra-prime and so his identity was lost to time.

Ra-Surya manifests as a man towering height with ink-black skin and long golden hair. He wears a cloth that surrounds his waist with golden armbands. Though imposing from appearance alone, the Star King is said to have an aura of such immense weight that mortals find themselves reflexively bowing in his presence.


==== Helio, the Light Giver, the 2nd Avatar of Ra ====
The Light Giver is a manifestation of Ra’s benevolence and care for mortal beings. He desires to shield them from the ever encroaching threat of chaos. His mission for ascension was to create a code of ethics for the followers of Ra to follow. He represents the virtues of Order, being stability, reason, and purpose. When Ra’ites are lost, they turn to Helio for guidance. The original identity of the Light-giver is unknown due to living so long ago

The Light Giver is a truly iridescent being. Shining rays gleam from his pure white eyes and golden crown that shines like the sun. This light calls everyone to gaze at it. Rather than blinding, this light soothes the anxieties of all onlookers as they recognize the holy benevolence of the Light Giver. 


==== Pharaoh, the Divine King, the 3rd Avatar of Ra ====
Long ago, Ra’ites had once again diverged from the principles of their priesthood and a 3rd manifestation was deemed necessary. The code needed to be set in stone so that it could never be perverted again. Thus a scribe was elected to enshrine and spread the codified laws to the wide reaches of the priesthood. The identity of this Avatar is the most widely debated, as Jaernian and Cahyalic scholars fervently argue that the original Ra-pharoah was the ancient scholar and scribe Tol Ihar, or Hafiri I, the founding Pharaoh of Dahabu, respectively.

This form is a man who stands at 10 ft. tall with deeply tanned skin and eyes that have black irises. He wears long white flowing robes that have a golden trim. His presence is commanding and oppressive. It is said that mortals reflexively prostrate whenever they feel his aura. With him is a slab that has the 12 laws of order inscribed upon them.


==== Peregrinus, the Dawn Hawk, the 4th and Current Cahyalic Avatar of Ra ====
First taking form at the beginning of the First Eclipsean Crusade in Cayahli, the Dawn Hawk gathered the servants of Ra and organized them into a legion to battle the children of Rudri. The Dawn Hawk is believed to be the ascended Zaran Davar, a Dahabi warrior priest that joined the Nahruli Lamplighters in their crusade against the Night. In the lands where the Ninite Church is predominant, Peregrinus is viewed as a saint rather than a deity.

The Dawn Hawk appears as a large bird of prey wreathed in flame, the fury of this creature is laid bare to all who see it. It is said to soar over battlefields leaving torrents of solar light to the forces of darkness. This aspect has a major presence in Nahrul, as the Lamplighters honor it as the primary and most important manifestation of Ra.  Ra’ites in service to the Dawn Hawk are considered to be the most radical of the priesthood. 


==== Tyrannus, the False Order, 5th Avatar of Ra ====
Otherwise known as the ‘Torandor Ra’, this is the only ‘’fallen’ avatar of Ra. He manifested after the world of Torandor had clashed into Jaern around the year 7800 SF. The world was in great distress and thus needed a stabilizing presence to bring order. This individual would later lose their way and embrace the False Order, better known as tyranny. This avatar sought to dominate and destroy any individual that opposed him.

This Ra’s image has long since been destroyed by the many followers of Ra. Those who still claim loyalty to this avatar are deemed heretics and are banished from the priesthood. This Ra, ironically, acts as a ‘satanic’ influence on Ra’ites as he acts as a deceiver to lure the righteous away from the True Order.

==== Mennefer, the Sun Forger, the 6th and Current Jaernian Avatar of Ra ====
After the fall of Ra-Tyrannus, the priesthood of Ra needed to be restructured so that it can once again be aligned with Ra’s True Order. Thus a new avatar manifested, Ra-Mennefer, who sought to give new purpose to Ra’ites by bringing a new vocation to the priesthood. As a mortal, Mennefer was a skilled and talented craftsman who saw his work as holy and divine as it was granting materials a reason and purpose. This Ra is the primary avatar worshipped on Jaern.

This avatar of Ra looked like the quintessence of what a craftsman should look like. He was a tall man with deep tan skin with a bald head, and fiery red beard. He wore a smith’s apron and gloves as well as a belt that held all of a smith’s essential tools. While his mortal name is Mennefer, Jaernian priests simply refer to him as Ra.


===== Origins =====
At the dawn of time, before creation was given form, only two beings truly exist. They were primordial forms of Ra and Rudri, the light and darkness of respectively. In this time, they were united in marriage and set out to shape creation in their image. It was through this union that the universe was built and existence was given meaning. However, the two gods had differing views on the nature of their creation: Ra believed the existence needed purpose while Rudri did not believe they should be the beings to determine it. This diametrically opposed nature inevitably led to conflict in the marriage of Ra-surya and a previous incarnation of Rudri. This separation sparked the famous conflict between Ra’ites and Rudrites, who were once considered to be one and the same.

Throughout the ages, Ra subtly influenced the material planes to create a tendency towards order while also maintaining the free will of mortals. However, at times Ra has seen to take direct action in the physical world. This is documented to have occurred 6 times in history. The first was Ra-Surya who manifested shortly after mortals turned to worshiping the sun. The times and identities of the second and third avatars is highly contested and no one truly knows. Helio’s identity has truly been lost to time and thus there is little theorizing on their origin. Pharaoh is more contested with two major candidates claimed to be his true identity. The rest manifested in their own with the overarching goal of creating the tendency towards order


===== Priesthood =====
The Disciples of Ra are known to the people of Jaern as Ra’ites, while the Cayhalians know them as Dawn Priests, in service to Ra-Peregrinus. 

==== Beliefs ====
The followers of Ra believe him to be the supreme being who rules over creation and the other gods. They say he is a benevolent deity who wishes the best for mortals as he holds a grand design for the fate of the universe. This is known as his “True Order”, a perfect world where all beings have a purpose for their existence, free from war violence, and tyranny. For the faithful, there is no higher mission than enacting Ra’s will in the mortal plane, however, they are divided on the proper way to perform that duty. The planes of Jaern and Cahyali have differing views on the precise nature of Ra. Jaern views Ra as a defined being with its own personality that is believed to be one and the same with his avatars. Surya is Ra, and Ra is Surya for example. On Cahyali, Ra, who is called the Dawn, is viewed as a quasi sentient cosmic force that empowers beings that embody universal order. Each Avatars are therefore considered to be different persons that draw from the same source. In Jaern, Ra is referred to with masculine pronouns, while in Cahyali, the Dawn is called ‘it’.

=== Orthodoxy of Light ===
The members of this sect are referred to as Orthodox Ra’ites (or Peregrines if you live in Cahyali). Orthodox beliefs are centered on the idea of maintaining the pre existing orders of the world. They abhor the notion of violent revolution because it is a source of chaos that causes unnecessary pain and suffering. Political reform within the bounds of the system is the far preferable means to enact positive change in a society. This denomination is predominant on the plane of Jaern, and the country of Dahabu.

=== Mission of the Dawn ===
Priests of this sect are referred to as Reform Ra’ites/Peregrines, but they call themselves Dawn Priests. The core of this sect's beliefs is that the world exists in a state of chaos that must be brought into Ra/Peregrinus’ True Order by actions in line with the precepts of light. They see most governments as irredeemably corrupt that must be rebuilt from the ground up, and if violence is the only way to change them then so be it. This sect originated and is most common in Nahrul.

==== Temples ====
Ra’ite temples are known as Solariums, places that act as places of worship and centers of authority. Every solarium has a glass dome that covers a large portion of the temple. This is to maximize the amount of light inside of the building. Some temples may take this to the extreme by constructing the entire building out of glass but this is rare. Temples of Ra are places to organize action of any kind. The priesthood is willing to advise movements for change so that they stay orderly and do not incite further violence and upheaval.

The priesthood has no single leader but instead every temple has a high priest, known as the Arbiter,  that acts as the spiritual leader and governor of the local faithful. While the priesthood of Ra allows any mortal to enter their ranks, the Undead are shunned by most within the faith. Ra himself, however, is willing to allow Undead into his priesthood Each High Priest answers to the Authority, an enigmatic group that acts as enforcers of Ra's Judgement. 

==== Priestly Culture ====
The culture of Ra’ites is considered amongst the strictest of all Priesthoods. This is due to their moral code, the Precepts of Light, which has been a central part of  the faith since its conception. Though it is considered a rigid doctrine, it actually acts as more of general guidelines for the followers of Ra rather than strictly defined dictates that they must comply.

=== The Precepts of Light ====
The divine mandate, given by Ra, that all his followers must follow if they wish to stay within the light of the Dawn. The 9 precepts are as follows:

  * “An order that benefits the few and harms the many is not an order worth preserving.”
  * “If you would not perform the action under the holy light of Ra, then you should not do it at all.”
  * “Chaos is the path to damnation, only through order can justice be achieved.”
  * “An order that is founded upon justice is one that should be protected.”
  * “Deception is one with the dark, honesty is one with light”
  * “Righteous rulers are necessary to preserve order, one of true faith would never strike them down.”
  * “One must never act on impulse. The mind should temper the heart.”
  * “The servants of dark are evil and must be opposed. One of true faith would never consort with them.”
  * “Lord Ra has bestowed great destructive powers upon his priests. To use these powers to kill an innocent person is to renounce the faith of Ra itself.”

Violation of these sacred principles can lead to reprimanding or even expulsion from the Priesthood. 

==== Holidays ====
Ascension Day - Each avatar of Ra has a feast day honoring 5 of the 6 avatars ascension. The celebrations are meant to last from dawn until dusk. They start with a festival that varies between regions and which avatar is being honored that day. Surya’s Ascension (2/8) is for praising the sun and demonstrating athletic ability. Helio’s Ascension (6/4) is a day of fasting where the faithful perform charitable acts. Pharaoh’s Ascension (4/15) is a day of prayer and mental contemplation. Peregrinus’ Ascension (7/20) has Ra’ites perform rituals to celebrate the deeds of Zaran Navar. This day is unfortunately associated with increased violence towards Undead. Mennefer’s Ascension (10/13) has festivities that involve crafting and artistry. Each day ends with a temple service and a feast.