Arternaia

Arternaia is the state religion of Anglunia. It is a pagan, polytheistic religion centered around the pantheon of the Arterna. It is only practised in the Kingdom of Anglunia.

Organization
The Arternaian religion is headed by a figure known as the Tye'yantha (Prophet in Traveller's Tongue). This prophet is the son of ex-Anglunian ruler Eliyawin Yinower-Nuwan, Yizawan Eliyawin-Nuwan. The prophet speaks for the Arterna.

The religion is also headed by seven religious figures or head priests known as the Vachethya (Vacheth in singular form). They each represent a holy word in the language of the Yirsi or ice elves. A follower of Arternaia may align themselves with a specific Vacheth's belief.


 * Vacheth nei Yirsi: priest of purity, this priest will decide if a man has achieved Rytheiva, the balance one must find within themselves to achieve completeness.
 * Currently Fume Elzar-Rezuraia aka ApeApple
 * Vacheth nei Hyuii: priest of justice, this priest will decide if a man deserves punishment or not.
 * Currently Zehros Elzar-Rezuraia aka Blitzcomet12
 * Vacheth nei Athava: priest of peace, this priest will ensure peace between all followers of Arternaia.
 * Currently Yinsaghal Eliyawin-Nuwan aka Hatchet_Doctor
 * Vacheth nei Lannan: priest of hope, this priest will serve to inspire the people during times of need.
 * Currently Mash Dardellan-Lochatlan aka FuyunekoMashiro
 * Vacheth nei Aeyya: priest of beauty, this priest will show the followers of Arternaia the beauty of the gods.
 * Currently Syllia Eliyawin-Nuwan aka n0ckyNick
 * Vacheth nei Eruyenne: priest of knowledge, this priest will fill the followers of Arternaia with knowledge of the gods.
 * Currently Torinn-Delmierev aka _Harbinger_1
 * Vacheth nei Leithera: priest of culture, this priest is the one to recover as much of the Yirsi’s old culture as possible and create new Leilaya (songs, poems) along with it.
 * Currently Bluyan Yelas-Betal'lan aka BlueLikesCoffee

These seven priests have a say over the religion alongside the Prophet. There may be other minor priests, who are in charge of temples around the world. The Prophet's task is to send out missionaries around the world, including himself, to convert people to the religion through peaceful means.

Main Beliefs
Followers of Arternaia believe in the duality of man and nature: that man is both evil and good. For everything good, there is something evil, creation brings destruction, life and death, etcetera. Each of the Arterna inhabits two traits that oppose each other, life and death for example. They paradoxically are preached for both these things, and each of the Arterna lives with both traits, which at times may be confusing. The Arterna Zeladar may bring both life and death, and the Arterna Azeras is both strong and weak.

The followers of Arternaia believe that to become whole as a person, one must have explored their mind and find out where they lie on each spectrum of traits, if they bring death, or life, if they are strong, or weak. This is done through extensive soul-searching and introspection, often done by meditation, pilgrimages, tests, and so on. A follower may choose a patron god, one whom they identify with the most. A philosopher may choose to worship Belana for their constant quest of searching wisdom and growing from their youthful self.

Gods
The gods of Arternaia, the Arterna, are shapeless, lifeless beings that inhabit two traits each. These traits oppose each other directly. To the people of Anglunia, this is completely normal, the "duality of the gods". To them, it is obvious that higher beings would be inexplicable.

Azeras
Azeras is the all-father and the leader of the Arterna. He is the god of strength and weakness and represented by a dragon. He once came to the living world as a great ice dragon to protect Isaz from a great danger. He is an immovable force and has a cold demeanor. Yet in his mortal form, he takes on a weaker appearance. Not the weakness of a coward or a weakling, but the weakness of a real man. He enjoys getting drunk in taverns, writing poetry and playing songs. His strength is to be a god and his weakness is to be a man.

Ilonnis
Ilonnis is the goddess of beauty and envy, frequently represented by a mirror. She once tricked Vela'ryisaan Arternathal, causing his death. She is a pure contradiction, as she is the most beautiful being yet is envious of all others. She represents the conflict in life to be content with oneself, to not only want, but to be content as well.

Tollan
Tollan is the god of diligence and sloth, represented by a bowing figure. Tollan was the patron god of Shallowpeak, before they betrayed Anglunia in the Larp Rebellion. His contradiction is those of two opposite traits: diligence and sloth. Diligence is not necessarily a virtue: one must also find sloth in their life to rest.

Nefaren
Nefaren is the god of greed and charity, represented by a gold coin. Nefelis, the region in which the first Anglunian city-states were founded, is named after him, for it is a lucrative region full of gold. Yet he is also the god of charity, he steals from all, only to give it back -to satisfy his great ego, but also to help others in a twisted way. He is often misunderstood because of this, but he represents the inner conflict of to do what is right, to be kind or to be selfish.

Klarien
Klarien is the goddess of growth and decay, represented by a wheat stalk. All she touches grows, but decays shortly after. She is the living proof that all things, however great they are, must come to an end. She is the representation of ephemeralness of all life and the universe. To complete oneself, one must accept the fact that all things are fleeting.

Otsall
Otsall is the god of agriculture and industry, represented by a house. He is a modern god, a newcomer in the Arterna court. With him, he brings not only seeds but coal. He brings progress and preservation. Originally a god of the seasons, he has grown into his current shape with the recent industrialization of Mirau. He represents the constant conflict of change in one's life. Otsall represents the one who has accepted change into their life, and has found a balance to preserve what is old and keep what is new.

Melzina
Melzina is the goddess of the sea and the sky, represented by a straight line, which is supposed to be the horizon. She is the goddess that holds up the sky and prevents mortals from going to heaven. She is the barrier, the separation between life and death, the stars and the earth. She is worshipped by those who wish to see the heavens. Those who get her boon may one day see them. She is the judge: the one who may judge if someone is worthy to go to the otherworld.

Ikall
Ikall is the god of war and peace, represented by a sword coated in flame. He isn't often worshipped in Anglunia, but the people flock to worshipping him when there is a war. A common phrase associated with him is: "Ikall will lead us to death and harmony! Fire and war!". During peacetime, his name is mostly forgotten, as people become used to peace, forgetting the horrors of war. An alternate phrase associated with him is, though unused: "Ikall shall lead us to war and peace! Fire and war, fire and blood, death and harmony!". Ikall represents the cycle of violence and conflict, the will to overcome one's violent nature and grow as a peaceful being.

Omarnis
Omarnis is the god of commerce and theft, represented by the left hand pointing with its fingers to the other, while the right hand points with the palm to the other. He is the patron god of Isaz and an influential figure throughout all of Anglunia. Merchants pray to Omarnis often in hope that they make profit, and not lose it to theft. He is also the patron god of thieves. Omarnis represents giving and taking: fairness in commerce or corruption in theft.

Belana
Belana is the goddess of wisdom and youth, represented by a star and is worshipped by librarians, scholars, etc. throughout the nation. Though she bears the youth of inexperience, she sometimes gets a short phase of pure wisdom, wherein she often recites prophesies yet to pass. Also worshipped by artists, philosophers and wise men, she represents the constant urge to grow older and wiser.

Fayroth
Fayroth is the god of debauchery and sobriety, represented by a goat horn. It is said that Fayroth was originally worshipped by mountain goat herders, who, after slaughtering their goats, would hold grand feasts and festivals of great debauchery. After this time of year was over, usually at the beginning of the winter, a period of sobriety followed where the goat herders would ration their food to survive the long winter. Fayroth nowadays has his own festival dedicated to him, and is highly related to drug use and hedonism. Fayroth is said to ensure order in Arternaia temples during ceremonies. The mountain goat herder clans would eventually form the Vindya Clan and invent the first Yirsi script.

Eriyeth
Eriyeth is the goddess of ice and fire, represented by a blue flame. She is worshipped as the creator of the Yirsi people, the Yiram. She is the instigator behind natural disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. In essence, she is the goddess of nature. Eriyeth is the personification of nature and the constant change in life.

Zeladar
It is said that in the beginning there was another God. Zeladar is the goddess of life and death, represented by a lock. She is the hidden god among the Arterna and few know of her existence. Even fewer worship her, as she is the expelled god. Long ago, she rebelled against her brothers and sisters, leading to her downfall and banishment from the Otherrealm. The few who do worship her are hidden and shunned by all, hidden in small underground worship halls around Mirau. This split is known by the name Heartism.

Uzaril
Uzaril is the god of fortune and misfortune, represented by a finger pointing upwards. He is the god of boons, and gives them to any who worship him. He is mostly worshipped in Renpaard, where jockeys fiercely try to gain his support for their races. To those who do not receive his boons, they are struck by misfortune and have the worst things happening to them.

Heroes

 * Vela'ryisaan Arternathal: Dawnbringer, Son of the Arterna. Defeated the Celestials and founded Alunthayal. Was eventually tricked and killed by Ilonnis.
 * Elucier (to be written)

Creation Myth
According to Arternaia, the Celestials created the world. These shapeless, lifeless beings moulded the world into shape and placed creatures upon it for their amusement. They soon left their creation behind, and the energy they left behind birthed both the Arterna and life itself. All this poses the eternal question: who was born first? Who was based on the other? Is life made in the image of the Arterna? Are the Arterna made in the image of life? To this day, Anglunian scholars still search for the eluding answer to this question. A frequent Anglunian saying is also: "It is the eternal question." This saying is said frequently in reaction to a question of which the answer is not known.

The Arterna balanced the chaotic energy of the world, bringing order to what was once a swirling mass of energy. The heavens and the earth were separated by a great wall, also separating the humans and the Arterna. Though organisms aren’t able to travel to the heavens, the Arterna can travel to the earth and return. The Arterna lived in another dimension, another realm, namely the Otherrealm. A place that is indescribable to all who live, a place so vast yet so small, none alive can imagine it. From the Otherrealm, they rule the other realms, namely the earth.

History passed, life gained consciousness, and forgot about their divine counterparts. This would place all life in jeopardy. A great myth named the Chyweld Byd speaks of these events.

Chyweld Byd
In the myth, the Celestials return to the earth. They see, they feel, they hear, taste and smell what is wrong with the world and decide to recreate it, a proper image for themselves. Great storms, floods, earthquakes and eruptions raptured the earth, killing much of what lived.

Eventually, a great hero stepped up. His name was Vela'ryisaan Arternathal (translated as Dawnbringer, Son of Arterna by Yinower Delas-Nuwan). He rebelled against the unstoppable force. Many battles were fought, and with the Arterna on his side, they won. He fought with his mystical axe, named Irdanor in the ancient scrolls, staunchly defending all he held dear to his heart. Vela'ryisaan was born and raised on the earth and he would not let them take his home.

Yet he was not strong enough to defeat the great power that formed the very ground he stood on, and he fell. His blood streamed over the ground, coating Irdanor in his own blood. He would not give up. Vela'ryisaan stood up and faced the Celestials once more. With the proof of his life, his blood, his flesh, he cut through them. The Celestials, unknowing of things such as flesh and blood, were bewildered. They dispelled, fleeing into the heavens, as they were frightened by what they had created.

Vela'ryisaan Arternathal
Vela'ryisaan grew weary of war. Shortly after his victory, he decided to settle a city named Alunthayal. It grew to the ends of the earth, covering it in creatures of all sort.

But Vela'ryisaan, still burdened by the flaw of sentience, grew arrogant. His hubris led him to seek a place among the Arterna. Yet he was refused. He tried again, bringing a great boar with him and burning it as a sacrifice to the Arterna, yet he was refused. He didn’t give up. Again, he asked for a place in the heavens, burning a forest and all in it for the Arterna’s sake.

This time, however, his offer brought fruition, Ilonnis, goddess of beauty and pride, answered his call and offered him a chance. He told him this: “This I offer you, in flesh and blood, that you shall find your place in the heavens if you find what I seek. I have searched the ends of the earth, yet I cannot find this medallion. Find it, and you shall enter the heavens.”

Vela'ryisaan accepted the offer and searched everywhere. His path led him through forest and desert, snowy plains and ocean. He searched for a thousand years and he gave up. He stood still in a snowy forest, with trees covered in white dust that fell off in droves as soon as you touched one of them. The snow that fell somehow moved while locked to the ground, converging to a small spot in front of a pine tree.

And so he decided to dig. With his bare hands, he unearthed the ground beneath him and formed a mountain behind him. This mountain would come to be known as Mount Arros. He found the medallion, covered in dirt. As he wiped it away, a strange realization came over him. The still strong, muscular arms that reached out to the medallion were now thin and wrinkled. There was no stopping it. Before he could lift a finger, Vela'ryisaan'sbody had turned into dust. And Ilonnis laughed.

Tale of Isaz
The tale of Isaz is an ancient tale about the city. It is said that the ones who originally settled Isaz, the Three Founders of what would eventually become Anglunia, followed a path to the south, lured by the voice of a great, unknown being. It led them to the Isaz cove, where they would lay the first stones of the Castle of Isaz and first worship the Arterna.

Unbeknownst to them, the voice that had led them there, was a great dragon of ice. Griginth, trapped in the mountain on which the castle was being built, called for help to the Isazians. Yet his pleas were ignored. He cried for help, a hundred years, and was eventually discovered. Not by any noble, no, but by a peasant young lad by the name of Niryen Aldis-Blizun. This young man would be the ancestor of the great Yirsidani Elyani Taygen-Blizun, the founder of Anglunia. The great ice dragon revealed to him that he in fact was the Arterna Azeras in a lifelike form, trapped by the Celestials long ago, during the events of the Chyweld Byd. He freed the poor Arterna from his chains and let him fly free, disappearing into the heavens.

Later, during the Great Gnome War, in which King Niryen fought the Gnomes of the east to defend his people, Azeras once again came down from the heavens, freezing the Gnomes to death.

The Rebellion
Long ago, one of the Arterna, Zeladar, goddess of life and death, rebelled against her brothers and sisters in the Nevermyr. What followed was a long war between her and her minions of death, the creatures that worshipped her and the other Arterna. Some, like Uzaril, preferred not to get involved, while Arterna like Azeras and Ilonnis stood on the front lines. On her side was her brother, Ikall, god of war and peace. The entire world was shaken, and led to the destruction of the realms of Paxia and Jagdas.

Eventually she was defeated by the coalition of the other Arterna, her mortal from laid to rest in what is not the town of Rannikko. Her soul cast down to the nethermyr, where she would be shackled for as long as possible. Support for her and her sins would remain throughout the history of Arternaia, however, and she would never be truly forgotten, nor would her dream of controlling the living worlds be forgotten.

Ikall and Azeras
Not long into the rebellion, Ikall withdrew his support for Zeladar, preferring to stay neutral in the conflict. Following the rebellion Azeras would challenge Ikall in a duel to the death. The two brothers fought an extensive battle in the pits of the Nevermyr, almost shattering the barrier between the living world and the Nevermyr. It is said that once Ikall fell in battle, though not dead, an ice tree was planted on the top of Mount Arros to celebrate Azeras' victory.

Daily rituals
Every day after waking up, followers of Arternaia dust off their beds to keep Entalar away. The origins of this tradition are unknown, but it is suspected it comes from the fear of sneezing. Sneezing is seen as extremely taboo in Anglunian culture and dusting off a bed would reduce the chances of sneezing.

Following this, people burn a candle at a shrine they have in their home. All followers of Arternaia have a small shrine to their patron god in their home. Worship of gods is extremely divided. For example, Myrtle’s patron god is Otsall and Isaz’ patron god is Omarnis. Cats and chickens are extremely important to Arternaians as well, as they ward off Entalar. Cats are said to be creations of Ilonnis and chickens are said to be creations of Klarien.

Aanvatear nei Kaysra (Festival of the Harvest)
Every year, at the beginning of autumn, the nation of Anglunia rounds up its wheat harvest, which is the largest food source across the country. A festival takes place, where multiple gods are worshipped, mainly Otsall. Other gods worshipped during the festival are Tollan, Klarien and Fayroth.

Otsall is worshipped for his control over agriculture. Tollan for diligence during the harvest season, and allowing sloth during the festival. Klarien is worshipped for her growth of the crops, and not letting them decay. Fayroth is worshipped for the long period of sobriety each farmer had to go through to ration their food, and the debauchery they will indulge themselves in during the festival.

The festival of the harvest dates back to the ancient city of Nivyanelle. Nivyanelle was the largest city owned by the Nuwan Clan, which you might know as Anglunia’s royal house under Yirsidan Yinower Delas-Nuwan and Yirsidani Eliyawin Yinower-Nuwan. Nivyanelle’s age ended somewhere around two thousand years ago.

Klarien, the patron god of the Nivyanellans, had blessed the soil around Nivyanelle. Nivyanelle was located somewhere around north Anglunia, south of Nuwan Farm. It was known for its economical wealth from their constant overabundance of wheat and other crops, but also for their lavish festivals they held each year. One of these festivals was au Aanvatear nei Kaysra, the festival of the harvest. It attracted people all across Nefelis, even areas beyond, but their golden age ended following the economical collapse after the Great Elven Wars and the subsequent human migrations.

The first part of the festival is done in a grand hall where each guest must bring a gift for the host. After the host chants prayers for the festival, the guests eat a meal of wine and bread. After the dinner, a tournament will take place between volunteering participants called the Warrior's Ordeal. Each participant has to fight each other to the death and the last man standing is the 'Aellraia' or 'Great Warrior'. The festival ends in complete debauchery as all the guests get drunk and celebrate the harvest.

Au Tudenyye: the Birth
The Arternaians believe that a child born is not yet moulded, it is merely a shadow. To balance an unmolded creature’s soul, they must teach them their ways. The teachings begin in the Initiation Ceremony, where a child is accepted into our Leithera, but it will not yet be a follower. That comes when a child has become man, with a mind formed and sculpted. For the birth of new life, a new addition to nature’s harmony, they first praise Eriyeth, the goddess of ice and fire. The child’s parent or parents must cast a prayer, as such:

“Eriyeth, the beauty of life! Blessings and songs may you sing, for our child will grow and form! The ice of death, the fire of life, may it bring harmony and balance to our new descendant!”

Following the calling of Eriyeth in their prayer, a priest shall then bestow a medallion to their newborn. Its substance isn't important, it must simply be a medallion of al Yi’aeyya, the Anglunian ice flower. And then, finally, will Eriyeth cast her blessings upon the newborn so it may grow and one day convert.

Au Kava: the Growth
When a child has reached the prime age of sixteen, they will undergo a ceremony that will bring them to adulthood. The child’s family and friends will come together to feast and celebrate the child’s growth. The child may then be granted a taste of wine or brandy, or any sophisticated alcohol depending on where it lives. When the child has had its first sip of their ripened life, prayers to Klarien shall be casted. The participants will come together in a circle, preferably in a temple, and cast the prayers, led by a priest:

"Klarien, the growth of all! What decays and grows, if not the fleeting passing of life itself! Sixteen years have passed and today we request your holy blessing, for the child has now grown!"

The child must then sacrifice a single drop of blood in a holy blue flame and give the Arterna their life essence. Only then may the child be called an adult.

Au Tathvanyye: the Conversion
In order to become a follower of Arternaia, the now adult must choose an Arterna who they will mainly worship. They must then go to an Arternaian temple, where they must bring a fitting offer to whichever god they decide to mainly worship. This is the list of fitting offers:


 * Azeras - a bottle of wine or a shield
 * Ilonnis - a diamond or a glass block
 * Tollan - a hoe or a pickaxe
 * Nefaren - a golden ingot or a bucket of fish
 * Klarien - a rose or a wither rose
 * Otsall - a bale of hay or a piece of coal
 * Melzina - a lava bucket and water bucket or an obsidian block
 * Ikall - a sword or a feather
 * Omarnis - a horse or a cow
 * Belana - an empty book or an oxeye daisy
 * Fayroth - a sheep or a bottle of vodka
 * Eriyeth - a flint and steel or ice block

Once the offer has been made, a priest will then chant prayers for that god and the recruit must repeat them. Here are the prayers for each god:


 * Azeras: Hear me lord, lord of the skies, my father! Give me your strength and show me your weakness! Take the form of the dragon and breathe your truth into me! Grygynth shall rise through me! Give me your blessing!
 * Ilonnis: Lady of mirrors, look into my soul and judge if I am worthy of your mind! Show me your beauty, give me your pride! Look into my soul with the mirror which you hold, and tell me, am I worthy? Give me your blessing!
 * Tollan: Lord! I shall work day and night and make matters right! Your diligence I will emulate, lord! Let me be slothful once a week, and then I shall be diligent once more! Give me your blessing!
 * Nefaren: Gold and open hands, let me be heard, lord of gold! Let me desire what you desire, your greed! Let me give what you give, your generosity! Give me your blessing!
 * Klarien: What lives must die, lady of the open fields! I will accept the circle of life, dedicate myself to you! Where you enter, life will sprout! Where you leave, death will arrive! Give me your blessing!
 * Otsall: Lord of civilization, you are what makes man man! Let us taste the fertile fields and fuel the ovens, agriculture and industry, and mobilize the people! I shall work in your name! Give me your blessing!
 * Melzina: What holds the sky and pushes down the sea? You, lady of the heavens! I will support your weary arms and hold up the sky and the Arterna will look down on me with pride! Give me your blessing!
 * Ikall: Lead us to fire and war, death and harmony, lord of hell! In your name I will slay my fellow man, make peace with my fellow man! For you I raise my sword, for you I lay down my sword! Give me your blessing!
 * Omarnis: Lord of the markets, give me strength! Let my wealth increase, and I will dedicate it to you, lord! Be it fair trade or theft, fuel the economy! Give me your blessing!
 * Belana: Let me be wise once more, let me feel youth once again! Lady of age, in your name I will seek wisdom! Scholar, poet, or otherwise, I dedicate myself to you! Let me feel your youth! Give me your blessing!
 * Fayroth: Long have I waited, and today I ask you, lord of festivals! Let me end this sobriety and begin my debauchery! Long I have worked, today no longer! Give me your blessing!
 * Eriyeth: I call upon thine harmony, together we shall be! One we shall become, and one we shall remain! Nature calls upon me, I heed its call! I accept its constant change, its life and death, suffering and strength! Give me your blessing!

Au Arvyyko: the Binding
The Arternaians believe that only when one is accepted by the Arterna can one be bound to another in the holiest of ceremonies, the binding of two mortals. This ceremony is optional in one’s life and one may live entirely without ever having been bound to another. Depending on one’s stature, one may even be bound to multiple people, though this is more frowned upon in lower standings.

A man and man, woman and woman, woman and man, the Arternaians accepted all. The two who will be bound must summon their families and friends, for all those in their life must see what shall soon take place. The holiest of rituals: au Arvyyko. They must go to an Arternaian temple, where the main ritual will be held. A priest wait at the central fire, the blue flame not yet lit. When all guests have arrived, the couple must then enter the temple, hand in hand and come to the priest. They must then look each other in the eyes and chant prayers to all the Arterna:

“Arterna, hear our plea! The binding that today takes place shall bring us forth, one and together, bound and evermore loving, for you have granted me blessing, you have granted me your love and prayers, your purity and justice, your knowledge and wisdom! Bless the Arterna, bless our life as one!”

The priest will then hand a source of blue flame to the couple, who will together light the blue fire of the temple. They will then kiss, and be pronounced as bound and married.

Al Vaelyya nei Luud: the Blood-siblings
A special and not necessarily common ritual in the teachings of Arternaia is the ritual of the blood-siblings, a pact of blood between two great friends who swear to follow each other in death. This is not often done, it is a tie even greater than marriage and it may only occur between two people. Two blood siblings or Vaelyya nei Luud must always support each other, in battle and in everything else. If one dies, the other must be buried along with them. It is a ritual often done by warriors, rarely by others.

This ceremony is different from most others because it is done without anyone else’s presence. It must be done privately between the blood siblings, though still done in a temple. The two siblings must stand in front of each other above a blue flame. With a knife they will cut open their right hand and then hold out said hand. They grab each other by the arm and let the blood spill into the blue flames, their shared blood being sacrificed to the Arterna while they cast their prayer to Ikall in unison:

“Ikall, lord of fire and war, welcome our sacrifice! Our shared blood be spilled and given to the Otherrealm, taste it! Let our blood be bound unto death!”

Au Vys: the Death
When a follower of Arternaia dies, their soul goes to the Otherrealm, where the Arterna reside. Their spilled Luud, mortal blood, must one last time be sacrificed to a blue flame by a priest. Then the corpse will have its insides removed, except for the heart, which is necessary to survive in the Otherrealm. Once the corpse has had its insides removed, it is mummified and buried in a graveyard. The corpse must be buried by either the deceased’s child (if they are able to) or closest family member. If they have no family, then a priest will do the deed. A priest will always chant the prayer:

“And so, life unto death, a full cycle has passed, yet another soul claimed for the heavens. Melzina, we ask for your blessings and safe travels. May you judge the deceased soul accordingly, as all shall be judged. Let this be the last prayer.”