Morikomi Shamanism

Introduction, Founding, and History
The Morikom Mountains are old as time, dominating the Aurean landscape and towering over the Kingdom. The first peoples to wander these lands saw the mountains as majestic and powerful, as they reached high towards the heavens. They believed that in climbing the highest peaks, one could commune with the Gods, as they were closest to the heavens. The many peaks of the Morikom Mountains are rugged and raw, yet perfectly sculpted to honor the wisdom deep within them. The shamans believe that the mountains, while mostly barren of vegetation and life, have souls and great ancient wisdom from which they can learn.

The Mountain Gods are believed to be eternal. Even should the cities and culture of Aurea be reduced to rubble- the mountains will endure melania. The Morikomi Mountains are sacred land, and unnecessary disturbance of the natural landscape angers the Shamans. The Shamans understand the mountains as alive and defacing them is the sole way to evoke the wrath of the Shamans. Shamans do not believe in violence, but the winds delivered prophecies that implied that plague and famine would be cursed upon those who harm the Morikomi Mountain Gods.

The Shamans also believe in the Four Winds, other deities of the Morikomi tradition. The Four Winds are the messengers of the Gods, delivering devine signs to the peoples of earthly Eldham. These winds are honored in the four turrets of the Royal Castle of New Aurea, where they may deliver words from the heavens down to the Monarch. The Shamans interpret the howling of the winds as divine prophecies.

Shamans also discovered useful healing herbs in the harsh snowy mountains, which is where their practice of spirituality and healing overlap. With complex rituals and ancient medicinal knowledge, the Morikomi Shamans have a reputation for their talent in healing. In times of strife across the lands of Eldham, many gravely wounded warriors came to the Shamans seeking their aid. In times of disease, where the masses are cursed with wretchedness and ravaged with plague, the Shamans have also aided the people of Eldham. Anyone who makes the journey to the Morikom Mountains will see the grace of the Morikomi Shaman Healers.

Moon worship is a more recent development of the Morikomi Shamanistic religious practice. The worship of the Moon Goddess Dalbosal was once a completely separate religious practice, but eventually was adopted by the Morikomi Shamans. Queen Bee, who’s patron goddess is the Moon Goddess, followed Bee to Aurea. When Bee learned of the local Shamans, she respected them immensely and saw many similarities to her worship of Dalbosal. In an elaborate ceremony in the heart of the Morikomi mountains, the two religions became a creolized faith, distinctly unique to the  Aurean Kingdom. The deities of the winds, mountains, and moon are unified as the protectors of the Aurean Kingdom.

Principals
The key principles of Morikami Shamanism include:

-God and Deity Worship

-Wind Prophecies and Interpretation

-Healing the Wounded and Sick

-Protection of the Sacred Morikom Mountains

-Values-based lifestyle: Kindness, Respect, Peace, Wisdom

Religious Texts
Book of the Four Winds

Book of the Moon Goddess Dalbosal

Attack on Mount Hwana

Book of the Morikomi Mountains

Book of the Shaman Healer

Book of Prophecies

Shamans
Shamans are the people who dedicate their lives to learning the ways of the Morikomi Mountains. Shamans learn to make healing medicines and interpret prophecies, providing guidance for the Aurean Kingdom. Sleeping Sparrow is currently presiding as the High Shaman. She is working diligently to restore lost texts of generations of shamans before her. There are two lower ranked Shamans that never leave the mountains and live secretive lives mostly concerned with the matters and happenings of the heavens, mountain gods, wind spirits, and moon goddess.

Morikomi Shamanism and the Aurean Government
It can be noted that the Aurean Council both works closely with Shamans, as well as Sleeping Sparrow's dual role as the High Shaman and Minister of Law, Culture, and Records. Here is the government statement on freedom of religious practice within the Aurean State:

A message from the Ministry of Law, Culture, and Records The Kingdom of Aurea honors the diverse stories and origins of all citizens within the nation’s borders. The hope for the Kingdom’s success lies in our ability to live harmoniously with one another. We respect each individual’s beliefs and encourage each citizen to find a religious teaching that suits them best. We ask that citizens also respect the religious ideas of other citizens. Our strength lies in our ability to work collaboratively towards common goals- the state hopes that any strength a citizen may draw from their religious practice will also be the strength of the state

In the Kingdom of Aurea, there are two state sponsored religions that are native to the region, of which a more detailed history can be found in the historical records of the Aurean Library. These Religions include Morikomi Shamanism and the Cult of Piscopte. Morikomi Shamanism is native to the Morikom Mountains of the Aurean mainland, while the Cult of Piscopte originates on the island of Aquae Aureae. The Shamanistic practice and sense of morality inform many of the decisions made in Aurea though, as many members of the Royal Council are devout followers of Morikomi Shamanism. State funding from Aurean Aristocracy has aided in the construction and maintenance of many sacred sites for the Shamans. Most notable of these is the Temple of the Four Winds located on the Island of Gol, the greatest monument to the sacred 4 winds in the entire Kingdom.

Morikomi Shamanism and Other Religions
Morikomi Shamanism is a part of the Dryad Coalition. The Dryad Coalition is a lose, non-binding group of villages and religions based on the worship of various nature deities, gods, etc. The Shamans agree to aid other peoples of the coalition. Some examples of this include reforestation events, exchanging religious texts, and most notably the Shamans sending food to the village of Clayroot, where famine had sticken it's people. The shamans have cultivated a friendship garden to honor their friendship the Dryad Coalition. A small kelp pond dedicated to Kelpism and large tree dedicated to the Shaman's friendship with the Dryad Coalition is nestled in a mountain valley overlooking the Mercurian Sea. The most notable religious group of the coalition are the Cubists, who have international recognition. The shamans seek to aid all who protect and appreciate nature, preferably by non-violent means. It can be noted that High Shaman Sparrow and Cardinal of Kelpism Potatus enjoy a close and trusting relationship.

Shamanism's Adoption of other Deities
Morikomi Shamanism seeks to preserve and uplift all nature based and native Aurean religions. Thus, when the traditions of the Cult of Piscopte and Sunism seemed at risk of being forgotten, maybe even lost forever- the Shamans reached out to the last remaining practitioners of these religions at the edge of extinction. xNinjacraft was the last remaining practitioner of Sunism known in the Northeastern realms of Eldham, and certainly the last of Aurea. He and his belief in a Sun God was welcomed under the umbrella of Shamanism. Atop one of the Morikomi Mountain peaks one can find a sunism altar, a place to watch the sunrise and sunset. Additionally, the Cult of Piscopte's worship of the Pufferfish god had all but been lost to time after the village was abandoned. Once new inhabitants moved to the island, religious records were pulled from the wreckage and the shamans sailed out to sea to speak to Piscopte and ask for his guidance. Grateful for the shaman's dedication to preserving his sacred legacy, the great pufferfish god gave a great gift to the people of Aurea. He pushed from the depths of the ocean up to the surface two new small islands, where flowers bloom and trees grow. The might of this ancient lord of the seas is palpable and incredible.

Shamanism's interaction with Global Eldham Events
Morikomi Shamanism took an official stance against the evils of Segra upon her arrival to Eldham and the chaos she sought to ensue and spread. The coming of Segra was predicted in the book of Attack on Mount Hwana. Shamans hunted down the beasts and demons that were wreaking havoc upon the Aurean lands. These creatures were frequently killing livestock and ambushing travelers, and the Shamans fought them off. Most notable of these demons was the giant Soul Knight that attacked Queen Bee, Sleeping Sparrow, Bag, Potatus, and Emli when they were overseeing the construction of the Temple of the Four Winds. The Soul Knight, standing at 3 times the height of a person, was immensely powerful. It was a Blessings of the Sacred Winds that no one was killed. The knight left many injured and armor broken, but at last the knight was dead. Potatus, the Cardinal of Kelpism, and Sleeping Sparrow, the High Shaman both fought in the final battle against Segra in the city of Mugen. Sparrow was gravely injured by a Segra follower shortly into the battle, and Potatus held off attackers attempting to finish her off as they retreated from the conflict together. Sparrow also received an ominous warning from the winds that she quickly headed to. She cried out "Gather at the Altar of Dong Barahm! Pray for peace and listen to your ancestor's whispers in the wind. We must understand the dead and give them peace in the life we live now." She then built a gravesite for Aurea's deceased in an effort to give the dead peace. This was built at the site of an old squatter mine that had long been a trashed area of Gennisi National Park. This gravesite would hopefully prevent Aurea from being involved in the "living war" that would happen according to the warning the winds gave her. Regardless, the gravesite is now more Aurean history preserved, as well as being restored to a beautiful space again.