Nýr Nostíkur

The Nýr Nostíkur Faith is an evolution of the Nostíkur Faith of old practiced by the Valdic People of Skjoldrbrodir, Gardenia and many other Valdic or partially Valdic nations and combines the gods of some other closly related religions into the faith.

Freedom from Búrheim
Followers of Nýr Nostíkur believe that Solvera, the Sun Bearer has broken the seals on B ú rheim and that the current world has became a paradise sprung from the former prison.

This liberation from the eternal jail was thanks to the even know as Vörurrök, a war in which Solvera lead the Liberator's against the Keepers to secure humanities freedom. During the battle when all hope seemed lost Solvera and Soj Wogak together raised the sun higher then ever before and using its light blind Eldashur and his hoards. Taking her chance Solvera plunged onto her foes from the heavens, the impact was so forceful that the Keepers were plunged into a void beneath the world. The Liberator's sealed the Keepers inside this cell they themselves becoming the Keepers of Evil; though sealed away it is not permanent and some day the forces of evil will escape igniting a second battle. To prevent this the Liborators must each take turns watching the seal causing them to need more gods to do tasks.

After this fading of the old gods new ones began take their places under the leadership of Solvera and Soj Wogak.

Proof

 * we can travel to Eldham a region outside the eternal prison

The Sealed Gods
These are the gods who Solvera and Soj wogak put to sleep and sealed in the void bellow the land for eternity following Vörurrök. Though sealed away the evil of these gods occasionally manages to escape and torture the souls of man.

The Hunt of Horfangandr |
A band of souls who have pledged themselves to the cause of the Verðinir for a reprieve from their suffering. The Hunt are sent by Áhorfanim on those whose wills remain unbroken. Should the Verðinir believe you capable of escaping Rathnir, you will no doubt see this terrible host riding through the dark winters sky.

Eldashur, the Land Razer |
Eldashur is the deliverer of Rathnir to its intended form, a fiery wasteland of ash, magma and endless devastation. He is only restrained by Niðe, who keeps him locked in a cage of frozen stone beneath the earth.

In his attempts to escape, he shakes the earth violently, and launches his hellfire through the seams of the world.

Strivsoka, the Warmist |
Hanging low over the world, Strivsoka takes the form of a dense fog of shimmering silver. She hangs over battlefields following bloodshed, and over cities in times of strife. She addles the minds of any who breathe her air, and drives them to ceaseless bloodlust. Many have wasted away in her influence.

Taltrada, the Dream Breacher |
Taltrada is formless, existing only in the mind of mortals. She whispers doubt and uncertainty into the minds of the tired and resting, in the efforts to sabotage their recuperation. When this fails, she sends bouts of nightmares and visions.

In waking hours, she can bewitch the senses of any she chooses, inducing hallucinations and bouts of intense paranoia. If exposed to her spell long enough, even the strongest will lose their strength and shatter.

Hariklaða, the Hopping One of the Bogs |
Hiding in the wetlands and marshes, Hariklaða takes the form of a large, terrible toad bearing a small lantern. On dark nights, he lures travellers with his light to drag them beneath the peat and devour them. He is the least intelligent of all the Verðinir, and is easily tricked.

Rufa, the Hopping One of the Tundra |
Rufa takes the form of a rabbit or hare, generally pale white with red eyes. He casts spells and curses on households of varying intensity. Initially, shoes or gloves may go missing. In the later stages of his torment, fatal accidents are common.

The Remaining Gods
These are the liberator's and the gods who have arisen after Vörurrök under the guidance of Solvera and her compassion. They are tasked with their old duties along with keeping the Sealed Gods from weakening the barrier and escaping permanently. Should they fail in this task the Second war of the gods (Tveir-Vörurrök) will commence and none shall survive.

Solvera, the Sun Bearer |
Solvera is the most powerful god who has liberated the mortals of Rathnir. She stands atop the Firmament, holding the sun in the sky by a grand chain of clouds. From the strain of her gargantuan task, she must lower it temporarily to recuperate before hoisting it up each day.

In the winters, she raises it only as much as is necessary, to gather her strength for summer. Once summer arrives, she holds it aloft for far greater periods to allow the crop to grow and the endless hordes to burn.

Soj Wogak, the Star Lighter |
Soj is the companion of Solvera. He carries a great golden lantern from which he lights the stars each evening, to help light the world when Solvera’s strength fails. As his task is lesser, he never tires.

Niðe, the Snow-Sower |
Lying hidden beneath the earth, Niðe seeps the ice and snow into the world. She sends the blizzards to cover the land in frost, to bury the living dead and forever freeze them away. In her eternal battle with Eldashur, she struggles to keep Rathnir from falling into the hellish wasteland the Verðinir intended it to be.

Peradra, the Horned God |
Peradra is the oldest of the Brotsjónir, initially coming to Rathnir to make its many monsters and beasts. Once living among the mortals, he took sympathy of their plight, and now lives among them. He spreads the word of the peoples plight against the Verðinir, and teaches the mortal races manners of scrying information from beyond the Firmament, to find escape.

Vlangolar, the Whispering Wind |
Vlangolar is the most active of the gods, although rarely seen as he travels invisibly through the world. He admires the adventurous, the noble and enterprising who stand for justice in a world of darkness. When he believes a cause to be righteous, he will bestow artefacts of incredible power to mortals to wield against the darkness. Despite this, he is fond of trickery, and where the winds howl, his sly schemes are never far away.



Glefa, Friend of the Goats |
One of the lesser Brotsjónir, Glefa travels beneath the land on his sled drawn by Dire Goats. Each Winters Solstice, Glefa travels the world giving gifts of gold to the kindly and rotten meat to the cruel. It is said that Glefa watches the people of the world through the eyes of all goats. During Eilíft frelsi his left hand was severed and later he was bisected causing the other Liberator's to fly into a rage.

Áhorfanim, the Watcher of the Heavens |
Áhorfanim, sometimes called the “Eye of Heaven” is the watcher of the world. He observes all in Rathnir, his gaze sweeping from the far north to the south. His pupil, the moon, is full when he is looking directly at you. In this time, you must be careful to hide, or terrible luck will follow you.

Should you gain Áhorfanim’s ire, you must hide from the sky, for he will send the Hunt of Horfangandr to torment you through a bolt of Skyfire.

Rotna, Lord of Death |
Upon death souls are taken by Daudo to Rotna, their souls are judged for their mortal deeds and after they are sent to their eternal reward or damnation their corpses are taken by Rotna to succumb to the rot and bring forth new life from their death. Rotna was born from the rotting flesh and the blood of the gods who fought during Vörurrök.

Kriga, Goddess of War |
Born from the blood of Gelfa, spilt during the battle of Vörurrök. Kriga is a god born of violence dedicated to brining more into the world.

Fortuja, Lady of Luck |
Fortuja is goddess of luck, she blesses all who pray to her with offerings of iron, red stone and lapis with gifts of gold and good luck. However her blessing is a two way street, and can be lost as easily as it is given.

Dómgreind, Knowledge Eater |
Dómgreind was born from the Ink used by Solvera to write the Vörurrök Saga since then he has had an insatiable lust for knowledge. This drive will cause him to do both good and bad in return for a tasty bite of knowledge.

Mjolton, The craftsman |
Mjolton was a giant and the best blacksmith in the land, because of this he was tasked by Solvera to make the strongest weapons ever in preparation of Vörurrök. Though that battle ended Mjolton still prepares for the next; refining his craft from his mountain cave. They say that when you hear thunder it is actually Mjolton forging his mystical steel.

Úlfur, The Great Wolf |
Deep within the mountains of Eldham dwells Úlfur, king of the beasts. It is said that he once allowed Solvera to ride on his back across a great river. For this deed he has been granted the ability to turn human. once while Úlfur was using his human form fell in love with a human woman, they wed and when they had children the ability was passed on. The children of Úlfur called themselves the pack, and upon the mountains where their father dwells was built a city known as the den. On cold nights across Phoros if you listen closely you can hear Úlfur and his children running and howling with the moon.

Skuggi, Lord of the Darkness|
Skuggi is the shadows and dark of the night taking a humanoid shape. Legend says Skuggi was given life by Solvera to do her bidding in her absence and in the absence of her light. Though made to do her bidding Skuggi is more a neutral entity, he can shield both what should be hidden and what shouldn't be. Its said that if you ever feel like your being watched in the dark of a wood or in the corner of a room that is just Skuggi watching you to see if you deserver help or punishment. He is known to often play tricks and it is advised that you leave a lamp on lest he make you the next victim of his pranks.

Sjór, King of the Sea |

Being made of Seafoam and taking the shape of a man Sjór is the ruler of the waves and the seas are his domain. In order to safely pass his kingdom of water one must say a prayer and sprinkle blessed salts upon their boats. Those who fail to do so may fall victim to his wrath and be dragged to the depths of his domain when a great wave sinks their ship.

Vanntjeer, Torch bearer of Sjor |

Once a normal Axolotl, Vanntjeer was gifted the power of speech and comprehension by the god Sjor. With torch in hand she was tasked with standing upon the surf acting as a beacon for those lost at sea.

Ritual Sacrifice |
Ritual sacrifice involves taking the "ritual object" and sacrificing it upon an altar. There are two major categories of ritual object; Blooded and Bloodless.

Blooded |
As the name implies, these objects are living things, sacrificed via slaughter. Rituals involving Blooded objects are generally saved for important ceremony and events, such as transitions of power, assignments of the Guard and marriage. While primarily used to ensure good fortunes with such events, it has some non-magical symbolic purposes. It is done to ensure all parties understand the severity of decisions made, and are committed to them fully.

Bloodless |
These rituals are far more common, dealing with home affairs and day-to-day activities. They typically involve the sacrifice of food and idols. Foods sacrificed include berries, breads and, in more important occasions, honeyed mutton. Idols are generally whittled wooden rune plates or small statuettes of Valdic imagery. In both cases, the object is left on the altar as rites are spoken, then burned.

Altar Crafting |
The composition and structure of the altar is vitally important in sacrifice. While wood and stone will generally suffice as a material for the average altar, three specialised altar materials are available for more important rituals;

Purpur: Believed to extend the duration of spells and curses performed on the altar.

Obsidian: Believed to boost the power and potency of spells and curses performed on the altar.

Blackstone: Believed to boost the distance over which spells and curses performed on the altar are effective.

Often, altars will include a second component to help bolster their power, known as the Foci. The foci is held or suspended generally between 0.5-3 metres over the altar, made of either redstone or netherrack.

Holidays
As of Now Nyr Nostikur has four main holodays

Fungal Feast
The Fungal Feast is a holiday that honours Rotna lord of the dead. On this day shamans will dress in black robes or in skeletal attire and mount the backs of skeletal horses. The Shamans along with a parade of followers will march from house to house, street to street, town to town knocking on doors demanding in rhyme that occupants join the parade in skeletal attire and bring offerings of rotten food and mushrooms to gift Rotna.

This macabre parade will eventually make its way to the Skjoldrbrodir vassal of ROTSPRING where at the holy site of ROT (Which's ideals are instilled in Rotna) will be held a feast to honour Rotna and his rotten offerings will be left.

Fat Friday
This holiday celebrates the Goddess of luck and fertility Fortuja; on this day followers crowd every mead hall and bar and party away giving gifts and playing games of chance.

In the City of Ruddersdam in particular a great parade is held, and followers Nyr Nostikur dance in the streets throwing beaded necklaces to one another and boozing the night away.

Kaldasta Nóttin
Held on the eve of winter in which Skuggi's darkness is blackest; Niðe sows snow the coldest it can be and Vangolar blows the winds the harshest. on this night followers shut themselves in, drinking beverages to warm the soul and eating the finest cakes this holiday is about taking it slow.

According to legend on the first Kaldasta nóttin Mjolton wishing to show gratitude to Kriga for having saved his life gifted her a spear made from a star and a comets trail. Since that day followers are expected to gift weapons to each other in order to always be on the ready.

Heilagasti Daganna
Heilagasti Daganna is the most sacred day in Nyr Nostikur, it is on this day that Vörurrök (The war of the gods) was believed to have happened. On this day followers assemble in temples across the land. An elder of the community is brought forth on a palanquin stacked with furs for their comfort after the elder is brought in all in attendance listen as they give an oral retelling of Vörurrök form its Saga around an open flame within the temple, actors often recreate the battle alongside.

After the retelling of Vörurrök the latest harvest of crops and meat is tossed into the fire in order to give thanks to the Liberator's for setting them free from the eternal prison.

Solverablót
Solverablót is a holiday that honours the goddess Solvera and pays thanks to her for her sacrifice of holding the sun. Solverablót is held in the middle of the Month of Solvir on the summer solstice. On this day Solvera holds the sun aloft higher then ever, and blesses the people's crops. On this day followers meet in their fields and erect a Solverastång (A wooden pole in the shape of a t with two rings hanging from the arms and covered in flowers of greenery) young men and women dressed in white will don flower crowns and dance around the Solverastång in rings to symbolize the rays of the sun shining down on them. As they dance they weave colourful ribbons around the Solverastång until they no longer can. Upon the pole being fully wrapped the dancers will begin another dance, as they dance the music will speed up and they will tire. This dance goes on until one person is left standing, having not collapsed from exhaustion or left from boredom. This individual will then be swaddled in a robe of flowers and be hoisted on a shield. The Crowd will then carry this individual to an equally flowery throne at the end of a large dinning table. Here the Grand Shaman will proclaim them the Solkonge and a great feast will begin. Often a sacrifice of livestock is done afterwards.