Skjotunhra

Skjotunhra is an Onthukhan, polytheistic religion based on the teachings and wisdoms of the first Freemen people from the Pale, fronted by the veteran High King Wulfgar Ironback. A small, modest faith, Skjotunhra is understood to be a culture which spread amongst the Freemen as an encouraged behavior and value system by word of mouth and communal experience. This oral practice originated form within the once humble city-island and capital of the Pale, Karthhold, and was subsequently passed onto the future lands.

The High Gods
There are two great beings which form the world around the Freemen, encompassing all which is infinite and finite in the world.


 * Rofleio: Primordial being which forms the ground of the world. All that which cannot be reproduced by any means (without divine intervention) is of Rofleio. The Freemen believe that the terrain of the world is his back which he offers to.
 * Aldrendir: Primordial being which forms the sky that envelops the earth. Aldrendir represents the infinite things of the world. Highly mysterious to the Freemen but yields greater rewards; represented by his gifts of renknewable resources.

Core Gods
The core of the Skjotunhra pantheon consists of five main deities, representing the aspects of Freeman society and the souls of the departed.


 * Skjotun-eldr: The king of the gods representative of all things the Freemen hold most dear in their society, namely labor, honor, and integrity. Often represented in myths as a polar bear, donning magical armor, he is accosiated with the forging of weapons, tools, and armor. Skjotun is the son of the Primordial Rofleio but acts as a balance between all the gods.
 * Hafnát-vig: The original king of the gods, antagonistic god that was deposed and usurped by Skjotun. Lord of the waters and aggressiveness.
 * Aflbú: Goddess of the home and wealth. Representation of rewards, the arts and the hearth and often brings gifts to the Freemen. A daughter of the Primordial Aldrendir, wife of Hafnát but lover of Skjotun and mother of Solvi.

Minor Gods and Deities
Listed below are higher beings which do not appear within the core books of Skjotunhra and are instead believed to be told of within the mythos surrounding the original texts. Few have their own legends to their name, others have been found to be more referential than actual beings.

Sand Speaking
Sand Speaking is a type of prayer and 'divine consultation' performed by Sand Speakers. They are those who have been chosen by Auga-lengoar, the Seer of What is to Be, and Hafalatinn, the collective of dead souls, to spread the wisdom of the gods and the past into society. The term itself implies a desert origin of the Skjotunhra faith, however this is a common misconception. In context of Freemen belief, one can extrapolate that the sand in reference is soul sand from the Nether, believed to be the passed liveliehoods of other humans. Given the universal accessibility of the Nether to any civilization, this conclusion has made the most sense to those foreign to the faith.

The practice of Sand Speaking a straightforward one. A speaker merely needs to remain near soul sand and soul fire in order to manifest the long-dead souls and their wisdom. It's known that sand speakers commune in caves made of soul sand/soil to improve this connection to Hafalatinn, the personification of these souls. According to Skjotunhra texts it is possible for speakers to summon Hafalatinn's twin, Auga-lengoar, granting them vision of the future. Currently, the only known speaker to actually accomplish this was Kaidus Ariano.

As an organization, Sand Speakers are the 'saints' of Skjotunhra, each offering a different contribution to the progression and facilitation of the faith and discussions between the freemen and the gods. Notable Sand Speakers of the Pale include: Jarl Kaidus Ariano, the Speaker for the Dead; Viola 'Wolf' Lightbringer, the Speaker of Songs; Eldritch, the Speaker of Mythics; Orinis Elliris, the Speaker of Travels; and the High King Wulfgar Ironback of the Pale himself.

Sea Spires
Traditional practice on the event of death for a Freemen brother or sister is to build a tall spire out of a stone material wall block in the ocean, leaving a bit sticking out from the water surface to reference the dead. This is believed to be a reference to Hafalatinn, the water realm god of death. Old texts suggest that to mark the fallen from the ocean floor above the sea surface is a sign of honor between the freemen, implying a 'memory beyond death and time'.

Holidays
As with any community of believers, the Freemen honor notable events of Skjotunhra with holidays to mark the passage of time. These celebrations are canonized by both Freemen and Sand Speakers, implying that the holidays are a tradition continued not just out of obligation to religious belief, but also communal trust in one another.

Palemas
Palemas is a festivity of the wintertime, where Freemen gift each other treasures and trinkets and await the passage of Saint Paley on the eve of the holiday date, December 25th. As a holiday, it is credited to Speaker Viola Lightbringer and her written work "Palemas Song".