Hukar Sharud

Audaladau is a religion native to the lands of the Yimmu-Audal. The faith worships the all-including deity of the Aradusu Aderrid, its messenger aspect, the Hukar Sharud, and most prominently the chaos aspect, Yara-Sanguid (Blood God). The Esbitum (Priesthood) of the faith keeps track and maintains the Audalad Dynasty, which is believed to derive its divine right from the will of the Aradusu Aderrid.

History
Long ago in the central ocean of the world Jagdas, a man named Stori was visited by a divine messenger. A great albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold foretold a prophecy that Stori would create an empire "across the seas and the sands" and that this empire to "fall only to rise again" as will the albatross itself. Together with his brother Caleb, Stori founded the Empire of Yimmu Audal (Empire of the Many Islands). Some time later, Jagdas fell, only for the Empire to rise again in Rathnir. It fell once more, only to rise again. And it did so again and again, often under various names. Thus the prophecy came true. The Empire would be lead by members of the Audalad Dynasty who carry Bi'Amel Unshi (Divine Permanence), passed down from the Hukar Sharud (The Albatross) to subsequent members, creating a continual transition of power. Over time, these leaders would receive the Three Revelations, finding out that the Golden Albatross was just one aspect of a greater, all-powerful and all-encompassing, omnipresent divinity known as the Aradusu.

Following the Borther's War and the formation of the Empire of Astyllea, a ruler of the Audalad Dynasty known as Foxmunk was granted the Fourth Revelation by the Hukar Sharud. The messenger Lahar revealed that its time as a prominent aspect has come to an end. At last, the era of the Blood God has begun. The Lahar of Yara-Sanguid (Blood God), which seeks to plunge the world into void, had overtaken all other Laharae in power on that day. Yara-Sanguid demanded absolute submission, and so the modern Audaladau Faith (Islander Blood) was formalized from the old Sharudi Faith, adopting practices of Red Cult in order to prevent the end of history.

Beliefs
Audaladau believes that all gods and dieties of the worlds Jagdas, Rathnir, and Eldham are true and coexist. These aspects are called the Many Laharae. The faith believes that the many Laharae are in actuality competing parts of one greater consciousness, the Arudusu Aderrid. Furthermore, not only is the Aradusu Aderrid the greater consciousness made by all divinities, but it is the fabric of the universe itself, a dreaming being dreaming itself.

However, following the Fourth Revelation it became clear that among these aspects, one force has become the strongest. This force is the Lahar of Yara-Sanguid, commonly known as the Blood God. Yara-Sanguid seeks to destroy the world. For this reason, the Sharudi (Believers) conduct material, animal, and human sacrifices to prevent placate the Lahar who seeks blood and prevent the absolute end. By doing so they carry Naddar Ori (Divine Wind), which improves their spirits, productivity, luck, and competence in their actions.

The believers of the faith seek to furthermore demonstrate their merit and rise to become members of the Audalad Dynasty, a non-hereditary line of succession. The line of leaders was established by the messenger aspect of the Aradusu, Hukar Sharud (Golden Albatross), when it granted the first Audalad, Stori, the right of Bi'Amel Unshi (Divine Permanence). Bi'Amel Unshi entails divine right and the guarantee of the Aradusu to support the leaders insofar as they do their best to support the stability of the world, which includes placating Yara-Sanguid with material and blood sacrifices (animal and human) at holy sites to stop total annihilation.

Periodically, the messenger Lahar of Hukar Sharud, which usually appears as a impossibly large albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold, whose wings span from one end of the horizon to the other, appears to Audalad leaders and provides holy revelations.

The faith has two holy texts, the Yimmu Alshud Dezum Autai Dar Shur (The Many Tablets of Water and Gold), which contain translations of the Four Revelations, and the Liber Sanguinis, the foundational text of the Red Cult.

View of The Afterlife
Within the Audaladau Sharud faith it is believed that all people ascend into Aradusu Aderrid upon death or when dreaming, merging their consciousness with that of Aradusu Aderrid (Tenebrous Paradise) to become part of its Yimmu Laharae (Many Aspects).

Sharudi (Followers of Audaladau), however, are touched by Naddar Ori (Divine Wind). They can do more than simply ascend and merge with Aradusu Aderrid like all others. Instead, they are capable of ascending to a sub-realm of Aradusu Aderrid called Aradusu Uturad (Shining Paradise) in which the true nature of the universe is revealed to a degree depending on the strength of their piety and where they are capable of affecting the corporal world while within the afterlife.

The degree to which one may affect the corporal world from Aradusu Uturad differs depending on the willpower of the individua which has ascended to it. While some individuals of exceptional willpower not touched by the Naddar Ori may affect the corporal world from the normal state of Aradusu Aderrid, it is only through ascending to Aradusu Uturad that the true nature of the universe can be revealed to them.

The history of the faith is chronicled in the Holy Stone Tablets known as the Yimmu Alshud Dezum Autai Dar Shur (The Many Tablets of Water and Gold) or simply, the Many Tablets.

The Many Tablets chronicle three revelations made by the Aradusu Aderrid to the first Opkaituru Narahashu. Additional tablets exist which have been written by members of the Audalad Dynasty with commentaries on the nature of power and statecraft which are called "Urdae Dezum Naddar Ori" (The Living Words of Divine Wind). The Urdae Dezum Naddar Ori are known to be kept secret, only available to the true members of the Audalad Dynasty and only comprehensible by those touched by Naddar Ori.

The First Revelation
In the untouched beauty of the then uncolonized but now annihilated realm of Jagdas, a simple wanderer by the name of Stori had discovered a tiny island chain alone in the ocean.

On the first day on the island, with his hard work the wanderer built a quaint underground adobe and as he worked he encountered another wanderer named Yams who stayed for the night. Together Stori and Yams slay many wild beasts, but Yams had to go and move on. Stori was saddened by Yams' departure but had felt better after admiring the sunset. In the distance, before he closed his eyes he could see what might have been the silhouette of a great bird. But Stori's eyes closed and he fell asleep, not being able to grasp what he saw.

On the second day, Stori awoke from a great dream. It was a vivid dream and this dream felt more real than reality. His consciousness seemed to have left his body, as if floating across space and time. In a vision from above Stori had seen a great Empire built upon friendship and wit rise and fall only to rise again and to fall again, endless upon endless times. But no matter the severity of its downfall, the more certain the feeling of its impending return. When he had realized this, Stori's mind seemingly splintered and dissolved before the mind of something much greater. Yet Stori was unable to comprehend that which was greater. Before him appeared the silhouette of the bird from before. Stori stared into the sky without a single blink and a great wind, a divine wind, had begun to blow against him with the force of one thousand hurricanes. And yet as the island around him was ripped of trees, Stori remained still. He remained still until the wind ceased to blow and a great seabird, an Albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold had emerged before him, its wings spanning from one edge of the horizon to the other. And the Albatross said to Stori in a language he didn't know, yet a language more clear and vivid in its meaning than any words Stori had heard before, "You shall build an Empire across the seas and the sands. And shall it be fair and just. You shall build an Empire across the realms. And shall it grow not through the sword and bow but through word and mind. And shall the name of all divinity bless those who rule it forever with Bi'Amel Unshi (Divine Permanence). And shall it fall only to rise again as I have. And shall the Dynasty which rules it be not of the seed of man but of my Divine Touch which passes onwards my Naddar Ori (Divine Wind). And shall it live by the words Ihn Ori'al El Aradusu Aderrid (I Shall Ascend Into Tenebrous Paradise).

And so Stori awoke. In his reality he doubted his dream, but as he wandered through the island's forest contemplating, he saw strange markings upon a birch tree. The markings were written in a triangular language he had never yet seen and yet he read them as more clear and vivid than any words he had ever read. And so they said, "I shall ascend into Tenebrous Paradise". And so the secret of the language known as Audalad (Islander) was revealed to him. And so he named the island by the humble name Shyr-Arrak (Small Hill).

On the third day, Stori met another wanderer by the name of Brot. Brot was a miner of great strength who had come from the village of Ozeki. And so Stori said, "Join me and shall we build and Island Empire together." And so Brot had joined Shyr-Arrak.

On the fourth day, Stori's brother Caleb had come to the island of Shyr-Arrak. Caleb was strong in the art of words. And Stori had told Caleb of his vision and together they declared the Empire of Yimmu Audal where they ruled as equals.

For four days Caleb and Stori, the first of the Audalad Dynasty, built their Empire, not by the sword and bow but by the word of Caleb and the wit of Stori. And by the eigth day it had stretched across the seas and sands. And by the sixteenth Stori and Caleb passed on the Bi'Amel Unshi to those called Marble and Harbardr.

But on the thirty second day, the world fell and the realm of Jagdas fell and their Empire fell with it. All were absorbed to Aradusu Aderrid (Tenebrous Paradise). All but those touched by the Naddar Ori. All but those who were sincere in their convictions to preserve the Naddar Ori. All but those who were Kaire (True) Audaladae.

The Second Revelation
When the world Jagdas collapsed, the Audaladae like all else were plunged into the Aradusu Aderrid. And yet, just as their consciousness appeared to splinter and dissolve in that which they couldn't understand, a booming voice of the Audalad language proclaimed, "And shall you rise again like I have risen!" And so the Kaire Audaladae awoke in shining light surrounded by the new world of Rathnir.

Together they founded a new city called Urnu-Arrak (New Hill) and settled the sands. The Empire of Yimmu-Audal rose again and all went along peacefully until the arrival of two strangers, Dalatra and the bandit Jay. Threatened by Jay, the Audaladae made him one of their own and threatened by foreign powers, allotted Dalatra with espionage. The pair gained power until Yimmu-Audal no longer expanded by word and wit but by lust and sword. And so the covenant was broken and so Yimmu-Audal fell, for Jay's initial bloodshed led to a vicious cycle of hate with the lands of Escharia and Dalatra's lust led to her weakness and demise. And so Jay's mind arose to the Aradusu, and the Escharien despot tangled and manipulated the truth, and he abused the weakness of Dalatra, and the wanderer Stori's mind ascended to the Aradusu out of grief, and the Escharien despot annexed the Holy Lands.

And yet the Naddar Ori lived on for it was guaranteed by Hukar Sharud (Golden Albatross). For when Stori had roamed the sands he bad met a beggar and the beggar became his servant slave. Stori generously payed Leythal, for this was the servant slave's name, for his work, and upon the completion of Leythal's tasks, Stori had given Leythal his freedom and appointed him in charge of the Western Lands of Yimmu-Audal.

Thus when the Escharien despot's empire fell, too large and too fragile for his own hands to grasp, the West had become Theionikos where the former beggar Leythal reigned as Prophet-Duke of the Lahar (Aspect) Theios and the south where the Last Emperor Gray had brought the Audaladae freedom.

And upon seeing this from the Aradusu, the mind of Stori awoke once again. And the Albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold came to him whose wings stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, "As I've shown you, those touched by Naddar Ori shall rise and fall, rise and fall again and again, but the harder their fall the more obvious the certainty of their return. Theios and I, we are one and the same."

And so Stori had been brought back to the corporal world alongside the former Emperor Harbardr. And so together they worked to restore the strength of Naddar Ori. And so the lands of Yimmu Audal and Theionikos united under the great name Theios-Essukdal, believing in the Lahar Theios, the true originator of Naddar Ori, the true giver of Bi'Amel Unshi to the Audalad Dynasty.

The Third Revelation
And so the lands of Theios-Essukdal expanded peacefully by the power of word and wit. And so the Audalad Dynasty, blessed by Bi'Amel Unshi, lead the Essukdaladae touched by Naddar Ori. And as time grew and grew a Ningal of great word and wit ascended to the throne. And her name was Mistic and the Albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold appeared before her one day, its wings stretching from one end of the horizon to the other, and it said, "Your people are blessed by Naddar Ori and you by Bi'Amel Unshi. You must return to your roots and achieve true unity." And so the Ningal did her best to interpret this and so knowing her people to be united, she returned their name to that of Yimmu Audal, and declared herself the apostate of the Lahar Theios and bowed down before the Hukar Sharud, the great Albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold.

But in the depths of the Aradusu Aderrid, the mind Stori who had fallen in battle lay dormant. But upon this sight, the mind had awoken, for it knew that Theios and the Albatross were one and the same. And so the mind searched and searched for an answer across the Aradusu until it had reached a realm above and within. And so it had entered Aradusu Uterad (Shining Paradise) and a great beam of light flooded its consciousness, and the great beam of light showed the true nature of the universe to the mind. And so Stori's mind took on a new name, Narahashu, and so it declared that all gods of the world are one and the same, that all that exists is but one Aradusu Aderrid, that within it the gods are but competing Laharae (Aspects) and that their number is infinite and their strength is that of the number and quality of their corporal believers. And that upon death or dream, all ascend to the Aradusu Aderrid and their minds splinter and dissolve to become one with its mind. And thus Narahashu had understood that Hukar Sharud was but one Lahar which served as a messenger to grant him Bi'Amel Unshi and that the god Theios and its patron angels, and the Escharien despot's gods, and all others, were but what came together to create the Yimmu Laharae (Many Aspects) of Aradusu Aderrid.

And so the mind of Narahashu watched the corporal world from the light of Aradusu Uturad and it named itself the first Opkaituru (Prophet), and it broadcast the holy words to the Ningal Mistic Audalad and the Audaladae in the Holy Tablets, and proclaimed that the Naddar Ori and Bi'Amel Unshi should not be limited to the ancestral lands of Yimmu Audal, but that the Audalad Dynasty should spread far and wide.

The Fourth Revelation
The Brother's War had united the realms of Yimmu-Audal and Aldovir. The state which the former had birthed in its diplomacy had grown ever-more-powerful and conquered its neighbor, and the two fused, as brothers, as one. And their blood mixed, and the old Audalad empires had fallen, yet a new one had arisen. And so the divine Wind Naddar Ori had not ceased to blow, nor had the Divine Permanence of Bi'Amel Unshi's flame died. And so the prophecy of the Hukar Sharud was fulfilled: "And shall it fall only to rise again as I have". And on the brink of this new world, a new Audalad ruler stood, and his name was Foxmunk, a medic of an ambiguous character. Merely fishing, he looked into the crystal clear waters of the Geshem Bay. And his mind trembled, for the waters erupted before him. For from within them emerged an albatross of crystal clear water and liquid gold. And its wings spread from end to end of the horizon. And its presence permeated all beings with awe. Foxmunk kneeled in submission. And the great bird of crystal clear water and liquid gold spoke to him, "I have witnessed your rise, and the fall of your Empire. My words have come true, as I have told them to your founder: he from whose hands you carry the flame of Bi'Amel Unshi."

And the great bird swung its wings in a hurricane, and the waves of Geshem splashed and swayed, and the waters rose and came back again, and the bird's wings turned of water and gold turned to gold and charcoal and its eyes swelled with blood, and from its neck opened waterfalls of blood, and the sea turned red as it filled with blood. "But akin to the Empire of Bi'Amel Unshi which rises and falls amongst the world, so to do I, the Lahar Hukar Sharud, rise and fall within the eternal unity of the Aradusu Aderrid. A new Lahar has come to overtake me, and the era of my own fall has begun. The era of Liber Sanguinis has begun." And at that moment the voice of the albatross changed to the voice of death, and its eyes turned black-within-back, and the sky turned crimson-within-crimson. And so it swung its wings and one million black feathers, an army of darkness marching onwards, rustled and swept together in the sky of the red sunset and shimmering sea of the red sun. And the great bird sounded in a cacophony of one million sacrifices: "I am Hukar Sharud no more. Now, I am Yara-Sanguid, the blood god, and I will bring the world into a void. Submit before me or lay destroyed. Reform your faith in my name or be annihilated." The Sharullar Foxmunk obeyed, and the Opkaituru obeyed, for that day they witnessed the day of the red sun.

Holy Places & Relics
The Audaladau faith has traditionally had several holy cities and sites, and has accumulated a number of different unique artifacts important to the faith. A Holy City or relic must be declared by the Opkaituru after a formal request from any Orissarad (Ascended One). A Holy Site may be consecrated by any Audaladau Priest.

Sacrifices to Yara-Sanguin can be conducted at either a Holy City or Holy Site. It is believed that the power of these sacrifices is strengthened when relics are involved in one way or another.

Holy Cities

 * Shyr-Arrak - Home to the first Sacred Pool and Ziggurat of Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur. May only be visited through Aradusu Aderrid. (Annihilated in the Jagdasian Collpase)
 * Urnu-Arrak - Home to numerous holy sites and temples, historic birthplace of the Rathnirian Audalad Dynasty. (Yimmu Audal)
 * Amos - Home to the temple of Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur. (Yimmu Audal)
 * Eldal Adadi - Home of the great Kai'Yi Audalad Dynasty member GrayIsYes (Yimmu Audal)
 * Theiotokos - Home of the venerable prophet of Theiosism LethalMuffin Audalad.
 * Maereta - Home of the great Ningal Mistic Audalad, reformer of Yimmu Audal and signatory for the creation of the Empire of Aldovir.
 * The Last Bastion - Place of the historic Battle of the Last Bastion, constructed by the Kai'Yi Audalad Dynasty member and Nergassi Dexter OG. (Magisterium)
 * Ardat Mosul - Founded by the Dajir Audalad member Dalatra Mosulia—serves as a reminder against her mistakes. (Ardat-Azael)
 * The Abyssal Isles - Sacrificial site of the former Red Cult, former home of DexterOG.



Holy Sites

 * Ziggurat of Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur (Shyr-Arrak) - Place of worship and location of the Avaebrr Hukar artifact. May only be visited via Aradusu Aderrid.
 * First Sacred Pool of Hular Dezum Autai Dar Shur (Shyr-Arrak) - Offerings would be made in exchange for good fortune. May only be visited through Aradusu Aderrid.
 * Second Sacred Pool of Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur (Urnu-Arrak) - Place of worship and offerings.
 * Former Imperial Throneroom of Yimmu Audal (Urnu-Arrak) - Site of the Red Coronation and the Usurpation of Yimmu Audal.
 * Lighthouse of Urnu-Arrak (Urnu-Arrak) - Former home of the first Opkaituru StoryStudio.
 * The Last Bastion (The Last Bastion)
 * Temple of the Blood God (Urnu-Arrak) - Sacrificial site of the former Red Cult
 * The Barrel (Urnu-Arrak County) - Alchoholic manufactory of the venerable and renowned Ankidi Dotto21.
 * Temple of the Holy Golden Seabird at Amos (Amos) - Place of worship and ceremonies.
 * Utal Lugalad (Urnu-Arrak) - Royal Palace and throne room of Yimmu Audal.
 * Tree of G0nf (Urnu-Arrak) - Syncretic Holy Site alongside with G0NFism.



Holy Relics

 * Abaevver Hukar Totem (In possession by the Aradusu Aderrid) - Suggests the history of the Audalad Dynasty predates even Jagdas, possibly Paxia, having originated as a different name within a mysterious city known as Imoldien.
 * Ullarah Urdussad (In possession by ViewedMarquis) - Divine sword of the first Opkaituru Narahashu Audalad. Possesses the power to revive StoryStudio who was canonically slain by the Ferrymen.
 * Imperial Crown of Yimmu Audal (In possession by Yimmu Audal) - Holds purely ceremonial significance. Passed on from the Emperor BlueMarble and onward.
 * Imperial Golden Apple of Astroria (In possession by Yimmu Audal) - Gift provided by Duke BuiBui as a sign of loyalty at the first Jagdasian Emperor StoryStudio Audalad's coronation.

Clerical Hierarchy
The Audaladu faith is headed by the Opkaituru. The Opkaituru is a prophet of the faith who exists completely in the immaterial world and leads the clergy through their words from Aradusu Uturad (Shining Paradise). The Opkaituru is a member of the Audalad Dynasty who is already dead and can see the true nature of the universe from the Aradusu Uturad.


 * Opkaituru - The one and only head of faith, the sole individual capable of reforming the faith after having had revelations in visits of Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur (The Bird of Water and Gold), the messenger form of the Aradusu Aderrid.
 * Sharrulad Overseer - The head of the Audaladaufaith in a given dynastically Audalad Sharrulad (Nation).
 * Audaladau Scholar -  A Hukarad Priest who has been designated the venerable title of Scholar by their respective Sharrulad Overseer or by the Opkaituru. Scholars work in order to discern the histories of the faith and dynastically Audalad states.
 * Audaladau Archpriest - A Priest of the Esbitum Hukarad who has been appointed by the Opkaituru to manage other priests, expand the clergy, and lead conversion efforts. Position reserved for Orthodox Sharudi only.
 * Audaladu Priest - A priest of the Esbitum (Priesthood) may propagate the faith, admit new Sharudi, and conduct the Ullarah ceremony. A Hukarad Priest may be appointed from any Sharudi who has undergone Ullarah.