Qufi

Description
Qufi, is one of the goddesses of Sagaism. As the god of Knowledge and Wisdom, Qufi's story intertwines mortal tragedy with divine transformation, embodying themes of curiosity, sacrifice, and enlightenment.

In mortal life, Qufi was characterized by her insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Despite warnings from her parents and elders, she ventured into the wilderness surrounding her village, where she encountered a wounded fox spirit. Nurturing the spirit back to health in secret, Qufi forged a deep bond with it, learning valuable lessons about the natural world and the importance of friendship.

However, Qufi's association with the fox spirit sparked fear and superstition among the villagers, who branded her a witch and sought to destroy the spirit. In a selfless act of protection, Qufi sacrificed herself to save the spirit, taking an arrow meant for it and perishing in its embrace.

Following her death, Qufi underwent a transformative ascension, transcending mortality to become a divine being. As the embodiment of Knowledge and Wisdom, she banished the fearful villagers, challenging them to seek understanding and enlightenment rather than succumbing to ignorance and hatred.

Qufi's story serves as a poignant reminder of the power of knowledge, compassion, and courage in the face of adversity. She inspires seekers of truth to embrace the unknown, confront their fears, and strive for wisdom in their journey through life. As a deity within Sagaism, Qufi symbolizes the transformative potential of curiosity and the enduring quest for enlightenment.

Saga of Qufi
What does it mean to truly know something?

Qufi, an inquisitive and intrepid child, pondered the true nature of knowledge. Even in her mortal life, the question lingered within her. Her insatiable curiosity often led her beyond the confines of her village, much to the dismay of her parents. Exploring the forests and hidden realms near her home, she stumbled upon a grove adorned with lichen and moss, its cavernous entrance beckoning her forward. Intrigued by the faint whimpers emanating from within, Qufi fearlessly ventured forth. To her surprise, she discovered a wounded fox seeking solace amidst the shadows.

This was no ordinary creature; its crimson fur contrasted with its black paws, and its golden eyes shimmered with an otherworldly aura. Qufi sensed the spirit dwelling within this unique fox. Though tales of treacherous spirits whispered in her village, warning of their deceptions and perils, Qufi perceived only fear and pain in this ethereal being. Ignoring the superstitious fears of her community, she approached the fox with compassion and offered sustenance.

Weeks turned into months as Qufi tended to the fox, keeping their bond a secret from her parents. While her family fretted over her woodland adventures, dismissing the wild as a realm of peril, Qufi forged a profound connection with her vulpine companion. The spirit guided her through the woods, unveiling the true essence of nature and dispelling the unfounded fears instilled in her village. Qufi absorbed knowledge of edible plants, intricate forest paths, and the intricate balance of predator and prey. Through this extraordinary friendship, Qufi delved into a realm of understanding, perceiving the world in a way few could fathom.

Years passed, and Qufi approached the threshold of adulthood, her wisdom and connection with the wilds unyielding. However, the fearful and superstitious inhabitants of her village could bear her divergence from their narrow perspectives no longer.

"Witch!" a voice sneered.

"She consorts with demons, that one. No good can come from such alliances," cried another.

"We must put an end to this," proclaimed her father, his disdain etched deeply upon his countenance.

A hunting party, fueled by torches and bows, was dispatched to extinguish what they perceived as a threat. Qufi, beside her spirit companion, heard the murmurs and grumblings of the approaching mob. Urged by the fox spirit, she sought refuge within the sanctuary of the cave, warned of the importance of her seclusion.

Cornered and filled with resentment, the villagers faced the fox spirit, brandishing their torches and unleashing their wrath. The cries of "Skin it! Kill the beast!" reverberated through the air, oblivious to the irony of their terror in the face of a small fox. "Enough waiting!" shouted a villager, hurling a torch towards the spirit. Unbeknownst to them, the dry season's grip fueled the flames, which swiftly engulfed the grove. The terrified fox, knowing the peril that befell Qufi trapped within the cave, growled defiantly as the villagers closed in, their eyes brimming with furious tears.

"Foul beast! You have stolen one of our own, corrupted her with your trickster's lies!" they spat in unison.

The crackling inferno roared, and in a moment of unfathomable desperation, one villager let loose an arrow. The crowd's attention shifted to the archer, only to witness the arrow's horrific impact as it pierced Qufi's heart. She fell to the ground, dying in the embrace of her beloved fox spirit.

Her father, consumed by guilt and cowardice at his unspeakable act, attempted to flee, but the relentless fire blocked his escape. Then, a radiant burst of light erupted from where Qufi lay, drawing the flames towards a central point where the fox spirit stood. A wondrous spectacle unfolded—a pillar of fiery light shot skyward, painting the night sky with an ethereal aurora. In its wake, the form of Anara emerged, a celestial spirit blazing in the heavens. A trail of starlight bridged the gap between the divine and the mortal, leading to Qufi, who stood once more upon the earthly realm. Yet, the fox spirit had vanished, leaving behind a resplendent figure.

Adorned in a robe of fox fur, dyed crimson as blood, Qufi's hair turned as white as freshly fallen snow, while her eyes shimmered like golden orbs of the sun. Fox-like ears and multiple, billowing tails graced her form. Her voice resonated with an inner fire, burning with the wisdom of ages. She addressed the villagers, their faces etched with remorse and regret:

"This act of ignorance has cost you dearly," her words carried the cunning essence of a fox, filled with wisdom and understanding. "I, Qufi, hereby banish you from this land. In atonement for your lack of knowledge and your unwarranted hatred of the unknown, you shall wander the world and immerse yourselves in its vast wisdom. Never again shall fear of the unfamiliar govern your hearts. Consider this a challenge to expand your knowledge of the world, lest you perish like those who roam the wilds without understanding. The ones you accused of being led astray by devils and spirits were the very ones you failed to comprehend. Depart now, for this land is no longer your home."

As Qufi turned to depart, a lone voice in the crowd pleaded, "But where shall we go? This land is all we have known."

Qufi glanced back, one foot poised upon the starlit path while the other remained grounded. From the spot where she stood, a patch of flowers blossomed. With a knowing smile, she replied, "Figure it out." And with that, she walked away, ascending into the heavens and embracing Anara, forever embodying the dancing fox, a fervent reminder that knowledge grants freedom from fear, while the hatred of the unknown brings ruin to the ignorant.

Prayers and Blessings of Qufi
In the teachings of Sagaism, prayers and blessings hold great significance, serving as heartfelt expressions of devotion and reverence to the Gods. Among the more formal prayers and blessings there are two in particular that hold great importance in Sagaist teachings when it comes to the worship of Qufi; "Invocation of the Enlightened Mind: A Prayer to Qufi" and "Sacred Illumination: A Blessing of Qufi"

Old
Qufi (Kwi-Fi) the god of Knowledge and Wisdom, is one of the 10 lesser gods of Sagaism who sadly had a short and tragic mortal life. When Qufi was 6 her family was struck with grief when Qufi was discovered dead. This left the innocent soul of Qufi stuck, wandering the mortal plane, forever alone. After years, maybe a single year, perhaps even just a few months, it did not matter, time was meaningless here, but after some time Qufi decided that she should do something with herself, to explore this world to the fullest and td discover its rich history and..

What does it mean to truly know something? This question had always perplexed Qufi, even in mortal life. Always a curious and investigative child, Qufi could always be found exploring the lands outside her village, to the chagrin of her parents. In her efforts to explore the forests and hidden places near her home, she happened one day upon a grove with a cavernous opening grown over with lichen and moss. Implacably curious, Qufi went to investigate immediately when she heard whimpers from inside the cave. To her surprise, she found a fox. The creature was injured, and limped away when Qufi approached. So she came back with an offering of food, to which the fox was most agreeable. An unusual fox, this one was red as blood with black paws, and golden eyes. Qufi took note of its strange appearance - This was a spirit, no ordinary animal. In her village, the elders warned of trickster spirits in the woods who would lead people to their demise. Yet, as far as Qufi could tell, this spirit was scared, and hurt, and was in need of care and understanding. Weeks passed while Qufi cared in secret for the fox, and all the while her parents chafed against the idea of her adventures in the woods. “You are too young to be going off by yourself in there. Too many dangers lurk in the woods that not even grown men of the village would be able to undertake.” Her father lectured. Qufi was unswayed. She needed to know more about this fox, and about the woods. So she continued to venture outside of her parents’ gaze. The fox came back to health, and with health came vigor. A playful being, the fox spirit led Qufi throughout the woods, teaching her about the supposed ‘dangers’ of the wilds that her parents and other elders spent so much time worrying about. She learned of edible plants and fungi, how to wayfind through the woods. She learned the cycle of life, knowing of the predators and prey that lived in the wild. She learned about friendship, as this fox would help her when stuck or scared, and it truly felt like she understood this spirit, in its entirety. This went on for several years, until Qufi was on the cusp of adulthood. Yet one day, her curiosity was too much for the fearful, superstitious people of the village. “Witch.” sneered one. “She cavorts with a demon, that one. Nothin’ good come from demons.” cried another. “We need to put a stop to this.” Said her father, solemn in his contempt. A hunter’s party was dispatched, torches and bows at the ready, bloodlust in their eyes. Qufi was with the fox when she heard the grumbles and groans of angered villagers marching towards the fox’s grove. The spirit ushered Qufi inside the cave, intoning to her it was important she stay inside. The Villagers cornered the beast, angry sneers and waving torches abound. “Skin it! Kill the beast!” they cried. The irony of a small fox being so terrifying to armed villagers was lost on such an ignorant display of idiocy. “I’ve had enough of waiting around! To the Nether with it all!” as one villager lobbed a torch at the fox. If they were actually intent on learning, the villagers would have done well to remember that they were in the dry season, and the ground caught flame, as the fire spread wild through the grove. The fox, terrified for Qufi, who was now trapped in the cave, growled as the villagers came in closer, eyes wet with angry tears. “Foul Beast! You’ve stolen one of our own, corrupted her with your tricksters lies!” The crackling of the fire roared, as the fox stood stock still. “No!” cried Qufi, as she leapt from the cave, singed but not hurt severely by the flames. Embracing the fox, she cried as her family, and her village, sought to destroy what she understood. “You’ve already hurt her enough! I cared for her, I learned with her! Where you all cowered in fear of the wild, I explored it! I learned to navigate the places where unknowledgable men found their doom in simple mistakes. I learned from the forest instead of learning to fear it.” “You See!?” cried a man. “She’s already been taken under it's influence! She’s beyond saving!” Cries of agreement rang from the mob. Their bows trained on the bestial spirit. The tension was palpable as the fires raged, consuming much of the grove. Amid the tense words and angry glares, one craven villager let loose an arrow. The crowd parted to turn their attention to the archer. It was Qufi’s own father who loosed an arrow. With a sickening thunk, the attention of the crowd turned back to see it's target; meant for the fox, Qufi jumped in front of the arrow, where it pierced her heart, causing her to slump to the ground, dying in the foxes embrace. Qufi’s father ran, overcome with cowardice at having shot his own daughter. He was blocked off from escape by the fires that raged through the woods. It was then that a flash of light pulsed from where Qufi lay next to the fox. The fire seemed to be torn from the ground, sucked into a central point where the fox bent over Qufi’s lifeless body. What occurred next was nothing short of a miracle. A pillar of fiery light erupted in a column towards the heavens, as an aurora blazed across the night sky. In its wake, the Spirit of Anara appeared in the night sky, and a trail of starlight bridged down to the ground, where now stood Qufi, but the fox was nowhere to be seen. She was resplendent, in a blood red robe of foxfur, her hair white as snow and her eyes as golden as the sun, foxlike ears and multiple billowing tails. her voice burned with an inner fire the likes of which the villagers had never seen. “This act of ignorance has cost you all something dear.” Her voice seemed to carry the canter of a fox, sly and cunning, and full of wisdom. “I, Qufi, hereby banish you from this land. To atone for your lack of knowledge and ample hatred of things you choose not to understand, you will spend the rest of your days wandering the world, learning all that you can. Never again will you let fear of the unknown rule your hearts. You will take it as a challenge to increase your knowledge of the world. You will do this, or perish, as all who roam the wilds without knowledge do. The ones you claimed were led astray by devils and spirits, when they refused to learn the lessons the spirits were trying to teach. Begone. There is nothing left for you here. This is no longer your home.” As she turned to walk away, a village cried. “But where will we go!? This land is all we’ve known! Qufi turned back, one foot on the starlit path, the other on the ground, where a patch of flowers began to grow. “Figure it Out.” She smiled, in that knowing way, as she turned to walk away into the heavens and embrace of Anara, taking the form of a dancing fox, a burning reminder that knowledge is freedom from fear and hatred of the unknown only brings ruin upon the unwise.

New lore written by: Soul Bluewood on the new Sagaism discord