Substar Preview: About Zanduchi
#1 of No Sex
So, I've gotten some really good feedback on my last story, but the biggest thing to come out of it was the death god church. I really loved how that came out, so I decided to write down a bit of a creation myth for that world and about the church itself. I may do another story involving them at some point. I really fell in love with this idea.
Normally, this would be the sort of thing that would only go up on my Subscribe Star, but I wanted to share this with everyone. It serves as a nice little taste of the kinds of things you can get if you sub. I post previews and updates every Sunday over there for Tier 2 up.
If you would be interested in more and supporting me, head on over to subscribestar.adult/xp_author. There are no obligations, and I will never put full stories behind a paywall. This is just the kind of extra stuff I like to post there for my subscribers.
Bio Preview: About Zanduchi
By XP Author
Zanduchi, god of hunting, fertility, and death. An unusual combination of traits for a god. Some theologians theorize that the god may be a fusion of several older gods. Those of a more faithful mind posit she may have simply taken upon herself the circles of other gods that lost favor or power.
Unlike many gods, the origin of Zandushi is one of mystery, even among the gods themselves. In the creation mythology, the world was made when Deleth spoke the world into existence. Deleth, the god of creation and language, naturally took the seat of king for himself. However, he was not tyrannical and sought to share his power. He spoke other gods into being. Bianis, the bear goddess of life, was first. Her creations, those of animals and plants to populate the world, earned her the seat as queen.
Demok, the fox god of thought, was next. He gave reason to the creatures of the land. It is from his gift, that people first emerged. Lesser to gods individually, but with the power to create their own works. For this, Demok was granted praise and a seat among the court of the gods.
Other gods came soon. Thenitas, god of mischief, a fun-loving trickster wolf. Laughter was his gift, and though he can often take jokes too far, he, too, is among the godly court.
Yendor was the first god, and the first being, to be born. The bird god was the son of Deleth and Bianis, and ushered in the creation of newborn life. The god of birth and children.
Lest one think that the court is only reserved for those who create, Ket is a reminder that this is not true. The tiger god of war, whose gift was strife among the people, and even other gods. She still sits among the court.
More gods emerged in this time, both major and minor. Gods of water, fish, clay, wind, and nearly every other aspect of nature and the world. All created by Deleth or other members of the court. Some simply brought into existence, some born as children of gods. Some even as normal people or creatures ascended to godhood for their deeds and creations and ideas.
It is among this chaotic early era that Zanduchi first emerged. Fluid in form and nature, even calling her a she is not wholly accurate, for she may take whatever shape she needs to preform her role. She saw that life was growing, and while this was good, it had no end. It would grow too much, and would eventually run out of room to grow. So she introduced the concept of the end. Death. However, not without purpose. Death was a means, a balance. To ensure that death would not overtake life, she also encouraged the creation of life. Through her, the process of mating was created, and a cycle to life and death was born. There are many who question this, even the faithful, wondering how a god could create the process of mating after the god of birth was born. This argument still goes on, even among the gods.
Naturally, as civilizations form, and the gods play their roles, people start to worship. Most major gods have churches dedicated to them. The church of Deleth and Bianis are among the most powerful across all nations, with Ket equally powerful. However, the church few seem to truly understand is that of Zanduchi. Many simply see them as a kind of death cult, worshiping a god of death. Many misunderstand them as a group that wishes life to end, to the point that the church is banned within several cities.
This is simply not the case. While Zandites (the term for the faithful of Zanduchi) do worship death, they do not seek it for all. They know death is a natural end to life, and embrace that inevitability. They see the beauty not just in a life coming to an end, but in the life that led to that end. However, they are not completely without blame for their own bad reputation. Zanduchi is naturally the patron god of many assassins and executioners. To this end, many of the churches of Zanduchi also serve as assassin guilds. The church sees this as a necessary balancing between powerful nations.
The primary function the church gives is funerals and tending to graves. The largest graveyards are all overseen by Zandites, and most graveyard keepers are also Zandites, though not all are public about it. The other function the members of the church preform is executions, though this is reserved only for the priests, as they give last rites to the condemned. However, the church also respects the beliefs of other gods, and will do their utmost to uphold those rites when possible. Funerals are held in honor of the fallen's patron deity, and bodies are treated with the respect of their beliefs. Certain public executions can be the few exceptions, as the crime committed (or at least convicted of) can be used as a reason to deny their rights. Some of these public executions are one of the few times the general public gets to witness a particular aspect of the Zandites: their own funeral ceremony.
A more private ceremony the church holds is one only for Zandites. A dark ritual in where a person is blessed and sacrificed. This is almost always accompanied by an orgy. Naturally, necrophilia is common among Zandites, and is a large part of the Zandite funeral ceremony. A person's life is honored as their body is used for pleasure, their last gift to those still alive. It is the belief of many within the church that this will someday bring Zanduchi to the mortal world. Once the balance of life and death grows too unstable, she would be born of this dark ritual, emerging from the well-used body, and walk the world to cleanse it to restore the balance. Few know of this particular facet of the church. However, it is known that any that wish to pass can seek the aid of the church for this purpose.
One may be mistaken in thinking that all death is loved by the church, but this is untrue. A death without purpose is a life cut too short. Suicide is highly frowned upon by Zandites. If one is to have their life ended, they should do so in the ritual. Allow their body to be blessed by Zanduchi, and any other god they may worship, so their essence may pass on to their god's domain. They see war as senseless violence for the sake of violence, and while they respect Ket, they mourn the loss of life in such massive quantities. It is not uncommon to see Zandites praying at the sites of battles.
In summary, the church of Zanduchi is a widely misunderstood group. While they worship death, they also worship life. The most devout are almost always necrophiliacs, though this is only in private and only with those willing or deemed deserving. They tend graves and hold funeral rights. While the churchs are often also guilds for assassins, and the priests double as executioners, they do not seek to have all life end for the sake of it. They are simply those unafraid to admit their respect for the inevitable end that all mortals must face, and see the beauty in it.
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