Iskerag Vulshor (commonly referred to as the Feast of the Gods) is a set of religious beliefs and practices deeply interwoven into Fathide Ogre culture and society. Three main tenets compose the core of this strain of ogre spirituality: the existence of a soul in all living things, the ability to gain the attributes of a being from the consumption of said soul, and the belief that ogres are the inheritors to the godlike status of their Giant creators via their ancient rebellion.
Beliefs[]
Great importance is placed on the maintenance of one’s soul (alsu) according to Iskerag Vulshor teachings. Traditionally the most efficient way of doing this was to consume others, thus adding the strength of their soul to yours. However, ritual celebrations would become increasingly more prominent over time as ogre society centralized and civilized as a means of keeping one’s soul in balance. Another popular belief that emerged in the late 15th century was that a devout pursuit of diverse and high quality foods, as opposed to simply chasing raw quantity, was an equally acceptable way to nourish one’s soul.
Though the teachings that make up Iskerag Vulshor are silent on the question of the afterlife, there are still a number of traditions that surround death in the religion. Passing one’s soul down when another consumes it is popularly seen as a sort of immortality. While in antiquity this gave license for a surprisingly lax societal view on murder, so long as the victim was properly consumed; however, as ogres centralized over time, funerary cannibalism would become increasingly more popular, especially in conjunction with the tightening of criminal laws.
If a body was allowed to rot away without its soul properly being passed down, it was believed that the spirit would likewise rot and fester, being forever bound to haunt the physical world. Likewise, cremation is seen as a high desecration by adherents to Iskerag Vulshor.
Skurkoklism[]
Popular amongst the wild ogres of the northern forests, Skurkoklism is an extremist outgrowth of Iskerag Vulshor beliefs. While all ogres believe themselves to contain a spark of the divine within their souls, passed down to them from the original consumption of the giants, Skurkoklists have taken this belief to an almost messianic extreme. They assert that should ogres assert their inherited dominion over all Halann, and consume every last sapient being, that they will be able to ascend into gods in their own right. Consequently, Skurkokli movements would typically organize around charismatic leaders who claimed to have particularly high concentrations of Giants’ soul within them.
Feasts[]
A number of holidays are celebrated by hosting massive communal feasts (uprala), the most important of which are listed below:
- The Ogrish New Year (Nykha Tolutsdi) is typically welcomed in by the commemoration of the original Godsfeast (Iskeraguprala). This celebration is typically the most elaborate feast of the year. Non-ogres may attend, but are traditionally not allowed to eat the food prepared for observing ogres; the consumption of the True Giants is what sets the Ogres apart (and above), and its reenactment may be one of the few rituals that can truly be considered sacred to them.
- Feast of Mourning (Uprala vra Gluvum): A somber occasion, at its core this feast has been a day to remember and honor lost family members and friends. Traditionally seen as a date to forgive debts and grudges. As the day comes to a close, revelers are encouraged to adopt an attitude of abandon, as if the current celebrations are the last they will ever attend. Beginning with the widespread immigration of Mossmouth Ogres into the Ogre Valley, this feast has also served as commemoration of the extermination of the Swamp ogres at the hands of the Castanorians, and as such has seen use as a means of building bridges with centaur minorities, and recently harpy immigrants (DO NOT invite Escannis).
- Days of Hunger (Ghisg vra Vulshim): remembrance of the years of hunger following the DoAS, and the miraculous crash of the True Giant city in Magharma. The codification of this feast was seen as the beginning of the idea that giants sacrificed themselves for the ogres. Observants will typically fast anywhere between a day and a week leading up to the feast. Different communities will alternatively remember the extinct Sandmaw Ogres with this feast, Uprala vra Gluvum, or both.
- Feast of Unity (Uprala vra Urtanob): commemoration of the ascendance of Ziltagh Gravelhide to Mengurkha and the rescue of Ogrekind from the brink of yet another ruination. Seen as a day to remember Ogrish unity and resilience in the face of hardship.
Organization[]
Lacking any sort of (living) deities to devote themselves to, Ogrish “priests” are entrusted with two primary functions. Most importantly, they administer funerary rites to the deceased to increase the potency of their soul upon consumption. However, most of their time is spent fulfilling their secondary function: the preparation of food (bodies included) for feasts. Their religious fascination with food has led to the development of an extremely complex ogrish gastronomic culture.
The isolated Mossmouth Ogre culture had developed along significantly different lines of religious thought. As Maghargma became an increasingly desirous location for Mossmouth immigration, the doctrinal clashes sparked by the newcomers prompted the most prominent priests within Maghargma to convene a council to establish a basic canon of practices. The end result of the council would lead to the creation of the Iskerag Vulshor Central Seminary. Though originally empowered with the ability to certify priests, it has since grown to become a premier culinary academy; 1813 marked an important year in its history with the grand opening of a Bal Vroren campus.
Additional Notes[]
- Relations with Mountain Watchers: Despite sharing common ancestry and creators, Ogrish and Trollish beliefs are almost completely incompatible. Where the Trolls wait for the messianic return of their True Giant creators, the Iskerag Vulshor believe that there are no remaining True Giants, and holding on to such a hope cheapens the worth of their sacrifice.
- Lefthand Path: There is currently heated academic debate surrounding the hypothesis that Halessi views on chi (namely the idea that all beings contain a life force), were introduced through Horned Ogre migration into the region, especially given the close similarities between Iskerag Vulshor and the Lefthand Path.