Vechnogejzn (meaning Eternal Fire in Old Rzentur) is the native religion of the Old Rzentur Ruinborn, centered around the everburning fire every tribe has and the rituals connected to it.
Mythology[]
The mythology of the Old Rzentur is incredibly old, and varies quite significantly between various tribes of Old Rzentur. The commonly accepted myths are as thus: the Rzentur lived in fear in the shade of the vast Ekyunimoy mountains because of a tyrannical and vile being known as the ‘Stairzamr’, or Old Winter, often cannorized as the Frost King, who- with an army of violent and vicious minions - sought to bring eternal devastation to the world.
The myths state that the Rzentur became determined to change this fate, and visited and pleaded with fae, beseeching them for aid and protection against the winter, and to help stop it in its tracks as they were the only ones with the power to do so. The tale goes that they asked each season in succession: first spring, who was too flighty and airy to care for the struggles of the Old Rzentur who had little to offer.
They then asked the Summer, who demanded a price far too high, and thus the Old Rzentur graciously declined.
Fall was next to be asked, and was too offended by not being the first to be asked to even consider their pleas.
Finally came winter, who the Rzentur had distrusted so far, who revealed they had been trying to hold back the Frost King all this time, but could not spare any help since the Rzentur had waited so long to come find them and he had grown too strong.
Feeling abandoned and alone, the Rzentur lamented, crying that there would be none to save them from the evil which yet encroached on them. The sound of their crying called down a bird from a tree, who miraculously became an elf and spoke to them, introducing himself as Rinetrin, the Changeling Prince and offering salvation and protection; having watched their struggles and finding them brave for having tried so hard, even in the face of defeat.
He reached into the air and sparked a flame, a mighty roaring spiral, which the Rzentur were too mesmerized by to even flinch back from; even as he split it into many pieces and handed it to the most worthy amongst them, commanding them to fight against the forces of the Frost King with the Vechnogejzn, the Everlasting Fire.
The Rzentur then agreed to meet Stairzamr on the battlefield. Though the power they were granted was great and carved fiery destruction across his armies, the Frost King was tricky and froze the hearts of some of their fire wielders, so that even as their flame heated the world, they could not bring themselves to care for what burned. They thus turned their flames upon the Rzentur at the last moment, forcing them to flee, and allowing the Frost King to retreat to the furthest northern reaches of the world to recover, rest, and prepare once more to sweep the world in frost some day.
Those Rzentur who remained clutched their Vechnogejzn close and despite their losses, were not disheartened. They recalled their struggles before, and with determination kept their fire burning, to forever repel the Frost King.
The Everlasting Fire[]
The Vechnogejzn that every tribe maintains is the result of old Fey magics and is meticulously maintained by pyromancer priests, as the flame is believed to have protective capabilities, keeping harm and evil spirits at bay. The flame is also seen as a symbol of tribal unity, with many rituals also being used to create strong bonds between the members. These rituals vary from dancing and singing during celebrations and festivals, to spreading the ashes of the dead cremated within the fire to all members. In the event of a tribe dying out, a week-long period of mourning is held by all tribes close to them and the Vechnogejzn of the dead tribe given to the weakest tribe to empower their flame.
The Vechnogejzn are guarded to the last man of the tribe, as it is believed that they do not only protect the tribe, but also the entire world, by helping to keep the Frost King at bay, unable to advance and harm the world. Thus, protecting it is not merely a matter of survival, but also of ultimate good and heroism.
Flametaken[]
Though the eternal flame is seen as a benevolent force, the pyromancer priests are thought to be careful with it and all fire, lest they be taken over by the flames. Those who don't follow the warnings become Flametaken, pyromancers who lack any restraint and are seen as embodiments of fire's destructive capabilities. These rogue priests are commonly banished from their tribes, as their unpredictable nature makes them too dangerous to have around. These pyromancers are believed to have fallen prey to the same curse which had led to the defeat of the Old Rzentur millennia ago.
The Fae[]
Ultimately, the fae play a central role in the Vechnogejzn, with the dualistic veneration of Rinetrin and the hatred of Stairzamr being the core element of their mythology and religion.
More peripheral than this is the selection of certain groups of fae as ‘good’ and others as ‘bad’ based on their perceived alignment with Rinetrin and the Stairzamr respectively; with fae associated Spring, Summer and Fall being seen as airheaded and foolish, cruel and demanding and prideful and neglective respectively. While they have great distrust of Winter Fey they view as too secretive, it is believed that ignoring a request from one will bring back luck.
Daily Life[]
Faith and mysticism plays a large role in their everyday life, with regular prayers and careful protection of the Vechnogejzn being a staple of Old Rzentur culture. The nature of these prayers vary between tribe, but some of the more commonly observed practices are as
- Offering sacrifices of food and sustenance to the flames.
- Intentionally allowing themselves to be minorly burned, as a sign of dedication and bravery.
- Praying by the fire light as the dark of the night blots out the warmth and light of the sun.
Ties with the Drozma Tur[]
News of the 1028 Fire at Arverynn reaching the Old Rzentur, there is believed to have been a brief period of religious uncertainty, as some are believed to have claimed that Drozmagog was a new shape of Rinetrin. There is little evidence to suggest that this claim would be wide-spread, or more accurately; widely acted upon; as most remaining Old Rzentur were firm in their belief that maintaining and protecting the Vechnogejzn’s was their highest duty.
Truth in Myth[]
The myths of the Vechnogejzn are partially based on real events, as archeologists, archeowizards, and researchers have discovered evidence to a war between the ancestors of the Rzentur and Snecboth, leading many to believe that the myths of the Stairzamr and his armies to be mere exaggeration after the fact.
A mystery still troubling some researchers is the identity of the Frost King. Some theories it to be another name of the Archfey known as the Everfrost Prince, while others point out that Old Rzentur legends claim all fey tried to help the Old Rzentur and that Stairzamr must have been the title of a ancient Snecboth warlord.
Finally, some scholars, in the minority, have proposed that the Frost King was actually a powerful Ice Sleeper chieftain, after recent studies in the Aberith Wastes have proven their societies to be a lot more complex than what was assumed before.