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Roleplayer · **09-22-2017, 09:17 PM**

Hello!

I have a Raen girl that I would like to play as some sort of studious priestess to the Dawn Father.

I was hoping to have her sort of travelling around as part of her studies in anthropology and such. Is that acceptable in terms of lore?

That's all I have about her concept so far and I was wondering if anyone had any advice or could point me to some information to help flesh those parts out ^-^;;

LiadansWhisper · **09-22-2017, 09:54 PM**

(09-22-2017, 09:17 PM)Roleplayer Wrote: Hello!

I have a Raen girl that I would like to play as some sort of studious priestess to the Dawn Father.

I was hoping to have her sort of travelling around as part of her studies in anthropology and such. Is that acceptable in terms of lore?

That's all I have about her concept so far and I was wondering if anyone had any advice or could point me to some information to help flesh those parts out ^-^;;

I don't know that we have much of any information about a clergy of the Dawn Father or Dusk Mother. In fact, we really don't have much on clergy in the game at all beyond what we see in Ishgard with Halone and the monks that follow Rhalgr.

Hopefully Sounsyy will be along to provide what we do have! But I can't recall any off the top of my head.

Which sucks. I like playing clergy-type characters, but it's really hard in this game. :-\

Roleplayer · **09-22-2017, 10:03 PM**

I figured that since there are deities that there would be those that worship them actively but yes, now that you mention it, I don't recall any besides the ones for Halone and Rhalgr.

I'm holding out for some sort of follower-type group, similar to those for Taoism and Buddhism, but I suppose if worst comes to worst I can figure something else out.

Thank you for your reply at least ^-^

LiadansWhisper · **09-22-2017, 10:34 PM**

(09-22-2017, 10:03 PM)Roleplayer Wrote: I figured that since there are deities that there would be those that worship them actively but yes, now that you mention it, I don't recall any besides the ones for Halone and Rhalgr.

I'm holding out for some sort of follower-type group, similar to those for Taoism and Buddhism, but I suppose if worst comes to worst I can figure something else out.

Thank you for your reply at least ^-^

Well, yes, there should be. But the only ones we ever really run into are the Clergy in Eastern Thanalan who care for the deceased, the Halone clergy that figure large in the HW plotline, and the monks that worship Rhalgr.

Which is, admittedly, weird. I know that there is a clan of Xaela who handle the sacred soil before the Nadaam (I forget their name), and they might be the closest thing to "clergy" in the Steppe. The great mother of the Mol also seems to be a shaman of some sort, but it's never really elaborated on.

There's a shuttered temple that has some connection to geomancy in Yanxia, but, again, it's never really elaborated on.

Wish I had more for you. :-\

Fox · **09-22-2017, 10:41 PM**

Mol Wrote:A small tribe of devout worshippers of the elder gods, the Mol will consult with their deities (via a shaman conduit) before making any tribe-related decisions, from the direction of their next migration, to the beasts they will hunt each day for food.

This is probably one of the closer 'priestess' type roles that we see in the game.
I want to say that this isn't really solely locked into the Mol (having shaman) as I believe the Dotharl have them as well. It's been some weeks since I did the questline and I want to say that there is shaman among the other tribes; but their roles may be different. But I'd have to go through all the Steppe questlogs to see.

Sounsyy · **09-23-2017, 12:01 AM**

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a Raen character who's a priestess or self-styled priestess of the Dawn Father, Azim. That said, there is no such formal religion or resulting priesthood surrounding the Dawn Father in the lore yet.

Why? Because most Raen don't actually worship the Dawn Father. The Raen, who have long since abandoned their ancestral lands, most often adopt the culture and customs of the land they settle and live. In the case of most Raen, this means Yanxia, the Ruby Sea, and Hingashi. In these lands, the kami are worshiped and so the majority of the Raen likewise revere or worship these same kami.

Where we see the most worship of Azim is in the Oronir tribe, who, while Xaela, believe themselves to be descended from Father Azim. However, this differs from many of the other tribe's views of the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother. This complicates a single organized religion of either deity, as beliefs surrounding the worship of the two Auri deities varies between tribes. For instance:

Baatu Wrote:Some say that the dominion of the Dawn Father and the Dusk Mother does not extend beneath the water. But ours does. Indeed, the Oronir fear naught above nor below.

Hien Wrote:Temulun Khatun taught me but a fraction, you see... How this world born of the gods was to be their battlefield, their creations to fight in their stead. How Azim, Father of the Dawn, he who birthed the sun, and Nhaama, Mother of the Dusk, she who birthed the moon, made the Au Ra... Yet though these children warred for a time, eventually they laid down their arms and came to love one another. And so the gods bequeathed this world to their children, and ascended to the heavens whence they came. Those born of the Dawn Father were called the Raen, and those born of the Dusk Mother were called the Xaela. So it was and ever after.

Udutai Wrote:Before we begin, tell me: what do you know of the Au Ra, and how they came to be? Yes, yes. A common tale, and one believed by many tribes. But what it does not mention is this: Azim and Nhaama were lovers. Oh, they fought in the beginning, as did their creations. That much is true. But when they saw how the Xaela and the Raen rose above their hatreds and joined hands in harmony, their hearts stirred, and the love their children shared became theirs as well.

Alas, he was of the sun and she of the moon. Apart they must remain, lest day and night cease to be, and with them all creation. With sadness in their hearts they returned to the heavensâ”€he to the day, she to the night, destined to walk before and after, never to meet. As time passed, Azim's yearning for his beloved grew deeper still. Was there truly naught that could be done, he wondered. At last, he knew.

"If the Father cannot be with the Mother, then he shall go amongst her children. Now and ever after.â€œ So it was that Azim took a fragment of his being and with it fashioned an avatar. Clad in scale of midnight, he descended, and sought out the Xaela. Yea, he was the first Oronir. We are of his flesh and his blood. We are the children of Azim, and it is our duty to watch over and keep the Xaela safe.

Dotharli Youth Wrote:It was only a few weeks ago that both my mother and father were taken from me by the heartless Oronir. Their deaths made me realize that I must commune with the Dusk Mother. I shall pray that she strike down those who pretend they are the children of Azim, and that she continue to nurture the Dotharl. Nhaama resides in the House of the Crooked Coin to the north. I have heard many tales recently of pilgrims being slain by the monsters that lie in wait along the trail.

Hope this helps somewhat! Like Liadan pointed out, the scope of our information regarding clergies, religious groups, etc is very limited (with most references to Halone, Nald'thal, Rhalgr, or Llymlaen. You get the occasional mention of a pilgrim, devotee, or maiden servant of another deity (Menphina comes to mind) but beyond that details are scarce. For Stormblood, it's the kami that get most of the focus.

LiadansWhisper · **09-23-2017, 03:06 AM**

I feel it is a crying shame that we know more about how the Kojin revere their deities (the kami) than we do about how Nophica, Nald'thal or Ayzema are worshiped.

Sounsyy · **09-23-2017, 08:13 AM**

I wouldn't say that, necessarily. We have a fair bit of lore on Azeyma, Nophica, and Nald'thal. It's just that the Far Easterners' worship of the kami is so far the largest religion regionally, with practitioners in Yanxia, Nagxia, the Ruby Sea, and Hingashi. Whereas in Eorzea, worship of the "Twelve" may be commonplace, but because the city-states rarely interacted until very recently, much less like each other, we find the ways Eorzeans worship the Twelve are disjointed or contradictory to how others in a different region would worship that deity. Which is likely why the few "organized" religions we see are coincidentally also the patron/matron guardians of the city-states themselves: Halone, Nald'thal, Rhalgr, Nophica, and to some extent Llymlaen.

LiadansWhisper · **09-23-2017, 06:48 PM**

I have obviously missed the descriptions of what is involved in veneration of Nophica. ._. There's that big altar in Gridania, but I have no idea what goes inside it.

Roleplayer · **09-23-2017, 07:34 PM**

Thank you so much for all the information!

Really blew me away, I didn't expect much to be out there.

I think I have more of an idea forming now for my Raen girl, excited!

Thank you all for your help and wisdom!

I may post later if I have new questions ^-^

Priestess/Acolyte?

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