[image of lirse shrine]
Across all types and colonies, lirse tend to hold the same core beliefs. They are a polytheistic people, believing that there are seven main gods and deities with dominion over the Sky, the Earth, Harvest, the Waters, Knowledge, the Under, and the After.
It is Kaelum's breaths that moves the wind in the Sky.
Kaelum is believed to be an enormous lirse of unknown description. It's said that the beating of her wings moves clouds across the sky. When night falls, lirse believe that Kaelum has stretched her wings across the sky. The moons are Kaelum's eyes, watching down upon lirse through the night.
The night of the new moon is something of a cursed night for lirse. They only leave their homes and burrows on very urgent business; if Kaelum isn't there to look after them, there's no telling what harm might befall them. Oddly, this superstition does not extend to overcast nights.
A rare flower, ancatheia, is said to bloom where Kaelum has shed tears. Shrines often spring up where ancatheia have been found, and it's forbidden to pluck the flowers except for sacred rituals.
If you must leave your home on a new moon, it's recommended to wear or carry a moonstone or an opal, to bring Kaelum's guidance with you.
Kaelum is not associated with any one month, as her influence is believed to be with her children always.
Domain: The sky, among the stars
Animals: Bar-headed Goose, Brown Bear, Owl
Symbols: A circle within a circle, diadem, ancatheia
The Earth rests upon Glebok's back. He holds up the soil of the world.
Lirse believe Glebok to be a huge lizard. Islands are held on the backs of his children. Tremors in the earth happen when Glebok becomes restless, and more dedicated lirse give tributes to him so that he does not have to rise and search for his own entertainment.
Glebok is believed to be Kaelum's lover. Mountains are his attempts to be closer to her. The biggest tribute that a lirse can pay to him is to plant seedlings and young plants, to help stabilize his soil and purify Kaelum's air.
Associated with November, which is traditionally a time for gathering with loved ones to prepare for the winter ahead.
Many devotees obtain a small vessel of dirt from the sacred shrine of Dalnath, and grow a small plant in a place of honor to bring Glebok's presence into their home.
During housewarming events, a small handful of soil is thrown through the main entrance of the dwelling as a way to express gratitude for the site Glebok has provided.
Domain: Deep within the bowels of the earth, farther than any lirse can burrow.
Animals: Geckos, skinks, ostriches.
Symbols: Three peaks, ostrich feather, a stylized lizard.
The Harvest is presided over by Arhebo.
Said to be the father of humanity, Arhebo taught early people how to cultivate their own food, allowing humans to settle in established locations. He passed on many cultivation techniques and taught farmers how to breed and domesticate crops.
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Depending on the region, his name may be spelled as Arehbo.
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The Waters of the world are the result of Nimber’s tears.
Nimber is a god/dess who’s neither male nor female and uses pronouns interchangeably. No two colonies really agree on what Nimber is; some claim the god to be a whale, others believe Nimber to be a great wolf, a dragon, a goose, a human, and or others creatures beyond. Some colonies even refer to Nimber more as a group than an individual.
The one thing lirse can agree upon is the fact that water, Nimber's tears, fell from Nimber's eyes when the god's children died of a great drought many years ago.
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Siethe is the goddess of knowledge.
An eager learner, it is her lessons that raise a lirse from Student to Teacher, and from Teacher to Scholar. She is said to be elegant and lovely, and has endless patience for students young and old. She is Kaelum’s sister, and helped the Sky goddess through many early lessons.
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Talpat is responsible for the caves that burrow throughout the soil on Glebok's back.
Talpat is an ancient lirse who merely loves to dig. Some colonies say she has a younger sister, Erris who shares her passion for digging. All naturally formed caves are believed to be the work of Talpat and Erris. These natural caves are created to give lirse a safe place to live, and lirse leave tributes to Talpat and her sister in more impressive caverns.
Sink holes and cave-ins are caused by the sisters dancing and wrestling. Some lirse colonies pay tribute to Talpat merely by digging impressive burrows, which are often donated to those in need of a place to live.
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Mortes is the enigmatic goddess of the After.
Seductive and mysterious, it is she who welcomes all living things into her realm after their life has ended. Little is known of her, as few return to the living once joining her. Despite the unknowns, lirse celebrate Mortes. She is their new mother in the next life.
Yearly, most colonies hold a festival, remembering dead loved ones and gaining favor with Mortes.
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Beyond the main seven, many colonies have their own more minor gods. Some of these are shared with multiple colonies while others hold sway in just one lone bastion.