Followers: Vetians
Main countries of worship: Azoh
Azohicans worship two deities: Topec and Eztli, who represent opposites and duality.
Topec is the sun goddess and creatrix, represented by light, earth, water, and jaguars. She is portrayed as a kind goddess and a protector. She is believed to be the eventual winner in the struggle, and requires offerings to sustain her strength and keep the bonds of Eztli tied. These offerings can range from gifts of stones and flowers to bloodletting, but usually fall on the former unless there has been a serious illness or disturbance.
Eztli is the night god and destroyer, represented by night, snakes, and bones. He is the vengeful and bitter enemy of Topec. His traditional role in stories is that of deciever and villain, who is crushed between the teeth of Topec as the jaguar and buried beneath her at the center of the earth. Vetexire practicioners have a learned hatred for venomous snakes, non-venomous snakes are revered as having broken from Eztli's bonds.
Both deities are seen as less concerned with human affairs than the life and death matters of their struggle.
Vetexire practicioners believe in two afterlives, one good and one bad. In their belief, those who have done evil go to the pits with Eztli, while those who have done good go to the sky with Topec and shine the light of the morning star. Those who are neutral become the stars that light up the night, neither in Eztli's domain nor in Topec's sky. As a result, funerals are always held at dawn, so that the soul has a chance of reaching Topec before Eztli lays claim.
Vetexire believers follow the four good paths that guide their beliefs and actions, as well as four commands, which guide rituals and actions.
The four Good Ways:
First: Think of others before yourself. Do not let your actions be driven by greed and self-interest
Second: Respect the natural world. We are not above it, nor below it. Do not forget the creatures who do not speak [your language].
Third: Remember the cycle. Every day you are alive is a blessing that Topec has not lost. Do not let Eztli [hopelessness] tempt you.
Fourth: Do not fight for self-interest, but to defend others. Blood must not be spilled in greed, or you will turn to Eztli and walk the endless night.
Four Commands
First: Wash the body before entering a ritual space
Second: No ritual should take place in darkness. A fire should be lit to keep Eztli from interfering.
Third: All are worthy of a place in the ritual, no one should exclude another unless they have fallen into Eztli's pit.
Fourth: Remember and respect those who have died and include a place for them at the ritual.
Vetexire is closely intertwined with the politics of Azoh, meaning the Azohican political leaders are also religious. The Dira are seen as Topec's children or avatars, and the Mezi are the avatar's servants. It is incredibly rare that the Mezi are not Vetians themselves. In some larger cities, priests order themselves as Dirati and Meziti of local temples, but many small temples are unconstricted by hierarchy.