The Sogn of the Godking

Out of all the faiths and belief systems around the world, Istrania may have one of the weirder and more loose systems as it looks more like a decentralised system, of smaller cults who share the same belief and leadership than one true organised religion.

The True Sogns of The Godking
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Founder	unknown
Leader(s)	The Voice
Language	Old Istranian
Place of Origin	Istrania
Deity/Deities	The Godking
Theology	Monotheism, Veneration
Religious Practices	Icons, Oaths, pilgrimages
Followers	2
Associated Nations	The Eternal Kingdom of Istrania
Age (Lore)	1004 Years
Founded (Lore)	Era Vetus Year 1000
Founded (Real Life)	18/07/2026 (-1 days old)
Status	Growing

History

The Golden Past:

The Godking originated from an old world, where the land was prosperous and laced with honey, where the mountain was of pure gold. In this age of glory and peace, the being we known as the godking united the old tribes of Istramark into one mighty kingdom. A great kingdom, he ruled from the holy capital of Interdam, which he created from the ground with his power. For a time, the godking ruled the kingdom both fairly and benevolently into a golden age with no need.

The Dark Time:

Then the dark time arrived, where great droughts swept the land, taking the green with it and leaving the earth barren. Grand storms followed, and ravaged the kingdom, tore away everything not made out of stone with them. Then the sun disappeared, leaving the oceans and sea to freeze solid. Some of those events are disputed by some sogns, it is agreed upon by all that the Dark Time was a calamity of unknown size and left open the road for the Lord of Thunder and Lightning. Who the Lord of Thunder was and Lightning or where he come from is not know and matter not, as his arrive to Istramark starting the Great War of Darkness.

The Great War of Darkness

The Lord of Thunder rallies his mighty legions of beasts for war against the people of Istramark, and their monarch, their god in what become a titanic war of 30 years, where nature itself becomes weapons, may it be in the form of lightning by The Lord or the Godking bringing the ocean to his command.

This titanic war of calamity came to an end in the ruins of Holy Interdam, where in single combat, the Godking killed the Lord of Thunder and Lightning and broke his legions, saving the Istranian. Yet he did not come unscathed, as the Godking suffered grievous wounds, so grievous that he have to be moved underground to his throne room deep below the ruins of Holy Interdam to slowly recover from his wounds, leaving his subjects and followers without guidance.

The Creation of the Sogns.

When the Godking no longer able to guide the mortal realm, his followers try to follow his example and to safeguard his kingdom, to keep it eternal, yet mortal hands could not compare to The godking. Istrania, the grand kingdom make by the Godking slowing fading over time, become stagnated, but the faith in the Godking remian strong. The Faith become divide and loose, the faithful still believe in the Godking, but differ with theology, ever more when the first Blessed ones arrive. Still all the faithfuls remain true to the holy light of the Godking, and the fact that when the Godking has fully recovered, he will return from the depths and lead Istraniainto a new golden age of peace and prosperity.

Matter of theology are now solve with the Sogn system, that organisering the difference cults into sogns.

Religious Practies, Traditions and texts.

The Blessed Ones:

When the Godking was recovering in his underground throne room, it did not mean that the Istranians would be left totally alone. There are tales of what is now called the Blessed Ones: people have received divine guidance or inspiration from the Godking himself: the mighty warrior, the righteous Hero, or the faithful martyr. Each one touched by the Godking is venerated by different cults as a perfect example of what they themselves should strive to become. Some may also pray to the Blessed Ones to pass on their prayers to the Godking himself.

So far only the followed Blessed are know today

-Poly the Sailor:

The Last Voyage

Poly was a captain of a small fishing vessel during the darkest time after the Great War of Darkness. Food was still difficult to grow, so Poly sailed beyond what any man or woman had ventured before in search of fertile lands.

During the journey, Poly’s ship was struck by a great storm; his crew begged to turn back, but Poly refused and prayed for help from the Godking.

A path suddenly formed, divided the storm in two, and allowed Poly to reach the fertile land of the East to gather enough food to sustain Istrania for years.

What happened to Poly afterward is unknown. Some versions claim he never returned, and only his ship came home. Others say he departed once more, this time sailing westward, and was lost beyond the horizon.

-Mune the Hero:

Mune was, according to legends, an ordinary soldier long ago. During a raid by eastern raiders, Mune found himself the only defender of a village. Rather than abandon the villagers and save his life at the cost of dishonouring himself and betraying what the Godking stood for, Mune faced his coming death with courage and acceptance. He fought until his shield and sword were shattered, then used his fists until his last breath, and as he collapsed from his wound, a white vision of the Godking appeared before all, grabbing Mune before he could hit the ground.

The Godking is said to have looked upon him and declared that no servant who gave everything for his people would ever truly fall. The vision then vanished along with Mune.

It is said that Mune now stands guard at the throne of the Godking as a reward for his duty, courage and devotion.

-Johna the warrior

Johna was a warrior during the Great War of Darkness, stationed at the border, and was one of the first to face the horde of the Dark Lord of Thunder and Lightning.

Recognising that there was not enough time to send a warning by herself, she ordered her men to ride with all haste back to Interdam with the new about the incoming threat, as she would stay back and buy the time needed.

Alone, she stood at the pass, along, she faced the enemy. First they came one at a time, then two at a time, then as the bodies started to pile up, they rushed en masse, yet she still stood fast. Only when night arrived could the Dark Lord’s forces break through the pass, but it is said that when they did it, they found that Johna’s body was still standing with sword in hand even after death.

-Mahus the builder

Mahus was not a soldier. He was a mason. During the worst fighting in the great war of Darkness, he was tasked with maintaining a section of the wall that defended Holy Interdam. Every night, he spent repairing the damage. Every day, the horde would attack and ruin his repairs.

Soon, people started to despair and lose hope, believing the Godking had abandoned them or the war was lost, yet Mahus refused to fall, and kept maintaining the wall, even as his strength started to leave him. People begged for him to stop, to save himself, but Mahus only answered with “He will return”.

He died the day after, and as the wall cracked without its mason and the horde rushed in, they were met by the Godking and his returning army. Whether Mahus truly knew of the Godking's return before his death is unknown.

The Herald:

While the different cults that make up the faith system of Istranians may differ on specific Blessed Ones, there is another character that all of them share other than the Godking. The Herald is a mysterious figure. Some describe a fair angelic lady with a pair of black wings and beautiful brown hair; others describe it with two horns and skin black as obsidian instead. There are even some cases, where The Herald having many eyes. All that can be agreed about The Herald is that it is a being of death, the fury and wrath of the Godking manifest into a person to strike down the traitors, the heretics and the damned. Even the culture of Istranians reflects that in how they speak: to invoke The Herald against someone, may it be bitter rivals or rude foreigners, is to wish a brutal death upon them

Other stuff

- Leadership

The Voice are the highest religious rank within both Istrania and the sogns, as he or she serves as the official “voice” of the godking by being the intermediary between the mortal realm and his holy Highness. Due to this role, The Voice also serves as the leader and representative of the Sogns in mortal matter.

The Sogn Elder are responsible for a sogn/cult, and answered to The Voice. His/Her roles including watching out for heretics, and those who fall from the light of the Godking, maintain religious purtiy within one's sogn and that the sogn will not stay away from his truth.

- Locations

Wip