Ru'atin Peri'el (book)
The Ru'atin Peri'el
Archives of the Ru'atin
Scribed by Lanahh'sa dan'Inhhri
The Ru'atin
The Ru'atin were formed several centuries ago solely on the principle of upholding Peri'el in her unending service toward the pacification of the World Dragon. An exclusively female group, they place large store on worship through music, though they also welcome those with large devotion rather than musical ability. However, the most sacred rituals of the order are so closely tied in with music that non-musical members are often relegated to more ancillary tasks such as recruiting, accounting, or the mundane tasks of caring for the Ru'atin's various facilities.
There are many approaches to worship -- the key is to find the method truest to one's soul. Peri'el adores music, and of course every Ru'atin is interested in singing for the Festival, but the goddess would be better pleased by honest, intimate devotion than by a devotee attempting to force themselves into an unsuiting role.
The Ru'atin have played a large role in the past, though in recent times their involvement has dwindled with the goddess's slight decrease in popularity. They are still, however, in many ways one of the premiere supporters of S'Kra society as it is currently known.
A Brief History
The first singing of the Praise Song, arranged by an elder priestess of Peri'el named Aarshna tal'Hhnth, marked the first gathering of the Ru'atin Peri'el. The exact date of this event is unknown, but is believed to predate the formation of the Seven Pointed Star Empire by roughly a century. Aarshna worked in tandem with the official founder of the Ru'atin, Maligen Shanati.
Despite drastic changes in S'Kra society since that formation, little has changed with the Ru'atin. They remained an undercurrent to society -- a firm boulder on which to rest when all else was in chaos.
Though earning much prestige in many horrendous battles, the fearsome company known as the Steel Circle, the "outsider" title of the Dai Sept Ru'atin, refused to fight in the Elven-Human War. It was due to the criticism levied upon the Ru'atin by their Elf-supporting comrades that they fell into some disfavor at this time, and retreated into the background of local culture. Some believe that the retreat of the Ru'atin left a gap into which Sh'kial, the first Dragon Priest, was able to advance.
In the beginning the Ru'atin tolerated Sh'kial and his priests, with only some reservations, but its later history under the iron-fisted leadership of the Hag Dzree cast a stain upon the Priests that, for the Ru'atin and most of the world, will never be removed. Many in the sept still retain a thread of steel in their peaceful veins for the wrongs done to the priestesshood during the later eras, for many of the Ru'atin were coldly slaughtered by Dzree's minions. Many, mostly those of the Steel Circle, have gone so far as to assert that the horrendously violent end to the Dragon Priest era should have been foreseen, as the great beast is a thing of rage to be suppressed, not worshiped.
Much venom is held by the Dai Sept in particular even in modern times, as they have perhaps ten percent of their original numbers, having lost many in defense of their sisters during the Dragon Priest rampages.
Historically, the Ru'atin have held a reputation as a helping hand when there is need, a staunch distributor of firm justice to those who ask, a devout supporter of the arts, and an unfaltering blade in the realm of war.
The Four Septs
As the Ru'atin were formed mostly by happenstance, it should seem natural that there were difficulties in opinion for the worship of the goddess. The end result of this was the formation of the Four Septs -- Tuul, Tan'yi, Malk, and Dai. The Septs were formed to classify those in the Order by belief and ability -- but to order them, the First Singer created a series of ranks: the Kapo Peri'el, the Sara'pon Peri'el, and the leader of all Sisters, the Ur'Kapo Peri'el, or First Singer.
Tuul Sept:
Epitomizing Peri'el's purity and kindness, their role in
the song is the high, warbling soprano. Often quiet and
shy, they are the gentlest of the Ru'atin.
Tan'yi Sept:
Singers of the alto line, these Ru'atin are devoted utterly
to Peri'el's music. The most devoted of these are rumored
to hear the Voice of the goddess more than any other.
They spend much time in musical communion and play a
wide variety of instruments.
Malk Sept:
Embodying Peri'el's legendary honor, they revere most the
virtues of the tail. Singing the powerful tenor line,
they are the proudest of the Ru'atin, and often serve as
lawmakers.
Dai:
Warrior maids, their place in the song is the bass line --
a low, rhythmic chant. These warriors have figured in to
many battles, their valor unmatched, and are known on the
field as the Steel Circle.
This worked out well, and many believe that Peri'el had
divine influence over the divisions. Certainly those who
hold with Urshaanin's Singularity found their beliefs
reinforced.
Entry into the Ru'atin begins with a ritual commune. The prospective acolyte travels to a cave deep below the surface of the earth, cleansed and blessed by the Shh'oi Pohokapo and garbed in robes of white. She then begins to sing, placing her passion and will into the song. If Peri'el accepts her, she colors the robes of the petitioner, simultaneously accepting her as Ru'atin and placing her into a Sept.
Famous Ru'atin
Isharra ersa'dan'Nerhi:
Most well known as the betrothed of S'zella the
Satirist, she was murdered at a young age by a
jealous competitor for her attentions. However,
she is also highly revered among the Ru'atin as
one of the sweetest voices ever to be led to the
Tuul Sept.
She composed several songs as well, and, had she lived to the proper age, many believe that she would have been one of the Ru'atin's most distinguished Shh'oi Pohokapo. However, her death at a young age placed her instead as one of the most lamented of the Ru'atin.
Ro'saali Red Hand:
A staunch member of Malk Sept, Ro'saali, who late
in her life took on the name 'Red Hand', was one
of the rare Ru'atin who changed Septs at one point
in her life. She began as a fierce warrior of Dai
Sept, known for her valor and balanced temerity.
It was at this time that she took on her nickname.
Later, it is recorded that she communed with Peri'el, with a sacrifice in the form of a fallen foe's hand. The goddess looked upon her and wept, for she saw that Ro'saali bore a great sadness. By way of token she changed the Ru'atin's robes to gold, but left her circlet steel.
Ro'saali bowed to this change, and petitioned for entry into Malk Sept. Given Peri'el's initiative, her petition was of course granted, but not without reservation. Ro'saali faced much criticism and doubt in her work with the Malk, but over time became one of the most trusted justices in the Sept, renowned now for her fairness and unflinching honesty. She was famous for the phrase, Change comes to us all.
Salhari, the Lark:
The Lark was a quick, agile S'Kra who is rumored
to have had dealings with the underside of society.
The Ru'atin, however, have of course never confirmed
these claims -- but the visage of a sable-scaled
S'Kra with glowing amber eyes, engraved upon many
a medallion carried by those rare thieves
prestigious enough to wear one but incautious or
aged enough to be caught, bears an almost undeniable
resemblance to the face of Salhari.
Born a servant, Sarhali was quickly singled out of her family for her nimble fingers, which learned the finger patterns of a number of instruments so well. Those quick hands also learned a number of less reputable arts, it is said, and she ran away from her household to begin a life in shadow.
No one knows how she achieved her nickname, which soon subsumed her birth name in the memory of history. In her prime she took a blast of acid in the face, and was rendered blind. It was then that Peri'el spoke to her, and brought her into the Ru'atin and Tan'yi Sept.
Even now, her prowess with instruments remains the stuff of legend. She was particularly adept with the sitar later in her life -- some believe that this was due to her fervent dedication toward Peri'el.
She also spent much of her time in works of charity, particularly for the beggared and down-of-luck. It is said that she succeeded so well because she could approach them on their own level. Upon her deathbed, she expressed the dying wish to be reunited with her family. The wish was granted, and though their conversation was not recorded in any manner, it is believed that her family forgave her.
Larshh, called Wolftamer:
Larshh was raised a Ranger who traveled with a wild
band of brethren in the forests of Therengia.
When she was just approaching maturity, the band
encountered a force of hostile humans, who outnumbered
the rangers ten to one. For reasons unknown, though
Larshh insisted that brazen cruelty was the only cause,
the human force eradicated the band to a single S'Kra.
They, thinking Larshh dead, left her for the crows. Badly injured, she somehow managed to bury her family and thence hid in the forest for many weeks, waiting for the humans to return. Return they did, and she picked them off one by one with arrows from the trees. Finally, when only two were left, she let out a terrible war cry, and they scattered. Revenged but not heart-whole, she left the forest and went north to the temple of Peri'el, where she dedicated her life to the Dai Sept. Her terrific disdain for humans was the hallmark of her time with the Sept, though she also was said to have a large sympathy for children. When the S'Kra entered the Elven-Human war, she remained with the Sept but was a strong voice from within it for the joining of the war.
The altercation that gave her the name 'Wolftamer' came on a visit to the forest where her family was killed, a pilgrimage that she made every year. She heard the sounds of a group of children playing nearby, and watched from afar. A large wolf approached the group, menacing it. The children were terrified. Larshh intervened, but did not attack the creature. Instead, she began to sing, a low rumbling chant familiar to any of the Dai Sept. The wolf, calmed, turned and roamed back into the forest. It is believed by many that the souls of Larshh's family roam still in that forest, for not all found their way to the Starry Road.
Peri'el Communion
While the goddess is enamored of music in all its many forms, She is believed to most particularly appreciate the distinctive sound of the sitar. It is for this reason that this particular instrument is so often heard in Her temples. However, while clerics may play the sitar to please Peri'el, the most common form of communion is through the small five-stringed lap harp known as the khurmary, or "breath's journey." Another instrument of growing popularity within the order is the steel flute known as a Goddess Voice, or saran'pon'hhs Peri'el. A handspan in length, the flute has a high but mellow sound with a celestial roundness to it that many feel gives them the sensation of being close to the goddess. This type of communion has grown especially popular in recent times, though the khurmary remains the traditional and most used instrument for Ru'atin rituals. Many of the Septs, particular the Tan'yi shun the modern saran'pon'hhs Peri'el as untraditional and even somewhat vulgar, at least as performed in a ritual; the sweetness of the instrument is nearly universally revered.
So often denied the plants and animals of the earth, Peri'el is said to appreciate sage leaves, which can be burned on a cleansed brazier and dedicated to her with prayer. Once the premiere huntress of the gods, she also accepts the sacrifice of the fruits of a successful hunt. Those communing will often create a meal out of their hunt, say a special prayer of thanksgiving over both the felled beast in the field and the meal as it is prepared, and use this to feed the poor. A portion of the herbs used in the preparation of the meal is then sacrificed upon one of Peri'el's altars in celebration of the goddess and Her benevolence. It should be noted that the Ru'atin would never approve of sacrificing an actual animal or solid food item to the goddess; blood sacrifice was one of the greatest atrocities of the Dragon Priest movements, by Ru'atin standards, and the sisters hold the belief that the Goddess would wish any food to go to the hungry, and not burned on her altars.
A Cleric's Accoutrements
Ru'atin often wear a circlet of violets; the Pohokapo wears a coiled king snake upon her head in the metal matching her Sept; the first three Septs should be obvious, as they are named for metals: silver for Tuul, copper for Tan'yi, gold for Malk -- and Dai's metal is steel.
Many of the Ru'atin also wear or carry a brown velvet ribbon or a small leather bag filled with earth, to retain their connections to Hav'roth. In addition, all carry in a small velvet pouch the saran'pon'hhs Peri'el, a tiny and rather oddly shaped silver flute.
A pendant with three beads -- gold, ivory, and iron -- is commonly carried by members of all sept and rank, gold representing Hav'roth, ivory Peri'el, and iron Ushnish. In recent times it has become common to augment the pendant with a contemplation bag -- a small soft leather satchel filled with sand mixed with a compound of sage leaves, dried cactus, and cinnamon. This compound, when inhaled, is thought to enhance meditation.
Enveloping robes in the color of one's Sept, bordered in black, are the essential primary garment of a Ru'atin. A devotee acquires these upon entry to the sisterhood, and only on very rare occasions wears anything else.
Common accessories include the ever-present songbook in its leather satchel, which is often combined with an herb bag, and bone-beaded sandals.
An array of gold tail jewelry, some which may be received as gifts from the devotee's family, other specific molds coming as awards of prestige from the Ru'atin itself, often accompanies the everyday wear of an acolyte. Dai Sept often forgoes this jewelry in common wear, choosing instead to wear only a wide, flat band of gold, but during affairs requiring ceremony, they often make up for their lack of daily jewelry twofold.
The King Snake ring is the most noticeable of a Ru'atin's accoutrements. Its slender golden form coils around the second-largest finger of the right hand, and it is given by the Ur'Kapo Pohokapo upon entry into the Ru'atin.
Praise Song
The performance of the Praise Song is an ancient tradition, the founding force of the Ru'atin. Historically, the rite is performed at dawn on the Day of Praise by twenty-four priestesses, six from each Sept of the Ru'atin. It is a four-part harmony. It can be performed in a smaller group, if the faith of the singers is great and if the parts are divided evenly. The Praise Song serves first and foremost as a conduit to the uninitiated; it is not among the most sacred rituals of the Sisters, which are always performed in the ograth smo'kku'par style. However, the Praise Song is a large part of what identifies the Sisters to outsiders, for they are able to more easily understand its presentation.
Those who have never before heard the performance of the Praise Song are often struck dumb in awe at its ethereal tune. It is said that at the end of a truly powerful performance, Peri'el Herself will smile upon the performers, bringing golden rain from the sky. The original composer's name has been lost to time.
The Praise Song Peri'el, dawning light, We sing your praises now. Blessed Lady, ray of peace, Hear our solemn vow: Long your strength upheld the gods And banished our despair -- For peace you sundered life and limb, Sight and beauty fair. Warrior goddess, might of ages, You taught us virtue true -- That time may wither youth and strength But kindness hope renews. And so this day we bear you up To offer fleeting rest; Our voices offered unto you To keep the beast repressed. Peri'el, martyred teacher, Rest your burden low; Valiant goddess, blessed savior, Peace this day you'll know. Peace this day you'll know.