Part II: The Fires of the Forge
Chapter 2: The Gods Rhokki and Myndoz
Before I tell you how I convinced Hef Fastuz to make my weapon of mass destruction I need to tell you a bit of theology from the Drokka Faith concerning two of their gods: Rhokki and Myndoz.
The first you already know about – Rhokki was the Lord of the Mountains, the Bringer of Fire, and the very father of the Drokka race – and I’d been stealing his identity to influence the Drokka to worship him (i.e. me!) for centuries.
As their theology developed, The Kroniklz became filled with tales of Rhokki’s first emergence from the fiery depths, guiding the Drokka to forge their civilization amidst the rocky crags.
One particularly famous legend tells of Rhokki igniting the Great Forge of Kaza-Kul at Oz, bestowing the Drokka with the secrets of metallurgy. This divine gift allowed them to craft weapons and tools that set them apart from all other races, solidifying Rhokki’s place as their eternal protector and benefactor.
As the Drokka society grew, so did their pantheon of gods, with Myndoz rising from the shadows of obscurity to stand beside Rhokki as one of their chief gods. Unlike Rhokki, the Drokka Kroniklz of Chaldea described Myndoz not as a giant, but instead as a Drokka of normal size, yet one who was incredibly (read: immeasurably) old. As the Drokka religion developed, Myndoz morphed into their God of Intelligence and Healing. Myndoz was said to possess knowledge that transcended mortal understanding. Other stories abounded of how Myndoz’s remedies cured plagues that once ravaged the Drokka, and how his counsel led them through periods of great turmoil with wisdom that seemed almost prophetic.
[Naturally I was aware of the Drokka’s worship of Myndoz as part of their pantheon of gods and it should be noted that Myndoz was in fact a real god, but (as far as I knew) he’d never been out of Illyria and his truename was ‘Mindos’ – a spirit created by the union of the great spirits A’H and Madras many eons ago. Thinking the real Myndoz wasn’t interested in worship from men, I let the Drokka scribes and priests continue to build him as a ‘god’ into the fabric of their religion since I figured I could use it to my advantage one day].
As their theology developed, Rhokki remained the primary god for the Drokka, but Myndoz was part of a group of other godlings that the Nave priests developed in order to have more excuses to get the common people to ‘donate’ to the church. Over time, a ‘history’ of Myndoz was created…
The Kroniklz recount a time when the cosmos shook with the clash of titans that raged across the heavens. The evil god Baal chopped off the skull of the mysterious creator god He Who Has No Name (HWHNN) during their great battle in The Time Before. The legend states that after Baal left HWHNN for dead, Myndoz poured out of the latter’s skull and healed him.
This miraculous birth set the stage for Myndoz’s role as the eternal healer and sage. The tale goes on to say that Myndoz later created the Balkeryz (i.e. the angelic fates born from Myndoz’s divine essence who are ethereal beings of light and shadow). Tasked with guiding the destinies of the Drokka, they served as intermediaries between Rhokki and the mortal realm, ensuring that the will of the mountains was carried out with unwavering fidelity. Since he created them, Myndoz was considered to be The First Balkery of Astengarten and also The High Balkery (aka highest high priest of the Drokka faith).
The Kroniklz also attest that Myndoz helped HWHNN to create the Ragnaroken (i.e. Illusia), where those two later imprisoned Baal.
Myndoz was thus held to be the brother of HWHNN and the source of all wisdom for the Drokka people.
As you can see Rhokki and Myndoz were a big deal to the Drokka. The gods were celebrated – every year the Festival of the Forge honored Rhokki’s contributions with grand displays of pyrotechnics, while the Healing Day honored Myndoz with a solemn procession where the sick and injured sought blessings from the High Priests of Myndoz (for a price, of course). These rituals were more than mere traditions; they were a testament to the gods’ enduring presence in Drokka life.
Meanwhile – since nothing with religion is ever as it seems – I should let you know that the Drokka priests (from The Naves clan) used the people’s belief in Rhokki, Myndoz, and the Balkeryz to influence Drokka society. As one of the seven elite families who secretly ruled the kingdom, The Naves’ theological foundation helped to create a society where divine guidance was seen as essential to leadership and decision-making – further ensuring their clans’ power. Naturally I was behind this – by manipulating their religious texts and influencing their priests, I maintained control over their hearts and minds too, setting the stage for my grand designs.
Did you enjoy this little lesson on religion?
It’s all poppycock, of course, but then again this is a fiction story, right? RIGHT?!?
The Apocrypha of Azazel 