It is Nicodas, 3rd of the Month of Rain, in the year 96
The Giant Gods of the Gaerfyrddin
The Gaerfyrddin worship the Giant-Gods, sometimes known as Giantkin or simply, as Giants. For each of the individual deities, they are depicted as anywhere between twenty feet and fifty feet tall, and usually have stocky figures to go with it. However, their worship does not begin and end with these enormous humanoids, as they also worship a general animism that includes the spirits of nature and animals. The faith is dwindling, in no small part to it being an oral tradition, and lots of the old Gods are lost entirely.
Their faith follows a core belief that the mortal realm is not the only one; to them it is known as the Coedwig, coming from the word for woodland. Beyond the seas they believe there is a great landmass of forest, wherein giant oak trees uphold the sky like pillars. And beyond the sky, supported by the great roots of Coedwig, is Oswfyn; an Otherworld, a land that is both the realm of the dead and of the Giant-Gods. The Giants there once had a history upon the mortal realm, but no longer visit, and the Gaerfiddyrin do consider their Gods to be distant and ungiving in life. The rewards of their worship and service are believed to culminate after they have died and are welcomed into Oswfyn as an immortal and loved spirit. Most appeals made to the Gods from the mortal realm concern safe passage into the afterlife, good weather, and safe births. Everything else is not important enough to cry out to the Gods for, and would typically receive no answer.
Their understanding of Aetheric power is that it is part of the Wyrd, a thin shroud that covers the Coedwig and has veins of magic known as Ley Lines. They believe that Aetheric users harness the Wyrd and that too much can rip tears in the shroud and damage it. Because of this, any Druid who manages to harness it will use it sparingly and cautiously, and with frequent repayment via sacrifice.
"The Old Druid can see the Ley Lines with his own mortal eyes, or so he says."
- A Gaerfyrddin hunter, speaking of an Attuned Druid
The Remembered Giant Gods
Osian, Antlered One
Osian is the Giant-God of the Otherworld, known to the Gaerfyddrin as Oswfyn, which is a haven of plenty and immortal safety and a land of the dead. However, Osian is a complicated God who encompasses the most broadly-known and still worshipped parts of this esoteric faith. His ‘sphere’ does not end with the Afterlife, but instead encompasses all ancient tribal chiefs and hunting. This is largely due to the fact that He is chief amongst the Giantkin, and hunting has always been a primary way for the Gaerfyrddin to show strength, command, and wits.
Osian is said to be a merciful but powerful leader, maintaining an eternal peace in Oswfyn where the people may feast with no fear of disease, war or starvation. Everything is endless in His halls, as a generous reward for a more meagre and modest life in the Coedwig. It is said that in His youth, a thousand years ago, Osian was a lean archer who drew back the arrow that carried the sun into its place in the sky, though sometimes this myth changes to the moon or purposeful placements of constellations.
Osian is commonly depicted as grey-bearded or brunet, aged and rotund, as an idyllic representation of old age; however, this may range hugely between tribes and counties due to the fact that the faith is unwritten and warped by centuries of story-telling and being passed on over campfires. To some He may be blonde, to others He may be carved with strong muscles. However, the one consistent factor is that He is antlered. He usually wears the vast, thick antlers of a Hart, either considered part of His head or a trophy taking the place of a crown. Because of this, made from iron, copper and wood, Gaerfyddrin chiefs are well-known for making circlets with branch-like or antler-like styling.
He’s prayed to before and after hunts, and a shrine to Him is most often found in the halls of a tribal Chief, but is typically open to everyone as their villages are humble and communal. A symbol dedicated to him is often carved bows, even now, and even in the military of Dumanon where the Gaerfyrddin hold an impressive place as ranged fighters. These little whispers are how their Gods will live on.
Ulwen, Mother of All
Still-living in the memory and cult worship of the Gaerfyrddin is Ulwen. An expectedly beautiful but soft-bodied God of Motherhood, birth and health. She serves a very broad place and is typically revered in medicine huts and preached about by elderwomen. She birthed all of the Gods though no surviving legend ever depicts Her with a husband - instead they were born simply when She decided it was about time the Coedwig had human life amongst the animals. Because of this, the Gods have no divine father.
From Her came everything else, so Her position is lofty. She celebrates eternally with Her Sons and Daughters in the afterlife, but Her power is still felt when called upon to safely bring babes into the world. This is commonly hailed upon when a mother is sickly during pregnancy, or enters labour prematurely - during which time, Druids will attempt sacrifices in exchange for a healthy newborn.
Meilyr, Trickster
Meilyr is a dark God, depicted most often as a shadow with no face nor even a distinct silhouette. He is simply Man, but composed entirely of magicks. He is the only God that is not bound to Oswfyn, and is in fact alive and well in the darkwoods of the world. It is said that He travels the Coedwig via the Ley Lines of the Wyrd.
Not much is recorded nor even spoken of when it comes to Meilyr, other than as a way to scare children and keep ambitious Druids in line. He is who tempts those who use Aetheric power into using it too much; compromising the stability of the world and magic itself. It is said that he thrives in chaos and desires a barren world, which he can only achieve if the Wyrd is completely torn asunder by reckless Attuned. This oftentimes ranges into general warnings of bad behaviour and tales of trickster and tempter behaviours for people without the gift as well.
Cadell, The Autumn-Haired
Another still-known God of the Gaerfyrddin is Cadell, though He lacks titles and isn’t worshipped everywhere in their old territories. The hills and valleys are most likely to remember Him. He provides the great bounties and yields that feed the halls of the afterlife, and once created all malleable land in Coedwig.
Due to the fact that the Gods are considered distant to the people at this point in the faith, these aspects of Him aren’t often prayed to. Instead, He receives sacrifices for good weather from experienced druids, usually around autumn, or for conjuring summer itself after long winters. Extremely rare depictions of him would show a lean worker of extremely mortal appearance, but comparatively gigantic and typically resting upon a hill after hard work. He is described as The Autumn Haired God, but no one can quite agree what this means; golden or ginger, earthy brunette? The tribes all disagree.
The Three Sisters
The ‘Three Sisters’ are another very faded part of the faith, revolving around a central area of woodland with three rivers running through it. These more youthful giants each represent poetry, dance, and weaving. They are quite literally three sisters, often blonde-haired and pretty, and they bring colour and floral representations to the earthy faith.
They are most important to women and in part represent girlhood itself. But they are also the muses of the faith, the center of Gaerfyrddin traditional arts. They bring life and party to the halls of Oswfyn, and many a Gaerfyrddin man laments about claiming one for his own. There are many tales of them tangling with and falling in love with mortal men.
Their names are different depending on region and legend, but locally and where they are best recalled, they are known as; Cerys, Mair, and Liliwen. As are the true rivers!
Druids
The faith is most alive in the practitioners. Druids fill the role of priests, and dedicate their entire lives to becoming attuned with the wilds and the Gods. They fulfil ritual and sacrifice on behalf of their tribes, usually consisting of predator-animals from the wilds. Everything from snakes to wolves may be found at an altar when a Druid needs to call upon the far-away powers. These people are typically engrossed in nature, and are caring but not blind to the harshness of the world around them. They may live like hermits but they are a crucial part of ceremony in the villages, and throughout the year guide the people through many situations in the twists and turns of life. Most often, Druids are men, and some tribes may never accept a woman into this role. Some villages may allow it, however, especially in the event of no one else being capable of it.
Not all Druids are Aether Attuned, in fact most are not. But on the occasions that an Aether Attuned child is born to a tribe, they are most likely to be put on the path of Druidcraft if it is possible. That does not mean however, that Attunement is singularly celebrated in Gaerfyrddin culture - differing to Dumanon and Lothian, the Gaerfyrddin are actually greatly cautious of the Attuned, due to the potential damage it can do to the Wyrd, and the fact that those who go mad with it are the perfect tools for Meilyr's darkness. Training them to be Druids is seen as a way to keep them good.
Author: Oakbug
Contributions: Hugh-Gi-Oh
Page Created by: Oakbug