I, too, decided to elaborate a little more on stuff - in this case, a more detailed writeup of the religion of Bosanda. [hider=The Four Gods] The people of the Eastern Savannah have had but one faith for all their history - the faith of the Four Gods. Tradition holds that on the first day of the first men, the Four Gods came one by one to the first village to offer their wisdom and their blessings to mankind. The Stork came by dawn, the Lion at midday, the Eel at sunset and the Spider in the dead of night. On that village, the city of Konsak was founded, where House Bosanda has ruled ever since. (Many modern practitioners have come to view this story as largely metaphorical, though in the name of tradition they continue to act as though it is literally true.) The Four Gods are considered to be both timeless and genderless, depicted as old and young and male and female all at once. Though the faith is strongest by far in the Savannah, it has spread to a certain extent throughout the kingdom - most large cities will at least have a shrine to the Four, though some see more traffic than others. All worshippers of the Four Gods are expected to make pilgrimage to Konsak at least once in their life, and are encouraged to seek the blessing of the Lord Bosanda as well. The Four Gods are: Stork: The god of art, song, celebration, the sun, joy, carnal love and ease. The patron of lovers, poets, and dancers, it is said that the Stork came at Dawn, his arrival heralded by the most beautiful song known to human ears. It was the Stork that taught the art of glassblowing, led them in a dance and celebrated the dawning of the new age with a raucous feast. He taught people to love one another, to drink deep from the cup of life, and to be ever joyful, and he departed. Lion: The god of war, courage, loyalty, laws, fire, mercy, and strength. Patron of warriors, kings, and parents. The Lion came in midday, when the sun was at its highest, and he made soldiers of men. He taught them to fight and protect, to build walls and to defend them. Honor and laws were the greatest of the Lion's gifts, for it was his decree that the strong must always protect the weak. He looked down on his people and saw that they were warriors, and roared, and left. Eel: The god of home, family, farming, maturity and marriage. Patron of farmers, fishermen, merchants, and husbands and wives. The Eel came in the evening, and from his place in the river he taught men to fish, and to farm, and to mine the ore of the land. Under his gaze, the people built homes, took wedding vows, planned for the future. When the Eel knew that they were ready to live, to grow old and die together, he returned to the sea, and the sun sank below the horizon. Spider: The god of wisdom, cunning, magic, craftsmen, and death. Patron of sorcerers, smiths, scholars, and the grieving. The Spider came at night, and he taught men the secret lore of the world; to pursue knowledge, to learn, to study. Magic was his gift, as was the art of blacksmithing. When he left, it is said he took one of the people with him, the first of the dead, for that was the spider's final gift: impermanence, so that men may always value what time they are alive. [/hider]