In a forgotten corner of a remote, mountainous kingdom lay a village nestled on the side of a mountain. The village, named on only the most complete of the Tsar’s maps, was called Adishi. The people who lived there were strong and hearty though not overly fertile and the village seemed to stay a fixed, healthy population with few people leaving and even fewer coming. For the road to get to this village was long and difficult, in winter it was all but unpassable. The journey was so arduous that most years the Tax-collector didn’t bother coming. The taxes collected in Adishi were never worth the time it took to get there. The villagers did not mind this in the least. They had all that they needed and a bit to spare, with a little hard work on their part the mountain gave them all they needed.
The only people who bothered coming up the mountain now and again where the priests of the white god. They came in a procession every few years, bearing their god who hung suffering for all to see into the village like a murder of crows. They came, took up residence in the village hall and began to preach. They spoke their message, dipped the youngest additions to the village in water and eventually left feeling like they had saved the villagers from themselves. The village as a whole did not mind, the Tsar had sent the priests after all and they were not after gold. So they bowed their heads, rolled their eyes in private and let the crows do what they would, knowing it would be quicker that way. When the priests left they pulled the cloths off their shrines and went on with their days.
On their own the villagers kept to the old ways. They left offerings for the gods of Sun and Moon and celebrated on their feast days. They left gifts for the spirits who had once tended the houses, the Domovoi and the Kikimora, who had not been seen in several generations but were honored nevertheless. They revered their ancestors, sacrificed animals to honor the dead and gathered together to feast on the offering and remember the life that had passed. They did this all under the watchful eye of the Witch.
Or Witches, because no one was ever certain how many there were. Anyone visiting the witch was as likely to see a young slip of a maiden as they were to meet with an old crone or a woman in between. She or they lived up the mountain on a path that made the road to Adishi look like an easy stroll. But still the villagers went up the path, to get blessings or gain advice and they would come away with what they needed from whoever it was they met. Whether one or three they were each called Lumilla and they all bore the same dark eyes, the same kind smile and the same regal manner that commanded respect and just a little fear. No one ever saw them perform magic, for magic had been gone from the kingdom so long that no living person could recall it, but not a single one of the villagers doubted her power. Moreover not a single one of them mentioned her when strangers were about, especially the crows. Thus their silence kept her hidden and there was no doubt in anyone’s heart that she kept them safe.
No one ever starved in Adishi no matter how harsh the winter. Their crops never truly failed, no matter the droughts or blights that wracked nearby villages. When the mountain shuddered one winter, back when the grandmothers were but suckling babes, the village was kept safe from the avalanches that followed. The villages lower on the mountain were not so lucky and the number of dead there was high. Thus Adishi was blessed, they were safe and it was understood in an unspoken manner that it was because of the witch. In return, because they always had, they gifted her with silence.
The Church of the White God: The official religion of the more cosmopolitan parts of the country since the Tsar’s great, great grandfather converted and made it law. The people of the cities are mostly observant, happily shrugging off what they perceive as a backwater reputation held by the country as a whole. The further one goes from the cities the greater the blend of religion one will find though most will honestly claim to serve the White God and not blink twice when they lay out milk for the little house-spirits. It is on the fringes of the country in little villages like Adishi that the old ways hold strong.
The Church and it’s rituals and practices, for our purposes, can be just imagined as a glossed over version of the orthodox church of Russia with its veneration of saints with all the best and worst parts held onto if it makes for better story. We won’t go too into details to greatly, I’m not after accuracy or offending anyone. I’m always just after ambiance and a distant, yet oppressive religion with very black and white views on things works just fine. Even better if it is fantasy laid over a framework we can all picture. You’ll find I do this sort of thing a lot.
The Old Ways: Picture all your quaint little superstitions and beliefs rolled up with the seasonal holidays (equinoxes, solstices, cross quarter days etc) rolled up with a healthy dose of ancestor worship. That’s what we are working with, mysticism and pagan faith. If you are writing and this lovely idea for a little detail of this quaint religion pops into your head out of the blue, write it out and it will be so! I’m always all for my players adding richness and depth to the RP. I try to lay out things we can all envision and let you all add as fits.
As I said in the interest check, I am not worried about post length, I'd rather have shorter, well written post with meat to it than lots of fluff and padding. That isn't to say I don't like flourishes or such, I do and you will see me use them. I just don't want anyone to feel like they need to pad their post. I've seen posts that last pages that are long descriptive reactions to other people's posts and not a bit of plot movement. That's not what I am after. I'd much rather have a short post that moves things, give people stuff to work with, not just react too.
I give my players lots of freedom, if you have an idea and want to run it by me, great, PM me. I'm happy for my players to chat and plan and get side plots going, just remember that I do have an over-all goal we are moving towards, try not to derail it.
Posting speed is where I get a little more strict. It is an absolute pet peeve of mine when players need to be begged to post all the while they are holding other players hostage. Or the player who has more OOC posts about not being able to post than IC posts. I get that life happens, I work, I am in school, I have obligations. But this is how I have my fun and I want to write with you all. So if life happens, don't be afraid to say so. I strive to be approachable! I'm only expecting about 2 posts a week as it is, more is great but not required. So if you think that is something you can do, I can't wait to RP with you!
I'm also a big fan of OOC chatter. The more we get to know each other the more fun we can have the more we can mess with each other. So speak up, tell us how your day was, what you like to read, listen too, watch etc. I might stick this in a hider to condense things but for now it stays.
