Religion of Kaaran

As with all Sangheili, the Morheka do not do not have a true pantheon of gods to worship, that role being taken by the Forerunners. The belief in the Great Journey is (or was, before the Schism) as strong in Morheka as anywhere else on Sanghelios. However, the original religion of the Morheka has not died out completely, in some parts surviving virtually unchanged in all but a few aspects. Naturally, the Prophets have tried long and hard to stamp out all pre-Covenant beliefs and practices, but have met with little success.

The Morheka do not venerate gods, at least not in the traditional sense. Rather, they believe that upon death a person’s spirit goes to another plane of existence (a belief that was later modified into a waiting place for the Great Journey), and that they continue to exist as spirits to watch and help their friends and family, and hinder their enemies. Each clan will have a set of former heads they venerate, and a few of the more famous members of other clans have been adopted. All spirits venerated by the Kaaran people originally started out as famous figures from history, though the origins of some have been lost to history, especially during the Mopadan Purge of the Morhekan Library. There is not set pantheon for the continent – some states will replace some spirits with local figures, while others adopt characters from other regions. But there are a number of figures who are common among the continent, and almost universal.

There are no set criteria to become a patron spirit. Rather, it depends upon the person’s fame, regard, and actions during their flifetime. After a Kaidon dies, falls in battle, or is otherwise lost, a religious commission sifts through his or her life history and dedicates a small shrine to him or her within the local temples. These temples are used to pray to the spirits, but always take second place to the massive cathedrals dedicated to the worship of the Forerunners. Though the Prophets have often decried this continued practice as heretical, Morhekan priests are quick to point out that there is nothing in San’Shyuum doctrine to deny the possibility. They also point out that the patron spirits are not gods, as the Forerunners are, and are merely aids and watchers, not creators.

After a spirit dies, they enter the Halls of Detrasa, where they await the Great Journey. Depending upon the assessments of The Nameless One and Qun’dara, a spirit will inhabit one of three places within this greater hall – the Halls of Weeping Shame, where those dishonoured in life by cowardice or failure endure trials to attone for their sins; the Halls of the Honoured, where warriors who have fallen valiantly in combat train and meditate to protect those who eventually walk the path from demons; and the Halls of Tears, where those who have died a peaceful death await the reunion with their living loved ones. The Halls of Weeping Shame can be compared t purgatory of human Christianity, while the Halls of the Honoured more closely resembles Valhalla of Norse mythology. The Halls of Tears are perhaps closest to the Plains of Elysium from Greek mythology, resembling their former life more than a “heaven,” and is bordered by a river of the tears that are shed by loved ones of the dead. According to Morhekan mythology, only Morheka the Great managed to enter and leave the Halls of Tears alive, claiming the Blade of Kr’Rana, in his left the Shield of R’runu, the Armour of Qiv’ra and the Helm of Torgu as his own. Others have crossed over after dying – the spirit of Xera ‘Kotarq visited Juno ‘Joralan I frequently after his death, providing comfort to his beloved.

Once the Great Journey begins, those who dwell within the Halls of the Honoured will protect those who ascend to Godhood from Demons as they walk the path. The Spirits of those who died before the Journey was realised will join with the living, returning to loved ones before they become gods. Much of this was added after the foundation of the Covenant as a means of appeasing Prophet doctrine, though some similar versions existed prior to this time.

Morhekan Spirits
While most of the original spirits survive in one form or another, they are now regarded as secondary to the Forerunners, who take pride of place in most Sangheili culture. Nevertheless, the Morhekan religion manages to retain its ethnic uniqueness while incorporating the Forerunners, largely a measure to satisfy inquisitive Prophets.

The Old Ones

 * The Forerunners – regarded as the creators of the universe and of all life, the Forerunners were the guardians of the universe until they disappeared 100,000 years ago, long before the rise of Sangheili civilisation. All cities and towns have temples and shrines dedicated to their worship, often lavishly built in the style of the Prophets. After the Schism, these were torn down by the Sangheili and replaced with more modest structures in keeping with known Forerunner architectural preferences. All contain at least one “relic” of the Forerunners, usually a small scrap of technology.
 * The Abomination – the demons that rose up against the Forerunners, consuming the galaxy in its insatiable hunger. The war between the Forerunners and the Abomination raged long, devastating much of the galaxy, and was only stopped when the Forerunners embarked upon the Great Journey.

Urs
Originally an integral of the original Morhekan creation myth, Urs was the only child of Qun’dara and the creator of all that lay within the star system – her first brood were the stars Fied and Joori, but their jealousies and rivalries saw they locked into eternal battle with each other. Her second brood were the moons Qikost and Suban, but they were too small and weak. Her third brood was Sanghelios and all upon it.

Fied and Joori
Part of the First Brood of Urs, Fied and Joori grew jealous of each other, believing the other to be the favourite of their mother. To settle this dispute, Urs commanded them to battle each other for her affections, knowing that they were equally matched and would never finish. Their battles rage today.

Qikost and Suban
Part of the Second Brood of Urs, Qikost and Suban dance eternally in the night sky, always eluding each other as they move. Occasionally, one will appeal to Urs for a verdict, but the Mother will always demand more time to judge.

Indara
“The-one-who-is-wild” Spirit of the weather, and mother to Qiv’ra, Kr’Rana, R’runu and Torgu, who govern the seasons. As the seasons pass, Indara charges one of her children to oversee the year’s progression. Her favouritism of Torgu leads Qiv’ra to jealousy, and every year she kills her brother, only to see him resurrected again the next year. If Torgu is strong, then the winter lasts longer. If he is weak, then Spring comes early. Between then, Kr’Rana and R’runu watch over the land.

Qiv’ra
“She-with-deep-roots” First Child of Indara, Qiv’ra is the spirit of Spring and the North, and banishes Torgu every year. Often associated with the air and winds. At the end of spring, she charges Kr’Rana with watching over the land.

Kr’Rana
“Unmoving-mountain” Second Child of Indara, Kr’Rana is the spirit of Summer and the East, and is charged with watching over the land as Qiv’ra returns to slumber. Often associated with fire.

R’runu
“Lies-under-earth” Third Child of Indara, R’runu is the spirit of autumn and the West, and allows Kr’Rana to rest. At the end of Autumn, R’runu falls asleep, allowing Torgu to resurrect. He is often associated with the earth, and the harvest.

Torgu
“Flows-over-mountains” Last Child of Indara, Torgu is the spirit of Winter and the South, and returns to life at the end of the Morhekan year. He is associated with the waters. At the end of the year, he is killed by Qiv’ra to await resurrection at the end of the next year.

Qun’dara
“The-guardian-who-decides” Qun’dara was originally a patron spirit, though his exact origin is hotly contested, with various regions claiming with varying degrees of conviction that he originated there. What is known is that wherever he hailed from, he was regarded as the fairest mind and wisest councillor. He has become a patron spirit of justice, and is regarded as the “father” spirit, as a counterpart to the “mother” spirit of Urs. He judges the living, weighing their actions in his Scales of Arbitration, measuring good and evil deeds against each other.

The Nameless One
The Morhekan religion’s death figure has many names – “The Nameless One,” “The Shadow,” “Qun’dara’s Shadow,” etc. He collects the spirits of the dead, and judges them after death, separately from Qun’dara. The two judges barter with each other, arguing the values of each action. If a spirit if found to be pure, he is allowed passage into the Halls of Detrasa. If not, he is cast into The Pit to await redemption during the Great Journey. He selects Honoured Ones from the Halls of Honour to escort the spirits of warriors fallen in battle to the Halls of the Honoured, where they train until the Great Journey.

Detrasa
“Protector-of-the-dead” Once the chief spirit in the Morhekan pantheon, Detrasa is the father of Urs and watches over the universe, acting as a guardian and steward of the Forerunners in their stead. After the dead have been judged by Qun’dara and The Nameless One, Detrasa welcomes the dead to The Halls of Detrasa, where they await the Great Journey.

Chend’raal
“Beater-of-metal” Originally, Chend’raal served as a wisdom god, focussing more on technical knowledge than wisdom. Over time, especially with the rise in popularity of Eldara, his role evolved into that of smithcraft, and he became the patron of armourers and crafters of war implements, and then the patron of the warriors who used those implements. He does not function as a normal war god – his role is more of a supportive one, making sure weapons do not break or fail in battle

Morheka
“Watcher-of-watchmen” Originally the founding character of Morheka, he has since become a popular spirit to invoke among the inhabitants of his nation and those of the Trinity nations. Many of the legends that surrounded his life have carried into his afterlife, and he is regarded as a spirit of Justice – not arbitration, like Qun’dara, but as a force of vengeance. He is more accurately described as the patrol of righteous causes. He is purported by myth to appear before the Kaidons of Morheka before battles, to ppredict the outcome – in his right hand the Blade of Kr’Rana, in his left the Shield of R’runu, wearing the Armour of Qiv’ra and the Helm of Torgu, sacred objects gifted to him before his death by the Children of Indara.

Juno
“The-bonds-that-tie” The patron spirit of Joralan, Juno was a key figure during the Morhekan Civil War, and was a founding member of the Trinity of Light, claiming the north-eastern territories as her own. After falling in love with Xera, Kaidon of ‘Kotarq, she witnessed his murder by Mopadan assassins, and was later captured by a larger Mopadan military force storming the fortress. She was captured and brought to Mopad, where she was held as a hostage to prevent Joralan support for Morheka. She contemplated suicide, and composed poems dedicated to Xera, but was rescued by the R’runu Warrior Creche. Afterwards, she became the companion of Mata ‘Morhek. She is commonly referred to as the patron of love, though not necessarily romantic or sexual. More accurately, she is the patron of causes that bind people together – love, honour, friendship, family, etc. She has also been adopted as the patron spirit of the R’runu Warrior Creche.

Eldara
“Bringer-of-holy-light” A scientific genius from the Warrum region, prior to its splitting from Mopad, Eldara pioneered Sangheili understanding of electricity, increased understanding of gravity, formed the Eldara Theory of Relativity. Ironically, during her life she is said to have been sceptical of the existence of spirits, though she remained open to the possibility. In death, she has superceded Chend’raal as the primary wisdom deity, and the Eldara War College is dedicated to more technical professions, such as engineering and mechanics. Warrum’s temple to Eldara has prospered greatly after donations by Morhekan Kaidon Qur’a III for renovations.

Jee’dra
“He-who-is-despised-by-all” Jee’dra’s title is accurate. The unpopularity of the Narteca has transformed the spirit of the first Nartecan Kaidon after their exile from Mopad into a malevolent trickster spirit in the eyes of the rest of Kaaran, and he is often blamed for bad luck or misfortune. Sudden and dangerous changes of weather are blamed on him, as are more mundane accidents. The Narteca share the view that he is an unpredictable spirit, but not a malevolent one, regarding him as a random entity, not adhering to fates set down by Qun’dara or The Nameless One. He is more accurately a spirit of Chaos, and thus frequently comes into conflict with Qun’dara.