Eternity RPC Board
10-20-2016, 09:04 AM
Moved from this topic: link
So, I just had this idea for a RP event. Now, in Reido (Akitsu's religion), the Solar Eclipse would be a particular time of importance. Why?
Well, according to an old legend in Akitsu, one that supposedly goes back to the time before Akitsu was unified, there once was a village in Akitsu. This village wasn't in balance with the Rei in the area, and in fact was in constant conflict with it. One day, this village found itself right under a total solar eclipse. The sun disappeared. Now since this happens every so often, people expected the moon to move away from inside the sun and for life to go on as normal. Only this time, the sun didn't come back. People scrambled to try and figure out what was going on, but when the sun finally came back to them it was too late. The blocked out sunlight had ruined their crops and caused starvation, many of the villagers just left in search of other villages. The village was in shambles and never recovered. According to the Reiki, this village was struck by a Rei called the "Hihami" (日蝕み, literally means "sun eater"). Normally, when everything is balanced, the Hihami live inside plants, especially on the upper layers of plants where the sunlight can hit them. This is because they live by eating sunlight. However, when things are out of balance they can sometimes become desperate for food. When they're desperate for food and a solar eclipse comes, they're believed to come out of the plants they normally call home and ascend to the sky, closer to the sun, where they expect to be able to get more sunlight. When the eclipse ends and they're hunger is satisfied, they'll go back to the plants where they normally live, but that can take a really long time, during which to the people on the ground it would seem as if the solar eclipse never ended.
Now, is this story scientifically feasible? Well that's not really the point here since this is an ancient legend. Some nonreligious people would argue this is simply a story meant to convey the importance of the sun (I mean, without the sun we'd kind of all be dead). However, to Reido Priests and Reishi this would be a true tale passed down from ancient times for generations.
So, to prevent this from happening again, they created the Nisshokusai (日食祭, literally "Solar Eclipse Festival"). The Nisshokusai takes place during a solar eclipse, but only in years where it is believed that there is an extraordinary disturbance to the balance between Rei and humanity.
Preparation would be simple - if it's a Shrine doing this they'd create a massive wodden structure in their field, mixed in with special herbs. If it's an individual Reishi doing it, they'd make a small pile of firewood in a location where they are able to light a fire and mix some special herbs into the firewood. When the solar eclipse happens, the fire would be lit, and the Priests/Priestesses/Reishi would start reciting Norito (specific passages from ancient Akitian liturgy, for example passages straight from the Reiki, used as ritual prayers) while the fire burns. The fire would be fucking massive in places that have legit shrines.
The idea is simple - the special herbs, when burned, are believed to let out a kind of smoke that Rei don't like, and as a result the Rei will get the hell away from any source of smoke. If there are no Rei in the area, then the area is safe from the Hihami rising up to eat the sunlight duging the eclipse.
Now, Kobara no Miya (the main temple of Reido, that makes a lot of decisions for the religion) would consider the coup in Akitsu to be something that greatly disturbs the balance. As such, chances are they'd declare that this is a year to do the Nisshokusai when a eclipse happens in a specific area.
So, how does this involve you?
Well, does your country have a sizable following in terms of Reido? Or maybe they have a few Reishi in there? In that case, when a solar eclipse comes to them we could have this festival happen! Are there anti-fascist political undertones? Well, in declaring that this is a year for the festival to happen yes, but the actual festival should be a purely religious thing. And in case your wondering, since this is an Akitian tradition dating back a looooooong time the fascists in Akitsu wouldn't be able to stop it if they wanted to, it'd make them look too bad.
And for the record, the fascist gov't of Akitsu would be VERY angry that this is happening, again they just can't do anything about it without making themselves look horrible in the eyes of the Akitian people. This would probably mark the start of a long, long, hostile relationship between Akitian religious figures and the government.
Just keep in mind that we can't have solar eclipses happening on two sides of the planet at the same time.
So, I just had this idea for a RP event. Now, in Reido (Akitsu's religion), the Solar Eclipse would be a particular time of importance. Why?
Well, according to an old legend in Akitsu, one that supposedly goes back to the time before Akitsu was unified, there once was a village in Akitsu. This village wasn't in balance with the Rei in the area, and in fact was in constant conflict with it. One day, this village found itself right under a total solar eclipse. The sun disappeared. Now since this happens every so often, people expected the moon to move away from inside the sun and for life to go on as normal. Only this time, the sun didn't come back. People scrambled to try and figure out what was going on, but when the sun finally came back to them it was too late. The blocked out sunlight had ruined their crops and caused starvation, many of the villagers just left in search of other villages. The village was in shambles and never recovered. According to the Reiki, this village was struck by a Rei called the "Hihami" (日蝕み, literally means "sun eater"). Normally, when everything is balanced, the Hihami live inside plants, especially on the upper layers of plants where the sunlight can hit them. This is because they live by eating sunlight. However, when things are out of balance they can sometimes become desperate for food. When they're desperate for food and a solar eclipse comes, they're believed to come out of the plants they normally call home and ascend to the sky, closer to the sun, where they expect to be able to get more sunlight. When the eclipse ends and they're hunger is satisfied, they'll go back to the plants where they normally live, but that can take a really long time, during which to the people on the ground it would seem as if the solar eclipse never ended.
Now, is this story scientifically feasible? Well that's not really the point here since this is an ancient legend. Some nonreligious people would argue this is simply a story meant to convey the importance of the sun (I mean, without the sun we'd kind of all be dead). However, to Reido Priests and Reishi this would be a true tale passed down from ancient times for generations.
So, to prevent this from happening again, they created the Nisshokusai (日食祭, literally "Solar Eclipse Festival"). The Nisshokusai takes place during a solar eclipse, but only in years where it is believed that there is an extraordinary disturbance to the balance between Rei and humanity.
Preparation would be simple - if it's a Shrine doing this they'd create a massive wodden structure in their field, mixed in with special herbs. If it's an individual Reishi doing it, they'd make a small pile of firewood in a location where they are able to light a fire and mix some special herbs into the firewood. When the solar eclipse happens, the fire would be lit, and the Priests/Priestesses/Reishi would start reciting Norito (specific passages from ancient Akitian liturgy, for example passages straight from the Reiki, used as ritual prayers) while the fire burns. The fire would be fucking massive in places that have legit shrines.
The idea is simple - the special herbs, when burned, are believed to let out a kind of smoke that Rei don't like, and as a result the Rei will get the hell away from any source of smoke. If there are no Rei in the area, then the area is safe from the Hihami rising up to eat the sunlight duging the eclipse.
Now, Kobara no Miya (the main temple of Reido, that makes a lot of decisions for the religion) would consider the coup in Akitsu to be something that greatly disturbs the balance. As such, chances are they'd declare that this is a year to do the Nisshokusai when a eclipse happens in a specific area.
So, how does this involve you?
Well, does your country have a sizable following in terms of Reido? Or maybe they have a few Reishi in there? In that case, when a solar eclipse comes to them we could have this festival happen! Are there anti-fascist political undertones? Well, in declaring that this is a year for the festival to happen yes, but the actual festival should be a purely religious thing. And in case your wondering, since this is an Akitian tradition dating back a looooooong time the fascists in Akitsu wouldn't be able to stop it if they wanted to, it'd make them look too bad.
And for the record, the fascist gov't of Akitsu would be VERY angry that this is happening, again they just can't do anything about it without making themselves look horrible in the eyes of the Akitian people. This would probably mark the start of a long, long, hostile relationship between Akitian religious figures and the government.
Just keep in mind that we can't have solar eclipses happening on two sides of the planet at the same time.