Avvar: Religion

Avvarian Religion
It is nearly impossible to speak of the Avvarian people without speaking of their beliefs. Faith is the vibrant cornerstone of their existence, filling their harsh lives with sacred implications, for the Avvars believe as the Alamarri once did: The gods live in all things. Wind from an unexpected direction, birds flying in unusual patterns, a sudden silence amidst the high peaks in the spring—these are nothing but chance to a lowlander, but are messages from the gods to an Avvar.

The Avvars believe without question that their gods have protected them and kept them strong, for do they not thrive despite their numerous enemies? Wise lowlanders avoid pointing out that the hillsmen have been pushed into some of the most inhospitable terrain in all of Thedas. In truth, the Avvars love the Frostbacks and would only take offense at the thought that they were “forced” into the mountains.

The Avvars have a complex pantheon, which includes both nature spirits and legendary mortals who have ascended to the heavens. This is further complicated by the fact that the pantheon varies somewhat from hold to hold, as every clan has its own sacred tales and heroes; however, all Avvars agree on the three greatest gods. These are Korth the Mountain Father, Haakon Wintersbreath, and the Lady of the Skies. Imhar the Clever and the Great Bear Sigfost are also revered in most communities.

Korth the Mountain Father
Eldest and strongest, the foundation upon which all is built, Korth is the god of mountains and caves, lord of the Frostbacks. Through the Mountain Father’s benevolence, the Avvars are provided with everything they might need, though it is unwise to tempt his wrath by demanding more than one’s rightful due. It is Korth who sends game to needy hunters, leads goatherds to lush fields, and approves of a hold’s sacred animal. The majority of Avvarians believe that Korth has always been; that he is as aged as the foundations of his mountains. Only in the ancient Frosthold do they sing otherwise. Their Winter Song, sung only during Wintersend, may be the oldest known to any Avvar. It tells that Korth was once a man, a hunter without peer, who led his people into the mountains when the world was young.

Haakon Wintersbreath
Korth’s firstborn son Haakon is the Lord of Winter, master of the twin, biting colds of ice and steel. The Wintersbreath is the god of arms and battle, for to the Avvars winter and war are near synonymous. It is cold that protects the Avvarians from their enemies, it is cold that they use as a weapon against the lowlanders when they raid from the mountains, and cold is the fear they wish to inspire in the faithless. Haakon is not simply a deity to be worshiped; he is the fearsome, icy killer young Avvars aspire to become.

The Lady of the Skies
"'When the Lady of the Skies saw that Belenas was gone, she wept, and her tears filled the crater, making the lake.'"

After the mountains beneath, only the skies above are as sacred to the Avvars. The Mistress of Birds is their patroness and protector; her flocks assist the Avvars in keeping a lookout for their many foes. Birds are the agents of the Lady, bringers of omens and foretellers of woe. Deceased Avvars are “offered to the Lady” in a solemn ceremony that Fereldan scholars refer to as an “air burial.” Rather than being cremated or buried, their bodies are completely dismembered and offered to the carrion birds of the mountains. Flesh, organs, and even bones are powdered so the avians can consume all that remains and carry it off to the Lady’s realm. Thus, the Lady of the Skies is also the Avvars’ goddess of death. The lake waters of Calanhad are considered to be the tears of a goddess. In Avvar lore she is the most important goddess and thus the waters are believed to have mystical qualities.

Imhar the Clever
Tales of Imhar have brought cheer to the Avvars on many a cold night, for his is the way of the trickster, and they delight in stories of his cunning. A slight man of infinite jest and vicious wit, Imhar’s mockery cuts deeper than any blade. Imhar’s greatest feat was arguably the single-handed rout of a mighty horde of demons after an evil seductress tricked him into facing them weaponless. He retreated, making them think that he was a coward and fleeing. When they finally caught up with him in a narrow mountain pass, Imhar’s laughter defeated them by causing an avalanche.

The Great Bear Sigfost
Wisest of all the mountain spirits and so large that the Mountain Father once mistook him for one of his smaller peaks, Sigfost lounges at the foot of Korth’s throne. Characters seeking wisdom can challenge Sigfost to fight for it, but the bones of the devoured and unworthy litter his vast den. Avvars hold bears to be sacred and though they sometimes hunt them, great ceremony always accompanies such efforts. All Avvars judge bereskarn to be blasphemous horrors. A very few Circle magi claim to have met Sigfost in the Fade; these are invariably open-minded magi known to get along well with people from other cultures, and none of them will discuss the experience lightly.

Nature Spirits and Animal gods
"These are specific to Rifthold (variations in other Holds)"

The Avvars complex pantheon includes nature spirits and animal gods. Most holds revere the same animals but the names may vary from Hold to Hold. Every Hold has its own sacred tales and myths regarding their specific animal gods and spirits, these tales often related to the tribes that belong to that Hold, including the founding of the Hold itself.

Giùlain the Son of Sigfost
"The Great Bear, Patron of Rifthold"

The Black Bear is the Sacred Animal of Rifthold and is always named Giùlain. The spirit of the Son of Sigfost is believed to be reincarnated in the sacred animal of the Hold. Giùlain is the founder of Rifthold because it is believed that the Black Bear led the first tribe into the Rift and helped them build a Shrine to Korth. To kill a Black Bear is not only punishable by death; the guilty Avvar does not receive a Sky Burial but is burned like a heathen.

Airndeal the friend of Korth
"The Giant Stag, Patron of Frosthold"

The Monarch (Giant Stag) is the Sacred Animal of Frosthold and is always named Airndeal. The Frosthold Avvar believe that Airndeal found Korth lost in the mountains, freezing and dying of exposure. The stag lifted Korth onto its back (using it giant antlers) and carried the Mountain Father to the entrance of what became Frosthold. Korth raised the stag to the status of sacred animal of the Hold and named it the most important animal spirit. It goes without saying, but anyone who kills a Monarch is sentenced to death - and a horrific one at that.

Sìdheach the Wolf Spirit
The wolf is a revered animal in most Alamarri tribes (especially those of The Chasind) but the white mountain wolf Sìdheach is the spirit that the people of Rifthold revere. It is believed that during the first few years of the Avvar living in the Frostbacks the lowland tribes were more bold and raided the lower lying Avvar villages. One of Rifthold's villages suffered this fate and only one small baby was left behind. An old white she-wolf named Sìdheach found the baby and nursed him. When the boy was fully grown she then led him to Rifthold and he joined with the tribes there. The story of the she-wolf spread and from that time all white wolves have been revered and to take a pelt from them is an affront to Sìdheach and the Avvar will skin the person who takes the pelt and offer it to the she-wolf spirit for appeasement. She is the animal god that brings lost Avvar home to Rifthold, so any Rifthold Avvar who is lost will pray to her for guidance.

Sealg the Hawk Spirit
Sealg is believed to be a messenger of Korth, given to the Mountain Father by the Lady of the Skies. This hawk became the animal spirit of omens and ruler of the omen birds, sent to the Avvar to communicate Korth's will. The Lady declared that Sealg's "wings were the sky, the sun and moon were its eyes”. The Avvar will not will not kill a hawk, but rather they give her thanks for assistance, and formally consult her before leaving home on a journey or hunt. Seag knows the will of Korth so will tell them if the mountain will provide for their hunt or if the skies will aide their travel.

Cabrach-Crocach the Stag Spirit
In the heights of the Frostbacks so few areas are habitable for the lowland stags, so venison is rare. Around Rifthold they are blessed with an abundance of stags and deer and the reason for this is the presence of Cabrach-Crocach. The Stag Spirit was given to the Elders of Rifthold as a reward for faithfulness in keeping to the old gods and not becoming heathens like the Clayne. The stag spirit led the stags of the lowlands into the mountain lands and valleys near Rifthold and his presence keeps them their. The Avvar will not hunt them too often, out of respect, only killing what they need and never hunting in excess. Cabrach-Crocach became associated with beauty, speed, and virility, and is a Rifthold spirit of the hunt. The Avvar pray to the stag for permission to hunt his kin and will only go to hunt them if they feel the stag spirit has bestowed his blessing.

Badh-catha the Crow Spirit
The Avvar of Rifthold believe that Badh-catha once lived in the realm of "Twilight" (Avvar name for the Fade) and guided the souls of the dead to the Lady of the Skies. However, Badh-catha became so bored with Twilight that he flew away, carrying a stone in his beak. When Badh-catha became tired of carrying the stone he dropped it and the stone fell to the earth and created the Rift upon which Rifthold is built. An image of Badh-catha is carved on the four walls of the Hold and offerings are thrown into the Rift in thanks to the crow spirit for creating the Rift which protects their home.

Avvarian Shamans
The Avvars’ gods are more capricious than cruel, demanding appeasement for perceived sleights rather than wantonly casting misfortune on their people from lofty heights. When Avvars suffer, it seldom occurs to them to blame ill luck, but instead, to wonder which of the gods they have offended. If a warrior suffers a wound, he is concerned that he may have slighted Haakon. If a hunting party returns empty-handed, their only thought is to placate the Mountain Father; indeed, they will not go forth hunting once more until they have decided on how to mollify Korth—there would be no point in it, as they would surely fail again.

When forced to consider complex spiritual matters, the Avvars turn to their shamans, the lore keepers of the mountains. It is they who watch the migrations of birds seeking wisdom from the Lady, they who keep the old songs and retain the knowledge of the proper rites to honor the gods and spirits of the mountains. The majority of the Avvars’ shamans are powerful mages whose traditions stretch far back beyond the foundations of The Circle of Magi. Neither The Chantry nor the Prophetess means anything to the Avvarians, and Templars are not welcome in the Frostbacks. This is wise, as many of the shamans’ rituals would horrify the Chantry. Even mild rites invite spirits to speak through the casters for a time, to say nothing of some of their more powerful ceremonies. The Avvars are well aware that some spirits are reluctant to depart human hosts willingly, but they have means of dealing with such recalcitrant entities.