Suka faith

The Suka faith is the majority religion in Khagira, Beygir, Daolin, Damri, Maiyon, Tokohi, and Sebandar. It has

a presence in Gaohra, Tajala and Sunghala. It is also known as Sukaar in Beygir, following the same naming scheme as Bagaar. It has no common theistic text, only philosophical ones. It describes the nature of suffering and evil, and of awareness and morality.

Its leader is the Namlap of Khagira, currently Amara Vindha, who rules Khagira under the authority and protection of the Beygir Empire.

The Life of the Suka
The Suka was a daughter of a wealthy monk who ruled the city of Grong-Khyer. She grew up taught in the local faith and living a lavish lifestyle. She was promised to a prince of the nearby Kingdom of Gyeltak, but when she went to his palace to be wed she was horrified. She saw the prince living a lavish lifestyle while his people died outside the palace doors. She saw the royalty with far more than they could ever need, while the commoners had less than they needed to survive. She came to the realisation that she too had lived with far more than she needed, and that there was no limit to the number of people living with far less.

On the night before she was to be wed, she had the meals of the palace guards drugged, and locked the doors of the royal household as they slept. Then she flung open the doors of the palace and invited the people in. The huge food stores were emptied into the bellies of the starving, and the priceless gems and furnishings stolen. She told the people before they entered to take only what they needed, and to give generously to those who missed their opportunity. In awe of her generosity, they obeyed her, and distributed their new wealth to those most in need.

When the guards awoke, they found the palace emptied, and were angered until they learned of the peaceful cooperation of the peasants. Before this they had been taught that the peasants were greedy and selfish, and deserved their miserable lifestyle. Under the Solahan faith that was popular in Gyeltak, they were taught that the peasants were inherently lesser people. They had not been born into the more advanced stage of incarnation. However they saw that even peasants were capable of cooperation and peace, and were conflicted. Many came to respect the Suka and refused to take up arms against the peasants.

When the royal household awoke, they were furious. The Suka was forced to flee, but they relentlessly sought her out, as well as those who had stolen from the palace. Their viciousness only reinforced the peasants' growing defiance. The Suka was sheltered in peasant households throughout the Kingdom if Gyeltak, and each time the royal guards came to attack them they met great resistance. However the Suka taught that unless in great need, violence was not to be used. Instead the peasants gathered in great numbers around the guards and refused to move. If the guards struck a peasant, the peasants would beat them with sticks. The movement spread throughout the kingdom, and peasants began to refuse to work the land for the lords, refuse to pay taxes to the king, refuse to bow down to nobles passing through the streets, and attack oppressive structures. Walls erected between the classes were broken down and palaces reserved for the nobility had their doors broken.

Eventually more guards began to defect to the peasant side as their masters became more and more desperate. They saw the lords and kings willing to sacrifice many of their lives and were unhappy. Eventually the royalty, left without guards or wealth, were forced to flee their palace and leave the country. Instead of a king, the people left their rule in the hands of ascetic monks. They were trusted to take the taxes of the people and give them to those most in need. In Grong-Khyer, where her father still ruled, the monks quickly came to the realisation that they had strayed from their ascetic roots. They merged with Gyeltak and together became the Holy Realm of Grong-Khyer.

She traveled further through her lifetime, sowing the seeds of defiance as far south as the Tanniv Sea. She did not overthrow any more kingdoms, however she managed to convert many to her cause. She arrived at the gates of palaces with a mob of peasants at her back, and convinced the local kings and princes to give up their excesses and give to those in need. She wrote many treatise on the nature of life, morality and equality.

She died a legend, a symbol of defiance and liberty. Around her personality sprung the Faith of the Suka, and in her memory the empire of Sukya was built.

Teachings
The teachings of the Suka centre on four key figures: the tiger, the snow lion, the vulture, and the dragon. Tying all four together is the lotus, considered the perfect flower. To perfectly achieve these four disciplines is to master the lotus discipline, after which one lets go of all personal attachment and instead think mainly of others.

The Tiger
The tiger represents fierceness in defiance. The tiger does not back away in fear, but strikes back when attacked or starved. But the tiger does not attack without cause. Like the tiger, people must only resort to violence in great need, but they must be fierce and brave when it is necessary.

The Snow Lion
The snow lion represents joy and contentment. The snow lion is not angered by mistakes, and forgives past malice. Only intentional misdeeds can bring the snow lion to anger, but after repentance it becomes joyful once more. Like the snow lion, people must find contentment in everyday life and forgive mistakes and past malice.

The Vulture
The vulture represents freedom. The vulture eats all meat regardless of the class of the beast, and travels where it pleases. The vulture does not respect man-made barriers and rejects authority structures unlike other beasts. Like the vulture, people must be free. People must eat food regardless of who it is associated with (i.e. the wealthy must be willing to eat peasant food, the peasants must not fear to eat the food of the wealthy), the people must be allowed to travel wherever they wish and have access to whichever work they wish, and must reject oppressive power structures.

The Dragon
The dragon represents transcendence and awareness. The dragon is not bound by earthly desires and powers, its mind is free. Like the dragon, people must let their minds be free and let go of earthly desires. They must take only what they need, and be mindful of the suffering of others. It is a persons obligation and duty to give what they can spare, and to become knowledgeable about the condition of others. They are bound to break oppressive structures and obligated to help others.

Branches, practices and gods
The core Suka texts make no explicit mention of any gods or god-like beings, nor to any actual cosmology. However that is not to say no gods are worshipped, nor that no Suka cosmology exists. Instead, the faith mingles with native religious practices and imports their gods and cosmologies. However one common thread throughout the branches is the belief in astiram, or a state beyond existence. By achieving mastery of the lotus discipline one can break from the constant cycle of rebirth, one ascends to this plane beyond comprehension. This belief is not taken from any of the Suka's canon treatise, merely from a series of personal musings unearthed years after her death.

An example is in Beygir, where the Bagaar faith experiences high levels of syncretism with the Suka faith. One can believe in Baguul as the ultimate being, and the driving force behind creation and nature, while still believing the Suka's teachings. Some versions of this mixture involve demoting Bagaar to a powerful spirit, and raising the more powerful souls of the dead to spirit status also, all below the ultimate guiding eye of the Suka herself. It is believed that though most dead go to the heavens and can be reborn, the masters of the lotus go instead to astiram.

In Daolin, the Suka faith mingles with the Hongyi faith. The Emperor of Daolin is recognised by both the shamans of the Hongyi faith and the monks of the Suka faith. While the Hongyi faith believes the emperor holds within him the spirit of the Great Yellow Dragon, passed down through every emperor for millenia, the Suka faith believes him an incarnation of Hushen, who came to master the lotus discipline yet chose not to ascend to astiram. Instead he reincarnate to aid others in mastering the disciplines.

In Maiyon and Tokohi, they mostly follow the Suka faith alongside their Montabi faith. The spirits that dwell in inanimate objects are considered the souls of good people, and the chaotic spirits that lie in broken things are considered the spirits of bad people. Only those enlightened in the Suka faith transgress this fate and enter astiram.

In Damri, the Suka faith is mostly influenced by the Solaha faith, which was the dominant religion before the Suka faith arrived there. Here in takes on distinctly theistic properties. The sixteen gods of the Solaha faith are all imported, with Sanganda (the prime deity of the Solaha faith) ruling over the cosmos. However Sanganda is merely the first person to achieve mastery of the lotus discipline, ascending to astiram. The Suka herself was merely the first to teach the ways of the faith to the people. As a result she is the second goddess of the faith, and she and Sanganda are often portrayed ruling the universe together. It has become somewhat estranged from mainstream Suka beliefs, and has even enthroned its own Namlap. The new office of the Pagali is centred on the Pagka island to the south of Damri. The office claims to rule over the island Suka faith, distinct from the mountain Suka faith. The current Pagali is Nalidh.This version is also the version practiced in Tajala and Sunghala.

Namlap
The Namlap is considered the supreme authority of the Suka Faith for most adherents. The Namlap is the pinnacle of Suka faith values, and considered to be the reincarnation of Guru Padhan. His wisdom and guidance is said to be unsurpassed. He controls the doctrinal changes of the faith, and guides the morality of the faith's followers. He is said to have powers of healing and blessing surpassed only by the Regyal.

Regyal
The Regyal is a living goddess, the reincarnation of the Spirit of the Void that was said to have talked with and influenced the Suka's beliefs in Astiram. She is said to embody the ideals of the dragon. She is to be fearless, and devoid of all ego and emotion. To even glimpse her is to bring great auspices on oneself and one's family. The greatest of privileges, reserved only for kings and great people, is to kiss her feet as she sits on the blessed Throne of Good Fortune. During her deification, her feet never touch the ground, as cloth is rolled out before her every footstep. However with age or injury through loss of blood, she loses the Spirit of the Void and becomes mortal. With first menstruation, the spirit vacates the body and moves into a new one. Kings and indeed even the Namlap must be annually reaffirmed by her blessing in order to remain in power.