preBYB #6 _Culture

1) For each of your races, what is/are the religions associated with it?

A) How has this religion affected their culture?

B) What customs has this religion given to the culture?

C) What religious holidays do your races celebrate?

2) What customs does the culture have that aren’t to do with religion?

A) How did they come about?

B) Are they always followed by everyone in the culture?

C) What non-religious holidays do your races celebrate?

3) Write a holiday, be it religious or non-, that one of your MCs is celebrating. Describe in as much detail as you can where it came from, and try to integrate it into the prose in a way that doesn’t seem like info dumping.


ANSWERS:
1) Humans have the same religious backgrounds as current populations (this includes the disbelief in religion as well).
Demons have no religion. They value only conquest and the desire to fulfill every indulgence. They are ruled by greed, anger, etc. They abhor humans for their ability to believe as well as for their dejected, state (i.e. favor of God rests on humans not demons).
Fallens once served God They have however, been tainted by non-belief or other negativity/betrayal of purpose. Some wish to regain their status others revel in the fall.

Humans celebrate traditional holidays.
Demons and Fallens celebrate none. However, they use their knowledge of traditional holy days from a wide variety of human cultures to achieve their own goals. They do not worship but they do know various information about astronomy as windows and ways to powers (i.e like back doors to God's creations and rules).

2) Although the rituals are not "religious", both demons and Fallens observe rituals to achieve their ends. I.e. to open windows requires blood sacrifices, etc. These rituals go back to ancient times and cultures like Babylon, Egyptian.
Angels observe Heaven Holy Days- I haven't really established these yet. It will require a little more research into biblical ceremonies.

3) Quick Quip
The 12 surrounded the zodiac compass points. Each body was shaved, head tattooed with the zodiac sign and the ancient rite. The chosen knelt. Their long white cloaks covered their entire frames. The edges floating on the blood painted floor. The cloak tips soaked up the spilt life force. The fibers turned red and crept up the fabric like a slow crimson tide pool.
The twelve demons held the black leather thongs tethering the chosens' bound hands. Darmetheous encanted quietly. His purple flesh gleamed in the flames surrounding the rock alter. His deep voice resonated within his throat.
The heavy black marble clock with its skeletal bone hands ticked down the moments. As his eagerness rose, Darmetheous' chanting grew stronger, more insistent., The fevered pitch increased. The earnest increased. The yellow fire sparked from his eyes. His antlers rocked back and forth side to side in a frenzied rush. He raised his thickly muscled arms. Chanting.
The twelve chosen swayed drunkenly to Darmetheous' demonic fervor.
the clock struck the first tone of midnight. The first demon raised his weapon, sliced through the first chosen's throat. Gush of blood filled the circular crevice as he fell forward. stroke two- the same.
Stroke 12 the same. Their blood commingled filling the concentric circles and flowed slowly to the center alter where the 13th lay shackled with iron chains. Where Keres stood on the opposite side ready to open the Window that would free Darmetheous.

At the stroke of midnight he would be free.