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Mythos and History
The god Waha is the son of the Storm Bull and Eiritha. He was born at the end of the Gods War, after his father had slain the Devil and long after his mother was hidden beneath the earth.
He emerged from the earth to look upon a world of darkness and lingering chaos. People wandered through the blasted land, dazed and dying of stupidity. Some had followed lesser spirits or dark gods, but Waha taught them new ways to live. Within the bleak and hostile darkness, Waha showed them how to survive.
Waha freed the Daughters of Eiritha who were imprisoned by the forces of Kyger Litor. Through the dark and dangerous way he searched and fought, and returned to the world with the goddesses known as the Protectresses. Then the women of the tribe began worshipping Eiritha and people owned herds.
Waha taught men the secrets of death. He taught them the Peaceful Cut, whereby they could return their sister-animals to bliss within the womb of Eiritha, thereby supplying the tribes with provender from the goddess. And Waha taught them the warlike blows, whereby men could send their foes to dark hells.
He fought Wild Fire and tamed it to be a friend to men. Waha cleansed the desert of the presence of the Devil. He used the earth-powers of his mother to dig a great pass through the earth, diverting a river to the place where the Devil lay. Waha ordered the river and its creatures to devour the putrid being, and the river did. When the body of the Devil was gone many souls were released from bondage, and Waha took many of these and offered them solace and protection.
The cult of Waha has survived intact since the Darkness. Occasionally less popular than some religions among the peoples, it never has been extinct in Prax.
During the Dawn Ages (0-c.500 S.T.) many nomad clans from Prax settled in Peloria. Those tribes still worship a form of this cult, though much modified. Their history is outside this book's scope.
Since the Dawning the cult of Waha has suffered several defeats. The first of these was about 850 S.T., and was a victory for Pavis, who thereby established his own city. During the Dragons Age, Waha failed to preserve his Prax from the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. In the Third Age, the mighty Lunar empire, armed with its odd magics, has defeated Waha's cult again.
The cult of Waha promises its worshippers that their souls will return to the familiar lifestyle of Prax after an undefined time spent in the gloomy, silent world of death. initiates of the cult are promised that they will spend one day in the lush Land of the Wondrous Dead (where Waha and Eiritha live and rule) for each day they faithfully serve the cult during their life. Rune Priests and Rune Lords know that they will go directly to this special place of magical power, and that they will spend years in comfort watching over the herd of Waha in a paradise where they cannot be slain. But even they, after serving time, will re-enter the cycle of birth and rebirth for the good of the tribe. Only the immortal Heroes are spared the compulsory return to the mundane world.
Members of this cult are burned after they die, and their ashes are spread to the plains and winds. In a prayer the other warriors pray that the "spark of the soul stand in the Tribe, and that its Power watch over the herds."
Waha the Butcher is associated with the runes of Death, Beast, and Man.