The Nuuen (pronounced NOO-en) are whale guardian deities worshiped by the tribes of Uulam. These spirits of the sea are considered by the tribes to be wise if largely aloof, and those living near the Ishkre Ocean frequently take their hide boats out into the water in hopes of seeing the eyes of their whale-gods and learning from their ancient knowledge.
Beliefs and followers
To the Uulam, size directly correlates to intelligence, and therefore the whales of the frigid Ishkre Ocean are to them possessors of great knowledge collected throughout their decades if not centuries of life. When the whale-gods disappear beneath the surface of the sea, where they spend the vast majority of their time, they do so to ponder all they have learned and confer with their kin. All this wisdom and knowledge is thought to be contained within the eyes of the whales, and so Uulam seeking guidance frequently take to their boats, setting off from the ice to search for surfacing whales in order to gaze into their eyes. Even aside from such voyages, it is not unusual for the Uulam to follow sightings of the Nuuen, especially when the seas clear of ice, as they are believed to lead the tribes away from hazards and towards more plentiful lands. In times of particular danger the Nuuen are said to emerge from the seas to converse directly with the people of Uulam and give them instruction in a language shaped from water itself.
What qualifies as Nuuen is not always consistent amongst the Uulam. Whales almost always are, but others consider some types of particularly large, long-lived sharks to be deific in nature as well. Most tribes have particular Nuuen, each with their own names, histories, and focus of knowledge, to which they are especially attached, and it is not unusual for the tribes to seek out these whales even when others with which they may be less familiar are known to be closer nearby.