Muntun and Tajra (pronounced MUN-ton and TAJ-rah) are two minor deities worshiped almost exclusively in Erenon. Poorly attested local saints or spirits before the plagues, the deities grew in prominence greatly after the Restone Plague began to spread in Erenon in Y9613*. Seen as protectors and healers against the plague, worship of Muntun and Tajra expanded quickly in disease-afflicted communities. The clerics of the two gods were believed to be somewhat more effective against the plagues than the ineffectual divine magic wielded by the faithful of other divines, a factor that aided the influence of the religion. Worship of Muntun and Tajra did not last, however. As the plagues passed, the remaining peoples of Erenon returned to their traditional gods, and by Y9750* the two gods once again occupied a minor role in Erenite religious life. Today the King and Queen of Tranquility still retain some followers in Erenon, but far fewer than at their brief moment of popularity.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- Remain calm, heal the sick and injured, safely bury the dead
- Anathema
- Turn away those that seek care, disturb the dead, act impulsively
Depiction
Muntun and Tajra are closely intertwined deities. They are almost never depicted or worshiped apart from each other, and their clerics and champions nearly always see both as patrons.
The gods are depicted as having two forms at once. In one form they are spectral animals, a ghost-like ram and kite that wander the lands of Erenon destroying sickness and danger by their presence. In the other form they are humanoid figures dressed in the white and gray clothes of traditional healers, carrying medicine and tending to the afflicted in person. The first form is the oldest, dating back to Muntun and Tajra's pre-plague worship, while the second form is a more recent development in their faith.
The origins of Muntun and Tajra are regarded as something of a curiosity by scholars in Viridian theological schools. Local faiths and spirits are not uncommon in eastern Thadria, but these two gods in particular have rather more codified worship than most others. Some believe Muntun and Tajra to be heavily influenced by Tawaret and Shai, the Khapeshan forms of Aduntarri and Shai in the Chaskan pantheon more typically followed in Erenon. Certainly there appear to be many similarities in their worship and traditions, though how this influence came about is unknown.
Beliefs and followers
Followers of Muntun and Tajra believe that one should face dangers, whether those that can be seen or those that cannot, with grace and tranquility. They see the gods as stalwart healers of their faithful, divine beings who will aid in the struggles of mortal life if they are calmly requested through prayer. Reckless or impulsive behavior is thought to drive away the gods, as they grant favor specifically on those with the mental fortitude to understand that some things are outside mortal control.
Clerics of Muntun and Tajra usually focus on restoration spells, and those that heal diseases in particular. It is not uncommon for these clerics to meld their divine magic with either primal or arcane forms of magi, in a manner that achieves greater effectiveness in aiding and tending to the sick.
Priests of the two gods teach their followers that the dead, once buried, should never be disturbed. Burials conducted by the priests are elaborate, supplications to the gods to assist in keeping the deceased and anything they carry in the embrace of the soil.
An outline of the leaf of an eagle leaf tree is often inscribed above doors or on bed frames by devotees to the two gods. This is thought to help keep danger and sickness away, as well as to hasten the arrival of the gods should one living in the home or resting on the bed fall ill.