Aedak

VARIANTS OF AEDAK IN THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT

As with any religion, the practice of Aedak varies by the cultures and locations it reaches, as well as over time.

Gender: One major respect in which this has manifest is in the ordination of women as priests, and by extension the acceptance of women in some occupations formerly restricted to men. Though the original commands of the Prophet-Emperor Raegar regarding gender were emancipatory for his time, after his reign the dominant interpretation was strict patriarchy in families as well as in society at large, in accordance with a certain vision of hierarchical Duty and Mastery in specialization.  However, many powerful clergy throughout history have repeatedly interpreted his commands more loosely. This has long been the case in Byrnia, where gender divisions are ambiguous and flexible to begin with. In the last century, the trend has caught on in Khaitis lands as well, especially with the public high regard held for Khei Khaitis and Nayani-Khaitis Daru as Empress Regents. However, Khaitis women generally continue to be expected to marry according to their parents' choice of suitor and to be subservient to the husbands they take, while men are allowed far more agency in the whole process. Among the Southern Tribes, gender division is at its sharpest in certain respects. Women priests and administrators are practically unheard of, polygamy remains a common practice despite Vaekirate opposition, and the separation between male and female spaces is stark. However, depending on the particular tribe, women can attain authority as elders, respected and often consulted for their wisdom and experience.

Worship Practices: Apart from questions of gender, the most major differences in the practice of Aedak are around worship traditions. Khaitis tend to congregate at temples once weekly in addition to festival days for ritualistic services lead by priests. These services are punctuated by call-and-response prayers lifted to the Prophet to convey to Aed, readings from the Aedaknam and Raegarnam, and a concluding silent prayer as the priest carries burning incense through the temple. Byrnians temples, on the other hand, function as unquestioned centers of community life, integrated seamlessly into the greater city or village structure. People congregate in temples almost every day to talk, buy, sell, and conduct other everyday business. At several points in the day or simply as they feel inspired, priests will interrupt this buzz to call those present to pray, hear an announcement, or hear the word of Raegar or Aed. As such, normal Byrnian temples tend to be much larger than their Khaitis counterparts while also somewhat fewer, hosting many more priests and many more open spaces, including outdoor courtyards. Both Byrnian and Khaitis temples very often feature gardens, where congregants can go silently to pray. Among the Southern Tribes, except in Arkhaer whose temples run in the Khaitis style, temples are large, ornamented tents with an internal division to keep men and women worshipping separately. Congregants gather for a day-long service once per season as well as on festival days, but otherwise rarely frequent the temple except to seek blessings for loved ones, curses on their enemies, or ritual cleanliness for themselves. Like Byrnian priests, but perhaps even more so, they spend most of their time frequenting with their community, offering advice or teaching as the opportunity arises.

Throughout the entire empire, priests reside in quarters in their temples, and they must always carry with them an Aedaknam and a Raegarnam to make use of as needed.