Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - Scripture

The Faith of the Eight is the resident semi-Christian substitute in Terrae Vertebrae. Eight Aspects of one Divinity; different sects have a different emphasis (something for the next post). 

This was written before working it into a (somewhat) Late Medieval world; perhaps it doesn't quite work in such a setting - but perhaps it fits just as well as the Old Testament in Fourteenth Century Europe.

The First we Name is the Dawn-Lady; shining, new and fierce. Hers is the steel; hers is the strength of light and forthright clarity. She is fire, hot and purging. She is faith that knows no hold. She is virginal, fresh, strong in her unchallenged state. Her Time is the First of the Morning, when all is cold clarity. Her Colours are red, white and shining silver. Her Places are the atriums and solemn places of homes, the towers and spires of the cities and the peaks of the mountains. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Second we Name is the Celestial Woman; stretched taut above us. Hers is the healing wind, the soothing rain, the shifting, accommodating cloud.  Hers is love, love both gentle and demanding. She seeks, she compromises and is willing. She holds and comforts; she pushes and coaxes. Her Time is the Last of the Day, when all is calm and rested and the mysterious night encroaches. Her Colours are sky-blue, soft yellow and indigo. Her Places are the bedchamber, the gardens of the people and the glades of the forest. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Third we Name is the Earth Lord, solid below us. His is the weave, warp and weft, the gnarl and root of life. He inspires and teaches. He forces roles upon us that we must bow to. He is not soft, but is not unkind. He is father and teacher, commander and lord. He is grit, boulder and mountain. His Time is the late morning, when the bulk of work is left to be done. His Colours are Yew-Green, crimson and brown. His Places are the Study, Shrine and chest of the Home, the gates of the cities and the paths of the hills. His Blessings are manifold.

The Fourth we Name is the Talker and Shifter, between us and among us. His is the chatter, the dealing, the intrigue and the movement. He is merchant, messenger, conspirator. He is ceaseless, ease less activity. He is confiding, gossiping, twisting, cunning. His Time is the fever of Noon, when men buzz like flies. His Colours are Scarlet, Orange, florid purple. His Places are the parlour of the home, the market and the lakeside where beasts gather. His Blessings are manifold.

The Fifth we Name is the Oceanic Damsel, flowing beside us. Hers is the slow work of the currents, the iteration of the tides, the scholastic grind of the seas. Hers is discovery, effort, application, stamina. She is scholar, clerk, councillor. Her Time is the early night when the long deeds continue. Her Colours are Dark blue, parchment white and pearl grey.  Her places are the bookshelf, the libraries and sidestreets of the towns and the rivers of the plains. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Sixth we Name is the Lawgiver, the Limited. She is the dance with steps, the game with rules, the cup with a bottom, the Arrow with a target. She is restraint and joy in restraint. She is order and joy in order. She follows the path. She is civilisation and its fruits. Her Time is the early evening, with joy to come and completed work. Her Colours are fresh green, wine-red and black. Her Places are the halls of houses, the courts of the cities and the plains of earth. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Seventh we Name is the Striker, the Edge. His is force and power upon a point. His is sword and armour. He is the spear for the hunter, the sword for the soldier. He is just. He is justice. He is the single cut that serves the need. He is the divider. His Time is the early afternoon, when a full morning hangs over the remains of the days. His Colours are iron grey, petal yellow and bright bronze. His Places are the kitchen of the home, the walls of the town and the shores of the seas. His Blessings are Manifold.

The Eighth we Name is the Complete, the Full. He is the end of life, drawing to a close. He is the path that leads to the destination. He is the inn at the end of the road. He is generous and prosperous. His is the laden table and the open door. He is the delights of the new realm and the changed world. His Time is the middle of the night, when all things are changed. His Colours are ruddy gold, the dry leaf and charcoal. His Places are the dining room, the graveyard and the caves. His Blessings are Manifold.

The Greater Canon

The Books of the Prophets

The Book of the Dawn

The Book of the Eastern Prophetess

The Book of the Mountain

The Book of the Herald

The Book of Eddan the Scholar and Naddan the Navigator

The Book of Keruba, Poet and Judge

The Book of the Two Swords

The Book of the Feast

The Books of the Scholars (the nature of the divine, how to worship, ethics, codes)

The Book of Names

The Book of The Eight

The Book of the Divine

The Book of Powers

The Book of Worship

The Book of Codes

The Second Book of Codes

The Western Book of Codes [Region-particular]

The Catalogue of the Faithful [Region-particular]

The Books of History (as it says on tin. Of who the prophets were, how the word was spread)

The Book of Prophets

The Book of The Chiefs

The Book of The Lords

The Book of The Kings [Region-particular]

The Book of The Teachers [Region-particular]

The Books of Other Lands (how else the faith of the Eight is taught) [Region-particular]

The Book of the East

The Book of the West

The Book of the South

The Book of the North

The Book from Across the Water

The Book of Other Kinds