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Future echoes - the concept

Merith

Ichmarr

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Ichmarr is a true Goddess, like other Deities she exists, at least in the literal sense in the minds of her followers.

 In Future echoes in the dark, Merith thinks of her religion thus:

     "She is called Ichmarr the goddess of Mischief, trickery and (occasionally) Thievery. We tend to miss out the last bit otherwise most towns would run us out. We are tolerated but nothing more.

Christianity and all that goes along with it have driven most of these gods out of the way. The older gods still have a place and do hang on to the world in out of the way places. The people of the woods and small villages that are too small to have a church still practice the old religions. Ichmarr had managed to slip under the guard of the catholic authorities through a series of bribes, backhanders and basically through very secretive practices. To be devoted to the Catholic Church meant that you had to lead a pure life, love your fellow man, but not his wife and to look after the weak of the community.

You also had to purge yourself of all the trappings of life and loved ones, be celibate and to flagellate your mind and body of all of the evils we humans create in our minds. This seems easy in comparison to my own religion.

 With Ichmarr you had to steal to keep in favour with her. The bigger the theft, the better, but as a devotion to her all of her priests and novices had to steal at least something every week. It couldn’t be ceremonial it had to be a real theft. This has caught out a few of the high priestesses who diminish in power as they get older and less adventurous. Of course, you got to keep what you steal, whom would you give it to? But as you got better and higher up the goddess would begin to ask more of you. I was good, better than all of my peers and Ichmarr was a Goddess who demanded preaching of “a different religion”. 

We have priests in every thief’s gangs in the major towns and cities. We know all of the wrong people.

Wherever there is a gang of thieves we will have a shrine. Wherever there is a lone thief in a tight corner we have a believer. Many tyrants and con artists give us a passing wave as they trick their way through to the score. We have many enemies and as such we are a secret to be kept by all. When you pass into the priesthood you commit yourself to it for life or death. We could and have been accused of witchcraft and maybe this is true but we exist and continue to flourish under the guard of many powerful friends."