Vhasa Cay Ovo, The Sun Peaked Home

When Usif died, a great cairn was erected in his final resting place. Sefan meditated by the cairn for forty days before he stood, and proceeded to twirl for an entire day on the spot before stopping., When he did, it is said that construction for the city of Vhasa Cay Ovo had begun. The followers of Usif and Sefan called themselves Daresh (Those Who Spin), and gathered the resources to begin.

Built atop the highest peak in the northern part of the Krioth lands, it quickly rivaled the Sune Peak itself in holiness. The architects brought in minds from the south who themselves brought drawings and designs from the south. Quickly, the city began taking shape into a majestic and colorful place, combining the traditional mountain dwellings with the tall trade houses of Alana. Rope bridges connected some of the peaks, and a man was said to always keep an eye on their maintenance, replacing ropes when needed.

Vhasa Cay Ovo, often abreviated to Vhascayo, is painted in an assorment of greens and reds, and less often whites and blues (partially because of lack of paints). Where lumber is visible, it is always carved in either floral motifs inspired by the Meswoth, and also of animals like goats and aurochs. The city stretches all down through the mountain and into the valley. Deep stairs can be treacherous to those unaccustomed, but there are also a quantity of stairs and tunnels inside the actual mountain where many people live.

When in construction, Sefan made a point to avoid parallels to the old Alana priesthood. For this reason, using gems was prohibited, and any carvings done in the woods were to be done either of flora or fauna, but never of men or women. The only exception to this was a large wooden statue of Usif inside the peak’s monastery.

This monastery was where the most faithful went to pray. Deep in silence, illuminated by red wax candles all around, incense burning, and only the sound of the rhythmic water hammers. The Daresh themselves kept their homes austere and lacking in much decoration unless it came to wooden carvings.

A large portion of the city was reserved for those pilgrims who sought to become Daresh. In return for their food and board, they would be expected to participate in the city’s well-being, and in some cases help to spread their knowledge and beliefs to neighboring villages. In these latter cases, the initiate would be there first and foremost to help the village better themselves through labor, not to proselytize. Once this was established, and if the people were willing, the initiates would preach.

Effects on the rest of the Krioth

This movement went largely unnoticed in the city of Alana as they had long forgotten much of the mountain folks for the allure of trade with the Seyirvae and Meswoth. Not only did they underestimate the pull Vhascayo would have, they completely ignored it. Many of the farmers and miners would now give their tribute to help the city grow in exchange for religious guidance. For once, the farmers near Krigata and the Northern Runners felt like they were contributing to something. Sefan would send his followers and learned individuals to towns and villages to teach Usif’s teachings to those who could not read.

Vhascayo single handedly revived the old pilgrimage tradition that had died down under the miscare of the Clan Mothers of Alana. Where women would often travel alone, now men and women would be seen meditating atop peaks with little clothes to try to endure as much of the world as they could. This practice - physical endurance for ritualistic meditation - was spearheaded by the Daresh, who would often attempt extreme situations while seemingly unaffected and in complete serenity to show how connected they were to the world.