Tafism

Overview
Tafists believe in a plethora of gods, but the minor gods are largely unknown. Nearly every Tafist god takes the shape of an animal, but they can change form as well. Gods reside in two forms, their physical one and the heavenly one (constellations). Beliefs differ on if gods are constantly in both forms at the same time or if they switch between the two, the consensus being the prior, with most stories supporting this. The two major deities are Tormn, the god of the hunt and feasting, and Ti, the goddess of fertility and safety. It is believed that making blood sacrifices, including self harm, livestock, and sometimes human sacrifice, can earn favor with the gods. Because of this, it is common practice for a couple to sacrifice cattle in the name of Ti when they hope for a child, and hunters often cut their hands before a hunt to earn favor with Tormn.

List of gods (unfinished)
Ti

Tormn

Ash

Faramir

Haramir

Tale of creation
Long ago this world did not exist. None of it's materials were reality, there was no trace of it anywhere. There were only the stars, which have always been and always will be. In the stars reside the gods, only two of them being constant, known as Ti and Tormn, who have always been and always will be. Thousands of generations ago, Ti and Tormn dreamt wonderful dreams. In these dreams, Ti saw water, animals, vegetation and care. Tormn saw death, destruction and pain. When the deities awoke they discussed what they saw and agreed that neither could exist without the other. Only death can pay for life, and only sorrow can pay for serenity. The deities worked for years to make there dreams a reality, but they made mistakes. They were polar opposites, hate and love can rarely create something beautiful. These mistakes created the world as we know it, an unbalanced world where the powerful rarely pay the price for their serenity and the peasants pay dearly for a happiness that will never come. Because of these flaws, the deities realized that they were weak, and could never create a perfect world on their own. With high hopes they began birthing more gods, each with their own purpose and personalities. Some evil and some good. Only in this way could they hope to make something beautiful, and one day the gods will convene and make the world a better and more just place.

From the Ashes
''"Ti was caring for a disappointing litter of ten, when she went hunting to replenish her milk. The goddess heard a wounded animal and she slowly advanced through the forest to pounce upon it. When she poked her head through the shrubbery she did not see a wounded animal. Instead, a human baby girl was laying abandoned in the forest. With none around to care for her she would surely die, and Ti, having just birthed a smaller litter than usual, decided she could care for the girl. Ti took the baby back to the den with her own children, and there they stayed, the baby being nursed on the milk of a god. One day, Tormn came to visit with Ti, and when he saw the child he was disgusted. "A human does not belong here" he said, "this forest is sacred, and her kind insist on scratching at it's edges. You can not raise a human, and I've grown hungry." Ti bared her fangs at the Great Devourer and said "this child has done nothing, and I refuse to let her die. Are you a god or a beast that you would hint at killing a child?" Tormn ignored Ti's pleas and efforts to protect the child, and tried to leap upon it. When he did, Ti tackled him aside, saving the child. For a generation Ti and Tormn fought, snapping and scratching at one another, Tormn fueled by rage and Ti fueled by love. This great battle shook the very minds of all the men and animals in the world, causing insanity among them. Men turned to beasts and animals killed for sport. they fought for so long that the child grew up, and having been raised on the love of a goddess became a minor deity herself. And so the goddess of peace was born, for when she ascended to godhood Ti and Tormn stopped fighting. She became known as Ash, because out of the ugliness of fighting she brought back beauty, just as ash brings back the forest after a blazing fire. Ash worked to bring peace to the world, and under her guiding hand the world began to rebuild."''

Equivalent Exchange
''"when man first began to trade, the gods were dumbfounded. They did not influence it, and were amazed that their creations had a mind of their own and could act so far out of line. It started with the trading of tools, food and clothes. Then it evolved into the trading of materials and finished products. Lastly, they invented currency. This new system was flawed, and some gods wanted to get rid of it completely. Somebody was always getting something of less value in return for what they gave. Ti and Tormn knew they had to do something about it, and so they decided to birth a new god, but when Ti and Tormn's child was born it had an unexpected twin. And so Haramir and Faramir were born. Faramir, the more powerful of the two became the god of equivalent exchange, influencing purchases to make sure they were fair in accordance to supply and demand. Haramir was a god of questionable mind, and so he was not put in charge of anything. He is known as Haramir the mad, and he works in accordance to his own agenda."''

-

Lessons
"Life can not exist without death, nor can happiness without sadness, nor success without failure. A thing loses it's value should a price not be paid."

"Everything in this world has value, even the terrible things. Anything can be useful under the right conditions"