Ritual

Soul Shrines are large stone pillars explicitly dedicated to the Zykla deities Luna and Solis. With varying heights, Soul Shrines can be towering as high as 10 feet, as small as 4 feet, and anywhere in between. The heights make little difference to the gods and are effective all the same.

Each shrine is crafted by master artisans or renowned craftsmen who carve intricate swirls depicting bloodforce, a Zykla face at the center, and either a moon or sun motif towards the base. These stone pillars serve as a direct line to the gods should a Zykla place an offering on the shrine itself or at the base.

If the offering is accepted the engravings will gradually glow, illuminating the shrine with either vibrant blues or golden yellows, depending on the Solis or Luna motif. The question remains, however, as to how the glow is created; the answer remains a well-held secret among Zykla Shaman, who bless the Soul Shrine after creation.

The strength of the glow, however, will vary depending on the type of offering that has been provided. Should the offering be rejected, the shrine will remain dark, encouraging the Zykla to try again with a more acceptable gift.

Zykla do not always need to provide their sacrificial offerings at an altar or Soul Shrine, however, Soul Shrines provided a confirmation that their offering was either accepted or ignored.

~~Dice Rolls for RP:~~
Small - Roll 1d20 = 15+ Accepted
Medium - Roll 1d20 = 10+ Accepted
Large - Roll 1d20 = 5+ Accepted
Sentient - Automatically Accepted
Sacrificial offerings can be the whole body or parts such as hearts, other organs, heads, etc. However, some Zykla have provided crafted items to the gods, such as jewelry, baskets, pottery, and carvings. While others have offered the best of their harvest (Wheat bundles, bread, apple bushels etc). While it appears that the gods highly prefer blood offerings, on rare occasions, Soul Shrines did provide a low pulsing glow to materialistic gifts.

Scarifications are generally due to life events or earning them in some fashion like a medal. Be it hunting, taking down an enemy, a right of passage, a milestone has been hit for this particular Zykla. Unlike tattoos (in modern terms) Zykla do not use them for decorating their bodies. These can be performed by an Oracle, Shaman, or self-inflicted. The pain and healing process they go through is an experience all its own let alone the reason for having it. It's the 'finishing touch' to the life event they have experienced and a personal homage to their deity.

Incidentally, applying an ash-based topical will further prolong the healing process. This is how the Zykla tend to treat their scarifications for the Zykla who possess the regeneration micro-organism. The ash-based topical is a mixture of ash, venoms, and other ingredients that the Zykla hold sacred and secret.

What some Zykla call a gift, others will often refer this as a cruel curse. Pureblood Zykla; (Zykla that only sport the traditional rosettes) have a microscopic organism that feeds on their tar glands within their bloodstream. This organism helps fight off infections and repair its 'host'. Wounds that would otherwise end the fragile Zykla's existence only serve to temporarily cripple and impede their life's journey. This may be one of many reasons why there is a huge stigma for killing or abandoning Zykla that bare both stripes and rosettes as they lack this specific organism.

Death, however, is not out of reach and is still very much a real threat.

In most cases, the severity of the Zykla's injuries and the toll taken on their body will determine the amount of sleep they will need to make a full recovery. If the Zykla is not allowed to sleep, this will delay their recovery process. The complexity of the wounds will also determine the length the sleeping recovery process will need. This could be anywhere from hours to days and in extreme circumstances perhaps a month. Unfortunately, limb removal is inevitably irreversible.

With that said, the Zykla is not without weaknesses of their own and they are nigh what one could consider invincible. Flesh and bone both crumble like any other, and the expedited recovery process does not begin until their first full rest. Both sleep or falling unconscious begins the recovery process. However, keeping the Zykla alert and awake has the opposite effect to the wounds and bruises causing them to not heal at all.

As mentioned above, applying an ash-based topical will further prolong the healing process as well. This is how the Zykla treat their scarifications. The ash-based topical is a mixture of ash, venoms, and other ingredients that the Zykla hold sacred and secret.