Imperishable Ones

Older than Vicus itself, the belief in the Imperishable Ones has always been in the hearts and minds of those born to the vast desert. Though the night sky is filled with stars, there are those special ones that never leave the sky, never set, those who always watch. These are believed to be the gods of old and those rare mortals they deem worthy. They are the guardians of the afterlife, letting in those who have moved on from life on Vicus, and even selecting a rare few to join them in the sky, watching over the desert island forevermore.

There are no concrete stories or legends, nor even names for this revered group. Even those who lived mortal lives on Vicus and believe to have taken a seat amongst the Imperishable Ones, their names have been lost to the sands of time. The stories of the undying stars that watch over the world are told to foals, everyone has heard of them, and nearly all believe when they move on, they will finally meet the mysterious gods.

The Children
Though the Imperishable Ones seem to never interfere with mortals, there is one notable exception. Myths from long ago speak of a small family herd, a stallion, the love of his life, and their two children: a filly and young colt. Life on Vicus was hard, it always has been and always will be, but the family stuck close and the love that bound them together was strong. For as long as anyone could remember, oases in Semper were considered sacred places. All the horses respected each other in an oasis, and the faithful felt closer to the Imperishable Ones.

One night, the small family walked into an oasis as the sun was setting and the stars began their conquest of the darkness. As the foals settled down to sleep, the parents went to get a drink and cool themselves in the refreshing waters. Something terrible happened then. A rogue stallion attacked the father, hoping to steal the mare despite the sacred location. However, the mare fought back, and other stallions from the bachelor band joined in the violence. At the end of the skirmish, the parents had gone to the next life, leaving their young children to fend for themselves.

Before the sunrise the next morning, the foals were awoken by a voice. It was a soothing voice, despite the horrors it revealed to them. It told them of their parents demise, that they had joined the Imperishable Ones as guardians to the next life, shining brilliantly in the sky where they could watch over their beloved children. The voice went on to say that since this atrocity happened under their watch to mortals who were some of the purest they had ever witnessed, they would continue to watch over the foals and bestow a gift upon them if they wished. The voice told them to return to this oasis once they had decided and spend the night. It asked them two things: to not tell any others that the Gods had spoken to them, and to never say the formal names of their parents again. Being made Imperishable was a difficult transition, and hearing their name could make things harder for them. The voice then reassured them that everything would be ok, their parents would adjust to their new role soon and the children would be watched over, and left as mysteriously as it appeared.

The loss affected the siblings in different ways. However, one thing was clear to them both: the inhabitants of Vicus needed to be reminded of the sacredness of the oases. And this was a lesson that needed repeating for all time. Once the foals grew into adults, they returned to the oasis, and after a long discussion with the voice, who was joined by other voices this time, the siblings were deified and left to roam Vicus for as long as they desired, protecting the oases and occasionally speaking with the older Gods.

Haedra, The Elder

Iaral, The Rebel

Haralith Sect
A small sect has sprung up in Vicus in the last generation, comprised of horses who feel that neither Yari or Aesty alone can result in true happiness. These followers worship both peaceful Haedra and warrior Iaral and follow both factions lifestyles. They form tribes as both others do, but the decisions are made democratically, with stallions, mares, and even foals all having a say in matters. They can often be found in oases with Aesty tribes, talking for hours on end. However, they also engage in the war games, seeing who is the strongest, the fastest, the quickest thinker. Although the battles usually only play out within the tribe or if another Haralith tribe is found, the two will compete, but rarely the sect will find a Yari tribe that is willing to fight without winning any prizes.