Queen of Dreams

Identity

• Titles – The Dreaming Goddess, Goddess of Sleep, Lady of the Mist, Queen of Dreams
• Influence – Destiny, Dreams, Fate, Prophecy, Sleep
• Appearance – The face of Sūdul is never portrayed, though she is most often depicted as a woman in long gossamer gowns. Her face is often obscured by her hands, position, or a mask.

Attributions

• Symbol – Circle-Triangle sigil, or Swirling Mists
• Focus – Any precious item crafted with an intricate and often repeating design. Holy items inevitably incorporate jade. Green jade is considered inferior to the lavender and green Çor’r.
• Color – Blue, Gray, and Purple
• Element – Air and Dream
• Animal – None

Cult

• Center of Worship – City of Jædð, Jædð
• Scriptures –
• Leader – Prydyrim Gor, …
• Priesthood – Gor Ordus Sūdul, Pryr Sūdul
• Orders – The Dreaming Order
• Aspects – Dāggon the Horrible, Jarjàða of Dreams
• Touched – Vdr. Mōlìril
• Holy Days – Aldrūan the First
• Friends – All Dekàli Cults and Orders
• Enemies – Zin Vìrāel, Zrū. The Sha’al closely associate the Cult with their ancient enemy, the Dekàli Empire.
• Sayings – “Forever dream and forever live”, “Few rejoice who learn of their future”, “To learn is to be bound, to experience is freedom to find your own answers.”

Introduction

Sūdul is the Dekàli goddess of sleep, dreams, and prophecy. Sūdul’s main temple is located in Jædð. Sūdul does not appear to her faithful and speaks to them only in convoluted puzzles granted in dreams. Most of her “work” is believed to be done by her Aspects (e.g., Dāggon and Jarjàða).

Cult scriptures refer to the Dreaming Goddess as female. Ancients called her Shūdol which was a feminine name meaning “dreamer”.

The Cult

Worship of the Sūdul is an ancient practice, dating back to the earliest days of the Dekàli Empire. The cult was formed by sages who studied the writings and teachings of Te’zànah, a native prophetess who emerged from the Dreamlands with three jade scrolls. The scrolls detailed the perils of a slave girl named Shūdol who liberated her people from unnamed masters (rf. Bardal). Leading her people into the Dreamland jungles, she was caught-up in an eternal struggle between two monsters named Jarjàða and Daggon (i.e., dream and nightmare). Shūdol resolved this conflict by establishing herself as master of the two, creating a progression of slave to master which continues with the “employment” of the Nūð. The story presented is known as The Ordeal of Shūdol, and described her decent into madness and eventual re-birth into divinity and mastery of the Aspects. Later iterations of the story introduced Pæð as giving Shūdol the insight to beat her adversaries, though this is not included in the original version. The Jade Scrolls of Te’zānah have not been seen in over a thousand years.

There are few Orders within the Cult of Sūdul, apart from the priesthood (i.e., the Dreaming Order). Another item that separates the Cult from most others within the Dekàli pantheon (excepting Amra) is an absence of a military order (Roð has a military order, but not a fighting military order). In the city-state of Jædð, where most of Sūdul’s faithful reside, the role of military enforcement falls to two groups; the Order of Red Knights and the Illuminated (a secular group with strong ties to the temple).

The Priesthood

The Cult of Sūdul is unlike others in the Old Empire. First, the priests and faithful of Sūdul are part of a vast decentralized organization. Whether this apparent disorganization is a product of the temple’s ethereal philosophies, or the lack of an established Kyrm Orysūdul is unknown. Very little can be discerned about the group’s hierarchy since the faithful rarely meet to discuss or debate issues concerning the Cult. A hierarchy of some sort must exist however as the Cult has never failed to send a representative to the Council of Lanàdus.

Priests around the City of Jædð often wear faceless masks for their ceremonies and select official duties. The masks may represent a separation from the physical world and an homage to the Goddess whose face is never seen. Southern priests often cover their bodies in elaborate tattoos. Southern Jædð is remarkable for its tattooists’ use of colored and invisible inks (i.e., sōtah) that only appear at certain times of day, night, or under specific kinds of illumination (e.g., candle, magic). Followers of Jarjàða may also wear gray and white mantles. Followers of Daggon do not distinguish themselves through their dress.

Daily Activities

Priests of Sūdul make strange traveling companions, as they prefer to sleep during every non-active moment. They are very adept at instantly falling asleep, and rarely suffer from fatigue associated with lack of sleep, even in less than ideal circumstances. There are small prayers which are spoken, whispered, or murmured before falling asleep and just after waking; but these seem natural, and almost spoken unconsciously. All Sūdùli prayers are very brief, and there are virtually no organized ceremonies, other than what amount to large slumber parties. Sūdulite homes and shrines are kept well-stocked with soporific wines, elixirs, drugs, incenses, and herbs that invoke special dreams.

“All is explained, / All is revealed, / All that is fated is sealed– / All that she shows, / All that you may know, / She delivers when it blows–” – Sūdùli hymn fragment

The Prayer of the Blossoms is an important prayer that children are forced to memorize from an early age in the Dreamlands. The learning of the prayer requires one skill rank in Religion (Sūdul). For information on how the prayer works, see Prayer of the Blossoms.

Holy Days and Rituals

The only “holy day” for the followers of Sūdul is the night of the First of Aldrūan, the longest night of the year (northern hemisphere). It is believed that Sūdul and her minions visit the faithful on this night and plant special visions and portents in their minds. Many priests claim to receive puzzles which they contemplate (and sleep) upon for the remainder of the year. Usually some lesson learned during the course of the year helps to solve the puzzle given. Oracles (mystics) of Sūdul charge high prices on this night, for on this one night of the year, their words are said to come from the goddess herself rather than her Aspects.

Places of Worship

The main area of worship for the Dreaming Order is located in the Old City outside the City of Jædð. The centerpiece of the Old City is a massive piece of masonry known as “The Bowls”. The Temple of Sūdul does not have a High Temple within the Waking World.

Nomenclature: Sudul Dekàlic: Sūdul (god), Sūdùli (pertaining to), Sūdulyn (follower), Sūdulyr (followers), Pryn Sūdul (priest), Pryr Sūdul (priests)