Swynfaredian Ritual Burnings for Korus

by me with Midjourney

-Kovenoth the Builder, Founding Dragon of Swynfaredia

 

We dragons are mighty, but the Nine are mightier still. Only a fool forgets this. Only the most legendary fools offends Korus.   There is a human vernacular expression "Never anger your cook", and Korus provides food to all of Scarterra. Our First Age ancestors were not known for their piety but even these ancient dragons knew to honor Korus at the start and end of the agricultural season. Unfortunately, very few detailed written records survived from the First Age.

  We know that our ancestors made offerings to Korus and we know that the offerings were usually burned in ritual fires breathed from the mouths of dragon priests and priestesses, but we don't know what those offerings entailed.   Many human bards and even the occasional dramatic historian will say that live mortals were sacrificed in Korus' honor, either young dragons or thurekal....or captured enemies who might still be young dragons or thurekal. Korus certainly has his dark side, but I find it unlikely that he would respond positively to these sorts of offerings.   More likely guesses are that Korus was offered a portion of crops, or sweet smelling things like incense, or art, or something less violent than mortal sacrifice.   Unfortunately, we had to guess what burned offerings to use. We tried a little bit of everything....barring mortal sacrifice. Our composite ritual that we created in Korus seems to please the Lord of Trees, because Swynfaredia's crops continue to grow and flourish and Korus has not struck us with famines or monsters.   As long as Korus seems to accept our offerings, we will keep giving the same offerings."

by Eron12 with Hero Forge

Green Reverend Brynn of the Fumayan Stewards  

"The Swynfaredians prefer to depict the Nine wearing draconic forms rather than humanoid forms.   Traditional Swynfaredian offerings to Korus at planting time is to create a hollow wooden sculpture of a draconic version of Korus. It is difficult to tell the difference from a Korus sculpture from a sculpture of one of the other Nine's draconic forms but Korus dragons are usually painted green or decorated with fresh leaves.   The sculpture is filled with scented herbs and perfumes, a tiny bit of last year's harvest, and parchment with written prayers and venerations to Korus.

  The sculptures are usually pretty simple and unadorned, though a wealthy province might go all out and make an extra fancy wooden sculpture to honor Korus. A poorer province or one lacking skilled wood carvers can make due with a wooden crate carved with glyphs in Korus' honor.   The offering is set on fire. Preferably with magical invocation from a Dragonbloods sorcerer or sorceress, but if one is not available, a torch carved to look like a dragon is acceptable. The wooden dragon is soaked in an accelerate to make it burn faster. Sometimes they will add alchemical mixtures to make the flames green."