South Neiran shamanism

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The stone face, a popular symbol of the religion
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South Neiran shamanism was the dominant religion of much of the southern peoples of Neira for hundreds of thousands of years prior to the spread of Soziti across the continent with the conquests of Variyako, whose zealous rule effectively wiped out its followers through purges or forced conversion. By the early 17th century the religion had all but vanished from most of the continent, with only the nation of Likadja still harbouring small communities of active followers at the present date.

Beliefs and practices[edit | edit source]

Few studies have been conducted that accurately record the beliefs and rites of south Neiran shamanists, with the most informative generally carried out by Xhequan scholars. According to these studies, South Neiran shamanism is an animistic religion comparable to Tzolkese shamanism in its veneration of shamans, who are believed to possess innate connections to the spirits of the dead and the magical forces of the natural world. Unlike its Tzolkese counterpart and its various taboos around any sort of acknowledgement of the deceased, south Neiran shamanism makes extensive use of cuboid soul stones carved from limestone or soapstone, which are said to be used by the deceased as a kind of anchor to the material world so that they may interact with the living through the rituals of shamans.