Alinu

Alinu (pronounced /ˈɑlɪnuː/) is an Ymian god of the hearth, originally worshipped by the Ini but now having found devotees among other races as well. In fact, Alinu is far more popular now than he was among the Ini; then he was a rather obscure god with very few priests, only occasionally appealed to by laypeople, but now he has a sizeable following throughout Lli, and to a lesser degree on other continents as well. Perhaps this increase in his fortunes has come simply because his nature appeals more to other theeds than to the Ini, who don't tend to be homebodies and among whom his worship had always been something of an anomaly.

There is some evidence that Alinu was a relatively late addition to the Ini pantheon, not arising until the Ini had spread to the southern tip of Lli—or at least, if he was a god of the Ini before then, he was a very minor god until that time. This makes some sense; the southern tip of Lli is much more temperate than the northern part where the Ini had originated, though certainly nowhere near as frigid as Chululu or northern Hornland. It stands to reason that in northern Ini a hearthfire wouldn't have played as large a role in the Ini's life, and so neither would a god of the hearth.

Appearance

Though Alinu no doubt had a different appearance when he was still worshipped solely by the Ini, now he has a rather generic human appearance, with light brown skin and of no particular race, although some worshippers do make images of him according to their own race, leading to the existence of corresponding aspects of the god. He has large ears, a wide mouth, and slightly slanted eyes; his wavy hair falls in curls to his shoulders. Each of his hands bears on the back three black dots.

Alinu usually wears little more than a woven breechclout, along with a few simple necklaces and some other jewelry. The breechclout bears his symbol, a black rectangle within a red rectangle.

Observances and holy days

Worshippers of Alinu—and others who seek his favor while not honoring him as their primary deity—perform various rites and rituals every time they light or extinguish a hearth, or when serving food baked on the hearth. When a hearth is cleaned, the ashes are to be brought to a temple of Alinu as an offering, where they are spread over the floor in a special room for that purpose called the cindery. Many hearths bear Alinu's symbol on the keystone in the hopes that his blessing will accompany them.

Another ceremony performed when Alinu's favor is particularly desired is the cooking of hearthstew. This is a rich stew with a strict recipe of prescribed ingredients, although variations exist, and a great number of optional ingredients are permitted as long as the requisites are covered. All those who are to consume the stew are expected to contribute to its ingredients as well. Perhaps the most unusual of the ingredients (and the one causing the most discomfort to those learning of hearthstew for the first time) is the blood of its participants; only a few drops are required from each participant, but all participants are expected to contribute.

The church of Alinu commemorates a number of holy days, but four in particular are well known even to those who don't worship the Hearthlord. One of them, Ashmeal, in the month of the eel, is widely observed even by people who never pay homage to Alinu and may not even realize that the holiday originates with him; they simply like the tradition it entails of having a great meal with their extended families. Also commonly commemmorated even by non-worshippers, although to a lesser extent than Ashmeal, is Aleday, a festival during the month of the bat during which oversized makeshift hearths are built outdoors and become the centerpiece of various celebrations. The other noted holidays include the Wood Festival in the month of the wolf and the Song of Glory in the month of the snake.

Centers of Worship

The largest temple of Alinu is the Inglefane in Sammendare. While by no means the largest temple in Sammendare, this four-story building is still an impressive edifice, if not as great as some of its neighbors certainly greater than any other temple of Alinu. While the largest temple of Alinu, however, the Inglefane is not the oldest; that honor belongs to the aptly-named Auldhearth in Raluda.

The layout of most temples of Alinu follows a similar pattern. The largest room, usually located at the temple's center, is the megaron, a vast hall with a great multi-sided hearth in the center, and often other smaller hearths elsewhere in the room. The aforementioned cindery adjoins the megaron at the rear. To either side is a room with various types of holy ash available for the needy (or for anyone willing to pay for it). The rest of the temple contains the priests' chambers, several dining rooms, and generally a library.

Some priests of Alinu dress in a simple breechclout like the one the god himself wears, though without jewelry except for one necklace bearing Alinu's symbol. Other priests, however, especially in metropolitan areas, wear full ash-grey robes, with a brown pattern just below the waist representing Alinu's loincloth.

Aspects

In addition to his principal aspect, Alinu has a number of secondary aspects as well which have won significant following. The most prominent is probably Kadu, god of hospitality, who is popular among Ym's peregrines. Other noteworthy aspects of Alinu include Ranal, a recent aspect as a god of fire; Enu, as a god of winter; and Asi, a god of children.

Alinu also seems to be in the process of developing a few thedy aspects. Most notably, the Olkhan, living in their cold environment, make frequent use of hearths and developed their own aspect of Alinu called Kharm; and the Kander, conversely, have taken to Alinu due to their affinity to fire, and have their own aspect called Mesen. Curiously, the Ar have their own aspect of Alinu named Ker who is increasing in popularity, a fact that makes some of Alinu's worshippers of other thedes somewhat uncomfortable.

Relations

Alinu is an amiable god with no serious enemies among the Ini pantheon, or any other. Still, he has closer relationships to some gods than to others. Some myths make him out to be husband to Tarau, goddess of the home, though even if this isn't the case they are certainly intimate allies. Kolo, god of the hunt, also has a close relationship with Alinu. Alinu apparently has several demigod children, including Ori Strangefoot, Kala of Tir, and the Caldron Dame.