Fiction:Vanara/Religion/Jura

Birth
Jura was born when the burning end of the invading beast Tachi was severed from it's body by the guardian beast Mana. The head would slither to north west of the Vanara homeworld where the great volcanic lands were located on the Vanara homeworld. There it lay in the fiery wastes growing in power in size, gestating in the rivers of lava. Eventually it grew into the massive beast it is today, rising up to bring wrath and ruin upon the world.

Battle with Githra
Jura would wander across the planet destroying anything and everything in its way until it encountered one of it's siblings, Githra, born from the tail of Tachi. The two found in a battle so intense that it sank an entire continent, but in the end Jura was forced to flee from Githra who proved to be far to powerful for Jura to take down.

Battle with Qual and Warjeth
Fleeing from Githra Jura would discover he was being tracked by the twin beasts Qual the space monster and Warjeth the time being, born from the young head and the old head of Tachi respectively. Knowing he could not take them both on even if he didn't have Githra on his tail as well, Jura led them back to Githra who they recognized as the bigger threat and attack, while Jura sat back and watched intending to take down the weakened winner of the fight. However Qual and Warjeth came to relize that Githra was a danger to the entire planet and thus combine their energies to seal Githra away sacrificing themselves in the process. Jura surprised by these events moved on.

Battle with Ouni and Viz
Sometime after the battle between Qual, Warjeth, and Githra, Jura found himself being tracked by another pare of twin beasts, Ouni the lord of darkness and Viz the light master, born from the shadowy head and the shining head of Tachi. Jura would take them head, but would seem to fall, playing dead. Ouni and Viz each wanting to take Jura's power for themselves would fight among each other, however their powers proved equal and opposite to each other resulting in the neutralization of the two beasts. Jura once again surprised by this turn out continued onward.

Battle with Ur-Yi, Giri, and Kari
Over time Jura would eventually encounter and fight the earth beast Giri born from the stone head of Tachi, the water creature Ur-Yi born from the bleeding end of Tachi, and the air serpent Kari born from the winged head of Tachi. The fighting was fierce eventually ending when Jura impaled Giri on a mountain top killing his fellow beast and absorbing his power. Jura would than eventually kill Ur-Yi by ripping her in half, and finally slaughter Kari by forcing her to come to the ground, forcing her twin mouths open before breathing his flames down her throat beheading her. He would than absorb their power making him the last standing and most powerful beast of all.

Battle with Mana
However Jura's power would be threatened by the reawakening of the Vanara's guardian beast Mana. Seeing the destruction Jura had wrought Mana flew into a rage and proceeded to hunt the fire dragon down. When the two met they clashed in a battle that began to rip the planet apart. During the battle Mana came to realize that there was no way she could defeat Jura and that deep down the beast's only desire was to protect it's home, but that it's twisted nature prevented it from doing so. So Mana sacrificed herself to purify Jura's soul and make it the new guardian of the Vanara, however the planet was dying so Jura eviscerated itself allowing the power of Giri, Ur-Yi, and Kari to flow out and form the Vanara Wolrdships. From Giri's energies came Behemoth, from Ur-Yi's Leviathan, and from Kari's came Ziz. With these Worldships the Vanara were able to leave their dying world.

Battle with Malore
A recent addition to the Vanara legends is the stroy of the warrior turned beast Malore and his battle with Jura. It is said Malore was once a warrior who fought against the minions of the dark gods, but as time wore on he became obsessed with it to the point where he fought them just for the sake of fighting them. Eventually he was fell by the beast Jura when he tried to slay the great beast, but was killed by the fire dragon. Malore would descend into Thantos, but instead of dissolving into nothing would be transformed and resurrected into this world as a black and white winged skeleton.

Armageddon
It is said that the end of days will come when the barrier between this world and Thanatos is destroyed allowing the legions of Destrude march to destroy all creation and causing the Tree of Life(the very structure of the universe) dies. The seal around the prison of the beast Githra will break and he will lead the armies of Thanatos. At this time the beast Jura will allow the god Hoorangiir to ride upon his back against these ruinous forces(Hoorangiir is a recent addition taken from the Vanara alliance with the Mendel), but will ultimately fall. When this happens it is the actions of weak and mortal beings that will tip the scales on way or another. If they give into despair and surrender themselves to the forces of Destrude then all will be consumed by Thanatos and fade into nothing. If they choose to stand and fight then the ruinous powers will be forced back, the barrier repaired, the Tree of Knowledge will grow in place of the Life Tree, and the above mentioned Momentum will begin.
 * NOTE: This version of the story has become altered from it's original telling by intermingling between the Vanara culture and there allies the Mendel Pact.

Personality
Jura is a rage filled beast with no other desire than to protect the Vanara and bring burning retribution and eternal suffering down upon those who would harm what he protects. He is said to prefer to live in isolation and will let few beings approach him(Ava, Mithralar, and the Mendel god Hoorangiir), but will let none touch him. The Vanara believe that Jura despises gods that meddle extensively in the affairs of mortals or use them in to fight in their stead, since he see's it as a gods duty to prevent others from getting involved in the clashes between beings such as him.

Powers
Jura's powers according to legend are immense, his very presence boils the seas, blackens the earth, and sucks the air of moister. Anything he touches is consumed by fire and can not only control fire, but is completely immune to its effects. His can travel trough both land, sea, and sky with ease. His most powerful ability is a beam of white hot flames unleashed from his maw that consumes whatever it touches.

Appearance
Jura is described by the Vanara as a massive, bipedal, dragon like beast, with massive spines running down the length of his back, and massive wings that stretch to the heavens themselves, all made of pure red energy.

Role
The Vanara see Jura as the guardian of their people and their souls as they journey across Thanatos(the Vanara idea of hell) to Eros(the Vanara idea of heaven). They also regard him as a supreme force of nature and a source of integrity, joy, passion, and courage in all creatures. He maintains balance in the universe destroying that which would disrupt the balance and throw the whole of reality out of whack. To them he is the champion of the forces of Libido and protects against the malicious intent of Githra the champion of the forces of Destrude.

Worship
"The heart of the strong shall burn with courage. And his flames shall forge integrity. Blessed is they who endure suffering. Since they, who shall have been tested, shall receive the crown of life.

Jura, protector of life, guardian of us all, fire divine, show us the way.

Oh how sacred, How serene, How glorious, How enlightening, To be born from the fire of Libido.

Oh how sacred, how serene, how glorious, how enlightening, Oh, watcher of Eros"

- Vanara prayer to Jura

When worshiping(a massive ceremony performed on the Vanara's Day of Rebirth along with ceremonies dedicated to the other beasts) Jura a large crowd gathers around a fire pit in the shape of the beast. The crowd than adds sacrificial offerings to a massive pile of wood siting in the pit which is than lit a blaze and the crowd chants a prayer to the fire dragon. Than a large effigy of Jura's enemy beast Githra is thrown into the fire as well as other representations of the void horror created by the people gathered there. Afterword the fire is left to burn down to a pile of coals and lanterns are strung up and a celebration begins that involves eating spicy foods, fire walking on the bed of coals, fire eating, fireworks and other pyrotechnic displays. The other ceremony is the Right of Jura which is had when an individual dies. when this happens a wooden effigy of Jura is made which the dead persons body is placed in and burned with a prayer being offered to Jura to maintain the individuals integrity and protect them from Thanatos as they cross it to Eros. The ashes of the dead person are then consumed by the dead persons family so that part of the will always be preserved even if they do fall to Thanatos and that if they do that when a member of their family dies thay may find their loved one and free them from Thanatos's grasp.

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