Đất của Ngài

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Đất của Ngà

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Basics

Statistics & Foundation

Info

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  • Location: Cấm Sơn Lake, Bắc Giang, Vietnam
  • Status: REQUEST
  • Demonym: Người của Ngài or Kẻ sám hối
  • Language: Vietnamese
  • Secondary Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Laotian
  • Archetypes: Devotees, cultits, purists, traditionalists, hard workers, collectivists
  • Foundation: Unknown
  • Species: Dingoes, jackals, dogs
  • Population: ~200
  • Luperci: Only Luperci

Creator: Abby

On this page... (hide)

  1.   1.  Cấm Sơn Lake
    1.   1.1  Đất của Ngài
  2.   2.  Người của Ngài
    1.   2.1  Belief System
    2.   2.2  Practices & Traditions
    3.   2.3  Structure
  3.   3.  History
  4.   4.  Glossary

Cấm Sơn Lake.

Đất của Ngài is the home of the devout religious community, Người của Ngài. Although their current base of operations is on the northeast coast of Cấm Sơn Lake, it's likely their cult originally formed around the infamous Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is unknown when their move to Cấm Sơn Lake began, or when the cult itself was even formed. The current followers believe they have always been at Cấm Sơn Lake, as it is seen as holy ground to them.

They are a notorious and active cult in Southeast Asia, and have been known to send members on missions to nearby nations and settlements to recruit followers. They appear entirely peaceful and harmless to outsiders, if not a bit strange and obsessive. Internally, however, things aren’t quite as they seem…


1.  Cấm Sơn Lake

1.1  Đất của Ngài

Navigation

Đất của Ngài resides on the northeast coast of Cấm Sơn Lake, encompassing several rural human fishing communities such as Đồng Phai, Mòng A, and Cấm Sơn. The area of the lake itself is about 2600-3000 hectares depending on the season, and although the residents only reside on the north shore, they utilize all of the lake’s resources by sailing out to fish away from their settlement. The community consists of several humble dirt, wood, and mud houses, as well as Đấng Tối Cao and his family’s larger, more extravagant wood house at the town’s centre. The community is not gated as they wish to welcome as many new followers as possible, but it is well-guarded by its loyal, armed, able-bodied men who have devoted their lives to protecting the sacred land of Kim Quy and his people.

Flora & Fauna

Since Bắc Giang Province is one of Vietnam’s most rural areas, it’s rich with plenty of fauna and flora for Người của Ngài to benefit from. Apart from its assortment of aquatic life including shrimp, crab, and fish, Bắc Giang is also home to 146 species of birds, as well as several other land animals including lemurs, deer, boars, and many others. The province is also very fertile, so growing fruit like lychees and grains like rice is quite manageable.

Climate

The area is known for its tropical, temperate climates, although the temperature, humidity and rainfall vary depending on the season. Its hot, rainy season spans from May to September, and its cold, dry season spans from November to March. That said, Bắc Giang’s average temperature is around 22–23 °C (72–73 °F), and its humidity values are generally in the range of 73% to 87%. Its average rainfall is about 1953 mm (76.9 in) a year, with annual sunshine hours of 1500-1700 hours. Additionally, it is usually safe from hurricanes and storms because of its distance from Vietnam’s eastern coast and the South China Sea.

Accessibility and Outsiders

Although Đất của Ngài is well guarded, it is not built to keep outsiders away. In fact, they are always trying to recruit new members— so much so that many loyal followers go on missions outside their borders to spread the word of their community and faith. If a curious newcomer arrived at their borders on their own, however, they would be welcomed with open arms and polite greetings. That said, if they are violent, openly hedonistic, or blasphemous, they would be quickly removed with force.

Buildings and Construction

Người của Ngài’s homes are very small, simple, and humble, and are usually constructed of primitive materials like dirt, mud, dried grass, and sometimes wood. They are never personalized or decorated, and they are often quite uniform. Đấng Tối Cao and his family’s home is larger and located in the centre of their settlement. It is mostly made of wood, but it is also sparsely decorated— save for the artwork of Kim Quy that litters its walls. The centre of Đất của Ngài also contains their main temple, Đền của Ngài, which doubles as their community centre and general gathering place. It is the most extravagant building in Đất của Ngài, and it is painted with rich colours and artwork of Kim Quy all over its walls. Another smaller temple is located near the middle of the settlement on the shore, known as Nơi phán xét. It is less extravagant, and is more like a simple gazebo surrounded by flowers. It contains a place to kneel, as well as fixtures to light candles and incense. Đất của Ngài is also home to several groves and fields near the edge of the settlement where its people grow fruit and crops. There are primitive watchtowers along its edges where Đất của Ngài’s soldiers watch over its people and supplies.

2.  Người của Ngài

2.1  Belief System

History

Little of Người của Ngài’s history is known, save for it being rooted in the Linh family history.

According to legend, several decades ago, the Golden Turtle God Kim Quy grew angry and contemptuous with the hedonistic lifestyle of Luperci. So angered by their sin, he vowed to wipe their species from his earth. But as he rose from the depths of his aquatic home, he came upon a quiet, virtuous man praying by his lake. This lake is said to be Cấm Sơn Lake by Người của Ngài’s current followers. The man was Chinh Văn Linh, an elderly, peaceful dingo who was devoted to Kim Quy. The man’s serene demeanour calmed the god, and he instead chose to give Luperci a chance— albeit a tentative one. He told Chinh that he would give him and his descendants the gift of enlightenment, and that he and his family were tasked with using their gift to guide their fellow Luperci on the path of purity and righteousness. Only then would Kim Quy rise from Cấm Sơn Lake once again and bestow fortune and goodwill on his people. Until then, Luperci would be left to repent, and should they fail to do so, they would be smitten by Kim Quy’s power.

Kim Quy left Chinh with a list of tenets all Luperci must obey to become enlightened, and instructed him to preach their importance to all those around him. Chinh immediately got to work, founding his settlement on the shore of Cấm Sơn Lake. He built their first temple, Nơi phán xét, in the place Kim Quy found him kneeling.

Upon Chinh’s death, his first born son was supposedly gifted the power of enlightenment in his place, and the trend continued throughout each generation, with Thuy Văn Linh as the current enlightened one, or Đấng Tối Cao.

Mythology

Người của Ngài is rooted in an incredibly bastardized and twisted version of Vietnamese folklore. Kim Quy was indeed known as the Golden Turtle God in local folklore, but almost every belief Người của Ngài holds regarding him are completely false.

Firstly, Kim Quy was not said to inhabit Cấm Sơn Lake in rural Bắc Giang, but instead further southwest in Hoàn Kiếm Lake, deep in Vietnam’s urban capital, Hanoi. It is possible that Người của Ngài originated in Hanoi, then later migrated to Bắc Giang due to the struggle of surviving in an urban environment. Either way, all current followers are adamant that their community has always resided on Cấm Sơn Lake.

Additionally, in myth, Kim Quy does not preach specific virtues and concepts of purity, but is often depicted as a helpful deity, offering advice to humans and gifting them with enchanted tools and weapons to aid them in their struggles. He is also not a monotheistic, omnipotent deity, but instead a smaller, local deity that is one of many similar ones. It is likely that Chinh simply took Kim Quy’s name and twisted him into an entirely new deity that conformed to his worldview.

Kim Quy.

The Four Tenets of Purity

These are the tentets Kim Quy allegedly wrote down and gave to Chinh to preach to his fellow Luperci. Supposedly, obeying these tenets are the only way to reach enlightenment and appease Kim Quy's anger.

  • Spiritual purity
    • Belief in any other god besides Kim Quy is strictly forbidden.
    • One must take Đấng Tối Cao’s word as the direct will and commandment of Kim Quy himself as he is the only one who can communicate with Kim Quy.
    • Sunrise and Sunset Worship, as well as Nightly Judgement, are mandatory.
    • The natural world is sacred and spiritual, and all nature should be treated with respect.
  • Sexual purity
    • Complete celibacy until marriage is required, including masturbation.
    • No homosexual relations are permitted.
    • Adultery is strictly forbidden.
    • Men and women have very distinct roles in society: men as fishermen, soldiers, and providers, and women as gatherers, caregivers, and farmers.
  • Lawful purity
    • One must strive to aid the collective, not the individual.
    • Đấng Tối Cao’s word is law.
    • Any violence apart from their soldiers protecting the borders is strictly forbidden.
    • Any attempt to disrupt the peace by preaching alternative values is strictly forbidden.
  • Physical purity
    • Altering one’s state of mind through any impure substances is strictly forbidden.
    • Individualism is strongly discouraged, meaning excessive clothes and jewellery, dyed hair, piercings, tattoos, and scarification are all forbidden— unless you are a newcomer who as already altered their body beyond repair.
    • Self-harm and suicide are seen as blasphemous and unforgivable.

2.2  Practices & Traditions

Missions

Loyal followers are strongly encouraged to venture outside their borders and spread the importance of their beliefs to outside communities. These missions can take months at a time, and play a key role in their recruitment process. Only fully indoctrinated members are encouraged to go, most likely because Đấng Tối Cao fears that if a newer member got a taste of outside life once again, they might never return.

Sunrise and Sunset Worship

Every day at sunrise and sunset, all Kẻ sám hối are required to kneel at Đền của Ngài, their main temple, and pay respects to Kim Quy. This serves as a reminder that each day is a gift from Kim Quy, and that each sunrise is not guaranteed should they choose to stray from the path of purity.

Nightly Judgement

Every night after their Sunset Worship, every member is required to make their way down to Nơi phán xét, kneel, and wait to see if Kim Quy will appear for them— proving that they have reached enlightenment. No one apart from the firstborn sons of the Linh family have ever achieved this, but it remains a mandatory practice.

2.3  Structure

Hierarchy

Đấng Tối Cao - The Supreme Being
Đấng Tối Cao is the current male descendent of the Linh line that possesses the gift of enlightenment. He is supposedly the only one who can still see and communicate with Kim Quy. His job is to maintain order within Người của Ngài, and to continue to spread the word of Kim Quy. He is the leader of their community, and is only beholden to Kim Quy himself. His followers often refer to him as Cha or Cha xứ, which translates to Father. In turn, he refers to his followers as Các con, or children.

Kẻ sám hối - The Penitent
The rest of Người của Ngài fall into this category. Since collectivism is a core value in their community, no one is seen as superior to another, meaning there are no other tiers in their society besides Đấng Tối Cao. Fishermen, soldiers, farmers— they are all equal under Kim Quy. Their role is to devote their entire existence to repenting for the sins of their species, and to spread the importance that everyone do the same. They often refer to each other as anh and chị, meaning brother and sister.

3.  History

Influence on 'Souls

4.  Glossary

  • Đất của Ngài - His Land
  • Người của Ngài - His People
  • Đền của Ngài - His Temple
  • Nơi phán xét - Place of Judgement
  • Đấng Tối Cao - The Supreme Being
  • Kẻ sám hối - The Penitent
  • Cha/Cha xứ - Father
  • Các con - Children
  • Anh - Brother
  • Chị - Sister