Zhonyo Veneration
The Zhonyo Veneration (Delang: Ҫҩнјо тҍіњѡа (Zjaunjo tqjingwa), IPA: /ʃɔnju: tçiŋwa/, Kirsh: SOnju: tCiNwa, CXS: SOnju: tCiNwa) is the Zhonyo religion.
According to the Veneration, the world is ever-existent and supported by all things living and all that has ever lived. Because of this the Zhonyo venerate the dead, praying for their ever support of the world.
Death is thus an important phase for the Zhonyo, as such all killing should be done as kindly and painless as possible. To a Zhonyo having a animal or human cry out in pain or distress is considered a terrible sin for the slayer to such a degree that such a slayer is considered an outcast. The Zhonyo despises most methods of killing used by other people. The Zhonyo always captures their prey unharmed and if possible without giving chase, even in war or crimes of passion. A failure to make death as pleasant as possible risks the dead haunting or even worse, desiring to break the world and ending the life of all in horror, pain and utter distress. Therefor the ritual of anlezi (Delang: анлесі (anlezi), IPA: /anle:zi/, Kirsh: anle:zi, CXS: anle:zi) has to be followed to the protection of all thing living.
The practice of anlezi has also been adopted by The Faith of the Gods.
Another practice, which may seem at odds with the practice of anlezi, is the zhodunhatzu (Delang: ҫиδјyнƕајтҫи (zjudjynhajtzju), IPA: /ʃʉdjynhajt͡ʃʉ:/, Kirsh: Su"djynhajtSu":, CXS: Su\djynhajtS)u\:), a Zhonyo word meaning food child, a child bred for the purpose of being digested as dinner.
According to this practice, some children, mostly girls because of their tender flesh, are bred for food. These children are regarded as holy and any harm done to them is at the risk of one's life. The custom says that these children has never felt the touch of rough cloth at any time during their life. Nothing but the softest silk are said to be allowed to touch the skin of a zhodunhatzu, but more often than not, not even silk are worn by them.
The children are usually harvested when they are around 8 years old, but only if they are without scars, untouched and quite fit. They are dispatched by highly skillful slayers without the child flinching a bit, while sitting straight in a chair. A slayer that has the unfortunate displeasure of making a zhodunhatzu flinch, or even worse cry out in pain, are said to be skinned alive while being kept conscious. And if the child cried out, to be boiled alive after skinned.
Zhodunhatzus that are rejected as a food source are given the best education available, and are often said to be leaders of villages, both in matters of spirituality and more mundane topics.
Although the practice of breeding children for food purpose has been outlawed and no evidence of this practice still occurring has been found, many spiritual and worldly leaders make the claim of being a zhodunhatzu.
