Gaiagara is a creature of balance set to devour those who do not heed his true dominion over Io. Worship of him in the form of zealous cults once existed world-wide. The most famous of these is the Epatan cult, which has since dissolved. Today, most cults of Gaiagara are formed by modern pagans looking to connect with ancient culture. A Gaiagara cult, similar to any place of worship, is tax-exempt despite Gaiagara's status as a beast or 'being' rather than a god.
Distribution of Cults
Practices of Cults
The Epatan Cult
Modern Cults
Though their worship of the Gods was fanatical, the Epatans prepared for the return of Gaiagara to an equal but considerably less ruthless amount. Children put through the Epatan’s extreme religious training would be chosen at sixteen to become either full-fledged priests or become part of Gaiagara’s Cult. The handful chosen, likely containing an equal amount of men and women, would be removed from the presence of the priests to the temple of Gaiagara, where they would live and work among previous generations of chosen spouses. The Epatan cult of Gaiagara governed itself with little interference from outside political or religious forces, showing just how deeply the culture revered ‘Io’s King’. The oldest generation of spouses would tally the traits and physical appearances of the brides or grooms-to-be, creating pairs that would hopefully produce perfect lovers for Gaiagara. Tranquility, humility, warmth, and intelligence where thought to be traits Gaiagara would seek, though the physical was equally important, if not more so. Above all, chastity was an absolute must for the potentials lovers of Gaiagara while displays of lustful behavior were cause for punishment. Intercourse before the proper time could be punished by death, or, if done with the proper partner, could send a person back to the priesthood to suffer the removal of their limbs. Pairs were expected to begin creating the next generation when their physical appearance began to change, usually from the mid 20’s to the early 30’s. After intercourse, the former bride or groom would no longer be considered eligible for Gaiagara and would remain at the temple to raise the next generation of lovers. Though kept away from the nearby capitol city of Lagosta, the Cult of Gaiagara did occasionally put on shows for its citizens. These shows likely included theatrical pieces of the legends of Gaiagara and possibly ritualistic dances. Years past, it was thought that these shows also displayed the proper ways of making love, demonstrated by the older generations, to educate the audience and tempt the virginal spouses-to-be as a test of fidelity. Most contemporary historians now disagree with this theory. As is the way with Epatan culture, many of these spiritual spouses were recognized as saints. Almost in direct opposition to the saints of the Gods, most of Gaiagara’s saints are female. Generally, they represent fidelity, chastity, and fertility, traits also expected of that era of Epatan woman.