The shoag are a people that have been scattered over a large area of the world, but their religion has remained unchanged for thousands of years. The largest shoag territory is sithara, which is just south of Turan along a coastline commonly called the Eastern Jewels.
There is no organization of the shoag religion, instead it is driven by the words of the derwydd1) who seek to drive the will of the dreigiau (see Celestial Dragons). The derwydd themselves disagree vehemently among themselves often to the point of attacking and occasionally killing each other.
There are 13 dreigiau, each one represented by a cycle of the moon in the sky. When the moon is full the dreigiau is able to exert their full power upon this world, while the waxing moon shows the dreigiau gaining power and the waning as the dreigiau succumbs to kargoth.
dechrau and kargoth are the opposites in all things and until the end of time are in constant struggle.
Often visualized as a many-armed female dragon with a serpent-like body it is from Dechrau that all things come. This world, the stars, and the sun were all created by Dechrau. When she finished creating all things she went into the sun and slumbered awaiting the end of all things.
Shoaggar do not worship Dechrau as many other religions worship a great creator. Dechrau did not create this world for any of those that live upon it. This world exists only for her to slumber until the end of times.
The only time since then that she awoke was when she created the thirteen (13) great dragons to drive back Kargoth and serve as watchful guardians over her while she sleeps.
While Dechrau slept a darkness crept into the world. Lesser beings calling themselves gods arrived and following in their wake was the darkness. This darkness settled upon the world and shadowed part of the world from the light of Dechrau. The darkness was named Kargoth and where it touched the world it ate all things. The gods fought Kargoth, but they fell as the land before the tide. Those gods that survived fled this world leaving Kargoth to consume all things.
All would have been lost if Dechrau would not have awakened and created the thirteen (13) great dragons. Kargoth was driven from this world and now only exists as the moon that circles the world. His depredation is kept away by the light of Dechrau that shines upon him. Kargoth can only face away from the world - threatening the gods but not the world itself.
These are the great 13 dragons whose purpose is to stand as guardians over this world while Dechrau sleeps. They watch Kargoth as well as guiding those upon Miranda who are created in her image. They do not appear before the worthy as wizened teachers, but instead with the fury of the storm and the temptations of Kargoth. They strengthen the faithful with temptations and visit upon them tragedy and suffering. Those who live an easy life are not destined for greatness - just existence.
The great dragon of the sea with the everlasting strength and power of the tides. He is seen as a large and flat-bodied dragon whose fins stir up the waves and whose spiny back destroys ships. He lives in the deep waters of the ocean only rarely traveling up the larger rivers or tidal swamps. The temptation he visits upon the world is lust.
A powerful and muscular dragon with obsidian fangs and claws, Tān personifies the supremacy of one over all and the temptation of Pride. There are none powerful enough to challenge him, the world quakes when he moves, and belches fire when he speaks.
The largest of the great dragons, Mekdt flies high in the air - forbidden from ever touching sea or soil. Envious of the other dragons he draws up the water of the sea into powerful hurricanes and the soil into devastating tornadoes. His breath is the lightning that lashes the earth killing all that he touches. His is the temptation of envy and his power is the storms of the world.
Lacking limbs, an elongated jaw, eyes, and wings this dreigiau appears so unlike the others many underestimate his power over the world. His is not the natural power of the world, but instead the power of mortals to wage unrestricted war upon their neighbors. It was Denelu that gave bronze, iron, and then steel to the mortals upon the world. The mortals would have fashioned them into tools for crafting and farming, but Denelu is the temptation of war and so they crafted arms and armor.
The only female great dragon, Mir is bedecked in jewels with gold and silver scales that glimmer in the sun of her creator. She can command the earth uses her ability to tear up the jewels and crystals of the world. She lives far from the others for they would steal the enormous pile of jewels and other values that she sleeps upon. His temptation is the corruption of greed.
Gaunt and covered with thick translucent scales, the great dragon of the north brings the temptation of wrath with his icy breath. He lives on the great packs of ice where the light of his creator shines for long period of time or is hidden for an equally long time. His creator brings him light, but very little heat or warmth. This isolation has embittered him such that even the slightest perceived insult will incur his immediate and last wrath.
While Mekdt may in fact be the largest of the great dragons, Digon is the most massive. The ground cracks when he walks and greatest trees fall over when the runs. Digon hunts, feasts, and does little else. Unlike the other great dragons he keeps a large number of mortal slaves around to feed him the meat that he hunts. His is the temptation of gluttony as nearly everything he can reach finds its way into his mouth.
A long brown serpent-bodies limbless dragon, Pren enjoys little more than basking in the sun of the great deserts. His temptation is sloth and unlike the other dragon he sees no need to tempt others as most mortals do little on their own. Without someone to tell them to do something a mortal will never accomplish anything. Even if he tried to force them to succumb to sloth, it would actually make them do something.
Fear, Hesitation, and Doubt are the seeds of temptation spread by Aelwyd. The smallest of the great dragons he stops those from achieving great things. He whispers in the ears of all mortals of their failures and disappointments. All of their troubles are their own fault and not that of others. He has eight gossamer wings that make a constant buzzing noise stopping those around him from thinking clearly.
Living atop the high mountains surrounded by the written works of every mortal - every mortal. Anything that a mortal writes down appears in the great library of Llên. His temptation is that of knowledge without wisdom as simply reading is not the same as understanding. He visits upon mortals flashes of insight and inspiration that strike before they can ask themselves the consequences of any actions.
He does not have a strong body of muscle, claw, and scale - instead he is hardened bone covered in rotting flesh. A nightmarish create compared to the other great dragons he rides on the wings of plague bringing disease and rot wherever he goes. While many may compared him to Kargoth, Ysglyfaeth does not consume all things as decay is simply a change of form.
Power, the desire to have power over all other things. This is not the blind rage of wrath or the violence of lust - this is complete control over other mortal beings. Other dragons enjoy tempting mortals with their limited nature, but the desire for power is no thirst that can be slaked. None of the other dragons know what this great dragon looks like as Doethineb has transcended the need for a physical body and exists simply as power.
The words of such beings are law and none may gainsay them. Ffyddlon belies that as he can, and often does, lie and cheats those around him. He is a faithless dragon who speaks openly the lies that other men spread upon their tongues. No matter how silver-tongued a liar may be, Ffyddlon enjoys making them tell the truth for a single day. Unlike killing them in great tidal waves or freezing their crops - Ffyddlon causes laborers to leave their fields and guards to leave their masters in dangerous environs.