Religions
Religions of Asdar are systems of belief based upon oral accounts, sacred writings, traditions, and in many cases the teachings of religious authorities. Some religions have very hierarchical organizations and others are practiced within basic family structures. Atheism is rare on Asdar and most adherents are human with dwarves and Geddamin comprising most of the balance of atheists. Syncretism is especially widespread among the civilized humanlikes of Asdar. In the Pallathantic Region, the three most widely practiced religions among humans are the Old Religion, Arathracianism, and Incarnandism. The Old Religion additionally includes the traditional of ancestral cults whose observance is peculiar to a given family or tribe and typically interwoven with mythical narratives that include the Isxinthion Gods.
In contrast to Earth, religion on Asdar, including in the West, is more pluralistic. Most religions accept that there is some truth and connection to other religious systems. The most widely spread religious belief is in the Old Religion or the Isxinthion Gods in the West. Throughout the old world, the archetypal gods are the sky god, the earth goddess, the sun divinity, and the moon divinities. These deities are conceived in varying accounts and cult practices throughout the many nations of Asdar. All traditional religions in the West evolved from the worship of the Isxinthion Gods, except for the chaos cults which are thought to be as ancient or nearly as ancient as the cults of the Isxinthion Gods.
Isxinthion Gods
The Isxinthion Gods are the most widely acknowledged pantheon in the West. This extended family of divinities has members who care for and preside over all the forces of nature and various aspects of human life. The attributes and cult practices of the numerous gods of this pantheon throughout the West share many similarities, but are not identical from culture to culture and from historic period to historic period. The sky god, Thwar, for example, is a father god of war for the ancient Thracians. As Azephassus for the ancient Ithatians, he was largely simply the god of storms and lightning. The god Threy among the sky tribes is a hateful, trickster god of the sky. Among the Ithatians, he is With few exceptions, all the major divinities of the Isxinthion pantheon can be found in all cultures that worship them. The sun god, Amrulon, is worshiped with near universal appeal as the chief god of the pantheon. Broadly, the Isxinthion Gods are divided between 'higher gods' and 'lower gods.' The sun gods and sky gods are considered higher gods as their place of residence exists above the earth. The earth gods and sea gods are considered lower gods as they dwell in the earth and sea beneath the heavens. Traditionally, the earth goddess Magdaia is a lower god. This does not mean she is inferior, but rather her power and consciousness are in the earth and the sea. In later legends, she is given a place in Isxinthios and can visit the home of the gods when she is not on the earth.
Non-Isxinthion Polytheist Cults
In addition to the Isxinthion Gods, there are other pantheons of divinities on Asdar with similar and different features to the Isxinthion Gods. The ancient Kalamans worshiped their own family of divinities who have many striking similarities to the Isxinthion Gods. These gods are worshiped today in Vimalia somewhat changed from their ancient counterparts. Despite the similarities, there are also many differences and there is nothing approaching a one to one correspondence between the Kalaman Gods and the Isxinthion Gods. The ancient Khahonri tribes worshiped their own form of the Thammazite Gods. The Thammazite Gods themselves constitute the pantheon of gods for the ancient Thammazites. The ancient Malesggites worshiped their own pantheon of gods as did the Neptultchi.
Arathracianism
The Arathracian Religion developed from the worship of the Isxinthion sun gods and became progressively monolatrous through the centuries. In the Arathracian Religion, the other gods of Isxinthios exist and receive some cult acknowledgement, but the most important divinity who provides salvation is Arathrax. The story of the Arathracian Religion proper begins with the life of Aireánnau Mother of the Folk who gave birth to eight half-mortal, half-divine sons by the god Arathrax. The Arathracian Religion is organized with a male-dominated, hierarchical clergy and while the Yophenthean Empire is long a thing of history, the influence of the Arathracian Church remains strong in the West. Arathracian scripture consists of numerous books, ecclesiastical decrees, and tomes and cannot be reduced to a single text. All traditional Arathracians acknowledge the ecclesiastical leadership of the Erechórebese Sunfather. Clergy, obedience to clerical authority, and religious rites, called the Rites of Arathrax, are very central to the practices of the Arathracian Religion.
Incarnandism
In the Incarnandist Religion, all polytheistic divinities are minor manifestations of one absolute, universal divine consciousness who shall be born in the indefinite future in human form to transcend the gap between limitation and limitlessness. Thus, Incarnandism is both exclusive and tolerant of other faiths. Incarnandists are a large minority religion in the West. Their historic influence in the struggle against Chaos Rulers persists to this day and most people have great respect for devout Incarnandists while maintaining their own traditional beliefs in the Isxinthion Gods. Incarnandism developed from the monotheism of the Khahonri tribes of Jerushabla. The Shenimite woman, Shaqtirah kath Katima, taught that she had received special revelation that a future woman descended from her would give birth to God in human flesh. The English transliteration of the name of the religion comes from the Latin 'Incarnandus' which means 'He shall be born' or 'He must be born.' The principal text of Incarnandism is the Incarnature, a collection of books which expound their core beliefs. Most of the books were written by the Arch-Apostles. The Incarnandina is the closest to a figurehead for the religion and she directs many aspects of the organized Incarnandist religion. Acknowledgement of the Incarnandina is the unifying principle among Incarnandist worshipers, but there are some Incarnandist sects that do not acknowledge the Incarnandina. They either have their own or do not acknowledge any such person. Incarnandists do not have priesthood or clergy and believe that all power from God comes through self-discipline, prayer, and meditation. Many Incarnandists, especially Shenimite Incarnandists, are accomplished energists. Not all energists are Incarnandist and not all Incarnandists are energists. While this is generally understood, there are times when this has led to confusion. Incarnandists do not believe that worship in an edifice is essential to salvation, but gather in Incarnandist Basilicas in groups where they can discuss the needs and edification of the local Incarnandist community. As they have no clergy, they are led by 'teachers' who explain the teachings of the Incarnandist faith and the nature of self-discipline through meditation.
Imzaha
The Imzaha religion arose after the Fall of the Yophenthean Empire in Shagrela'al. It teaches the universal duality of God -- that both good and bad, light and dark, male and female, happy and sad, are manifestations of divinity. Only by understanding and unifying these forces can one hope to achieve the state in which one can approach and receive God. God chose Ammudiyn the Seer to reveal the critical tenets of Imzaha to the world that are now available in a text called the Bahraz. Imzaamis, those who practice the faith, believe that the ultimate truth of god is found in a book called the Zankiphresil which exists only in heaven. The Bahraz is a portion of this text given to mortals.
Tamdarism
Originating from the teachings of Thamphakilu of Sungo in the early first millennium before Salmakhamer, the teachings of Tamdarism are recorded in the Book of the Tamdari in highly mystical language. There are few Tamdarists in the West.
Chaos Cults
No discussion of religion would be complete without mention of the Chaos Cults. In the West, chaos cults are widely proscribed by the state. However, their historic value is as great as that of the Isxinthion Gods. It is thought that prior to the time of Salmakhamer, no formal distinction was made between the pantheon of Chaos and non-Chaos divinities. Scholars believe that shortly after the time of Salmakhamer, most chaos gods were expunged from the pantheons. In some cases gods who were probably chaos-oriented survived with a slightly modified mythical origin and agenda. The gods Rhio and Threy are thought to be two examples. The god known widely today as Lygdamion is considered one of the most powerful chaos gods. Little knowledge about the chaos gods and cults is available to the average person in the West as most texts written by their worshipers were destroyed during and shortly after the Isbajutha.
State Cult
A state cult is a religious practice and worship officially adopted by the government of a state. The city-state of Zamaclë, the Archpatriarchy of Amyrn, and Noble Republic of Aurice are examples of states with their own cults. The purpose of a state cult is wrapped up in the power and presence of the governmental authority. The existence of a state cult does not mean that other religions are forbidden or even undesirable. In the world of Asdar, it is common for a person to worship state gods in a public context and private gods in a private context. In Aurice, the state cult of the Golden Phœnice is not compulsory, but can be essential to progress within Aurician Society.
Non-Human Religions
The many humanlike races of the world practice their own religious cults. The Amandal Dwarves acknowledge the Seven Dwarven Immortals who are thought to dwell in secret on the Amandal Plateau of the Jaggudorns.
List of Gods, Religions and Sects of Asdar
- Arathracianism
- Aurician Cult of the Golden Phœnice
- Chaos Gods
- Cult of Zulmani
- Hamagnosticism
- Harmonism
- Hœrnectian Gods and Religion
- Imzaha
- Incarnandism
- Isxinthion Gods
- Neptultchi Gods and Religion
- Old Religion
- Paimbalism
- Seven Dwarven Immortals
- Thammazite Gods and Religion
- Tamdarism
See Also
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