Septifidelity

Septifidelity is a major religion of Qirsyllviar that worships the first seven Abjaksan. A follower of the faith is called a Septifidele or a Septifidelic.
There are three main denominations of Septifidelity: The Synkratic Church, Ganzheitism, and the Northern Vozrod Orthodoxy. Each has a few sub-denominations within them, and there are many other variations of the faith in other lands away from its places of governance.
Septifidelity as a whole is the dominant religion primarily in Soligaia and northern and southern Aquilonis (aside for Soleil, where they worship the sun god Swyllzhor). The faith has been spreading to Nekcroz, Tarak and Maritymir through the Soligaian colonies, and even parts of Marlakcor have been seeing a rise of followers.
==Core Beliefs==
Septifidelity in general revolves around the core belief that the first seven abjaksan were vessels or mortal incarnations – this view varying by denomination – of seven deities whose names have been lost to time and that the first seven came to cleanse the world of evil. Septifideles also believe the current abjaksan continue to be the harbingers of the cleansing of evil, and this doesn't waver no matter how many times they are reborn or what race they are reborn as.
The faith also believes that each of the first seven abjaksan, which are only known by their first names, symbolize specific aspects, virtues, personality type, and the seven elements of power and balance:
Abjaksan	Symbol	Representation	Representation	Representation 	Representation	Historicity & Other notes
Abjaksan	Symbol	Aspect 	Virtue 	Personality type 	Element 	Historicity & Other notes
Minerve 	 	The Leader 	Kindness 	Leadership & Guidance 	Shadows 	
Aragrawp	 	The Healer 	Love 	Strength & Courage 	Fire 	
Gongchen	 	The Warrior 	Courage 	Pride & Charisma 	Earth 	Also shared with Wan faith as a divine figure.
Kuzkco 	 	The Builder 	Friendship 	Creation & Craftsmanship 	Wind 	
Shivaji 	 	The Teacher 	Knowledge 	Wisdom & Tutelage 	Light 	Shared with Laukik & Shantivad faiths; the former as an Avatar of Ganesha, the latter through his teachings.
Iekika 	 	The Dreamer 	Hope 	Perception & Foresight 	Water 	
Luctiana	 	The Keeper 	Sincerity 	Protection & Guardianship	Energy 	Shared with Faerish faith as a divine figure. Also the name of an unrelated Elven goddess.
====Fabella de Primus Septem ====
The holy text used as a bible is an ancient tome known as the Fabella de Primus Septem (Fables of the First Seven), or just the Fabella Septem, which is supposedly a collection of memoirs and journals written by the first seven abjaksan, and by the people who knew them during their lifetimes from their point of view, detailing their lives and their respective views and beliefs on the nature of the world, good and evil, divinity, and many other topics besides. It also holds the stories of the the creators of the abjaksan, Tallulah and Zenovia , as well as their mother Tianne and their respective fathers, Virgil and Galvoron.
In the Fabella Septem is also a series of prophecies that have been predicted to come to pass. Some have come true since the text was written, while other's have either gone unfulfilled or simply haven't happened yet.
====The Fourteen Commandments====
The Fourteen Commandments are a set of moral laws that govern Septifidelity as a whole. Though called commandments, they're more accurately described as pieces of exhortation meant to impart wisdom. What's more, while the commandments are held most sacred to all denominations of Septifidelity, interpretation and adherence varies wildly between them. Legend claims that each of the first seven Abjaksan wrote two apiece, intending to pass on crucial pieces of wisdom, though this has long been debated by religious scholars.
* Put your faith in what you most believe in but never force that faith upon others.
* Never compromise your honor but never allow it to corrupt your reason and wisdom.
* Never blame all for the actions of a few and treat all equally and without prejudice.
* Find true strength from having something to protect and not in raw power.
* Honor your ancestors and give guidance to your descendants.
* Love your family and never betray them.
* Embrace your reality and never credit others for it.
* Give credit to others as they deserve but keep all the blame for yourself.
* Embrace the light and the darkness in equal measure.
* Learn from the past but creativize the future.
* Never harm the innocent nor choose who is guilty.
* Never tolerate oppression and fight for your freedom.
* Always complete that which you begin.
* Carve your own destiny and never let others or your origins decide it for you.
====The Eight Archangels====
The Eight Archangels are a part of Septifidelity that stipulates that there are eight superior angels, all but one of whom represent the seven holy virtues that all Septifideles should aspire to, in conjunction with the Abjaksan. Seven rule over one of the Seven Realms of Eden (the Septifidelic name for Heaven), while the seventh, the leader governs Eden as a whole. Even though belief in the archangels goes back to before Septifidelity, they are considered subordinate to the seven abjaksan worshiped by the main churches of Septifidelity.
The origins of the Eight Archangels are unclear, but the fact that the eight virtues represented by the archangels are the same as those represented by the chakras of Shantivad beliefs leads most historical religious scholars to theorize that the concept was imported to Geminos from Tarak long before the emergence of Septifidelity.
The Eight Archangels are:
Archangel	Realm of Eden	Represented Virtue 	Historicity & Other notes
Nanael 	All of Eden 	n/a 	Ancestress of the angel tribe Virgil.
She is the mother Virgil and sister of Erzeth, a Fallen Angel that lost their father's favor before becoming a demon.
Nanael alone doesn't represent a single virtue, but instead represents them all as a whole.
Zaphreal 	 	Archangel of Kindness 	Ancestor of the angel tribe Conah.
Tadhiel 	 	Archangel of Love 	Ancestress of the angel tribe Semyaza.
Ezekiel 	 	Archangel of Courage 	Ancestress of the angel tribe Sizouze.
Sachael 	 	Archangel of Friendship	Ancestress of the angel tribe Micah.
Oriphiel 	 	Archangel of Knowledge 	Ancestress of the angel tribe Empyrean.
Mendrion 	 	Archangel of Hope 	Ancestress of the angel tribe Maroth.
Izrail 	 	Archangel of Sincerity 	Ancestor of the angel tribe Telantes.
These Eight Archangels are also the progenitors of the eight recognized Great Angel Tribes.
===== Other Angels =====
* Iofiel:
* Manakel: Manakel is the father of Zophiel and the original Archangel of Love. He abdicated his position to her.
* Sealtiel:
* Salathiel:
* Temlakos:
* Zophiel
====Other Figures in Septifidelity====
Aside for the first seven Abjaksan, Septifidelity also acknowledges several other figures, incorporated majoritively from Imahut.
=====Virgil & Galvoron =====
According to the Fabella Septem, Virgil and Galvoron were a prominent angel and demon receptively. They are also the fathers of Tallulah Virgil and Zenovia Galvoron respectively, the creators of the first seven abjaksan.
Their dedicated chapter in the Fabella Septem portrays them as cousins descended from the same god (who's name has been lost to history) but fell in with different crowds: Virgil's mother was the archangel Nanael, so Virgil followed the ways of light and angels, becoming an archangel in his own right; while Galvoron, whose father was Erzeth, a fallen angel that lost favor with his divine father, fell to the dark side and became a demon, eventually becoming a minor demon lord.
The two then became bitter enemies fighting to assert dominance over the mortal world in the name of either light or darkness. The only thing that ended their fighting is the birth of their twin daughters via the same mortal woman, who's name has been recorded in history as "Saint Tianne."
=====Saint Tianne =====
Saint Tianne is a saint from ages past, predating Septifidelity entirely, and the mother of Tallulah Virgil and Zenovia Galvoron. The Fabella Septem says that Saint Tianne was a miracle birth, born to the virgin mother, Queen Galatea of Zendaya. The scripture calls her the "daughter of heaven" also says that she predated the creation of the abjaksan by a few centuries. The Febella Septem describes her as a beautiful woman who calmed anyone who set their gaze upon her. She is often described as a red-blonde and her attire was described as a dress made of a single very large piece of cloth simply wrapped around herself held up by a sash of the same cloth wrapped round her breasts and waist. Saint Tianne had the power to heal the sick and injured to full health and burn the wicked to ashes with but a touch. She went barefoot everywhere, and it is said that flowers sprouted and bloomed wherever she stepped, and even grass grew where she stepped if she walked on barren land. She could even make a burnt forest bloom again and grow to its former splendor, and it is believed that her very presence made once infertile land fertile.
In all denominations of Septifidelity, she is viewed as the embodiment of goodness, motherhood and nature itself.
A chapter within the Fabella Septem, supposedly written by her daughters, tells Saint Tianne's story:
Tianne met Virgil by chance as she was healing soldiers wounded in a fierce battle between the armies of two enemy empires at war and to ease the passing of those whom she could not save from death. Virgil had come to escort the souls of the deceased to their place in Eden and something blossomed between them. Whether it was something preordained by fate or something emotional is unknown, but they did not act on it except to do one thing: they kissed deeply and passionately. Satisfied enough, they went their separate ways once their job was done.
Less than a day after, Tianne came across Galvoron, whom had also been injured during a battle that had occurred concurrently on a different plane. She knew Galvoron was a wicked demon but could not help but feel pity for him and sought to help him. The instant she touched him she quickly found that she was immune to her powers. It was then that they looked each other in the face for the first time, and something ignited in them; it was different form what she felt from Virgil, but passionate all the same. Again, she resisted those feelings and did not act on them, and Galvoron, whom had healed instead of burned from her touch, did not act on the lust he was feeling either, unable to bring himself to dirty something so beautiful. Yet, so satisfy what they were feeling, Tianne and Galvoron kissed deeply and passionately. Galvoron left after that.
Tianne saw neither of the two again after that.
Perhaps because she had kissed two divine beings, but Tianne became pregnant as a virgin like her mother before her and soon gave birth to the twins: the nephilim Tallulah, daughter of Virgil, born with the pure white feathered wings of an angel; and the cambion Zenovia, daughter of Galvoron, born with the black reptilian wings of a demon. The Fabella Septem says that her pregnancy lasted only seven months instead of nine – which many Septifidelic scholars have attributed to the divinity of the fathers – and that both girls emerged from her womb at exactly the same time, making neither girl older or younger than the other.
When both sides found out, the angels wanted to kill the half-demon Zenovia and take Tallulah to be raised in Eden, while the demons wanted to kill half-angle Tallulah and take Zenovia to be raised in Purgatory. The grandfathers of both twins intervened and ordered Tianne's daughters be spared, left with their mother and for the fighting to end so that they may live in peace, and gifted the twins with immortality.
Saint Tianne raised her daughters with love, insouciant of their differing paternity. She did not live to see her daughters create the abjaksan but she was immortalized in mythology, not only for who she was but for her adventitious role in bringing peace between the angels and the demons; a truce that stands, albeit shakily, to present day.
===== Tallulah & Zenovia=====
Tallulah and Zenovia, daughters of Virgil and Galvoron receptively via their mother Tianne, as well as granddaughters/grandnieces of Archangel Nanael and Fallen Angel Erzeth, are ancient immortal half-twin sisters that created the first seven abjaksan.
According to their dedicated chapter in the Fabella Septem, their grandfathers' gift of immortality manifested when they were sixteen, making them young women forever. Their mother, Saint Tianne, who continued to age, passed away when they turned forty.
Within a few centuries of that event, the evil Emperor Voldrazar crept forth from the depths of the underworld to enslave all of Qirsyllviar in darkness. While born opposites, both sisters shared the same belief: Voldrazar had to be stopped.
Though they tried to stop Voldrazar on their own, they proved no match for him and would've died if not for their immortality. And so the sisters gathered seven individuals and gifted them with the power needed to stand up to Voldrazar, and lock him away.
Septifideles worship the twins as the heralds of peace through the creation of the abjaksan and the embodiment of light and darkness in all living things.
=====Saint Nanael=====
Saint Nanael was a warrior priestess whom was one of Tianne's most devoted followers. According to the Fabella Septem, after Tianne saved her life and healed her wounds following a disastrous battle, Nanael followed her wherever she went, determined to keep her safe from harm. Her devotion extended to Tallulah and Zenovia after their birth.
After Tianne passed, Nanael spent the rest of her life traveling. No one knows when or where she died, but for her deeds in life she was welcomed into the ranks of the angels.
==== Septifidelic Demons====
Septifidelity acknowledges several unholy demons
=====Garkath=====
Garkath is the ruler of the underworld, referred to as the High King of Purgatory, and the governor of all evil as well as the Demons of Sin.
=====Demons of Sin=====
The Demons of Sin are eight demons that represent the seven mortal sins, the opposites of the Archangels. Seven rule over each of the seven levels of Purgatory in lieu of Garkath their lord and master, while the eighth, the leader governs them all.
The seven demons and demonesses of the sins are:
Demon 	Domain of Purgatory	Represented Sin 	Historicity & Other notes
Erzeth 	All of Purgatory 	n/a 	Ancestor of the demon tribe Galvoron.
Though labeled a demon, Erzeth is actually a Fallen Angel, an angel that lost favor with a higher lord for reasons unknown and was banished from Eden. He is also the father of Galvoron brother of Nanael.
He later became a recognized demon, and popular myth says that he is the right-hand servant of Garkath.
Erzeth alone doesn't represent a single sin, but instead represents them all as a whole.
Zarkath 	 	Great Demoness of Malice 	Ancestress of the demon tribe Borul.
Gastroth 	 	Great Demon of Terror 	Ancestor of the demon tribe Agdriuth.
Rannith 	 	Great Demoness of Avidity 	Ancestress of the demon tribe Vazonok.
Zogrolan 	 	Great Demon of Grudges 	Ancestor of the demon tribe Regmoris.
Azgoth 	 	Great Demoness of Carnalism	Ancestress of the demon tribe Oglinod.
Sungrek 	 	Great Demon of Pessimissm 	Ancestor of the demon tribe Trigath.
Orthraxes	 	Great Demon of Vanity 	Ancestor of the demon tribe Xagoth.
These seven demons are also the progenitors of the eight recognized Great Demon Tribes.
===== Other Demons =====
* Bakaug
* Bizroth
* Kargok: said to be the demon of loneliness, whom depresses people from prolonged isolation from people before making them prey for Sungrek.
* Rulvath
* Trarkon: said to be the demon of prejudice, whom amplifies one's dislike for certain others until they become pure hatred and malice for Zarkath to feed off of.
* Volgizon
* Vornollin
===Other Beliefs & Practices===
====Diet Restrictions====
All denominations of Septifidelity practice and follow a set of dietary rules, which are enforced to varying degrees. The origins of these rules is shrouded in mystery, but they became part of Septifidelic doctrine during the "Keltic Period," when the city of Gainos was the gubernatorial and spiritual capital of Synkratic Septifidelity.
Permissible foods are referred to as "Kalos (καλως)." Kalos foods are divided into the following groups: Sarx (σαρξ/meat), Gala (γαλα/dairy), Baxes (μπαξες/garden, fruits & vegetables) & Aspro (ασπρο/white, neutral).<tabber>
|-|Sarx=
Sarx meat must be slaughtered in a humane way; the animal must not suffer before dying and all blood must be drained before cooking. Impermissible meats include: dragons, bears, snakes, owls, foxes, swans, horses, sharks, insects.
|-|Gala =
Gala is food made from milk that comes from milk-producing animals that are Kalos.
*Milk
*Cheese
|-|Baxes=
Baxes foods are fruits and vegetables, foods that come from plants. Only fruits and vegetables whose main bodies grow overground – such as on a tree, vine or stalk – are Kalos; those that grow underground, i.e. root vegetables, such as peanuts, potatoes, carrots, onions, radishes, etc, are not Kalos, stemming from an age-old belief that such foods are nurtured by pagan gods.
Gainzheitism and the Vozrod Orthodoxy both relax this somewhat by allowing root vegetables to be consumed so long as they are first cleansed, but there are still some gray areas haunted by the old belief.
Baxes foods must be eaten fresh. It is forbidden to cook foods from gardens, at risk of losing the peak healthiness of the bounty of nature. Only a handful of fruits and vegetables are exempt from this rule. And, any baxes foods not consumed within twenty days of harvest are no longer Kalos.
*Fruits
**Apple
**Apricot
**Banana
**Blackberry
**Blueberry
**Cacao (first discovered in Nekcroz and made Kalos after nearly a century of debate since it can be eaten raw. Exempt from the "no cooking" rule of baxes fruits.
**Cantaloupe
**Cherry
**Coconut
**Grape
**Grapefruit
**Iyokan (a fruit from Fuso)
**Kiwifruit
**Kumquat (a fruit from Marlakcor)
**Lemon
**Lime
**Mango
**Nectarine
**Orange
**Papaya
**Pear
**Pineapple
**Plum
**Pumpkin
**Raspberry
**Strawberry
**Tomatoes
**Watermelon
*Vegetables:
**Broccoli
**Cabbage
**Celery
**Corn
**Lettuce
**Pea
**Pumpkin
**Zucchini
|-|Aspro=
Food that is not part of the three other groups. Neutral food.
*Carrot
*Eggs, excluding those from birds that are not Kalos.
*Water
*Wheat and bread, which are not counted as baxes for reasons unknown.
</tabber>
==Main Denominations==
===Synkratic Church===
The Synkratic Church, sometimes known as Synkratism or simply The Church, is one of the three main denominations. This denomination of Septifidelity is led by the Pope of the Synkratic Church, and it is governed from Sanct'cora, the eponymous capital of the Holy Papal Empire of Sanct'cora, and adherents are called Synkratics. The first pope to govern the Synkratic Church from Sanct'cora was Pope Gaius I – born Caius Iccia Nero – an alleged descendant of Minerve Dahl.
==== Core Beliefs====
The Church interprets the words of the Fabella Septem in the strictest of ways and preaches that happiness and enlightenment comes through strict adherence of morality, law and order. The Church enforces this through a code of morals doctrinized in the Codex Moralium, a book that traditionally accompanies the Synkratic version of the Fabella Septem. The strict enforcement of these morals and near iron-fist control has led many among the lower castes of society to brand the Church as tyrannical and oppressive; though the exact extant of its control and its leniency varies by region, culture, and the policies of the incumbent pope and regional bishops. Additionally, many services of the church, such as prayers to the first seven abjaksan, one's ancestors in a church, and even marriages require donations, referred to as "tithes." Almost everything the Church offers revolves around money, which the church uses to fund itself and its services (though it's an open secret that most members of the clergy use some of the tithes to live in luxury). Tithes were originally started to help fund the church's efforts to take care of itself and the people, including welfare projects such as constructing new cathedrals and helping the poor. But as time went by and the church expanded, resulting in an increase in donations, tithes turned into a straight up religious tax imposed on the populace, and reliance on these donations turned into corruption. These are one of the main complaints against the church.
The main Synkratic denomination is dominant primarily in western and southern Soligaia, in particular Solaria, as well as Gallia, Meridiña and Jóiazão. The denomination also prevalent in the extra-continental territories of said countries.
The Synkratic Church holds little-to-no tolerance for anything it deems unholy, though the exact extant of its leniency varies, again, by region, culture, and the policies of the incumbent pope and regional bishops. 
The Church typically espouses a belief in human supremacy and racial and ethnic purity, and views certain races as unholy. These include, but are not limited to, vampires, succubi, lamia, and even half-breeds of these and certain other races. These races and more suffer severe persecution in societies dominated under the yoke of Synkratic Septifidelity as a result of the Church's beliefs. Even certain ethnic groups are persecuted by the church, and interbreeding between two different ethnic groups, or even another race, is forbidden. These stances are somewhat relaxed when an abjaksan is reborn into once of the races or ethnic groups condemned by the Church, but the issue of tolerance is subject to perpetual debate. Elves, dwarves and fairies are some of the few races that don't suffer any form of persecution under Synkratism.
Certain forms of magic are also banned by the Church. This especially includes all forms of dark magic, even minor harmless jinxes, and any use of it is a death sentence under Septifidelity.
The other denominations of Septifidelity are viewed as heretical in the eyes of the Church. Even practicing another religion is banned, as the Church deems all other religions other than Synkratism, even the other denominations of Septifidelity, as unholy, labeling their followers as heathens. The only exclusions are the direct denominations of Synkratism itself.
The Church also interprets the Fabella Septem in a way that deems homosexuality and bisexuality a sin (even though the language in the tome takes a neutral stance on the subject), forcing peoples of same-sex orientation practice it in secret. The extant of its leniency toward the practices is too to varying degrees, again, by region, culture, and the policies of the incumbent pope and regional bishops; women with women relations are just barely tolerated in most Synkratic societies, while men with men relations are almost universally scorned, and men found to be engaging in them are usually publicly shamed, or executed in extreme cases.
The Church believes in marriage for life until death and does not recognize divorce. Marriages typically only end with the death of a spouse, but annulment of the union is possible under certain conditions; i.e. one spouse, husband or wife, is found guilty of adultery, which is a sin in all denominations of Septifidelity. Remarriage is recognized, but only upon the death of a spouse or the annulment of the marriage.
==== Codex Moralium ====
The Codex Moralium is a book of morals traditionally accompanies the Synkratic version of the Fabella Septem, and is generally seen as a guide to day-to-day life under the Synkratic Church. They're written to sound like suggestions, but the Church tends to enforce them like they would any other law of man, though this varies by community.
Codex Moralium
Pubic Dress
* Clothing that modifies the natural body form should not be worn. Our natural shape is a gift from our parents, and by extension our ancestors.
*Men and women should not show their bare bellies, chests, arms or thighs to unrelated peers unless in a romantic relationship.
*Women and girls older than five years of age should wear full covering shoes or boots. Their bare feet should not be seen by unrelated peers unless in a romantic relationship.
*The body should not be adorned with tattoos; applying one is a defilement of the body.
Speech & Writing
*Obscenities and vulgarities should not be spoken in public or in the presence of visitors to one's home.
*Publicly denouncing higher-ranking personages is not proper.
* Works or speech critizing the operation of the Church or proposing needless reform should not be spoken aloud.
Men-Women Relations
* Unrelated Men and women should not touch each other's bare skin, aside from hands, before marriage, but touching each other over their clothes is acceptable.
*Men and women should preserve their virginity until marriage.
*Men and women should not give gifts to each other after sexual intercourse, not even their spouse, for it equates to prostitution.
* Romantic or sexual relations with the same sex is not acceptable.
Marriage
*A potential groom should seek permission from the potential bride's family before proposing.
** Women should not propose marriage.
*Parents should not engage their children to others for any reason without their consent.
*Engaged couples may dissolve their engagement before the ceremony and should not be forced into marriage if they decide against it.
*White should be worn at weddings by the bride, groom and all others in attendance.
*Non-Synkratic priests may not officiate a wedding of a Synkratic couple.
*Once the wedding ceremony is complete, the newlyweds have seven days to have intercourse together or the marriage is void.
*Spouses may not divorce, but annulment may be granted by the church if one spouse is guilty of adultery.
* Should a woman become pregnant out of wedlock, she should wed either the father or another man before the child is born to maintain the childn's legitimacy within her family. 
**If she is still unmarried when the child is born, the child should not have any inheritence rights.
Crime & Punishment
* Heretics should burned at the stake if found guilty.
*Accused personages may seek sanctuary in a church or cathedral and cannot be arrested, but the clergy is obligated to turn the accused over to the authorities of the latter can provide genuine evidence of guilt.
**Authorities have fifty-six hours to provide it, otherwise the accused can remain indefinitely or until their name is cleared.
*Those guilty of exhumation or grave desecration should be executed by crucifixion.
*Those found to have converted to another religion or a non-Synkratic denomination of Septifidelity should be crucified.
Medicine
*Medical drugs should be made from herbs grown by Church-licensed apothecaries.
*Surgeries that involve the removal of part or a whole organ are prohibited. An exception can be made, with Church approval, if the removal saves the patient's life; i.e. if it involves the removal of a malignant tumor.
*Medical procedures for modifying the natural body shape are prohibited. An exception can be made, with Church approval, if the modification saves the patient's life; i.e. if it involves the removal of a malignant tumor.
*Autopsies are a desecration of the dead and are thus prohibited. An exception can be made, with Church approval, if there is legitimate concern the cause of death was murder but there are no surface wounds.
Magic
*Magic should be cast with Church-approved spells.
*The usage of any forbidden spells will result in permanent excommunication.
Research
*All scientific experiments should be approved and sponsored by a bishop. 
**Any unauthorized experiments will result in the scientist being excommunicated and their findings erased.
* Acedemic research should be within Church-approved parameters and come from Church-approved sources.
**Acedemic findings that come from non-approved sources (such as from a tome written in a heretical language or found by researchers of another religion) are not accepted. Publishing of such research will result in excommunication.
Funerals & Burial
*Funerals should be held within the fortnight of the deceased's passing.
*Bodies of the deceased should never be burned, for it would be the same as condemning them to damnation.
* Black should be worn at funerals.
*Non-Synkratic priests may not officiate a funeral of a deceased Synkratic.
*Heretics and unholy races should never be buried on church grounds.
*Exhumation is strictly forbidden.
==== Synkratic Denominations====
Denominations of Synkratism include:
Demom 	Description
İktidar𐰶𐰚𐰃𐰑𐰀𐰼	İktidar is the term for the denomination of Synkratism practiced by eastern ‎Araziyerli peoples. With a near-aligned creed and beliefs, it evolved from the blending of core Synkratic beliefs and Araziyerli culture as a result of the Crusades. Today it's the dominant version of the faith in Southeastern Aquilonis and the Holy Land.
Khyanaltmal 	Khyanaltmal is a denomination of Synkratism among the Arslan peoples.
Kongzhi控制 	Kongzhi is a Wan denomination of the Synkratic Church with influence in eastern Tianchao, northeastern Dongbalian, partially in Miaogui and related countries, and is competing for influence with the native religions. It has more influence in Miaogui than others due to the period when it was under Solarii rule. The only place in Marlakcor where it is the dominant religion is the island of Qiulu (one of the seven Holy Lands of Septifidelity), where it has mostly replaced other religions, though traditional ones still persist and Chunmu Longdong, one of the Sisheng Chengshi, remained untouched.
===Ganzheitism===
Ganzheitism is one of the three main denominations. Adherents are called Ganzheitists.
Ganzheitism is most prominent in central, eastern and southeastern Soligaia, in particular Starkland, Albion, Ordensstaat, Helte, and the Miðheim peninsula. Ganzheitism also has influence in Arcadia and parts of southern Talmyrnia.
Ganzheitism is governed as a whole from the city of Heiligenstadt in Starkland by a council off seven bishops, who are all of different races and/or ethnicities, as part of the faith's belief in racial, ethnic and sexual equality.
====Core Beliefs====
Ganzheitism is the most liberal of the three main denominations, and adherents aim to spread its faith through learning and the teaching to love all cultures and living things, interpreting the Fabella Septem in a very romantic way. This comes from the rationalizing belief that since the original seven abjaksan were all different races and/or ethnicities and sexes, and they can be reborn as any race, ethnicity or sex, true enlightenment can only be achieved through loving all living things and cultures, and not through strict rules and suppression of what wasn't understood.
Ganzheitists believe that true enlightenment comes from embracing all cultures and practices, that all races and ethnicities and sexes are equal in the eyes of the first seven. All races, ethnic groups and sexes are free of persecution in societies dominated by Ganzheitism, and all forms of magic, including those banned under Synkratism, are practiced freely.
Ganzheitists also believe in forgiveness, that no one is beyond redemption. To followers of the faith, any sin is forgivable and even the most evil of peoples can be brought back to the light if they simply don't give up on them.
Ganzheitists also believe in forgiveness, that no one is beyond redemption. To followers of the faith, any sin is forgivable and even the most evil of peoples can be brought back to the light if they simply don't give up on them.
Ganzheitists also have a shared belief in self expression with the Vozrod Orthodoxy. They believe that self expression leads to acceptance of all things, which in turn leads to enlightenment. 
Ganzheitists take a more enlightened stance toward the demons and the sins they represent. Ganzheitism teaches that sinning is a natural thing, and anyone is capable of it, and the key is to not become consumed by the sin, and should only consume as much as they can take conscience in before leaving it behind. 
Unlike the Synkratic Church, Ganzheitism recognizes divorce of any social status, from sovereign rulers to lowly commoners. But, it's not a simple matter and there are restrictions, as marriage is still considered a holy union. The spouses must have a valid reason for a divorce, and growing dispassionate about one another is not one of them. The most common reasons for divorce are usually adultery or that one of the spouses believes their life is at risk, whether from their spouse or someone else. Potentially divorcing spouses must also consider the future of any children they might have, including who has custody of them, which is normally decided by a local magistrate in the event the divorcing spouses can't reach a decision by the time the divorce is finalized.
Furthermore, while it's unheard of in Synkratic societies, Ganzheitism recognizes remarriage to one's former spouse in the event of later reconciliation.
Homosexual relationships are also widely accepted.
==== History====
Ganzheitist Septifidelity originated in pre-modern Starkland a little over eight hundred years ago, during what history remembers as the Ganzheitist Reformation, in opposition against the many alleged abuses and the alleged tyranny of the Synkratic Church, including the basing many of the Church's services around money.
The Reformation was started through the teachings of Roderick von Nachtigall (3700 – 3771PCZ), a Starkisch fallen noble-turned-priest. He taught that since the original abjaksan weren't born all the same race or ethnicity and they can be reborn as any race or ethnicity, true enlightenment can only be achieved through loving and accepting all living things and cultures, and not through adherence of strict rules and suppression of what wasn't understood.
Originally a Synkratic by tutelage, Nachtigall was abhorred by the many abuses of the church. He had witnessed them minorly in his homeland, but was shocked by the extent of them when, at the age of sixteen, he visited the City of Sanct'cora, the capital of the Papacy, in 3716PCZ. In 3719PCZ, at nineteen years old, he drafted a list of his grievances against the Synkratic Church and a list of propositions for reforming it into what is known to history as the 200 Theses and nailed them to the door of his local church in Wevelburg. His students later copied and distributed them, further spreading his ideas and beginning the Reformation.
Ganzheitism did not gain prominence smoothly. As many people converted to Ganzheitism by the thousands to break away from the yoke of the Syncratic Church, several wars of religion with the Church broke out over the ensuing decades and centuries. These conflicts were mostly centered in Starkland, the origin country of Ganzheitism.
====Ganzheitist Denominations====
Denominations of Ganzheitism include:
Demom. 	Description
Curatism 	Curatism is a vampiric denomination of Ganzheitism, and a competing religion with Zodjism. Adherents are called Curatics.
This denomination was founded by vampires due to the Ganzheitists beliefs in loving all living things, and so led many vampires, whom had long-suffered under Synkratism, to embracing a form of Septifidelity for the first time.
Luftimism	Luftimism is a denomination of Ganzheitism. It is the official religion of Albion and its empire via the Church of Albion, the mother commune of Luftimism, of which the king of Albion is the official head. This form of Ganzheitism also has influence in Arcadia. Adherents are called Luftimists.
===Northern Vozrod Orthodoxy===
The Northern Vozrod Orthodoxy (Pismo: ⰂⰑⰈⰓⰑⰄ), also informally called Vozrodism, Kitezhism, or the Northern Orthodoxy is one of the three main denominations. Followers are called Vozrods. Governed from the Sacred City of Kitezh (ⰍⰋⰕⰅⰆ) by the Supreme Patriarch (ⰂⰅⰓⰘⰑⰂⰐⰀⰡ ⰒⰀⰕⰓⰋⰀⰓⰘ/Verkhovnaya Patriarkh) of the "Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church," it claims to be the true original form of Septifidelic faith. The center of the Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church is the city of Kitezh, the birthplace of organized Septifidelity.
The Vozrod Orthodoxy is primarily prominent in northern Geminos, ranging from Keltikos (where it competes for influence with the local Kelt Pantheon and the once-dominant Synkratic Church) through Merzlota, to the Salrinese homeland of central northern Aquilonis.
====Core Beliefs====
Unlike Synkratism and Ganzheitism, which always worship the first seven abjaksan all at once, Vozrods worship the first seven individually for different situations and/or reasons. This practice stems from the core Septifidelic belief that each of the first seven represent different things. The only time Vozrods worship all seven of the first abjaksan at once is on Septisol.
Vozrods also believe in self expression, that how one worships the first seven, as well as how one conducts themselves in daily and private life, is a matter of personal preference. This belief synergizes with Ganzheitism and is contrary to Synkratism's strict adherence to tradition and code of rules. 
====History====
In 1709PCZ, almost two thousand years after it was buried in an catastrophic avalanche, referred to in history as the Kitezh Cataclysm, Kitezh was rediscovered and dug out of the ice, rock, snow and frozen mud. Well-remembered as the birthplace of Septifidelity as an organized religion, thousands of adherents wasted no time in repopulating the city and restoring it to its former splendor, and the title "Patriarch of Kitezh" was created.
As they dug out more and more ancient Septifidelic artifacts and scriptures – which were undamaged and perfectly preserved thanks to powerful preservation magic cast upon them by mages of the time – long lost practices and knowledge came to the attention of the top hierarchy of the new city leaders. At first strict Synkratics, over time, as they absorbed more and more of the ancient wisdom, they became true believers in the ancient ways, and the clergy of Kitezh incorporating these long-lost practices into their way of worship and began spreading the old words to their followers. As the ancient ways came to be more prominent in the way of life of Septifideles in Kitezh and the surrounding countryside, most modern Synkratic practices began to fall away, supplanted by the old ways. 
The adoption of these old practices soon caught the attention of the clergy of the Synkratic Church, and the more devout of the higher clergy of the time viewed that these old ways were not in line with modern Synkratic values. For decades the clergy of Kitezh tried to reason that these lost practices were the essence of true Septifidelity that their forefathers had left behind; only a small fraction of the Synkratic clergy were convinced, the rest maintained that their modern ways were the true form.
Over the next couple centuries, the ways of Kitezh – whom followers started calling the "Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church" or "Vozrod Orthodoxy" – continued to spread far and wide across northern Geminos, eventually evolving into a form of worship that – while retaining core Septifidelic beliefs – didn't resemble Synkratic ways in the least, much to the ire of the Synkratic clergy. These reforms and abolitions were viewed as heresy by the more devout Synkratics. During the intervening years, the clergy and followers of both sides argued over the issue of incorporating old ways rediscovered in Kitezh or progressing the way they had been for centuries before, leading to a split just short of a schism. As many commoners, aristocrats and royal families of the north started converting to Vozrodism by the thousands, some of these disagreements began turning violent, some leading to riots, but full-blown wars were avoided.
Clashing over the papacy was a common occurrence as well. Some Vozrods sought to win the papacy to give their ways more reach, as well as giving their church more power and legitimacy; while others rejected the very notion of the Papacy, believing that it was a byproduct of the faith being led astray. Popes did not rule the Synkratic Church easily either, as some were suspected of having sympathies for the Vozrods or having direct ties. The final straw for the Synkratics was when, in 1990PCZ, then-Pope Adam III converted to Vozrodism. The Synkratic Clergy wasted no time in excommunicating Pope Adam, stripping him of his title and electing his rival, Antipope Gaius IV, the new pope.
In 1994PCZ, Pope Gaius IV issued the papal bull excommunicating Patriarch Obren, the then religious leader of Kitezh. In return the Supreme Patriarch of Kitezh excommunicated the pope. As neither denied the excommunication from their respective churches, this event officially, and permanently, separated the Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church from the Synkratic Church in what is now known as the Synkratic-Vozrod Schism. The final break between the churches immediately led to war, as Pope Gaius initiated the Northern Crusade, calling upon the devoted Synkratic nations to restore Synkratic power to the north. The crusade was a failure, becoming a contribution to the collapse of the Second Solarian Empire, and the Vozrod Orthodoxy was here to stay.
== History==
The birthplace of Septifidelity is the city of Kitezh. The origins of the religion and the names of its founders are shrouded in mystery, but it gained prominence in northern Geminos at the height of the Zedylrian Empire.
===Early Septifidelity ===
Proto-Septifidelity existed in various forms between many peoples for hundreds of years across northern Geminos and parts of northern Aquilonis prior to what is known as the Council of Kitezh. In 330ACZ, following the outbreak of fighting between at least seven tribes in central Zedylria over the nature of their versions of their faith, Saint Goran, the leader of one of the more prominent sects of proto-Septifideltiy, called for a council of the various leaders of the faith to settle the matter once and for all. After months of debate and examination of the various texts that would make up the Fabella Septem, a doctrinization of Septifidelity was agreed upon and the first official version of the Fabella Septem was created. Within months of the council's conclusion, the Zedylrian Empire adopted the new organized faith as the official state religion.
==Septifidelic Saints==
Numerous people have been canonized as saints throughout the existence of Septifidelity, both before and since the schisms that led to the split into the three main demoninations.
Saint 	Denomination 	Lifetime 	Canonized	Description
Tianne 	n/a 	unknown 	329ACZ 	Mother of Tallulah and Zenovia, the creator of the first seven Abjakshan, around which Septifidelity is organized. Canonized following the founding of organized Septifidelity.
Nanael 	n/a 	unknown 	329ACZ 	Warror protector of Tianne and later her daughters. Canonized following the founding of organized Septifidelity.
Goran 	Vozrod; by technicality	351 – 269ACZ 	268ACZ 	First Pope of organized Septifidelity as a whole.
Nicolette	Vozrod 	1975 – 2048PCZ	2072PCZ 	Also known as Saint Nicolette the Giver.
Unoffically founded St. Nicolette's Day – now observed on Lassager 25th – with her personal tradition of decorating a type of spruce tree – now known as St. Nicolette's tree – in the days and weeks leading up to it and giving gifts (mostly toys) to well-behaved children in her diocese once a year on the night before. This led to the legend that she continues to do so every year.
==Septifidelic Holy Places==
Septifideles place religious importance on a number of places around the world, from the believed birthplaces of the Abjaksan, to certain cities and towns that serve as centers of the faith.
===Holy Cities===
City 	Country 	Description
Synkratic Church 	Synkratic Church 	Synkratic Church
DelfinoΔελφινο 	United Empire of Keltikos 	One of the original centers of Synkratism since the "Keltic Period," and at one point the center of the Papal power before the Solarization Period. It managed to stave off the encroachment of Vozrodism due to the devotion of the populace and the relative isolation of the island upon which the city of Delfino stands.
Sanct'cora 	Holy Papal Empire of Sanct'cora	Eponymous capital of the Papacy, and the modern capital of Synkratic power
Shengshi聖石圣石 	Empire of Tianchao 	A Kongzhi-controlled city near the epicenter of the island Qiulu.
Ganzheitism 	Ganzheitism 	Ganzheitism
Heiligenstadt 	State of the Teutonic Order 	A city majoritively Ganzheitist but has seen an influx of both Synkratics and Vozrods, in part because of the wars of religion stemming from the Synkratic-Vozrod Schism and the Ganzheitist Reformation.
Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church	Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church	Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church
KitezhⰍⰋⰕⰅⰆ 	Sacred City of Kitezh 	The birthplace of Septifidelity as a whole, today Kitezh is a sovereign city-state that serves as the center of power for the Vozrod Orthodoxy.
GainosΓαηνοσⰃⰀⰋⰐⰑⰔ 	United Empire of Keltikos 	Once one of the original centers of Synkratism, the city converted to Vozrodism when the people saw the wisdom of learning from the ancients, leading to a religious split that torments Keltikos to this day.
===Seven Holy Lands===
The believed birthplaces of the seven abjaksan are the holy lands of Septifidelity. Since the original birthplace of the first seven abjaksan is subject to debate even today, these lands cover vast areas. Followers of all denominations of Septifidelity traditionally make pilgrimage to these sacred sites whenever they have a chance.
====Heiligland====
The Holy Land of Soligaia – called Heiligland in modern times but has been known by many names throughout history depending on language and/or culture – is under the sovereignty of the State of the Teutonic Order (Ordensstaat), with outlying territories under the sovereignty of Starkland and Voitaria. The land is mostly Ganzheitist today but was the site of much conflict during both the Synkratic-Vozrod Schism (including the ill-fated Northern Crusades) and the Ganzhietist Reformation as the denominations clashed for control of the territory.
Despite the old conflicts over the land, given the Ganzheitist stance on acceptance of other faiths, followers of other denominations are never kept from worshiping at the sacred sites, even in times of war; thus the land is home to worshipers of all three of the main denominations.
====Kutsal Topraklar====
The Holy land of Aquilonis, traditionally called by the Araziyerli term Kutsal Topraklar (𐰚𐱇𐰽𐰀𐰠 𐱃𐰆𐰯𐰺𐰀𐰚𐰠𐰀𐰼) is mostly İktidar Synkratic. Politically, most of the land is under the sovereignty of the Araziyerli Kingdom of Altınşahil and outlying territories are controlled by Işıkarazi and Mübarek. This land was host to most of the battles of the Crusades that pitted the Synkratic Church against the followers/Caliphates of Al-Haqiqa. This land is also sacred to the Shaqiq (Al-Haqiqa followers), but Synkratic dominance over the region has long prevented pilgrimage to the sacred sites.
====Qiulu====
The Holy Land of Marlakcor consists of the entire island of Qiulu (虬陆) (the homeland of the Xiyi people, a subgroup of the collective Wan) which is mostly under the sovereignty of the Empire of Tianchao, but a small southwestern peninsula is controlled by Chunmu Longdong (one of the Sisheng Chengshi, which is controlled by a Linglun sect), the Republic of Miaogui controls the the southeastern peninsula and the dwarven Kingdom of Baoshi controls the northeastern peninsula. While local religions still persist, in particularly Chunmu Longdong, the island has mostly converted to Kongzhi (a denomination of Synkratism) in recent centuries.
====Hrogidalk====
The Holy Land of Nekcroz, traditionally called by the Nekcrozi lizardfolk term Hrogidalk, is a swathe of land mostly on the island of Clixa but also on the mainland separated by the channel. The land is mostly under the sovereignty of the lizardfolk Empire of Xotil, but the northern lands also overlap with southern Muisca territory and a small patch of the northwest overlaps with Mayapan. This land is is the only Holy Land where Septifidelity holds no influence, as the Xotilic Empire prevents any foreign pilgrimage to the land.
====Shivajghar====
The Holy Land of Tarak – traditionally called Shivajghar (शिवज्घर) by the locals, after the first abjaksan of Tarak – is a stretch of land on the northern coast of the continent, divided by the Albinese Commonwealth of Edwardia and the Raj of Jumanji. The Albinese side is mostly Luftimist (a denomination of Ganzheitism) but the Jumanji side is mainly Laukiki. The land is also a sacred Laukik and Shantivad faiths. Shantivad aside, even though Luftimism, like Ganzheitism in general, has a liberal view of other religions, devotees of Laukik have historically shown much ire for a foreign religion and people encroaching on the land (even though they share Shivaji Prajjadhya as part of their respective faiths), leading to several religious wars, including the infamous Taraki Crusade.
====ʻĀina Hemolele====
The Holy Land of Maritymir, called ʻĀina Hemolele as a whole in local language, is more of a cluster of islands and shores in the northern Maluhia Archipelago. Aside for several smaller islands, the main islands consists of the northeastern shoreline and peninsula of the island of Kaikamahine, the ring island of Akua Mokupuni, the island of Ola ʻUhane in the center (believed to house the tomb of Iekika Kaʻaukai), all of which are controlled by the Kingdom of ʻĀinakai, and the northwestern shoreline and peninsula of Keikikāne, occupied the Meridiño colonies of Tampico. All these lands and islands are sacred territory to the Oiwi as well as Septifideles, but Synkratic dominance of the eastern half the archipelago has prevented the local peoples from visiting the sacred sites in that part of the land unless they convert.
====Luctianaheim====
The Holy Land of the fairy-dominated aerial land of Tirnanog is a stretch of land traditionally called Luctianaheim, after the first abjaksan of Tirnanog, that mostly overlaps with the Neutral Territory and the Kingdom of Swyllvaine, but also overlaps with Falriyion and Eldmodge to the northwest and southeast respectively. While most fairies follow their own faith, most are happy to let Septifideles of all denominations make pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the land, as long as they pledge not to try to convert their people.
==Similar Faiths==
Some religions were founded through the merging of Septifidelic practices and other faiths, or as a reimagining of it, or have different origins entirely. The different denominations of Septifidelity have differing attitudes toward them.
===Nondenominational Septifidelic Faiths===
===Known similar faiths=== 
*Al-Haqiqa: A faith of Ikaj origin that worships believing that the first seven are subordinates to a nameless supreme being.
==Notes & Trivia== 
*Septifideles conclude prayer with the word "zeo," equivalent to real-world Christian "amen."
**Like amen, zeo is also sometimes used when agreeing with someone.
**Zeo comes from Greek Ζήω (Zío; lit. I live).
*Septifidelity (from Latin: Septem = seven, & fidelis = faithful) was partially inspired by the Faith of the Seven from the A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones franchises, and is the Qirsyllvian equivalent to the real-world Christianity. 
**The Synkratic Church (from Greek: synkrató/συγκρατώ = control) is the equivalent of the Roman Catholic Church.
*** The three listed denominations of the Synkratic Church roughly mean "Control" in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean respectively.
**Ganzheitism (from German: ganzheit = wholeness) is equivalent to Protestantism and has similar origins. 
***Luftimism (from Old English: luftíme = love) is equivalent to Angelicanism, the Protestant denomination most prevalent in England.
***Curatism (from Romanian: curat = honest)
**Northern Vozrod Orthodox Church (from Russian: vozrod/возрод = revival) is equivalent to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
*The Eight Archangels are inspired by the archangels of Christia & Jewish tradition. 
**Besides Septifideles, the Eight Archangels are also moderately worshiped by those of other faiths, such as the Shaqiq of Al-Haqiqa and followers of Swyllzhor.
*Just as Jesus Christ, the person whom Christianity is built around, is often used as an exclamatory interjection, "Goran," the first Pope of Septifidelity and the one who led the movement to formalize Septifidelity, is used similarly on Qirsyllviar.
Category:Religion
Category:Qirsyllviar
Category:Abjaksan
Category:Abjaksanic Religions