Azia Faith

"For once our world was only but ice" - Atowi VyrwelThe Azian Faith is a Henotheistic religion believing in the god Azia, a giant dragon who created the world with his twin brother, Origal. While they do indeed believe in the two gods, Azia is the one worshipped, while Origal is believed to be the embodiment of all evil and cold.
While not inherently aggressive, the Azian Faith believes that those who worship other gods worship aspects of Origal and must be fought at every turn, leading to the saying that "Never discuss religion with an Azian" with those who have been around Azian communities.
== Origins of the world ==
In the beginning, there was nothing but endless frost and freeze. The world remained still, unmoving and unchanging, until out of the endless snow was born the two brothers Azia and Origal. Azia was born with the form of a great dragon, magma flowing in his veins, his mouth full of fire, but his brother Origal took the form of a giant of frost, choosing to embrace the endless cold.
The two brothers began to shape the world. Origal creating the race of Mir, and Azia creating the race of Fym. The Fym, creatures of flame, battled with the Mir, creatures of ice, and for millennium it was so. One day the brothers came together to make something together, beings who would be of both worlds, of hot and cold.
And so they created the race of Men. The creations of the two brothers grew angry at their replacement, and so began to wage a bloody war against Men and the twin gods. This war would split the heavens and world.
Origal tiring of the endless war, froze the world over in an act of fury, destroying the races of Fym, and desolation the races of Men.
But unbeknownst to him, his brother Azia had taken a group of men upon his back, and brought them to the world of Kyshi, a land without snow or cold. The men learned to thrive in the world, without the interference of Origal.
Yet all would not end well.
Origal found Azia watching over the group of men, and came to confront him. The two had a great battle that split the skies and heavens; and rained Azia's blood down upon the land, creating the first volcanoes and magma, and pieces of Origal that became more Mir and ice. Yet Azia was able to strike a fatal blow against his brother, and as his brother fell to the world, he cursed the world and his brother.
"The world will grow cold and freeze as time grows close to end, when the sun ceases to rise, and the fire no longer burns hot, I will return, to end all that has been, and all that will be, mark my words."
And then Origal died, the great God disappearing, leaving Azia the sole survivor. Azia, in his grief, took flight into the stars, leaving behind an egg that would hatch when the world needed it most, when Origal returned to lead ruin upon the world.
== Tenants ==
=== Flame Veneration ===
Flames are used as the universal sign for this faith. They are used to celebrate everything, from a simple birth, to a great event that effects millions, to the death of a member, each is celebrated with the lighting of a flame.
=== Endless battle ===
Azia is dedicated to the stop of Origal and his agents, it is an endless battle we fight to assure he does not gain a foothold in the world. We cannot allow those who have been led astray by the false faces of Origal to help bring about his return.
=== Reincarnation ===
After the night of ice, Origal will be defeated and those of the faith allowed to be reborn. Each wiped clean by Azia and returned to the world to walk a new life, free of the suffering and memories of the old.
=== Honour and loyalty ===
These are the two things that bind all well-built societies, and things we should emphasize those around us have. Those who live their lives with Honor and Loyalty will be sure friends when conflict arises.
== Rituals ==
=== Initiate a disciple into a burned one ===
When it comes time to expand the priesthood, a disciple must perform a ritual to become a burned one. There are currently two ways to do this.
# The disciple must walk across a path of magma to the otherwise without showing any signs of pain.
# The disciple must drink Azia's blood and survive.
After one of these events, they will be allowed to become a burned one, and spread the Azian faith, as well as convert, convert disciples to Burned ones, and help scribe stories of the faith.
The common way to give prayer to Azia.
When it comes time to worship Azia, the common practice is to light a flame and kneel in front of it, giving prayers to Azia as one waits for the fire to go out.
In a church this works a bit differently, with a member of the Priesthood standing behind the flames, speaking to the sitting worshippers, giving sermons as they pray.
=== Funerals of Azia ===
When someone dies, the body, if they are a worshiper, will be cremated. A great pyre will be built around them, and a family member of their choosing beforehand (if they didn't pick, someone they were close to will be chosen) will ignite it.
If someone is excommunicated by the church, or doesn't worship Azia, their body will be left upon a stone slab (sky burial) for scavengers to feast on them.
The reason for cremation is that by burning the dead they will return as Fym when Origal returns to bring the world to endless frost, after, they will be allowed to be reborn into the world as new beings.
=== Joining the faceless Inquisitors ===
The Faceless Inquisitors are the soldiers and investigators of the Azia Faith. They have given up their identity in service to Azia, and no longer have a name or face. They are charged with rooting out Heretics in the church, as well as corruption in the nations they are in, for only through Azia's flame can the world be cleansed.
Those who seek to join the Faceless Inquisitors must forsake their identity, having their face removed in a secretive ritual, offering their very names and faces to Azia.
=== Joining the higher clergy ===
The Unsullied are the highest rank of the normal Clergy. They are accomplished lore writers, priests, and pillars of the faith.
They are the ones who oversee the path the faith goes down, and the ones who help appoint the next The Dragons Lips. 
=== To celebrate a birth ===
The Azia faith celebrates a birth as with most things, by lighting a fire. An effigy the size and shape of the child, representing them is born, depending how long it burns depends on how lucky the child's life will be.
==== Azian Baptism ====
The Azian Baptism involves a priest drawing intricated tattoos with ash on the face and torso of a worshipper, before having them walk across flames, ending with them walking into a pool of water to douse themselves. 
== Migration to Valresh ==
While the Azian faith originated on the Azia continent, they came to Eldham during a great migration, landing in modern day Valresh. For hundreds of years the faith remained unorganized, until Atowi Vyrwel organized the Azian faith, and began working to spread it. Currently, the faith is being spread in Rathnir and Eldham by Atowi Vyrwel, who is working to make it the state religion of a view smaller nations.
Category:Traveler's Era