Solaxis

Solaxis is a polytheistic religion which exists in the city of Feurcollis, being practiced by members of the Fereshe culture.
Solaxists believe in a large pantheon of Gods, but they focus their worship on the primordial Sun God Solgenir.
They also believe that there are 3 main Gods, Solgenir, who represents good, Deseriv(a genderless God that is less of a person and more of a constant like gravity), who represents neutrality, and Luna, the Goddess of the moon, who represents all evil.
All of these main Gods hold dominion over minor Gods.
Primordial Gods are Gods that have existed since the dawn of time, most Gods are regularly replaced, killed etc, and a mortal human takes their place, so there are often shifts of allegiance and interests, which explains things like natural disasters and other rapid changes.
== Origins and History ==
Solaxists trace their origins to the teachings of many different Saints, of which the first is Sanct Iovanne.
Sanct Iovanne lived very long ago in the ancient kingdom of Irados(true location is currently unknown, although it is believed to be on the continent of Talasi).
It is believed that Sanct Iovanne one day had a vision, given to him by Solgenir, and afterwards he started to preach the truth to citizens of the city of Fres'Gat Nur, however, the moon worshipping people of the city feared that their power would vanish, decided to capture him and burn him alive.
On the 19th of June, the people of Fres'Gat Nur gathered around Sanct Iovanne, who was tied up to the obelisk in the city square, and set him ablaze under the full moon.
He burned brightly, yet he refused to scream, he refused to move, he only prayed, and he cursed the people of Fres'Gat Nur to eternal damnation.
The day after, the sun turned bright red, and it set trees and crops ablaze, it evaporated the rivers and the lakes, it greatly reduced sea level, and the water that was evaporated stayed in the sky, forming vibrant rivers that flew through the skies, so that the people of Fres'Gat Nur looked at the beautiful water while dying of thirst.
A few of the believers, who had also been subject to torture and execution, were saved by Solgenir, and transported to what is now the continent of Norvinia, where they would create the city of Ulardum.
== Worship Prayer and Restrictions ==
If a dedicated temple or shrine has been erected in the honour of the God a Solaxist wishes to pray to, they will go to the temple or shrine and pray there, if it is not available then they will go to a pantheon, and if there is no pantheon they will pray anywhere where it is clean and not blocking a passageway, if possible they should pray in surroundings that are closer to the God, for example, if they are praying to a deity related to water, they should go to a place with abundant water, or prepare some in a container if they are praying at home.
Due to the connection between Sanct Iovannes and fire, eternal flames are often added to temples, and can be used as a place to sacrifice offerings to.
There are a few restrictions placed upon believers of the religion, which are:
1.Do not, under any circumstances, kill a dog, cat or other pet that is not used for warfare(like a war hound or a horse)
2.Do not live in filth
3.Do not waste your mortal years
In general, the religion preaches tolerance of others' imperfections or differences, as well as resilience and the protection of one's heritage and culture.
== Structure ==
While it is not obligatory to have a clergy present in a city, it is encouraged.
The lowest rank of the clergy is the servoros, who is a clergy member, yet holds no authority, they are authorized to carry out conversions, charity and marriages.
The next rank of the clergy is the bieskop, they hold authority over a city or multiple small villages, they are authorized to carry out everything a servoros does, while also being able to order persecutions, organize holy events and designate new members of the clergy.
The third highest rank of the clergy is the diid, they hold authority over multiple cities, or a region, they can do everything a bieskop can, while also being allowed to recommend holy wars, organize pilgrimages, recognize newly discovered scriptures or history as true, as well as order the construction of new temples.
The second highest rank of the clergy is the Gost, they hold authority over entire countries, they can do what lower ranks can do, while also being able to start holy wars, change religious laws and change the rank of lower clergy members.
The highest rank of the clergy is the Servus Magnus, they hold authority over all Solaxists, and can do nearly everything, other than changing religious texts and history, they are designated by the previous Servus Magnus, or if the previous one has not designated anyone, they are voted in by the entire clergy.
== Gods ==
Major Gods:
* Solgenir-Main God,Primordial,God of the Sun and all that is good.
* Luna-Major Goddess, Primordial, Goddess of the Moon and all that is evil.
* Deseriv-Major God(Genderless, worldly constant), Primordial, God of neutrality, balance, nature.
Minor Gods:
* Terramatra-Goddess of the Earth, used to be a mortal woman, and made clay pots, as well as a devout follower of Sanct Iovannes, She was crushed under a heavy boulder alongside Her 2 daughters.
* Agricosa-Goddess of the Harvest and Fertility, one of Terramatra's daughters.
* Faunia-Goddess of the Wild and of Youth, one of Terramatra's daughters.
* Flora-Goddess of Forests, Flowers and Herbs, Terramatra's daughter who wasn't found by the Fres'Gat Nurians, because She had gone to the top of mount Ilbaz to pray to Solgenir so that Iovannes may be saved, unaware he was killed the night before, when she found out, her tears soaked the dirt and created the first forests.
* Sectimos-God of War, He was the brother of King Nipotec of Irados, seeing the defiance of Sanct Iovannes and his followers, Sectimos decided to raise an army to defeat His brother, he succeeded and ascended from the top of mount Ilbaz.
* Gristor-God of Mountains, He was an apprentice of Terramatra, He was killed by the Fres'Gat Nurians, who threw Him off mount Ilbaz.
* Kilobver-God of Water, Primordial, aligned with Solgenir, but not too interested in mortal lives. Married to Vistora.
* Flumenia-Goddess of Rivers, She was a follower of Sanct Lucis, She was drowned by the infidels in the Invicta river, She was sacrificed to Luna, but as the priest cut Her heart open, the blood turned to water and flooded the city, destroying it and all traces of the moon worshipping infidels.
* Marea-Goddess of the Ocean, She is the daugther of Kilobver and Vistora, She is a recent addition to the pantheon, so She is very interested in mortal life, unlike Her father.
* Vistora-Goddess of Law, Primordial,She will strike down everyone who is unjust, no exceptions whatsoever, a mortal's authority or wealth do not matter, married to Kilobver.
* Gilmor-God of the Underworld, Primordial, He has control over death and the afterlife, truly neutral and just, death cannot be avoided, nor can it be stopped or postponed.
* Regas-God of Flames, Primordial, He gave humanity the gift of fire in the days of old, and regularly helps mortals in the pursuit of knowledge and technology.
* Melmor-God of Stone,Gems and Metals, Primordial, He also helps mortals advance, married to Fortundia.
* Fortundia-Goddess of Luck, Money and Trade, Primordial, She is one of the most commonly worshipped Gods, married to Melmor.
* Fulminam-God of the Skies and Travel, Primordial, He is mostly neutral, though praying to Him will give the worshipper protection on their journey.
* Terson-God of Joy and Fun, He loves parties, feasts, fights and all sorts of festivities, He was a jester in the court of Sogeron of Rodram, killed for being Solaxist.
* Viela-Goddess of Love and Family, Primordial, She blesses and protects children from harm.
* Dra'Ugrog-God of the Depths, Primordial, He is often evil but is rarely known to help travelers in the caves and dungeons of the world, only if He is interested in the traveler's journey, He has been trapped under the surface ever since He was defeated by Sanct Magmen.
* Irugobal-God of Demons and Monsters, Primordial, He is hired as a sort of mercenary by Luna, payed in blood.
* Semgora-Goddess of Plague and Disease, Primordial, She despises mortals and goes to great lengths to kill as many as possible.
* Viviar-God of Fear and Hunger, Primordial, He is sadistic, but His worshippers are protected from fear and hunger, in exchange they sacrifice living mortals.
* Rob'Ran-God of Deceit, He was a corrupt judge who sentenced hundreds of Solaxists to death, He ran to Luna for protection.
== Saints ==
There are many saints/prophets in Solaxist belief, these are the most important ones;
* Sanct Iovannes-First Solaxist, burned alive for speaking the truth, -15000VE
* Sanct Magmen-Came 5000 years after Sanct Iovannes, during times of chaos and evil, he defeated Dra'Ugrog and forever sealed Him underground, bringing peace to the land and becoming king of Povar'Nam, -10000VE
* Sanct Veloran-He was a priest in the kingdom of Povar'Nam, he received a vision from Solgenir, and lead Povar'Nam to victory in a grand holy war, a wave of his hand turned the enemy army into salt, -9500VE
* Sanct Alecton-He was a farmer living somewhere in what is now the continet of Iristoya, he received a vision at the age of 29, and he started preaching to people around him, he was executed by king Sogeron of Rodram, -8200VE
* Sanct Lucis-He was a king somewhere in Eastern Talasi, led a successful holy war and conquered many lands before his death, -3000VE
* Sanct Grigor-The second most important saint, second only to Sanct Iovannes, lived in the ancient city of Humar'Kas Grandek, preached to many people who all followed him, he died peacefully in his sleep at the ripe old age of 102. -1000VE
* Sanct Solservian-The founder of Feurcollis and the ruler of the Fereshe people, who were fleeing from oppression in southern Talasi, his people were guided by Solgenir to the hill of Spasve, where Feurcollis would eventually be founded, he built the First Temple of Solgenir in Feurcollis, -700VE
== Holy Sites ==
* Spasve Hill-The hill on which the main keep of Feurcollis sits.
* Grigor Hill-A hill south of Feurcollis, where Sanct Grigor is believed to have been buried.
* The First Temple-A temple in western Feurcollis, made out of granite, it is the first Solaxist temple to be constructed in Feurcollis.
* Mount Ilbaz-The highest peak of the World Spine on Talasi, it is linked to many deities and saints.
* Invicta River-A river that runs south of Feurcollis, it is believed it was formed from the blood of Flumenia, the Goddess of Rivers, it is believed that the world will end when this river, and the sea it flows into have dried up.
== Cataclysm and Afterlife ==
In Solaxist mythology, there are a few distinct signs that the Cataclysm is upon us:
# The drying of the Invicta river, and any body of water it is connected to.
# The rain will stop and it will flow through the skies like a river.
# The mountains will collapse, and what remains of the ocean will flood the land.
# The moon will get closer and closer to Abexilas.
# The moon will stop, and all non believers will melt and contort into terrifying monsters.
# Believers will be immune to its effects, and they will defeat Luna, sending Her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.
# The sun will set , everyone left will continue their lives as normal, until the universe eventually dies, far far into the future.
Now, the afterlife of the person depends on what their life was like.
* If they were good, and had a full and happy life, they may choose to either die forever, or to live another life in a better world.
* If they were bad, they will go and live a life in a worse world.
In Solaxist belief, there are many universes linked together like chains, living a good life will send you up the chain, closer to Paradise, and living a bad life will send you down the chain, closer to the Underworld.
Every world is better than the one under it, and worse than the one above it, the top world of Paradise is where mortals can become Angels or even minor Gods, or, if they haven't lived a truly devout life, they can live normally until the end of the universe, and if they were so bad they end up in the Underworld, they are forced to endure torture and pain until the end of the universe, when the universe ends, every soul will cease to exist, and the world will be like it was before creation.
== Rituals ==
* Funeral-when a person dies, the following will be done:
# The body will be washed and dressed in the person's finest clothes, if they died in battle then in their armour, with their weapon alongside them.
# The body will be put in a casket, or a sarcophagus, and the living who are participating in the ritual will put their hands on the casket or sarcophagus and start chanting holy verses.
# A clergy member, usually a bieskop(a higher rank clergy member might be present for a person of high status), will start speaking about the life of the deceased, and they will initiate a prayer for them to ascend worlds.
# The casket or sarcophagus will be put in its final resting place( underground or in a mausoleum) and flowers will be placed there.
# Afterwards, the living family members of the deceased will pay off any debts the deceased may have, as well as inherit their wealth.
* Marriage-when two people wish to get married, the following will be done:
# The two people will come together at a temple, or other nice place.
# A clergy member, depending on the rank of the couple, will start a quick speech, before leading a prayer to Viela.
# The couple will both give their consent to get married, after which a feast or other festivities are common.
Prayer to Viela:
Fereshe: Mi Dea Magna, Viela Amora, dae nama viive dua matrimonia, dae nama donume matrimonie, Ave, Viela!
Traveler's Tongue: ''My great Goddess, Viela of Love, give us a life long marriage, give us the gift of marriage, Ave, Viela!''
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