Haizkeim

Haizkeim is a henotheistic monistic religion based on the worship of Yuno as the supreme God and his different aspects. Haizkeim is based on the idea that the divine and the world are intrinsically tied to one another; that God, the world, and reality as a whole are one and the same. Reality is cyclical in nature and in a state of constant change and therefore all things are impermanent. Peace and salvation is only found through coming to peace with the ever-changing nature of the reality and becoming one with eternity itself. 
== Beliefs ==
=== Äsyyrsk ===
Äsyyrsk is the belief that reality is defined by a cycle of renewal, life, decay and death. It is an inescapable and defining principle that everything adheres to. Men are born, empires crumble into dust, and the land is transformed by the elements and reborn into new shapes and forms. Äsyyrsk is based on two premises, the impermanence of all things, and the interconnection of all things. 
Nothing can exist as it is forever. Even before the end everything suffers little deaths, changing and morphing until it is distinctly different from what it once was. We are born and grow from children into adults learning, growing, and developing as people until we are nothing like the small baby we once were. Even that which doesn’t seem to change like great mountains or vast sea’s morph slowly over time being transformed by the passage of time until eons later where there was once a mountain there is a valley and where there was a sea there is a desert.
All things are connected. We as all things do rely on one another to both live and exist in the first place. If it weren’t for our parents we would not be born. If it were not for our teachers we would know nothing. If it were not for the animals we butcher, the crops we pick, and the water we collect, we could not live. We not only rely on others but others rely on us and they rely on others themselves. Everything is part of an endless web of connections that allow for all things to be. The grass relies on sun to survive, the cow relies on the grass for nutrients, the farmer relies on the cow for milk, and the town people rely on the farmer for milk, the farmer relies on the townsfolk for wealth, the cow relies on the farmer for protection, and the grass relies on the cow for manure. 
Due to the nature of change and the interconnection of all thing's death brings new life. For there to be change something has to take its place, for a house to be gone it must be transformed into something else, rubble. Due to this Äsyyrsk can be split into a definable cycle with different sections articulating what step of the Äsyyrsk a person is on. While Äsyyrsk has 6 distinct parts they can be put into two different broader sections, Yäzyyr, meaning renewal and Vasyyr meaning decay. Many followers of the faith do not put much concern as to the specific distinct parts and instead make use of separating the Äsyrrsk into Vázyr and Vasyyr.
=== Gods ===
Haizkeim is a monistic religion meaning the belief that reality is only composed of one singular thing. This singular substance is Yuno, the supreme, omnipotent and all-powerful deity worshiped by Ädakjeim. While Haizkeim allows for the existence of other deities all gods are subservient and quite literally the same as Yuno making Haizkeim a mixture of both monotheistic and polytheistic elements, earning its category as a henotheistic religion. 
==== Yuno ====
Yuno is worshiped as the supreme being, as the absolute reality. Yuno is everything and everything is and takes place within Yuno making reality and Yuno indistinguishable. Yuno is one but also diverse, creation arising from his endless complexity and freedom, allowing him to extend himself infinitely, manifesting himself into unique and fleeting forms. Yuno is worshiped as the creator of everything and seen as completely benevolent and only wishing for the good of all creatures. Many devote Ädakjeim spend their entire lifetime dedicated to understanding and becoming one with Yuno which is seen as the path to salvation. Yuno is split into 6 different lower deities which are their own important figures of worship.
==== Odenum ====
Odenum is the god of love, family, and community. Odenum presides over caring for all creatures and is Yuno’s love. He acts as an ever-present force within every person's life; his unconditional love available and present for those that need it, leading to the common parting phrase "Odenum is with you." Beyond being associated with love he is also important due to the role he plays within the community. Odenum represents and protects the sacred ties and important relationships between people and the importance of maintaining and respecting them. His name is the one invoked during important rituals binding and strengthening the bond between others like marriage ceremonies or the crowning of a new king. 
==== Elyyruh ====
Elyyruh is the god of nature, civilization, and Yyythan. Elyyruh presides over the growth of all creatures and is Yuno’s desire for creation to develop and grow. Elyyruh of all the Äsyyrsk (the pantheon of gods directly below Yuno), is the most complicated to explain of all the gods due to being tied to very particular ideas within Haizkeim. Nature and civilization are not seen as contrary or opposing forces as civilizations and the creatures that are part of them are seen as simply an extension of nature. Due to this Elyyruh is the god of nature but with civilization just being a highly specific form of nature, Elyyruh is also the god of civilization. Justice in Haizkeim is also split into two distinct types, Vyythan and Bärgan, meaning redemptive justice and retributive justice. Elyyruh centers around Vyythan while Theodyn centers around Bárgan. 
Elyyruh acts as the pushing force for growth, embodying innovation and the fight to grow in character and in ability. She is a figure of hope, who lifts up those that have fallen to both hardship and temptation and gives them the ability to not only persevere through struggle but become stronger because of it. The development and changing web of life, be it the transformation of city states into vast empires or the hunter growing from hunting only rabbits to wolves, are seen as examples of her blessing. 
==== Slyzein ====
Slyzein is the god of wealth, luck, and fertility. Slyzein presides over the happiness of all creatures and is Yuno’s desire for the prosperity of all of creation. Everything that comes down to good luck, relying on putting your faith into the work you have made and dreaming that work comes into fruition is all based around them. Slyzein is the material world and acts as the force ensuring the well being and success of all things. Slyzein of all the gods appears the most in the daily life of Ädakjeim, being the center of prayers for crop yield, financial ventures, and yearly festivals ensuring the betterment of the nation.
==== Theodyn ====
Theodyn is the god of war, bärgan, and kálinos. Theodyn presides over the protection of all creatures and is Yuno’s wrath. When evil arises, when darkness falls, and those that should have been saved had been abandoned and forgotten is Theodyn who avenges them. Haizkeim places a great importance on vengeance and righting the wrongs of the past, defined as bärgan, and Theodyn is the god that ensures that bärgan is dished out. Theodyn is prayed to during times of war and injustice, to provide the angry and mistreated the power and will to smite those that have dealt injustice. 
==== Vallenir ====
Vallenir is the god of death, medicine, and magic. Vallenir presides over the parting of all creatures and is Yuno’s compassion. While faiths fear death, demonizing and hating its cold embrace, Vallenir is a more positive light. She is who comforts those that are hurt and suffering, giving relief and sparing those that she can, and bringing a new beginning for those that can not continue. Death is not the end but a new beginning for when someone dies it leads to new life and the soul is eventually reincarnated into the world. Vallenir is prayed to sick and dying, doctors, and those who practice magic. When a doctor comes to heal the sick or wounded, rituals and prayers are done in order to tell Vallenir that the patient is still strong and can recover, and the more prayers and rituals done the more she believes. If successful the patient is left to recover  and eventually heal.
==== Baughorn ====
Baughorn is the god of knowledge, truth, and water. Baughorn presides over knowledge and is Yuno’s full knowledge. Baughorn is the full self knowing of Yuno and therefore knows all things for Yuno is everything. He is prayed to by scholars and priests for knowledge and information of all kinds from history of long forgotten civilizations to the path to enlightenment. When a person has sudden realization or new idea it's believed that Baughorn directly gifted the thought to them. Baughorn is also prayed to by artists of all kinds due to this very reason, hoping they may be blessed with a sudden strike of creativity.
== Beliefs and Practices ==
=== Names ===
Names all hold importance no matter the faith or culture they hold extra important in Haizkeim. Names are not simply titles or prefixes given to a person but ties to their community, family, and faith. A last name ties someone to their ancestors, giving them their legacy, with all the good and bad that brings. A middle name ties is their given name by their parents, tying someone to their parents which until the Yánavyyn is someone's first name. Just like most cultures the name given out by their parents represent what their hopes and expectations for their child. They are usually very general from good health to strength. A first name ties someone to their community and are given to them by Ädaimsks. Someone gets their first name when they become an adult and go through Yánavyyn. A person's first name is a representation of who they are and are not never inherently positive or negative. They could be specific traits, attitudes, or personalities a person might have. A first name is considered formal and a person is referred to by their first name during formal events or religious rituals. A second name is considered informal and is used during casual conversation between peers and family.
== Index ==
Äsyyrsk: The defining belief of Haizkeim. An esoteric belief that reality works in cycles of renewal, life, decay and death.
The Yäzyyr: One of two sections of Äsyyrsk. Focuses on the side of renewal
The Vasyyr: One of two sections of Äsyyrsk. Focuses on the side of decay.
Yánavyyn: When a Yóngreimsk becomes of age they go through a spiritual ritual and given their first name.
Ädakjeim: A follower of Haizkeim.
Ädaimsk: A priest of Haizkeim.
Yóngreimsk: A follower before becoming an adult and going through the Yánavyyn.
Category:Religions
Category:Traveler's Era