Order of The Irenarch

* Flag
* Universal Symbol

## About

The Order of Irenarch is a Polytheistic Religion that is centered around The Creator and His 7 children. The religion arose somewhere around the area of Mellastad, Voskerod and Venillión.

## Hierarchy

* **Patriarch**
	+ leader of the order
* **Metropolitan**
	+ right hand of the Patriarch, tasked with the administration of Bishops and entrusted to aid the Patriarch in shaping the future of the Church.
* **Arch-bishops**
	+ Leaders of a local Church
* **Bishops**
	+ Perform Church duties and spread the word of our Creator, Irenarch. Bishops may become Archbishops if they aid or facilitate the founding of a new Church
* **Believers**
	+ The followers of the order
* **Non-believers**
	+ The people who have yet to seen the light of the true gods

## The gods

### Irenarch, the Creator, Father of Life and Being

An unchanging, immaterial, and timeless entity, Irenarch is the Creator of all existence. Our faith rests upon the notion that every aspect of the cosmos was crafted by His singular force. His being is part of every Living thing in the world, and thus all Life is part of him. Irenarch’s representation is often interpreted differently throughout different cultures, but Voskerodians blessed by the Divine have often told of Irenarch showing Himself to them under the form of a Bear.

### The Seven Gods, the First Children of Irenarch

These divine entities, born of Irenarch, have been tasked with upholding balance within our World.

#### Irena and Konlai, Goddesses of Time and Space

Time and Space are envisioned as twin sisters, linked by a clasped hand, a connection that anchors the fabric of our world to prevent its potential demise. **Irena** possesses the ability to glimpse into the future, foreseeing events yet to unfold. She has long black hair and wears a Sundial around her neck. She holds a Scroll only she can read, which has the past, present, and future written upon it. She wears heavy white furs, of lynxes and Arctic Foxes. **Konlai**, on the other hand, wields the power to reshape reality as she desires, causing mortals to perceive what she desires. Crowned in gold, her lengthy white hair flows regally, and she wields a staff that symbolises her royalty. She wears heavy black furs, of Black Bears and wolves. In reverence, we approach them through an oracle, facilitated by two priests who accept offerings. These gifts are then either incinerated or relinquished if alive, symbolising a divine offering. In return, the twin goddesses bestow a concise response, a snippet that answers both the "when" and "where" inquiries of the supplicant.

#### Urik, The God of Wisdom

Urik resembles a scavenger. He uses runes to communicate since he can no longer speak. He lost this ability when he confronted the God of Death in a fierce battle, an event we refer to as the Age of Ice. We picture him as a man dressed in tattered clothes, possessing few possessions except for an ink pot. This ink holds answers to any questions mortals may have. We credit him for many of our significant historical accomplishments. We lack a straightforward method to pray directly to him, but we trust that through him, we can find solutions to our troubles. Many scholarly mortals have taken vows of silence in the pursuit of Wisdom.

#### Sarnai, The Goddess of Life

Sarnai is a goddess we might consider our ultimate mother. She is responsible for our existence, shaped in perfection by our Creator to give rise to us—beings, mortals. We envision her as a splendid woman who watches over us from the sky. We believe she holds a torch, the very sun itself. Every star in the night sky is said to be formed from her nurturing breast milk. Whenever a baby is born, the mother, father, and priest ascend to the highest point they can find. The father and priest then step aside, allowing the mother to raise the child toward the sky. This gesture symbolises that the child's soul is entrusted to Life's protection for the duration of their life. The priest begins a small ceremony invoking the True Mother. Subsequently, the child is nurtured by the mother, symbolising our gratitude towards Life.

#### Karak, The God of Death

Every mortal dreads this entity who can assume countless forms. Death is both feared and challenged. He is the progenitor of several offspring: darkness, chaos, control, and conceivably even the God of War. Death is depicted as a figure adorned with symbols inked onto his body, a consequence of his confrontation with the God of Wisdom. This ink serves as a warning to mortals, creating the sensation we call fear. He possesses six hands and a book containing the records of every living person, including their greatest fears and the time of their demise. The celestial body we call the Moon is akin to one of his eyes, intensifying our apprehension as night falls.

Our approach to Death is twofold: we either steer clear, so he doesn't prematurely claim us, or we confront him to gain resilience and strength. Eventually, he arrives to ferry us to the God of Judgement, where our life's deeds are weighed. We pray to him after someone's unfortunate passing, offering gold to ease their transition. It's believed that by bestowing gold upon the deceased, we may influence a more favourable judgement.

#### Rhovdar, The God of Judgement

Rhovdar is the sole deity not present within the physical cosmos. He guards the gates to the very presence of Irenarch, the Creator. It is believed that to reach these gates, the God of Death must escort the departed to a hidden golden lake, inaccessible to mortals. At this lake's end stands a gate. Those who enter this gate are said to meet the Creator. Rhovdar is depicted as a figure armoured heavily, brandishing a spear. When a departed mortal arrives at his gates, Death hands him the book detailing the deceased's life for Judgement to review. If the judgement is favourable, based on great deeds and striving to draw closer to Irenarch, the soul may proceed through the gates to meet the Creator. However, if the judgement reflects a life driven by chaos, entry is denied. The soul must be consigned forever to the golden lakes, a realm from which they shall never be retrieved. Our prayers don't directly target Rhovdar. Instead, we offer gold to the God of Death, in the hope that he may alter certain records, allowing Judgement to permit passage through the gates.

#### Worhus, The God of War

Worhus is born from the God of Death, but he was bestowed the role of God due to his association with change. The Creator deemed him to embody transformation, as history's most significant shifts often arise from War. We conceive of him as a beast draped in an array of weapons, heavily armoured. He remains fiercely loyal to his Father, the God of Death, striving to collect as many souls as possible. Our prayers to him involve making sacrifices and then adorning our doors with the blood of the offered animal. Through this, we hope that Worhus may see them as the houses of his warriors, granting victory in the face of our adversaries.

## Nations that follow Irenarch

* Voskerod Tzarnate
	+ Regarded as the founding place of the Religion
	+ Pasgarvate the Seer (*Pasgarvaity Semneyok* in Voskic) was the first of the few mortals entrusted with the Vision of Irenarch. Irenarch showed Himself to Him under the form of a Bear, in the Year 1 O .I. (1537 years ago)
	+ The Voskeroda Metropolitan is Metropolitan Clarus Ennius
* Archduchy of Venillión
	+ Adopted the religion early when Cedric Roseaux converted in 482 (Dumont scholars calendar) -513 (standard Calendar
	+ The Venillian name for the religion is *Ordre des Saints d'Irenarch*
	+ The Venillian Metropolitan is Luvérin Abreo
* Free City of Mellastad
	+ Adopted after the Great Famine of Mellastad following the actions of "Chaant Aungek", the national saint of Mellastad
	+ The Mellastadi name for the religion is *Irenaacha Lebehytem*
* Empire of Caerleia
	+ The Caerleian name for the religion is *Ordo Irecoris*
* Myndelean League
	+ Converted after Mellastadi and Voskeroda missionaries enlighted them to the religion.