Cult of Kumari

**The Cult of Kumari, also known as the Kumaic Cults/Kumaic Order,** is a major religion and religious order in the world of Terra Irgda. It is a religion that recently has appeared, and only has existed for a thousand years. It is also believed to by the only religion in which it's founder and first prophet, Kumari, was truly a powerful magical creature, and even a member of the Celestial Family. It is a religion that often intertwines with another popular religion, Oneto.

## History

Originating only one thousand years ago, The Cult of Kumari began with it's creator, Kumari. Not much is known about her early life due to lack of records, but before the War for Arth, she was a soldier sent by the Celestial Family to work for the goddess of maidenhood, Raiha. While on the planet, Kumari fell in love with it's beauty, especially humans and their fragile, yet loud and interesting lives. This love seeped into her soul, causing emotion to fill her being, making her one of the few gods that truly felt emotion. Seeing the destruction and misery Raiha created with her enslavement of humans, Kumari decided she could no longer aid her and began a rebellion. While wandering in the woods, still lost and slightly fearful of all the new emotions she felt, Kumari stumbled upon an escaped human slave named Primulos. While they were terrified of Kumari at first because they assumed that she was to capture them, the two became close friends, and eventually, lovers, and the leaders of their newly formed rebellion. While Kumari at first simply wanted to chase Raiha and other gods off the Arth, as her rebellion grew in number, her heart began to swell with deep love and care for those who had different reasons for fighting against Raiha, and decided that fighting for those oppressed by Raiha was just as important as fighting for the Arth itself, and decided after a century of fighting that she would have to shatter Raiha’s soul to truly end the fighting. Using a powerful, but dangerous dark augur spell, Kumari shattered Raiha's soul, killing the goddess. This dangerous yet brave act earned Kumari the title of ***"Kumari the Undaunted".***

Kumari then suddenly disappeared, with her spell book and personal diary, known as the Book of Kumari entrusted with Primulos. They soon became the Sire of Augur, being the ancestor in which all mages originate from. When Primulos passed, the book was given to fellow cult members, who hid it away from the public and only allowing the most dedicated members to view it, in which they began to spread the mantras and instructions written by Kumari. In modern times, The Kumaic Orders are commonly worshipped, either by dedicated followers or by the casual person.

## Overview

Primarily meant to be a religious order that "corrects" the wrongs of other religions, such as Solas, The Cult of Kumari was purely an accidental religion that gained traction due to it's founder's selfless and brave action of freeing humanity from slavery. The Book of Kumari encompasses most of the beliefs and teachings in which the religion follows, and according to the Voice of Kumari, another title for Primulous, they stated that every word in the book, alongside their own words, are direct words and guidance from Kumari, and interpretation that strays from the direct message is strictly forbidden, and these words are known as Law. However, according to the seal left by Primulos, if Kumari was to ever return, law will change.

The Kumaic Order follows a doctrine of kindness and a cycle, known as Imhar. This cycle explains that when kindness is spread and the Eight Precepts of Humanity are followed, then humans will able to grow closer to the return of Kumari. When she returns, there will be a new age, and all evil and war will be permanently eradicated, ending the need for Imhar. All humans will be as pure and kind as before the time evil seeped into their hearts due to the Miasma, and Arth will be as it once was when life was new.

Another aspect of the Kumaic Order is the idea that music, love, and magic are all related. As in the book of Kumari: "Love is the fire which drives the voice to speak, which produces the oldest augur known: music. That music is a symphony of love, it's power and desire to exist manifesting the form of magic. Know that love is older than music, and a war will not be won in a symphony of ash and fire, but one of love and justice."

With this ideology, the veneration of Law and the powers of voice are commonplace, with choirs being commonly used on veneration days and cathedral services.