Catollianism

## Description:

Catollianism, often referred to as the Catollian Church, is the 2nd largest religion in the K5 Universe, practiced by nearly 2 billion followers worldwide. As a global religious organization, Catollianism seeks to continue to spread its message across the planet and unify mankind under its banner; the Catollian Church uses a variety of methods to achieve this goal, including the application of brutal violence against heretics and heathens. Catollianism maintains hostile relations with all other faiths in the world and is the state-sponsored faith of the Kingdom of Nolina and its colonies.

### Organization:

#### Headquarters: The Palace of Stone, Vaduran City, Kingdom of Nolina

Catollianism is built upon a very strict hierarchy which is harshly enforced; the Church is a force for conservation of tradition and the old ways, with many regulations and beliefs having been passed down from the Church's earliest founders. The Catollian Church is led by a Piedro, or "Stone," who oversees global operations and can make widespread decisions on doctrine and religious tenets, as well as manage the faith's clergy and the theater of focus for conversion/Crusading efforts. The Piedro is advised by his Cardinals, who also serve as Archbishops and oversee continent-wide Church operations. Below the Cardinals are the normal Archbishops, who manage nationwide Church matters, and they in turn are above the Bishops, who manage individual Dioceses, or collections of Churches in a small local area. Individual Priests are next in the hierarchy and oversee individual Churches and provide the bulk of Catollianism's clergy. Below the Priests are the attendants and other laypeople who help administrate and maintain Church properties and operations. Below the laypeople are the slaves, who are taken from their homelands, shipped elsewhere, forcibly converted, and made to serve the Church's ends in some manner, most often via hard labor or menial tasks. The Nolinian Inquisition exists outside this standard hierarchy and answers directly to the Piedro and to the monarchy of Nolina; similarly, monastic orders like monks and friars operate on the fringes of Catollianism's standard hierarchy.

Catollianism recruits via proselytizing and generational adherence; most Catollians are born into the religion and remain a part of it for their entire lives, undergoing Baptism as infants. Catollianism is very effective at conversion, using a variety of methods depending on the region and its demographics; most infamously, Catollianism spreads via violence, through Crusades. Catollians are also known to aggressively and enthusiastically convert the native populations of the regions they conquer and colonize, including Westerland, the Sky-Islands, and Ostia. Catollianism's ultimate goal is to be the only major religion in the world, and so is constantly looking for people to bring into their organization. Those seeking to be clergy must undergo several years of theological instruction, training, and understudy operations as an apprentice to a more experienced priest before being allowed to serve on their own.

Catollianism has many arms in many different fields all across the globe. It involves itself in colonization efforts, in trade deals, in politics, in laws and legislation, in everything. This makes the Catollian Church exceptionally influential on the world stage and unafraid to involve itself in secular affairs; despite the organization's modern claims, Catollianism has a history of inciting rebellions, conducting assassinations, starting wars, and attempting to prop up theocratic regimes across Breit. Catollianism dedicates most of its resources to maintaining the flock it retains and spreading to new areas of the planet, as well as waging wars of the body and soul against the "Apostate of Truseau" and the scourge of heresies like Prolinism, Angelicalism, etc. The Church is also irrevocably intertwined with the Kingdom of Nolina, its people and culture, and its government; the Church spends a large percentage of their wealth and power influencing Nolina and maintaining their power within its structures.

#### List of Contained Factions:

1. The Vaduran
	1. [MILITANT]
2. Nolinian Inquisition

#### List of Denominations:

1. Prolinism
2. [ANGLICANISM]
3. Angelicalism

#### Holy Sites:

Catollianism has many holy sites around the world but derives most of them from the area of Mitellan known as Yazaea, or Yaziyah in its original language, which contains the holy city of Jaruhadem, referred to as Jaru'Hadem in its founders' language.

1. Vaduran City
2. Yazaea
	1. Jaruhadem
	2. Madasa

## Religion:

Catollianism is a monotheistic religion with a patriarchal leaning and an outwards focus on repenting for one's sins and avoiding El Incendio, or "The Fire," their term for Hell. Paraiso, on the other hand, is their term for Heaven, and is the place reserved for the holiest of Catollianism's adherents whose souls are free of evil and sin. Divine interaction exists through prayer, mass services in Churches, and through the clergy/monarchy. The supernatural exists in 2 forms: divinely sanctioned Miracles/Icons, and heretical, evil sorcery/witchcraft. Forms of worship include individual and mass prayer services. Holidays celebrate major events from Jehos's life, events depicted in the Libr, saints and martyrs, and historical events.

### Core Beliefs:

Catollianism's beliefs can be boiled down to a few set tenets, which are then expanded upon in the faith's holy book, the Libr, sometimes referred to as "El Libro Sagrado"; Catollians interpret the Libr literally and take its words and historical accounts as both truth and fact. At its roots, Catollianism asserts that there is only 1 God, manifested on Earth as Jehos, and that he is all-knowing and all-powerful, with humanity's best interests at heart. Jehos was the personification and physical manifestation of God, who wields a power known as the [GHOST], an entity which is simultaneously separate from and the same as God/Jehos; the [GHOST] is God's power made manifest and is known to appear to mortals through visions.

Catollians believe that all people are inherently imperfect, due to the Prime Sin, and must atone for this sin before being able to live a proper life or ascend to Paraiso upon death; as a result, Catollians believe that all people will go to Incendio whether they know or believe in Jehos or not, which has contributed to Catollianism's rapid conversion practices in a bid to "save" more people from their own ignorance. Catollians believe that it is their divine duty to spread their message across the world, especially to the "savage" populations of the frontiers, like Westerland and the Sky-Islands.

The Libr provides the primary source for theological knowledge in Catollianism; the second source lies with the Church, its clergy, and the martyrs/saints. The Piedro is considered to be infallible on matters of theology and is treated as Jehos's mouthpiece. The Libr contains the beliefs and tents of the Church, as well as accounts of its prehistory and key members; included within those beliefs is an explicit and detailed description of what is and is not considered moral behavior.

Catollians believe in and encourage the institution of slavery; the Libr explicitly approves of the practice, as Jehos is said to have taken infidels as slaves during his conquest of Yazaea and rebellion against the ancient Empire of Monzia. Catollianism promotes a specific system of slavery that is not bound along racial or ethnic lines, but instead by religious lines. Catollian slavery also follows a specific caste system: the lowest and most common are the Farmers, who are tasked with taking care of animals, growing/harvesting crops, etc.; next are the Workers, who conduct menial tasks like construction, basic medical jobs, mining, and cooking; and at the top of the slave hierarchy are the Servants, who take care of their masters in the home and help raise children, as well as adopt their masters' culture, language, mannerisms, clothing, etc. Catollians have specific obligations to slaves, including a demand for religious conversion and a minimal religious education. Catollians believe that the less-civilized cultures of the world deserve to be subjugated for their own benefit, as the Catollians seek to lift them up from their barbarism and into God's light; as this attitude would imply, Catollians are major supporters of imperialism and colonialism, and seek to expand their empire as far as possible. Catollian slavery is hereditary, although born-slaves are treated with more respect than made-slaves or enslaved prisoners; Catollianism also places particular respect on soldiers who are trained to take or guard slaves.

Catollians believe in The Olvid, a vaguely humanoid personified "force" which infests the souls and hearts of men and creature to compel them to fight against, undermine, and corrupt Catollianism from within. The Olvid terrorized even Jehos during His time, and is an entity carried over from [JUDAISM]. Groups like the Nolinian Inquisition seek to stamp out The Olvid's influence and eliminate all those who are swayed by his evil influence, including heretics, Apostates, Witches, Demons, etc. The Church believes in 3 levels of Olvidians: Olvidian Rejection, a theo-psychological term used to describe someone that rejects the teachings of the Church by willingly following an alternative religion (e.g. Tabsit, [JUDAISM], etc.), an Olvidian, in which a person rejects Jehos and supports The Olvid in his fight against the Church, and a Demon, in which a person believes in Jehos and His divinity but knowingly and gladly combats the Church, in a direct or subversive manner. The primary separation between an Olvidian and a Demon is that a Demon worships The Olvid as their god and uses his twisted supernatural powers to fight the Church, while an Olvidian is only someone who works, knowingly or otherwise, in The Olvid's favor, including atheists and citizens of the Apostate of Truseau.

#### Important Holidays:

3. [REDACTED]

#### Important Rituals:

1. Bautismo/Baptism: The entrance ritual for Catollianism conducted by all those who seek the purification of the Prime Sin from their souls, which allows entrance into the Catollian Church as a layperson. The ritual includes an anointing of the head with holy water, blessed by a priest, followed by a short prayer and the ceremony in which the individual's Godmother/Godfather are chosen and blessed.
2. Repentance: A ritual in which a layperson speaks with a priest and confesses their sins before the priest, who levies a suitable act of repentance for the layperson; these acts of repentance can include acts of charity, prayer, public service, etc. This ritual cleans a layperson's soul of sins in the eyes of God and Jehos, allowing the person to reach Paradise should they die suddenly.
3. Vindication: A ritual in which a layperson confirms their faith in Catollianism and swears their souls to Jehos; only those who have received Vindication can receive Marriage in a Catollian Church or become priests or hold similar Church offices/positions.
4. Marriage:

### Clergy:

The clergy within Catollianism serve many purposes. Due to Catollianism's strict structured nature, the clergy represent almost the entire hierarchy, and as such hold almost all of the faith's power and influence. Priests and other similar ranks within Catollianism conduct and officiate masses and holy ceremonies, can lead wedding and funerary rites, help absolve adherents of sins, help maintain religious properties, collect tithes to fund the Church, conduct missionary and charity work for the indigenous and the poor, etc. The laypeople are, according to Catollianism, incapable of carrying out any truly holy work because they have not devoted themselves entirely to God.

The clergy of Catollianism are expected to have families and are allowed to take up to 4 wives.

[REDACTED]

### Cultural Aspects:

Catollianism uses lots of images and symbols to represent the various aspects and elements of its beliefs and history; most prominently among all symbols is the cross, an image used by Jehos prior to his self-sacrifice which represents the simplicity, purity, and peaceful societal goals of Jehos/God and His message. Similarly, the upside down cross, referred to as the "Sword of Jehos," is also a universal symbol of Catollianism, used to denote Jehos's warlike aspects and role as worldly conqueror and leader. Holy colors include white, gold, indigo blue, and red; white for purity, gold for regality and wealth; blue for the depth of the sea and a reminder of the complexity of God's Creation, and red for Jehos's blood. Learning in Catollianism is passed down primarily via the Libr, associated theological writings by later authors, as well as songs and hymns; for those Catollians who cannot read, paintings and reliefs are also common means of depicting important Librical events. Catollians believe that mankind was produced by God from his blood, spilt in defense of material reality against the forces of "[REDATED]" who would seek to conquer and destroy it; similarly, God created the material Universe to populate his reality with other living beings whom He could love and could love Him. Most myths of Catollianism revolve around the life and teachings of Jehos, detailed in the Libr.

Catollianism's deadly sins include [REDACTED]

Catollianism makes extensive use of all major art forms, from music and writing to sculptures and stained glass. Catollians are most known for their architecture, which is often large, decadent, and highly detailed; large spires and towers, grand doors and lots of pillars, and a love of stonework and marble produce a grandiose air of wealth to Catollians chapels and cathedrals, many of which are centuries old. Some critics, especially Prolinism, deride Catollianism for their excessive wealth, especially in their gilded churches and silk robes, which Prolinists claim distract from God and the greater point of the religious organization.

Catollians believe that a child becomes an adult at the age of 18, at which age they receive Vindication, an involved coming-of-age ritual which seeks to solidify a person's faith in Jehos and their dedication to the faith via a special church service and the taking of a Vindicated Name which previously belonged to a saint/martyr or 1 of the 12 Hierophants. Catollians treat marriage with intense seriousness; to them, marriage is another of the "Sacred Ceremonies" which adherents are expected to receive over the course of their lives. Marriage is defined as between an adult man and woman who are in love and joined by Jehos's Grace in a binding spiritual contract for the remainder of their lives; Catollians do not believe in divorce, but unhappy spouses can request annulments from the Church if they feel that their marriage was built on lies or a lack of love.

[REDACTED]

## History:

### Early Years (22-44 D.J.):

Catollianism was officially formed when, at the age of 22, a young man from Yazaea named Jehos began his ministry across the region, preaching a new form of spiritualism which was quickly attracting a large following, particularly among the [JEWISH] community. Having traveled across much of Yazaea and gathered tens of thousands of followers, Jehos made his way to the holy city of Jaruhadem, where he carried out a rebellion against the Empire of Monzia which had been oppressing his people for centuries.

Jehos's crusade spanned the entirety of Yazaea, emancipating slaves and uplifting the poor as he went. As he traveled, he designated his 12 Hierophants as regional warlords who would oversee the territory on Jehos's behalf. Considered a Messiah, Jehos was beloved by the populace and worshiped across the land. Jehos's conquest continued to beat back the Empire of Monzia, eventually conquering the region which is now the Kingdom of Nolina, where Jehos would establish Vaduran City as a regional capitol. However, not all would be well for long.

Just over 2 decades later, at the age of 44, Jehos's mighty Kingdom of Jaruhadem would be invaded by the Empire of Monzia in an effort to reclaim the lands they had lost. Monzian legions swarmed Yazaea, massacring everyone who resisted. The 12 Hierophants flocked to Jehos for aid, who directed his most loyal followers to take their armies to the fort of Madasa, in southeast Yazaea, where they would make their stand and beat the Monzians once and for all.

At Madasa, Jehos and his 12 Hierophants defended their lands and people with stalwart determination. But it was not enough, and the Monzian war machine could not be easily deterred. So Jehos waited for the right moment to strike: a clear night. And he told his 12 Hierophants to take their men and flee the fort for safety, while he held off a coming Monzian assault - the largest they had seen yet. Begrudgingly, the 12 Hierophants followed their God-King and fled through secret evacuation tunnels built into the fort's foundations. Jehos produced the Star of Madasa, eradicating the assaulting Monzian legion and carving a spherical hole in the large mesa, glassing the surrounding area and obliterating the fort of Madasa in exchange for giving up his own life in the process. Jehos secured victory at the cost of his mortal body, forcing the Monzians to retreat for some time.

### [GOLDEN AGE] (44-300 D.J.):

#### The Razing of Jaruhadem (64-66 D.J.):

Left without a God-King, the Kingdom of Jaruhadem soon faced the wrath of the Empire of Monzia once again, who returned to reclaim the territories they lost during Jehos's rebellion. The invasions lasted for 3 years, during which time the holy city of Jaruhadem was besieged, captured by the Monzians, and burned to the ground; over the course of the war, 11 out of the 12 Hierophants were killed in battle or captured and executed for crimes against the Empire. The final surviving Hierophant, Jugurthen, escaped Monzian persecution and fled to Nolina, where became the first Piedro. By the end of the war, Monzia's Legions had reduced the deceased God-King's free kingdom to just the region of Nolina, now led from the capitol of Vaduran City.

#### Internal Spread (44-145 D.J.):

Now reduced to controlling only their most recently conquered lands and lacking the support of Jehos or his Hierophants, Catollianism suffered considerably. The region of Nolina split into a number of petty Princedoms, and while they continued to use the borders established by the 12 Hierophants, the similarities ended there. Catollianism remained a minority religion across Nolina for an extended period of time, suffering under the weight of local pagan faiths and the remnants of Monzian influence on the region. Catollianism was believed to be a radical, extremist cult operating in secret; many local faith leaders perceived Catollianism as a dangerous faith of rebels and conquerors.

However, Catollianism prevailed. Over the span of 100 years, Catollianism clawed its way out of despair, led directly by Jugurthen the Final Hierophant. By the time Jugurthen died, the Catollian Church had all but conquered the Nolinian Peninsula and pushed out or assimilated the pagan faiths which had previously controlled the region. However, Jugurthen, being the least violent out of the 12 Hierophants and the most benevolent leader during his time as Prince, preached more cooperation and conversion than his predecessors and allies; this added some more peace-loving elements to Catollianism which helped soften the religion's extremist connotations.

Catollians managed to take the thrones of the splintered petty princedoms and united Nolina once again, as a country which called itself the Kingdom of Vadura, led from Vaduran City by the Piedro as a theocracy. Under the first non-Hierophant Piedro, [NAME], the Kingdom of Vadura quickly assumed a warlike and expansionist posture which mirrored their God-King's original actions some century-and-a-half ago. Catollians ruled over Nolina with an iron fist during this period, using Icons and Adjacent Sciences to control and manipulate the populace.

The Kingdom of Vadura, considered the precursor to the Kingdom of Nolina, entered what Nolinian scholars deem the "[REDACTED]," a Golden Age of progress, development, philosophy, culture, and art within Nolina. This Golden Age provided the bulk of the impetus for Nolina's cultural development and was also the time when much of modern Nolina's greatest works of architecture were built, including massive expansions on Vaduran City and the style of Nolinian fashion.

#### Spread to Foreign Lands (126-247 D.J.):

Following the start of the proper Catollian Church after the death of Jugurthen the Final Hierophant, Catollianism began spreading north and south, back down into Yazaea and up into Truseau. Catollianism spread across Breit like wildfire, overturning and assimilating the pagan faiths it met along the way; the only paganistic religion which Catollianism could not dislodge was the Monzian [REDACTED] faith. This sudden explosion of backing scared the Empire of Monzia, which began persecuting Catollians; Monzian armies made attempts to invade Nolina but were ultimately unsuccessful, as tens of thousands of armed pilgrims flocked to Nolina to defend their religion's capitol.

However, not all was well within the young Kingdom of Vadura. Catollianism's spread far beyond the borders of its theocratic home, far from any institutions which could keep its development in check or protect its adherents from persecution. However, the Libr was in its infancy, and without the direct spiritual guidance of Jehos, the various pockets of Catollians slowly grew apart and splintered; heresies grew rampant across Nolina and Truseau, some of which remain active into the modern day. The cracks in Catollianism's impervious armor were once again beginning to show through.

### Rise of Tabsit (264-410 D.J.):

Whilst the members of the early Catollian Church were experiencing their Golden Age in Nolina, a new movement was brewing in the east: the religion of Tabsit, founded by the Prophet Alash. Catollian and Monzian expansion into [MIDDLE EAST] created an ever-increasing pressure within the region, as encroaching foreign religious movements continued to spread; both Catollianism and the Monzian pagan faith rely on the use of Icons to prove the veracity of their religious beliefs, leading to Tabsit's invention of Anicons and the development of Iconoclast factions, almost all of which originate from [MIDDLE EAST].

Tabsit, having developed in response to aggressive Catollian expansion, was inherently opposed to Catollianism on most issues and ideas, particularly those dealing with the use of Icons and codes of morality, which Tabsit took from regional cultures via their Prophet Alash. As a result, Catollianism and Tabsit immediately clashed with one another, fighting for influence in [MIDDLE EAST] and battling for control of key areas. Tabsit's popularity slowly overtook Catollianism's in the Mittellan region, slowly spreading farther west; Catollians began using force to prevent Tabsit's spread, which was responded to in kind.

Tabsit's surge in popularity threatened Catollianism's numerical advantage over the older and superior fighting forces of the Empire of Monzia and its farthest reaches. Tabsit's influence, deemed dangerous, heretical, and outright Demonic at times, became the primary impetus for the gathering of all the world's important Catollian thinkers and religious leaders to decide on specific orthodoxy. Tabsit's popularity led to the rise of Caliphates and similar feudal theocratic states across the Mittellan, all of which were diametrically opposed to Catollianism and the young Kingdom of Nolina. These new states would encroach on Catollian lands and slowly chip away at Catollianism's foothold across the Mittellan, once-again limiting Catollianism's power and threatening to push the faith to extinction.

### Council of Metetraea (325 D.J.):

It was during this time that much of Catollianism's modern practices and Nolina's cultural traditions were formed. Catollianism took on its signature aesthetic and architectural style, having received the opportunity to build a new civilization.