Church of Divine Duality

With it's center located in the Sarkation Empire at the site of the western landing of Gloria-Etalia the church is similar in structure to the Catholic Church, but very different in it's principles. There for one could say that this faith is the most "un-not!Europe" aspect of Westerasi.

The Church of Divine Duality (CoDD) worships the idea of civilisation. They believe that Gloria-Etalia are one and the same being, but in two. Gloria is the idea of Civilisation built on the shoulders of giants. New inventions built based on improving and preserving old ones. Etalia is the new, it's new inventions shocking and wondrous. Creating things new to advance humanity to the ultimate goal "space".

CoDD thus unlike the catholic church builds it's doctrine not on love, compassion, kindness, modesty and other gay as values instead it strives for:

> Civilisation

> Progress

> A path to go to space

The morality of the Church is not defined by what is good or bad, rather by what is civilized or not, for example:

In medieval Europe an executioner was a dirty job as it was immoral whereas hunting was noble and often reserved for nobility. In CoDD, hunting would be seen as a lowly profession as hunting is something barbarians do. Civilized people get their meat from animal husbandry. An executioner on the other hand would be seen as a guard of the law and as such civilization and thus would be a noble profession.

> WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED DIRTY OR BAD?

Anything considered uncivilised or akin to an animal:

> Hunting wild animals, collecting wild herbs, fishing for wild fish

> Nudity or showing skin

> Lack of modesty, publish displays of sexuality

> Having multiple partners, divorce

> Using wood/bone/stone tools

> Eating things which are raw (even fruit or vegetables)

> Wearing hide from animals (civilized people use plant fiber!)

Anything which destroys civilization:

> Bringing barbarians into civilized land

> Destroying works of civilization (buildings, art, books etc)

> Hampering spread civilization (planting forests in any other way that perfectly organized for later harvest of wood)

> THINGS CONSIDERED DESIRABLE AND GOOD

Anything which helps spread civilization

> trying to control nature in any way, like growing bonsai trees into specific shapes, carving roads trough forests

> spreading civilization: civilizing barbarians, building strongholds

> tattoos: tattoos alter your natural form thus they would be considered "civilised"

> wearing lots of clothes: the more skin you cover the further you are from uncivilized barbarians! Nobles and the clergy often cover their whole body head to toe, including faces with masks

> climbing mountains: they are the point closest to the stars

Other quirks of the CoDD:

> Churches and temples are basically towers as they are to come as close as possible to space. They also often wish to build monasteries atop mountains. (which can be hard as those are often occupied by Technobarbarian tribes)

> There are monasteries devoted to Gloria which maintain old knowledge and ones to Etalia which try to invent new things.

> The concept of "saints" exists. They often are people who invented grand things. Sometimes ones which did not even follow the faith themselves!

> The Church is split on whether or not Democracy or rule by Rightful king is the purer form of Civilization. They lean towards monarchy though as the Church's home-country is one.

> It is a sin to be uncivilised if you heard of GE, but not if you did not. Then you are just a victim of your ignorance.

> It is a sin to be civilized and reject the word of GE, as you take their gifts without paying your respects.

> Simplicity is considered something uncivilised as any barbarian can do so. Robes, temples and homes should be decorated as ornately as possible.

> in prayer you put one of your hands into the sky and another on your heart to symbolize your wish for your heart (soul) to join GE in space.

> People who are considered sinners/unworthy are punished by being made to wear animal hide

Yes, hunting would be considered a lowly profession. Criminals and the poor would only do that.

Rangers are considered a noble profession as they chart/tame/civilize the wild. Thus rangers don't hunt their food. They are accompanied by hunters who do so for them.

For social gatherings Nobles would most likely engage in duels for fun or in more civilized equivalents to hunting. Like maybe fighting a bull like a matador. Or trying to ride an untamed bull (basically rodeo). Things which symbolize "conquering the wild", but in a civilized form. Female nobles would on the other hand admire each other's ornate garb, bonsai trees etc.

It might be a thing though that nobles present a guest a criminal to execute as a sign of good will. The king comes to visit? Have a rapist ready for him to decapitate!

Funnily enough in our time farming was seen as a profession for the lower classes, but there it would be considered civilized. So nobles might have tiny well curated gardens they maintain developing new farming techniques.

Potential Take on Church of Divine Duality interpretation of the afterlife (from thread 15, can't tell if official or not)

Every devotee of Divine Dualism longs to join Gloria-Etalia in Their journey across through the heavens. However, it is accepted that humanity is not ready to join Them in body, and will remain unready until civilization has reached its apex. Instead, devotees of the Two-Faced God hope to join Them in spirit, after death.

Those who are considered worthy are cremated when they die. It is believed that the incinerated matter rises into the heavens as smoke, into the domain of Gloria-Etalia. The essence of the deceased mingles with the stars until humanity is finally considered ready. When that day arrives, the worthy dead will be given new forms by the Two-Faced God and together with the rest of humanity, they will serve Them in Their journey through the heavens.

Those who are considered base and uncivilized are denied this opportunity to ascend into the domain of Gloria-Etalia. Their remains are not cremated but are left at the mercy of nature. Their corpses might be abandoned in forests, or dumped into rivers. What is important is that their corpse is picked apart by carrion-eaters and allowed to rot, just like an animal's. Their essence becomes one with the wilderness, a part of the uncivilized world, as befits the unworthy.

> > The CoDD view of tattoes
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> Peasants especially in warmer counties often work with exposed skin thus tend to cover their bodies early with as much tattoes as possible. Usually in bright colours like yellow or blue so more elaborate patterns in darker colours can be added over them.
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> In the south the go-to colour is blue, due to the Drui Lilly. An easily farmed flower which is made into blue dye.
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> In the North it's the Purri Dandy. A tree whose fruit are easily made into yellow dye.
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> People trying to mix both would find the mix becomes an ugly brown and can cause inflammation.
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> > Higher classes
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> Tattooes are added deliberately over your whole life. Each tattoo is a work of art. Nobles also tattoo less of their body as they have the luxury to always wear clothes.
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> Often tattoos depict important events from an individual's life. Or great a chievements. Parents often put vague tattoes on their babies backs with wishes for their life. If the children follow said path they can fill out the predrawn form.
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