Kipara

**Kipara** or **Kiparism** is the dominant religion in the Elven world and one of the oldest continuously practiced faiths in Parvolon. Kipara is a world religion that started in Mezzoret in a form distinct from local myth around 7200 PGF, and is practiced by the majority of Elves in Masura as well as in the neighboring Kingdom of the Pasdalles. It shares many deities in common with those of early Inner Elven mythology, and was likely a fusion of different idea and legends of its time.

The core tenets of Kiparism come from the creation of the Elves, the practice of magic, and the avoidance of selfish acts. Kiparians believe that Elves were molded from metal by the Deities, and were given magic foremost to defend themselves from the Corruption. People are born pure in nature according to the religion, but through certain acts a person may invite the Corruption into their bodies that taints their nature, with some legends of particularly sinful people being turned into literal monsters by their misdeeds. Among these forbidden acts are acts of greed, laziness, and hate, for which followers have to atone if they want to remove the Corruption from their body.

The holiest city of Kiparism is the ancient city of Saido, where many of its practices come from. In Saido, a sacred monastery full of monks nearly isolated from the rest of the world is the focal point of the religion, and the area surrounding the Walled Monastery is a common place of pilgrimage for religious leaders and followers alike. Notably, the separation of the monks from the nobility has been reflected in the practice of the religion, with a core idea being that those "who serve the divine yet lead the world will surely cast away their piety to wallow in the mud." Because of this, Kiparism lends itself poorly to theocracy even in places where almost everyone practices it.

The theological schools within Kiparism are the *Saido school*, the largest of all them; the *Voncanian school*, a larger school that is more common among Evolvi followers; the *Anasean school*, a school common in Southern Masura and with the Frogfolk Islands; and the *Merinean* and *Andessian* *schools*, smaller schools in rivalry with each other in the Pasdalles. Merineans and Andessians are fairly far removed from the other three schools as a result of their history, and are the only schools openly antagonistic to each other. Anaseans have have a lot of borrowed practices from local Shakti religions.

All Kiparians have a patron deity that they dedicate most of their religious effort toward. Kiparians either choose this patron based on where they live or their worldly work, similar to how others from several other faiths in Parvolon select a patron. Religious practice is focused on gaining closeness with their patron and building an earthly connection to the divine. Those who are most devout volunteer their lives to trying to attain a true understanding of the world and the divine, either wandering the world on missions or confining themselves away from society to study away from the influences of Corruption.

Almost all schools within the religion promote the use of magic, as it is seen as a divine gift and a tool to engage in good deeds. The exception to this is the Andessian school in the Pasdalles, which explicitly bans sorcery for being a corrupting influence. Some fundamentalist groups may also be opposed to the study of arcane magic, but this viewpoint at large is unpopular.