Fortism

**Fortism**, also known as Fordism or Romerism, is a monotheistic religion originating in Romeria that is based around the worship of a deity known as Forte.

## History

Fortism was first proposed towards the end of the First Era as a reformed form of the various monotheistic religions of Romeria. Fortism pulls a majority of its ideas and practices from the old Andos religion.

## Beliefs

The major beliefs behind Fortism are outlined in a book known as *Thought*, a collective piece contributed to by various scholars around the end of the First Era.

Fortists believe that the universe was created by and is controlled by a singular deity known as Forte. Forte created mankind, the Uomos, by bringing life to a stone and naming the creature Manim. Manim was later given a wife, Katri, and together the two gave birth to the First Prophet known as Eli. Eli was then blessed by Forte as Katri held him high on the Hill of Peridine.

In The Book of Eli, a text making up the beginning of *Thought*, scribes tell of Eli's journey off of the ancient island of Peridine. Eli arrives on the island of Yuda where he is confronted by the "Firstfolk" (Yadim), a tribe of Uomos Forte placed on the island. Eli brings the word of Forte to the Yadim and tells them they must build a great ship to travel to the continent of Danam which he claims exists. At first, Eli has trouble convincing the Yadim to move but after performing several miracles many Yadim declare him their prophet and begin following him as a leader.

Eli and the Yadim, now called Elim after Eli, travelled to Danam and constructed the city of Eliaz. Eli promises the Elim that if they pray to Forte daily they will receive blessings. The people of Eliaz declare Eli the religious and political figurehead in their society. Meanwhile, the Yadim who remained on Yuda begin to grow bitter towards Eli who split up their society. They plan to raid the people of Eliaz and kill Eli for "stealing" their people. While Eli and his Elim built Eliaz, the Yadim had constructed their own city, Sarim, where they prayed to many gods they felt were more legitimate than Forte.

The Yadim sail to Eliaz and murder Eli and burn the city to the ground. Eli's son, Samuel, escaped with Eli's wife, Miriam, and the two fled to a smaller town called Izaz. In Izaz, Miriam teaches the young Samuel about his father. Miriam tells him the tales of Eli's blessing from Forte and the Yadim's declaration of him as their prophet. Samuel wants to grow up just like his father and begins to pray daily to Forte.

In The Book of Samuel, scribes tell of Samuel's rise to fame in Izaz after he successfully predicts and prepares the city for a plague lasting thirty-one days. Samuel then leaves Izaz and travels to the ruins of Eliaz where he receives a vision of his father. The Angel Eli, a spiritual form of the deceased prophet, tells Samuel that he must travel to Yuda and face the Sarim and forgive them. Samuel travels back to Izaz and tells the city of his vision. His mother grows distressed and forbids him from travelling to Yuda alone. Samuel is then joined by the Four Followers: Ben, Mires, Zecher, and Petar. The five gentlemen travel to Eliaz once again where Samuel prays to the ghost of his father who does not appear. The men depart on a boat and eventually land at Yuda. Once they reach the island they find it nearly empty with only some few tribes remaining. The tribesmen praise Samuel's arrival and renounce their beliefs in favor of his (The Conversion). The tribesmen who belong to this second group of converts are seen as unworthy or false Fortists by the first converts in certain sects of the religion. The Great Embark is when Samuel and the newly converted Yudans travel back to Eliaz and rebuilt the great city.

In The Book of Revival, Samuel, the Yudans (now called the Samans), the Four Followers, and Mother Miriam rebuild Eliaz into the greatest city on the continent. Over several decades Eliaz grows to be one of the most populous cities as well as one of the largest. Then Samuel reaches his fortieth year, his mother dies. Samuel falls into a deep depression and hides from society. The baton is passed onto the Four who share power between one another. Ben is in charge of constructing a great wall for the city, Mires is in charge of the military strength of the city to prevent another attack, Zecher is in charge of the First Great Temple of Eliaz, and Petar runs the internal politics and judiciary system within the city.