Katsmonism

The Torch, a symbol representing The Illuminator, the main Prophet of Katsmonism

## **Political Information**

### Head of Government

Shevai - The Great Sage Equal to HeavenCynedom - No official Leader, but considers its monarchs to have holy mandate

### Military Force

The Torchbearers (Cynedomian Monastic Order)

## **Societal Information**

### State Religious Body

Consists of several knightly, scholarly, and monastic orders

### National Holiday

The Turning of the Hourglass - 1.01Day of Illumination - 3.30

## **Historical Information**

### Date of Fragmentation

Around 90 9E

**Katsmonism** is a Vistan Religion, followed predominantly in Cynedom and Shevai. Adherents believe that their God, the Architect, created Vista in the course of a year, and granted the world with magical energy. They consider magic and the way humans may use it are a gift from the Architect. Moreover, they view the Illuminator to be their prophet, being responsible for founding the civilizations of Vista.

## History

### Pre-History

While it is known that the inhabitants of Vista worshiped a creator god in the Time Before Epochs, it is not known if this god was based on the one interpreted from the Illuminator Ruins (which is unlikely, as many of these tombs were inaccessible at the time), or if they created the ruins themselves (also unlikely, as these prehistorical societies lacked the technology to create chambers of this scale). Some scholars believed that this creator god was wholly separate, but influenced concepts of the Architect. Either way, there was a precedent for this mono-theistic creator god by the time of the Imiferan Dynasty, which is the first Vistan civilization to keep records.

Upon setting the Vistan Calendar and the beginning of the First Epoch, the 'Turning of The Hourglass' became a yearly holiday in which a massive Hourglass, which counts the progress of the year, is reset. This ritualization paved the way for the development of Katsmonism. As centuries passed, some of the first Illuminator Ruins were found, and they began to give detail to this Creator god that could be recorded. This set the foundation of the Ordained Vision as well, though the full version of it would not be collated for some millennia after. At this point in time, the Ordenaveise was not considered religious canon.

### Foundation of Organization

Though the Imiferan Dynasty did not last until the end of the First Epoch, the influence of the religion had managed to spread far enough globally to influence other cultures. Shevai in particular was starting to create a culture solely dedicated to meditating on and following the Ordained Vision. When the twelve-hundreth year of the first Epoch ended, Shevai religious leaders decided that this cycle would continue, and started the Second Epoch. This continued for another two Epochs, with theological tensions flaring up around the end of the Third Epoch.

At this time, an early form of Eucarian government was in conflict with Shevai sages, who then represented a newer pacifistic religion that completely reformed the ideas of the Illuminator. This was in direct conflict with Eucarian perceptions, which had then developed the first complete version of the Ordenaveise. Through many religious wars and inquisition movements, the Eucarians came out of it victorious, and had decided to set in stone once and for all the Orthodox form of Katsmonism when they ushered in the Fourth Epoch.

### Cynedomian Reformations

When people began to resettle the Imiferan territories, there was a sort of religious rediscovering.

## Beliefs and Worship

Insert major beliefs and worship traditions