Church of the Unblind God

The **Church of the Unblind God** is a religion, sometimes referred to as a cult, in the Union of Espaeria. Its followers, called **Catarites**, are largely concentrated in the port city of Magnapor, in the state of St James, though small followings of the faith are present in other states. Followers of the Church believe in the teachings of the *Sacrae Vas*, a religious text written in the 4th century by a philosopher whom Catarites believe achieved enlightenment and ascended to a godly plane of existence, becoming the Unblind God. Variously respected, loathed and persecuted throughout their history, the Church is noted for its distinct ocular imagery and controversial practices, for which it has been outlawed in some Espaerian states.

## Beliefs and practices

The *Sacrae Vas* were written between 360 and 380 AD by Escanavas, the philosopher who became the Unblind God. Escanavas is a portmanteau of the Grimaeri words *escaena* "without" and *vas* "sight"; this is exclusively how the texts refer to their author, and how Catarite scholars have since referred to their deity before his ascension. His true name is unknown, and likely lost to history. Escanavas initially began the *Sacrae Vas* to chronicle his attempts to restore his sight, lost to him in an unspecified accident. Much of his early work was dictated to and transcribed by Saint Rizhar, Escanavas's apprentice who later became the first Oculinaut. Progressively, Escanavas's writings began to drift from his initial purpose, becoming spiritual and philosophical in nature; he no longer sought to regain his physical sight, but instead to gain enlightenment which he called his 'spiritual sight'. His teachings began to attract a following as time went on, and by 380 AD his first Catarites had founded a commune in the port of Magnapor. This drew the ire of the Grimaeri Empire, who ultimately descended on and dismantled the commune, slaying many. Escanavas himself disappeared: his followers maintained that he had ascended to a higher plane, and from then on worshipped their leader as a god.

Catarite doctrine centres around the path to achieving enlightenment; becoming spiritually Unblind as Escanavas himself achieved. For the common man, it is generally accepted that true enlightenment is impossible, and that instead one should endeavour to be as true to the Unblind God's teachings as they can through following the values laid out in the *Sacrae Vas* and regular worship. Through this they can succeed in entering the *Vasmir*, life-after-death in the Unblind God's presence. More devout members of the Church will join a commune and become an Oculinaut, a Catarite monk. The process to become a full Oculinaut is long, typically lasting between 15 to 20 years. Those who complete it, Catarite teachings say, will achieve enlightenment upon death, opening their spiritual eye whereupon they will become one with the Unblind God - *Elisiarvas*, the greatest plane of existence.

By far the most notorious and controversial practice of the Church is ritualistic blinding, done in the sixteenth year of an Oculinaut's training. Though never specifically commanded in the *Sacrae Vas*, Catarite beliefs teach that a necessary part of achieving enlightenment involves losing physical sight in order to help open spiritual sight, as happened to Escanavas. However, in the Unblind faith, the eyes are considered sacred and it is considered improper to harm their form through piercing or gouging. Instead, the ritualistic blinding is performed through a process called *fai divinatas* - a great fire is lit in a special brazier, fitted with a viewing port through which the Oculinaut is made to stare. The process is reportedly agonising, and lasts ten minutes, after which the Catarite's eyes should be rendered completely nonfunctional. Such a practice leaves the iris a milky white colour, giving rise to the derisive nickname "Moon-eyes" for Oculinauts.

## Denominations

The Church of the Unblind God was formerly split into two major denominations; the orthodox Catarites and the reformist Oculites. Oculites had emerged as a sect of the Unblind Church as a result of the first Sightless War between the Unblind Church and the Christian faith. The fact that many Catarite soldiers and officers were blind proved a major disadvantage in battles - the Church's high priests thus decreed the creation of the Oculites, Oculinauts who willingly gave up their chances of enlightenment in order to serve the church. As time went on however prominent Oculites began to argue that sight was in fact not an obstacle towards enlightenment, and that Oculinauts should be allowed to retain their vision as part of their training. Such heresy led to the First Catarite War, ultimately splitting the Church.