Sacred Six

A common illustration representing the alignment of The Sacred Six

**The Sacred Six** is the name most often used in reference to the six Archangels which embody the prime aspects of Elyon The One God. The current Six are made up of N'Uriel, Kariel, Mothys, Olo'Nui, Romuel, and Razi'el.

Reverence of The Sacred Six has historically been a central facet of The Way of The One God, and thus is seen all across the Kalder-Tsinnic landmass.

Acknowledgement of the Six was rare if not unheard of in most of the Kalderic Continent before the 1st Era, when Saint Fes brought the religion along with his people in their mass exodus across the Veradas. Monotheistic practices did exist among migrant human tribes, however, and these deities eventually would become conflated with Elyon, and reverence of the Sacred Six was adopted with Him. The earliest known references to the Sacred Six come from Adonay in the Alkebu Sub-continent, although their depiction in regional myth would indicate more of a supportive role to Elyon versus the central intercessor role they take in conventional practices.

## Mythology

Though many variant myths have existed across history, by the time of the mid 3rd Era, Scripture had become more fully circulated across Kalder-Tsinna, and legends of The Sacred Six became more consistent across the lands.

The common belief is that The Sacred Six were created by Elyon shortly before the creation of Raedon and Mankind, in order to serve as manifestations of divinity for mortals to seek connection with. It is said in Scripture that Elyon created the Six so that Men could grow closer to Vilon with a guide to help them, and that by exemplifying practices that relate to a chosen guide, one could find deeper connection with The Creator. Though early Elyonist belief posited that there was only one truly divine being (Elyon), and that He was to be worshiped alone, many scholars believe that reverence of multiple beings was more compatible with the cultures of polytheistic tribes, and that reverence of six archangels served as a comfortable middle ground, making conversion easier. Many gods of ancient regional religions became conflated with members of The Sacred Six when their lands were converted. Gods of war were replaced with N'Uriel, fertility and agricultural gods and goddesses were replaced with Kariel or Mothys, water gods were replaced with Olo'Nui, etc.

Another common myth, though not directly stated in Scripture, is the fall of Kabi-el. A lengthy oral tradition has led to variations of the story, but most follow the same general outline. Kabi-el was one of the original Sacred Six before the creation of mankind, and represented Judgement and Law, though some stories claim he was a trickster and master of music. Kabi-el, objecting to the support of a flawed and chaotic mortal race, eventually rebelled against the rest of the Sacred Six, hoping to overthrow them with the help of his twin brother Razi'el. Razi'el, however, defied his brother and attempted to stop him. Legend says that Kabi-el slew his brother and led one third of the Heavenly Host in a surprise attack against the other Archangels. His rebellion, however, was a failure, as Razi'el had sent his raven to warn his comrades of his brother's treachery. N'Uriel personally threw Kabi-el off the side of Vilon, never to return. Razi'el was subsequently revived by the combined mourning of the other Archangels, and with the memory of the other fallen angels as a catalyst, Razi'el lived again. Elyon placed Razi'el in his brother's place as keeper of the law and upholder of the balance of life and death, and Olo'Nui was incorporated to fill the vacancy left by Kabi-el's fall. Representing Protection, Olo'Nui would oversee the safety of those who might become influenced by Kabi-el's spiteful deceptions, and The Sacred Six was restored.

Scholars debate the origin of Olo'Nui, and many theories exist on his introduction to the pantheon. Sources from ancient Adonay imply that Olo'Nui wasn't always a part of Elyonic mythology, but sources regarding specific Archangels are rare and inconclusive, and much of the Oral Tradition (as well as writings) have been lost during the many conquests of Adonay over the Eras.

## Worship and Culture

Reverence of the Sacred Six can be a contentious topic, often debated among scholars and theologians. A key aspect of Elyonism or The Way of the One God is that the Sacred Six are Patrons, not gods. They are said to be living aspects of Elyon, who is regarded as the only real God. This distinction is important, as the reverence of the Sacred Six can often be confused with worship, and the practice is thought by some to be a form of polytheism, though most practitioners will insist that worship is reserved for Elyon only, and that reverence of Patrons should never become worship.

Temples exist across Kalder-Tsinna dedicated to specific Patrons of The Sacred Six, often in direct competition with temples of other religions. Though temples dedicated to Elyon alone do exist, they are primarily found in the Alkebu-region, and are exceedingly rare elsewhere. Despite the fact that temples are dedicated to and built by the cult of individual Patrons, most Sacred Six temples will contain smaller shrines to the other Patrons, especially in regions where the others are not represented by their own major temples. For example, if a Temple of N'Uriel is the only Sacred Six holy-place in a given region, followers of Mothys and Rom may visit and even establish clergy at N'Uriel's temple in the absence of their own dedicated space.

This is not to say competition between adherents of one Patron never compete with adherents of another. Instances of inter-faith conversion or even violence are not unheard of. Though uncommon in the context of the religion's total history, in the 4th Era, a return to worship of Elyon alone became more popular in certain regions, especially Auleron, where The Sacred Six took less of a central position in worship, or in some cases were regarded as little more than fairy tales. This shift in practice is often attributed to a desire to curb inter-faith competition, as tension between faithful of Razi'el and followers of Kariel led to religiously motivated wars between nations that ostensibly worship the same God.

## Gallery

Razi'el's EmblemOlo'Nui's EmblemRomuel's EmblemN'Uriel's EmblemKariel's EmblemMothys' EmblemThe One God's Emblem