Shalva

Shalva is the primary religion of the Imperium of Nitav and the Elbians. It is generally described as a hierarchal religion, and like many Titanbornes Roost religions, places emphasis on the Titans being divine entities, however where Shalva differs from most is the belief that their divinity came from the knowledge they held of the world, and their ability to influence it through their technology.

Though it has seen many divisions, reformations, and internal crusades over the thousands of years it has existed, Shalva is generally considered to have always been the religion of the Elbians, with most early Elbian religions sharing similar origins.

With how ingrained it is with Elbian culture, Shalva's leadership also serve as the core government of the Imperium, though a number of mere followers do hold position within the government, primarily when the territory in question bears no relevance to the religion.

## Beliefs and Doctrine

The core tenets of Shalva place emphasis on uncovering the mysteries of everything the Titans left behind, as well as reality as a whole, though does not directly attempt to answer the origins of either of these, believing that the followers will have reached the level of the Titans- if not ascend higher- once they do discover the answer to these questions.

In general terms, the more knowledge a group or individual builds on the mechanics of the world- particularly if it involved the Titans, or similarly divine beings- the higher in the divine hierarchy they would be. Though many have historically used it to sway followers in their favour, simply owning knowledge- or the results of said knowledge- does not make one any more divine, with effiorts like this often being countered with the phrase "The invention of a tool does more than simply bearing it."

### Leadership

With the belief that individuals are some degree of divine based on the knowledge of the world, Shalva's leadership consists of the 14 greatest minds of the time, most of whom end up retaining their position until they go senile with age. The placement of a leader in the hierarchy generally depends on the "value" of the discoveries made by them, however more modern reformations has led to one's effectiveness as a leader being a greater consideration.

#### Tiv

Though the title is incredibly rare, the priesthood may appoint the title of "Tiv" to an individual who performed particularly impressive feats in the following of their doctrine, with most historical instances being the restoration of a Titan artefact or facility to some degree of working order. Individuals with this title are effectively god-kings, and retain their position until death or they are superseded by someone performing an even greater feat.

The most significant bearer of the title was Izalis, who restored the computer network of Nitav's ruins to partial working order. Though they would not be able to decipher the majority of what they found until well after first contact with Magdora, this would push the Elbian culture into a technological renaissance, and begin the push towards placing Shalva at the top of the government as well, among other things.

##### Magdora

Though the internal conflicts regarding this dilemma go without saying, many followers of Shalva believe Magdora should serve as the Tiv of their time, or in some extreme cases, should replace the Titans entirely as their divine figures. Much of the contention with this believe comes from the fact the Magdorans are seperate from the culture and politics of the Elbians and Shalva, and as such should be kept seperate- outside of any individuals who chose to incorporate themselves with these things.

Regardless, the Magdorans hold a high esteem within Shalva, thanks to the technological position they have reached in comparison to the Elbians, as well as their willingness to share their position with them.