Decennism

## **Overview**

**Name of Religion:** Decennism

**Name of Followers:** Decennial(s)

**Number of Deities:** One

**Major god(s)/goddess(es):** Tilvet, Father Time

**Description of Deity:** Tilvet is a pale skinned human with icy white hair and lightly coloured eyes who’s colour can’t seem to be described. Over the years it’s ranged from everything to yellow, purple, silver, white. Some say his eyes have an iridescent sheen to them which causes the colour to shift, while others claim their colour is mood dependant. On average he wears modest and inconspicuous clothing which doesn’t cause him to stand out from any other human, but the back of his shirt is known to have a flap which allows his wings to open up when needed.

Tilvet’s wings have been described in many ways. Some say they’re nothing more than a phantom image of spectral light, while others say they look like some sort of clockwork machine. Because no one can agree on their looks they’re often depicted as both; with a clockwork “skeleton” which attaches to his back and white spectral feathers sprouting from this base. All that’s known for certain about his wings are that he can summon/dismiss them at will

## **History**

### Founding

Seeing as Humans were one of the original races in Mirror Domain it’s only natural that their religion would be one of the older ones. Magic itself was introduced to Mirror Domain in the year 7000BDI, and since its introduction people have been looking for a way to explain it’s origins. After the Kodinic war and human society was able to expand and grow a fair bit people began searching for answers.

The first recorded mention of Tilvet was around the year 6729BDI when a lone traveler claimed to see an “angelic humanoid figure” flying around the Mirror Plane. Shortly after this event the Mirror Plane became an extremely dangerous place, with everyone who dared step foot inside going missing. People connected the dots, and figured they’d angered whatever higher power was in charge of said plane. It didn’t take long for this information to spread, and the idea of Tilvet to be born.

The original Decennium Temple, constructed in Bane around the year 6571BDI, has been used as the city's main system of keeping time since it's construction. Unlike modern day temples, this one was constructed before the invention of clocks. It's walls, floors, and ceiling are all designed to act as a massive sundial. The shadows it casts on the town it resides in means that even from the outskirts of the city people are able to see its cast shadow and tell exactly what time it is.

### **Origins**

It’s not clear when Tilvet was born or what part of the world he’s originally from, but most people accept that he was born in or around the country of Bane, as humans as a species originate from that region. Some say he was the first human, while others argue this fact. One thing they can agree on is the fact he was born in the year 7000BDI

Decennials say that the birth of Tilvet was the birth of magic itself. Before his existence magic didn’t exist, and without him it would cease to exist. No one knows how he acquired these powers or why. It was pure luck he was graced with such power; which makes sense given a major part of his depictions involve him being insanely lucky. Tilvet’s power of luck was what allowed him access to magic, and it was what allowed people to learn about his existence and begin to follow his teachings.

Tilvet lived most of his life as a ghost. His presence in an area would cause an unnatural spike in ambiance, and as a result of this he was more or less forced to constantly be on the move or risk outing himself. When Tilvet was in an area, the people of the region would be blessed with good fortune, bountiful harvests, and wellness of both body and mind.

Of course, Tilvet didn’t just wander due to his magic. He also wandered in pursuit of knowledge. Mirror Domain in its early years was a massive place filled to the brim with the unknown, and one of Tilvet’s driving forces was the pursuit of knowledge. Humans have a natural curiosity, so it was only natural that someone with infinite time and magic would spend much of their life learning. On occasion, Tilvet would give other people glimpses into this knowledge and as a result push the world in a new direction. Many Decennials over the years have credited their achievements to Tilvet because of this.

## **Major Holidays**

### The Quadrennial premonition

Every four years Decennials celebrate the Quadrennial premonition. It’s said that every four years Tilvet’s powers wear thin. On this day he ceases to channel magic into Mirror Domain in order to “recharge” and all across the world the effects of all magic and magic items are lessened. Because he’s no longer channeling his magic, time itself slows. In order to make up for this “lost” time an extra day is added to the calendar. That day is February 29th, also known as “Leap Day” to the rest of the world.

The Quadrennial premonition is not a holiday of cheer or good will. Without Tilvet’s luck this day is largely viewed as a bad omen, causing most people who celebrate it to take precautions to ward off evil (such as demons). In order to help Tilvet recharge his mana faster many people will burn incense in a container full of raw magic known as a Mana Diffuser. That way the ambiance of the area will increase and then can promptly be absorbed.

Other than the odd person doing one of several things said to bring good luck, the Quadrennial premonition is largely spent as a day of rest. People will stay in their homes doing little activity. Many people refuse to cook or prepare meals for fear of the looming bad luck causing their homes to catch fire or their food to somehow be poisoned. Usually the day is spent meditating, reading, or sleeping. It’s not like there’s much for people to do, anyway. In human dominant settlements most businesses are closed on February 29th.

## **Lifestyle**

In general Decennials are scholarly people. They put a very heavy emphasis on knowledge. It’s better to be knowing than it is to be highly skilled in magic, although the two often intertwine. The emphasis on knowledge is so great that many non-human races will send their children to Decennism centric boarding schools or universities to ensure they’re getting the highest quality education. It’s not uncommon for Decennials to continue on with schooling well past the age most people would. Many continue their education throughout their lifetime or become professors in order to share their knowledge with others.

With education being so heavily valued, there’s a myriad of personal milestones centered around it. Graduation is a highly celebrated event in one’s life, with where the person graduates from dictating how extravagant the celebration is. A child moving from elementary school to middle school is a mild celebration, usually spent with just family. College graduations are usually a city wide event, often accompanied by firework displays among other things. On the flipside, failing in one’s education is taboo. In extreme cases failing a grade or dropping out of school can result in one being disowned or shunned.

Because Tilvet is known for being elusive and keeping his whereabouts hidden, his followers follow suit. It’s seen as blasphemous to walk around with Tilvet’s imagery on display. At most his followers can be seen wearing more silver on average, but other than that they don’t have “uniforms”, totems, or any other form of holy symbols on their person. The only place for holy symbols is in the churches themselves, but even then it’s usually nothing more than a simple statue or a decorated Mirror.

## **Beliefs**

Tilvet is known as Father Time. A powerful deity who's in control of life, death, day and night, the change of the seasons. A silent image who lingers in the background and controls the inner workings of Mirror Domain. Many stories about Tilvet revolve around him opening a rift in time, peering into the future, and using that knowledge to better the world and keep everything in order. He's also very heavily associated with luck, as he can view any upcoming unfortunate events and take action without anyone ever knowing. If Tilvet deems someone worthy or devoted, they may find themselves catching lucky breaks more often. Tilvet can use his gift to prevent something bad from happening to someone he cares for, and no one would ever know.

Religious practices involving Tilvet usually include time in some way shape or form. Many followers dedicate a large amount of their time practicing magic, often related to time or foresight, in hopes of gaining Tilvet's favour and getting his blessing. Most rituals involve light or blue magic, but practitioners in the country of Barrowford who know of Purple Magic have connected it to time and will often use that instead. Barrowford is a notable outlier when it comes to those who worship Tilvet, as their population lacks Humans entirely. If anything, the people there who follow this god only picked it up in hopes of uncovering more of the mysteries surrounding purple magic and its origins.

Fortune telling is extremely common among followers of Tilvet. Church heads, known as Seers, use their vast array of powers and years of practice to peer into the future and tell people their fortunes. Seers, given their ties to blue and purple magic, are also more often than not either immortal or pseudo immortal. Anyone with that much magic in their systems regularly lifespans would undoubtedly increase far beyond that of a standard mortal. The older a Seer is, the more trustworthy they're considered, and the higher rank in the church they have.

Nonbelievers view Seers and members of Tilvet churches as more of a novelty than anything. Because it's the religion of Humans, it's often brushed off as unimportant or lesser in and of itself. While this does get under the skin of followers, it has brought on many good fortunes as well. Churches are able to sell their powers and abilities in order to bring more income to the organization. Places which aren't dominated by Humans will usually have a dedicated building where the public can visit, pay a small fee, and get their fortunes told. it's by no means a primary source of income for the church, but it helps when things get rough. The practice also gives the public insight as to what the church does, which occasionally converts people and brings new members to the church.

Churches related to Tilvet are known as Decennium Temples. They're large, tall buildings that more often than not have a clock tower integrated into their construction. They're made in a very symmetrical manner, with more expensive temples having more reflection points. Ones in well established regions such as Pontyn or Trixot are almost completely circular in nature, with 12 points of symmetry along each axis like a massive sundial.