Elinite Faith

The Church of St. Adal, sitting atop of Mount Calaikastro in Neo Boreopolis.

The Elinite Faith is a religion from Dimension S-2020 and Dimension S-2012 after the Great Collapse. It is the predominant religion in multiple countries, including the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis, the Wallaceian Empire, the Republic of the Isles of Birillum, the Knights of Donnersmarck and the Duchy of Montecazzo. The religion is based around the Gospel of Eli, the Council of Neo Boreopolis and the Newest Testament.

## History

### Founding of the religion by the Prophet Eli (0AUC - 4AUC)

In the years before the founding of Neo Boreopolis, the Prophet Eli, who lends his name to the religion, travelled from the Spawn area to Mount Calaikastro. During this time, the Prophet taught the people he came across along the way about the Son and His sacrifice in a battle against evil. Once arriving at Mount Calaikastro, the location where the city of Neo Boreopolis would be founded, the Prophet Eli proclaimed it to be the Promised Land. In the following years, the Prophet wrote down his teachings about the Son in the Gospel of Eli. These were finished in 3AUC, one year before the Prophet died and ascended to Heaven. He was posthumously declared the first Pontifex Maximus of Neo Boreopolis by his successor, Pontifex Maximus Diogenus. Under Diogenus, Neo Boreopolis and the Elinite Church would quickly expand. As one by one, the original members of the governing Council pass away, they were replaced by elected members of the clergy, called "Bishops". The Council became known as the Council of Bishops and would govern alongside the Pontifex Maximus. The Council became the Church's main body of authority.

### International proselytisation (4AUC - 39AUC)

The Prophet Eli had converted the people of the West in limited numbers, his influence only really felt in the Duchy of Montecazzo. As a result, his successors took it upon themselves to spread the Gospel of Eli and convert the nations that were popping up everywhere. Around 39AUC, Pontifex Maximus SibCDC sent missionaries to multiple countries in an effort to establish religious influence in the West. The most notable missions include ones to the Unified Tribes of Chiyesa, the Wallaceian Empire and the Holy Lands of the Church of Praf. Only the latter of which did not result in a considerable following of the Elinite Faith in those nations. The mission in the Wallaceian Empire was of particular success since it led to the establishment of the Diocese of New Arcburg.

### Religious reform (40AUC - 41AUC)

The fast growth of the Elinite Faith and the growing number of foreign followers of the religion led to a call for religious reform and doctrine definition. In addition, in October of 40AUC troops from Neo Boreopolis and from Tomopolis led by the Pontifex and the Principe defeated the Ender Dragon, thus freeing the End and fulfilling one of the Prophecies of Eli, as written in the Gospel of Eli. As a result, the Council of Neo Boreopolis revisited the doctrines of the Elinite Faith and established the Three Pillars of the Faith. In addition, the Nether Portal in Neo Boreopolis and the End Portal south of the country were both declared Holy Sites. Just opposite of the End Portal, at the very southern tip of the Pontificate, a large statue of the Son of God was completed in August of 41AUC and work began on an underground library containing all the knowledge in the world. This library would later become the Library's local branch office in Dimension S-2020. However, this period of religious reform would inadvertedly lead to a period of international incidents resulting from radicalization of the Elinite Faith.

### International crises resulting from religious tensions (42AUC-44AUC)

As the international community began to grow and nations began to engage in diplomacy, so did the tensions resulting from religious beliefs related to the Elinite Faith. The first crisis would arise during the Nether Conflict in 43AUC. In May of that year, Birillum claimed territory in the Nether, resulting in much protest from orthodox followers of the Elinite Faith, who saw the Nether as the sole territory of the Lost Tribe, the piglins who were the native inhabitants of the Nether according to the Gospel of Eli. These orthodox members called for a crusade against Birillum and their cause was gaining traction in Neo Boreopolis. In the end, the conflict was settled through mediation by the Kingdom of Desonia and a resolution in the International Community banning the claiming of land in the Nether.

In May of 44AUC, another crisis arose when religious zealots dug a canal between the Inner Sea and the Bay of Montecazzo in what is known as the Second Strait Crisis. The zealots realized that an Elinite ally, the Duchy of Montecazzo, was on need of support from the east against encroaching Birillum imperialism. However, the Boreopolean fleet could never reach Montecazzo in time. Therefor, they decided to go on a pilgrimage and dig the Aarvaos Canal themselves. The construction of such a huge channel in such a brief period of time caused some anxiety in the west about how far the Boreopolean zealots would go in defending an ally, but in the end they peacefully returned home or settled in Montecazzo, expanding the strength of the Elinite Faith in the region. Neo Boreopolis apologized after the fact and guaranteed that Montecazzo held all sovereign rights over the newly dug canal.

The acts of the zealots, however, may have inspired anti-Elinite sentiments in the Unified Tribes of Chiyesa, as in May of 44AUC, they fabricated a story about followers of the Elinite Faith having incited a riot and destroying an idol. The religion was thereafter banned in Chiyesa and its followers persecuted. High ranking Bishops within the Pontificate called for war and were supported by Emperor Obama of the Wallaceian Empire. A meeting of the IC was called and an independent investigation was determined to clear the name of the Elinite Faith. In October of 44AUC, after it became clear the Chiyesa had fabricated the story, Chiyesa was forced to revert their ban on the Elinite Faith, although publicly displaying the religion was still banned. As a sign of good faith, the Pontificate ended its embargo in return and after a vote in the Council, the Diocese of Chege Itų was established from the Chiyesan part of the Diocese of New Arcburg. The Chiyesan Elinites elected Yas Otoahhastis as their first Bishop.

### The Return of the Prophet Eli and the Crusade against the Ahmanites (46AUC - 47AUC)

In December of 46AUC, a group of heretic Elinites from Chiyesa, led by the Seer Maplic, headed down south to found the Theocratic State of Ahman and to establish the Ahmanite Faith. These so called Ahmanites accused the Church of Eli and Neo Boreopolis to have fallen into apostasy and corruption. Following a referendum and a unanimous vote in the Council, the Pontifex Maximus excommunicated followers of the Ahmanite Faith from the Church of Eli. In July of 47AUC, a miracle occurred when the Prophet Eli returned from the heavens to write a new Testament. Under his command, the Crusade against the Ahmanites was called after they dared to call Eli a false prophet. A siege was quickly conducted against the Ahmanite capital and their temple was reclaimed in the name of Eli. The Ahmanite Faith was abolished, those who did not convert where eliminated. In the aftermath of the crusade, the Prophet Eli wrote the Newest Testament to further consolidate the Elinite Faith, before returning to the heavens.

### The Great War and the Great Collapse (47AUC - 57AUC)

In the build-up to the Great War, the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis had used the Elinite Faith to establish influence in the West, often leading to international crises and tensions between East and West. During the war, and in the direct aftermath of the Great War, the Pontificate further exploited this influence to establish itself as a global power. In the Wallaceian Empire in particular, a civil war erupted after external pressure from the Pontificate rallied followers of the Elinite Faith against "atheist elements" which had supposedly led the Empire on a path to war with the Pontificate. However, despite its global dominance as a religion, the Elinite Faith still fostered a culture of scientific progress and knowledge, with the library under the Statue of the Son as the prime example of a religious institute doubling as an academic institute. It is possibly this position that led to significant scientific progress which led to the Great Collapse.

### Developments post-Great Collapse

After the Great Collapse and the transportation of Neo Boreopolis to Dimension S-2012, the Elinite Faith continued to survive. However, in this new world, it struggled much more to spread due to competition with already established religions in the Kingdom of Frozyland and USA. Notable, however, is the resemblance between the Elinite Faith and religions from Dimension S-2012, which has given rise to a whole range of theories explaining some sort of standard human religious belief present across the multiverse, with or without possible intervention by a 'God'.

There is also a branch known as the Neo-Elinite Faith which survived through Neo Boreopoleans transported to Dimension R-2021. These survivors founded the Pontificate of New Eliyah. The Neo-Elinite Faith began to diverge from the core tenets of the Church of Eli, primarily by moving from a patriarchal society towards a matriarchal society.

## Religious Books

The Elinite Faith is based on three main books: the Gospel of Eli, the Council of Neo Boreopolis and the Newest Testament.

### The Gospel of Eli

The Gospel of Eli is divided up into three books and details the creation of the world, the voyages of the Prophet Adal (both book 1), the fight of the Son of God against the Seven Evils (book 2) and His eventual sacrifice during the battle against the Ender Dragon (book 3).

#### The Creation of the World

According to the Gospel of Eli, God created the world over a span of eight days. Before the creation, there was only the void. On the first day, He created the sun and the moon. On the second day, God created the bedrock and the Overworld which it supported. On the third day, God created the biomes and filled them with life, thus creating the Garden of Eden. On the fourth day, He created the Nether and used it to lock up Evil. On the fifth day, God filled the night sky with stars. On the sixth day, God created man and woman. On the seventh day, He created the End and the Ender Dragon, tasked with guarding humanity's spirit. On the eighth day, God rested and watched His creation.

#### The origin of the Seven Tribes and the spread of evil

From the two original people created by God, Alex and Steve, humanity would arise and spread across the world. Eventually, Seven Tribes arose, each living in different biomes. The Tribe of Tresed in the desert, the Tribe of Elgnuj in the jungle, the Tribe of Snialp in the wide open plains, the Tribe of Annavas in the savannah, the Tribe of Wons in the snow-covered wastelands of the north, the Tribe of Pmaws in the swamp and the Tribe of Agiat in the taiga. For a long period of time, these tribes lived in peace. However, one day Evil manages to escape from the Nether and spreads through the Overworld. The Gospel of Eli describes how the souls of men, overcome by Evil, get trapped in the very soil of the Nether, while the undead roam the Overworld and wreak havoc. Meanwhile, the Ender Dragon is powerless to fulfill its task and protect humanity due to being isolated in the End. Instead, he creates an army of white angels and sends them to the Nether and Overworld to combat Evil. They, however, get corrupted themselves and turn into the Endermen we know today.

#### The Prophet Adal

The last chapter of Book One describes how Adal, a son of the Tribe of Snialp, is tasked by God to spread a certain knowledge across the Seven Tribes of Men. After God provided him with a beautiful wife and a quiet life as a farmer, He tested him by ordering Adal to construct a monument in God's honor. The monument turned into an Iron Golem and protected Adal from Evil. In return for God's protection, Adal roamed across the Overworld and spread the knowledge of the Iron Golem to the Seven Tribes so that Men might be protected from Evil.

#### The Son and the Seven Evils

Seventy seven generations after the Prophet Adal, the fight against Evil was still ongoing. And thus God put His Son in the Overworld to deal the final blow to Evil and lock it up once more in the Nether. After surviving the wrath of King Baldwin of Wons as a newborn, the Son was brought to the Tribe of Annavas, where He grew up in secrecy. After 21 years, the time had come to spread the message and unite the Seven Tribes. And so the Son began his journey to rid the Overworld of the Seven Evils, deliver the Seven Tribes from it and unite them in the process.

* Greed: the Tribe of Wons, led by King Baldwin, was particularly struck by greed, with the ruling classes obsessed with material riches and monuments in their name. The Son was refused entry into Baldwin's City. The Son, after tasked by God to do so, led a group of faithful, mostly beggars and the poor, to a nearby mountain to ask God for forgiveness for their inhospitality while a ball of fire destroyed Baldwin's City. Thus, the Tribe of Wons was rid of Greed.
* Sloth: believing they were God's chosen people, the Tribe of Annavas had grown lazy and ignored their fields, surviving on gifts from pilgrims. As they were threatened by starvation, the Son taught the Tribe of Annavas to work in God's name. That year's harvest was especially bountiful as the Tribe of Annavas was rid of Sloth.
* Wrath and Lust: the Tribes of Snialp and Elgnuj had been embroiled in a brutal war for ten years when the Son first arrived. Source of the conflict was the abduction of Elgnuj's Princess by the Prince of Snialp. After mediation by the Son and an intervention from God, a peace treaty was reached, the Prince and Princess married and the two Tribes united. Wrath and Lust had been overcome by Love.
* Glutony: the Tribe of Pmaws had been overtaken by glutony as their love for brewing had led to violence. By praying for the Tribe, the Son was able to rid the Tribe of Glutony.
* Envy: living in isolation for so long, the Tribe of Tresed had become envious of their neighbors. The Son presented the Tribe with a choice, a golden crown laid with emeralds, or a set of tables containing the knowledge of how to craft such a crown. When the elders of Tresed could not decide upon which to choose, God instructed the Son to let an innocent soul make the choice instead. As a result, the innocent soul chose the set of tables and Envy was driven away by knowledge.
* Pride: the Tribe of Agiat had taken particular pride in the Prophet Adal and the Iron Golem, resulting in the Son's message falling on deaf ears. The Tribe of Agiat believed they had already defeated Evil. As a result, God took away their Iron Golems and Evil entered their city. After prayer and repenting, the Tribe of Agiat swallowed their Pride and Evil was overcome.

#### The Son, the Nether and the Ender Dragon

After delivering the Overworld from Evil, the Son traveled to the Nether where he found a Lost Tribe, the Tribe of Piglins. By wearing a set of golden armor, the Son was able to enter the Lost Tribe and be accepted by them. In the Nether, the Son also encountered an Enderman, which pointed out to him the existence of the End and the existence of Evil in that dimension. Upon returning to the Overworld, the Son was tasked by God to go to the End and defeat the Ender Dragon, who had become corrupted by Evil. However, the Son and 8 of His closest followers who had come to End with Him soon learned that they could not defeat the beast and instead trapped it in the End by constructing a set of Ender Crystals. The Son then sacrificed himself and was taken to Heaven.

1/29 | *Gospel of Eli 1* was written by the Prophet Eli in 3AUC (*2020*) and became the foundation for the Elinite Faith. It describes the creation of the world and the deeds of the Prophet Adal. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History and Religion sections.

1/50 | *Gospel of Eli 2* was written by the Prophet Eli in 3AUC (*2020*) and became the foundation for the Elinite Faith. Part 2 describes the birth of the Son and his battle against the 7 Evils. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History and Religion sections.

1/20 | *Gospel of Eli 3* was written by the Prophet Eli in 3AUC (*2020*) and became the foundation for the Elinite Faith. Part 3 describes the Son's journey to the Nether and His sacrifice in the End. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History and Religion sections.

### The Council of Neo Boreopolis

The Council of Neo Boreopolis (40AUC) was a Bull which recorded the foundations of practice for the Elinite Faith, with the following three pillars:

1. In times of your own need, pray to God and He will listen.
2. In times of other people's needs, listen to them and provide them with help if you can.
3. During one's life one must go on a pilgrimage to the Holy City at least once. This is to be done without armor, so that there is no distinction between the rich and the poor. In the Holy City, one must visit the site where the Son of God entered the Nether, and one must leave a message of hope in the Wall of Faith.

The Council also made decisions regarding the facilitation of this pilgrimage and the appointing of foreign dignitaries in the Church.

1/9 | *Council of Neo Boreopolis* was written by SibCDC in 40AUC (*2020*) and elaborated on the pillars of the Elinite Faith. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History and Religion sections.

### The Newest Testament

In 47AUC the Prophet Eli returned from Heaven to call a crusade against the Ahmanites and to write the Newest Testament. In the Newest Testament, the Prophet describes his journey to the Promised Land and the foundation of the Elinite Faith. In addition, it also established a new set of rules to be followed to strengthen the faith.

1/22 | *The Newest Testament* was written by the Prophet Eli in 47AUC (*2020*) after the Crusade against the Ahmanites. The Newest Testament talks about the founding of Neo Boreopolis and establishing some rules for the practicing of the Elinite Faith. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History and Religion sections.