Elveta

> "*In their shame at destroying the world, the Gods resolved to teach the mortals how to live well, so that their mistakes may never be repeated, and peace may reign for all time.*"
> ― Ticai Baca, Book of Yalvon
>
>

**Elveta** (sometimes erroneously referred to as Elvetism by English speakers) is the primary religion of the Elvic people and one of the most prominent religions of Inecuria. It is often perceived as the ethnic religion of the Elvic people since there are few non-Elvic followers, but Elvetans present their religion as one that is universal, one that can - and should - be followed by all.

Elveta is a polytheistic religion with a pantheon of twelve deities. Four of these deities are "dead", but have not ceased to exist and have not lost their divine power; they are merely restricted to the underworld and cannot leave. Unlike most polytheistic religions of Inecuria, Elvetans consider these gods to be the only divine entities in existence, and they believe that recognition of other gods - or refusal to recognise any one of the twelve - constitutes apostasy. Also unlike most polytheistic religions of Inecuria, the foundations of Elvetan religious tradition are codified into sacred scriptures with a clearly defined canon - the Ticai Baca - and the teachings of these scriptures are what constitute orthodoxy.

The Ticai Baca (literally "holy collection" or "sacred collection") is made up of four distinct segments. The first three are the writings of the three key prophets of the religion, named Yalvon, Aceron and Athdus, and the fourth is a collection of miscellaneous writings called the Asitalos, containing forms of prayer, theological ruminations and spiritual advice from a plethora of authors, comparable to the Philokalia of eastern Christian tradition.

## Etymology

The leading theory on the origin of the word Elveta is that it is a contraction of *Elvai Tica*, which literally means "Elvish holiness" but more loosely can be translated as "Elvish religion", or "religion of the Elves". In Old Elvic, this would be *Yalfai Técta*. Opinions differ on whether the contraction of *Elveta* is relatively modern and comes directly from *Elvai Tica*, or whether *Elveta* is a corrupted form of a much earlier Old Elvic contraction, likely *Yalfécta*.

## Cosmology

Elvetans believe in three distinct planes of existence; Heaven, the World and the Underworld.

### Paradise

Paradise - alternately translated as Heaven, and rarely the Lightlands - is the home of the living gods and the saints. It is described in the Ticai Baca as a verdant woodland or forest inhabited by healthy flora and kind fauna, where the sun perpetually shines and a gentle breeze cools the skin, interspersed with streams and ponds.

Paradise is believed to only be semi-physical in nature; it is not a truly physical realm, but rather has physical elements manifested by the gods both for their own enjoyment and for the benefit of the mortals who enter this realm. Therefore, the landscape of Paradise is capable of shifting according to the whims of the gods; distances between places may lengthen or shorten, a lake may fill or drain in a second, and palaces can be erected and demolished in moments. Structures in Paradise are frequently larger on the inside than they are on the outside, and they are always large enough to accommodate any cohort of guests. Some modern Elvetan mathematicians have conceived of Paradise as consisting of hyperbolic or four-dimensional space.

Paradise can only be inhabited by living beings. Though dead souls are capable of temporarily visiting Paradise, they cannot stay, and are inevitably drawn back to their home in the Underworld. The Ticai Baca gives no explanation for why Paradise cannot sustain the dead or how long the dead can visit this realm, leading to frequent debate over the exact mechanics.

### The World

The World, also called the Universe and sometimes the Living World, is the material realm that we live in. The gods once walked freely in this place, but pledged to never set foot in it again after the catastrophe of the War for Heaven - though they continue to influence mortals and material creatures in subtler ways.

### Underworld

The Underworld - archaically translated by western sources as Hell, Hades or Sheol, though all three are incorrect - is the realm of the dead, the destination for all souls of those who die. The Underworld has no sun, but does have a perpetually shining full moon. Most of the Underworld consists of the Grey Wastes, cold rolling lifeless hills filled with the skeletons of beasts and inhabited by malevolent souls twisted into ethereal monsters. Some sections of the Grey Wastes give way to odious Black Marshes; various kinds of wetlands populated by dead trees and bushes, where the place of water is taken by an "evil concoction" of the bodily fluids and ground bones of demons and wicked mortals. Dotted across the Grey Wastes are cities providing safe refuge for mortal souls, centres of warmth and light, the greatest of which is Golcava (lit. "bright-death"), the seat of King Alveron.

The Ticai Baca states in numerous passages that the virtuous enjoy an existence of peace and luxury in the Underworld, whereas the wicked suffer pain and languish in poverty - though it is possible for them to join the virtuous if it is judged that they have sufficiently atoned for their sins. What exactly this means in practice remains a matter of some debate; some theologians interpret this to mean that each city of the Underworld is set aside for souls of a certain degree of holiness, some believe that each city has a mix of both pious and wicked souls, and others believe that the cities are entirely made up of the virtuous and the wicked are instead in dungeons beneath or entirely apart from the cities. The latter theory has been the most prominent since approximately the 10th century AD, though only by a slim margin.

Similar to many other conceptions of the Underworld throughout Inecuria, it is not believed that the gods directly created the Underworld, but rather that it came into being as a side effect of death. It was created by death, it is inhabited by the dead, and all mortals who enter it become dead - unlike some other Inecurian religions, which believe that mortals may make brief journeys to the Underworld without dying. The living gods may enter the Underworld without dying, but they do not like to stay, perhaps suggesting they too would die if they spent enough time there. The Underworld is not conceived of as a perfect prison, for there are some circumstances under which the dead can leave, but they are always eventually dragged back to their proper place. Dead gods are more capable of resisting the pull than mortals, but they too are ultimately chained to the Underworld.

## Saints

Elveta has a concept that may be accurately described as sainthood, though Elvetan sainthood is highly distinct from Christian sainthood. In Elvetan belief, a saint is a mortal who - for whatever reason - has gained the gift of eternal life and lives in Paradise alongside the gods. It is unclear, however, whether or not they are truly immune from death, as there are no stories of saints venturing into the Underworld.

The three prophets Yalvon, Aceron and Athdus are believed to be saints, as is Therion the White, the heroic demon-slaying devotee and possible lover of Lady Calisa. All four of these are explicitly mentioned within the Ticai Baca as being saints; though the terms saint and sainthood do not appear in the text, they are nonetheless described as being "raised into Paradise" rather than going into the Underworld. There are more recognised saints besides these four, but they are the most well-known and most beloved as they are the only ones to appear in the Ticai Baca. The most famous saint who does not appear in the text is, without doubt, Emperor Athdus the Great.

Some saints are believed to have been raised into Paradise wholly intact, never suffering any death of any kind, whereas others - such as the prophet Aceron - are explicitly described as having their physical body die, and it is assumed that the gods snatched up their souls to take them into Paradise before they could fall into the Underworld.

The conditions of sainthood are never described in the Ticai Baca, meaning it is somewhat ambiguous who can become a saint - however, there are clearly conditions attached, or else every mortal would become a saint. Theologians typically believe that a certain level of piety or spiritual power is required for one to become attuned to Paradise, or perhaps this spiritual power is required for the soul to resist the pull of death long enough for ascension into Paradise to be a possibility.

There are several signs the Elvetan priesthood looks for when recognising someone as a saint. First and foremost, the saint must be holy; though Elveta recognises the possibility of a wicked man repenting upon his death (or repenting *with* his death), saints must be already established as pious and virtuous individuals, and must have performed exceptional deeds of virtue and heroism. Visions or apparitions reported by holy or otherwise reliable individuals may also be evidence - particularly if the individuals are unconnected and there is no possibility of them being part of a conspiracy. Priests may also look to miraculous events within the saint's life, though unlike in Christian tradition, miracles associated with their corpse are ignored; Elvetans believe in full separation between body and soul upon death, and under this doctrine there is no reason for a saint's corpse to retain the holiness of their soul.

## Deities

Elvetans believe in twelve deities, eight of which are living and four of which are dead. Though the dead gods are confined to the Underworld, Elvetans believe they have not lost their divine power and can still have some kind of influence on the material world, and at least one of them (Sevalion) is believed to be able to make temporary journeys into the material world - making him the only deity who physically manifests in the World. In a distinct departure from other Inecurian polytheistic religions, Elvetans believe that *only* these twelve gods exist, not merely that they are gods of primary importance or are the only gods amongst a much wider group who are worth worshipping.

Although it is written that the Gods are timeless, uncreated and unending, it is also clear that they all come from a common source; it is written that some deities are siblings of others without having any parents ascribed to them, and that they are all of the same "race" or "nature". It is accepted amongst Elvetan theologians the source of all the Gods is an eternal uncreated precursor entity called the Primordial Essence, which beget the Gods before time began, though such a thing never explicitly appears in the Ticai Baca.

Each god has several associations, not all of which are necessarily directly related to one another. Though all Elvetans will likely call upon all the gods throughout their life, certain gods are favoured in certain situations according to their associations - for example, a pregnant mother will likely dedicate most of her prayers to Queen Isera. Each god also has a particular symbolic animal, which may differ with regional traditions. The link between a god and their symbolic animal goes beyond the use of the animal to visually represent them; some gods have been known to communicate or interact with mortals through their symbolic animals, sometimes even completely possessing them. Some gods have more than one symbolic animal, but in these circumstances they are still typically associated with one more strongly over the others; in the descriptions below, the primary symbolic animal is always listed first.

Depictions of the gods in Elvetan iconography and statuary come in two distinct styles, known as Authentic and Symbolic. Authentic style depicts the gods similarly to mortals, typically in the race of whoever the iconography was made by and is presented to - with the exception of King Alveron, who is always depicted as an Elf even by humans. Authentic style is the older of the two, and was the most used style in all Elvetan nations until approximately the 1st century AD.

What is known as Symbolic style has its origins in ancient Nesaria, but similar traditions did exist in Avamorica prior to Nesarian contact. This style adorns the gods with the features of their symbolic animal (or animals). Nesarian Symbolic style shows the gods with the ears, tails, wings and horns of their animal, but other Symbolic sub-traditions have depicted them with the arms and legs of their animal, and in the 9th century AD there was a movement which depicted the gods with the heads of their symbolic animal - though this movement was condemned as heretical. The Nesarians popularised the use of Symbolic style in other Elvetan nations with their imperial conquests, and by the 5th century AD it had become the dominant style. However, in the modern information age, there is growing discomfort with the Symbolic style due to the increasing trend of the style being warped for less-than-holy purposes on the internet.

Despite what the names would suggest, both of these depictions are symbolic and are not considered to be representative of what the gods actually look like. Though they may take on these physical appearances for the sake of mortal understanding - and so appear this way to mortal eyes - these images do not depict their actual true forms, which are immaterial and incomprehensible to mortals. They are also widely believed to not necessarily correspond to the physical manifestations of the gods prior to the War for Heaven.

The appearances of the gods as described below are according to traditional Nesarian Symbolic style. For Authentic style, ignore any references to animal features.

### King Yacela

Known as King Ialan in Saverian, Yacela is the King of the Gods, father of all men and ruler of Paradise. He is the husband of Isera, brother of Alveron, and father of Acras and Calisa. Peculiarly, his Nesarian name follows feminine naming conventions, as masculine names never end with an open vowel in Nesarian; it is thought that this is due to a corruption of a corruption, an adoption of a native Nesarian transformation of an older form that was likely Yacelon. Nesarians associate King Yacela with the Rexada, whereas Saverians associate him with the eagle. He is also frequently represented with the sun.

King Yacela is associated with fatherhood, law, governance, rulership - especially of a monarchical nature - as well as light, the sky and the sun. Though all Elvetans call upon him, he is especially favoured by fathers or those seeking to be fathers, and all those in positions of power and authority. Yacela is also called upon by those who mourn, for he is one of several gods who lost someone close to them in the War for Heaven.

King Yacela was ultimately the victor of the War for Heaven, but it was a bitter hollow victory. Upon dealing a fatal blow to his own brother Alveron, Yacela came to his senses and saw the horrors he had committed with clear eyes. It was Yacela who bade the gods to retreat into Paradise and began making plans to teach the mortals through the use of prophets. For this reason, he is also associated with repentance and redemption, and those seeking to atone for misdeeds often seek his guidance.

#### Appearance

King Yacela is depicted as a middle-aged man with blond or dirty blond hair and golden eyes. He is always shown bearded, but the length of the beard can vary substantially between depictions. He is strong and tall, and bears the brown wings of a Rexada or eagle. Iconographic depictions sometimes also show him with a halo of light around his head, referencing the sun's light. Some depictions of Yacela also show him with tanned skin, since he is constantly basked in the light of the sun, though this is far from a mainstream tradition.

Ancient depictions of Yacela had significant diversity in his clothing, but since approximately the 1st century AD he has consistently been clad in robes of Elloris purple with a crown set upon his head, carrying a royal sceptre and sometimes with a sheathed sword at his side.

### Queen Isera

Isera is the Queen of the Gods and mother of all women. She is the wife of Yacela, sister-in-law of Alveron, and mother of Acras and Calisa. Her symbolic animal is the swan.

Queen Isera has two key sides to her. She is associated with all the stages of motherhood (particularly childbirth), with marriage, and with love of all kinds; familial, platonic and romantic. She is a friend to children - especially girls - and smiles upon large, loving families. She is especially favoured by mothers and those wanting to be mothers, by those supporting or seeking large families, by young girls, and by those in love - especially those trying to win another's heart. She is distinctly *not* associated with lust and sexual desire, instead embodying chastity and fidelity.

The other side of Isera is her association with all manners of healing, sometimes giving her the title of Isera the Nurse. She is associated with medicines and remedies, with medical surgeries and with recovery from psychological turmoil. She is the eternal enemy of disease; it is said that when she walked the World, merely seeing her could cure the worst of ailments. She is, therefore, especially favoured by doctors, nurses and therapists, as well as patients trying to be healed.

Isera is additionally favoured by pacifists for her peaceful, non-violent nature and her abhorrence of killing. She is the only deity who has never taken a life, and her devotees swear an oath of non-violence - which often extends to animals, meaning most of her devotees are vegetarians. Isera is not believed to accept sacrifices of animals; according to folk tradition, the sacrifices she loves are those sacrifices which mortals make for each other out of love.

#### Appearance

Queen Isera is depicted as a middle-aged woman with long silver or platinum coloured hair - and it is made distinct that this is her natural hair colour and not because her hair has greyed. Like her husband, she bears golden eyes. She is of medium height, and is always shown as shorter than her husband Yacela, because she is described as such in the Ticai Baca. She bears the pure white wings of a swan. She is clothed in white robes and is frequently shown with veiled hair, though not always.

### Sir Acras

Known as Aceras in Eshérian and Saverian, Acras is the son of Yacela and Isera, and sister of Calisa. His symbolic animals are the horse and the lion, and he is also frequently symbolically associated with his weapon, a flaming sword. Alongside his sister, he is one of the two gods to have a pet horse, an immortal black steed named Rageras.

Sir Acras is associated with fire, lightning, warfare, soldiering, martial skill, knighthood, horses and horse-riding, and all forms of courage and bravery. Ever since he was chastised by his sister Calisa for an unprovoked attack on a city of civilians in the War for Heaven, he has also become the defender of the weak. Since his "chastisement" involved having his left arm torn off by his sister, he is also associated with war-wounds and prosthetic limbs, as his arm was replaced with a magical prosthetic wrought of steel-like metal.

Sir Acras is especially favoured by soldiers, knights and ministers of war, by firefighters, by horse-riders, by the wounded or physically disabled, and by all those seeking to strengthen their hearts and overcome dread and terror. Since he is the god of lightning, he is also prayed to during thunderstorms for protection.

#### Appearance

Sir Acras is depicted as a young man with black hair and golden eyes. He is shown as black-haired even by Elves, who cannot naturally have black hair. Depictions of him with or without a beard are both considered valid. He is strong and tall, though not as tall as his father Yacela, and he is approximately the same height as his sister Calisa; most depictions show them as being exactly the same height, but some show Acras as slightly taller.

Acras is normally depicted in armour, but those which show him in robes make sure to depict his steel prosthetic left arm, and they always show him in red clothing, as he is closely associated with the colour red. He is always shown with his signature flaming sword in hand, and is sometimes shown carrying a shield in his off-hand. He is depicted with the tail of a horse, and has horse ears on his head in addition to his normal ears.

### Lady Calisa

Known as Caleisa in Saverian, Calisa is the daughter of Yacela and Isera, brother of Acras, and Queen of the Felune. Her symbolic animals are the butterfly and the dove. Alongside her brother, she is one of the two gods to have a pet horse, an immortal white steed named Paravon. She is also one of only two gods (the other being Sevalion) to have her own dedicated servants, the Felune (singular Feluna) - a term often translated into english as Fairies.

Most of Lady Calisa's associations and attributes can be summarised in her title as the "goddess of chivalry". She is associated with piety, devotion, sainthood, asceticism, diligence, honour, duty and loyalty, and like her brother she is associated with knighthood and the defence of the weak. Though she has some martial attributes, she is not associated with war in general as Acras is, but rather specifically war against demons and dark false gods (i.e. Dread Titans). She is also sometimes presented as the liberator of slaves, though it is Maris who is most closely associated with liberty.

Lady Calisa is also associated with woodlands and forests, mostly through the Felune, who are said to call the woods home. Although the Felune are often called Fairies by westerners, this translation carries some incorrect implications, and academics generally avoid using the term. The Felune are short winged humanoid creatures - though the Ticai Baca gives no height, folk tradition holds they stand between four and five feet tall - with butterfly wings, bodies wrought of green steel, and glowing eyes that burn with an emerald flame. They are presented as holy warriors and guardians, fanatically devoted to their Queen, eager to kill demons wherever they appear - very much unlike the cunning fairies of European folklore.

Lady Calisa is strongly connected to her mortal champion Saint Therion the White, a human of unparalleled piety, loyalty and martial skill who trained as a squire under Sir Acras before devoting himself to Calisa. The exact nature of their relationship is ambiguous in the Ticai Baca; they are described as loving one another, but the language does not necessarily connotate romantic love, and Elvetans remain divided on whether or not they are lovers in a romantic sense.

Lady Calisa is especially favoured by knights, priests, monks and nuns, and all those aspiring to strengthen their virtues, fight against their sins and generally practice good religion. She is also called upon by all those who work in the woods, or simply have to enter woodland for any reason.

#### Appearance

Lady Calisa is depicted as a young woman with auburn hair and fierce emerald eyes, with a tall and strong build; she is notably the tallest of the goddesses, and is taller than some male gods such as Maris. She is sometimes depicted in a dress, but more often she is shown clad in armour. She is sometimes shown carrying a weapon, usually a sword, but frequently also a bow, since the Eshérians in particular regard her as an archer. She bears the wings of a butterfly, coloured green and purple.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Lady Calisa's ancient depiction was more traditionally feminine; no statuary of Calisa prior to the 2nd century AD shows her in armour or carrying weapons, and statuary from before the 1st century BC often shows her with veiled hair. Though the paint on this statuary has been lost, surviving traces of pigmentation also show her depicted with brown or blonde hair rather than auburn. It has been suggested, though not proven, that the image of Lady Calisa was significantly infuenced by Empress Rixa, a fervent devotee of Calisa who greatly expanded the worship of the goddess across the Elvetan world - and who herself was auburn-haired, emerald-eyed, muscular and abnormally tall.

### Nerusan the Farmer

Known as Nerasan in Saverian, Nerusan is the brother of Sevalion and a good friend of Maris. His symbolic animals are the sheep and the ox (or aurochs).

Nerusan's key association is farming of all kinds; the growing and harvesting of crops and fruits, the rearing, protection and slaughter of livestock, the growing and felling of lumber trees, and so on. Though he is titled "the Farmer", he is most commonly depicted as a shepherd, frequently carrying a hooked crook. Devotees of Nerusan typically refer to themselves as Nerusan's flock or Nerusan's herd.

Since he is the god of producing food, Nerusan is also the god of food itself. He is associated with preparing, cooking and feasting upon food, as well as the brewing and drinking of alcohol and tea. He is also called upon to preserve foods, and historically was considered the god of salt, though this association has been rapidly declining since the introduction of refrigeration technology.

Nerusan is also associated with humility, modesty and virtuous simplicity. He is the guardian of peasants, commoners and the working classes, and despises those who abuse their subordinates or social inferiors. He is sometimes associated with the weather, specifically the rains - but this association is not one that appears in the Ticai Baca, instead being a folk tradition that developed due to his association with the fertility of the land.

Nerusan is especially favoured by farmers, herders, loggers, butchers, cooks, brewers, cheesemakers, and generally all those involved in the production of food and drink. It is an Elvetan custom to thank Nerusan before eating meals, and a toast is made in his name at feasts. He is also called upon by peasants and workers, by those who wish for the rains to come, and by those who seek to increase their humility.

### Yésa the Scholar

Known as Eisa in Saverian, Yésa is the widow of Verasan and mother of Maris. Her symbolic animal is the cat, and it is often said that she has the strongest link to her animal out of any other deity; she is said to see through the eyes of all cats, and she is always depicted with cat-like eyes even in the Authentic style.

Yésa is associated with curiosity, learning, teaching, knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, memory, reading, writing, theology and languages. The Ticai Baca states that she taught the first mortals how to speak and how to write, and that she has a perfect photographic memory - which is a curse as well as a blessing, for she can never forget the suffering and devastation of the War for Heaven. As the goddess of learning and knowledge, it was she who took the leading role in communicating with the prophets.

Yésa is also considered the goddess of archaeology, history, mathematics and all the sciences, and she has a rapidly growing modern association with computers, programming and information technology; many modern Elvic IT-related companies use cats or feline features in their logos for this reason. She is also strongly associated with invention, often leading to a significant overlap with Caduron the Smith - engineers and architects in particular tend to call upon both gods.

It remains a matter of controversy as to whether or not Yésa should be depicted wearing glasses; the tradition arose in the 7th century AD, and has been constantly challenged ever since. Those who accept her with glasses tend to associate her with issues of the eyes, whether that be as mild as short-sightedness or as severe as blindness, and those who suffer from visual impairments seek her guidance and protection. The argument against her glasses-wearing is that although gods can clearly suffer physical impairments - such as Acras having his arm torn off, or Verasan being decapitated - these are solely wounds inflicted by other gods, and it does not follow that a goddess could develop short-sightedness and need glasses through constant reading.

Yésa is especially favoured by priests, librarians, authors, scientists, mathematicians, engineers, architects, programmers and academics of all kinds. She is also called upon by those trying to remember, those teaching others, and those learning new things - especially new languages. She is also favoured by those who keep cats as pets, and by those with visual impairments.

### Maris the Hunter

Known as Mareisan in Saverian, Maris is the son of Verasan and Yésa, and a good friend of Nerusan. His symbolic animal is the fox.

Maris has two key aspects to him; the Hunter and the Youth. Maris the Hunter is associated with hunting, wild animals, wild places and keeping the balance between mortalkind and nature. He is associated with fishing in inland bodies of water such as rivers, ponds and lakes, but not sea fishing, as that falls under the domain of Sevalion. He is said to despise poachers and those who over-hunt wild animals to extinction, and hates those who waste the bounties of their hunts. He is perhaps the most vengeful of all the gods, eager to punish those who would destroy and defile nature, and takes his revenge in the afterlife if he cannot do it in the World.

On the other hand, Maris the Youth is associated with joy, fun, laughter, friendship, games, cunning, liberty, freedom and - of course - youth. Though sometimes characterised as a trickster and a prankster, his schemes are not malicious, and he abhors harmful pranks which the victim cannot themselves laugh at - unless the purpose of the trick is to punish somebody who violated nature. He has also sometimes been referred to as a god of military tricks (such as ambushes) as well as a god of infiltration and espionage, but the priesthood has long been divided on to what extent Maris is a martial god.

Maris the Hunter is favoured by hunters, game wardens, fishermen and all those who work with the natural world. Maris the Youth, meanwhile, is favoured by the young, by players of games, by those wanting to make or gather friends, and by those who seek to perform tricks for virtuous ends. Controversially, he has also been favoured by spies, assassins, thieves and both soldiers and commanders engaging in military tricks or deceit. Famously, he was frequently called upon during imperial conquests of slave-holding realms due to his associations with liberty and freedom, and beginning in the reign of Athdus the Great, he came to be known as the arch-enemy of slavery.

### Elayi the Artist

Known as Eleia in Saverian, Elayi is the widow of Caduron. Her symbolic animals are the spider, the dragonfly and the damselfly.

Elayi is associated with art, beauty, music, song, dance, acting, eloquence, performance and stories. This latter association somewhat overlaps with Yésa - though Elayi is more linked to the creation and telling of a story, whereas Yésa is linked to the process of writing it down. It should be noted that Elayi is associated with beauty in general, not merely the beauty of people; she is closely linked to beautiful places, plants, animals and works of art. It is written within the Ticai Baca that Elayi gave colour to the world during its creation, for its lack of vibrance saddened her. Controversially, this has been used by some Elvetans as justification for opposition to race-mixing and interracial marriage, arguing that Elayi separated the mortal races into different colours and that to blend them would be an insult to her work.

Like Queen Isera, Elayi is associated with romantic love - but whereas Isera is associated with pure devotion between husband and wife, Elayi is associated with the more passionate side of love, and with desire between husband and wife. However, again like Isera, Elayi is distinctly not associated with lust, and only endorses passionate and sexual romance within marriage.

Elayi is also associated with all manner of textile-work, such as weaving, embroidering and tailoring. She is also associated with Weavers, and the few Elvetan Weavers that exist consider her a maternal figure. Secular scholars have long debated whether her association with spiders evolved out of her association with weaving, or whether the association with spiders came first.

Elayi is favoured most of all by artists, sculptors, tailors, musicians, singers, composers, actors, authors and storytellers. Her association with eloquence also means she is very popular amongst orators and those with speech impediments. She is also called upon by those who are married to maintain or increase the desire within their marriage, particularly if they believe that the spark of passion has been lost.

Because Elayi is about correct passion and not merely passion in general, she is also associated with the struggle against lust - in the modern age she has become a key goddess for those struggling with a pornography addiction or those who desire to rid themselves of paraphilias. Elvetan priests also recommend that homosexuals and transgender people should seek Elayi's guidance for "correction".

### King Alveron

Known as Alferan in Saverian, Alveron is the King of the Underworld, and the brother of Yacela and brother-in-law of Isera. He is first amongst the deceased gods trapped in the Underworld. His symbolic animal is the stag.

King Alveron is, above all, associated with magic, particularly the knowledge and proper use of it. He was responsible for creating the Elfkin and for allowing mortals access to the Magestream for the first time, though it remains unclear whether he created the Magestream itself. Some Elvetans also believe that he created the Dreadlands, but this is not held to be correct by the priesthood, who consider the Dreadlands an invention of demons and false gods (i.e. Dread Titans). Alveron is the enemy of those who misuse magic, especially demons and false gods; alongside Lady Calisa, he is closely associated with warfare against the Dread. Elvetans generally believe that Alveron's death is the cause of the slow decline of magic in the World, though this explanation does not account for the brief revival of magic during the Civil War.

Alveron is also associated with order, peace and unity both within and between nations and races. These associations are closely linked to - but are distinct from - his brother Yacela's associations with governance and law. Ever since his death, Alveron has become King of the Underworld, and so he is the ruler and protector of the dead - but, importantly, he is not the god of death itself.

Alveron is additionally associated with the moon, the stars, the night sky and astronomy, and he is the protector of those who travel or work at night. Alveron is not necessarily associated with darkness itself, but he is said to lend comfort in darkness to those who call upon him. Some Elvetan traditions once associated him with earthquakes, but this was denounced by the priesthood in the 16th century.

King Alveron is favoured by all the Elfkin, particularly the Elves, who consider him their collective father. When magic was still in the world, he was also called upon by mages and students of magic. He is also favoured by rulers, governors and managers, as well as by those seeking unity between conflicting groups or people. Those who work or travel at night also call upon him, as do astronomers and astronauts.

### Verasan the Judge

Known as Feisan in Saverian, Verasan is the husband of Yésa and father of Maris. He is deceased, trapped in the Underworld. His symbolic animal is the raven.

Verasan is most strongly associated with justice and law - though this is the application of the law rather than its creation, which is the domain of King Yacela. Though King Alveron is the ruler of the Underworld, it is Verasan who judges mortal souls; he grants rewards to the virtuous and repentant, and punishes the wicked. He is involved in protecting the dead to some extent, but this task mostly falls to Alveron.

Verasan is additionally strongly associated with oaths and vows, and consequently with loyalty. He is ultimately the enforcer of oaths, the one who punishes mortals in the Underworld for breaking their word. Verasan is usually invoked when swearing something, even if he is not the primary witness of an oath or vow.

Verasan is also a psychopomp, responsible for guiding the dead to safety in their proper place in the Underworld. For this reason, he is associated with funerals and undertakers, and he is the watcher of graveyards. He also has less sombre aspects; the flipside of respect for the dead is celebration of life, and Verasan can be festive and jovial.

Verasan was killed in the War for Heaven by being decapitated by King Yacela, and now Verasan must carry his detached head around with him wherever he goes. As a result, he is often seen as associated with disability, and the physically disabled consider him their guardian. Verasan does not need his head to be close to his body for it to function - there are numerous instances within the Ticai Baca of them being separated - but his body can do little without his head, since obviously only his head can see.

Verasan is favoured by all enforcers of the law from judges to police officers, and he is also often invoked in a military context. He is called upon when swearing oaths or vows, and he is prayed to by those close to death, and by those who are about to lose a loved one or have recently done so. He is also called upon when celebrating the life of someone who has passed, as well as by the physically disabled.

### Caduron the Smith

Known as Caderan in Saverian, Caduron is the husband of Elayi. He is deceased, trapped in the Underworld. He has three symbolic animals; the donkey, the bee and the beaver.

Caduron is associated with all kinds of craftsmanship - especially metalworking - as well as mining, digging, construction and diligence. His associations overlap somewhat with Yésa; both are considered gods of invention, and are both associated with engineering, architecture, physics and mathematics. He is also considered the god of the earth - not nature, but the physical soil and rock, as well as the mountains and valleys.

Caduron has a particular association with volcanoes, which were once believed to be vents and waste channels from Caduron's great forge beneath the earth - though this belief has been declining since volcanoes came to be scientifically understood. Volcanic eruptions have been interpreted in various different ways by Elvetans. Some consider them an expression of Caduron's wrath - a punishment for some infraction against the gods. Others see them as a side effect of Caduron's forging, and an eruption means that the god is working on a grand new creation.

Caduron is favoured by smiths, carpenters, machinists, engineers, miners, builders, architects and all manner of craftsmen. He is called upon by those who wish to increase their diligence, often leading to him being invoked by students. Hikers and climbers also invoke Caduron's name, for it is his hills, mountains and cliffs they seek to traverse.

### Sevalion the Sailor

Known as Sefalian in Saverian, Sevalion is the brother of Nerusan. He is deceased, trapped in the Underworld - despite his frequent attempts to escape. Like Lady Calisa, he has his own dedicated servants, named the Saltkin. He has several symbolic animals; chief amongst them is the fish, but he is also associated with sharks, whales, dolphins and octopuses.

Sevalion is associated with the seas and oceans - or more broadly any body of saline water - as well as sailing, swimming, saltwater fishing, whaling, travelling, exploration and adventure. He is also closely associated with freedom, overlapping with Maris - though Sevalion is more often associated with the feeling of being free and unbound, whereas Maris is more linked to political freedom from tyranny. Some Elvetans associate him solely with storms at sea, whereas others consider him the god of storms and lightning more generally.

Sevalion is also associated with courage, but in a different manner to Sir Acras, who is also a god of courage. Whereas Acras is associated with bravery in the face of terror, Sevalion is associated with bravery in the face of adversity; Acras conquers fear, whereas Sevalion conquers dread. Ultimately the distinction is mostly semantic, and Elvetans will usually call out to both gods when feeling afraid.

Mainly amongst Saverians, Sevalion also has close associations with love, loyalty and devotion - overlapping with Queen Isera and Lady Calisa - as they place far more emphasis on his romance with Lady Reia. This is only mentioned in the Ticai Baca extremely briefly, but Saverian tradition extends their tale beyond scripture - though the Saverians cannot agree whether Lady Reia was originally a mortal (almost certainly an Elf) who somehow became immortal, or whether she is a Titan. The Saverians believe that Sevalion makes nightly voyages out of the Underworld to seek out his wife Reia in the World, before being banished back to the land of the dead when the sun's rays touch him. Though the Nesarians are generally reluctant to accept this story as factual, very few consider it outright heretical.

The Saverians also consider Sevalion the father of their nation; they believe that Sevalion taught them how to sail and guided them to the islands that became their home, and so they named their country in his honour. Secular scholars have conjectured that this tale may be entirely factual, and that the Titan who was interpreted as the deity named Sevalion guided the Saverians to a new home to escape the destruction of the Annihilation.

Sevalion's servants, the Saltkin, are creatures who are said to resemble Elves. They are described as strong and hardy, with white hair, grey eyes and tanned skin. They crew his ship, the azure-painted *Heartseeker*. The crew are all male, but the Saltkin are said within the Ticai Baca to all have wives - though no children are mentioned. The text of the Ticai Baca does not make clear whether the Saltkin are truly immortal, or whether they are already dead and are instead sustained by the will of Sevalion. Some Elvetan scholars have speculated that the Saltkin may not be truly distinct creatures at all, but rather dead Elves who have sworn eternal service to the god of the seas.

## Ticai Baca

The Ticai Baca is the holy scripture of Elveta. It contains four books, arranged in chronological order; the Book of Yalvon, the Book of Aceron, the Book of Athdus and the Asitalos.

The Books of Yalvon, Aceron and Athdus are named after the prophets who wrote them, each of which lived at some unknown point between 1500 and 900 BC, with approximately 100 years between each. The Asitalos, on the other hand, is a compilation of prayers and words of comfort, wisdom and theology composed by many different authors, ranging from approximately 800BC to 476BC. The writers whose works were included in the Asitalos are sometimes referred to as minor prophets, but the preferred term by Elvetan religious institutions is fathers of the faith.

### Book of Yalvon

Yalvon, the first prophet, was an Elf. Historians generally agree that Yalvon was an Eshérian rather than a Saverian, due to the fact that his writings contain traits of the Eshérian dialect of Old Elvic, and nothing of the dialect that would become Saverian. Yalvon is the Eshérian rendering of his name; in the Saverian dialect he is Alfen, and in his own language - Old Elvic - he was Iálfun.

According to his own account in the Book, Yalvon received information from the Gods in a strange manner, in that he began to suddenly remember events he was sure he was never present at in vivid detail, and this grew only more disconcerting for him the more memories popped into his mind, as he became more and more convinced they were not his own. In the belief he was beginning to go mad, he wept and fervently prayed to Yésa, the Goddess of knowledge, begging her to clear his mind. At his most desperate, however, Yésa appeared to him as an apparition, and calmly explained that the memories were from the Gods, and told him to write down everything he remembered and publish it to all the faithful. Yésa explained that Yalvon had been chosen as a prophet, to communicate the true faith to the wayward Elves, who had forgotten much of the story of their Gods. Yalvon understood, and was calmed, and so he wrote.

Although the Book of Yalvon makes few references as to what the Elves believed before his ministry, a basic form of it can be reconstructed from what is written. The pre-Yalvon Elves appeared to revere the Gods as divine, and knew that there was a war between them at some point, but had very little knowledge of who they actually were and seemingly did not even know their names. Yalvon's ministry was not so much an evangelisation as a clarification, which is likely why he gained a wide following very quickly amongst all classes.

The Book of Yalvon is primarily concerned with the creation of the universe, early interactions between the Gods and the steady build-up of hostilities which culminated in the War for Heaven. Yalvon also wrote about the immediate aftermath of the war, and the history of what the Gods had done up until communing with him, and offering some insight into how the Gods would act in the future. His two main prophecies were that there would be two further prophets, and that although the Elves would be the early guardians of the faith, its most fervent defenders would come to be the Humans. Both of these would come true.

### Book of Aceron

Aceron, the second prophet, was a Ruawi Orc. Aceron is the Elvicised version of his native name, and is almost certainly related to the modern Ruawi name of Akulan.

According to the Book, and some further description given later in the Book of Athdus, Aceron received his message in a very different way to Yalvon. Rather than directly being given visions or memories, he received only a single message in a dream, telling him to go to a particular cave deep in the mountains, with a soft sandy floor and a clear pool inside. When he found the cave, he was greeted by an apparition of Yésa, who informed Aceron of his role as a prophet and instructed him how to speak, read and write Elvic. Aceron came back to the cave uncountable times to receive knowledge from Yésa, who narrated the story of the Gods to him as he wrote it down.

Unlike Yalvon, Aceron was met with active hostility by his kinsmen when he tried to preach to them. The Book makes it clear that the Orcs were worshippers of an unnamed "thunder warrior", which was certainly Morrokh, and so Yalvon's story must have taken place prior to the mass conversion of the Ruawis to Geranism. Eventually, the Orcish leaders of Aceron's community exiled him and his followers, promising to execute him if he returned. In his exile, Aceron spread his message to Humans and Elves, who generally received his teaching far more peacefully and eagerly than the Morrokhis. Several Elvish scribes came to him to copy down his work so that they could transmit it to their own nations.

Aceron was then greeted by an apparition of King Yacela himself - the details of exactly when and where are unknown - who ordered Aceron to return to his home, and to not be afraid, for Queen Isera would shield him from pain and Yacela promised him a place in Heaven if he were killed. Aceron did not understand, but he agreed to return. At this point the Book of Aceron ceases, and the rest of the tale comes from the Book of Athdus. True to their word, the Orcish leaders arrested and publicly executed Aceron, using a particularly torturous method of flaying him to death. When the crowd which gathered to watch the execution saw that he felt no pain, they began to question their leaders' judgement, and eventually the executioner himself refused to continue and knelt before Aceron, proclaiming him a prophet. The furious leaders came to arrest the executioner and kill Aceron themselves, but before they could lay hands on him he was struck by a lightning-bolt. It is written that one of the leaders immediately repented and proclaimed Aceron as a prophet, but the others, in their fury, drew their swords against the executioner and the repentant leader. The gathered crowd immediately surged forth and slew the leaders who denied Aceron, and the repentant leader became the new king of the tribe. Although the repentant leader's name is recorded nowhere in scripture, tradition holds that his name was Vericon, though it should be noted this is a distinctly non-Ruawi name and, if he took the name at all, it was a new name he took upon conversion rather than his birth name.

Aceron writes with a little more complexity on the interactions between the Gods, and interactions between Gods and mortals during the Age of Titans. Compared to Yalvon's style, which is somewhat cold, detached and informative, Aceron's style is more dramatic, emotional and story-like, written in colourful prose, giving in-depth explorations of the emotional states of Gods and mortals. Rather than a simple explanation of how things came to be, Aceron focusses on using the stories written in his Book as moral teachings. The Book of Aceron is the longest of the three books, and is often called the most beautiful.

### Book of Athdus

Athdus, the third and final prophet, was a Human. The general consensus is that he was a Välmorgrykker, though it is unknown whether his name is an Elvicised form of his native birth name or an Elvic one he took upon his conversion.

Athdus, like Aceron, was visited directly in his mind only once, where he was given a message to visit a particular glade in a forest with a clear pond, where many animals calmly arrived to have a drink. Also like Aceron, he was greeted there by an apparition of Yésa, who informed Athdus of his role as a prophet and taught him the Elvic language. However, Yésa then informed him that his role was not to tell the story of the Gods - as that had already been done by Yalvon and Aceron - but rather to make their divine law known. To teach Athdus the divine law, Yésa took him to the very judge who enforced it, opening a way into the Underworld so that Athdus could speak with Verasan the Judge. It is not written in scripture, but tradition holds that Yésa carried the decapitated head of Verasan and accompanied Athdus on a walk through the Underworld, meanwhile the rest of Verasan's body continued his role of judging mortal souls. As they walked, Athdus wrote down the law as Verasan explained it to him.

Athdus was well-received by the Elves, and he was instrumental in spreading the faith to Humans in significant numbers for the first time, establishing communities across Välmorgrykke. He was accepted and embraced by the pagan commoners, but he experienced strong resistance from the rulers, who saw him as a trouble-maker and a false prophet. Unlike Aceron, though, Athdus did not suffer death at their hands - though he was attacked many times, and narrowly avoided imprisonment on several occasions - and he instead died peacefully of old age, with his wife and children at his side. In later years, Athdus was the most heavily-cited prophet when the Eshérians were trying to convert the native Nesarians during their invasion.

Unlike the Books of Yalvon and Aceron, the Book of Athdus does not focus on depicting the story of the Gods, but instead gives teachings on morality and theology, several times using parables, metaphors and similes to explain the point. It is the most technical of the three books, written in an almost encyclopedic style. It is often also called the most authoritative and strongly-worded, as it explicitly denounces "those who use the current lack of scripture to justify their deviancy", describes which behaviours are condemned, and goes as far as to call some sinful behaviours "abominable". Whilst Athdus did not invent the concept of the priesthood, he is responsible for laying down the structure and hierarchy of the priesthood used to the current day. His clear, informative descriptions of the Gods give the best depiction of both their physical appearance and their nature.

### Asitalos

Asitalos is a Nesarian word, translating literally as Beauty-Love, or less literally as the Love of Beauty (or of the Beautiful). It contains a collection of writings classified into the two themes of "prayers" and "wise sayings", composed by many authors, the earliest of which is dated to approximately 800BC and the latest of which passed away in 1206. It is often compared to the Christian Psalter and the Philokalia (which also means "the love of the beautiful") used in Eastern Christianity.

The Asitalos was chiefly compiled by the Nesarians, although the Elves did keep their own collection of prayers and wise sayings, and the best of these were added to the Asitalos as part of the larger merging of institutions and traditions that took place when Saveria and Avamorica were incorporated into the Nesarian Empire.

Whilst the three main Books of the Ticai Baca are used for informative purposes, the Asitalos is used for purely spiritual purposes, the prayers and wise sayings offering comfort and methods of achieving balance and peace.

Whilst Inecurian Christians see the other Books as little more than fanciful tales, they have a great deal of agreement with the Asitalos, and the Asitalos was frequently cited by Christian missionaries as a method of trying to show that at the moral and spiritual level, Christianity and Elveta are not really so different.

## Morality

*For more detailed information see: Elvetan Morality*

Although Elvetan morality is somewhat complex, it can often be boiled down into the nine "virutes of the Gods", which all Elvetans are obligated to not only abide by themselves but to convince others to abide by them. The practice of following all these virtues is often, particularly in a martial context, referred to as Chivalry (*Lotar*). These virtues are, in no particular order:

* **Prudence**, or **Wisdom**: To rationally determine the appropriate course of action despite your passions
* **Courage**: To fight for the Gods, for those you love and for what is right, despite any fears you may have
* **Justice**, or **Fairness**: To judge people and situations fairly, to never presume one is evil for any wrongdoing, to work to uphold justice, and to not judge others for past sins they have already atoned for
* **Chastity**: To practice sexual restraint, to be faithful to your spouse and to not engage in premarital sex
* **Temperance**: To practice self-restraint in avoiding excessive food, wealth and power, to hold back one's anger
* **Charity**: To give any time and resources you can spare to those who need it more than you
* **Diligence**, or **Determination**: To work hard and complete your duties
* **Humility**: To never presume you are superior to others through your status, to treat every person with respect
* **Honesty**: To always tell the truth, even when the truth is harmful

## Symbols

Since there are twelve gods in the Elvetan pantheon, most Elvetan symbolism revolves around the number twelve, and the number itself is considered somewhat sacred or "lucky". The two most common symbols associated with the religion are a twelve-pointed star and a dodecagon (a twelve-sided regular polygon). A golden sun - the symbol of Yacela - is also often used to represent the religion. Often the sun is shown with twelve rays, but not always.

A common symbol within Nesaria - but rare outside of it - is a dodecagon split into four parts by two intersecting lines forming a cross, often with the lines extending outside the dodecagon. This symbol has several meanings. The horizontal line represents the barrier between Paradise and the mortal realms of the World and Underworld, and the vertical line represents the gods reaching past that barrier for the good of mortals. The four segments created by the line refer to different realms of existence; the two segments above the horizontal line represent Paradise and the World, whereas the two segments below represent the Underworld and the cities of the dead that provide protection for mortal souls. Some Elvetans who see this as an expressly Nesarian symbol also refer to the four segments as representing the four races of Nesaria; Humans, Orcs, Elfkin and Limkas.

Across the Elvetan world, a popular symbol for the religion is the *Crenesta*, which approximately translates as "icon of the universe". In English, this is sometimes known as the rhombal dodecahedron. It is a regular dodecahedron divided by rhombuses, with those in the middle of the dodecahedron forming the shape of a twelve-pointed star. The rhombuses are coloured according to what part of the universe they represent; the star represents the divine, and it works outwards from there, representing Paradise, the World and then the Underworld. The *Crenesta* features prominently in temples - forming it out of coloured floor tiles and stained glass windows is very common - but less commonly in religious artwork.

The *Crenesta* has several variations, but the two most common configurations are shown below.