Religion

## Igneism, Faith of the Sacred Flame

The Faith of the Sacred Flame, known as ‘Igneism’, represents themes of collective unity, indomitable spirit, inherited legacy, and the fight against the dying of the light. The Sacred Flame uses symbols of funeral pyres, festival bonfires, religious lanterns, and carried beacons. Igneism texts dictate a Nameless Follower descending from the Sunwell of Korindor with the Sacred Flame, leading the surviving Humans as the ‘Farren’ or ‘Far Folk.’ This Nameless Follower, titled as 'Fylas' (meaning 'All-Father'), has their true identity obscured as they represents Humanity as a collective, preaching that all Humans are equal under the Sacred Flame.

Igneism’s goal is the 'Final Reclamation', defined as Humanity’s efforts to reclaim and eclipse their past achievements, unified by the Sacred Flame. These efforts are organized by Speakers, warrior-priests with unique roles and duties based on the Paragons they follow. Igneism has three Paragons, and a Speaker may follow one or multiple.

### **Paragon Fylas, The First Flame**

Fylas the All-Father is the Paragon of the First Flame and was formed by Farren. The First Flame practices the Final Reclamation through ‘The Kindling’ and ‘The Linking’. The Kindling involves Speakers preaching Igneism, maintaining shrines, and helping worshipers ‘pass the torch’; transferring power, knowledge, and experience between generations. The Linking involves missionary work to faithless lands, converting others, and building more shrines. This Paragon is friendly with the Talamh and their Titan-God Lassus.

### **Paragon Fyurstir, The Drowned Flame**

The High King Fyurstir I is the Paragon of the Drowned Flame and was formed by Heitha. The Drowned Flame practices the Final Reclamation through ‘The Fueling’. This involves Speakers, trained into the Order of Huntsmen at Tonnelund’s Ashen Hall, sailing Omnia’s seas to hunt monsters for sacrificial immolation. These Speakers carry weapons forged from 'Cold-Silver', an icy, naturally occurring silver-iron compound equivalent to Silversteel mined in the Heithmark. This Paragon is hostile to the Morians and their Titan-Goddess Shesha.

### **Paragon Sveralda, The Prescient Flame**

Sveralda the Beholding Eye is the Paragon of the Prescient Flame and was formed by Nomani. The Prescient Flame practices the Final Reclamation through ‘The Scrying’. This involves Speakers peering into flames to divine past, present, and future, as the Sacred Flame unifies Humanity through time. These Speakers are known to carry stained-glass lanterns and crystal balls to trap the flame’s light and project images, otherwise using open flames to project shadows. This Paragon is friendly with the Ashavan and their Titan-God Naviik.

## Lapeism, Faith of Lassus the Behemoth

The Faith of Lassus the Behemoth, known as 'Lapeism', represents themes of stability, peacekeeping, preservation, and engineering. Lassus is symbolized by mountains, erupting volcanoes, fiery forges, giant golems, fortresses, and celtic knots. Lapeism texts dictate the Titan-God Lassus sculpting the land of Omnia as well as generating the gravity anchoring it, then populating the land with the Talamh. Lassus aided the Talamh in hollowing the earth and creating 'An Riocht Iseal' meaning 'The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Halls', known today as the Low Kingdom. The majority of this Kingdom was lost during the Emergence, with the Titan-God Lassus falling into a Deep Slumber following the Titan-Goddess Shesha’s creation of the Rift.

Lapeism’s goal is the 'Curation Protocol', defined as the preservation of creation. The Curation Protocol states that Lapeism worshipers must collect and curate all of Omnia, including: history, geography, culture, architecture, machinery, unique flora and fauna. The Faith is run by Curators, with their Museums serving as endless Temples. Lapeism worship is very involved, centered around the protection of loved ones and valuables through crafting and invention, with public worship taking place in the Titanheart Forge. Lapeism worshipers commune with their Slumbering Titan through massive, intricate machines that translate subterranean tectonic shifts into morse code.

## Nebulism, Faith of Naviik the Renanim

The Faith of Naviik the Renanim is known as 'Nebulism', representing themes of freedom, fate, adventure, pilgrimage, and justice. Naviik is symbolized by cloudy skies, feathered wings, wind currents, the Stars, constellation maps, and the Tarot deck. Nebulism texts dictate that the Titan-God Naviik wove the skies of Omnia, populated the land with the Ashavan, and keeps the celestial bodies afloat. Naviik formed the Latchdon Canyonlands’ jagged cliffs, commanding the wind to cleave the earth and permitting the Ashavan to elevate the Chiefdom of Valoo into the clouds. The Renanim would be credited with striking the blow to subdue the Titan-Goddess Shesha after its creation of the Rift.

Nebulism’s goal is the 'Eternal Pilgrimage', defined as the experience of creation. The Eternal Pilgrimage states that Nebulism worshipers must travel and explore all of Omnia, experiencing its bounties and divining the fortunes of its inhabitants. The Faith is run by Oracles that commonly travel the world, though a Hall of Offerings is maintained in Valoo to receive tokens of the wider world as tithe to Naviik. Worship is very benevolent, built on spreading charity and justice to all. This is a double-edged kindness however, as a worshiper’s zealous desire to help can be perceived as intrusive. Nebulism worshipers commune with their Titan-God through massive woodwind orchestras, elevating their songs to the heavens.

## Shevaism, Faith of Shesha the Leviathan

    The Faith of Shesha the Leviathan, known as 'Shevaism', represents themes of duality; life and death, love and wrath, mother and destroyer, satisfaction and hunger. Shesha is symbolized in conflicting pairs, such as the two-headed ouroboros, raging storms over tranquil seas, and shadows lurking beneath ships. Shevaism texts dictate the Titan-Goddess Shesha as spouting the seas of Omnia and populating them with Morians. Shesha carved ocean chasms and decorated coral seabeds, finally forming the Heithmark as the land of crystal ice. Shevaism worshipers justify the Morian Conquest of the Heithmark as their birthright, claiming the Heitha’s High King Fyurstir Ⅰ as having caused Shesha’s Emergence by attacking the Leviathan. Shesha is credited for the Emergence, forming the Rift and circling the sea-borders of Omnia to prevent any vessels from crossing into the Uncharted Seas beyond.

Shevaism’s goal is the 'Chaos Cessation', defined as the balance of creation. The Chaos Cessation states that Shevaism worshipers must maintain Omnia’s balance by satisfying the Destroyer’s wrathful, deadly hunger so that Mother’s loving influence keeps the Titan-Goddess pacified. The Faith is led by the Honored Matron and her Conclave, with the Order of Rift-Mor defending the Faith as elite paladins. Worship is sacrificial, with the flesh and blood of Morian enemies paid as tithe to satisfy the Destroyer’s hunger. This makes Shevaism popular among the Pirates of Moonsrest who worship by tying captured enemies and beasts to their mastheads, dying their ship’s wakes red. Shevaism’s worshipers contest the Heitha and the Drowned Flame for control of the seas. Worshipers commune with their Titan-Goddess through Siren Choirs, vocal songs sung beneath the waves said to travel for miles.

## Trimedeism, Faith of the Three Headed God

The Faith of the Three Headed God, known as 'Trimedeism', represents themes of sorcery, hidden names, faustian deals, ceaseless debts, and magical challenges. The Trimedium is symbolized by three heads, the seven-pointed star, fae, fungi, flora, tokens of currency, and rosaries decorated with keys. Trimedeism texts dictate that before the Emergence, the Laore-Hoj and the Trimedium’s Fae practiced a symbiotic relationship, where Laore Sorcerers would bind Fae through Pacts to practice divine sorcery. The Emergence changed this relationship, with Verendell’s Archon forever shackling the Laore-Hoj to the Trimedium in exchange for protecting Verendell behind the 'Trimedium’s Bulwark', a massive arcane barrier. All Laore-Hoj are now victims to the dreams and nightmares the Fae weave, with their departed souls damned to the World Beyond The Corner- the realm of magic where the Trimedium and Fae rule.

Trimedeism’s goal is 'The Apotheosis', defined as the ascension from mortality to godhood. Apotheosis states that Trimedeism worshipers must best the Fae at magical challenges or join the Fae’s ranks to save their souls from damnation. Sorcery mutation, known as 'The Burden', is viewed as a necessary step to achieving Apotheosis, as well as runegrafting four Sorcery runes, with some sorcerers believing that all runes must share the same Shape. The Faith is run by the Synod, a clergy of Cardinals defended by the Order of Arbiters, elite spellswords serving as inquisitors. The Synod is advised by Archivists, scholars managing the Verendell Archives led by the Head Archivist. The Synod leads from the Keyway Cathedral, the physical center of Trimedeism worship, however private worship involves worshipers communing with the Fae at Fae Circles formed of fungi and flora.

Whereas most leave tokens of currency and fine foods as tithe, those that step into Fae Circles commune with Fae directly. These bold few must act as polite guests, making sure never to reveal their birth name to the Fae. To the Fae, a person’s name is their soul, and to have one’s name taken by a Fae is a fate worse than death.

## Antitheism, Faith of the Godless

The Faith of the Godless, known as 'Antitheism', represents themes of evolution, education, self-empowerment, discovery, and understanding. Antitheism is not a religion but an ideology generated by the Laore-Tel, lacking symbols, rituals or leaders. Despite this, the Moon is synonymous with Antitheism. Antitheism dictates that ‘divinity’ or ‘godhood’ is a false beacon of hope, with ‘Gods’ being undeserving of worship and true satisfaction being found in one’s physical and mental improvements. This ideology began with Count Eredil Dreth, the Laore-Hoj who denounced the Trimedium, thus causing him and his people’s transformation into the Laore-Tel.

    Antitheism’s goal is 'Evolution', defined as the process of becoming stronger, smarter, faster, and better without the use of Sorcery. Whereas the Laore-Hoj view the Laore-Tel as cursed, the Laore-Tel view themselves as evolved to their environment. Alchemy is a major pillar of this ideology, viewed as a means of temporary enhancement to reach greater heights, however more permanent methods of evolution are studied by Laore-Tel in the field of biology. This ideology is practiced through record keeping, research and teaching at the Apex Spire, inciting the realization that individuals are the masters of their own fate. As a consequence of its radical departure from traditional religion, this ideology holds the smallest following, with most worshipers of other faiths viewing Antitheists too arrogant to claim their rejection of divinity. The Order of Unseen are products of this goal, unique huntsman who target Fae and their Sorcerer pawns.

## Keystones, Attunement, & True Names

**Keystones** are small trinkets that come in all shapes and sizes, used by faithful Omnians to **Attune** to a **Higher Power** or 'God'. **Attunement** is the process of an Omnian bringing their **True Name** (or Soul) closer to the Higher Power they serve. In simple terms, Keystones are like 'tuning forks', harmonising one person's True Name to the frequency of a Higher Power. This lets an Attuned person channel their God's power easier, but also be influenced by their God's power easier. This involves dreams, blessings, mental and physical changes.

**Higher Powers** are the primordial Titans, or the celestial Trimedium and its Fae, as they are unlike normal Omnians. However, normal Omnians like the Nameless Follower 'Fylas' and the Crone of Jinxia 'Vosna' have somehow risen to Higher Power, making them 'Godlike' and able to be Attuned to. Most recently, the Scholars of Antitheism (believing in no Gods) have managed to Attune to Silver through an unknown alchemical method. This has led to quiet curiosity on whether the Greater Striga can be Attuned to as well, and what Attunement really is.

**True Name** is the same as 'Soul' in Omnia, and both terms can be used in Roleplay. The faithful of **Trimedeism** know most about True Names due to the **Fae**. When a Fae asks for a person's Name, they are asking for their Soul. Once a Fae has a person's Name, they own that person, and can transform their True Name into a Fae Title. **Fae Titles** are beings, objects, or places that are extensions of a Fae. Trimedeism faithful use their Keystones to make Pacts with Fae Titles, whereas Antitheism faithful seek to destroy them.