Lavonian Cult

## Founding and History

### Early History

The Lavonian Cult originated with the veneration of Lavo and Konig within the central and southern regions of the Heimisch Empire. Generally it is believed within the cult the Lavo and Konig, along with Lind (disputed) were created by God as patron gods of the Heimater. This represented a significant split from the predominant Holistic Church which up until that point served as the primary mode of minor deity veneration within the area.

Despite the fact that Lavonian Cult started as a Heimater Religious movement, some subject peoples of the Heimisch Empire adopted the religion for various reasons.

### Latherian Church

With the establishment of the Latherian Empire by Otto Von Lather the First, the Lavonian Cult became the Latherian Church. In this capacity it served as the official church of the Latherian Empire. Subjugated Holistic Church adherents were consequently repressed, sometimes violently, until the year 490.

As the Latherian Church, the institution became somewhat more rigid in hierarchy, becoming a parallel arm of the state. By the end of the secession wars, while the Church had lost power to repress its enemies within the empire, it had gained a foothold within Latherian Color Law. This resulted in a series of pseudo-legal repressions of church critics and religious minorities and pluralities until Jörg Von Hornisse petitioned and enforced the "Tolerance Edict of 582."

## Basic Theology

The Lavonian Cult centers on the veneration of Lavo and Konig, taking its name from Lavo. The two, being brother and sister, form a basic pair of masculine and feminine, Konig representing nobility, bravery, and duty, whilst Lavo represents beauty and familial fertility. Due to Konig's status as being held in bondage by Sidy, the Church saw Sidy and the Navine as enemies. Claugh serves as Konig's shadow and servant as well, becoming the taker of souls and lord of death within the Lavonian conception of metaphysics.

Lavonian Cult followers tend to focus on either Konig or Lavo, seeking to either emulate or please either of them. Lavo's venerators fall into two principle factions: the fecundity cults and the appearance cults. The appearance cults emphasize the aesthetic sensibilities of Lavo’s dominion.  Notably in Lather, a variant of one of them controls their forming the basis for that society’s variant of the Coalition church, as well as its nobility’s aesthetic sensibilities.  The fecundity cults enjoyed larger followings in times long since ossified, emphasizing family building, to even extreme extents.

## Practices

The Latherian Church has practiced services in the 'common language' since its inception, relying on a clergyman to be drawn from a local area and therefore relating to his bretheren in their mother tongue. This largely means services are delivered in Heimater, but some in other languages exist.

The Lavonian Church is a relatively decentralized institution, relying on councils of bishops to coordinate itself and maintain theological congruity. This results in an organization fluid in its practices but rigid in its theologies. Service styles vary much more than the holistic church, but tend to emphasize the use of brass instruments and organs for hymns, call and response service styles, and ornate church buildings. Along with the Holistic Church, the Latherian church maintains both convents and monasteries, but these tend to be de-emphasized in comparison.

Of particular note is the Lavonian practice of Cathedral Maidens, chaste women aged 16-22 who serve as 'brides of the church' and 'daughters of Lavo' for the duration of their service. Typically cathedral maidens serve within certain rituals, assist in the maintenance of church property, and act to exemplify Lavonian virtue in beauty and kindness.

## Practitioners

The primary adherents of the Lavonian Cult are within the Latherian Empire.

## See Also

* Hemerists - A radical sect of Navine within the dead zone who are adherents to the Lavonian Cult.