Church of the Nightcore

The **Church of the Nightcore** was a polytheistic religion based around five gods that ruled the world. The religion has been labeled a cult due to its small numbers and secrecy. The group commonly practices rituals involving live sacrifices and mass suicides, and therefore has been banned in most of Westaranis. The common belief is that life is a dream, and our sleep shows us glimpses in to other worlds. For followers of the Nightcore, death is freedom as it will awaken you from being blinded by the lie of life.

## Gods of the Nightcore Religion

There are five gods the Church of the Nightcore recognizes. Each is said to help guide or push one away from the truth.

### The Nightcore

The Nightcore is the God of Death, and is symbolized by a black crow. Many followers of the Nightcore religion keep crows and ravens in their company, and treat them as sacred beings or view them as omens. It is seen as a neutral force within the world, the true equalizer and the only valid judge.

### The Daydreamer

The Daydreamer is the God of Life, and is symbolized by a sun with a sad looking face. The Daydreamer is said to be the captor of souls, placing them in this fake reality where the only escape is through death, where the Nightcore may take your soul away from this prison. It is seen as evil as life brings pain and suffering to all.

### The Tongue of Lies

The Tongue of Lies is the God of Trickery, symbolized by a curved dagger. The curved dagger represents the bending of truth, where a straight dagger would represent truth. To be killed by a curved dagger is a sign that the killer is not to be trusted, and that the dead may be still trapped in the world. The Tongue of Lies perpetuates the idea that the world is truthful and real, and feeds off of the suffering of others. It is looked at as a parasite that needs the Daydreamer to live.

### The Incipient Awakening

The Incipient Awakening is the God of Knowledge. It is symbolized by an open eye. The Incipient Awakening is believed to be the form the Nightcore takes when carrying souls away from the lies of the Daydreamer. In this state, it grants a soul absolute clarity in all things.

### The Black Flame

The Black Flame is the God of Light, symbolized by a black flame surrounding a branch of holly. The Black Flame is what the followers of the Nightcore consider a soul, claiming that all living things possess a black flame within them, which is slowly harvested by the Daydreamer to sustain this false dream called life. The reconvening of all souls makes up the Black Flame's true form, and is the eventual result of the Nightcore succeeding.

## Mythology

The followers of the Church of the Nightcore believe that long ago the Black Flame was robbed to create the False Life, made by the Daydreamer. The First Flame to awaken was the Nightcore, who took it upon itself to shepherd the rest of the souls through death and restore the Black Flame in its true form. The Daydreamer had to enlist the help of its pet, the Tongue of Lies, in order to sustain the False Life.

It is prophesied that one day, the Nightcore will succeed in feeding the Black Flame, and burn away the False Life to free the remaining souls in cleansing black fire. In this, the Black Flame will burn the Daydreamer and the Tongue of Lies, along with their spawn, and make the world whole once more.