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Post by whyemmdee on Jan 18, 2015 21:25:52 GMT -5
RELIGION: HERISM
The Heran Sect is the second largest of the three state religions of Calidor. It is devoted to the worship of a once mortal woman named Hera who ascended to divinity and saved the Kin from certain extinction during the earliest days of the Times of Terror. Those who believe in the Sect's teachings hold that Hera was once a mortal mother of three (although her Kinship of being man, elf or dwarf is still debated to this day) whose love for her fellow Kin was so great and so pure, that the gods of old, they themselves tired and angry at the Kin who took them for granted, entrusted her with a spark of the divine before they turned away from the world forever. When the world was left to die, it was Hera who rose to the Three Heavens and oversaw the exodus of those fledgling survivors who survived the fires and storms that had ravaged all the lands. It was Hera who gave life, purpose, hope and guidance to the remaining Kin so that they could rebuild a new, better world, one that would deserve a God to watch over them in spite of their mortal flaws. The Heran Sect is led by three individuals - always two men, one woman - called the Prognati, who take up the traditional roles of the three children Hera left behind on the world after Her divine ascension. Each of the three makes their home in one corner of the earth (save the north which is said to be an inhospitable continent of ice and snow that can sustain no life). The Prognati are purported to have direct communion with Hera by way of prophetic visions, called Oracula, and these Oracula are compiled into three holy books, collectively called the Codex Eloquia. Over time each Prognatus has evolved a differing, though non-conflicting, form of the religion. Ultimately, each of these sects surprisingly exists in harmony, with many scholars postulating that the relative opposition of the Cathedral and the Priory has united the Herists together, as they are stronger together than apart. The Prognati have foreseen this. This reliance on visions of the future has seeped itself into the greater conscience of the world to such a degree that the word, "Herald," in the common tongue derives its roots from Hera, quite fittingly - a Herald generally brings news of what has been decreed, just as the Prognati bring the news of what Hera has decreed. "The Three Prognati", (al-Yezzar, 1692)
Despite the differences between the three Prognati's brands of worship, the basic precepts of the Heran faith, called the Tres Dictata, are always universal and broach no deviation. The Tres Dictata (1) includes the realization and total acceptance of Hera as the sole savior and divine Matron of all the Kin, (2) the belief that all of the Kin must be brought into the believer's fold wherever they might live on the world, and (3) the realization that Hera is the first, last and only hope for spiritual guidance in a world that was decreed by the old gods to no longer meant to be. It is said that those Herans who truly keep to the Tres Dictata will be rewarded by being raised up to the Three Heavens to sit by the side of Hera when they die, while those who pay Her lip service or refuse to acknowledge Her will have their souls siphoned off to Gehenna, a place where the old gods are now said to have established their home, and who are all too eager to exact terrible punishment upon those who have spurned two generations of gods. UNIVERSAL TENETS:All Herists believe in the power of the Oracula, and the conviction that Hera, Mother of All, has a plan for all living things and her three children reveal but glimpses of this destiny via the Prognati of every generation. In each region, structures and institutions have been erected around each Prognatus, however each of the three variations of the faith exist in harmony with, until now, a mutual understanding that each of the three variations of the faith is vital to Herism overall. Prognati begin to have their visions at a young age, and the view of each Prognatus within the faith varies based on region, however all Herists agree that the Prognati have a direct link to Hera herself. While destiny and fate are central to the religion, Herists do not believe they are bound by fate and have no control over what the future holds. Hera, in her infinite wisdom, plans for all possibilities, allowing her children to reveal the variations of her plan so that her penitents can educate themselves, armed with the knowledge of what is to come. They can use this knowledge to either help bring it to fruition or attempt to stave off the tide of destiny. Either way, only Hera will know the truth of the plan and whether her followers are faithful, and just as much time is often spent on arguing the course of action in response to an Oracula as is spent on actually deciphering it. Those faithful to Hera will rise to her side in the Three Heavens after death, each of the Three Heavens being freely traversible by the spirits of the departed. Those without conviction or those failing to see the Light of Hera will be banished to Gehenna, a place between worlds, where the Old Gods will slowly torture and devour their essence. One day, these Old Gods will regain enough of their power and, well sated on the souls of unbelievers, they will return to the world to exact their furious vengeance on a world that was meant to die and has since refused to. On that day, Hera's Light will shine down, shielding and protecting her faithful as the Old Ones ravage the world and finally finish what they started. Once they have expended their energies on this task, Hera and her three children will return to destroy the earth, taking the Old Ones with it and leaving only the Three Heavens as the sole refuge in the universe.
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Herism
Jun 19, 2016 15:28:36 GMT -5
Post by Fuzz on Jun 19, 2016 15:28:36 GMT -5
ÜRIAN (Eastern) HERISM:
Ür has long since been considered the seat of Herism since Hera's ascendance, the Holy City, the City of Hera's Terrestrial Light. Call it by whatever name you wish, few among the faithful can argue that Ür, and Eastern Herism, hold a particularly prominent place in the practice of Herism. To the average outsider unfamiliar with the variation within the religion, the Ürian traditions are considered the standard, a fact that Ürians pride themselves in while the other traditions often find frustration and a great deal of explanation to the contrary. This disconnect between the other two traditions and Eastern Thought is almost entirely a result of Ür's practice of slavery and its firm entrenchment into their practice of Herism. Slaves make up the bulk of the workforce in Ür, and although the Eastern Tradition prevents the outright sale of a slave for money, there is still a very healthy slave trade in place built on a bartering system, with livestock and other slaves being the primary currency.
Slaves, in the Ürian tradition, have been handed their fate by destiny, regardless of their faith. Be it as repayment of a debt, as punishment for a crime, or simply a result of being a prisoner of war, forced labor is the universal punishment in Ür, and the prescribed length of that servitude is determined by Ürian priests. Slaves are stripped of all belongings (which are generally given to the next of kin after a heavy taxation by the Church) and forced into labor, the type of which is dependent on their severity of their trespass. Debtors are rarely clad in irons and generally are made to serve in the private homes, offices, or temples of those whom they owe, while petty criminals and thieves are generally forced to perform civic functions such as cleaning the streets and maintaining the great city itself. Violent criminals and prisoners of war, on the other hand, are forced into hard labor in the mines or in the fields, and political prisoners will often be forced to serve as informants and advisors, or if they cannot offer any unique knowledge, are generally forced into prostitution or the sex trade.
The term of servitude for any given slave is set at the start of their service, and barring extremely extenuating circumstances (such as committing a crime or attempting to escape) the terms are rarely extended. Only the very worst offenders are ever punished with life terms and, with the exception of prisoners of war or political prisoners, the slave's next of kin and family are almost always spared of any punishment. Short terms of servitude for debt are so common, in fact, that the social stigma of falling to slave status has by and large disappeared, and many a risk-taking merchant will choose a short stint of slavery over repaying a sizeable debt, in order to protect the bulk of their assets. Slave terms are often appealed but rarely shortened, with the slave (or a close family member's) health or the need of the slave on the battlefield as a free warrior being the primary reasons for a term to end prematurely. In most cases, someone else must take the slave's place to serve the time, and in the case of particularly severe terms, oftentimes multiple people will enter into the Slave Contract to serve off the time. This luxury is not extended to violent criminals, of course.
While slavery is at the forefront of Ürian Herism, it is not the only uniquely Eastern trait of the tradition. In Ür, Hera and two of her children are always depicted as human, while one of her sons is generally also depicted as human, but sometimes also as a dwarf. At some point a few Ürian Herans with particularly irreverent senses of humor suggested that perhaps he was merely a very short and stocky human, and in modern times there are many who genuinely believe that this may have been the case, and the true reasoning behind the varying depictions of her younger son, thus justifying Ür's pro-human bent on Herism.
In Ür, Hera's children are Davar (elder son), Esmat (daughter), and Mehrak (youngest son), and they were born in that order, each three years apart. Davar is believed to have been born at the start of the Times of Terror, on the site that would one day become Ür itself. The mountain (named for Davar, of course) rose up beneath Hera as Davar entered the world, and she hid atop it with her infant son while the world died around her. She suffered in this way for three years, at which point Esmat was born, with the Holy Spring issuing forth from the ground where the afterbirth fell, breathing life into the valley below ad giving sustenance to the many followers who had taken shelter from the destruction at the foot of the mountain. It was then that Hera was able to descend from the mountain and, having given the people the gift of life, led them in the construction of the original Holy City, whose name has been lost in time. Another three years passed and Hera begat Mehrak, on the eve of an invasion from a great horde of enraged warriors, the corrupted army of the Old Gods, sent to destroy the city and guarantee the destruction of all life. The baby Mehrak clutched to her breast, Hera led the people into battle against the horde and was victorious, though the city itself did not survive the battle. Leaving a small group to rebuild, Hera took her three children and a retinue of followers, and began her pilgrimage across the world, staving off the destruction and saving all life on the planet. She would never return to the new city, which was named Ür. The origin of the name Ür has also been lost to time, however most Ürian scholars believe that the word itself may have handed down directly by Hera itself, prior to leaving the survivors to rebuild.
The Eastern Prognatus holds a central role to the practice of Ürian Herism, residing exclusively in a secluded chamber at the top of Mount Davar, where he can receive his Oracula without interruption. A council of high priests sits vigil, writing down the Oracula as they are revealed and serving the Prognatus in all of his earthly needs. The Ürian Prognatus is always male, with a successive Prognatus being chosen by the High Priests after a series of rigorous interviews to establish whether or not the replacement does, indeed, receive the gift of Oracula from Davar himself. The Time of Choosing is foretold by the sitting Prognatus, and once called for, the High Priests send lower priests throughout the city and all of the Ürian controlled territories, in search of the boy who can receive the true Oracula. The family of the chosen Prognatus is elevated along with him and given a lavish residence on the summit of Mount Davak, though once the boy enters into service as the new Prognatus, he is sequestered from his family out of respect for the Oracula and the concern that a close relative or family member may try to corrupt the purity of the Oracula for their own ends.
A final interesting fact of Ürian Herism, its followers refer to themselves as 'Herans' rather than 'Herists". There is no clear explanation as to why this differentiation exists, and indeed most of the faithful of Hera would take no offense at being called one term rather than the other, but nevertheless it remains a feature of the tradition to this day, and an Ürian Heran can always be identified by this nomenclature, even if they lack the distinctive Ürian accent and complexion.
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Herism
Jul 5, 2016 17:42:44 GMT -5
Post by Fuzz on Jul 5, 2016 17:42:44 GMT -5
ELVEN (Southern) HERISM:Elven Herism draws its roots from the great Elven city-state of Solateum, where in the last three centuries it has taken a foothold and has recently become the official state religion, though as of yet the worship of Hera is not a requirement for citizenship, as it is in Ür. Virtually all Domus Divini follow Hera, and a great number of Clamor Antiquos do, as well, though the two cultures have had many violent clashes over their different interpretations. In the modern time this disparity in belief is not nearly as much of a point of contention, particularly with the influx of more Nova Gente into the Elven Herist tradition, however some things remain true in Elven Herism, regardless of culture - Hera and her three children were all elves. Whether or not Hera and/or her children made the humans, dwarves, and gnomes is an arguing point across the cultures, but all Southern Herists believe that Hera and her children were elves, and they are depicted in that manner at all times. The Domus Divini stance on Hera and her Children currently hold favor among the population of Solateum and the vast majority of Eremian Elves, or Elves of the Southern Continent. The current Prognatus, in fact, is the eldest daughter of the current Sultana of Solateum, and the last nine Prognati have all come from one of the six noble Houses of the Domus Divini. The Southern Prognatus is chosen after the death of the sitting Prognatus, with her final Oraculum generally being viewed as a herald of her replacement. At the death of the Prognatus, the entire city enters a period of mourning lasting one year, during which all festivals and foreign negotiations are halted. Foreign dignitaries are generally politely advised to vacate the city for the period of mourning, and the priests of the Southern Church go about interpreting the Final Oraculum to determine which young elven girl is destined to take on the mantle of the new Prognatus. On the one year anniversary of the death of the last Prognatus, the new one is coronated and takes her place at the Sultan or Sultana’s side as his/her chief advisor, with a cadre of priests to assist in the interpretation of her visions. Domus Divini (Dominant) ViewOver the last millennia the Herist faith has become thoroughly intertwined with the Magi mythos amongst the Domus Divini, to the point where in the modern view Hera and most likely her three children were, in fact, the last of the Great Magi, able to bend reality to their will and by doing so fend off the Old Gods and carve out a new future for the world. Dating back to before the modern recorded history of the elves, the six Houses of the Domus Divini have argued, oftentimes violently, over which of them can truly claim Hera as their direct ancestor. Most modern scholars instead believe that in all likelihood all six names are indirectly descended from Hera’s children, and therefore Hera herself, and that after so many generations it would simply be foolish for one name to claim a more direct lineage than the rest. Regardless, the Domus Divini have laid claim to the last nine Prognati in the south, further marginalizing the dwindling Clamor Antiquos elves and driving the bulk of them south, to Astrum. These Prognati have, coincidentally, all hailed from the six noble Houses, with only the al-Kalim and al-Samara able to claim that multiple Prognati have hailed from their ranks over the centuries. The current Prognati is the eldest daughter of the Sultana of Solateum, of the house al-Qadir, and this is the first time in recorded history that the Prognatus has come from the immediate family of the sitting ruler of the city, a fact that has raised quite a few eyebrows amongst the Solati nobility, but as of yet has caused no overt outrage. Despite their focus on the Magi as the focal point of Herism, Divinian Herists still acknowledge the merit of the other sects of Herism as mild perversions of the True Faith. While they are no longer openly hostile towards the other sects in the last three hundred years, all Elven Herists almost universally believe their own viewpoint on Hera to be “more correct,” and simply nod their heads with condescension at the humans and dwarves who try to lay claim to their birthright. Whether or not the lesser races will be saved when Hera returns is a topic of much discussion amongst Divinian Herists, with the modern viewpoint gradually moving further toward the view that all Herists, regardless of race, will be saved. Gnomes, however, due to their extremely different physiology, are not considered Kin by the vast majority of Eremian Elves, and they are generally considered an abhorrent creation with the idea that some could claim to be Herists as utterly laughable. Clamor Antiquos (Marginal) ViewTraditionally, Antiquan Elves have instead always claimed that the Clamor Antiquos are the direct descendants of Hera and her three children, and that Hera herself was, in fact, the last great ruler of the Elven Empire before its fall. Her exodus from this world took the Light of the Elves from the world, but she will one day return to restore Elvenkind to their true glory and eradicate all non-elves. The traditional, now considered extremist or fanatical, view was that the “lesser races” were, in fact, the remnants of the barbaric hosts of the Old Gods, and were exactly what Hera would eradicate when she returned to cleanse the world and finally destroy the Old Gods. This view was obviously a point of violent contention between the Antiquan and Divinian elves, and many bloody wars were fought over the true lineage of Hera. In the last millennia, however, a tenous peace has settled between the cultures, and they have generally agreed to disagree because, after all, “at least [they]’re all still elves.” As the Domus Divini’s numbers grew and the number of elves who could truly claim themselves to be pure Antiquan dwindled, the sect fell to the wayside and in order to gain a wider acceptance they tempered their extreme view of humans, dwarves, and gnomes (though most still agree that the Orcs were, in fact, the host of the Old Gods, and their extinction was Hera’s work) to believe that, while they may not be the ancient enemies of the Herist faith, they are still not Hera’s true children, and therefore will unfortunately still be eradicated when Hera returns. Whether or not non-Antiquans will be saved is a point of discussion, though the modern view is that all elves have a chance at salvation, as long as they accept the Light of Hera. As a result of their marginalization, many Antiquan Herists have migrated away from Solateum in order to escape the repression of their faith by the Domus Divini, with the bulk traveling south to Astrum.  A Daughter of Hera, by an unknown artistThere is, however, an extremist Traditionalist group of Antiquan elves that is most definitely still active today. The Hera Philia, or Daughters of Hera, are a nomadic terrorist group operating from somewhere in the Nefarian Desert, who have retained the traditional view of the lesser races and have taken it a step further to actively hunt and murder all non-elves they can findt. Thus far their reach has not extended past the deep desert, however there are many horror stories of the death and destruction the Daughters have left in their wake, and non-human trade caravans from cities such as Calidor and Sedis are ripe targets for their wrath, though their numbers are believed to be too small to mount a true offensive. Nevertheless, non-human travellers in the desert are ever-mindful of a surprise attack from the Daughters, as it is assuredly a painful and ignominious death. Of note, the rampant racism in the human lands against elves has further radicalized many a young Nova Gente and, fueled by hatred of their oppressors, they have fled to the desert to join the ranks of the Daughters (which consist of both women and men) in order to exact their revenge. From all accounts, the Daughters have accepted these wayward cousins into their ranks, as hatred of the non-elves is a higher priority than remaining truly faithful to the purist Antiquan traditions.
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Herism
Jul 6, 2016 14:27:20 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Fuzz on Jul 6, 2016 14:27:20 GMT -5
WESTERN (Ginean) HERISM:
Unlike the other two Herist traditions, the Western tradition is not only mostly decentralized but it is also the only variant which incorporates all races into its pantheon. In Western thought, Hera is believed to have been either an elf or a human, and her three children were a human man, an elven woman (alternatively a gnomish girl if she herself was an elf), and a dwarven boy. It is a unique feature that Hera’s younger son is always depicted as a young dwarf (easily noted by the sparse wisp of a beard on his chin), and modern scholars have no real explanation as to why this is, only that it is tradition. It is this very son from whom the Western Prognatus is purported to have originally descended, in spirit, though not in blood. Indeed, over the last five hundred years the Western Prognati have hailed from every race, and while the current Prognatus is a dwarf, his predecessor was a gnome (the first gnome in several hundred years). By virtue of the populations of the West, the Prognatus has generally been a human or dwarf, with the occasional gnome and only once was he an elf, during the time of the Orcish Wars.
If there is a central hub for the Western Tradition, Sinecliff would be it, hence the (increasingly more uncommon) name of Ginean Herism. The coastal city is home to the largest Church of Hera, The Great Western Temple, propped on the edge of the sea cliff that runs the length of the city, with a multitude of tunnels and chambers burrowing down under the temple, with multiple balconies and stairways winding all the way down the cliffside, the temple itself a monument to Dwarven ingenuity and engineering.
The Western Prognatus has traditionally spent the longest periods of time in the Temple and surrounding city, however unlike his Southern and Eastern counterparts he does, by nature, wander the lands of the West with a small retinue of bodyguards and valets. It is not uncommon for the Prognatus to appear in various cities to visit the local church to the Holy Mother, and the Western book of the Codex Eloquia is often subdivided by the region or city in which the Oracula were received, as Western priests tend to believe that location of revelation is vital to the context and meaning of a given Oraculum. The Prognatus will often spend multiple years in other cities, with some Prognati being more prone to wanderlust than others, but ultimately the Great Western Temple is his home, even if in name only.
The many voyages of the Western Prognati have, in fact, turned into a romantic topic amongst Herists and outsiders alike, with many tales of adventure and exploration, with several (most likely embellished, per modern scholars) romantic tales of princesses in foreign lands or swashbuckling on the high seas. The Western Prognati are a common figure in tales of fiction, as well, with the Prognatus often appearing as a mentor or guide in some tale of adventure when the story requires it - the popular series of novels by Ivar Styggbyen which follow the fictional privateer captain, Sir Gerald Mowbray, feature the Prognatus as a recurring character and traveling companion in several of the books, and he is generally considered a fan favorite, despite (or possibly in light of) being loosely based on several Prognati of the last two centuries.
Despite this relatively light-hearted view of the Prognatus, the position is treated with the same utmost respect and reverence as its counterparts, and even non-Herist rulers would do well to take note when the Prognatus appears in their lands. No one is sure why the Western Prognati always wander, and the sitting Prognatus remains elusive on the topic, but most just assume it is part of the selection process. The Western Prognatus is the only one to choose his own successor, wandering the lands towards the end of his life in search of his replacement. Sometimes the replacement is found several months or years in advance, and starts accompanying the Prognatus on his journeys. In some cases the Prognatus has instead taken up residence near or even inside the successor’s home, to wait out his own death. In one particularly well known instance, the Prognatus arrived in the city (Calidor, interestingly enough), traveled directly to a nondescript home in the Wards, knocked on the door, asked for the boy who lived there, placed his hand on the boy's head, and then promptly died on the spot. Modern scholars feel this story in particular to be so outlandish as to undoubtedly be embellished, however most Western Herists believe it to be true.
Demographics
Followers of Western Herism come from all races and all walks of life, with the highest concentration living, unsurprisingly, in Sinecliff. Within the old borders of Gineas, Calidor has a similarly large Herist population, though it is still dwarfed by Triumvists, while Neermore has fewer still.
In the Dwarven domes, Farevolk is almost entirely Herist, while a large percentage of Hvithavn also follow the Holy Mother. Sma Stjern, Sverdinnse, and Dvergerhove all have their own Churches of Hera, as well, while the other domes may have a few followers interspersed in the population but no permanent places of worship.
The Emerald Isles have played host to the Western Prognati, and several churches are spread across the Isles.
Finally, in the gnomish capital of Lan Cheng (Azure City) there is a sprawling temple in the Southern District (colloquially called the Hera District) with a large statue of Hera reclining with her three children on her belly and at her feet, the statue being as big as a ship (or so they say) and made of solid gold with a multitude of jewels and fine woods decorating it. While most gnomes are atheists or revere the Emperor, what few native gnomes follow a major religion tend to follow Hera, which is not to be confused with the thousands of immigrant gnomes (Wayward Gnomes, in the common parlance), who are just as diverse in their faith as the other free people.
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