Religion in Conliah

MEDIOCRATES: What makes a person holy?

DYSTHYPHRO: To be holy is to root out and destroy unholiness: whatever is Cthonic, corrupt, and wicked. The people who dedicate their being to fight against it are called holy. Likewise, failing to root out and destroy unholiness is also unholiness. That definition seems sound, to me.

-- The Fifth Cloudruled Dialogue: The Dysthyphro

The Monastery of Arkadios by Theodoros Vryzakis

Agathos Worship

The pantheon of the Yargyez Empire recognizes six major Agathoi named the Six Guardians. They are worshipped in public temples and holidays recognized by the Empire. Each Agathos has its own clerical hierarchy and rites, and provinces often combine these with syncretic traditions. Besides these Six Guardians there are also many minor Agathoi who are acknowledged by the Empire as having legitimate cults. The below list of minor Agathoi is not exhaustive, but includes the better-known ones.

Name Title Gender Domain(s) Notes
Iazus Sky Mother Female Storms, Law Iazus is one of the Six Guardians. She is called the "first among equals" in the Imperial Cult pantheon, and is revered by emperors and inquisitors. The Order of Iazus sanctions Imperial Cult Inquisitors to hunt down Cthonic threats of various kinds. Her symbol is a thunderbolt and stormcloud, and her elemental domains are wind and lightning.
Inidilt Mountain King Male Agriculture, Seasons Inidilt is one of the Six Guardians. He is revered by soldiers and farmers. His symbol is a scythe. His elemental domain is earth.
Burrue Sun Sister Female Beauty, Philosophy Burrue is one of the Six Guardians. She is revered by bards and philosophers. Her symbol is a lyre. Her elemental domain is sunlight.
Lidnozie Moon Brother Male Wilderness, Full Moon Lidnozie is one of the Six Guardians. He is revered by lumberers and hunters. His symbol is a bow and arrow. His elemental domain is moonlight.
Ereng Great Presider Male Marriage, Family Ereng is one of the Six Guardians. He is revered by widows and healers. His symbol is an ox. His elemental domain is water.
Izdoeng Hearth Keeper Male Peace, Fraternal Love Izdoeng is one of the Six Guardians. He is revered by embassadors and second sons. Izdoeng's symbol is a hearth flame, and Izdoeng has a cult of missionaries called Friends of the Hearth Keeper. His elemental domain is fire.
Dimie Clever Agathos Male Magic, Artisanship, War Minor cult is popular in Fair Island
Ivezdazing Forge Master Female Forge, Fire, Craft Minor cult is popular in Helscar
Vlutodie Prince of Joy Male Beauty, Infatuation, Hedonism Minor cult is popular in Middlestone
Uzioting Lady of the Seas Female Oceans, Navigation Minor cult is popular among fishers
Ilnizing Swift Agathos Female Travel, Trade Minor cult is popular among merchants
Etizing Lady Necessity Female Life, Death Minor cult is popular among undertakers

Outside of the Imperial Cult, there are religious factions of High Elves and Wood Elves who advocate Burrueism, considering the Imperial Cult to be a distortion. They seek to restore the original practices of Agathos worship as spread by the Magellian Empire, including a belief in Elven racial superiority to other mortal races and a belief that Burrue is an emanation of Gora herself.

Archon Worship

Worship of the Archons is forbidden by Imperial law. Even so their cults persist, as their power is too alluring to resist. Shrines to them can be found in ancient ruins, concealed temples, and the basements of shady nobles.

There are many contradictory accounts regarding mythic history and cosmology given by Cthonic cultists. They vary between different cults, and even within the same cults. Many Archon-worshippers do not hold any opinion whatsoever on the topic of religion, and relate to the Archons in a purely transactional way. However, for cultists who do give an account, there are several points of agreement which never vary. The Archons themselves attest to these points.

First, the Archons agree on the overall structure of the cosmos. The entire cosmos is Cthonia, and it is composed of uniform, indivisible units of substance called Atoms. These Atoms move around randomly in the void of Cthonia, and can adhere to themselves to form compounds. These compounds account for Cthonia's organization into spheres, the six elements, and red soul material. Red soul material was not created by anyone, but simply co-existed with the six elements. Cthonians can erupt spontaneously throughout the cosmos by red soul material's combination with elements, and the Archons are simply strong Cthonians. Asteria does not exist, and Ksylia is a Cthonic sphere. True death is the decomposition of soul material into Atoms, although Cthonians do not easily die. Cthonia itself is an infinite expanse, populated by infinitely many Cthonic spheres.

The second point of agreement is that the structure of Ksylia is that of concentric spheres. The outermost sphere separating it from the Cthonic inter-sphere medium is the Hade. Then the Neaths, with its hollow surface of Arbigard. The Skies are at the center. The Firmament and Asteria do not exist. Thus, "up" is at the center of Ksylia, and "down" is away from its center.

Third, they agree on the general sequence of mythic pre-history. Cthonians spontaneously formed in all Cthonic spheres, and waged war against each other. The strongest Cthonians emerged as the Archons, who dominated a single sphere. The first generation of Archons are known as the Elder Ones. Their identities are forgotten, except for one legendary Archon named Pirzapap now known by the epithet "The Too Clever". The Elder Ones immediately waged war on each other, to take control of the cosmos.

This period is called the First Archonic War. Despite how ancient Archons and lesser Cthonians are, they are born and can permanently die like all other beings. After epochs of war, Pirzapap conquered all the cosmos and declared herself Queen of the Archons. Her Cthonic sphere was Ksylia itself, and the Hade was its outer boundary. Pirzapap earned her victory by exceptional cleverness. She manipulated the structure of soul material to create the colors yellow, green, and blue. None of the Elder Ones knew how she accomplished this, because she kept it a secret. Blue soul material was a powerful weapon, antithetical to all life that Pirzapap did not imbue with yellow and green souls. Pirzapap was sadistic, and enjoyed torturing the other Elder Ones with blue soul material. The remaining Elder Ones resented Pirzapap for declaring herself Queen of the Archons and torturing them, so they all rebelled and killed her.

After the death of Pirzapap, all of the Elder Ones wanted to conquer Ksylia. They saw Ksylia as the jewel of the cosmos, so swarmed to Ksylia with their armies to fight the Second Archonic War within Ksylia. After epochs of fighting without victor, a new generation of Archons arose called the Middle Ones. A few names of the Middle Ones are still remembered: Azoveleng, Zonutie, Eirping, Moztazing, and Elkozeng, but the details of their nature are disputed. The Elder Ones were more individually powerful than the Middle Ones, but also stubborn and proud. They refused to form alliances, for fear that it would reveal weakness. The Middle Ones were not as individually great, but readily formed truces. All of the Middle Ones came together in a posse to kill all of the Elder Ones, picking them off one by one and conquering their armies.

Once the Elder Ones were overthrown, the Middle Ones proceeded to continue feuding over control of Ksylia. This was the Third Archonic War, which continues into the present. The Middle Ones died, and all living Archons are called the Younger Ones who carry on the same war. There is no single event that divides the Middle Ones from the Younger Ones, except that the Younger Ones were not present for the killing of the Elder Ones. The oldest among the Younger Ones personally fought one or two of the Middle Ones, but only briefly. Most of their experience was fighting their peers among the Younger Ones. Even then, most of the Younger Ones are dead any many of those remaining are relatively young. The Middle Ones exclusively fought each other with armies of Cthonians, head to head. Sometime during the battles between the Younger Ones, their strategy shifted to recruiting mortals as soldier and generals to fight in their wars. Although mortals were physically weaker than most Cthonians, they were much better at battlefield improvisation. The events beyond that diverge among the Younger Ones, who each tell a different story.

Fourth and last, they only respect one moral law: that justice is the advantage of the stronger. The Magellian Empire, Yargyez Empire, and Uzvu Confederation are merely the latest usurpers in a chain of succession of the Archonic Wars. The conclusion of this war will determine who was right.

The below list of Archons is not exhaustive. There are many lesser-known Cthonic cults in Conliah, and Lodumpans know of Archons that Conlians had never heard of. Likewise, only some Archons known in Conliah are also known in Lodumpis, and Archons which are known in both continents are always given different names and interpreted with different emphases.

Name Title Gender Domain(s) Notes
Igedeng Father of Bones Male Knowledge, Undead Igedeng's sphere is called the Deadwoods, an endless forest of dead trees partially illuminated by the crescent moon. He is the patron of necromancers. Igedeng's cults are called the Tenkerlads, necromantic researchers who seek his blessings of knowledge of evil magic. His symbol is a crescent moon. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Igedeng is female, and is known as Pestium the Rot Mother.
Lozie Strife Maker Male Chaos, Pranks Lozie's sphere is called the Clashcircus, an enormous circus tent where mortals dress as jesters endlessly battle each other with ridiculous weapons like food and children's toys. The Clashcircus is populated by Fluttermice, enormous flying mice who harass mortals who refuse to fight in the arena. Lozie's cults are called the Spokefuglads, bands of pranksters who wander between towns creating unnecessary strife between townfolk. Mortals corrupted by Lozie become Laffids, granting them the power to shape-shift while making their true physical forms repulsive. His symbol is an apple with a bite taken out of it.
Ogzim Lord of the Void Male Darkness, Silence Ogzim's sphere is called the Starless Abyss. There is no land there, only an immense ocean covering the entire sphere. The sky is pitch black, and even the light of fire seems to be absorbed into the void. Nightcreeps inhabit the Starless Abyss on permanent wooden rafts. Ogzim's cults are called the Tyvenlads, criminal syndicates who steal in his name. Mortals corrupted by Ogzim become Zoners, which turns them completely invisible. His symbol is a face with closed eyes. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Ogzim is female, and is known as Umbrarum the Lady of Shadows.
Lize Harvester of Mortals Female War, Torture Lize's sphere is called the Reaping Grounds. Endless fields of wheat are fed by the blood of mortals who her cultists have tortured and slain. Mortals who are phased into her sphere are subject to eternal torment by her Cthonians, the Tormentors. These Tormentors are eight-foot-tall muscular humanoids with horns, crimson skin, leathery wings, and hooked tails. Lize's cults are called the Overvelderlads, aspiring conquerors who summon Cthonian servants to aid in their conquest of all of Conliah. Her symbol is a helmet, shield and spear. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Lize is male, and is known as Pastorum the Ghost Thief.
Uluzing Mistress of Ends Female Fate, Death Uluzing's sphere is called the Quaking Peaks. This is a narrow mountain path which leads to an endless abyss on both sides, where mortals must carefully tread without wandering too far in either direction. Furthermore, they are subject to continuous earthquakes that threaten to send them onto one or the other side of the abyss. Uluzing's cults are called the Morderlads, cold-blooded killers who perform assassinations for hire. Her symbol is a knife dripping with blood. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Uluzing is male, and is known as Ultimatum the End Maker.
Lundazing Queen of Destruction Female Rebellion, Power In the Age of Might Makes Right, Lundazing was a popular deity of the Dwarves. Lundazing's sphere is called Cinderthrone. It is a landscape of obsidian and lava, where the air is thick with smog. Ruins of castles and destroyed statues dot the landscape. Cinderthrone is populated by Dragons and Dragon-like creatures who constantly compete for dominance. She has the power to corrupt mortals into Draklings, which are Dragon-like humanoids. Lundazing's cults are called the Brannenlads, an association of nobles across Conliah who aspire to usurp the Yargyez Emperor. Her symbol is an upside-down torch. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Lundazing is male, and is known as Primarium the Destroyer.
Ulviazing Dream Caller Female Dreams, Illusions Ulviazing's sphere is the Blissful Hollow. Blissful Hollow is filled with petrified trees and spiderwebs created by Arachnaurs. Arachnaurs are centaur-like creatures with the torso of a human and the lower body of a spider. Arachnaurs spin webs and play their strings like musical instruments. Those corrupted by Ulviazing's promises of blissful dreams become insect-like Husks. Ulviazing's cults are called the Gladlads. Her symbol is a red, pointed cap.
Inizozim Prince of Last Strike Male Retribution, Plots Inizozim's sphere is the Mirror Marshes. The Mirror Marshes are a wetland filled with perfectly balanced logs on top of stones. Nagas wander around, ensuring that the weight of each logs is perfectly distributed. Those corrupted by Inizozim become fish-like Gutterplots. Inizozim's cults are called the Grublelads. His symbol is a measuring rod. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Inizozim is female, and is known as Solum the Punisher.
Nabazie Prince of Beasts Male Lust, Rage Nabazie's sphere is the Howling Hall. It is a tremendous, ornate castle populated by Lykoids, humanoid creatures with the faces of wolves. These Lykoids endlessly chase prey animals up and down the halls of the castle. Nabazie's cults are called the Jaktlads. His symbol is three red claw marks. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Nabazie is female, and is known as Vitarum the Sanctioner.
Eovumid Mother of Ills Female Sickness, Blight Eovumid's sphere is the Apothecary of Knives. The Apothecary of Knives is an endless row of prison cells. The guards of this prison are Pulsecutters, beings made of toxic blades bound together. They walk cell by cell, gently cutting the prisoners with their toxic blades, making them more and more sick. Eovumid is the patron of Blood Monsters - undead creatures who spread their illness through contact with their blood. Eovumid's cults are called the Syklads. Her symbol is five snakes tied together by their tails.
Dreze World Bearer Female Endurance, Pain In the Age of Might Makes Right, Dreze was a popular deity of the Dark Elves. Some still worship her in Valorgale. Dreze's sphere is called the Crucible of Tears. It is a land of barren, wind-swept hills dotted with crumbling ruins. Tremendous chains stretch across the land, intended to hold beings of a size beyond mortal comprehension. The Crucible of Tears is populated by Percussors, which are twenty-foot-tall stone statues of a humanoid form that walk in a single direction at a constant pace. They crush anything in their way, and then move on. Her power is called upon by those in bondage. Dreze's cults are called the Tofflads. They are pugilists who engage in bloodsport as a form of devotion. Those who seek her blessing of endurance are transformed into Pertinaxes, which grants the petitioner strength to perform a single task. Her symbol is a solid white circle.
Omuzast Mistress of Revelry Female Madness, Wine In the Age of Might Makes Right, Omuzast was a popular deity of the Halflings. Some still worship her in Middlestone. Omuzast's sphere is the Shining Mansion. It is an ornately decorated mansion full of wine, food, dance halls, and bedrooms. Crawling throughout the Shining Mansion are Fouskalas. These Fouskalas are gelatinous slimes that force themselves into the mouths of mortals who spend too much time in the Shining Mansion, eventually leading to their suffocation. Those corrupted by Omuzast become Sunspawns. Their skin glows radiantly, causing those around them to be instantly attracted them. However, those who walk close to a Sunspawn begin to feel confused. Omuzast's cults are called the Drikenlads. They organize parties where excessive amounts of wine are consumed. Her symbol is a bunch of grapes.
Embe Queen of Forests Female Wilderness, Plants In the Age of Might Makes Right, Embe was a popular deity of the Wood Elves. Some still worship her in Westerwood. Embe's sphere is the Whimsical Grove. It is an inescapable forest with towering trees. Mortals who find themselves in the Whimsical Grove are preyed upon by Angstworms. These are worm-like creatures are twenty feet long and have reptilian hides. Angstworms have no head, face, or eyes, but they have a mouth with razor-sharp teeth. Angstworms are also capable of levitating for short distances. Being in the presence of an Angstworm causes immediate terror. Embe's cults are called the Villiglads. They demolish mills and introduce dangerous animals and aggressively growing plants to the surrounding area. Those corrupted by Embe become Troggles. They begin to walk on all fours, develop a hunched back, and lose their vision. Troggles become very timid, and seek to escape by burrowing underground. Her symbol is a pan flute. In Lodumpis, the equivalent of Embe is male, and is known as Terror the Incomprehensible One.

Ancestor Veneration

While the Imperial Cult does not officially recognize its practice, the veneration of ancestors is widespread across Conliah. It is tolerated as long as it's of a more respectful and sentimental nature, and does not bind souls to objects. Rituals that bind mortal souls to objects are illegal, and inquisitors of the Order of Iazus punish those who practice such ancestor veneration. Ancestor veneration is complicated to regulate, because many of its practitioners either do not understand they are binding souls or do not understand the harm of doing so. These are the major races which practice ancestor veneration:

Cloud Worship

The practice of worshipping clouds appears several times in the history of Conliah. It is a mystery how it arose independently several times. Those who believe in Cloud Worship suggest that its independent development is proof of its truth.

Scholars of the Yargyez Empire have attempted to document the religious beliefs of the Uzvu. Their best understanding is the following:

Before creation, the cosmos was pool of disordered elements called Restokal. This Restokal spontaneously generated three sub-soul substances (these substances which the Uzvu collectively refer to as Komais): Kasa, Rabi, and Iyo. Each Komai was internally complex, and composed of some combination of sunlight and moonlight. When Komai combined with raw elements, it gave properties to those elements based on which Komai was added. Kasa granted metabolism and animation, was entirely composed of sunlight, and tended to sink downwards. Rabi granted agency and intention, was composed of both sunlight and moonlight, and tended to sit idle. Iyo granted higher reasoning, was entirely composed of moonlight, and tended to float upwards. Kasa was abundant, but Rabi and Iyo were more scarce. Kasa, in isolation, is recognized as red soul material.

The three Komais congealed and became Demvegaz. She was self-aware and said, "I will to become many. I will to become born." Then Demvegaz separated the cosmos into the Neaths and Skies, with Arbigard between them. Demvegaz granted part of her Kasa and Rabi to populate the cosmos with plants and animals. This combination of Komais is recognized as yellow soul material. Finally, she granted part of her Kasa, Rabi, and Iyo to populate the cosmos with sentient mortals. This combination of Komais is recognized as green soul material.

In the end, Demvegaz spent all of her Kasa in the act of creation. Her only remaining Komais were Rabi and Iyo. These drifted upwards, and became the clouds. This combination of Komais is recognized as blue soul material. Demvegaz no longer acts in the world, except by interactions with stray Kasa which reaches the skies. Therefore, all common meteorological phenomena are acts of Demvegaz. For the same reason, Cloud Devouts who commune with the clouds know her true will.

However, echoes of Restokal permeated the cosmos after creation. Nothing was perfectly ordered, so all beings had the potential to defy Demvegaz. Continuous sacrifice and discipline was required to uphold order, or else the cosmos would revert to Restokal. It was easy to fall off the path of Demvegaz, and many strayed from her will. A group of magically powerful mortals, now known as Archons, constructed the Hade to divide the Neaths into the "Near Neaths" and the "Far Neaths", and made the Far Neaths their fortress. They preferred red soul material magic for its destructive power, and delighted in harassing the mortals of Arbigard. The Archons pretended to be gods, and created Cthonian armies with red soul material. They did not possess true intellect, but appeared so due to impressions left by their Archon masters. These impressions allowed the Cthonians to autonomously mimic the speech and strategy patterns of their masters. Over many generations, foolish mortals on Arbigard accepted the Archons as gods and sought to appease them.

In Lodumpis, the Uzvu already have extensive experience in rooting out Archon worship. They view Cthonic cults as utterly foolish, but they also openly study red soul material with less stigma than in Conliah's history. Red soul material is acknowledged as dangerous, but not ontologically corrupt. Rather, it is viewed as a component of nature. Due to its destructive power, the Archons favored magic based on red soul material. Also, Archons who physically manifest appear to have red souls because their manifestations are remote-controlled temporary bodies. The green souls of the Archons exist elsewhere in Cthonia, hidden away. Being unaffiliated with the Archons except by sharing a power source, Wretches are viewed as a legitimate magical practice alongside Devouts and Schoolmages which the Uzvu field in their armies.

However, Lodumpans have never heard of the Agathoi or any similar concept. The Uzvu speculate that the Agathoi are a misinterpretation of Demvegaz's power by false equivalence to the Archons. They deny the existence of Asteria as a separate realm for transmigrating souls. Instead, they believe that green souls dissipate upon death, just like the yellow souls of animals. The green soul splits into parts: the Kasa cycles to the neaths, the Rabi remains in Arbigard, and the Iyo cycles to the skies. They do not believe personhood progresses across lives, but that each individual is destroyed upon death.

The Uzvu believe in a different structure of the cosmos than the Imperial Cult. They agree that Ksylia is a sphere, but the Firmament is simply an impenetrable dome that does not phase anywhere. The hemisphere above are the Skies, above the disc of Arbigard, with the Neaths below. The Neaths are divided into the Near Neaths, the Hade, and the Far Neaths. Again, the dome boundary at the bottom of the sphere is not a phasing membrane but an impenetrable boundary which has no special name. The Far Neaths across the Hade is not a separate realm from Ksylia, but a region containing many individual interfaces to Cthonic spheres. The Uzvu reject that Cthonia exists as a separate realm embedded in shared space, but believe Cthonic spheres are remote bubbles of space connected only by phasing. These bubbles hold the primordial Restokal, which the Archons shaped according to their own desires.

Devouts of cloud worship have powers identical to devouts of the Six Guardians, but which Guardian their powers resemble changes depending on the formation of clouds and precipitation.