Avatarian religion
From MoongatesWiki
The Avatarian religion is a faith based around the central figures of the the Avatar and the Guardian, with a strong emphasis on the Virtues. Originally a unique aspect of the Guardsmen Militia and the wider Crossroads of Yew (CoY) community, the Avatarian religion has since spread to the younger, but no less successful Baronship of Cove. There are a number of notable differences in creed between the two guilds; for example in Yew all elves are deemed as Guardian Spawn, while in Cove this extends only to drow. Despite such divisions the two bear much in common, and have on occasion stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Better a schismatic than a heathen, afterall. From an out-of-character perspective, the Avatarian relgion draws heavily on Judeo-Christian beliefs – with a singular deity, a saviour, a corrupter, and concepts of holy war and inquisition.
The Avatarian religion stands in contrast to the System of Infinity, which is embraced by most other loyalist guilds on Europa.
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The Higher Being
Central to Avatarian belief is the Higher Being, alternativelty known as the True God, the King of Heavens, or simply the Lord. He is the creator of all; both good, and by way of his traitorous servant, the Guardian, evil. All acts play out to his plan, and all deeds are done, right or wrong, in his name. Opinions of His nature differ, though for those who believe, his hand can be seen in all things.
Many equate him to the Time Lord, often seen in times of change, or preceeding events of great importance.
The Avatar and the Guardian
Though sects differ on the precise nature of the Avatar and his rival, the Guardian, they are both at the heart of all versions of the faith. The Guardian is viewed as the personification of all sin, evil, and immoral thought - the corrupter. On the other hand, the Avatar is beleived to be the very model of virtue - the saviour. This is held to be almost universal canon. Dogma dictates that both are seperate entities, one, a traiorous Archangel, the other the Higher Being made flesh, his mortal manifestation. However, some heretics believe that the two are halves of a greater deity, reflecting the flaws and the brilliance of mortal creatures, a belief suppressed ever since the cult's conception, in the decades following Mondain's defeat.
The Archangels
In Avatarian myth, the Higher Being was served by a number of demigods, the Archangels, or Titans. These beings are the representatives of base elements, and can be attributed to certain Virtues and Sins. Pyros, the Archangel of Fire, for example, might also be seen as the personification of Valour and Greed. Worship of the Archangels is frowned upon, though not considered heretical; it is only when one holds these lesser beings above the Avatar or Higher Being that one steps into the realm of heresy (as in the Besiegers' Revolt, for example). The Guardian is believed to have been an Archangel – the Titan of Ether or Mana – prior to his betrayal. It has been speculated in the past that these Archangels are essentially perennial gods, inherrited from old heathen pantheons by the Avatarian faith in it's infancy. As with all such claims, however, it is unwise to state such in public. Their portrayal in art and religious iconography varies – from oversized Elementals, to vast and winged beings of blinding beauty.
The Four Titans
The Guardianspawn
Born of the Guardian's envy and loathing, these creatures have haunted the nightmares of humanity and other goodly races for countless centuries. Amidst their number can be counted orcs, ogres, lizardmen, undead, drow, and in Yew – controversially, the elves. Believed bound by their very blood to his service, the Guardianspawn are said to be tainted by inherent sin. It is a curse that cannot easily be broken, but with enough time, dedication, and piety even those of the darkest blood can recieve the Avatar's light. One example worthy of note is the drowish Lady D'Gar, wife to the Lord Protector of Yew. The ability to convert others is by no means exclusive to the Avatar's followers, for not all Guardianspawn are truly of his loins. Since the very dawn of time there have been those forcibly bound to his will, tricked into serving his ends, or following him willingly – the likes of Eva, Mondain, Minax, and Lord Blackthorn to name but a few.
The Saints
Men and women deemed pious in life and divine in death are often canonised by the Churches; usually for service to the faith, but sometimes simply through merit of their life and story. Saints are commonly deemed patrons of a particular profession, organisation, or even town, though this is not an enforced practice. Some saints are specific to certain sects, though many are accepted by all as martyrs of the Avatar. Icons of the saints are often shown bearing an ankh in one or both hands, a sign of their divinity, immortality, and closeness to the Higher Being. Various saintly relics can be found across the Avatarian north, most often in the form of bones.
Notable Saints
The Virtues
The cult of the Virtues plays a significant part in the Avatarian creed, and differs little from it's traditional form. It is because of this connection that followers of Virtue are often seen in the eyes of Avatarians as kindred, simply untouched by the Avatar's light. The Avatar is known to have built the shrines of Virtue with his own hands following the defeat of Mondain. Things become complicated, however, when the question of Compassion is raised. In Yewish – and Covian, due to recent reform – faith Compassion is deemed the False Virtue, a trick of the Guardian, integral to the tale of the corruption of Zog and Eva, the first Humans. Eva's compassion for the Elf, the Guardian's first son, resulted in a sickly affair, and the ruin of all she and her husband Zog had sought to build. Seeing the seeds of taint thus sewn, the Higher Being bid Zog cast the spell of Armageddon, so that the world might be born anew. This tale is also integral to the faith-spanning view of women as weak-willed and servile beings, not to be trusted by righteous men. Compassion, it is said, is the bane of vigiliance. Though not seen as a sin, it is most certainly not considered holy and exists only to test the will and piety of true Avatarians. It is unclear whether this belief is in keeping with the original doctrine, or has emerged in later years.
Symbology
Due to its reverance of the Avatar, the Ankh is seen to be the foremost symbol of the faith. Its golden form festooned His surcoat at the slaying of Mondain, and symbolised both the eternal nature of the Higher Being, and the immortality of goodly souls. As it is displayed on the shrines of Virtue, so too can it be found at the fore of all Avatarain churches and temples - most often behind the central altar. For one to wear the ankh upon ones person, however, signifies a belief in ones own equality with the Lord; for it is His sign. As such its use by mortal man is taken as an act of heresy. In its place the Red Sword is commonly found, symbolising his sacred blade, drenched in the blood of the Father of Wytches - the sign of Valour. Over the years the sword has turned into a cross, as portrayed on Templi clothing. For one not of the Church to wear the sword, or to "take the cross", implies ones total servitude to the lord Avatar, and as such is most often applied to the act of joining a crusade. The icons of Virtue are also regularly used, such as the Codex Symbol (a Hexagram, or dismissing Compassion, Septagram), the scales of Justice, and the sword of Valour. The Archangel Pyros is represented within the Besieger Brotherhood by way of a huge torch, wrought of blackened iron.
The Church of Yew
- "Thou art accused of being an Elf! How shalt thou plead?"
- — Inquisitor Salrathian
Since time immemorial Yew has been dominated by its priesthood. Before the rise of the Avatarian creed, and the enforced conversion that followed, it was a realm dominated by its Druids, a caste of men whom held supreme authority over all affairs, not just religious, but political, judiciary, and on occasion martial. Though the faith may no longer be the same, and the Druids themselves long dead, their legacy lives on. Nowadays the Church of Yew bears more authority than any other religious organisation on mainland Sosaria, able to exert their might on all levels of mainstream Yewish society.
The history of the Avatarian faith in Yew is both bloody and long, though it remains hard to come by - with so many details kept hidden by the Church itself. What is clear for all to see, with or without the presence of textbooks, is that the conversion of Yew was no simple or speedy thing. Such is evidenced by the presence of heathenous or out-right godless communities in the dense woods and far north of the province.
Without a doubt the Yewish sect of Avatarianism is the strictest and most puritanical of all. Because of this the Church has made its fair share of foes. Though on the outside Yew may appear a province of zealots, it has throughout its history been subject to countless heresies, anti-Clergy revolts, and blatant displays of Guardian-worship. To combat this the Church's inquisitorial element - the Magistrate - have become increasingly prevelant. Since their rise, all internal sedition - both political and religious - has duly been crushed, and always in spectacular fashion. The Magistrate now hold such power that they could infact be considered the heirs of the pagan Druids, exerting much the same influence, and holding equal powers of life and death over their fellow Yewmen. Though unless one wishes to end one's existance on a pyre, it would be best to keep such comparisons private.
The Church of Cove
Covian legends speak of its Church's heroic rise centuries ago, though exact dates and documents are seldom seen by those outside the clerical circles. The father of Cove's Avatarian community, St. Keldor, is notable for single-handedly converting much of Cove to the fledgling and disorganised faith, and taking sword and fire to the Higher Being's foes in the tiny, backwater hamlet. Keldor's divine war against the Guardian's spawn and servants spelt his end, meeting his eventual demise at the hands of the wytches and daemon-worshippers who had made the mountains of Cove their home for centuries. That Keldor was a Yewish missionary, or a native convert, remains a point of some debate.
The mark his mythical deeds left upon Cove can still be seen today, setting a traditon of Crusade unparalelled in Sosaria. As such it is an organisation dominated by its Knightly caste, in stark contrast to the supremacy of the ever watchfull Magistrate in neighbouring Yew.
The Church of Cove has often been accused of corruption by a regretably impious army, a claim that in recent years culminated with the clergy's eviction, and exile to the safety of Yew. Headed by Sir Hugo of Rothermere – a descendant of Saint Keldor – the Church have since returned, and are now doing all they can to cut out the cancer of heresy and godlessness in Cove. The zealous Templar Seneschal, Father Siegfried, has also played a significant role in the reform of the Avatarian faith in the tradeport. Under his guidance certain elements of Yewish Orthodoxy have been introduced; such as the concept of false virtue, and stricter treatment for mages.
However hardened their line on magery may have lately become, unlike their Yewish counterparts the Clergy of Cove continue to permit the use of magic, provided that the user is sanctioned and branded. A sanctioned mage would be deemed an Arcanist, whereas their unsanctioned counterparts would bear the traditional slur of Wytch, and be suited for the pyre. This remains a key source of antagonism between the two churches.
