Noxism

Noxism is a faith native to the continent of Nieden, It revolves around the 6 main "Dyvrechi" who watch and protect the people of the earth. Ruled by the Gildrich of the sky and darkness Afton, the Noxists communicate with the dyvrechi by sleeping in the night and respecting the will of the dyvrechi. In its highest Noxism dominated over all the central North of Rathnir in Helmia, Khanji and the Wandering Desert.

The Noxist Vudynn is comprised of myths and tales which are passed on from ear to ear, it is for this reason and the ideals and beliefs are vague and highly debated upon by scholars of the faith.

History
The Noxist Vudynn or Pantheon was founded in a region which today is home to the people of Simulami. After being persecuted by the natives (called Sun Worshippers), the followers of the faith with the guide of Roris, arrived at Helmia, built the grand temple, the Aftonsal, on the city of Sovdal and dominated the land for over a thousand years.

The population dropped after the fall of the Sterling Crownlands, and after a failed crusade by a Noxvraeld driven mad by a dream, a local religion in Helmia drove the Noxist population to near 0 and destroyed the Aftonsal. The only surviving Noxists were the ones located on Kyddrosil and a new community which rose on an island off the shore of Simulami in Night Water Port which saved the faith from extinction.

After the downfall, a hand full of Noxists decided to establish a "reborned" Noxist movement and with a massive success, the Dariien Noxist movement with its three key principals: Peace, Preservation and Prosperity, achieved the repopulation of Noxists not only in Helmia but also in the wandering desert and the original Noxists homeland in upper Nieden.

Now the movement has become a fully fledged church and many nations have Noxism as a state religion and many towns have a shrine dedicated to a Noxist dyvrech.

Core Beliefs
In Noxism there are many ideals and beliefs, but because of the nature of the pantheon, some might not agree on certain ideals, Noxism is an explanation of the nature of our world and its true colours. To be a Noxist is to direct yourself to the better of the world and to serve the dyvrechi so they will watch over you and protect you. As every Noxist may see the core ideals different, these are the core ideals according to the author of this page, Alrond Stensar.


 * In Noxist, the ancient language of the faith, there is no word for "sin", this topic is very controversial but there is a saying: "One bad deed does not make a man evil if he is good in heart". Although there are things that are frowned upon in the faith such as the arts of the mystics, these things do not show ones true self, if you are a good man, you do not need to constantly show it, committing what might call a "sin" as a good man will not anger the dyvrechi.
 * "Baldemar brings everyone dreams while alive and bring them to the same place while dead, regardless of religion" - Noxvraeld Cavalain Caprea. According to some, one core belief in Noxism is equality, as stated above, everyone gets dreams, even the none believes. We have faith in the dyvrechi for good luck and communication, we do not want to anger the them after all and yet still we all get the same treatment, even the ones who believe in different things are still acceptable and tolerated. To become Noxist is to simple act in the ways the dyvrech want because in their eyes, we are all the same.
 * Once in a lifetime, Noxists are obliged to make a pilgrimage to the city of Sovdal to see the grand temple, the Aftonsal. This tradition has a couple of reasons: Firstly, this action shows respect to the ruler of the dusk skies, Afton, the ruler of all dyvrechi and to thank him for making our world the way it is. Secondly, after the rough history of the faith, going to the walls of Sovdal is a show of victory and survival and makes the faith united.

The Dyvrechi
The Noxist Vudynn is compromised on a vast amount of dyvrechi, however there are 6 main dyvrechi who are prayed upon, they are:

- Afton, dyvrech of dusk and darkness.

Afton is the god of darkness itself. He is revered as the bringer of night. Every dusk ancient Noxists used to burn incense and sing dark prayers to the god. He is the protector of all darkness wielders such as Magicians, Musicians and Witches, but he also cares for all while we sleep.

Afton is seen as a wrathful ruler who should always be kept happy. In fact there are tales of an ancient sky monsters which he sent to punish those who would not sleep, and it is also said that Afton himself made the creatures that lurk in the night to keep all in bed. But make no mistake, Afton is not cruel, follow his teachings and he will protect you from these creatures and even reward you.

There is an ancient Noxist temple called Aftonsal in Sovdal dedicated to him which has been resurrected by its citizens. Modern Noxists always keep a light on their shrine alongside some coal or flint to appease the god.

There is a Noxist legend revolving around Afton defeating the sun, who had declared war against the night, and later abducting his son, Auron as his own.

- Luna, dyvrech of the night sky.

Luna is revered as the night sky itself. She is the incarnation of the moon and the stars. She is the protector of all night workers, police, prostitutes, chariot drivers, medics, tavern keepers and also sailors.

She is said to have used her powers to create a bright light in Afton's domain, later known as the polar star, which lead the Noxists north, where they would be safe from oppression.

She is a very peaceful goddess and likes to honor those who serve her. Ancient Noxists used to care for beautiful flowers that would bloom at night for the goddess. This practice has survived to the modern times, as Noxist often have Lilies of the valley at their houses, gardens and shrines.

The Myth goes that Luna sacrificed her eye so she could protect her followers and see them at the night, her eye became the moon and because of that she wears a vail over her face to cover the hole that has opened.

- Auron, dyvrech of the the day sky and crops.

Auron is the son of the sun itself, ruling over the day sky, the clouds, fire, crops and sunflowers.

Auron was not always part of the Noxist pantheon, he is, after all, the son of the sun. Once he was seen as a god by those who worshiped the sun, but as the sun lost a war against Afton, Auron was taken to reassure there would be no further conflict.

He once tried to recreate the feats of his father, but failed, and created the red planet which was named after himself.

He is a lustful god who likes to party but only after a hard day's work. He is the protector of farmers, bakers, traders, builders and mercenaries. At dawn his followers rang a massive bell to symbolize his arrival. It is also believed that ancient Noxists practiced a hedonistic ritual for him, involving ale and rum. Today, only the bell ritual is practiced.

- Aeder, dyvrech of the oceans and winds.

Aeder is the dyvrech of the sea and the weather.

Aeder roams the seas, every step he takes waves appear, every sound he makes,when he crosses the land, rain starts to fall, he walks years on years, never to stop.

Aeder is a mysterious god and the least worshiped out of the six, he is considered to be quite and very emotional, he often shows his emotions with the weather that he casts, great winds as a sign of anger or heat waves as a sign of stress.

Often he roams around the world, anytime he does so, he brings rains and storms with him.

Aeder is the patriot dyvrech for sailors, fishermen and boatbuilders.

- Baldemar, the bringer of dreams.

Baldemar is the bringer of dreams, dyvrech of foresight and the ruler of the dream world. He is also regarded as the one who deals with all things humans and intelligent creatures.

Baldemar visit the people of Rathnir every night to bring them dreams, regardless of whether or not they believe in him.

He was once known as the god of mysticism by the ancient Noxists, giving people the power of seeing both the dreamworld (the land of the dead) and the land of the living. Now that power has long been abandoned as it brought it's user closer to death.

He is often the patriot dyvrech of scholars, spies and physicians who wish to learn more about the world. People can sometimes sense his presence while sleeping, but nobody has ever seen him in person, though at very rare circumstances, he may leave gifts for his faithful followers, never expecting anything in return.

Some believe that lightning is Baldemar traveling down to the earth, staying for several days at times. Some believe this is foolishness, stating that he would not make a noise that loud if he wanted to bring people dreams.

Every night, Baldemar walks by the streets of every town and collects their souls. Before leaving he stops for a sip of water at the burial mounds while the souls take a bite of the offerings that their families have left for them in their shrines.

It is said that falling stars are souls trying to escape from him, but few ever succeed.

A long time ago, Baldemar used to grant those who followed him the power to bring back a soul to it's body for the duration of no more than three days, but this was later forbidden by Afton, as he saw this as cruel.

- Roris, dyvrech of protection and warfare

Roris is the dyvrech of protection and warfare, of bravery and honor.

According to legend she and the nomadic people she led claimed the island of Errenfeldt, which they were led to by the goddess Luna, when she was leading them away from the southerners who were unable to tolerate them. There she built a large temple known as Aftonsal in honor to Afton.

As thanks to her service, leading people to safety in a time of panic, Afton granted her the powers of a god.

She is the patriot deity of soldiers, knights, guards, pilgrims, armorers and hunters. She expects her most loyal followers to dedicate to her a shield, that they themselves may use to protect others. She is also known as the main deity of the Rorian Knights and the Noxist members of Aurora.

Minor Dyvrechi
Apart from the six main dyvrechi, there are also minor ones with less influence on the world, these are:

- Morana/Maeryna

...

Sects
In Noxism's long history, there have been different beliefs in the structure of the dyvrechi and their power.

Bernish Noxism: Founded by the people of Luel Bern, Bernish Noxism believes that Luna and Afton share the same duty of ruling over the dyvrechi and protecting the people.

Aulder Noxism: Found in the island of Aul Aer, Aulder Noxism believes that Auron, being the son of the sun, holds a similar amount of power with Afton.

Auronism: Founded in the northern district of Sovdal and later moved to what is now known as "Auron's Peak", believes that Auron has surpassed Afton in power and is the sole ruler of the dyvrechi.

Dariien Noxism: An offshoot of traditional Noxism with the addition of 3 key principals: Peace, Prosperity and Preservation which hold everything together.

Temples and Burial Grounds
Temples:

In order to pay homage and respect to the dyvrech, Noxists build temples dedicated to a dyvrech. The temples are used to communicate directly to the dyvrechi, unlike dreams which are the way of the dyvrechi to communicate with us.Burial Grounds:

In the darkest hours of the night, after the living body gives up, Baldemar shows up to take the soul of the body to the dreamworld for an enternal sleep.

Death is eternal sleep, and to sleep peacefully, a comfortable surface is required, for this reason Noxists build in their towns Burial Grounds with beds to lay the lifeless bodies to rest in peace.

Personal Shrine:

In a bedroom without a bed, Noxists are encourged to build a personal shrine with a light source and food in order for the guest to be able to communicate with the dyvrechi if the need arises.



Instructions to build a Noxist temple
The temples have generally a round shape. The primary block should be quartz which can be mixed with diorite or birch logs.

The prominent feature of the temples should be some big arches surrounding the building.

In the center there can be anything from a tree, statue or tower. This main feature is normally surrounded by a small wooden building.