Solonism

Solonism is a monothestic religion created in the mid-west region of Eldham. The religion worships the "Sun" (Solon) as the creator and destroyer of worlds, and is to be both feared and praised.

Creation of Eldham-Rathnir
Eldham-Rathnir is known to be the Third World created by Solon; the first being Paxia, and the second Jagdas. Both predecessors were destroyed when Solon considered them irredeemable, Paxia becoming Jagdas, and Jagdas the Nether. To avert destroying the Eldham-Rathnir as well, Solon formed the Sunflower from the ashes of Jagdas to serve as guidance for all people.

The Phoenixes
The Phoenixes are mortals who have been deemed pure enough by Solon to reach the enlightened form, the Phoenix, and ascend to the Celestial Plane. The Phoenixes, selected by Solon, are granted the power to survive the ending of worlds-- when burned, they simply rise again from their ashes. Over the course of Jagdas and Paxia, 5 Phoenixes have been chosen.

Zelaqil
The First Mortal whom ascended. Born in a small Paxian town, Zelaqil was the first of Solon's faithful. Not much is known about him aside from his extreme ambitiousness.

Chandia
Born in Paxia, not much is known about her either. It's told she once starved herself to protect her village from famine and, when at death's door, she was ascended for her sacrifice. The truth behind this story is debatable.

Jugrad
The First Phoenix Born in Jagdas, Jugrad was a valiant knight of the Kaihyo Shogunate and Loyally defended the Shogun from rebel forces. His sword, the Netherbane, was rumored to be able to slice a mountain in half.

Murandel
Born in an unknown town in Jagdas, Murandel dedicated his life to travelling around Jagdas in a quest for knowledge and truth. When all he he saw was sin and misfortune on his journeys, Murandel isolated himself in a cave seeking purity. Living in the cave, he only consumed the fish from a nearby river and only spoke to a small, singular Sunflower outside the cave. After he ascended, Murandel assumed a mortal's body and, when they died, laid them beneath a Sunflower. That very sunflower grew and seeded until a valley of sunflowers emerged, where the city of Soliana is now located.

Vasquel
Born in the later period of Jagdas, Vasquel is arguably the least pure of the 5 phoenixes. But what he lacked in purity, he made up in intellect; he invented cheese, alcohol, and many other useful items of the modern age.

Phoenic Vessels
Phoenixes often reincarnate themselves into mortals in Eldham. When a Phoenix has chosen a vessel, the vessel is given the soul of the Phoenix and their old personality is revoked. When the Phoenix decides they wish to leave (or if they are commanded to), the soul of the Phoenix shall be removed and the vessel body will be thrown into lava as part of the cleansing ritual.

Pillars of Purity
Every time a Phoenix ascends, Solon whispered guidance into the sunflowers to make known Pillars of Purity to his followers. They are, in order:


 * 1) "Thou shall love all worshippers of Solon."
 * 2) "Thou shall not lie, cheat, or steal."
 * 3) "Thou shall not slay without warrant."
 * 4) "Thou shall not burn a sunflower."
 * 5) "Thou shall not grief and destroy lands."

Reincarnation
Solonists believe that after dying, all mortals are reincarnated with a new body. The only death that is permanent is by Solon's flames, which will consume all of Eldham-Rathnir in the end, except it's ashes. There is no way to avoid this death, except by ascending as a Phoenix to the Celestial Plane.

Destruction of Eldham-Rathnir
It is told that, when Eldham-Rathnir has become overwhelmed by Evil, Solon will set it aflame. It is debated precisely when this will occur; all that is known is when the day comes, the Sun shall fall to the ground, every Sunflower will wilt, and the earth will be consumed with smoke. Then at last all will be set alight, burning into Ash, which shall be reformed into the Fourth World.

Rituals
Most Solonist rituals include either fire or lava as the Solonists believe that the flame is the purifies and ends all.

The Cleansing Ritual
The Cleansing ritual is undertaken to relive one's body of impurity. In the ritual, the participant jumps into a pit of lava and is burned alive. It is believed that the lava, representing the flames of Solon, destroys the old (sometimes sinful) body and purifies the soul, allowing the participant to emerge a new person. The Cleansing Ritual acts as a way to initiate new followers into the religion, but can also be used as a punishment for criminals and disbelievers.

The Guidance Ritual
The Guidance ritual is a ritual focused on interpreting omens from Sunflowers. The Ritual begins when a priest takes a drink of Holy Water, an alcoholic beverage, and stands in front of a Sunflower. The Priest, temporarily channelling the spirit of a Phoenix, shall read the Sunflower and shall speak their prophecy aloud, the meaning of which is interpreted by onlookers.

The Marriage Ritual
Monogamous Marriage, the legal union between two people, is of pivotal significance in the Faith. Solonists believe that marriage is a merger of Souls and is an expression of purity. The First part of the Ritual is the Ceremony. In it, none, excepting the Priest and the engaged couple, may speak, and a Sunflower must be present. The vows spoken between the spouses often mirror the following: "I, [name], promise to love, cherish, honor, and defend you. I swear on the Sun above I shall be faithful to you and only you till I am taken by Solons holy flames."

The Second part of the ritual is the merging of Souls. The Two newly-weds are moved into separate rooms each with a trapdoor over lava with (preferable loud) music playing. The priest shall count down, and both newly-weds shall leap into the lava; burning together. After this, the priests declares the souls unified. If one or both do not leap into the flames, the marriage is voided and those left unburnt are humiliated.

Hierarchy
The Order of Solon, founded by High Solir Rai Solonéc, and currently headed by High Solir Jugrar, is the organisation which represents all mainstream Solonists. The High Solir holds the ultimate authority over the order, assisted by the Solir, who is the highest ranking religious official in the city except for the High Solir. Directly subordinate to the Solir are the Solla, the Solla are recognised priests, anointed by the High Solir himself.

The Anointed Knights of Jugrad
The Anointed Knights of Jugrad are a Solonist Holy Order of Knights who's goal is to protect the Solonists of the world. They are headed by the Solir, and are based upon the third Phoenix, Jugrad, the patron of all knights.

History
Although Solonist legends claim that Solon had revealed himself in Paxia and Jagdas it was not until he made contact with the tribes of Old Soliana that the earliest forms of Solonism would be birthed in the Third World. These tribes, known altogether as the Solianen would unite under the common religion of Solonism. Solon's chosen race however, would be the elven Soleri people who grew heavily dependent on their god. It was not until Rai Solonéc, the first High Solir of Solonism that the religion would begin to grow as one of the major Eldham religions, and then under leadership of Serys Yinower-Blizun became the third biggest global religion, with followers spanning both worlds just as Eldham and Rathnir came to an end and where destroyed by Solon.

The nomadic Solianen people under Rai would eventually settle the city Soliana around the area of modern-day Austonia. In this city the first Eldhamite Solonist temple was created. Due to tensions between the Soliana and the neighboring cities of Shadowspeak and Austonia, Soliana was paid 30,000 Denars by Shadowspeak to move its location. The Solianen migrants moved west, eventually settling in west Phoenia in what they believed was "Valley of Sunflowers" where Murandel had lived and died. The new Soliana became the holy land of the Solonist religion, its Great Temple being built in the cave in which Murandel had lived.