Northern Lux

Northern Lux is an offshoot of Lux in Yulara, and more specifically Lennox. Lennox was one of the first nations to convert to Lux. However, the distance between it and the birth place of the religion, Solisios, reduced the influence of the clergy, and the long time since conversion only made differences more likely. These would be brought by Lennox’s own folklore, that would find a new context in this religion, and by the influence of noxist people from eastern Syltor.

Lux
The Sun Goddess. She herself changed very little from the original luxite religion. Lux is still the goddess of life, strength, and light, and she is still in war with another, darker god. The only real differences are her alleged actions. She is often described as kind, merciful, generous, but also prideful, honest to the point of not being able to lie, and with a habit of rarely giving up. She has the appearance of a beautiful woman wearing a white dress and a golden glowing crown. She is also shown to hold a golden staff, but there is also a number of artwork depicting her with a sword and a shield.

It is rumored that she can appear in the desert to those that are lost or starving, and give direction or even divinely replenishing one’s forces. But she is also known for her more spectacular miracles. Like during the siege of Luxios, when after a generous sacrifice all the defenders acquired a supernatural protection against the enemy, and thus turning the tide of the battle. Fire is often used to symbolize her, but its importance is actually far greater, as it is told that to create fire is actually to partially summon her. This can be seen as contradictory since fire is deadly to all life, of which Lux is the goddess. But it must be known that the deity herself is aware of this, and the reason why she still allow her power to be summoned so easily is simply because without fire… There wouldn’t be any civilization, and so life would be way harsher for everyone. This is why she is said to value intentions above everything else and isn’t afraid of the consequences.

Tenebris
The Dark God. He is the Master of the Night, and everything it hides, like dreams, those that seek enlightenment, secrets and plots, sleep, and death. He is depicted as wrathful, cunning, and secretive. But he is also very patient, respectful of those he deems worthy, and sometimes even playful. Unlike Lux, Tenebris’s actual appearance is unknown, as the god possess the ability to shape-shift. And so, he may appear one time as a serpent, another as a shadow, and later as a fish. But he is most often represented as a human-like figure, and so this is assumed to be its most likely appearance, also because this is how Lux look.

However A scholar named Lhatron actually studied the question for years, even going so far as to briefly enter in direct contact with the god, which is exceedingly rare, as Tenebris usually prefer dreams and presages. No one know what truly happened during the audience, only that following it, Lhatron would lose all sanity, with only those four words in his mouth: “I TRULY SAW HIM!”

When the night comes, all are under his watch, like a protector for those who let themselves succumb to sleep, or like a predator for those who dare to keep their eyes open. It is actually something parents in Lennox teach their kids about very early: “If you don’t sleep, Tenebris will came from under your bed and eat you!”

In truth, there hasn’t been a single known case of the god literally eating a child, and so it would seem that those parents are actually blaspheming in a minor way. But there hasn’t been a single known case of the god smiting those kind of parents either, as if he actually don’t mind that saying if it is to make them sleep. Also, who came up with it?

But children are not the only one fearing him. Prayers and calls through cities are made by the Duatim (priests) to warn for the coming of night and at dawn to celebrate its passing. Burnt offerings are made at dusk each night to placate Tenebris on the behalf of the population. Sailors are required to offer the largest fish of their catch upon their return at dusk, and travellers are required to leave a precious item of their possession as a gift to ensure the safety of their journeys. A storm or natural disaster occuring at night is seen as a sign of Tenebris' displeasure, and the following dusk the Duatim are required to sacrifice double the previous evening's offering.

Darakon
The Demigod, son of Lux. Paradoxically, his fame and feats are greater than most half forgotten gods, only being surpassed in importance by Lux and Tenebris. It is very hard to explain why, without also explaining its story. And so, here’s a short summary of the most complete version:

Many millennia ago, humanity was already walking on the earth, living, fighting, eating, and dying… All without closing their eyes to sleep a single time. All of life was just one long and uninterrupted struggle, with no dreams or higher purposes. This would enrage the god Tenebris, as the humans did not respected the night. To punish them, the wrathful god would send on earth a colossal snake with scales of iron, that would give birth to abominable creatures, such as enormous spiders, exploding horrors, and corpses brought back to life. Those monsters would come to torment any who refused to sleep, killing many in the process. Upon seeing this, Lux would start helping mankind by burning all the creatures away with her rays. But Tenebris was a cunning one, because as soon as the night returned, the serpent would resurrect those creatures, who would resume their tormenting of mankind. The Goddess would have descended on earth and killed the snake herself, if it wasn’t for the Aspeidon that would have collapsed. And so, she decided to give birth to a being that would be strong enough to slay the beast, but also weak enough to walk among mortals. Of the father nothing is known, apart from the fact that he was human nortfolk, and that his son was known as Darakon. The first of the many prodigies that would surround the child was the lighting of his Soulcandle, which instead of an habitual light-bluish flame, produced a golden fire. Upon growing, his other gifts would be revealed to him as superhuman capacities and the ability to not be affected by fire, earning the then adolescent a reputation across all the region, including his tribe’s enemies. They wouldn’t attack until Darakon’s Patronage ritual, when he was away from his tribe, which was his enemies’ first target. The fight was tragically quick, as they grew weak due to the over-reliance on the child of the Goddess, who would be the next to be massacred. As Darakon was still travelling towards the shrine of what he thought was going to be his patron god, he would find himself ambushed by dozens of warriors. Despite his abilities, the young man knew it wouldn’t be enough and that he would die there, alone and far from home. And so, with sadness in hearth, he started his last stand. For hours he fought and killed, during which each second could have been his last. When the sun was setting, the silence had just recently came back to the battlefield which was now covered in blood and corpses. Not far above them stood Darakon, bleeding, agonizing, too exhausted and hurt to being able to do anything. As the night came, so did the monsters, who were more than ready to finish of the young man. But as they draw ever closer, a sudden light blinded him. When he recovered sight, all the creatures were burning, and he was completely healed. Before him, stood a women he immediately recognized as his mother: Lux Herself. The Goddess would reveal to him his true fate: killing the Iron Snake, and give him a sword she made to help him slaying the beast. Knowing this, the Demigod would start his real journey across the cold lands of the north. He would eventually find the snake, and felt the earth trembling on its wake. But it wasn’t going anywhere, as it was running in circle across an enormous distance, but was still long enough to be able to bite its tail. However, the size of the creature was also its weakness, as it prevented it from noticing the Hero planning on its demise. And after that planning, Darakon decided to climb on the gargantuan head, cutting himself numerous times on the razor sharp scales. On the top, he would plant his sword between the two eyes of the creature, effectively melting the iron that protected the spot and killing the serpent. This would put a definitive end to the monster attacks during night, and as a gift for the feat, Lux would grant him with great fortune for the rest of what he thought would be a peaceful life. But unfortunately the death of the snake brought the attention of another god: Tenebris, who would be absolutely enraged at the Demigod, and curse him with great misfortune for the rest of his life, and nightmares every time he would try to sleep.

Blessed and cursed at the same time, Darakon would go on to have a tormented life filled with both moments of misery and happiness that seemingly competed for dominance over his life. Watching this would slowly shift Tenebris’s mood, from the wrath and thirst of vengeance he first had, to a strange fascination and even respect. To the point that one night, a great black hawk would come and take him before the god, who would take him prisoner.

In the present day, Darakon has a worship, though it is very minor compared to the two other gods, and is mainly practiced by dragoonids, who are his descendants. The qualities attached to him are quite similar to his mother Lux, but with elements of sadness and ineluctable tragedy added to it.

Other Gods
Unlike many sun-based religion, including the main Luxite branch, this sect does not recognize the existence of any other (full) gods beside Lux and Tenebris. The reason is simply that they believe that all the other Gods were killed during the Eternal War. However, in the main Luxite branch, both Lux and Tenebris is said to have three children each that all are minor gods: Paridu, Wajdu, Parabu for Lux, and Cutu, Kejde, and Pburadi for Tenebris. While these still exist and worshiped to an extent in the northern sect, they are rather seen as demigods similar to Darakon.

The Eternal War
The abduction of Darakon would spark a war between the Gods, that still last to this very day. The conflict would oppose Lux, who wants her child liberated, Tenebris, that no amount of diplomacy could convince to give Darakon away. At first, a multitude of other Gods participated to the war on both sides, but the battle was such that, one after another, the deities would be killed, and the sky itself would began to fall at some places. Today, the only surviving deities are Lux and Tenebris, who are still battling through the skies. When Lux take the advantage over Tenebris, the day appears and the night vanishes, and vice versa for God of night. It must be noted that the day-night cycle actually predate The Eternal War, the difference being that before it, the cycle was not a battle between the Gods, but a slow and harmonious dance between them, making the days and nights last for way longer. It is currently impossible for both Lux or Tenebris to triumph over the other, and beyond eternal day/night, the consequences of one god killing the other are unknown.

The Sea
In some cultures, water symbolize peace, rest, but also ambiguity and balance. In that Luxite sect, water is a very ambiguous element. While precious to any living being, especially in the dry climates where most of Lux's followers lives, water is also synonymous with the abysses where one can drown in complete darkness. It is believed that all water in the world actually comes from the heavens, which would in actuality be a vast ocean that sometimes falls on earth as rain. While it is clear that this also happened before Darakon’s abduction, some may speculate that most of the rain in the present day is actually caused by the Eternal War, which would still cause havoc through the heavens after thousand of years. It is even theorized that if given enough time, the entirety of the sky will eventually fall on earth, drowning the entire world. Some people rather think that water is nothing less than the Gods’ Blood. Their reasoning is based on the fact that, when the Iron Snake decayed, its blood formed the Sea of Pearls, at the center of which Yulara currently sit. And since this was a divine creature, it can be speculated that this is also the case for Lux, Tenebris, and all the other dead Gods. However, it must be kept in mind that this is the belief of only a minority.

All of this gave water its symbolism of death, rebirth, but also of something greater.

The Aspeidon
Our world is surrounded by the Void, a place where everything simply cease to exist, be it living beings, or even the very laws of reality. And while this plane can be accessed by going to great depths and somehow breaking the Deep Rock, the truth is that this plane is everywhere around us. The reason why the world still exist in these conditions is that there is a second, immaterial, barrier: the Aspeidon. Little is known about it, only that it can be weakened, or even broken by the actions of divine beings on this plane, or extremely powerful spells, like the one that caused Khonopeos’ destruction.

The Afterlife
For the dead in the main Luxite religion, there are two paths: either the soul will fuel the Eternal Flame, or it will be cast into the void by Tenebris. In the Northern Lux sect however, this is quite different, as it add two other possible fate for the deceased: if the person that died pleased Tenebris by their quality, instead of fueling of the Eternal Flame, they will be taken to a never ending dream and become spirits. And if the person that died was a king, or an exceptional figure, they will go to one of the God, but instead of merely serving as fuel for their powers, they will instead become the God’s adoptive children.

Numerology
This faith places an emphasis on numerology in key areas. The numbers 2, 3, 6 and 33 are seen as good omens if appearing naturally due to their signification, and often are seen carved above the door to a residence or into the pillar of a temple for good luck.

Two represent of course Lux and Tenebris, the two main Gods. Three is the number of planes in this world: The Void, The Earth, and the Heavens. Six represent a day night cycle, as the two gods go through all of the three planes. Finally, Thirty-three is the number of years Darakon lived under both the blessing of Lux and the curse of Tenebris.

The Stars
It is believed that the Heavens and Rathnir are not separated by the Stars, instead seeing the Stars as entirely sentient beings, created by Lux from her ichor. This ichor was spilled during long past battles with Tenebris, forming the first stars. These stars themselves are treated as minor deities, which are supposed to guide the faithful during the time of Tenebris, when the night is at it's strongest. If obscured by cloud, the disappearance of the stars is considered a bad omen for the night, and prayers are spoken.

Pharaohs and Kings
In this branch of the Lux religion, the kings and rulers are not only rule over the matters of the state, but also over the local clergy and have the last say in theological questions, making them highly respected. To help them in this task, a common practice is for new kings to receive three drops of kisha in both eyes, giving them a strange blue color and a greater likelihood of receiving visions. Another ritual, which this time happen after the death of the ruler, consist of removing the organs from the dead body, which is completely wrapped up in bandages and put with their favorite weapons in a golden sarcophagus modeled after them in their most glorious days. This system of kings ruling over their people’s faith came soon after Sirius I returned from his journey to Solisios with knowledge of the Luxite faith. But at the time, he was the only person in Lennox with any knowledge of the religion, making him the de facto leader of the Luxite branch here, which ended up becoming a tradition.

The Wickmen
Resulting from the mix of ancient Dragoonid tradition and magic with Luxite beliefs and culture, the Wickmen are a secretive organization that hunt down all of those who wronged the faith. They are only active during the night, carrying a candle, and their entire body is covered in wax which prevent them from talking and viewing their visage, the only sound they make being a strange nursery rhyme which lyrics are unknown. Their headquarters are rumored to be located in the deepest parts of the undercity of Dragoonios. Due to all of this, there is very few information on them, and only the Pharaoh, the Sages, the Vizier, and the High Priest reliably know more. For example, it is unknown how or when exactly they were founded. It is likely however that it happened during the later years of Lennox’s existence, as they do not seem to try to restore the kingdom to a more “purer” luxite faith. Some have speculated that the Wickmen were created during the days where Lennox was part of the Third Bardonian empire, by either a handful of scholars and oracles or by the Pharaoh, in both cases wanting to preserve the kingdom’s culture from any potential influence from Dandelism in ways that would not draw the eye. And afterLennox left the empire, they simply decided to focus on heretics. Others however, think that Lux actually draw her strength from prayers and faith, and so the Wickmen role is to simply make sure that she does not weaken.

One of the few things that his known about the Wickmen is the final trial the initiates must pass in order to join their ranks, which is standing still with a magic candle that never runs out of wax for thirteen days without food or water, magic being the key to never falter. It is said that on the thirteenth day, the initiate suddently gain the ability to see not only through the wax, but also through the souls of people, being able to see their sins. This supernatural resilience seems to also apply to injuries, as the few that have survived an encounter with them have often described how they were able to survive damage that would have killed any normal human. Due to the very high mastery of magic/alchemy those feats require, it is hard to believe than more than a very small proportion of people can become Wickmen. This, added with near complete and unbroken secrecy surrounding them, actually hint at their numbers being very low, in the low hundreds at best, and at worst in the dozens.

Other Religions
Through their interactions with the rest of the world, the members of the Northern sect of Lux are quite aware of the existence of the other religions. Most sun-based cults, like Soleannen, or Twin Dragons, are seen as merely reinterpretations of the true faith, and are so happily tolerated. But not every religion is seen with a good eye, and some are even frowned upon. Some examples of this are Incarnation, which is seen by some as nothing less than the worship of the dead Iron Snake.