Ciarism

= Ciarism = Ciarism is a religion primarily followed by a group of humans in Northern Eldham. The religion worships Ciaraphine, a goddess representing a balance of all forces in the world. Ciaraphine is joined in the primary pantheon by Morgall, a god representing darkness, death, and destruction, as well as Thandrafin.

Creation
The creation story presented in Ciaran Holy Canon originates from the first chapter of "The Coda of Harlock", quoted below.

"In the beginning, there was only Thandrafin. He toiled tirelessly, creating all that is good in the universe. After this work had been completed, and there was nothing left good to create Thandrafin grew bored of the solitary nature of being a god (at this point there were no others). Thandrafin created his first and only companion, Morgall, but since Thandrafin had already created all that was good, Morgall was a creature of pure darkness and hate. Morgall began to create on his own, and his creations were as dark and evil in nature as himself. Morgall polluted the world with all that is seen as negative in nature: death, darkness, hunger, pain, and more. Thandrafin became locked in eternal combat with Morgall. The violence between the two gods shattered them as if they were glass. The shards of the gods spread across the universe, creating the religions many peoples practice today. There are few false gods in this world, many are simply shards of either Thandrafin or Morgall. In his last moments before his being was shattered, Thandrafin birthed the goddess Ciaraphine. Witnessing the birth of Ciaraphine, Morgall attempted to corrupt her, but failed to fully do so. Ciaraphine was left split by the warring gods. Half of her being was the perfect example of beauty, youth, and all that is good. The other half of her being was that of pure death and corruption. Ciaraphine watched over the other fledgling gods created by the shattering of Thandrafin and Morgall. She shepherded the new races that worshipped these gods, expecting nothing, not even worship, in return." - Harlock Valgost, The First Aurach.

Main Beliefs and Practices
Ciarists believe in balance in all things. Good cannot exist without evil. As once said by Lord-Paladin Castor Khan in a sermon, "if there's bad, good will rise up against it." While they are often peaceful, Ciarists do not shy away from war in the name of balance.

"The Balance must be kept against all else. If the shards of the dead gods were ever brought back together, it would mean the end of the world as we know it. The resurrection of Morgall would result in the completion of his plot to introduce all that is evil into our world. Demons and worse have appeared from his shards, imagine what might happen if his power was ever fully restored. Our fate if Thandrafin was ever to be resurrected is not a better one. Thandrafin's return would signal the destruction of evil in our world. This might seem like a noble deed, but I ask you, do we all not commit sin on occasion. Even the most holy man is not exempt from evil's touch. If Thandrafin was to ever return, surely we would all be cleansed from existence, for even the smallest stain is too much for Thandrafin." - Harlock Valgost, The First Aurach.

Structure of the Church
At any given moment, the Church of Ciarism has two leaders. The Aurach is appointed by a senate comprised of all believers and represents the church in all its global affairs. The Aurach is also vital in performing rituals and creating writings for the church. The Lord-Paladin represents the church in all its military campaigns. He organizes a holy order to conduct crusades and destroy imbalances where they arise. The Lord-Paladin is most responsible for conducting the Holy Army of Ciaraphine, for exorcising spirits created by holy shards, and for containing problematic aspects of Thandrafin or Morgall.