Sylfaeism

Sylfaeism is a monolatristic religion found in the Irisnian towns of Eldia and Sylfaen's Sanctuary. However, throughout The Pale, Sylfaeism's influence can be found. The religion revolves around Sylfae, god of knowledge and material wealth. After making himself known to the tribes of ancient Eldia, Sylfae lead the tribes to a new land and gave them the ability to build a new city, present day Eldia. On May 2, 2022, it was confirmed that Sylfae is the 6th sealer in the Cubist pantheon, who was separated long ago.

It is generally believed that Sylfae can travel between various realms, a trait he acquired after losing his physical body. While Sylfae is able to access every realm, he is unable to affect what happens there, again because of a lack of a physical body.

Cubist Origins
With the revelation from Ad'onís Boltoph during the ritual on May 2nd, it has been confirmed that Sylfae is in fact the sixth sealer of the Cube. However, while it is now known that Sylfae was once with the other sealers, it remains nebulous what caused Sylfae to hide from the Cube, and originally blurring his identity. Some believe that, during the far past, Entropy may have caused the schism. However, there is little to no evidence backing this claim up. Another theory is that Sylfae and the other sealers drifted away from each other, however there is little to no claims to back this up. Regardless, whatever schisms have been prevalent in the past are gone, as Sylfae had revealed his identity to Adónis. With Sylfae separated from the 5 remaining sealers, he was left to wander the mortal and immaterial realms.

Pre-Sylfaeist Eldia
In the deserts of the far east of Eldham, there existed a plethora of tribes, all being the ancient ancestors of modern day Eldia. In the deserts, the tribes constantly fought with one another. So much blood was spilled over the desert sands over centuries of conflict that the sands are said to still have a slight red tint.

One of these tribes became far more famous than the other tribes. This tribe was called the Sil-Fays, and from scattered records and fragments of long forgotten information, it can be assumed the Sil-Fays controlled most of the desert at their height. The founder of the Sil-Fays, King Aleksander Dawid I, was born during the endless wars in the deserts. Despite being his tribe's best warrior, Aleksander wanted more power after his hometown was raided. After spending three days and three nights in a cave he reemerged with far more power than before. Many theories range about what Aleksander did in the cave, with the more radical theories claiming he contacted either Segra or Entropy for power against his enemies. After conquering most of the desert tribes, Aleksander was given a vision by a mysterious blue figure pleading with the king to leave the path of chaos. After this vision, the Sil-Fay federation was formed, and the king made it his duty to improve the lives of his subjects. King Dawid would disappear - along with his army - during a campaign by a sandstorm, never seen again. Ancient texts called Aleksander Dawid "Dawid the Deathless", as most believed that Aleksander would once again use his power to protect the desert tribes if the time arises.

Many years after Aleksander Dawid's disappearence, one warrior from this tribe, Merim (or Marim, depending on translation), was leading a campaign against a neighboring tribe. However, a sand storm encompassed Merim's army and did not leave for 53 days. Through either his ingenuity or pure grit, Merim managed to save most of his men from the sand storm, and was regarded as a hero afterwards. Ever since their miraculous escape from the sand storm, Eldians across the desert began to associate the name Sil-Fay with miracles and hope.

Sylfae's Arrival
Long after Merim's triumph against the sand storm, not much had changed for the tribes in the desert. The Sil-Fays, who had united most of the desert, now ceased to exist. However, the word Sil-Fay remained in the minds of many tribesmen, hoping one day for a return to a time of relative stability under the near mythical Sil-Fay federation.

The people of the desert had fought and died by each other for countless generations, leaving the people hopeless. One day, during one of the innumerable conflicts in the desert, a warm divine blue light encompassed the nearby armies. Out of the light, the people saw a dark figure floating in the sky. The Eldians, experiencing warmth and hope for the first time in their lives, wept in joy as the booming voice of Sylfae spoke:"'Follow, follow through the sand soaked in blood, through the burning dunes and boreholes, to a promised salvation'"Word of Sylfae spread quickly throughout the tribes. One account from the time comes from Ezeik, a warrior who was among the first to witness Sylfae's appearance. His story can be found in "Ezeik's Tale", a book within Sylfaen's Sanctuary. The name "Sylfae" was given to the diety, as, like the Sil-Fays of old, hope and miracle was finally brought to the Eldians. Eventually, Sylfae gathered every Eldian in the desert and set off west towards the promised land. The Eldians felt no doubt or fear towards Sylfae, instead they felt hope. Over time, Sylfae came to represent the hope and spirit of the people. 40 years after their departure from the desert, the migration ended.

Rise of Eldia
Sylfae had lead the Eldians to another patch of desert. In order to prevent his people from returning to their brutal ways, Sylfae sacrificed his physical body to bring life to the deserts. Out of the sands came oases, palm trees, succulent fruit, and lush green fauna. Sylfae also used his powers to summon all the resources the Eldians would need to construct a brand new city - Eldia. Sylfae gave instructions to the Eldians on how to build fortifications, city walls and all of the infrastructure needed for the city to thrive. During this time of early urban expansion, Sylfae gave his second decree:"'Praise I want none, for exploring and admission is the one true establishment and code, one must strive for'"With this decree, the Eldians began embarking on journeys throughout Eldia, exploring, trading and learning about the land around them. Eldia soon became a hub of knowledge and libraries began sprouting all around the city. The city's bare and featureless walls and streets were expertly carved by the Eldians with the architectural knowledge they gathered from across Eldham.

With the expansion of the city, the underground mines also expanded. One day, in the mines below Eldia, a blue rock was discovered embedded in the stone. The Eldians extracted the blue rock from the mine, and built a shrine around it. By doing this, Sylfae's spirit was summoned, and the people could directly contact Sylfae even if he didn't have a physical body. After Sylfae's appearance, the blue stone lit up for three days. After the third day it transformed into the first of seven altars:

- the first took the appearance of a tall pale man with no arms and 8 falcon-like wings

- the second looked like a massive beast with four heads, and a giant body that resembled a goat with a cat-like tail

- the third was a cube with a set of whisker-like hairs surfacing from its skin, on the skin appeared to be various symbols carved into it

- the fourth was in the form of shining rocks floating in a cloud

- the fifth resembled an infant with no eyes, mouth or ears, with 4 golden rings surrounding it

- the sixth form was a horse with no muscle or skin, having 2 flaming eyes in its sockets

- the seventh was a ray of light passing through the air onto the altar slowly fading into nothingness

By the time the seventh altar faded away, Eldia would have little to no contact with Sylfae. Sylfae began losing his connection to the material world, due to the lack of a physical body.

Beginning of the Arianrhods
In a last hurrah of sorts, Sylfae made one final return to Eldia, and spoke his final decree to the people:"'Bestowed you that needed sight to see in front of you, to sculpt your own futures, to harvest your own minds. I for that am not needed here anymore. For my purpose has been completed'"Sylfae had made sure the Eldians would never suffer as they did before his arrival. He gave the people wealth, knowledge, and most importantly, hope. With Sylfae gone from the physical world, riots broke out across Eldia as panicked masses worried who would lead the city in Sylfae's absence. One man stated that he was chosen by Sylfae to lead the city. The people, outraged at such an open claim, were about to attack the man when they suddenly noticed his right hand. The man's right hand was completely blue, and emitting a blue hue, just like Sylfae had done. Suddenly, the people backed away from the man, and declared him the new leader of Eldia. This man was Midas Arianrhod, and he was the founder of the Eldian Arianrhods.

Rise of a Prophet
Ad'onís was summoned to Eldham by Sylfae himself, in the spiritual realm. There, he tasked Ad'onís with the mission of preserving Eldham's knowledge. Sylfae also explained that, because he lacked a physical body, he was unable to communicate with him once he entered Eldham. However, Sylfae could see what was occuring on Eldham. Ad'onís set off from the spiritual plain and eventually made it to Eldia. While in Eldia, he would write the Encyclopedia Ad'onícas, and later establish the Bibliotemple of Sylfaen's Sanctuary.

Sylfaeism in The Pale
with the death of Vanderis Arianrhod, the previous leader of the faith, Sylfaeism went into decline until Powerfulnoob6 took over as head of the faith. Due in part to the loss of Irisnia's pharoah and the rising threat of the Dandelion Empire, Irisnia and the Razuni Sultanate both agreed to form a union with The Pale. Irisnia would be fully absorbed into The Pale, while the Razuni Sultanate was made a vassal. Despite the change in the political culture, Sylfaeism began to grow in numbers and began to spread into traditionally Palean territories. During this time, Sylfaeist traditions and conversion process became centralized and well defined, and by late April 2022, a large handful of members in the High Council of the Pale are Sylfaeists.

In mid April 2022, a law was decreed by High King JDD and the High Council to form a national library to centralize the nation's written books into one location. Sylfaen's Sanctuary became the location of the national library, and has since then been getting donations from all over The Pale to expand the library.

The Hyperion Ritual
On May 2nd, 2022, Ad'onís Boltoph, Azcor Yimis, Barb the scribe and creepyslimepig all got together in the Cubist temple of Hyperion to figure out the sixth sealer of Cubism. Once all four met up at the temple, the ritual commenced with a multitude of prayers to both the Cube and to Sylfae. Next, eight cows were ritually sacrificed to the Cube. Ad'onís then recited prayers to Sylfae before sacrificing Lapis blocks into the ritual fire, and afterward the other three Cubists sacrificed more lapis blocks. Once everyone but Yimis returned to their seats, Ad'onís had a vision of an infinite field of bedrock cubes filled with lapis. This vision was interpreted to mean Sylfae was the sixth sealer, and this revelation was celebrated within both religions.

Sylfaeist Mythos
While Sylfae remains the highest authority in the religion, there exist many other characters of interest in the faith.

Merim
Merim was a member of the ancient Sil-Fay tribe, who survived a 53 day sandstorm alongside his army. It is unknown what happened to him later in life. The discovery of Merim by Sylfaeist scholars was recent, and before it had been assumed that either Merim did not exist at all, or he was a legend passed down through generations of storytelling.

Ezeik
Ezeik was a warrior who witnessed the appearance of Sylfae. After telling his family about Sylfae, only his mother agreed to go with him on Sylfae's journey. Ezeik would later on become one of Eldia's first inhabitants, having traveled with Sylfae for 40 years. Much like the story of Merim, Ezeik's story was only uncovered recently.

The Guardians
During the rise of Eldia, Sylfae created many guardians to serve in his stead in the material realm. The Guardians were created from a magical substance known as Sylfae's Tears, which in turn can only be created by the Arianrhods. The most notable Guardian is Abunus, protector of Sylfae's Temple and guardian of the realms. However, there exist other guardians: - Medjed, the guardian of the underworld - Vasil Levski, the collosal guardian of peace - Dragon, the guardian of the skies - Snake, the guardian of the sands

- Skorpion, the guardian of secrets

There are also a collection of statues around The Great Eye of Sylfae, called the Guardians of the Eye. The Guardians of the eye resemble the seven altars that Sylfae changed into.

Midas Arianrhod
It is believed Midas Arianrhod was originally a member of the Medenan branch of Arianrhods, as the dynasty existed long before Eldia was created. Nonetheless, Midas Arianrhod being chosen as Sylfae's steward elevated him and his branch of the Arianrhods into significance. Before Sylfae's final disappearance, the Eldian Arianrhods were not notable whatsoever, and as a result not much is known about this branch of Arianrhods from before Midas. Vanderis Arianrhod is believed to be the grandson of Midas Arianrhod.

Religious Practices
Sylfaeism is a relatively small religion, prioritizing the accumulation of knowledge and wealth over actively spreading the faith. However, there are some religious practices that Sylfaeists partake in.

Sylfae's Decrees
Sylfae spoke three times to the Eldians. The first decree lead the Eldians away from the blood-soaked deserts and into a new land.

"Follow, follow through the sand soaked in blood, through the burning dunes and boreholes, to a promised salvation"

The second decree encouraged the Eldians to explore the world around them, while disregarding religious services.

"Praise I want none, for exploring and admission is the one true establishment and code, one must strive for"

The third decree showed Sylfae's contempt with the Eldians, and granting them independence from his influence

"Bestowed you that needed sight to see in front of you, to sculpt your own futures, to harvest your own minds. I for that am not needed here anymore. For my purpose has been completed"

Conversion Process
In Sylfaen's Sanctuary, there exists a conversion process for people wishing to join Sylfaeism. The process goes as follows:

- run around the Fountain of Sylfae 7 times

- Draw blood from themself and put the blood on a piece of paper

- Place the paper in the fountain

- The prophet/high religious leader chants sermons to Sylfae

Great Eye of Sylfae
The Great Eye of Sylfae is a massive tower located in Eldia. Originally constructed as the sole location to store the world's knowledge, the Great Eye of Sylfae has since become one of the primary worshipping locations for Sylfaeists. Legend says that once the Great Eye is fully constructed and imbued with the divinity of the Arianrhod line, then a direct connection to Sylfae is created.

Sylfaen's Sanctuary
Sylfaen's Sanctuary was a controversial religious site, as it is the only one located outside of Eldia. Due to the belief that only Eldia possessed Sylfae's aura, it was decided to ship Eldian soil and plants to the new island where Sylfaen's Sanctuary was constructed. Sylfaen's Sanctuary is now one of The Pale's biggest libraries, and has amassed an impressive collection of books, also boasting a temple to Sylfae.

Sylfae's Temple
In the center of Eldia lies Sylfae's Temple. The temple is also where the Arianrhod dynasty resides, effectively being the center of religious and administrative activities in the city.

Equal Distribution of Wealth
There are many ways to interpret Sylfae's decrees and actions. There has been a growing consensus among Sylfaeists that providing wealth and materials to those less fortunate is reminiscent of Sylfae giving the Eldians the resources to build their city. Thus, political ideologies such as socialism and commune systems have become popular in Eldia and Sylfaen's Sanctuary.

Alcohol
A recent interpretation on alcoholic beverages has also occured. According to Sylfaeist scholars, alcohol is one of the purest forms of the intersection between knowledge and the work of the brewer. As knowledge of different brews as accumulated, and resources and labor are poured into the making of each glass, alcoholic beverages are allowed in the faith.

Religious Syncretism
One of the first interpretations of Sylfaeism was that while the faith worships primarily Sylfae, it does not mean other gods do not exist, or even that Sylfae is above every other god. Because of the unique circumstances of Sylfaeism having no other deity except for the god of knowledge and material wealth, there has been an acceptance of other polytheistic religions, as Sylfaeists do not believe their pantheon is complete. As such, Sylfaeism is a Monolatristic religion, worshipping one deity above all others.

Preservation of Knowledge
During the early days of Medena and the Razuni Sultanate, many nations existed that were wiped out by Medenan armies. The Bell Nation was absorbed into Medena and its cities razed to the ground, and the Razuni province of Sondor was taken over by Medenan armies, destroyed, and replaced with the town of Sokoburg. Ad'onís argued that the wiping out of cultures is anti-Sylfaeist, as it deprives said cultures from telling their stories. It is generally considered anti-Sylfaeist to erase physical or written history, however it is pro-Sylfaeist to record lost history and discover new information.

Properties of Sylfae
Because Sylfae is able to travel across realms, it is theorized Sylfae exists in multiple different religious canons, even if two canons contradict eachother. This is still a newly discovered fact and more research is needed to find out which canons Sylfae may have been a part of.

The Nether
The nether, to the Sylfaeists, is a cruel and disgusting mockery of the anguish put on the ancient tribes of Eldia and the teachings of Sylfae. The nether is a completely hostile and uninviting realm where, much like stories of old, bands of players spend their lives fighting off each other. There is no reason to subject Sylfaeists to the plight of their ancestors, at least according to the religion's leaders. The nether has also been used to warp the message of Sylfae. Not only is the nether lined with ancient ruins (ruins that have long lost any of their original histories), but the realm is filled with gold, netherite, and quartz, three resources valued only for their rarity. Players brave the hellish environment in pursuit of these resources, risking not only what little history is left in that realm, but risking their own lives lest they run into other players