Theiosism

Theiosism is a monotheistic religion practiced within the Empire of Yimmu-Audal in the central continent of Alteniquia. Its sole and primary deity is Theios, the God of the Universe and Father of Mankind. He is accompanied by a number of angels and saints which are revered by the followers of Theios. It has gone through multiple stages of evolution from early tribal polytheistic religion to an organized monotheistic one, and currently has effectively merged with the Sakrelist faith. The Religion came into communion when Patriarch LethalMuffin193 and Prophet-Descendent TheLastSven met at Theiotokos and discussed the Theological differences and similarities of their faiths. Eventually they came to a consensus and Theiotokos into communion with the religion as the Sanctum of Theiotokos, holding jurisdiction over the Sakrelist faith across Yimmu-Audal.

History
Theiocism originates with the tribal beliefs of the Laus people, a group living to the far north of Escharia who are related to the neighboring Niedene people. I began as a polytheistic religion centered around the Sun God þávjor (Thavyor), with a multitude of other Gods and Goddesses of other natural and spiritual domains. They believed in a great and vibrant spirit world filled with the spirits of their ancestors, and ruled over by these Gods, with great importance set on preserving tradition and cultural practices, as well as an emphasis on family and the unity of the community. The Laus also had great respect for nature and life, attempting to protect it wherever possible. They live humbly and took as little as was needed to survive and thrive as a people in order to preserve life and the world around them.

When the Laus settlement of Kjásthejm was destroyed by raiders from surrounding tribes, the people of the settlement would take their traditions and beliefs with them across the world, fleeing from the destruction that befell their home. Some would go to the neighboring nation of Escharia, predominantly Kaiserslicht, others would flee to other Laus tribes, and some were even sold into slavery and sent across Rathnir by their captors. One of these Laus in particular would make his way to the Empire of Yimmu-Audal, bringing the traditions of his people with him.

This Laus would be placed in the service of the Secretary of Cultural Affairs of Yimmu-Audal, and First Jagdasian Emperor StoryStudio. Under the service of StoryStudio, LethalMuffin193, the Laus slave, would work on infrastructure projects across the Empire of Yimmu-Audal, continuing to maintain the traditions of his people, until one fateful day. As the text The Epiphany records, the God Theios would reveal himself to the slave deep within the desert at the heart of Alteniquia, at a great mountain top, and would teach to him of the Prophet who in the eras past once ascended the same mountain that the slave stood upon. Thus, LethalMuffin193 put himself into the service of Theios and his Prophet, recording the will of Theios in multiple Holy Books and going on to spread the religion across the Empire which he now called home. His first act as the leader of this new religion would be to destroy all the icons to the false gods he once knew, and to erect, on the land he was graced with by the will of his Master, monuments to the Living God of the Sun. After these blasphemous objects were destroyed and new Holy Monuments built, he would then head back into the desert to begin construction on a temple that would sit atop the very mountain where the Lord revealed himself to him. This settlement would be know as Theiotokos.

Although Theiosism would be in many ways vastly different to the religion once practiced by the Laus people, it still had a lot of things in common with their old folk traditions, as well as with the religion of the Niedene which previously had great influence over the tribes. The prophet was told that many of beings he once understood as gods, were in fact angels, fragments of Theios' divine power. Not only did many familiar faces continue into the new faith, so too did the extreme reverence of nature and living things remain, as all creatures were seen as creations or descendants of the divine Lord of the Universe, Theios. The religion would continue to stress the importance of family, as well as loyalty to a person's community and nation.

Then it seemed, by some act of providence that the faith would come into contact with one of great similarity, Sakrelism. Theiosism and Sakrelism were two faiths that had developed distinctly and independently from one another, but one day a very influential member of the Sakrelist faith, TheLastSven, journeyed to Theiotokos where he and LethalMuffin193 would discuss the many similarities between their religions, and determined that they had in fact been following the same God, who revealed the the Prophet Inirion to LethalMuffin193. After this revelation, the two set out to merge their religions into one, with Theiotokos coming into communion with the other Sakrelist Sanctums, and LethalMuffin193 being allowed to maintain some of the minor differences in naming and Theology which made his branch of Sakrelism unique. The Sanctum of Theiotokos would then grow across the Empire of Yimmu-Audal, as this was its jurisdiction, and started the construction of temples and monuments across the whole of the Empire.

Monotheism
As was stated previously, Theiosism and Sakrelism are a faith one and the same, but the Theology of Theiosism differs in a few minor yet important ways. The theology and religious doctrine of Theiosism states firmly that there is a single God of Mankind, the God of the Sun and the Universe, as well as the Father of all humans, Theios. The Lord is believed to have directly created all human peoples in his image, and thus attributing divine heritage to all of mankind. He controls all aspects of the Universe through his glory and incomprehensible power, in some cases delegating control to his angels and lesser servants. This monotheistic belief is strictly enforced, with the reverence or worship of any other Gods being seen as blasphemous, idolatrous, and sinful. However, the religion is not entirely incompatible with other faiths, as the Prophet stated that Theios told him the following: It is believed that the followers of other Sun deities do not follow false Gods, but instead have simply misunderstood Theios. Theiosism calls for ecumenicalism, or the unification of these faiths into a single religion devoted to the worship of Theios, this belief having been seen most prominently during the merging of Theiosism with Sakrelism. Similarly, those who are part of religions which have prime deities similar to one of the Angels are also seen as simply misguided and encouraged to adopt the faith while continuing to revere the Angels as was commanded by Theios himself, It is through this adaptability that Theiosism is able to gain momentum quickly, even with peoples from cultures and nations which would at first seem incompatible. It has evolved from an amalgamation of many different beliefs, and so it is readily capable of adapting to and adopting others into the greater Church.

Theios and the Trinity
Theios is understood as the God of not only the Sun, but of the entire universe. The Sun is simply one of three divine visages, the Trinity. The first visage of the Trinity is the Sun, which represents Theios might and glory, as well as the scale of his power and place as the supreme ruler of the cosmos. The second visage is Light, which represents the gift of Life granted to man by Theios as well as his holy word. The third and final visage is Fire, which represents Theios' will and divine law, as well as his wrath/judgement delivered upon those who break this law or whom he considers sinful.

This trinity is said to encompass the only truly knowable forms of Theios, as they are his power materialized in our world. In general the Theios' form cannot be know, in fact due to his shear power it is incomprehensible to the mortal mind. Because of this the Lord is limited in how he reveals himself to mortals, opting to appear in the form of a man, or simply by speaking through one of the visible visages of the trinity. Since each of these forms are his power and being realized in our world, the followers of Theios worship the Fire, Light, and Sun. Thus, temples and monuments to the Living God always include one of these motifs or they have a physical form of them, for example a bonfire at the foot of a monument, a window in the ceiling of a temple to allow worshipers a view of the sun at its height, or a lantern in areas which are host to darkness.

The trinity is also represented in the three churches of Theios, with each one focusing on a particular motif. The Church of Theiotokos is focused on the Sun, the Church of Amos on the Light, and the Church of Urnu-Arrak on the Flame. These can be seen in the temples and monuments of each jurisdiction, making each easily discernable. They may also use different colors in their architecture, but these can vary and are often simply artistic choices.

After the merging of the faiths, however, the reverence of the fire and light took a far greater role than it had before, with Holy Fires or blessed fires being placed within temples and at monuments respectively. It is also of great importance that all temples and monuments be adequately, though respectfully lit. The belief in the Sun as his greatest visage remained, but the fire and light had transcended the Triarchic system to be motifs present in all monuments to the Living God. This was for good reason, as the holy fire and light were believed to make up the essence of human souls, with the sun being the origin of both.

The Angels
Theios is not the only powerful being within Theiosism, although he is the only God. Theios is accompanied by his servants or angels, which are individuals granted fragments of his power in order to more efficiently enforce his will across the universe. They are bound and fully subserviently to Theios, but they are not slaves in the traditional sense, instead they were gifted portions of his power in exchange for their undying loyalty and servitude. They perform their roles diligently and are respected by the Living God, as was his command for mortals to offer them tribute just as they do the Lord. Followers of Theios revere these angels and often choose to give tribute to one in particular as their patron angel. There are six(ish) angels, each with their own domain and purpose, they are as follows:


 * Treiur - Angel of War and the Archangel of Theios. He is the patron of soldiers and warriors, with his duty to bring strength to the followers of Theios and deliver victory to those who fight in his name. He is represented by a chalice filled with blood, or a golden sword. In Yimmu-Audal he is misrepresented as the "Blood God," with the sign of the Red Sun, meant to be a blessing in the wars to come, having been misconstrued by the so-called Prophet Nabiin as a sign of the One True God. Nabiin the Apostate lead his followers astray from the ancient worship of Theios into the worship of the Blood God, blinding them to the Sun God's light and truth.
 * Asria - Angel of Nature. Asria serves Theios across the physical world where she is the caretaker of plants, animals, and the earth alike. She protects nature and brings good health to those mortals who do the same. She is the patron of farmers and herders, as well as gardens and rangers, and will protect any who devote themselves to defending the sanctity of nature. Asria is often represented by a tree with a halo of stars surrounding it.
 * Wullan - Angel of the Moon and night. Wullan is Theios' light bearer, ensuring that the Lord's divine light shines over the world even in the darkest of night. He protects the world from the darkness and shines over the followers of Theios wherever they may go while the Lords visage has set. He is the patron of travelers, pilgrims, monks, and cemetery caretakers. Wullan is often represented by a crescent Moon over a star cross, or sometimes just a moon.
 * Hana - Mother of Mankind. Hana was the first human created by Theios and would be the mother of the first generation of humans. She ascended to Theios' side in the Heavens above and serves as a sort of demi-angel. She is not quite divine like an angel would be, yet not quite mortal as a human would be, and is instead referred to as either and the first Saint Hana or Mother Hana. She is the patron of mothers, apothecaries, doctors, and nurses. She also protects the youth and children, born and unborn alike. Hana is most often depicted as a olive skinned woman with fair dark hair. She is laced in fine cloth with the sun set behind her head and light emanating from her hands.
 * Garath - Angel of Water and knowledge. Garath serves Theios through the protection of water, which is believed to be one of the modes of life. He protects both the animals of the ocean and the people who live nearby, while being a keeper of divine knowledge and often a messenger of the Lord's will to his prophets and followers. He is the patron of fishermen, sailors, writers, priests, librarians, and scholars. Garath is often represented as a tome over the sea, or a blue cross with a scroll at its center.
 * Turin - Angel of Death and Justice. Similarly to Treiur, Turin is the Angel of Death, however this comes in the form of justice or divine wrath. Instead of being the warrior angel, Turin is depicted as the judge. He deals out the wrath of Theios upon sinners, infidels, and blasphemers, leaving only death in his wake. He is the enforcer of the divine law, and thus the patron of judges, executioners, and kings. He is often represented by a silver sword soaked in blood, in contrast to the golden blade of Treiur, or a skull with a golden halo crown.

The Four Prophets
There are four primary saints of the faith, which each prescribed themselves to a particular Angel's reverence and have become synonymous with the four Prophets of Sakrelism. They are the following:


 * Inirion
 * Temion
 * Asala
 * Ataron

Prayer
Followers of Theios pray once at dawn and once at dusk. As the Sun rises and the Sun sets they pray to their Lord for salvation and protection in the day to come. They will then recount his commandments and read his divine law The Living God. Then they call out to their Patron Angel and pray to Theios that he might send them to the earth to protect his followers. Then they shall praise the Saints, listing off their names with their respective deeds.

Reverence and Tribute
Reverence is granted to the Lord Theios, to the Angels, and to the Saints in that order. The Lord is offered tribute and prayed to before the subsequent two, with different offerings for each. The Lord is offered all manner of items as tribute, gold, iron, meat, plants, fruit, and any other valuable items. At least one of these items will be thrown into a fire so that they will be received by their Lord and as a sign that remaining devoted is more important than material possessions. For the Angels the offerings are specific to each one,


 * Treiur: Cooked meat from and animal slain by a golden sword (This is the same way that meat should be offered to Theios).
 * Asria: Plants or Flowers (Preferably a Poppy or a Dandelion but tulips will do fine). The earth shall return to the Lord which created it.
 * Wullan: A lantern and an Oxeye Daisy. The Light shall be given back to Theios that it can be gifted once more to Mankind.
 * Hana: A Golden Crown. The Mother and Queen of Man must be recognized by the followers of Theios.
 * Garath: A book and a splash bottle of water. The gift of knowledge of text and life of water shall return to he who granted them.
 * Turin: A lamb which will be killed by a special sacrificial iron sword. The blood of the innocent must be spilled as payment for sin.

The Saints shall be given tribute through the sacrificing of food. Followers of Theios shall take a food item and give it to the Saints as tribute, then they shall fast until the sun has set before they eat, but only on the days that they should give tribute to the Saints.

Holy Days and Events
There are a few holy days which are recognized by the followers of Theios and during which different rituals and celebrations are held.


 * Summer Solstice: When the Sun is at its height and the days are longest, the followers of Theios will have a celebration upon the dawning of the Summer Solstice. They will perform great rituals and pay tributes to the Lord, while also burning massive Pires and constructing great works of art in the name of the Living God, as well as holding great Church assemblies across the Triarchy.
 * Winter Solstice: During the Lowest point of the Sun and the longest day of winter, the followers of Theios will go out and set bonfires across the land to bring warmth and light to the Earth, praying for salvation and the protection of the Lord through the harsh winter. They will make sacrifices and give tribute to Theios that he might bless them during harsh times.
 * Moon's Height/Full Moon: When the Moon is at its fullest in the sky the followers of Theios pay tribute to his Angel Wullan that he might continue to protect them during the darkest of nights. They host greats feasts and celebrations to the Angel throughout the night and into the dawn.
 * Moon's Retreat/New Moon: When the moon has disappeared from the sky the followers of Theios make sacrifices to the Lord and give tribute to the Angel Wullan that he shall return by the next dusk. They keep their lights on throughout the entire night and wash their door and window frames with holy water to protect against the darkness.
 * Prophet's Day: This is the day when the Prophet Inirion returned from the mountain after Theios spoke to him. Celebrations are held and the Prophet's words are exalted to the highest degree, then the followers of Theios shall pray to their Lord for knowledge and salvation.
 * Saints' Day: On Saints' Day the followers of Theios celebrate each of the Saints, creating artworks in their image and praising Theios for blessing the world with the most holy lives and deeds of the Saints. They shall fast until the night then feast in their names.
 * Mother's Day: On this day the Mother of Mankind, celebrating the divine birth of humanity and praying for the protection of the youth and the blessing of the mothers which raise them.

Overview
The Orthodox Theiosistic Church is organized into three jurisdictions, the Eastern Church of Amos, the Western Church of Theiotokos, and the Capital Church of Urnu-Arrak. These three Churches create the Triarchy, in which the three Triarchs of each of these three Churches rule over their jurisdictions and act as the supreme spiritual authorities of Theiosism. Each of the Churches also has a Hierarchy of the Clergy separated into two groupings, the Greater Hierarchy, which consists of the Grand Triarch, Ecumenical Patriarch, and Lesser Patriarchs of the Church, and the Lesser Hierarchy, which consists of the Archpriest, Priests and Monks of the Church.

Greater Hierarchy
The Greater Hierarchy is the executive authority or nobility of the Church. It is ruled over first by the Triarch, who acts as a sort of Religious Head of the region and the Supreme Authority on religious matters within that specific Theiosistic Church. It is ruled over secondly by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who in some cases is also the Triarch and in other a separate role. The Ecumenical Patriarch handles a great deal of Administration and acts as the right hand to the Triarch, offering advice and bringing attention to important matters of dogma and doctrine. Finally there are the Lesser Patriarchs, who act as the advisory council to the Triarch and Ecumenical Patriarch, and who are able to vote on certain matters of dogma and doctrine, and can help with other important aspects of the Church. The positions and titles are as follows:


 * 1) Triarch/Ecumenical Patriarch (Full title): His Most Divine All-Holiness the Beatified Grand Triarch of the (jurisdiction) Church and Ecumenical Patriarch of Theiotokos (name).
 * 2) Triarch (Full title): His Most Divine All-Holiness the Beatified Grand Triarch of the (jurisdiction) Church (name).
 * 3) Ecumenical Patriarch (Full title): His Holiness the Beatified Ecumenical Patriarch of (location) (name).
 * 4) Patriarch (Full title): His Beatitude Father (name), Patriarch of (location).

Lesser Hierarchy
The Lesser Hierarchy is the administrative authority of the Church. They deal with the more menial tasks and maintain Church grounds for the followers of Theios, while also dealing with the collection of artifacts and scriptures, as well as the writing of more copies of the divine works of the prophet and the Lord. They are scribes, ministers, gardeners, builders, and all sorts of hard working individuals who wish to prove their devotion to Theios. The positions of the Lesser Hierarchy are not as strict, with great levels of variation between the Churches, however, they retain the basic duties and hold similar titles. The first and highest position of the Lesser hierarchy, before becoming a Patriarch, is the Archpriest. There is only a single Archpriest per Church and they act as the lesser executive authority, organizing events and servants of the Church, while dealing with the general administration. Second are the Priests. These are the spiritual leaders that deal directly with followers of Theios and do the most hands on work when it comes to administration. Finally are the Monks. Monks do the hard labour of maintaining Church grounds, copying down texts, and building or repairing Churches/monuments. The positions and titles are as follows:


 * 1) Archpriest (Full title): His Most Divine Eminence Father (name), Archpriest of (location/jurisdiction).
 * 2) Priest (Full title): His Grace Father (name), Priest of (location).
 * 3) Monk (Full title): Brother/Sister (name), servant of (location/jurisdiction).

Holy Sites
There are three main Holy Sites of Theiosism which correspond to one of the three Churches or Patriarchates. These three Sites create what is known as the Triarchy, which is the absolute rule of the Three Triarchs over the Orthodox Theiosistic Church.

 Patriarchate of Theiotokos:  Declared the Holy Land of Theiosism by the Prophet himself, Theiotokos is a settlement founded far in the deserts northwest of Yimmu-Audal proper. It is home to the Western Church of Theiosism and is ruled by the Triarch LethalMuffin193. The settlement itself contains a grand cathedral to Theios along with a small town focused on metal and textile production.

 Patriarchate of Urnu-Arrak:  Urnu-Arrak is the Capital of the Empire of Yimmu-Audal and considered a Holy City by the followers of the faith. It is where the Prophet's home is located as well as the location of multiple monuments and shrines. It is the seat of Imperial and home to the Capital Church of Theiosism which is ruled over by the Triarch and Emperor Harbardr. The Emperors of Yimmu-Audal were declared by Theios as the most saintly of Mankind, his divine avatars, and thus the title of Triarch falls upon each reigning Emperor of Yimmu-Audal, whether they truly believe or not. The city itself is host to grand and beautiful architecture, as well as a massive populations living within the vibrant city scape. It is the main seat of power in both Yimmu-Audal and Alteniquia, as well as being the home of the Elder Council. Most of the other Clergy of the Capital church are also temporal leaders, predominantly from the council.

 Patriarchate of Amos:  The town of Amos is considered a Holy site due to the great hospitality shown to the Prophet both during his time building roads, as well as during his Great Pilgrimage. It is the home of the Eastern Church, with the Triarch being the temporal leader of the region, the governor of Amos. It is host to shrines and other monuments to Theios, and continues to grow and expand with the help of the neighboring Capital City. Its architectural style is also similar to Urnu-Arrak, with a great many beautiful buildings and temples littered about the town.

Holy Texts
The Holy texts of Theiosism are organized into a compilation comprising many separate texts, know as the Sylioi Ileios. Within this compilation there are many different books and scriptures, more than can be truly counted, however, the most prominent are The Book of Truths, the 16 Commandments, The Epiphany, the Divine Law, and The Living God. These are each very influential and important books in the Sylioi Ileios and are often displayed in temples or at shrine for visitors and pilgrims to read. There is a library containing all these books and more in Theiotokos, with the scribes of the Church working hard to produce more copies for the use of the Followers of Theios.