Nox Lucis

Nox Lucis (or Nox Luxism) is the national religion of The Imperial Archonate of Sylvania. It is the state sponsored religion known by many of its followers as “The Faith of the Holy Balance” a reflection of the core “Philosophy of Balance” which is the main teaching of the Church of Nox Lucis; secondary only to the previously popular belief of "Cogito, ergo sum."

Core Beliefs/Overview
''“These things are so very often resting in the laps of the Gods. Don’t you feel it when you look out over the tranquil lands of Sylvania? The most precious and holy balance of all things that sustains the world. It is within us all; the Gods are here with us. They are a part of us and we, in turn, are a part of them. Their divine grace is ever present. Can’t you feel it? It is the breath of Sylvia, the fire of the sun of Nox burning across the horizon where it touches the still water of Lux. They are whispers upon the wind, calling us home. They are the scent of Irises. Sylvania is such a beautiful place; and by the grace of our Gods I shall see it that way.”'' - The Oracle of Amemachi

Followers of Nox Lucis believe that a balance between all things is necessary for the continued grace of the Gods and their divine ordering of the cosmos. They worship three deities; the lesser Gods Nox and Lux, who when combined, represent a divine and perfect balance in all things in the form of Lady Sylvia; the most divine and holy patron of Sylvania. It is a central belief of Nox Lucis that the Gods impart their stability upon the universe and all the faithful who dwell within it; creating the "Holy Balance." While the religion takes no particular stance against the existence of Gods outside of Sylvania, it is Sylvia who they view as the most powerful deity in all of existence, with her, Nox and Lux being the only Gods with any jurisdiction or power over Sylvania.

''“This land was given to us by our most divine and Holy patron of Sylvania Lady Sylvia, and by our Gods Nox and Lux. You disputing our rightful claim over lands that have been bestowed upon us by our Gods is an egregious disrespect to our most sacred and holy institutions.”'' - Archon Sanctus Gigi Adventura

In many ways, the Church of Nox Lucis is a highly nationalistic entity, with a heavy emphasis on loyalty to Sylvania as a nation as "Sylvia, Nox and Lux are Sylvania." Sylvanians who are loyal to the faith view themselves as the only chosen people of the Gods; thus granting them the sole right to inhabit and rule over the lands which the Gods have rightfully given to them. Any such attempts to invade the land or undermine their claim on it by hostile/foreign entities is seen as blasphemous and an egregious offense against the Gods, as it undermines their wills. The more extreme believers of Nox Lucis may even even deem it an offense against the Gods for non-believers to reside in Sylvania; as their presence is an insult to the Gods.

Nox, Lux & Sylvia
Nox, originally regarded as the God of Death and Lux, originally depicted as the Goddess of Life, are the keepers and architects of the sacred balance that the followers of the Church desperately believe that the continued existence of Sylvania depends on to survive in a world torn apart by war and constant territory disputes.

Lady Sylvia is the perfect balance of all things and encompasses both Nox and Lux in absolute and undeniable harmony. The Imperial Archon is said to be the embodiment and representation of Sylvia in Eldham; as they are the perfect balance and maintainer of harmony between the two lesser Archons who in turn represent Nox (Archon Decorus) and Lux (Archon Sanctus.) It is taught by the Church and believed by its followers that the Archons have an innate ability to speak to the Gods; and that they derive their right to rule Sylvania directly from them.

Sylvia is depicted by the Church as a benevolent, immortal and eternal Goddess who has been the guardian over the lands which would later become Sylvania for as long as time has existed. She is the main subject of worship; with her love and patronage for the people of Sylvania being regarded as unconditional and unending. Despite this, she is fierce when her people and lands are threatened by hostile entities and is known to be an aggressive force against all those who wish ill upon Sylvania; striking down heretics without mercy or hesitation. The Church teaches that Sylvanians are the only chosen people of Nox, Lux and Sylvia - meaning only they have the absolute and divine right to rule over, and inhabit, the lands of Sylvania,

Nox and Lux are regarded as newer deities whose origins are less clear. The official stance of the Church maintains that Nox and Lux were once two young apprentices of Lady Sylvia, who in turn gained godly abilities when the benevolent Lady Sylvia imbued them with her powers and used pieces of her soul to elevate them. Nox ascended in what would later become the site of the Capital City of Noxwind, with Lux ascending in a less populated area which would later become the City of Luxwind. It is agreed upon by many high ranking scholars of the Church that Nox and Lux were originally powerful mages who had the ability to manipulate and bend the fabric of time, an art long since lost to the ages. Some scholars additionally argue that Nox and Lux themselves destroyed all living knowledge of their magic to prevent others from rising above them.

Nox is depicted as a tall, lightly tanned man with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He is largely human in appearance; with no features that would suggest otherwise aside from strange ethereal particles which he seems to radiate. Lux is depicted by many artists as being an exceptionally beautiful High Elven woman; with long blonde hair, soft pale skin and purple eyes matching the banners of Sylvania.

While it was originally believed that Nox was largely malicious with Lux being largely benevolent, it has since become apparent that both Nox and Lux are neither wholly good nor bad. Lux is known to be a life-giving Goddess, who claims jurisdiction over the souls of all living Sylvanians, while Nox claims ownership of the dead in the afterlife. They are depicted as both being of equal power and somewhat morally gray in their dispositions; neither are wholly good nor bad in the traditional sense of the concepts. Nox and Lux both seem to have their own agendas which they confide only in those who they deem worthy of their presence. Despite this, Nox and Lux work tirelessly in unity to maintain “the balance and order of the cosmos” deeming it their sacred duty to uphold the stability of the timeline.

Organizations/Orders
The Church of Nox Lucis

There is only one central Church of Nox Lucis which is charged with managing the religious affairs of the entire nation; however Cult-like activity associated with both of the lesser deities Nox and Lux is widespread and particularly prevalent within their respective holy cities of Noxwind and Luzwind. Generally, Cult activity is well tolerated and accepted as being associated with the main faith and therefore, enjoys legal status despite the dubious nature of some of the activities associated with the Cultists.

The Cult of Lux

The Cult of Lux is an institution in the Holy City of Luxwind. In contrast to the mainstream Church; the members of this group worship Lux as their primary deity; with Nox and Sylvia being seen as secondary and less significant. It is said that Luxwind is a holy site of Lux for two primary reasons. Firstly, Luxwind is the location where Lux became imbued with a piece of Lady Sylvia’s soul and ascended to divinity. A temple sits upon the site where this took place; with the throne of the Archon Sanctus sitting in the exact spot to show that the Archon Sanctus is Lux’s earthly counterpart. Secondly, the city of Luxwind was founded by pilgrims from the north. It is said that Lux found them wandering and brought them to the lands that would become Luxwind, giving the city her name in the process. The followers of Lux believe that she watches over and protects the city of Luxwind above all others.

The Oracle of Amemachi

The Oracle of Amemachi is a separate, independent institution outside of the Church that has near complete autonomy in how it functions. However, it has close ties to the Church given it operates on the basis of the religion. Little is known about the inner workings of the Oracle; it is said that the Oracle of Amemachi can see into the future, as well as “hear the truths whispered by the Gods.”

The Knights of the Faith

The Knights of the Faith are an established order within the Church which focus on the cultivation of combat skills. A Knight of the Faith is a member of the Clergy who has been granted the privilege of entering into service of the Church by way of combat. Knights of the Faith are responsible for varying tasks; but their main objective is to defend the Church against threats, as well as the defense of the nation as a whole. It is not uncommon for Knights of the Faith to be called into service for minor issues; such as civil unrest or bandit activity. They have the divine right to accompany the Sylvanian Imperial Army on the battlefield, as their own distinct unit but they are obligated to obey commands from the Imperial General during wars. They also maintain the right to participate in foreign wars in exchange for payment, working under the Auxiliary Commander, provided it does not violate the rules or vows of the Clergy.

The Cult of Nox

[Inactive prior to “Nox’s Arrangement”]

Church Internal Hierarchy
The Archon Sanctus (Arkhañas Hashádwé): The Archon Sanctus serves as the head of the Church and acts in an official capacity as the leader of the faith; making them the representative of the Gods in Sylvania. They are charged with many other duties in relation to Sylvania outside of their religious work, however, their main purpose is to “uphold the Holy Balance.” It is for this reason that the Archon Sanctus also serves as the leader of Sylvania's Government; so that balance can be established.

Clergy are appointed by the Archon Sanctus; and all promotions are approved and dispensed directly by the Archon Sanctus; with input from other high ranking officials of the Church.

The Oracle of Amemachi (Athúrísë): Blessed by Lady Sylvia with the ability to see the future, the Oracle is considered as being under the protection of the Church, but maintains a separate institution with near complete autonomy. They claim the ability to peer through the veil of time, seeing not only the future, but the great truths and whispers of the Gods. While the current Oracle resides in Amemachi, the institution is not specifically tied to a location given the current Oracle is the first in the history of Sylvania. It is expected that any future apprentices of the Oracle could be from any location in Sylvania; called forth by the Goddess Sylvia in the same way the original Oracle was.

The Auxiliary Commander of the Faith: The highest ranked military role in the Church. The Auxiliary Commander of the Faith maintains an important presence within the nation and their strength is seen as vital to the well-being and overall safety of the nation. They are responsible for recruiting and training members of the Clergy to become Knights of the Faith. More often than not, they are second only to the Imperial General in terms of military power and have many soldiers at their disposal to put down heretics.

The Archbishop of Riverheim (Haízed Shylvansë Dénerkhaímní): The equal of the Auxillary Commander, the Archbishop is charged with the recruiting and training of regular members of the Clergy in order to continue and spread the faith. They host weekly sermons in the Temple of Lux and are the secondary leader of Luxwind Ecclesiastical University.

The Imperial Mentor (Varésë): The Varésë serves as the mentor of the Archon Sanctus, with the sworn and sacred duty of being their direct line of communication with the Noble Houses of Sylvania. They are appointed by a fierce competition that creates anarchy across the Noble Houses whenever it takes place.

Knights of the Faith (Shaúdwéresë/Djárwéresë): Members of the Clergy with combat expertise are known as Knights of the Faith. They swear a blood oath to protect the high ranking members of the Church and can often be ordered to carry out crusades or inquisitions.

Clergy (Shylvansë): The regular Clergy of the Church manage the day to day duties such as performing ceremonies like weddings, funerals and purification ceremonies.

Foundation
The foundation of the religion started with a man named SirLadBubblepop who is also the founder of Sylvania.

''“It was a thunderstorm, hundreds of years ago, when I was a wandering merchant and miner. Cold was the moon and melting was my heart, when I got news of what the Gods, the only true Gods, had in place for me. I got a revelation, a revelation that gave me knowledge of the darkest places of our universe, the truth of the purest form of humanoid behaviour, which enlightened this community through my word. After centuries fighting in the depths of Hell, where time was frozen, I have become the Champion of The Blood, and the Knight that brings the Gods of Chaos a voice to the mortal world, The Everchosen."'' - SirLad addressing his Sylvanian subjects what the future had prepared for them.

This vision of SirLad led him to create chaos blood but the vision he had was only one of the dark. so as time went on it became clear that the Dark Gods were not the only influence in the lands of Sylvania. The Light was shown to the people of Noxwind for the first time since the creation of Noxwind Keep. At the very top of the tower, a very slim beam of sunlight could be seen penetrating the dark clouds and ever falling snow, which gave the first signs of wealth in the land. Now power was not the only drive: prosperity, happiness, success, and glory, were back on the table. The Gods of the Light officially made an appearance, and swiftly defeated the Dark Archon SirLad, whose blindness from the energy of Light.

Reformation: The First Archon Sanctus
Nox Lucis fell into a steep decline; with the Gods largely forgotten about for a long period of time. This would change when the first Archon Sanctus, Gigi Adventura (Serperior_Xi) began to work to restore the power and influence of the Church over varying Sylvanian society and culture.

Sylvania: The Scent of Irises
The story of Nox Lucis was a main story-line featured in the first season of Sylvania's Internal Roleplay titled "Sylvania: The Scent of Irises."

During the first arc of the RP, the story followed the selection and confirmation of a new Archon Sanctus Andromache Xi-Nosterii (Serperior_Xi)