Zentivar

Zentivar is a religion focused on the preservation of peace and culture, as well as the spiritual ascension of its followers, without any element of worship or creationism. It is run by the Zentivaric Temple, a hierarchy of religious attendants who maintain the various rituals and traditions of the faith throughout the world. Zentivar acknowledges certain holidays, which are tracked and celebrated according to the religion's own calendar.

It was founded by Athaz the Traveler, who wrote the holy text of Kaysemithet, outlining the prime beliefs of the faith. The holy city and birthplace of the religion is Athazolant, capital of the Theocracy of Viratayn, where it is the state religion.

Word of Reece
The origins of what would become Zentivar are in ancient Rathnir paganism. The Word of Reece was one pagan mythology which consisted of various local and patron deities. It is believed that the Oracle Reece had revealed to them that all of their gods were real, with each having their own place in the universe, and that the strength of a god would grow the more people dedicated worship to it. As a result, followers would recognize a pantheon of numerous gods, and favor one or a few of them who they believed to be most important to them to be the subject of their worship.

The origins of the revelations of Reece are believed to have come from the subcontinent of aldovir, as recognition of his words were most dense in that region, and people who had committed their gods to the pantheon had dominated the southern half of the subcontinent. These people consisted of the worshippers of the god of metalworking in Cobblework Mines, the god of madness and disorder in Voiceless Peak, and the god of travelers on the eastern side of the landmass.

Those who worshiped the God of Travelers would revere Athaz when he entered the region, considering him to be a divine avatar of their god. Besides Athaz’s connection to the spheres of their god, these primitive people believed that divinity was a rational explanation for many of Athaz’s odd features, such as his shadowy face, glowing eyes, and ageless immortality. Athaz’s place on the pantheon was cemented when Poppy of Cobblework Mines recognized him as the God of Travel in solidarity with the first wave of followers.

The place where Athaz had met the worshipers of the travel god would go on to become the city of Athazolant, where Athaz was seen as the patron deity of the city. Athaz himself promoted the claims after others began to acknowledge him as divine, directly fashioning himself as a deity to his followers for some time, until later religious reform more clearly defined his nature and role in the faith.

Cult of Athaz
As time went on, most cities of the gods of Reece would see decline in population, or influence from other religions or cultures, resulting in a widespread decline of their worship or recognition. Athazolant however, was not affected by either, and would survive as a final remnant of the Reece Pantheon.

In this age, the name of Reece was largely unknown, and comparatively insignificant compared to Athaz, who was in his prime of international interactions during his travels through Rathnir. This caused global ignorance of the fact that the religion of Athazolant was the Word of Reece, with Athaz only being a component of the faith, rather than the main focus. This was compounded by the fact that the followers of Athaz were no longer in contact with any followers of the other gods of Reece, as they had largely ceased to exist.

The lack of any internal connection or external association to the rest of the faith would ultimately result in the followers of Athaz taking up their own identity entirely, as the Cult of Athaz: a group that worshiped Athaz as a god of travelers and cartography, due to his knowledge and notoriety in those fields at the time. Order was also seen as one of his spheres by some, due to his struggles against the demon Entropy before her awakening in Rathnir.

Disciples of Athaz
The Cult of Athaz would take on a distinct and notable change in the years following the death of Entropy: the religion would no longer be focused on worship of Athaz, or on recognition of Athaz as a god of travel, instead emphasizing his teaching. The faith would then be known as the Disciples of Athaz, as members were considered to be his philosophical followers, or students, instead of worshipers. This adjustment was cemented in the 7th year of the Zentivaric Calendar, with the creation of the book of Kaysemithet: the first and foundational text of the faith which outlined the beliefs of Athaz. Another holy text named “Divinity” was also written during this period, by Carpicious.

Transformation into Zentivar
The creation of Zentivar from the Disciples of Athaz was largely the result of a cultural shift in the holy city of Athazolant at the time. A city-state since its foundation thirty-nine years before the death of Entropy, the state would reorganize from the Sovereign City of Athazolant to the Theocracy of Viratayn in the year 37. This cultural shift was focused on the arrival of a true national identity to the state and its people, rather than a personal one tied to its founder alone.

Similarly, the religion was made to be branded and referred to in a way more generally, and related to its values, while also being less on the nose about its ties to the head figure. Zentivar would be adopted as the official name by Athaz and Carpicious in the year 38, as the act of following Athaz as a disciple was considered to be “The Way of Immortal Ascension”, from which the name Zentivar is derived.

Zentivar would also see the onset of religious organization of hierarchy, canon, and rituals, unlike what had ever been seen in its previous iterations. Athaz and Carpicious became leaders of the faith, known as the Ordinator and Ordinatrix respectively. Other ranks within the temple, conversion rituals, religious uniforms, festivals, and sacred drinks were all created for the new religion during its early years, as religious dedication flourished in Athazolant.

Overview
Zentivar is an unusual religion as it does not possess any element of worship, and does not concern itself with the gods, or other higher beings. There is no creation myth for the universe in Zentivar, and there is no afterlife: followers instead believe in reincarnation after death. Zentivar is instead tied to an array of related moral and philosophical concepts, with an element of background mysticism.

The primary objective of the followers of Zentivar, is to pursue and revere growth. This can manifest in the form of improving at skills in the cases of modest practitioners, or in the form of spiritual growth and ascension among the more pious of the faith. The extremely devoted seek to achieve a state of absolute perfection. It is believed that there are a set of values that are to be adhered in order to best achieve growth, spiritual ascension, and perfection. These values are outlined in Kaysemithet, the central holy text of Zentivar.

Divine Intention, Willpower, and Personal Ascension
It is believed in Zentivar that many or all occurrences of the world are a part of a Divine Intention, or Fate. It is believed that what happens is meant to allow one to learn from the experience, and grow as a result. Trying times may also be seen as a test of one’s willpower, and commitment to the values that they have learned.

The primary goal of followers of Zentivar is to grow to a spiritually perfect state, or otherwise the best that they are able to achieve in their lifetime. The perfect state of an individual in Zentivar is considered to be a perfect adherence to all values of the faith, in all situations, as it is thought that the Divine Intention naturally teaches these values to be ideal for oneself. Athaz is seen as the prime example of this, with the immortality that he acquired in his lifetime being seen as a sign of his ascension into a state of divinity, and his writings in the book Kaysemithet intended to allow others to follow his path and join his state of being.

As a result of the rigorous commitment and discipline one must show to the values of Zentivar in order to achieve the aim of growth, willpower is seen as the chief value of all, and the key to unlocking ascension through Zentivar.

Nonviolence
Zentivar condemns most forms of violence, with a particular disliking of violent acts that are unnecessary.

It is believed that violence should never be done in any situation without first an attempt at a peaceful resolution. Not only is physical confrontation as a first solution seen as dangerous, harmful, disrespectful, and cruel, but Zentivar also places higher value on the ability to perform feats with words alone. A person who is able to gain without raising a weapon is seen as more skillful and masterful in the world for the sole reason that they did not expend any physical energy or material in order to see a yield. Conversely, showing aggression, hostility, or taking through force alone, is seen as the mark of an uneducated or primitive individual.

Zentivar recognizes the concept of “Bloodlust”: by which one may be encouraged to partake in aggressive behaviors as a result of experiencing or witnessing them in the world. Simply observing gore is believed to compromise one’s state of mind if it happens in extreme or frequent occurrences. For this reason, blood sports such as Spectator Combat or other forms of violent recreation are condemned by the Zentivaric Temple for normalizing the appearance of violence.

In relation to gore, Zentivar holds specific rules about the treatment of the dead and their bodies. Any deceased are meant to be respectfully buried, or in the cases of especially violent or cruel individuals, destroyed with dignity. The use of dismembered heads of slain opponents as trophies is strongly condemned, and display of them may be illegal in places where the religion has a strong presence.

Kaysemithet
Kaysemithet, meaning "My Wills", is the foundational text of all of Zentivar. It is the oldest and most significant of all holy books, and was the first codification of all the core tenets of the religion. It was written by Athaz in the year 7 as a way of outlining his philosophical beliefs that were also to be held by his followers, and was widely distributed as the holy text of his disciples. When Zentivar was founded, it became the de facto holy text of the religion.

The book is divided into three sections: the first focused on declaring the divinity of Athaz, while also stating that he is not a figure of worship, the second focused on preservation of life and culture against violence and destruction, and the third focused on the correct way to treat and value others.

Divinity
Divinity is a book written by Carpicious describing her experience with Athaz the Traveler, from meeting him, to the point of their marriage. It describes why Carpicious first recognized Athaz to be divine, through observing the ways he had acted in his dealings related to herself, as well as the demon Entropy.

The 15 Wills
The 15 Wills is an abbreviation of the main points outlined in the book Kaysemithet by Whispitt in the year 28. It was written with the purpose of being easily reproduced by followers, and understandable to readers, as a way to introduce the religion to people without requiring that they read the entirety of Kaysemithet: simplifying the book into 15 principles. The text is relatively unknown as Whispitt, who had created the text in order to proselytize, would end up not making an attempt to spread the book or the faith.

Zentivarlun Caeronerent
Zentivarlun Caeronerent, meaning “Zentivaric Creation”, is the official manual on the construction procedures and guidelines of Zentivaric holy sites, written by Athaz in the year 57. It defines types of holy sites as Shrines (a place where homage is paid to Zentivar) and Temples (a place dedicated to the observance of and/or conversions to Zentivar). The similarities between Caeronate of Carn and the book title are purely coincidental.

Trohmyehd
Tohmyehd, meaning “Bloodshed”, is a book written by Carpicious in the year 63. It is a personal description of her relationship with the elements and values of Zentivar prior to her conversion, and eventual ascension to the highest ranks of the religion. It contrasts the misguided actions of her earlier days in Rathnir with values of the faith which she would learn to accept over her formerly chaotic ways.