Noxism

History
Scholars debate on what exactly happened to the Noxist culture but they abruptly vanished at some point.

On the 26th of September 2020, the Sleep gang, apparently descendants of the Noxists, resurrected the religion by founding Sovdal around the ruins of the ancient Aftonsal, a temple built in honor to the god Afton by his former servant Roris.

Main Deities
The Noxist religion revolves around 6 primary deities. These are:

- Afton, god of dusk and darkness.

Afton is the god of darkness itself. He is revered as the bringer of night. Every dusk ancient Noxists used to burn incense and sing dark prayers to the god. He is the protector of all darkness wielders such as Magicians, Musicians and Witches, but he also cares for all while we sleep.

Afton is seen as a wrathful ruler who should always be kept happy. In fact there are tales of an ancient sky monsters which he sent to punish those who would not sleep, and it is also said that Afton himself made the creatures that lurk in the night to keep all in bed. But make no mistake, Afton is not cruel, follow his teachings and he will protect you from these creatures and even reward you.

There is an ancient Noxist temple called Aftonsal in Sovdal dedicated to him which has been resurrected by its citizens. Modern Noxists always keep a light on their shrine alongside some coal or flint to appease the god.

There is a Noxist legend revolving around Afton defeating the sun, who had declared war against the night, and later abducting his son, Auron as his own.

- Luna, goddess of the night sky.

Luna is revered as the night sky itself. She is the incarnation of the moon and the stars. She is the protector of all night workers, police, prostitutes, chariot drivers, medics, tavern keepers and also sailors.

She is said to have used her powers to create a bright light in Afton's domain, later known as the polar star, which lead the Noxists north, where they would be safe from oppression.

She is a very peaceful goddess and likes to honor those who serve her. Ancient Noxists used to care for beautiful flowers that would bloom at night for the goddess. This practice has survived to the modern times, as Noxist often have Lilies of the valley at their houses, gardens and shrines.

- Auron, god of the the day sky and crops.

Aron is the son of the sun itself, ruling over the day sky, the clouds, fire, crops and sunflowers.

Auron was not always part of the Noxist pantheon, he is, after all, the son of the sun. Once he was seen as a god by those who worshiped the sun, but as the sun lost a war against Afton, Auron was taken to reassure there would be no further conflict.

He once tried to recreate the feats of his father, but failed, and created the red planet which was named after himself.

He is a lustful god who likes to party but only after a hard day's work. He is the protector of farmers, bakers, traders, builders and mercenaries. At dawn his followers rang a massive bell to symbolize his arrival. It is also believed that ancient Noxists practiced a hedonistic ritual for him, involving ale and rum. Today, only the bell ritual is practiced.

- Shinto, god of the deep sleep and the dream world.

Shinto is another dark god. He is the god of the deep sleep (death) and he is said to guide the forever sleeping to the dream world.

Every night, Shinto walks by the streets of every town and collects their souls. Before leaving he stops for a sip of water at the burial mounds while the souls take a bite of the offerings that their families have left for them in their shrines.

It is said that falling stars are souls trying to escape from him, but few ever succeed.

Shinto doesn't have many followers in the present. A long time ago he did, as he used to grant those who followed him the power to bring back a soul to it's body for the duration of no more than three days, but this was later forbidden by Afton, as he saw this as cruel.

- Baldemar, the bringer of dreams.

Baldemar visit the people of Rathnir every night to bring them dreams, regardless of whether or not they believe in him.

He was once known as the god of mysticism by the ancient Noxists, giving people the power of seeing both the dreamworld (the land of the dead) and the land of the living. Now that power has long been abandoned as it brought it's user closer to death.

He is often the patriot deity of scholars, spies and physicians who wish to learn more about the world. People can sometimes sense his presence while sleeping, but nobody has ever seen him in person, though at very rare circumstances, he may leave gifts for his faithful followers, never expecting anything in return.

Some believe that lightning is Baldemar traveling down to the earth, staying for several days at times. Some believe this is foolishness, stating that he would not make a noise that loud if he wanted to bring people dreams.

- Roris, goddess of protection and warfare

Roris is the goddess of protection and warfare, of bravery and honor.

According to legend she and the nomadic people she led claimed the island of Errenfeldt, which they were led to by the goddess Luna, when she was leading them away from the southerners who were unable to tolerate them. There she built a large temple known as Aftonsal in honor to Afton.

As thanks to her service, leading people to safety in a time of panic, Afton granted her the powers of a god.

She is the patriot deity of soldiers, knights, guards, pilgrims, armorers and hunters. She expects her most loyal followers to dedicate to her a shield, that they themselves may use to protect others. She is also known as the main diety of the Rorian Knights and the Noxist members of Aurora.

Minor Deities
These are the many Minor Deities of the Noxist Religion

- Aeder

Aeder is the god of the sea and the weather.

Aeder roams the seas, every step he takes waves appear, every sound he makes, thunder strikes and when he crosses the land, rain starts to fall, he walks years on years, never to stop... and so he continues on he's endless journey in to the unknown.

Aeder is the patriot deity for the fishermen and boatbuilders.

- Snout Birth (WIP)

- Snout Nature (WIP)

- Snout Construction (WIP)



Noxist cities are required to have at least one temple dedicated to a local deity and a Grand Temple, which would be the common one.

They are also required to have a burial mound for Noxist followers and pets.

Personal Shrine


Noxist are encouraged to have a personal shrine alongside a guest room for strangers with no bed.

Noxist are obliged to pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to the Aftonsal in Sovdal.



Instructions to build a Noxist temple
The temples have generally a round shape. The primary block should be quartz which can be mixed with diorite or birch logs.

The prominent feature of the temples should be some big arches surrounding the building.

In the center there can be anything from a tree, statue or tower. This main feature is normally surrounded by a small wooden building.