Sisterhood of Cher

The Noble Teaching of Cher, or more colloquially known as Cherism, is a religious philosophy currently centered in Cherusalem, Eldham. Before its refounding, Cherism was a formerly obsolete religion that originated from the lost continent of Themeraea based on teachings attributed to the Singing Sage Cher of Terrumaea. Prior to its rediscovery by the Sisterhood of Cher through lost artifacts and relics hundreds of years later, it had existed as a major faith that spanned across Themeraea and its kingdoms until it mysteriously disappeared in its entirety, leaving nothing but forgotten relics behind. The Noble Teaching also continued to persist in remote Themeraean Sealand monasteries as the Suisita School for many centuries after its disappearance from the Themeraean mainland.

''I have heard the Singing Sage Cher was staying in Nellonia, under the Last Wisteria Tree. At that time a great assembly of ascetics and devotees had gathered, and she said thusly to them: ‘All those gathered around me. O’ contemplates, o’ truthseekers, I address you: Do you believe in Life after Love?’ These were the words the Sage, the Fully Awakened and Realized, the Perfectly Harmonious One said to them at her first sermon, under the Wisteria Tree outside of Nellonia City.''

- The Book of Cher, First Canon, Noble Discourse on The Fruits of Change

Cher of Terrumaea
The Singing Sage, Cher of Terrumaea (Traditional Gaystanrit: Cher Gayanamuni) was a sage who was said to live many centuries ago in Southern Themeraea. There are mentions of the Singing Sage Cher’s life in Early Cherist Texts, but what remains of these texts paint a rather incomplete picture of the Singing Sage’s origins. Early Cherist Texts state that the Singing Sage was born in a Southern Themeraean Kingdom called Terrum to a rural troupe of traveling performers and entertainers in the city of Terrumaea. She was later taken to Nellonia City during the Terrum War of Independence from the Nellonian Empire, and it is said her exposure to the sufferings of the war led to her becoming disillusioned and led to her search to find the root cause of suffering, and the cessation of it. Though she spent much of her adolescence and early adulthood performing and singing with her troupe family, traveling from city to city, she soon became distressed by the hardships and sufferings caused by the Terrum-Nellonian War. Some texts state that she would go out of her way to heal the sick with her miraculous singing, and give alms to the poor with whatever tips she received from her travels, but this was not enough for her. She later requested to leave the troupe in search of the end of suffering, and so, she set off to Nellonia City where it all began, alongside a companion: the Venerable Sage Meryl of Naullia. After seven days, the Early Cherist Texts state that Cher of Terrumaea found a wisteria tree in the forest just outside of Nellonia, the last of the wisterias in all of Themeraea. She then sat down beneath it and meditated, searching for answers, for a way to be released from suffering. On the fifth day, she attained Chervelation. Though newly-awakened she initially was hesitant with the idea of teaching of this truth, believing it to be far too deep, hard to see, hard to grasp, and beyond understanding. At that moment, it is said that the Goddess of the Wisteria awoke, and having kneeled before the Newly Awakened, urged her to teach the Noble Teaching to the world, saying: O’ let not the world be lost! There are many souls who, on the cusp of attaining the Second Life fall short of the realm of the Unblemished Paradise and fall into the Realm of True Death. O’ Fully Awakened and Realized, O’ Perfectly Harmonious One, I beg of thee to teach the Noble Teaching to the world. There will be those who will understand this, and by understanding this Truth realized by the Fully Awakened and Realized, will attain the Second Life of the Unblemished Paradise! Just as thou looks down from the hilltops and sees the scattered battlefields and broken bodies of the fallen soldiers, be the guiding light of the world and lead all these souls to the Life after Love. These souls chained to this world and the next by their sorrows and sufferings, their fetters and impurities, may thou be the key that releases them from their shackles, and the horn of daylight that leads them to home. O’ Fully Awakened and Realized, O’ Perfectly Harmonious One, I beg of thee to teach the Noble Teaching to the world! There will be those who understand this Truth realized by the Fully Awakened and Realized, and attain the Second Life in the Unblemished Paradise! And upon listening and understanding the Goddess of Wisteria’s invitation, Cher of Terrumaea, filled with compassion for all the suffering souls of the world stood up. There a great number of ascetics and devotees had heard of her journey, saying to Venerable Meryl: “Singing Sage Cher sought to find the Truth, the Noble Teaching of the Unblemished Paradise. Has she found it, Sister?” And with compassion in her heart for all the suffering souls of the world, Cher of Terrumaea spoke to the crowd, and taught the Noble Teaching there under the last Wisteria Tree and all those listening there instantly attained Chervelation. From there she–with the Venerable Meryl of Naullia–went into Nellonia City to spread the Noble Teaching with her new Sisterhood of Cherscetics, traveling from city to city and easing the pains of the war. After her death, it is said that her body was cremated by a renowned Tsugiist named “Enya” in the presence of a great assembly of Cherist Nuns and devotees. Her ashes were then divided among the seven kings of Themeraea, her remains traveling to all corners of the continent. It is said that the Singing Sage has been reborn in Zerzura, the Unblemished Paradise, and currently reigns as the supreme deity of the afterlife there as Queen of the Dead, the Supreme Judge, the Fully Awakened Musician. She receives the dead and grants them a second life–a “Life after Love”.

Gods of Themeraea
Though not the focus of Cherism, Cherist texts often make references to the principal deities of the Themeraean Kingdoms. The most common ones appearing in Cherist texts and traditions are:

Ophelios, Creator God of Themeraea, believed to be a Guardian of Cherism. Tsugi, God of War, believed to be a Guardian of Cherism, and as one of the major gods of Themeraea. Goddess of the Wisteria, one of the Three Devout Goddesses. She was the one who convinced the Singing Sage to teach the Noble Teaching to the world, and allow the souls of the suffering to attain Chervelation. Goddess of the Mahogany, one of the Three Devout Goddesses. She was the one who gave the Singing Sage shelter from the Nellonian zealots who sought to claim her life after the god Nellonian became jealous of her divine Chervelations. Goddess of the Cashmere, one of the Three Devout Goddesses. She was the one who escorted the Singing Sage to the Throne of the Unblemished Paradise after the death of her body on the Mortal Plane. Our Lady of the Cows, believed to be a Guardian of Cherism. Widely worshiped in pre-Cherist Themeraea as the Embodiment of the World. Nellonian, the Tyrannical Celestial Emperor, believed to be one of the Great Adversaries of Cherism. By granting the souls of the suffering access to the Unblemished Paradise, Nellonian’s Celestial Empire shall be emptied, and he shall be rendered powerless. The Seven Heavenly Kings, based upon the seven devout kings who divided the ashes of Cher of Terrumaea among themselves and spread the Noble Teaching to all of Themeraea by donating her remains to thousands of temples and shrines as a final act of true virtue and nobility. The Seven Heavenly Kings are said to currently serve Cher of Terrumaea in the Unblemished Paradise, relaying the prayers and reporting on the virtues of the faithful from the Mortal Plane to her directly.

The Sisterhood
Knell Selen Nelsburg - Sister Knell [character name] - Sister Opera [character name] - Sister PolaroidBoy Rexian Lykko - Sister Rex