Halinism

Halinism is a polytheistic religion with monotheistic elements that traces it origins back to tribal peoples of Northern Yuvaria, from which its name is derived. It honors its primary god, Etia, above the other gods of the religion, which tend to be honored secondarily after Etia. The religion is different from others in that its gods do not accept sacrificies, which are considered sacrilegious. Instead, the religion is much more centered on rituals and prayer to appease the gods.

Gods
Within Halinism, there are two types of gods, major and minor gods. Major gods are those that are, or were at one time, the king of the gods. The minor gods are the remaining gods, who have far more specialized worship and typically only see regular worship from certain groups, who stand to benefit from the worship. However, some gods such as Xigath and The Fool are rarely worshipped.

Major Gods
Etia- Etia is the current King of the gods, and presides over death, war, honor, and order. He was formerly a minor god, but sacrificed himself in order to defeat the enemies of the gods, banishing them to the nether. Upon the reopening of the nether, he returned. Finding the gods in chaos, established himself as king of the gods, outlawed sacrifices to the gods, and took the bull as his sacred animal. Due to this positioned, he is worshiped above all other gods, and has the largest following.

Xigath- Xigath was the King of the gods before Etia, and the husband of Hestasia. He presided over the realms of rulership, justice, order, and law. He was worshipped above all others gods, prior to his disappearance and was a prominent god in early Halinism. Why he disappeared or what happened is a mystery. Upon his disappearance, the rest of the gods fell into chaos, and neglected their duties. Many pray for his return, but his general worship is low as a result of his absense.

Minor Gods
Artemesia- Artemesia is the goddess of nature, presiding over crops, forests, plains, hunting, rivers, and fish. Artemesia is believed to be a caring, but young, wild, and vivacious goddess. She is often worshipped by farmers, fishermen, and hunters.

Hestasia- Hestasia is the goddess of magic, marriage, fertility, and life. She is the wife of Xigath. Hestasia is typically viewed as a kind, protective, but youthful woman. She is believed to be the creator of most all magics, and her followers are often endowed with magic. She is the most commonly worshipped after Etia, often being worshipped by those seeking marriage and those seeking children. She is also worshiped by mages.

Drafnel- Drafnel is the god of the world, presiding over stone, soil, metals, and blacksmithing by extension. Drafnel is believed to be a quiet, secluded god that keeps away from others and tends to his realms alone. He is often viewed as quite wise, stoic, and old. He is often worshipped by miners, smiths, and scholars.

Keneris- Keneris is the goddess of weather, the seasons, and natural disasters. Keneris is believed to be a very temperamental goddess, bringing good weather when she is happy, and bad weather when she is angry. She is often portrayed as an old goddess, and was formerly quite vain, often demanding large sacrifices. She is primarily worshipped by sailors, though many farmers will pray to her from time to time when the weather turns worse.

“The Fool”- The Fool is so called because of his placement within the pantheon as a chaotic trickster. The Fool is powerful, and not to be taken lightly. He is not to be actively worshipped, but is to be respected. The Fool takes on many faces and many forms, seeking to gain the worship of those that look for someone to follow, and for those that seek power. He varies from form to form in his danger, his ambitions, and his aspirations, conforming to what others seek him to be. It is commonly believed that The Fool is the true power behind many false gods.

The true name and nature of The Fool is known by only by a few radicals, and it is said that those who discover his true name are both blessed and cursed. They have access to immense power, but using it comes with random curses. What we do understand about The Fool’s true nature are that, while not inherently evil, many of his goals being selfish and petty, ultimately leading people down paths of evil. He is a great shapeshifter, magic user, and master of deception, explaining how he is able to masquerade as the head of many religions.

Pre-Colonization
Halinism was originall a localized, polytheistic religion only practiced by a few tribes in the northern parts of Yuvaria. Little remains from this early date. However, what is known is that Etia, at this time, was a minor god rather than a major god, Xigath was considered the King of the gods, and thus was the center of worship. Sacrifices were also a major part of the religion at this point, with sacrificial remains being uncovered. However, sometime during this period, Etia disappears from the pantheon. Sometime later, Xigath also largely fades, and not long after the religion heavily fades. Ultimately, the Halin tribe ends up being the last hold out of the religion, carrying on its traditions.

Post-Colonization
Around the time colonization began, Etia is also believed to have re-emerged into the pantheon, returning stability and a bringing about a revival. Sometime after colonization, the religion took on the name Halinism, after the Halin tribe. As the Halin tribe began to become civilzed, establishing the town of Halingard, they began to revive the religion. It then began to take root once more in Northern Yuvaria, and through shared citizens and trade, made its way down into the Mercurian Republic.

Order of Etia
The Order of Etia is a prominent force within Halinism, whose goals are typically to protect the faith and uphold Etia's commandments. The members of the Order of Etia. In spite of the militant nature of Etia, and the Order of Etia, and beliefs that other religions are false, the Order of Etia is non-hostile to other religions. However, if presented with a threat, the Order is not against resorting to violence as a means to defend fellow Halinists.