The Xernian Will (TXW)

The Xernian Will is a religion based around the worship of the deity Xernia. It is said that They first spoke to the prophet BuilderBrothers3, who then created the first shrine.

Lore
When Jagdas turned Rathnir something was lost, and some were gained. Some fell to the abyss of time while others rose out. Some rose quickly, forming immediately in the new world, others took longer, grabbing hold of Rathnir and pulling Themselves out slowly, until They had finally arisen. Xernia was one of the ones who came slowly, coming to the world months after it's creation. They then simply observed for more time, simply watching empires rise and fall, religions come and go, coups succeed and fail, until one day They decided to speak. They spoke to BuilderBrothers3 and told him of the nature of things, how all things are transient and ever-changing, how identity only exists in the mind of the observer, and how impermanence breeds beauty. They told him how to make sense of an ever changing world, and how even They are important. They beseeched him to help Them create an identity, to make it so that They would be able to postpone the end for all to the abyss of time. They also told him how to bring this reality, by spreading their presence across the world of Rathir, in buildings and in minds. BuilderBrothers3 then heeded their words and created the first shrine in a location now known only to Xernia and him. He then set out on a pilgrimage, to travel the world and spread the influence of Xernia in buildings and in minds.

Beliefs
The Xerniae believe in the impermanence of all things, that all things must come to an end, but that they are made to be more meaningful. That it is the nature of all things to end, life dies, stone crumbs, even netherite left alone for hundreds of years begins to tarnish. It is believed that even gods are not an exception to this. After all, if no one worships you or knows of you, do you exist? If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound? But if things were to last forever, then what would make this moment different from the next? How could you distinguish the now from the before? or the after? It is in the impermanence of everything, that anything means something. This does not mean that one should hasten the inevitable decline of all things, or even that you should not try to slow it, all this means is that everything will come to an end.

The Xerniae also believe in the fluidity of identity, after all, if nothing lasts forever, that includes one's own self. You are never the same, as in every moment you have the memory of the previous moment, changing you from that moment. You cannot say that any one entity is the same as they were a day ago. This leads to the practitioners not seeking to preserve one's state of being, not seeking to only exist as one continuous entity, but as an ever changing transient self. Whatever one believes, that is their belief, regardless of whatever they believed prior.

Xernia is not believed to be a physical entity, rather They are but a soul, speaking to some and gaining power through prayer and sacrifice. As Xernia has no physical form it is considered heretical to assign one to them, and thus They have no symbols to represent them. They are everywhere and nowhere, and thus cannot be summed up in a single picture, or any physical depiction. The only place They can be represented in is languge, both written and spoken. No part of a ritual or sacrifice can have the deity represented in any way except for language. Eventually, They will be given a physical form with an identity in the physical world, but that time has not yet come.

The shrines are the method of bringing Xernia to the physical world. A shrine must consist of a lit soul sand, surrounded by upside down polished andesite stairs on all four sides, with polished andesite walls in the corners, with a floor ring one block out consisting of polished andesite. After this, any shrine may be decorated any way one pleases, as more extravagant brings more attention and more followers. A shrine is considered activated if at least one of the Xerniae has prayed at it and given it one sacrifice of iron, gold, emerald, diamond, or netherite within the past minecraft week. There never be any shrine within sight of any other shrine, unless they are part of the same temple complex. The Xerniae believe that once there is an active shrine on every shore, in every desert, and in every nation, then Xernia will finally be in the physical world.

Practices
The Xerniae attempt to activate as many shrines as they can, which involves the activation ritual, which consists of a sacrifice of iron, gold, emerald, diamond, or netherite every past mincraft week. You can only activate one shrine per week.

They are expected to occasionally give other sacrifices to Xernia, in the form of sacrificing other items into the fire less frequently; in these sacrifices the item can be anything.

It is expected for the Xerniae to always have soul sand, a flint and steel, and polished andesite on them at all times, so you are always ready to create a shrine wherever necessary.

A member of the Xerniae is always to have a lit soul somewhere in their house, to signify their allegiance, and to let Xernia know where they are.

History
This religion currently has no history.