Covenant of Kaiho

Summary
The Covenant of Kaiho is a religion primarily followed by the Sorradi people, derived from Ancestral Worship in Anoshphey, the idealization of cultural pillars, and local influences, the Covenant of Kaiho has a powerful faith rich with culture and history. The faith is a trinity of the Prophet, the Ancestors, and the Great beasts, among other flavors of local folk tales and beliefs. The Faith is based primarily in the Consulate of Umiho, where the faith is enforced for all residents, due to its history as a crusader state.

The Trinity
The trinity consists of the Ancestors, the Prophet, and the Great Beasts. They represent the cornerstones of the Faith.

The Ancestors
The Ancestors make up the stars in the sky, they are the righteous, pious, and compassionate individuals who watch those they left behind and guide them through their journey of life. When family members ascend, they form constellations in the night sky, showing their bond to their family left below. Not all stars are the same, however, and many of the brightest are canonized saints or unsung heroes, there is only one sun, however. The sun is the Prophet's star, which guides our people with her light long after her death.

The Ancestral Council
The Ancestral council is a council of Saints, past leaders of the faith, and former Sirkeri. The Ancestral council guides the people more directly, by talking to their leaders regardless of location, however they rarely step in in such a manner. They often regulate the spirit worlds as well, and are responsible for keeping ancestors and old souls in line. They are housed on the moon, and keep watch for the prophet while she rests.

The Saints
Not all Saints end up on the Ancestral council, on account of their numbers. Despite this, many saints receive the adoration and worship of local peoples. Each saint is unique in some way, attributed to something different, they provide explanations for anomalies or represent a historic event.

The Prophet
The Prophet, Erissa lead the people during their time of great migration and displacement. She built them cities, she guided them, built a nation for them. Not all were pleased with this, and the Naidez swallowed her works, driving her to a breaking point. Without her Guidance, the people were lost, but the Great Fox and the Great Coon lead them to safe havens. The Prophet then rose to the heavens as the sun herself, basking her people with light stornger than any Naidez.

The Great Beasts
There is a multitude of great beasts, however the one's followed Primarily in the faith is the Great Fox, the Great Raccoon, and the Great Wolf. They appear in times of great need to guide the people when the very sky itself is blotted out, they have the power to quell any Naidez, however often do not do more than guide. Not much is known about these Beasts, but they often receive the adoration, prayers, and offerings of the Faithful.

Holy Figures
The Covenant of Kaiho has a long history, and with it comes a mountain of Saints, clergy, and other important figures in the faith.

Saints
Saints are a vast but important part of the faith, they are the source of many relics and help provide explanations to the people. Their stars are often brighter than a regular ancestors star, and on occasion they can end up on the Ancestral Council.


 * 1) Saint Neì of Sarell. Saint Neì of Sarell is attributed with leading the few faithful before Erissa's birth. She led them from the north, and raised Erissa herself. She is represented as the North Star, the brightest star in the sky besides the sun itself, she is often called the Mother.

World Views
The followers of the faith can have a very narrow world view, however are not ignorant to other faiths.

Holy Sites
The Covenant of Kaiho has five major holy cities.

Spirit Gate Cities
Spirit Gate cities are cities that act as gates to the Spirit realm, allowing one to converse with ascended ancestors. These cities are on the Easter, Western, Northern, and Southern borders of the world according to the primarily stationary Sorradi clergy. Naturally, these specific sites are incredibly well protected.


 * 1) Shizumori, the Eastern Gate. Shizumori is the seat of the Clergy and holds the title of easternmost major city and the eastern gate to the spirit realm.
 * 2) Serafaint, the Southern Gate. While not in Sorradi Hands, the city is the southernmost city and the southern gate to the spirit realm.
 * 3) Prisma, the Western Gate. Prisma holds the World Peak, and was once a safe house for the Sorradi, being the farthest western city.
 * 4) Arce Chaureste, the Northern Gate. Believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Erissa, as well as being the farthest north a Sorradi expedition has traveled.

Prophet Cities

 * 1) Shizumori, the Resting place of Erissa. Founded by Erissa, it is where she is believed to be buried.
 * 2) Asylias, the birth place of the exodus. Asylias was founded by the Prophet, but was torn down by the Naidez, prompting the Sorradi to look for a new home.

Spirit Realm
The spirit realm is a widely misunderstood realm, with basic knowledge of it's workings.

Naidez
The Naidez are represented as all flames in the mortal world. They are the rotten souls, the tarnished and the intolerant, souls so dastardly that they came back to the mortal realm to burn homes, ruin lives, and scar people. Fire represents destruction, chaos, and are pretenders to the light of the Prophet's sun and the light of the Stars. They seek to tempt the faithful to forgo the sun and the stars for their more available, however destructive, use.

Old Souls
Old souls are the souls of the unordinary, the non believers, and the redeemed Naidez. Their souls are recirculated into the world itself, giving life to the dying or helping the growth of the young. After enough time, these old souls can finally become an ancestor, however few can often forgo this potential and join the Naidez.

The Ancestors
The Ancestors make up the stars in the sky, they are the righteous, pious, and compassionate individuals who watch those they left behind and guide them through their journey of life. When family members ascend, they form constellations in the night sky, showing their bond to their family left below. Not all stars are the same, however, and many of the brightest are canonized saints or unsung heroes.

Holy Orders
The Covenant of Kaiho has a small number of Holy Orders, some modern and some before the centralized era.

The Order of the Crimson Lock
The Order of the Crimson Lock, a militant radicalistic group of zealots who carved out the Consulate of Umiho following the Paradise Tovarisha war. The Order of the Crimson Lock is named after the fabled Crimson lock, a red lock of hair from the very Prophet herself. This item is often idolized despite its general confusion as to its whereabouts. The Order was mostly absorbed into the Consulate of Umiho as their acting military, however small break-off groups still operate on small scales.

The Pathfinders
The Pathfinders was an order of hunters, travelers, wild men, and explorers. They had a particular connection with the Great Fox, venerating her, and often spending their entire lives following the vixens, they are mostly non-combatant but are fierce fighters when necessary. They acted as a group of druids or mystics, leading the people in the absence of the Prophet, on behalf of the great fox. Once the faith was centralized, and their overall goal was complete, the Order has fallen into relative obscurity, many of their ranks joining the early clergy.

Umari Archives
The Umari Archives is a collection of quotes, phrases relics, and short prayers stored in the Archives of Umari.

Quotes
The Umari Archives has a grouping of quotes spoken by people of importance. While these quotes are not dogmatic in any way, many Faithful swear by these quotes.
 * 1) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. An excerpt of Nezuha’s writings. ”A day will come where the ancient lands of withered authorities come together from the rot of their history. A race of runaways and beggars. A day will come where the light of the sun and the stars are cast into the annals of our history, and in their place will be fire. A blaze that will separate the earth from the sky, and render the ground we walk to ash.” -Nezuha Nashira, Consul of Umiho.
 * 2) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. Excerpt of Elisa's discourses. "Sparks are fascinating. The spark of revolution, of war, and of fire. Each commands the heart and soul to fear the sickening sound of drawn blades, unending cannonades, and battle cries of men. Zealous ones cry for endless wars, only at the expense of the compassionate. Why must they be so foolish? Why must the peaceable be thrown into battles where they will surely die? As a nation born from war and strife we must endure these things. But I can only imagine how wonderful the peace must be.” -Elisa Amiras, Grand Arbiter of Umiho
 * 3) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. An excerpt of Nezuha’s writings. ”It is a fact if life that there is war and there is peace. One represents stagnation and rot, the other progress and fire. No great names were made during times of peace, no stagnant king yields the respect of his peers. Only through the flames of war can a society progress, for the new ages are always marked with new weapons, more effective ways to kill one another.” -Nezuha Nashira, Consul of Umiho.
 * 4) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. Excerpt from 'Dear Heretics.' "Some say the dead cannot interact with the living, only facsimile reconstructions of their bodies raised by dark sorcerer's and blasphemers. Why then, pray tell, do the Ancestor's still to this day speak to some, like the appointed Sirkeri, Sénna Somì? Why do the stars give out warnings of future disasters, alerting their descendants of danger? To say that the Ancestor's are not real is to deny empirical truth, one held by many not only of our religion but of many others. To such naysayers I can iterate only thusly: When you perish and your soul turns to Flame, you will look up and see the Sun, and your sight will be taken from you. But then you will look up and still see the stars, and realize your folly. Do not keep Her waiting, friend." -Mashuruo Itikani, Plymerath of the Order of Crimson Lock.

Phrases
The Umari Archives has a grouping of phrases commonly used in prayer or during temple times. These phrases are generally rooted in the pre-centralized time, many phrases still pop up with proper attributions.


 * 1) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. Common Phrases. ”Return unto they the blaze of soul, and the heavens gaze again.” -Unknown Pre-Centralized Acolyte.
 * 2) Covenant of Kaiho, Umari Archives. Common Phrases. ”O spotted vixen, deliver us our refuge.” -Meori Halu, Pre-Centralized Pathfinder, Saint of Vírtèr.

Relics
The Umari Archives has a section of holy relics, both new and old often used for special temple times, such as weddings, funerals, or canonization rituals.


 * 1) The Crimson Lock, having a Holy Order named after it, the Crimson Lock is a lock of the prophets hair, which was undeniably red. Before her burial, this lock was cut off to serve as an heirloom, before falling into the hands of the Order.