Noxism

Noxism is one of the religions of Rathnir. It's an ancient cult, temples of wich can be found in ruins.

On the 26th of September of 2020 the sleepgang resurected the cult by founding Sovdal arround the ruins of the ancient Aftonsal.

Cult:
The Noxist religion revolves arround 6 primary dieties. These are:

- Afton, god of dusk and darkness.

Afton is the god of darkness itself. He is reveared 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 wrathfull ruler who should allways be kept happy. In fact there are tales of an ancient sky monster wich 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. There is an ancient Noxist temple called Aftonsal in Sovdal dedicated to him wich has been resurrected by its citizents. Modern Noxists always keep a light on their shrine alongside some coal or flint to apease the god.

- Luna, goddess of the night sky.

Luna is reveared as the night sky itself. She is the incarnation of the moon and the stars. She is the protector of all nightworkers, police, prostitutes, charriot drivers, medics, tavernkeepers and also sailors. She is a very peacefull 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.

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

Aron is the encarnation of the sun, the day sky, the clouds, fire, crops and sunflowers. It is believed that Aron was not originally part of the Noxist pantheon but was introduced into it by the foreign farmer communities that had contact with Noxist culture. He is a lustfull 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. Everynight, 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.

- 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 diety of scholars, spies and physicians who wish to learn more about the world. People can sometimes sense his presence whilst 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.

- Roris, godess of protection and warfare

Roris is the god of protection and warfare, of bravery and honor. According to legend she claimed the island of Errenfeldt while she was still only a commander for her lord, Afton, before herself being granted the powers of a godess for her service. She is the patriot diety 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.

Noxist cities are required to have atleast one temple dedicated to a local diety and a Grand Temple, wich would be the common one.

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

Personal Cult:
As dictated by the ancient Noxist traditions, all Noxist must have a bed in their houses, and one more for every living being in that house (pets).

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

Finally, Noxist are obliged to pilgrimige atleast once in their lifetime to the Aftonsal in Sovdal.



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

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

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