Oruqai

The Oruqai Religion
The Oruqai (Minds of God in the Shuga Ghami tongue) believe that the universe was created by the universal constant, known as Uqama, who split off parts of their essence to create all animals, along with humans. After they die, all beings reunite with Uqama, sharing their essence with it before being reborn. It is the duty of every believer, to lead humans and all other sentient life down a path of progress, mending its divisions and healing its wounds, so they may perfect Uqama and permanently rejoin in a state of perfect union. Thus, they have chosen the Spiral, a symbol of progress and union towards one goal, as their main holy symbol.

Oruqai is the state religion in the monastery of Kara Ghami and the Commonwealth of Kaisenuvir.

The 5 Pillars
The expansive oral traditions of the Oruqai lead to a wide range of beliefs among isolated pockets of worshipers. However, 5 main pillars, which were decided during the first council of Ghami (23rd of March 2024) are held in common by all of them. They are:


 * 1) The Universe is on a path of eternal progress and increasing complexity.
 * 2) Learn more from tales, than from moral absolutes.
 * 3) Cultivate a skill and pursue self-improvement.
 * 4) Appreciate all conscious matter as your own, for it all stems from the same place and will return to the same place.
 * 5) Appreciate the unconscious world only as tools.

The 8 Logical Steps
During the second council of Ghami (18th of April 2024), the 5 pillars were expanded into the 8 Logical Steps.


 * 1) Existence is divine, which we call Uqama
 * 2) Humanity exists and is therefore part of the divine
 * 3) Hurting another is hurting oneself
 * 4) Humanity can improve Uqama trough their own actions
 * 5) The realisation of humanity about Uqama is Uqama becoming conscious of its own existence
 * 6) Humanity can improve Uqama by creating art, learning about the world and doing virtuous acts
 * 7) For the sake of the improvement of Uqama, we shall organise in a Brotherhood of the faith
 * 8) We must remain open to change and criticism

Canonical Holy Works
Instead of a singular holy book, the core of the Oruqai religion is contained within an ever-growing canon of works. What works are to be considered canonical, is decided by the monks of Kara Ghami. At this point, no set order in which they are to be consumed, has been agreed upon, with most priests prescribing texts, based on the people's current struggles. For a work to be considered canonical, it must:


 * 1) Not violate any of the 5 Pillars.
 * 2) Be recognized by the Council of Monks.
 * 3) Have its original copy contained within the grand library of Ghami. If the original has been destroyed, or unavailable, it must immediately be transcribed into a new book, to serve as an original.
 * 4) (For Oral tales) Have at least two people, who know the tale, living inside Ghami until it has been transcribed.

Debating the meaning of texts is heavily encouraged for all followers, with commentaries on the meaning of certain texts becoming almost as popular as the stories themselves.

Oral tales
Ikuyoyomi-ori (Chapter of the Mind-Egg): The story of a missionary, being incarcerated and executed by the king of Knakstuk, but her wise words linger within him for a long time until he decides to convert many years later.

Ikoruqai (Chapter of the Oruqai): A detailed history of the Oruqai religion until the founding Kara Ghami.

Ikughaqo (Chapter of Ruin): The stories of many monks who decided to wait out the great mud-flood that wiped out their original civilization and lived to tell the tale.

Written tales
Ikukgha (Chapter One): A transcript of the discussion between Wilusa and Atalagha, which laid the groundworks for the birth of the religion.

Ikule-e (Chapter Five): A book detailing the result of the First Council of Ghami, the 5 Pillars.

Ikusa-ale-e (Chapter of the Monkey): An astrologer becomes too greedy with knowledge and turns into an Ape.

History
The Oruqai Religion originated with the two Prophets Atalagha and Wilusa, in the mountainous jungle of Ghaqo, among the Amoqu-i people. Societal reasons for the early success of the faith, include:


 * 1) Low position of women in the society
 * 2) Restrictive clan structures
 * 3) Threat from foreign, more technologically advanced tribes
 * 4) Slow degradation of democratic tribal institutions

For decades, the religion existed at the edge of society, its secret meetings providing a space for people of all classes to exchange stories and discuss ideas. That was, until several hermits found out, through the application of advanced philosophy, that Ghaqo would be entirely desolated by a great mud-flood and that migrating to far-away lands would be the only path of survival. Cells of Oruqai worshipers sprung out of hiding and tried convincing as many people as possible to leave their belonging behind and make the great track. They converted many, but suffered greatly from persecution, with elders not comfortable with their descendants running away from their clan duties. They would soon be proven wrong, being completely wiped out, while the caravans had already made it out of the region.

The Oruqai were forced back into a nomadic lifestyle for many years, until settling down within the towns and cities of Kaisenuvir, whose population was much more welcoming toward them. In the coming decades, the majority of the population would convert, leaving the previous theocracy to be overthrown. As to not repeat the mistakes of the previous government, the Oruqai monks, lead by the two Prophets, embarked on a journey to a far-away island, where they founded the monastery of Ghami.

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