Tekora Faith

The Tekora Faith is a religion in Eldham which has existed since early June 2021.

Beliefs
The Tekora faith believes in one god which they call "The Divine." The divine is an immortal being with no physical form, and sometimes considered to be all gods in one being. They also believe in the demon Entropy who in the Tekora faith is a being of pure darkness and disaster. To ward off this demon, members of the Tekora faith believe that plant life can protect areas and buildings. Due to this, many buildings, especially temples, will be surrounded by plants such as bamboo or bushes.

The Divine is represented by light and fire, as it is believed light carries his power. Due to this, most shrines in temples have a fire of some kind to represent the Divine. The divine can give parts of his power to people, allowing them to control an element. These people are called Kutari and are well respected, though not typically worshipped.

Beliefs in the Afterlife
Followers of the Tekora Faith believe that upon death they become one with the Divine. This means that their soul blends in with the divine energy flowing throughout the world, giving life and continuing life. While it is believed that the consciousness of the individual dissolves due to this process, certain rituals can rebuild their consciousness temporarily so that the living may speak to said individual, though every time this is done, the individual consciousness will become harder to reconstruct.

Religion Hierarchy
The Tekora Faith is led by the Zanteno who speaks for the Divine. The seat of the Zanteno is called the Zantenate, and the Zantenate can have it's headquarters at any temple of the Tekora Faith. The Zanteno can excommunicate followers of the faith, and also give rulers a holy mandate to rule their realm.

Below the Zanteno is the Holy Priests. These priests lead the temples of Tekora holy sites, and choose all priest of non-holy site temples. All Holy Priests also have the normal duties of a Tekora priest at their own temple.

Under the Holy Priests are local priests. Local priests lead their own temple in towns which have Tekora followers. Priest must act as a religious guide for those who worship at their temple, and grant blessings and marriages to followers of the Tekora Faith.

Rituals & Traditions
The Tekora faith has rituals for prayer and worship of the divine, some of which involve nature and/or water. Most rituals are done in a temple in front of an alter. These rituals have many different purposes, ranging from asking forgiveness for wrong doings, to praying for blessings from the Divine.

Forgiveness Ritual
The ritual for forgiveness is done in a Temple of the Divine. This ritual is used to ask forgiveness from the Divine to prevent oneself from losing the Divines protection against Entropy and other dark forces. This ritual is performed by sitting in front of a temple's alter and praying, giving offerings to the divine in exchange for forgiveness. A priest must be present for this ritual so they can collect the offerings and burn them in a holy flame in front of the one performing the ritual.

Protection Ritual
A protection ritual can be performed anywhere that nature can survive. This ritual's purpose is to gain protection from dark forces which may endanger a person. To perform this ritual, one must surround themselves with plant life, making a circle of leaves with a campfire in the center. To increase the effects of the ritual, one can make a small circle of water around the leaves, increasing the power of the protection. For one to gain the protection, they must stay in the leaf circle for 10 seconds.

Blessing Ritual
The blessing ritual is a way for followers of the Divine to receive blessings. Whether the blessing is for rain in dry fields, or luck in future endeavors, this ritual can be used to receive them. To perform this ritual, one must go to their local temple and pray in front of it's alter, with the priest as their witness. They then must give a sacrifice to be burned in a holy flame, and follow a week of religious work, converting people to the Tekora Faith and guiding followers to live better religious lives.

Empowerment Ritual (Kutari Only)
The empowerment ritual is a way for Kutari to regain their strength and extend their life. With this ritual, a Kutari can live up to 3 times longer. To perform the ritual, one must make a campfire and surround it by water. Once the water is poured, leaves must be placed around it, and bamboo around them. Once the setup is complete, a Kutari must say the following prayer, "May the Divine bless me with his power, Hokinzi Tekora" and stand on the campfire for 3 seconds. Once the ritual is complete, the Kutari's power will be replenished and their life extended. However, if a Kutari has had their power revoked by the Divine, they will not be able to use this ritual.

Burial Traditions
After the death and funeral of a follower of the Tekora Faith, it is expected that the follower will be buried in a Tekora Graveyard in a grave marked with a stone stating who is buried and their highest-ranking title in life. Their grave should have flowers on either side, unless in a tomb in which flowers must be inside or surrounding the tomb, or the tomb should be lit up through an appropriate means. In the coffin of the deceased, an important item to them or an item symbolizing them should be placed with their body as a sign of respect to the deceased.

History
The Tekora faith was founded by Jalhike Rokalim in the town of Romantello, Andliria. There, Jalhike built a temple which is now considered the most sacred holy site of the religion. After the invasion of Andliria, the entire faith moved to the town of Konimu in the nation of Visio Aeternae. The town, which eventually gained independence and reformed the Andlirian empire, was the only town with followers of the faith at the time.

As of July 19th, 2021, it was discovered that a new town had popped up in the holy city of Romantello, and the settlers had demolished the Temple of the Divine. This has caused shock in the Tekora community, and some beliefs that the end will be near.

On July 30th, the Tekora Holy Land was reclaimed by the Andlirian Empire and plans for a new temple and new holy city began. On August 1st, 2021, the Temple of the Divine in the city of Konimu was completed, being the second and only temple of the Tekora Faith at the time. The search for a priest then began to run the temple.

On August 15th, the Tekora holy city of Romantello was refounded and about a week later construction began on the new Temple of the Divine.

On October 1st, the Tekora Faith went through reforms to establish an official church leadership and hierarchy. The Zantenate, seat of the Zanteno, was created to lead the faith.

Later, in early November, the Zantenate became a nation to represent Tekora on a political and international scale. However, only days after it's founding, the Zantenate was annexed by Katolis, and the holy land was once again lost to heretics. After this, the Zanteno fled to Ancontinople, where the Zantenate would reside until the founding of Pasifa.

In early January 2022, the new Kingdom of Pasifa would be established by Jalhike Rokalim, and the Tekora Faith would be adopted as the national faith. With this new kingdom would come yet another movement of the Zantenate, this time to the island of Suzukafun, capital of Pasifa.