The Church of Nemiisae

Deep, in the caverns of Menor’cress, long before the cities fall and the coming of the blight. Sat the seat of a faith that has gone down in infamy amongst the dwellers of the deep. The cult of a beloved saviour, or the fell instrument of their own destruction.

Once the prominent faith of the city of Menor'cress, now a cruel mockery of its former self best left forgotten.

To the denizens of Menor'cress, Nemiisae was their holy mother, a divine being who saved their people from the cataclysmic aftermath of the Sundering and the curse of abolition. Founding their refuge in The Sunless Realms and ensuring her people would survive and thrive in the Sunless Depths. She is depicted as the matron of fate mainly given to her secretive and dark nature, spinner of great webs of destiny that will lead to her childrens salvation. Little is truly known about Nemiisae, save what numerous chroniclers and holy manuscripts speak of her as this zealous traditionalist figure who sought the salvation of her people. The Mythos surrounding her sudden apotheosis, speaks of her desire to return her people back to the world above.
The tower of Neyan’catual and the clergy of Nemiisae are almost one and the same, while the colossal antediluvian structure dominates the cityscape, so too does the presence of the church that lingers in its shadow. Becoming a cornerstone of Menor’cress society, the church grew to be revered far and wide for their holy mothers blessings and the miracles bestowed upon those that would take pilgrimage to Menor’cress and visit her Temple. The most pious of her flock would take up the arduous trial to ascend the tower of Neyan’catual In Nemiisae’s footsteps and attain transcendence just like the goddess herself, who as legend tells, travelled to the summit of the tower returning to the promised land above.
Belief in the Nemiisae would endure long after the fall of Menor’cress, especially among those that fled the fall of Menor'cress and the blight to the relative safety of the other settlements of the underworld. Songs are quietly sung and secretive household shrines are prayed to among the survivors.It would however devolve into a mockery of its former formerself, absorbing much of the slanderous propaganda spread to discredit and demonise the faith.

by Anithecutie

The stories of Nemiisae being divine are nothing but foul heresy. She was an Archon of the Seven Signs and nothing more. Not some false-god worshipped in cannibalistic ritual.

— Ulven'rin Palgorn, Templar Cleric of the Mystara Chapter.

Common Knowledge.

The cult of Nemiisae is known far and wide throughout The Sunless Realms as a fell, debauched heretical organisation. Her acolytes partaking in ritualistic cannibalism and sacrificial rituals of blood and web,

Scholar Knowledge.

Most learned members of Dral'azie society while observant of the temple teachings, recognise its use of rhetoric and propaganda. The Church of Nemiisae is not the same entity as the syndicates that worship the same deity we find lingering in the shadows of the Dral'azie city-states today. The remnants and descendance that escaped the fall of the city attempted to rebuild the faith of their ancestors by piecing together with half remembered rituals and the propaganda that had become commonly accepted fact over the decades. From this, the cults of emerged, seeking to maintain the faith in isolated family groups they kept to themselves. Only passing on the word to those that came looking for it.
Nemiisae was one of the original canonised Archons of the Seven Signs. It was Nemiisae that knew of the ancient magic that could weave the portals that took the Dark Aelfaune away from the blistering pain of the curse of abolition. She helped save her people from extinction. There after chroniclers exaggerated everything she did, and a cult of personality built up around her, that would later develop into a religious sect after her sudden disappearance. While her worship is forbidden, discussion and reverence of Nemiisae the Archon is not.

Apocryphal And Forbidden Knowledge.

There are many facts surrounding the Church that have been purposefully suppressed throughout the centuries. Others that perished along with the city, left to be forgotten in the annuals of time. First and foremost is the fact that Nemiisae, while a hero that saved her people from extinction, was a mere mortal.

Decline of the Church.

The decline of the church among the Tahli'cuaiisae was a gradual process, many centuries had passed since the disappearance of Nemiisae and numerous foreign influences began seeping into Menor'cress and with them, new religions and ideas from across all corners of The Sunless Realms. Most prominent was The Temple of the Seven Signs. Many Menor'cressians had begun to question their faith and whether Nemiisae was truly divine or just a figure of myth and legend.
It was no secret that there was growing resentment toward Menorcress' in the eyes of the emergent centralisation of the Dral'azie faith, The Temple of the Seven Signs. Menor'cress had resisted the Synod of the Seven Signs demands to dismantle the church, seeing the faith as nothing but an upstart. Refusing to accept the religious authority of the Temple and it's scriptures and to banish the Druids and dismantle their sacred places and alters in and around their territories. The elites of Menor'cress however underestimated the Temples growing power and influence. The Synod made the controversial decision to remove Nemiisae from its own Pantheon and deemed her worship heretical. Very quickly the effect of this new centralised religion would be felt, as gradually Menor'cress would no longer be deemed relevant in the eyes of the pious and faithful that once came on pilgrimage in their droves. The result was catastrophic, and would see a steep decline of the city states prosperity and begin an exodus. In turn the damage to the prestige of the Nemiisae and her church would be irreprehensible.
It was only after the doom of Menor'cress. would the Exalt of the Seven Signs reversed The Synod decision, recognising Nemiisae as a Archon in the Temple. Though her worship as a divine would remain forbidden to this day, her statue can be found on the pilgrims' way to Dral'grondi.

Type

Religious, Sect

Deities

• Nemiisae

Related Traditions

• Pilgrimage of the Eternal Path.

Controlled Territories

• The Tower of Neyan’catual

The Church of Nemiisae and its mission.

Freedom from the clutches of the endless dark, while countless Dral'azie celebrate the eternal night of The Sunless Realms, the Tahli'cuaiisae share in Nemiisaes' longing to return to the world above. The rapture of the followers of the church promises to free it's faithful from the endless night, away from the torments and hardships of the underworld by observing the tenants of the faith and undergoing eight lessons of Nemiisae in order to seek apotheosis. By completing these, a pilgrim will have proven their worth to undertake the last labour and final test of their faith. Only by ascending the eternal path, finding the eight lit shrines that represent the eight lessons of Nemiisae and passing beyond their threshold into the darkness where one will undertake the final test, if worthy they will join the Nemiisae in the promised land, returning to the world above.
The eight lessons of Nemiisae were transcribed by Zahunder allegedly being Nemiisaes final words to pass onto her people. From these he developed the lessons necessary for the pilgrimage to undertake the external path, developing the doctrine that will found the Nemiisae faith buy also the ye and that would found the church.
The Eight lessons of Nemiisae.

Ecclesial hierarchy.

Known for being a zealous traditionalist, the Tahli'cuaiisae never broke away from Zanunders teachings of the divine prophet. This extended to the strict principles and doctrine her priests must follow. The most controversial is that the vast majority of the priesthood are male within a traditionally matriarchal society. So controversial was this break in traditional values to other Dral’azie religious practices where only females are permitted to take high office, that this would be used time and time again to condemn and vilify the Church of Nemiisae.
The high priest is the pontiff of the faith. The scriptures tell that after the death of the first high priest of Nemiisae, her love and paramour, Zanunder. Zanunder was reincarnated in Menor’cress so he could once again lead Nemiisaes' children toward the eternal path in the footsteps of the divine herself. When a high priest passes, a search is conducted by the guardians of the tower to locate the first male child born in the city after his demise. When found, they are taken to the Church and brought up by the strict doctrine of the church. Tradition dictates that Zanunder chose to forgo own his happiness and stayed in Menor'cress so he could guide the Tahli'cuaiisae to their salvation. Leading by his example, the new high priest will take the name Zanunder themselves, symbolically sacrificing their life to the service and salvation of the people of Menor'cress. Each high priest is a Paramore of Nemiisae, and eternally pledged in a vow of chastity to the goddess and the goddess alone.