Eilis

Structure

Eilis is led by a pujarakal (high priest) who has total authority. The pujarakal is believed to be chosen by Ydar to execute his will in Deseran; this divine appointment precludes any question of the pujarakal's behavior, unless a core piece of religious teaching can be pointed out in opposition. Only Mytia's head priest has the authority to bring such challenges to the pukarakal.

Culture

Religion and magic color everything Eilisians do. Eilisians see themselves as blessed and chosen by the gods, making them superior to the cultures around them. They also believe that they ought to mimic the gods, causing them to see themselves as sort of demi-gods themselves and furthering their superiority complex.

History

Eilis started out as a peaceful religious nation not unlike some of those cultures across the sea. They lived out their faith, but they did so with awareness of and compassion for those around them. Things began to shift after the epidemic that wiped out much of the Eilisian population and left the rest with supernatural abilities. As a mythology developed to explain this phenomena, their pantheon evolved into something that began to condone sanctimony. From there, things continued downhill. Things reached their climax when Mordon invaded Kersir and those who wished to return to their roots took the opportunity to split off and form Rasell, leaving those who believed they were superior to continue in Eilis.

Military

Eilis's military is divided into two primary classes: the Centuri and the Avalan. The Centuri are fewer, composed of high priests and the like who have proven their elite ability and closeness to the gods. The Avalan are the entire rest of the priesthood. While many priests are simply priests, others may choose to use their abilities to defend Eilis as soldiers or, more often, Sentinels. Sentinels are stationed at the most important locations in Eilis—temples, palaces, embassies, the border, etc.—and operate as a private guard under the direction and instruction of the pujarakal, though these orders often pass through intermediary commanders.

Religion

Eilisians believe in a pantheon of gods ruled by the sky god Ydar, who they believe took command over the other gods through a deal with the gods of various elements. Though Ydar is considered the ruler, however, wisdom goddess Mytia is often more directly called upon. The full pantheon consists of:

Euna, goddess of water
Qimir, god of sand
Katris, god of the sun
Othar, god of the moon
Meros, god of peace
Vybris, goddess of war
Ydar, god of the sky
Addon, god of family
Mytia, goddess of wisdom
Ritia, goddess of love
Diphion, god of air
Nimasis, goddess of beauty
Motarr, commander of evil
Uphion, god of death

While all of these gods are considered important and worthy of attention, most Eilisians only worship one or two very seriously in addition to Ydar and Mytia. This religion is the only one tolerated in Eilis. Those who refuse to worship these gods, either practicing atheism or showing preference to a different religion, are stoned. Those who show preference to a god other than Mytia over Ydar are also executed for heresy. Those who worship Mytia higher than Ydar are tolerated, as there’s consideration that she is at least the second most powerful and the world truly would fall into chaos without her, but there's distaste for those who choose this option.

Foreign Relations

Eilis's relationship with Alger is quite rocky given both that Eilis values order while Alger values something akin to chaos and that Eilis believes Alger has become apostate. Though the two nations never followed the same set of gods, Eilis at least respected Alger's piety, which waned significantly following Alger's shift in values. The two nations also regularly squabble over territory, especially the Mytia Oasis, which the Eilisians believe to be sacred to their goddess. Relations with Veldan are also poor, since Veldan formed with the mass exodus of Eilis's former slaves. Eilis has, however, let the Veldani lie, viewing them as a less pressing issue than some others. Rasell is the only nation that has a mostly favorable relationship with Eilis. Though Rasell split off due to strong disagreement with Eilis's shifting direction in values, the two still have shared history and ancestry, and their disagreement isn't one that negatively impacts international relations now that they're separate. Rasell trades freely with Eilis, and Rasellan diplomats are sometimes called in to mediate disputes between the Eilisian government and the governments around it. Eilis is the one Kersiran nation that Teraco really doesn't get along with, though on the surface they maintain civility. When Teraco approached the various nations of Kersir and proposed unification under ultimate Teraki rule, Eilis was the one to reject the offer due to their belief that Eilisian leaders are appointed by Ydar himself. Thus, Eilis stands in opposition to Teraco's goal of unification and remains a thorn in their side until such a time as they choose to remove it.

Education

For the best explanation of the education process for an Eilisian looking to become a full-fledged priest, see Tala Ava's Codex, Part One.

Mythology & Lore

In the beginning, the gods all operated as equals and made decisions by way of a council. Uphion, however, felt forgotten by the Eilisians and decided to rebel against the council and assert his dominance to the Eilisians. He did this by way of an epidemic that wiped out much of the Eilisian population. In response, Euna, Qimir, Katris, and Diphion came together and petitioned Ydar that they might grant some of their power to those Eilisians who still stood and bring Uphion’s reign to an end. Given that Uphion was in charge and Ydar wished to be on top instead, he granted their request on the condition that they (the gods) must then aid him in overthrowing Uphion. The gods complied and blessed the Eilisians with a bit of their power before helping Ydar to exile Uphion to the underworld, where he is said to have begun raising an army of the dead: the demons whom The Ayan call upon. Afterward, Ydar used this power to subjugate the rest of the gods under his rule and all other gods had to ask him for permission to do anything thereafter. Ydar being a selfish god, this supposedly leads to such misfortunes as occur in an imperfect world. This also created an example for the Eilisians to follow of using their power to subjugate those around them with less power.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Demonym

Eilisian

Leader Title

Pujarakal

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Major Exports

Eilis exports cobalt and lapis lazuli, especially to Teraco in order to maintain that tenuous peace.

Legislative Body

Mytia's priests operate as the legislature of Eilis, given their supposed link with the goddess of wisdom. They create laws when prodded by the pujarakal or when prompted by Mytia, and otherwise they keep to their studies and services in the temple.

Judicial Body

Ydar's minor priests operate as judges in Eilis. They're considered privy to Ydar's wishes as far as justice is concerned, but distant enough that they're less likely to twist a judgment to fit their own bias.

Subsidiary Organizations