Siemist
The Lord of the Starlit Realm most often appears as an Elven lord garbed in a mantle of flowing green and silver, with a wreath of stars upon his head. His face and body bear no clue of age, but his eyes project wisdom, and his aura projects confused feelings of strength and longing. Siem is surrounded by an air of sadness, of “otherwhereness.”
The King of the Uttermost West is the eldest of the lesser gods, and probably the wisest. Siem is patient above all others. Siem was first offered, but refused, the guardianship of the Illimitable Tome, nominating Save-K’nor in his stead.
Siem is known for his sending of pleasant and oracular dreams, and for the gift of forgetfulness, the salve of unpleasant memories. His actions are subtle, effective, more apt to confuse than harm.
Demography and Population
Divine Origins
History of the Religion
The worship of Siem was spread to Kèthîra and Yàsháin by the Sindarin. It originated on Midgaad. For as long as they have been aware, the Sindarin have honored Siem, whom they call the “One.” Their racial origin is connected with the god; it is he who made them what they have come to be, creatures able to survive the confusion of the eons before and since the Concordat, able to take joy from the universe as it is, able to survive the presence of more dynamic races such as man. The Sindarin believe that before the intervention of Siem, they were a mean and ugly folk, preoccupied with selfish and worldly matters, ignorant of their own nature and of the beauty that exists in all things. Siem is synonymous with the salvation of the Sindarin, and the Khuzdûl, from the terrors of ignorance. As is attested by an early verse from Midgaad:For that which has toppled to fall in dark waters,
The cry of the evils which savage the land,
A Father to save all the sons and the daughters,
Eternity grasped in His bowl by His hand.
Warming the tempest with justice and trusting,
That darkness retreat from the word that is true.
Gone is the hate, gone the slaughter and lusting,
Beyond lies a world of clear rhythm and hue.
This song tells of the revelation of Siem, his attempt to secure the Elves against the evils arising about them, and hints at his attempt to lead the Elves to the Blessed Realm. Not all of them followed. Some were lost along the way, choosing to fight the evil in other worlds rather than flee it.Tenets of Faith
Siemist Belief
While, there is no true church of Siem, there is a body of beliefs common to worshippers of Siem defining acts which are considered reverent and actions which are abhorrent. Most worshippers of Siem delve into Natural Mysteries, ancient secrets about the ordering of life, that extend back to the time Siem resided on Kèthîra. Once these mysteries are mastered, the adherent may act to protect the natural order from that which would destroy it. It is considered improper to act in ignorance. The sincere adherent is a moral entity, compassionate, trustworthy, and one who strives towards greater wisdom and patience. Siem is forgiving; those who fail are not condemned, only those who do not try.
Sindarin Belief
Most Sindarin accept that Kèthîra is primarily for mankind. Though, Siem preserves parts of it for a short time (in Sindarin terms), the destruction of nature by man is inevitable and lasting peace is possible only in the Blessed Realm. On Arda the Elves are in the twilight of their days but on Hârn, the Sindarin pray to Sweldre, Siem’s divine servant, that the land may bear them for a time longer.Khuzan Belief
The Khuzdûl tend to separate religion from everyday life. They pray to the demigod Sereniel, Siem’s servant, but rarely ask favor of him. Khuzan religion is a personal matter. Khuzan tend to worship alone rather than meeting for mass. The basic purpose is to achieve unity with nature.The Human Experience
Humans began worshipping Siem when the Jarin first came to the Sindarin realm of Hârn. A group of Jarin scholars journeyed to King Daelda around 1300BT and sought permission to study the arts of his people. Because Sindarin religion is hard to separate from their way of life, the scholars began to study and then worship Siem. Jarin humans often perceived the Sindarin as demigods themselves. Few humans worship Siem outside the Jarin of northern Hârn, the wilderness, or the settlements of the elder peoples. There are also a few pilots, seamen, astrologers, and scholars who follow the Lord of the Azure Bowl. Humans have added an extremely loose organizational structure to the church of Siem, somewhat to the amused tolerance of the Sindarin and Khuzdûl. Human “priests” are called Inthiar. These are enlightened holy men, many of whom dwell in the wilderness to reach a deeper understanding of Siem. While there are sometimes deemed to be ranks of Inthiar, this is a reflection of the “state of grace” achieved, than administrative rank.Worship
Religious Practices
In the conventional sense, there is no church of Siem. Each adherent forges his own personal relationship with the deity, without the necessity of recourse to special holy men. There are no priests among the Sindarin and no formal institutions of worship. Khuzan priests do exist but their roles are teaching and counseling. There is only one important ritual gathering. It occurs at a Holy Grove or other consecrated place. Ideally, a simple cairn will be constructed and covered with a soft cloth. Two candles are placed on the cloth and between them is a bowl (preferably blue) filled with water. After some time of silent prayer and meditation, the worshipper gazes within the waters of his bowl and may have visions. Such activities most often take place during the twilight. Families and close friends may worship together.Enlightenment
Siemism is a matter of the heart and soul, not of doctrine. In this sense, there are no worshippers of Siem, only those who worship the beauty with which he is associated. Piety is a reverent affinity with the elements of nature more than it is an alliance with the deity. Both the Sindarin and the Khuzdûl have an enlightened affinity with their deity from birth. Their lives are spent understanding this relationship, finding their place in Keléstia. This is achieved through self-appraisal and adjustment, not intellectual manipulation. It is a state of grace available to everyone, but one that is rarely achieved by humans. Those who attain enlightenment may take any of several courses. Some retreat to the wilderness that they may better commune with the world, and perhaps achieve even higher states. Others spend their days creating poems, songs, sculptures, or other works of art to foster enlightenment in others. Sindarin who find grace usually depart for the Blessed Realm, which may be reached either by death or by sailing to the “Uttermost West” via a portal in the Sea of Ítikîr. There are periodic voyages from the Elven kingdoms of Arda. Whether such expeditions actually reach the kingdom of Siem through his divine intervention or whether they hoped to reach the Blessed Realm by a poetic form of suicide is irrelevant. It might be noted that enlightenment is not necessary to reach the Blessed Realm. The Sindarin also depart the mortal planes when they are weary of them, but most try to make themselves worthy before they enter.Symbols and Regalia
Green and silver as well as browns and grays are colors that enable their wearer to blend into the forest, which makes them common among Seimist. Blue has special significance. Many adherents don an azure scarf, hood or gown when at meditation. Silver, blue and green jewelry, and wreaths of stars or leaves are also symbols of piety.The Azure Bowl
A mystical symbol of Siem. The bowl is connected with “the making, the holding, and the very spilling forth of the stars.” Legend recounts that the Azure Bowl, when filled with clear water, brings visions that portend the future for the gazer. While no mortal has ever seen the original, many forgeries exist, a few having great powers of their own.Religious Dates
The 15th, night of the full moon, is known as the Night of High Perspective. The 30th, night of the new moon, is known as the Night of Silent Renewal. The 15th of Azura is the Night of Golden Twilight, the equivalent of an annual high mass.
Burial Customs
The Sindarin tend to cremate their dead and scatter their ashes in the forest. In most cases funerals are informal and personal, attended by a few close friends and relatives. Since worship is a personal and solitary experience, the religious ceremony to mark the passing of the deceased tends to be rather secular. The participants generally say a prayer, or perform some other respectful act on their own, or at most in pairs or small groups. The Khuzan practice is to bury the deceased in stone, preferably in a family vault, but if this is not practical, cremation is preferred to interment in earth.Sects
Brotherhood of the Forest
The Uthriem Roliri is a secretive brotherhood of human woodsmen intent on protecting the wilderness and the wildlife from those who seek to defile it. They worship Siem and consider the Sindarin to be semi-divine. The Uthriem Roliri exists only on Hârn . They were founded in the second century TR, seemingly as a reaction to the depredations against “fair and noble life” committed by the Gargun. The brotherhood has about one hundred members, and prefers to remain a small and select group. Recruitment is generally by birth, although a few outsiders are admitted to the ranks if necessary. The secretive nature and high wilderness skills of the Uthriem Roliri have caused them to become folk heroes. They are thought of as supernatural beings, credited with defending human villages, caring for sick animals, and saving children and “folk of good heart” lost in the wilds. One example, the tale of Lylanath, tells of a band of four who turned a Gargun swarm away from an isolated village at the cost of their own lives.Holy Groves
Holy Groves are called “faerie circles” by humans, and the Taur-Im-Aina by the Sindarin. These are forest glades, scattered across the worlds. Some call them correspondence points, since from such places it is relatively easy to step between worlds. Holy Groves are used, not only as a means of travel by those who know the ways, but also as places of worship and meditation. It is no coincidence that the Holy Groves tend to be clustered in the lands now occupied by the Sindarin.Consecrated Caverns
Khuzan priests have consecrated areas inside all the mountain fortresses. These caverns are considered holy places for prayer.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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