Faith of Gya

The faith of Gya is one of the more prominent religions in Forlonde, as Gya was the First Blood that had protected the original settlers of Averheim's region during the Great war. She is known as the "Lady of Life and Light" and her followers greet one another with, "Gya's Light shine upon you" to which the greeted would say "Her light shines". Devotion to Gya is usually displayed by prayers in the temple for her continued protection.
Gya's founding is surrounded by turmoil and bloodshed, the Great Purge was one such conflict that resulted in a massive civil war that tore old Averheim apart. Gya's priests declared a purge of all other faiths with Averheims borders and any heretics would be put to the sword, this was done to prevent the Son of Drogos Ulvin, (Another prominent protector religion founded around the same time as Gya) From ascending to the throne as the rightful heir, from claiming the throne. Ulvin was branded a heretic and during what would have been his execution, the mob rioted and almost burned Gya's Cathedral to the ground had it not been for the timely acts of the Temple guards. The slaughter that followed started a war that would shatter the nation into two. The "Heretics" took their families and those that opposed Gya's faith to the Northern Realms and eventually settled there and would become the Northerners that would plague the kingdom of Averheim for many many years to come. The plot to keep Gya as the dominant "true" religion was a partial success, as the Order supported Jothram (The light's champion) takes the throne. Jothram led several crusades into the North to finish what the Priests had started, and sought to destroy the heretics that had fled to the North. Jothram created an empire in Gya's name, and Forlonde saw a surge in new followers and the faith had a strong base that would endure for many generations to come.
The religious sect has grown somewhat more lax in their tolerance for other faiths following Jesrena's reformation of Gya's tenets. The number of incursions into foreign kingdoms dwindled for about 150 years until Firebrand High priest Pellum reignited what would be the Third Crusade against their allies to the South. The betrayal resulted in Rhue's complete capitulation to Averheim and their own faiths were forcefully reformed. This resulted in a surge of wealth and power within the faith as corruption within the order continued to fester and grow.

Type

Religious, Holy Order