Ishkibism
To Ishkibites, salvation is a war. The world is a terrible struggle, and it is only through redemption and salvation that victory can be achieved. Good and evil are very real things, but also complicated ones. It is the responsibility of every person to do their best to find and follow the path of good.
The Hevtar- the books of truth and the blades of truth- are the guiding books of wisdom. They contain the heavenly words of the ascended sage Ishkibal , who saw beyond the struggle. It is through these that paradise can be made. Ishkibal is revered as the pinnacle of godhood and the center of the faith. This is not because Ishkibal created the world, but because he will save it.
Mythology & Lore
Like Orthodox Desmianism, Ishkibism allows for a great deal of fluidity in origin myths and cosmological perspectives- what gods and ancestors exist or don't exist is a matter of personal interpretation. Much of the mythology of Orthodoxy is also present in Ishkibism, though the native Goddess of Utara- river goddess who wove humanity out of mud and reeds that was central to worship in Kenahai pre-Ishkibal - is also inserted into a number of stories.
Much like Orthodoxy, the same basic division between good and evil exists- that the Good Gods of Humanity fight against the Evil Gods of Dryad-kind and chaos. The Words Heavenly describe Four Great Demon Gods: The Tempest/Halcyon, God of Greed and Jealousy; Leviathan, God of Lies and Fear, Chimera, God of Hate and Cruelty, and Enigma, God of Ignorance and Emptiness.
Some say these demonic gods were formed from the chaos leftover from creation or from the shadow of perfect light or that they were once gods that assisted creation but betrayed the Good Gods. Regardless, the world has been in a war between cosmic good and cosmic evil for the majority of its existence. This struggle was at first apocalyptic- an eternal cycle of misery. This is Desmia- the Struggle and the world.
The Tale of Ishkibal and the Redemption of Halcyon
But where Ishkibism diverges from Orthodoxy is that Ishkibism sees the struggle as necessary but temporary and escapable- by overcoming evil, all beings can ascend to goodness. This truth became clear to the prophet-God Ishkibal, who lived a mortal life as a good-hearted warrior before he was visited by the Demon God Halcyon. The Demon God descended personally to murder Ishkibal and his warriors, but as they prepared for battle, Ishkibal offered Halcyon and their children mercy. The restraint Halcyon showed- the fear for their children- gave Ishkibal a revelation: that even the greatest evil that can love can be redeemed. And Halcyon's love, though selfish and hateful towards humans, proved a capacity for good.
The pure goodness of redemption confused Halcyon, who withdrew and allowed Ishkibal to continue journeying. When Ishkibal arrived in Kenahai to save the holy city from evil, he found the city occupied by a terrible king and a cult of sinners. Committing dire acts and blaming the demons and then enslaving those demons in turn, the king was drawing hero after hero to Kenahai and then betraying them. He and his priests had transformed into demons on the inside and would transform into monsters at night, who would devour the heroes in their sleep. As the king wined and dined Ishkibal, Halcyon came as a whisper to warn him- and he escaped in the night with the help of the King's Guard Rosha. Rosha and Ishkibal drove the king from Kenahai to the town of Koa, where the demon-king devoured the true queen and crowned himself. Ishkibal offered the Dryad demons peace and found that their leader, Autumn, wished to be free of evil. Ishkibal doused her in water and blood, and she was freed from the enslavement of the demon Gods. Together, the three marched on Koa and slew the demon king.
Ishkibal was crowned prophet and prince of the region, purifying all the dryads and casting out even the demon gods themselves. As he grew older, he grew wiser. On a moonless night, he sat outside and meditated. He saw the struggle, the perpetual cycles of war, the endless struggle in life and after death. He realized that it was not just part of reality, but necessary for going beyond it. Evil exists within all hearts, but by seeking to redeem oneself and become better one can transcend that inherent evil. The demon Gods cannot be destroyed through brute force without destroying the world, but they can be redeemed to leave the world a paradise.
With this knowledge, ishkibal drew from his breath a white hot sword made of pure redemption. He walked on starlight to heaven itself, ascending bodily to battle Halcyon. Halcyon was cut in half, and became two Gods: the Tempest, the evil form of demonic sin, and the Halcyon, God of redemption, purity, and paradise. The redeemed Halcyon banished the Tempest to the furthest fringes of the world and became far more powerful than they were before.
This began the True Struggle: the struggle to redeem evil itself. Once all the demon gods have been purified, the path to redemption will be clear to all sentient creatures, who will ascend to eternal paradise.Cosmological Views
Like Orthodoxy, Ishkibite cosmology sees Good and Evil locked in an eternal battle. Every good act strengthens the ancestors and Gods; every evil act feeds the Demonic Gods. The Struggle is not only a physical contest of arms, but the everyday choices to be honest, to be welcoming, to be dutiful, to be pious over temptation. The afterlife is divided between the Pure Lands of the just and the Torment of the Impure.
Unlike Orthodoxy, evil and good are transformative both spiritually and physically. By performing evil acts, humans can become demons; by seeking redemption, any physical demon is transformed into a person.
Tenets of Faith
- The Faithful is Dutiful, Relentless, King, Generous, and Brave.
- Evil and Good are both Inherent. The Faithful must seek the good in themselves at all times, lest they fall to the evil
- The True War Wages Within. You can and must become a better person. It takes constant effort to be good and improve, but it is what you and those you cherish deserve.
- Redeem and Forgive when you can. If possible, seek the good in those you meet. Slay those demons who threaten the innocent, spare those you can.
Priesthood
Ishkibite priests wear the red robes of Desmian priesthood, sometimes with black or white fringes. Ishkibite priests spend most of the year at a local temple, with each temple belonging to a regional group (usually defined by political borders, but not always). Regional groups are part of larger Ecclesia. Beyond that, it varies from sect to sect.
In mainstream Ishkibism, the Eminence is the highest priestly position, chosen from the council of elders by Ishkibal himself. The Eminence has powers over priestly promotion, what temple is part of what conclave, and essentially all administrative decisions of the religion.
In Adavan Ishkibism or Eastern Ishkibism, the Ecceslia all select Living Saints, who form the House of Saints- an oligarchic council that holds the role of Eminence as a body.
In Arvean Ishkibism, it is believed that only the Blood of Ishkibal can hear heavenly words truthfully; as such, only members of the Imperial Bloodline (believed to be descended from Ishkibal) can hold the position of Eminence of the West.
Ishket, a Maradian religious offshoot, selects its own Eminence through a combination of heavenly guidance and election through speakers.
Far Eastern Inaran Ishkibite mystery cults usually select their own replacements.
Sects
- Ikrayan Ishkibism/Traditional Ishkibism: based in Kenahai, directly guided by the old ways.
- The Temple of the East: based in Anraketh, the Temple of the East believes that truth is inherently communal rather than individual. Rather than an Eminence, they have a Council of Saints that has the ability to forgive entire communities or condemn entire communities to demonhood.
- The Asalayan Temple/The Temple of Ishkibal the Dragon: essentially syncretic Ishkibism that believes he is physically present, timeless and eternal, and the source of magic
- The Arvean Temple: The Arvean temple believes that the Demon Gods are demiurges- that they created all material things. All living creatures are demons in that all physical matter is demonic. That life is torment is part of the demonic nature of physical existence. Redemption and purification allows the soul to escape reincarnation on another plane. Only Ishkibal and Autumn could see beyond the petty appearances of the flesh, and their bloodlines have the ability to peer into the souls of people and see if they are demonic. As the senses are demonic, only those of holy blood can interact with divine scrying truthfully. The Imperial family of Arvea is descended from both bloodlines.
- The Temple of Ishket: the Temple of Ishket is a Maradian offshoot that believes that Ishkibal and the Laughing God Ishkyra are all one being and that Agamine, Rosha, and the crying God Taynalo are also one being, and that they are both emanations of the divine principle of Redemption that is its own being/God. They have their own version of the Words Heavenly and Words Serene that are very different than any other sect.
- The Cult of Ishkibal the Night King: The Mystery Cults of Ishkibal the Night King say that he was heavenly emperor of the last world, and that his ghost lives on and can provide the truly lost with salvation. These also have their own versions of the holy texts.
Founding Date
-300 ME
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Demonym
Ishkibite
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
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