Teluhasna (Tell-oo-hahs-nah)
The faith of Telus can be traced back to the time of the dwarven kingdoms, in the form of a related figure, Riemel. Riemel was the younger of the two principal dwarven dieties, himself being the figure more closely tied to the spirit of the dwarves, representing perfected skill, craftsmanship, and the fire of learning and creation. The worship of Riemel was disseminated among small mannish communities in modern Ulnost and Arnt Batin by dwarven refugees and migrants passing through mannish lands during their exodus from the mountains. Among those mannish converts in Ulnost, the religion remained close to its dwarven roots, though recontextualized in light of the very different lives those men, still perfecting the arts of civilization, lived. It was in the north of Arnt Batin where it is believed the figure of Riemel was syncretized with a now unknown local solar diety to become Telus, or as he was first known: Ya Telu Sorehomund Vaspan (He Which is Full of Light Abundant). Now unorthodox restrictions on the vocalization of certain full titles outside of priesthood lead to the now common name Telu or Telus ("The Light/He of Light"). In modern Tel-Raiq, Teluhasna ("Supplication to the Light") is the most widely practiced faith, and yet continues to fall short of the status of state religion for political reasons (See Erzihari). Unlike many other religions of the former holdings of the Wythe Empire, the priests of Telus readily proselytize. The wealth of knowledge, trained scholars, and resources the priesthood of Telus makes publicly available to followers means membership in the church is an attractive proposition, even to those with little interest in the faith itself. In this way it has spread far beyond Tel Raiq, with a notably significant presence in Ulnost, where cults descended from the original dwarven faith were more easily converted. The Students of Light The adherents of Telus are a diverse bunch. Some come into the faith out of desire to genuinely serve Telus. Others are simply scholars flocking to the largest local bastion of knowledge. Yet more are eager explorers of the unknown, mapping theory and exotic vista with equal zeal. This diversity is a strength, but as the faith of Telus stretches further than it ever has before, once strict orthodoxies have been abandoned, knowledge-hungry apostates swell within the ranks of the faithful, and many communities far from Arnt-Batin adopt insular practices that border on outright heresy. The Lighthouses of Telus The temples of Telus are more library or school than a place of worship. Depending on the locale, a Lighthouse may be the only source of education and literature, and if there are other institutions more often than not at least one of the faithful are within its ranks. These libraries and schools are a public service in some regions when funded by the local municipality, but in others students must pay in coin or in service to the temple. In such cases where one does not have the coin, the fastest way to gain access to the riches within the temple is of course conversion and membership within the faith, which guarantees practically unfettered access to documents and resources within a Lighthouse. Regardless, the sharing of knowledge is emphasized in the teachings of Telus, leading the most pious and righteous among the priesthood to abhor turning away any who come earnestly and humbly to their temple. Prisms of Divine Light Though prophecy is seen with a healthy amount of skepticism among many prominent Students of Light, sometimes those are born with the ability to see connections between facts with divine clarity. Not truly a prophet in the traditional sense, instead these chosen few are more like potent savants, seeing minute connections between the seemingly mundane. These Prisms often quickly find themselves at the highest levels of the clergy, directing the actions of the church as they spread their gaze over the world.
Type
Religious, Sect