Noneanos is the dominant religion in
Liri. Followers worship a god known as the High One and believe heavily in meritocracy.
History
No one is sure how the Noneanos religion began, as early documents have been lost to history. The story of
Urshel, however, remains one of the oldest documents on the
Major Continent, and so it is expected to be one of the oldest religions. Despite this, it remains located primarily in Liri, with few followers on the
Minor Continent or
Southern Islands. Historians believe very little has changed in the way it is practiced now from the these early days.
Hierarchy
Noneanos is based on the idea of meritocracy. Many important steps in the faith, including coming of age, conversion, and taking vows as a clergyperson require someone to pass a test. Such tests are so important to the religion that a special branch of the clergy, the
Otlitod, were formed to design and redesign them as necessary. Music is considered a particularly useful skill, and those who are proficient at playing musical instruments are generally considered superior to others.
Relationship with Magic
Though Noneanos does not paint magic as evil, it does paint it as a handicap, stating that people should only use magic for things that cannot be done without it, and the study of magic is not useful without the ability to do non-magic things. Therefore, professions which require the use of magic are often looked down upon as the lowest of the low. Though clergy and other people of high status are usually meant to have had magical study, non-magical study is generally considered more important. For this reason, some people believe that Noneanos is related the dominant religion in Linakra.
Diety
Followers of Noneanos worship the God of Autumn and Darkness, also known as The Light-Loathing, the High One, and the Harvester. The High One is believed to have created the world, the all the people in it, and the Calistian Magic Lords. He also designed the Hierarchy by which he intended for everyone to live.
Belief in the Calistian Magic Lords
Most followers of Noneanos hold that the Calistian Magic Lords are real, but live primarily in a separate plain apart from humans. They are generally considered messengers of the High One, though, like humans, they have free will. It is more common to interact with one of the magic lords than to interact with the High One directly, though neither is particularly common.
Clergy
Clergy may be male or female, though before becoming a member of the clergy, a person must prove themselves through a test. Clergy are the most connected to the high one, and thus they are most honored in Noneanos society, with luxurious lives, often married to musicians. They are recognized by the swords they carry at their belt, each a replica of
The Sword of Urshel, except for the High Clergy, who is the single most important leader of the religion and considered to be in constant contact with the High One, who wields Urshel's original sword. For this reason, this person is sometimes known as the Urshel.
Relationship With Other Religions
Followers of Noneanos generally believe that those who stray for the High One's path will be cursed by eternal darkness and haunt the land of living in an attempt to escape. There is a particular amount of conflict between the Noneanos religion and the
Yub religion, which possibly deviated from it. The greatest differences in the Yub religion are worship of a goddess, rather than a male god, and no belief in the Calistina pantheon. Nevertheless, Yub followers have been famously mistreated in Noneanos-dominant Liri.
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