I spoke with my great-grandfather yesterday and he is quite happy about the birth of our new grandchild. It won't be long before I join him and my ancestors in Miria's comfy arms. — Follower of the Cult of Kina
The Cult of Kina is a religion based on the
Kinari and their Inner Worlds. Believers honor the Kinari and their
Inary as higher beings. They strictly follow the rules and dogmas that the local Kinari is giving them, hoping that one day after their demise, they will be welcomed by the Kinari and absorbed by her.
We are born by the will of the Kinari, and we are welcomed in their arms during our last moments.— Village Elder
Each
Soul is given by the mighty
Kinari and after they have fulfilled their lives and their duties in this world, they return into the arms of the comfy soul eaters. That is the foundation myth of the Cult, that each life lies in the hands of the Kinari and that the only way to eternal life and salvation is by following them.
Before the Kinari came, the great war of the gods consumed the world. Civilization was on the brink of collapse and the empire of
Atlantis was not yet fully in power. That was the time when the cult was born. Kinari warriors absorbed the souls after the battles and while many feared them for this practice, some were fascinated and began to follow them.
One of the most well-delivered stories goes as follows.
After the siege battle of the small town of Syndong, the inhabitants of the town were defeated and yielded to the Kinari general Mai Khan. Instead of plundering the town and killing its inhabitants, the Kinari of the army cleaned up the town with their human followers. Each dead was buried by the rites of the Kinari after their soul was consumed and each wounded was treated by the army. Those who could not be saved were given to the arms of the Kinari, in which they gave their last breath and their soul to them. Mai Khan herself absorbed hundreds of the former residents, as well as many of her own fallen comrades' souls.
Each day, while the town around her was still in rebuilt, she sat in the central place, speaking to every citizen who came her way. She offered console and to the citizens' surprise, the option to speak with her fallen family members and friends. It was uncommon for Kinari to open their Inner Worlds to the living, yet Mai Khan saw it as the best way to gain the loyalty and friendship of her new citizens.
While the citizens were careful at first, soon queues formed in front of her and other Kinari who followed her example. The citizen realized that their dead were not lost in time but in reach. Soon, citizens who felt weak, ill, or feared dying soon, stayed close to a Kinari in the hope that in the case that their bodies breathed their last breath, the Kinari would be there and absorb their souls to welcome them to their inner world.
This habit soon spread among the citizens and Mai Khan realized that this was a trade were both sides greatly benefited from. She and her Kinari were the first who welcome volunteers, the first who allowed visitors in their Inner Worlds, and the first who ruled as new deities.
After the
War of the Gods, and the rise of the
Theocracy of Atlantis, the Kinari began living in the underground or holding small pockets of land against Atlantean armies. The cult pushed many humans closer to the Kinari, and would often lead to situations where they actively helped the Kinari and acted against the Atlanteans.
After the fall of Atlantis in 500 BC, the Kinari rose and with them, their followers eventually claimed a big part of the former empire for themselves.
The Cult of Kinari started as a small local movement in conquered towns during the War of the Gods. These towns that were now ruled by Kinari often realized that these dangerous, soul-consuming beings did not kill the souls that they ate, but saved them inside their own Inner World. Especially the story of the Kinari General Mai Khan is famous for allowing citizens to speak with those who were consumed by them.
The Cult was spread by the human followers of the Kinari, and often when the Armies of the Kinari left a village, the villagers followed them as they believed that staying close to the Kinari would save their souls.
It is unclear if the Kinari themselves helped in the spread of this belief, or if it was simply a side effect of the way the Kinari behaved during the war. After the Confederation of Kinary was born, it was easy to rule over the humans, as most were already followers of the cult.
Followers of the Cult have no united set of rules, as each Kinari is different. But, there are certain baselines that most follow, and most Kinari expect from their followers. While each Kinari has her own rules and her way of handling her citizens, or her followers, most like to be praised.
The following rules are based on the tenets that were set thousands of years ago by the first followers of Mai Khan.
- Never disobey a Kinari. They know better.
- Your soul belongs to the Kinari, no matter when or under which circumstances.
- Our life was given and can be taken at any time by the Kinari.
- Live righteously and put the good of many above the good of few.
- Inary are the voices of their Kinari. Praise them as much as you praise the Kinari.
- Never Hug, Touch, or Cuddle a Kinari without permission.
Many followers are living close to their local Kinari and are seeing them often. This means they can show their devotion directly towards their Kinari. Such blessed followers will behave extremely respectfully near their Kinari and help them out in any way they can. Kinari who wander the fields will be offered food by the farmers. Those who go shopping will instantly be granted services and can avoid any queue. It is a form of worship from the followers that they want to have the friendliest relationship towards their Kinari they can.
Outside areas where a Kinari lives, many followers are building small shrines, similar to shrines of the Japanese Shintoism. Depending on the size of the shrine, it often has statues that are built in the image of a Kinari or Inary. Followers pray towards these statues.
The biggest kind of workshop is being allowed to touch the tail of a Kinari or Inary. Many of them allow this, especially after receiving gifts or praise. The typical way is that after a Kinari or Inary is in a good mood, she will bring one of her tails close to the follower. This is a gesture that symbolizes that it is now ok to touch the tail. Most of these touches are short but meaningful for a follower and often part of stories for weeks or months. Especially blessed followers may even fully embrace a tail.
The Kinari are living beings who rule over their followers themselves. They do not require humans in positions such as Priests, Popes, or other pointless positions. If a Kinari is unable to rule alone, she will transform her most loyal followers into Inary to help her rule. Humans and other followers always have the same level of power and are never above each other in the cult. Only the Inary and the Kinari are ruling and standing above them.
Nevertheless, in certain towns and villages, there is a cult of elders that support the will of the Kinari. Especially in more remote areas, or where not many Kinari are living, these elders of a group speak with the voice of the Kinari and are trying to guide their groups after the will of the Kinari. These elders are not rulers, but they are wise men and women who know what their Kinari likes and wants. Many followers will ask their elders first before wasting the time of an Inary or Kinari.
There are three major benefits that followers of the cult gain.
The first one is the option to join the Inner World of a Kinari after death. This is seen as a blessing, as life goes on, just in a different manner for the followers who are consumed by their Kinari.
The second is that each Kinari easily can become a powerful mage, which is then often used by them to help out her citizens with spells. Many Kinari use powerful healing magic to heal the wounded and local terraform magic to increase farming production.
The last one is the biggest blessing a follower can receive: Becoming an Inary, or even in extremely rare cases, a Kinari themselves.
Praised may be the Kinari
Founding Date
During the War of Gods, ca 17.000 BC
Alternative Names
Church of Kina
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