Intro
The blue skies and blue rivers hold sacred meaning for the people of Yeno. The deep shades of cerulean remind them of their hopes and dreams. Even the spirit is believed to be a shade of blue.
They make great symbols of their devotion, shrines to the holy sky, and places for people to drink the sacred fluids that flow down the mountainside.
This is the most common faith in Yeno, it originates from the mountains in the west, and was spread over the desert to the rest of the yenoan cities, even before they unified.
Deities
The Followers of the cerulean spira don't believe in gods, they believe the sky is one large divine entity that either blesses or curses its subjects based on virtue or the lack thereof.
Water originates from the sky, and is therefore considered to be divine, a gift from the heavens, for mortals to treasure and use with care and respect.
The Spira
To express their devotion, followers of this faith built tall obelisks called spira. These spira are made of rock and point towards the sky. They are often painted blue and the more luxurious ones might have a tip made of lapis lazuli. The most extravagant spira might even be inlaid with sapphires. All cities in Yeno have a great spira located in the town square, usually with a fountain at its base. Spira can also be found at the entrance of bathhouses and placed near wells to bless the places where water flows. However, the spira are not worshipped, they are simply shrines to the sky, a place where the holy is celebrated.
The Holy Liquid
Water is considered the most sacred matter, for it is life itself. To drink it is an act of worship, but to waste water is a great crime, a disrespect to the heavens who provide it. Those who bathe in water are believed to touch the divine and should not do so carelessly or arrogantly. Water is a gift from the heavens, and any who waste it are considered an act of grave Blasphemy. Mountains that provide water are considered sacred, and pilgrimages may be organized to these sources, often located far up the mountainside.
The Monks
Those who dedicate themselves to this faith are bound to a life of learning, peace, and drinking only the purest of waters. Monasteries can be found in the mountains or even at oases in the desert, anywhere where there is a special connection between the sky and a source of water. These monasteries are built on natural springs or places where water seeps from glaciers. The monks who live there have sworn off earthly desires and pleasures and focus on the act of living, learning, and being. To truly be at peace with the world, one must first be at peace with oneself, and this requires extensive meditation and spiritual training.
The Rule of Water
Those who have the ability to control water are revered and respected among the followers of this faith. Since water is sacred, the control of water makes one akin to the divine, and these mages are considered equal to even the greater noble families. Water mages will often join a monastery or become members of the royal imperial water mage community, which holds special regard and influence in the nation of Yeno.
The act of sailing of across the seas is still a strange thing the Yenoans, especially those from the islands, traversing across pure water is considered a disrespect, but seawater is far from pure, and therefore it is allowed.
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