Souljar
Introduction
The Souljar is a Chaos worshipping religion that is dominant amongst the people of Northern Aitrun. It is less centralized compared to the The Church of Order, but it has a singular leader who is even more powerful than the Probare. The Souljar acknowledges the same deities as the Kaolite Faith and views them similarly (albeit under different names), their belief system revolves around the Souljar, where the religion got its name from.Structure
Unlike most Chaos worshipping religions, the Souljar has a leader and a well structured hierarchy that allowed it to maintain a strong hold over its believers. The Souljar religion is strongly interconnected with the political system of the region, basically making every Souljar state a theocracy.At the top sits the Alamusyn (which means leader or elder). He is considered to be the highest authority in their religion and his word is law. Even kings (and the equivalent mlik) obey his command so his power is comparable to that of an emperor.
Under the Alamusyn are the kings (mliks) of Northern Aitrun. Each mlik rules over small area compared to the kings of The Continent, rarely exceeding 3-4 cities.
Every city has its own religious leader called an alhafiz. They are responsible for organizing most of the city's worship and management.
Each temple has its own priest, called a kah. They offer immediate religious aid to those who seek it.
Architecture
Souljar faith is centered around the dead and as such, their temples and cemeteries are always together. Each temple is surrounded by a large piece of land that is consecrated and maintained be the kah. The temple usually consists of three to five smaller buildings, depending on the size of the settlement and the availability of space. These buildings are constructed from limestone and are not painted.The most important buildings are naturally the chapel itself, which usually has a large central space with a beautifully painted dome roof. A tall, narrow tower usually accompanies this building, serving a similar purpose to the bell towers of The Church of Order. These towers don't have bells in them however, as a large metal bowl is located in them (similar to an upside down bell). The kah uses a special instrument and draws it across the edge of the bowl, creating a very loud sound.
The second most important building is the mortuary. This small building is used to prepare a deceased person for the burial by performing the necessary operations on them. This building is off-limits to everyone but members of the religious hierarchy.
The third most important building is the home of the kah. It is often a humble abode, but larger cities can especially mliks often make this the largest building.
The fourth building, if space allows for it is an orphanage. As the Souljar is a war-minded religion, its members take care of those left without parents. Usually such an orphanage requires additional helpers besides the kah. Many temples fulfill this role, but smaller ones often utilize the other buildings instead of relying on a separate building.
The fifth and least important building in a temple is the Water Tower. Only exceptionally wealthy cities can maintain a water tower, which is filled up with fresh water and allows anyone to get water from it. As most settlements rely on rivers and wells for fresh water, this is mostly ceremonial.
Equipment
Because of its focus on killing, religious leaders of the Souljar are excellent warriors as well as priests. They often complement their vestments with armor and weapon, but these items are up to them to acquire.Behavior
Kahs serve as regular priests most of the time, but in times of war, they and various other religious individuals join the armies of their mlik and go to fight on the battlefield. In peacetime, kahs train themselves and orphans in their care.Rituals and Ceremonies
While the religion does have a few special days where rituals are held, their most important ceremony occurs when someone dies. According to their religion, everyone should be buried a certain way to ensure that their soul goes back into the Souljar to be reincarnated.Rules and Laws
As the religion is interconnected with their leadership, most followers of the Souljar must abide by religious dogma. Some of their rules are universally kept, while others are less often enforced by their leaders.- Everyone deserves a ceremonial burial to allow their soul to pass on. Denying someone a proper burial is heretical and punishable by death.
- Resurrecting individuals is not only tolerated, but often demanded. Depending on the place, not resurrecting someone whilst having the ability to do so can incur punishment ranging from jail to death. The same applies to saving one's life via medical help. The only exception from this rule is during the Jihad, which has the sole purpose of killing people.
Faith
The Souljar is a form of Chaos worship and their faith revolves around the Souljar, a fabled item of Kaos in which all the souls are kept. According to their belief, Kaos created a finite number of souls when Trutina was created and stores these souls in the jar. When the Souljar becomes empty, in his anger, Kaos smashes it into Trutina, destroying both in the process. Their beliefs are centered around preserving life and thus souls and returning them to the Souljar.The Souljar
Their scholars don't know how many souls are there in the jar, but they always seek to maintain a balance. A soul that is returned to the jar can be redistributed upon the birth of a new child and thus reincarnated. Putting a soul back into the jar requires a special form of ceremonial burial, which all followers of the Souljar learn at a very young age. If an individual dies and doesn't get buried this way, their soul is left to wander aimlessly in The Plane of Chaos.Afterlife
The followers of the Souljar don't believe in an afterlife, nor a coming utopia. According to their beliefs, when someone dies, they either become lost souls left to wander The Plane of Chaos or return to the Souljar, where they can be reincarnated.Keeping the balance
According to their beliefs, the Souljar needs to be refilled for new people to be born and to avoid the end of the world. When a high number of people are born or die without getting proper burials, during plagues and wars for example, the Souljar looses a lot of souls, so it must be replenished. This is achieved by the Jihads, where followers of the Souljar set out to murder indiscriminately on foreign lands and sending those souls back into the Souljar.
Souljar Burial
The followers of the Souljar have a ritual that allows a soul to be properly returned to the Souljar. First, a grave is dug. The depth doesn't matter as long as the body can be completely covered with dirt. Then, the eyes of the deceased are cut out along with its heart. Their belief is that the heart houses the soul and the eyes are the mirrors of it. The corpse is buried afterwards. The eyes and heart are placed in a ceremonial jar on top of the grave. A special herbal mixture is created and poured into the jar. The contents of the jar are then ignited and burned by this highly flammable mixture. (The mixture is created from common plants that can be found almost anywhere if you search a little.)
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Deities
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