Yratophy
Divine Origins
Yratophy was believed to have formed in ancient times before the creation of the Elven Coalition, or the development of agriculture, written language, or permanent settlement. The common belief is that twelve nomads were separated from their tribe during a harsh sandstorm and were forced to take shelter in a cave. One of the men noticed a perfectly circular hole at the end of the cave that lead downwards and proceeded to tell the rest about it. The group decided that the hole was probably created by an sentient being meaning they might find aid in the cave and that there was no harm in exploring the depths of the cave, due to their already dire circumstance. They climbed down the hole into another expansive cavern, in the center of which were two bowls. A disembodied voice told the men that the only path to salvation was balance, and ordered six of them to drink from each bowl. Not trusting of the voice, the men asked it to reveal itself.
Out from a dim corner of the cavern came the mortal form of Yralos, a tall, obsidian skinned man with the head of an owl and the legs of one as well. He spoke to the men, asking them to once more drink from the bowls. Still skeptical, the men asked Yralos to prove to them that salvation would be presented to them when they drank from the bowls. Yralos could only assure them that the negative occurrence of the sandstorm would have to be balanced out by a similar good, otherwise balance would not exist in the world. That act of good would be the salvation of the men, but he required them to prove that their belief in the importance of balance by drinking from the bowls.
Six of the men went to one bowl, and the other six to the other. At once, they drank and fell to the ground. Six men died, six men survived and awoke with the rest of their tribe. The tribe was incredulous at their survival, having believed them to be dead. They regarded the men as heroes and praised them with various gifts. These six men would become the first priests of the circle of Yratophy, and begin spreading their beliefs among their people. Yratophy would not become widespread until the development of permanent settlement and the spread of the religion through trade, conquest, and travel between the settlements of Orxiah.
Out from a dim corner of the cavern came the mortal form of Yralos, a tall, obsidian skinned man with the head of an owl and the legs of one as well. He spoke to the men, asking them to once more drink from the bowls. Still skeptical, the men asked Yralos to prove to them that salvation would be presented to them when they drank from the bowls. Yralos could only assure them that the negative occurrence of the sandstorm would have to be balanced out by a similar good, otherwise balance would not exist in the world. That act of good would be the salvation of the men, but he required them to prove that their belief in the importance of balance by drinking from the bowls.
Six of the men went to one bowl, and the other six to the other. At once, they drank and fell to the ground. Six men died, six men survived and awoke with the rest of their tribe. The tribe was incredulous at their survival, having believed them to be dead. They regarded the men as heroes and praised them with various gifts. These six men would become the first priests of the circle of Yratophy, and begin spreading their beliefs among their people. Yratophy would not become widespread until the development of permanent settlement and the spread of the religion through trade, conquest, and travel between the settlements of Orxiah.
Cosmological Views
The believers of Yratophy, as with most other religions, believe that all of the planes and dimensions are extensions of Suln'vkr's physical being after his dormancy. They believe that after Suln'vkr began his hibernation, the power that emanated off of him coalesced and formed into the set of planes and dimensions visible in the Dimensional Ring Model commonly believed to be accurate by most contemporary scholars. The main idea that differs between Yratophy and other religions is the idea that Yralos, the monotheistic god of this religion, is a lesser representation of Suln'vkr meant to maintain the natural balance between good and evil. A major belief of Yratophy is that nothing good can happen without something evil occurring somewhere else, leading the followers of this religion to live a life of balance and neutrality. While the believers of this religion acknowledge the gods of the various pantheons in Tundrusk, they believe that Yralos is above them and that they are further, and lesser, representations of Yralos in his holy attempt to create balance in the world.
Tenets of Faith
The major idea of Yratophy is that all good must be met with an evil of similar strength to maintain balance in the world. This does not mean that if one sees good they should commit evil, as the belief of Yratophites is that the Mortal Plane will naturally react to all actions of good or evil with an opposite reaction of equal strength. Yratophites believe that all evil and good is a reaction of the opposite and accept that both will be present in the world for a natural balance. They are taught to see the big picture, meaning they are not forbidden to do good or evil but also know that morality of their deeds will cause the opposite morality to become more prevalent in the Mortal Plane. Neutrality of morals and beliefs is encouraged among the followers of Yratophy, as to not change, inhibit, or damage the natural balance of the Mortal Plane. This belief has been cemented due to the Dimensional Ring Model, which places the Mortal Plane across from the dormant form of Suln'vkr, meaning both realms are on the axis of neutrality.
Other than neutrality, Yratophites are encouraged to spread their religion as wide as possible, in order to create balance in the Mortal Plane. Yratophy does not define the action of sinning. In reality, Yratophites do not believe in the existence of sin as they see those vices/negative actions as natural occurrences of balance for the good done by others in the plane. However, the laws of Orxiah are not lenient by any means. Yratophites believe the laws of their nation to be a man-made reaction, and an attempt to restore neutrality, of good to the evil actions done by members of their society. The law is also seen as encouragement for the people to remain neutral and ignore their tendencies of evil in favor of neutrality.
Other than the tenants of neutrality and belief of the law, Yratophy has few other beliefs to uphold, favoring a passive stance in the lives of its followers, asking them only to pursue the idea of neutrality.
Priesthood
The believers of Yratophy are led by a small circle of six priests that travel the lands of the Orxian Caliphate, delivering sermons within temples found in the larger towns. Believers in smaller towns rarely see one of the members of the Priests' Circle, and therefore rely on literature read by travelling orators for their religious teachings. These orators are common throughout the Caliphate, and spend most of their time travelling to smaller settlements to deliver news and sermons passed down by the main priests.
The main priests are highly revered by the followers of Yratophy, as they are believed to be the only ones who can and have contacted Yralos. Only six people have been known to have this power at a time, therefore the circle may only have six members at a maximum. Upon a member's death, someone among the followers of Yratophy will be contacted by Yralos and then be given a position in the circle after the affirmation of Yralos' contact.
Granted Divine Powers
The priests of Yratophy are not given any special powers, other than the ability to commune with Yralos. This is due to Yralos' care for balance and his wish to not influence the world, directly, with good or evil.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Yratophy is mainly present in the lands of the Orxian Caliphate, though some believers are found in the neighboring Onohrlansk nations. In the Caliphate, Yratophy is both influential in the realm of politics and in the economy. The six priests of the circle also double as the Caliphate's legislative body, creating an almost oligarchic legislature that, more often than not, causes corruption among the lawmakers and enforcers of the realm. The interests of the priests and the religion is almost always put ahead of the people, leading to negative sentiment among the impoverished and neglected denizens of the Caliphate.
Founding Date
15,006 BR
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
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