The Iron Creed

The main religion of Iron, followed dutifully by all within. The Creed worships the God of the Dead, Ethos. He is the one who raised the Ivory Wall to protect the people of Vaskeer from the apocalypse outside. This religion follows the belief that the outside world has been destroyed by abominations caused by Ydall, God of Creation (and Ethos’ brother) and that Ethos has created a weapon to try and save the world. Ydall and Ethos fought, and Ethos managed to defeat his brother and stop the spread of his creations, but Ethos was left mortally wounded which is why he must rely on the souls of the dead. The weapon needs to be fueled for such a task and requires the souls of the dead. The Burn is this weapon. The people of Iron believe that when they die, their soul rises into the Burn to later be used to vanquish the evil outside the wall. It is bad to have your soul taken or to not reach the Burn, for you would be cursed for all eternity or until someone frees your soul. If your soul were not to be absorbed into the Burn, then it would lost in space forever, suffering for eternity. Witnesses believe that when lightning strikes, it is Veler trying to tell them something from Ethos’ side. This religion seeks to appease Ethos and his mighty Burn weapon by performing regular sacrifices of souls. They are also known for their elaborate, candle-lit rituals that take place in massive cathedrals known as Necrosects.

The Hallowed Writ – This is the holy book of the Creed. It was written by the hero Veler himself, telling of his experiences and learning of the two Gods, Ethos and Ydall, and the truth of what the Burn is. Following that are his values, and how to live well. It was, in this rudimentary form, taken by the founders of the Creed who adapted it with many creative liberties and expanded the work over the following centuries in small incremental changes. New stories were added, and translations occurred as language changed.
The Witnesses – A priest of the Creed is called a Witness. A Witness has a few goals of high importance. They work in and maintain the Necrosects, ensuring that the Creed is taught and upheld, sometimes acting as enforcers with religious regards, and are also there to witness the sins of the people of Iron. The role of a Witness is to hear the populations admissions of guilt and wrongdoing in confidence, so that the weight is lifted from their soul and instead placed on the Witness. The Witness then carries that sin within their soul until they later rise and join the Burn itself, where it is burned away by their God, Ethos. A Witness has their eyes burned out when they swear their holy oaths to ensure they can fulfull their role without bias or disdain. They proudly work around with the scars of their eyes displayed to show their devotion. A Witness wears robes of dark red that match the color of the Burn during the day.
The First Witness – Said to have known Veler himself, the First Witness is as old as the religion itself. Lives within the Hallowed Halls.
Naming – The Witnesses track themselves in a track to the first. When you hollow out your eye sockets and swear into becoming a Witness, you are named as the latest, usually around the 500 number, ie- The Four Hundred and thirty ninth Witness. As Witnesses die, you progress in number and get closer to the top.
Necrosects – The religious buildings of Iron. A Necrosect is a large, imposing cathedral built in a graveyard. They are of towering stone and filled with colorful stained-glass mosaics that stand in stark contrast to the dreary graveyard around them. The Empire has a decree that demands there to be a Necrosect in every village within its boundaries. The walls of Necrosects are gothic and twisted, malformed by the souls of the builders that were sacrificed into them after they were built. The souls create an air of coldness inside and some kind of a holy ground.
Values – The Iron Creed’s values are strict and somber. They are the repression of emotions like lust and greed, the necessity of confessions (to confess to a Witness is to receive forgiveness for sin), and to love thy neighbor, unless they are an enemy of the Iron Creed, in which case they must be purged from the land and brought to the Burn above.
Morning - the origin of 'morning' comes from Mourning, as those of the Creed would mourn the Burn when light rose each morning, washing out the holy light.