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Unionism is a polytheistic [[Religion]] based on the life and oral teachings of the [[Emperors of Regalia]], and the supreme Divine Being known as the Everwatcher that inhabits them. The Everwatcher, in turn, is supported by God Emperors and God Empresses who after their death shed their mortal form and passed into immortality, becoming gods and goddesses in their own right. Unionism is the largest religion in [[Aloria]] and is practiced by millions of people of all different [[Races]]--particularly the [[Ailor]] Race. The core belief of Unionism is that one day by the shepherding of the [[Regalian Empire]], its Emperor, and the faithful, all Races and all peoples of the world will achieve paradise through what they call "The Great Way", which roughly corresponds to the ambition to make Regalia a globe spanning Empire that controls all the seas and land there is. They believe that all those who died will return to the land of the living, and all shall live in immortality and infinity in a forever-paradise. Despite its great message, Unionism also has its controversies and schisms. It is the most divided religion, perhaps a reflection of its Ailor origin, as several split beliefs have caused major rifts in their religious community. Unionism is generally considered the fastest-growing religion, quickly replacing all other religions across the world due to a combination of its universal message and its enforcement by the military might of the Regalian Empire.
Unionism is a polytheistic [[Religion]] based on the life and oral teachings of the [[Emperors of Regalia]], and the supreme Divine Being known as the Everwatcher that inhabits them. The Everwatcher, in turn, is supported by God Emperors and God Empresses who after their death shed their mortal form and passed into immortality, becoming gods and goddesses in their own right. Unionism is the largest religion in [[Aloria]] and is practiced by millions of people of all different [[Races]]--particularly the [[Ailor]] Race. The core belief of Unionism is that one day by the shepherding of the [[Regalian Empire]], its Emperor, and the faithful, all Races and all peoples of the world will achieve paradise through what they call "The Great Way", which roughly corresponds to the ambition to make Regalia a globe spanning Empire that controls all the seas and land there is. They believe that all those who died will return to the land of the living, and all shall live in immortality and infinity in a forever-paradise. Despite its great message, Unionism also has its controversies and schisms. It is the most divided religion, perhaps a reflection of its Ailor origin, as several split beliefs have caused major rifts in their religious community. Unionism is generally considered the fastest-growing religion, quickly replacing all other religions across the world due to a combination of its universal message and its enforcement by the military might of the Regalian Empire.


==Origins==
* '''Beginnings & Founders''': Unionism was founded by Emperor [[Theomar I]], the first Emperor of the Regalian Empire who also functions as the faith's chief prophet. He proclaimed that he received visions from the Everwatcher, who chose to bestow the right of the so-called Mantle of Creation unto the Regalians. It is believed that Unionism was a religion that existed for thousands of years, but was always rejected by the dominant civilizations at the time. Theomar proclaimed that the Everwatcher had rejected the hubris and degeneracy of the [[Allorn Empire]], and now favored the newly risen Regalian Empire as the true agents of paradise, or the Makers of the Great Way. This meant that while in the past other civilizations held the Mantle of Creation (an abstract concept that implies a specific empire is the protector of all living things), it was now time for the Regalians to fulfill this task. Emperor Theomar I wrote his visions and intentions into a large holy book called The Creed, which then started spreading from its creation point in the [[City of Regalia]] (this is why Regalia is sometimes also called the Holy City) to all surrounding lands, causing more and more nobles adopted the faith and spread it to their subjects, before it took to the global stage.
* '''Creation Theory''': Unionist Creation theory describes a time called the Uhr-Era, a time before memory and writing, where the Everwatcher was an immortal formless being alone in the universe with the power of perpetual creation. It is written in The Creed that the Everwatcher wished to create paradise, but could not realize true paradise without free will. Each time the Everwatcher created a new cycle of creation without free will, the world would eventually succumb to darkness as there was no spark of creativity or innovation. However, when the Everwatcher gave complete free will without guidance, all of creation perpetually destroyed itself in disastrous hellfire, with bright flashes of destruction lighting up the horizon followed by eternal winter. It was finally that on the last cycle, when the Uhr-Era ended, the Everwatcher chose to seek out a Vessel to provide guidance through visions and direct communication on how to achieve paradise without removing free will. Creation was still prone to sin, but was then also able to overcome it.
* '''Racial Access''': Unionism is inclusive for all Races, which is a rarity among the Alorian religions. However, while standard Unionism does include means for all Races to be included, Ailor have a primary position above all others, owing to circumstance and historical narrative. The Emperor has always been an Ailor, and the Everwatcher has designated the Ailor to be "first among equal races", meaning that the task of leadership falls upon them to integrate all Alorians under the Regalian banner, encouraging other Races to take up their duty as well. Strictly speaking, this is not a judgment that non-Ailor are forbidden from positions of leadership and/or the priesthood within the faith (and in fact there have been many non-Ailor who have become critical figures in Unionism's history), just that the responsibility for achieving the destiny of all Races first fell on the Ailor to uphold. Furthermore, Unionism is a very schismatic religion, meaning many different cults and interpretations of The Creed exist, and not all agree on an all-inclusive vision for the other Races. There are plenty of Sects that do not believe in the inclusion of other Races, and some who are outright hostile to what they call the lesser races. Refer to the Schisms and Sects for more information.
==History==
After the creation of Unionism, several nobles joined the Emperor as a show of loyalty and started spreading the faith among their subjects. This caused a slow but galvanizing wave of conversions that kept picking up speed until whole nations would instantly fold to follow Unionism in the third century after the [[Cataclysm]]. While once the [[Old Gods]] and other Pagan Faiths were dominant among Ailor, within 200 years they had been reduced to a minority religion that was largely only followed in the northern realms and the [[Drixagh]] area of the [[Regalian Archipelago]]. Meanwhile, Unionism quickly took root in vast swathes of [[Ithania]], [[Daendroc]] and the older Ceardian Kingdoms. Holdouts still remain, and the recent decay of Old Gods and conversions away from the [[Faith of Estel]] have been much slower than in the second century, but Unionism still continues to grow at the expense of all other religions that are turning  into fringe beliefs.
===Schisms===
Unionism has endured several Schisms, all caused at various points in time over major religious differences. Each Schism usually came about following the death of the previous Emperor, which resulted in the priests of Unionism calling for a Diet of Deliberation. During these Diets, thousands of priests from all over the world were invited to discuss the future of the faith, and to have theological debates, as the priests are the only ones allowed to look at the holy words in The Creed. Unfortunately, sometimes these events were also hotbeds of religious politics, and large groups of priests unified behind an idea that incites violence and opposition from the majority or minority, who might break away. There exist more differences between the Schisms than explicitly stated on this page for ease of reading. '''For more information on additional differences, consult the [[Unionist Schisms]] page.'''
* '''The Evintarian Schism''' is the first Schism that appeared directly after the death of Emperor Theomar I. In his later years, Emperor Theomar I changed his mind on the matter of Godsparks, the process by which Unionist Heroes are declared (which are described later on this page). Emperor Theomar I originally wrote in The Creed that Godsparks could only be declared by the priests in a Diet of Divinity, once the subject person had died. In his later years however, he decided Godsparks could be detected in still living mortals during a Diet of Divinity. However, he never wrote this down for unclear reasons. After his death, the majority of priests decided if the Emperors did not write their dissent on previous dogma in The Creed (they are allowed to edit it), it is not considered Divine Will and is irrelevant in the eyes of Holy Law. The Evintarian minority faction believed the Emperor's word is always Divine Will, and that it does not matter if he has or has not written it down into The Creed; if he changes his mind about something and verbalizes it, it must be followed. Because the majority of the priests refused to legalize the Diet of Divinity for living people, the Evintarian faction split from the main Unionist religious community and created the Evintarian Commune. This Commune suffered severe repression at the hands of the Dogmatic Unionists, and were expelled from the Empire to the inhospitable [[Etosian Isles]]. This is also why this Schism is called Etosian Unionism at times, but Evintarian Unionism is the official name. Evintarians consider themselves more holy and pious followers of the Emperors, and consider the other Schisms to be more secular and thus more prone to corruption and sin. The Evintarian Unionists are the second largest Unionist belief in modern days with a powerful army and nation-state for itself in the [[Etosian Theocracy]].
* '''The Dogartan Schism''' is the second Schism that appeared directly after the death of Emperor [[Henri III]]. Emperor Henri III was known to live a pious and virtuous life while rejecting wealth and excess, and due to the rapid growth of Unionism, the Dogmatic Unionist religious community had become very wealthy, as priests were allowed to tax the peasants in their lands just like the nobility. A minority of priests wanted to establish a wealth-cap for all priests, forcing them all to give away their wealth to the poor, which most priests rejected. As such, the Dogartans left the main structure of priesthood and created their own Dogartan Unionism that is based on a vow of poverty and helping others, rather than glory and the self. The Dogartans were less repressed, and in many ways the Dogmatic Unionists simply let them go. They continue to exist in modern times but are few in number of adherents.
* '''The Vultragon Schism''' is the third Schism that appeared as a direct response to the [[Seasonal Emperors Period]], though murmurings of its origins had already begun during the [[Years of the Three Emperors]] a century earlier. Many priests, particularly from the south, believed court politics and intrigue dictated who would become Emperor too much, over the inheritance clauses clarified in The Creed. They argued that the Vessel could not just be assumed-to-be the next-in-line heir to the throne, because this would imply the Everwatcher just jumped into whomever, regardless of how competent they were (with history producing many such Emperors). The priests argued that the Everwatcher is much more intentional, and would take a Vessel that would not become subject to court intrigue. Because it is impossible to tell who the Everwatcher had chosen, these priests argued for a waiting period after the death of the last Emperor, during which they waited for a sign from the Everwatcher. The majority of the priests declared this heretical and in direct contradiction to The Creed, so they violently expelled the Vultarin priests. These priests went home to Vultaro and their beliefs quickly spread among the locals due to the harsh societal environment the southern lands lived under, stoked by constant petty warfare between its nobles. Eventually, the situation exploded into a rebellion, and the [[Regalian Army]] harshly repressed the Vultragon Heresy that continued to spread regardless. Eventually, the Regalian Army backed off and relations were normalized into peace. The Vultragon Unionist religious community is the third-largest Schism of Unionism today, and has firmly established a Unionist belief structure centered around critical thinking in the southern regions of the Regalian Archipelago.
* '''The Breizh Foundation''' is not formally a Schism, but it is often called such because it makes the Breizh Foundation Religious Community easier to understand. When Unionism was first proclaimed, the [[Breizh]] people of [[Kintyr]] followed the so called [[Weard]], which were legendary Breizh warriors who were born gifted with some sort of [[Magic]], and had to earn their place in the pantheon of the Breizh Weard and effectively become demigods through service and achievement in life. The Breizh Weard was distinct from other Ailor pagan faiths in that it did not deny the existence of other divine beings (such as, for example, Old Gods would) and also proposed that these divine beings were granted powers by some unseen hand before they achieved their legendary purpose, not after, and that therefor, demigods were capable of failing to ever achieve anything before dying of old age. This made the Breizh Weard faith very compliant with Unionism, as it lacked any of the rules that would deny the Everwatcher, and the Unionist Heroes even connected with the Weard faith, allowing their Weard to be adopted into the list of Heroes. As a result, The Breizh Foundation (which occurred around 50 AC) refers to a time in which the priests of Kintyr accepted the merger of the Weard and Unionist faiths at the Conclave of Alstyr. It is important to note that while they did essentially become a full fledged religious community of Unionism, the other denominations do not acknowledge Breizh Unionism and see this Religious Community as more of a Schism than a part of their own communities. It is officially not a schism because the priests adopted Unionism, they never officially left any main dogmatic bodies, however it is normally treated like a schism for the aforementioned reasons. To read more about Breizh Unionism, refer to the [[Breizh Unionism]] page.
* '''The Emended Faithful''' or [[Emended Unionism]] is not a schism, and instead simply a denomination of Unionism that came about by general osmosis of beliefs and alternative theories, sprouting in Anglia. Emended Unionism believes that the Vessels of the Everwatcher are Kades instead of Ivrae's, and that Ivrae's simply pretended to be the Vessel for nearly 300 years. There are very few denominational differences between Emended Unionism and Dogmatic Unionism, though some are crucial enough to define Emended Unionism as a more progressive version of Unionism. Emended Unionism is very recent and has only existed for a few months in a formal religious community kind of way.
===Sects===
Smaller Sects exist within Unionism, though they are not full Schisms. Most sects are intersectional, meaning that a priest from both Vultragon and Dogmatic Unionists can be a member of a specific Sect, since Sects only add beliefs and do not subtract from or conflict with pre-existing beliefs. Sects usually have very small support bases, but are entirely legal within the Regalian Empire or the Unionist religious communities at-large, even the Schisms.
* '''The Horopadosi Sect''': This Sect believes in the idea of "physical evolution to a greater being," meaning that being a specific Race is an abstract concept. Those that undergo physical alterations to the body, such as by [[Mutations]] or [[Url]] Symbiosis, are still their original Race, but only if the changes are seen as a way of improving what constitutes the body or mind. This Sect specifically rejects magical enhancement by itself, but believes Magic can be used to elicit physical mutations that are beneficial. Urlification is particularly popular among the Horopadosi.
* '''The Priscelle Sect''': This Sect believes that the inheritance clause in The Creed is incomplete and that the presumption that the inheritance of the Emperors must always be gendered toward the first-born male who survives the Emperor is wrong. They argue that the first-born child, regardless of gender, is the one chosen to become the heir, thus allowing female Empresses to carry the Everwatcher as a Vessel. This Sect does not support changing the inheritance line of succession as it stands now and favor providence in the Kade Succession. They do, however, lobby to get the inheritance changed for the future, so that if the next Emperor should have a daughter first, that daughter becomes the heiress.
* '''The Minoth Sect''': this Sect believes in a more intellectual approach to Unionism that considers the Everwatcher a more abstract "learning" and "knowledge" transferal between Emperors, rather than an actual being with intentions and thoughts of its own. The Minoth Sect believes that the Imperial inheritance should be based on elective choice, meaning the current Vessel of the Everwatcher Emperor or Empress should be allowed to choose the next Emperor or Empress regardless of their birth order. The Everwatcher should aid the Vessel in choosing who is most competent to carry the Everwatcher as a future Vessel. This Cult is currently in-favor in the Imperial Court, and Emperor [[Alexander I]] has chosen the elective inheritance clause.
* '''The Silvershroud Sect''': this Sect rejects the all-demon status of the Occult, and believes that non-[[Affliction]]-based Occult, and to some degree [[Silvenism]], are beneficial and blessings of the Everwatcher, as opposed to [[Demons]] from a different plane of existence. They argue that because some Afflictions or Occult beings are beneficial, or at least not repugnant to life and existence, they must be ordained by the Everwatcher who is the chief creator of all things good. They argue for the legalization of vast swathes of the Occult.
* '''The Diviner Sect''': this Sect rejected the all-inclusion of other Races into the Unionist fold, and argued for the sacrificing of other Races as lesser beings to divinate the future, or receive visions from the Everwatcher. Because this Sect implied that the Everwatcher would speak to anyone other than the Emperor, this Sect was uniformly denounced by all Schisms, and made holy war upon by the Dogmatic Unionism religious community. The [[Holy Herebrand Order]] exterminated the Diviner Sect in 308 AC, killing their last supporters in [[Girobalda]].
* '''The Vierzehn Sect''': this Sect rejects the full integration of other Races or [[Half-Ailor]] into Unionism, though not as severely as the Diviner Sect does, while also sticking closer to The Creed. Vierzehners believe that all other Races are by nature inferior or flawed, and should have their statuses reduced while the Ailor continue lead everyone from the top unimpeded, barring non-Ailor from all military, priestly, administrative positions of power, especially nobility. Vierzehners also believe in an expansion of immoral sins, which largely involve importing more bigoted laws against non-conforming minorities in society who do not portray the exact pure vision of the Vierzehners.
* '''The Thyemic Sect''': this Sect believes that [[Undead]] are resurrected by the Everwatcher with a unique duty to the Great Way. Thyemics (who are usually Undead themselves) tend to fill roles that would be difficult for living members of the faith, such as guarding remote holy sites or ministering to communities stricken by disease. Of note, there is a great disagreement within the Sect over Therin Ivrae, the son of [[Justinian II]] who rose from the grave to kill his older brother during the [[Undead Scare]]. Some hold that Therin was given an opportunity for redemption, but rejected it. Others instead assert that Therin's return and subsequent crime were both divinely inspired, setting in motion a chain of events that will bring about a new era of the Empire.
===Spread===
Unionism is spread through Missionaries who travel to lands where Unionism is not yet present or present in a minority to establish a so-called "Celery". Celeries are areas that the Unionist priests use to define boundaries between their spheres of influence, as each priest has a rough jurisdiction (sometimes just a town, or a city, or a whole valley) where they administer their religious services. Priests and missionary in Unionism are as such the same people, and most priests have been missionaries at some point or another. "Celate" is the most common term for a religious figure of authority within Unionism, though priest can also be used to refer to them.
===Violence===
Violence has always been a contentious point within Unionism, as The Creed professes the need for all people to spread the one true faith--by the sword, if need be. Unionism is likely the most aggressive religion that is forced onto other peoples and nations even against their will, and that many thousands of people have died because they refused to convert to Unionism. The Creed never explicitly states non-Unionists must die; however, The Creed does permit holy warriors of the faith to slay those who would stand in the way of the spreading of the faith. This has allowed some blood-thirsty Celates and nobles to slay large numbers of non-believers to soften up populations for the actual conversion, as they have no warriors left to oppose the missionaries’ influence. In modern times, the Regalian Empire has simmered down the violence, but the spreading of Unionism still is built on a bloodbath, especially against the [[Velheim]] people in Drixagh who intermittently waged Holy War against Regalia for several decades. These Velheimers also committed atrocities against the Unionists, and in most cases, Holy Wars are considered defensive for the Unionists, adding more nuance than is often assumed. There are also large segments of Unionist society that are entirely pacifist, and even those who vehemently oppose Holy Wars or other forms of religious violence, while sectarian violence also happens within Unionism itself.


==Beliefs==
==Beliefs==
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====Heroes of Unionism====
====Heroes of Unionism====
[[Heroes of Unionism]] can come into being through Godsparks. When a God Emperor or Empress dies, their spirit becomes immortal, but a piece of their Soul can be reincarnated into a newly born person after their death, as this Godspark becomes part of their Soul. It is believed that this process causes the person to become exceptionally pious, but to also grant them gifts bestowed by that particular God Emperor or Empress. For example, Theomar would Godspark a mortal into being exceptionally good at leading, while Juvin grants them exceptional Wit. It is doctrine to declare Godsparks only after a person has died in Diets of Divinity, where the priests debate on whether the person's actions and their piety deserves the title of Hero of Unionism. If approved, that person becomes legal to worship, which usually takes the form of votive offerings for blessings. To read more about Heroes, read the Heroes of Unionism Page. The Evintarian Schism of Unionism has some living Godsparks, as their religious community is the only one that maintains that Diets of Divinity can be held before a person has died, instead of only after. This has recently resulted in the Diet of Evintarian Divinity declaring Prince [[Cedromar I]] to have the Godspark of Allest.
[[Heroes of Unionism]] can come into being through Godsparks. When a God Emperor or Empress dies, their spirit becomes immortal, but a piece of their Soul can be reincarnated into a newly born person after their death, as this Godspark becomes part of their Soul. It is believed that this process causes the person to become exceptionally pious, but to also grant them gifts bestowed by that particular God Emperor or Empress. For example, Theomar would Godspark a mortal into being exceptionally good at leading, while Juvin grants them exceptional Wit. It is doctrine to declare Godsparks only after a person has died in Diets of Divinity, where the priests debate on whether the person's actions and their piety deserves the title of Hero of Unionism. If approved, that person becomes legal to worship, which usually takes the form of votive offerings for blessings. To read more about Heroes, read the Heroes of Unionism Page. The Evintarian Schism of Unionism has some living Godsparks, as their religious community is the only one that maintains that Diets of Divinity can be held before a person has died, instead of only after. This has recently resulted in the Diet of Evintarian Divinity declaring Prince [[Cedromar I]] to have the Godspark of Allest.
==Origins==
* '''Beginnings & Founders''': Unionism was founded by Emperor [[Theomar I]], the first Emperor of the Regalian Empire who also functions as the faith's chief prophet. He proclaimed that he received visions from the Everwatcher, who chose to bestow the right of the so-called Mantle of Creation unto the Regalians. It is believed that Unionism was a religion that existed for thousands of years, but was always rejected by the dominant civilizations at the time. Theomar proclaimed that the Everwatcher had rejected the hubris and degeneracy of the [[Allorn Empire]], and now favored the newly risen Regalian Empire as the true agents of paradise, or the Makers of the Great Way. This meant that while in the past other civilizations held the Mantle of Creation (an abstract concept that implies a specific empire is the protector of all living things), it was now time for the Regalians to fulfill this task. Emperor Theomar I wrote his visions and intentions into a large holy book called The Creed, which then started spreading from its creation point in the [[City of Regalia]] (this is why Regalia is sometimes also called the Holy City) to all surrounding lands, causing more and more nobles adopted the faith and spread it to their subjects, before it took to the global stage.
* '''Creation Theory''': Unionist Creation theory describes a time called the Uhr-Era, a time before memory and writing, where the Everwatcher was an immortal formless being alone in the universe with the power of perpetual creation. It is written in The Creed that the Everwatcher wished to create paradise, but could not realize true paradise without free will. Each time the Everwatcher created a new cycle of creation without free will, the world would eventually succumb to darkness as there was no spark of creativity or innovation. However, when the Everwatcher gave complete free will without guidance, all of creation perpetually destroyed itself in disastrous hellfire, with bright flashes of destruction lighting up the horizon followed by eternal winter. It was finally that on the last cycle, when the Uhr-Era ended, the Everwatcher chose to seek out a Vessel to provide guidance through visions and direct communication on how to achieve paradise without removing free will. Creation was still prone to sin, but was then also able to overcome it.
* '''Racial Access''': Unionism is inclusive for all Races, which is a rarity among the Alorian religions. However, while standard Unionism does include means for all Races to be included, Ailor have a primary position above all others, owing to circumstance and historical narrative. The Emperor has always been an Ailor, and the Everwatcher has designated the Ailor to be "first among equal races", meaning that the task of leadership falls upon them to integrate all Alorians under the Regalian banner, encouraging other Races to take up their duty as well. Strictly speaking, this is not a judgment that non-Ailor are forbidden from positions of leadership and/or the priesthood within the faith (and in fact there have been many non-Ailor who have become critical figures in Unionism's history), just that the responsibility for achieving the destiny of all Races first fell on the Ailor to uphold. Furthermore, Unionism is a very schismatic religion, meaning many different cults and interpretations of The Creed exist, and not all agree on an all-inclusive vision for the other Races. There are plenty of Sects that do not believe in the inclusion of other Races, and some who are outright hostile to what they call the lesser races. Refer to the Schisms and Sects for more information.
==History==
After the creation of Unionism, several nobles joined the Emperor as a show of loyalty and started spreading the faith among their subjects. This caused a slow but galvanizing wave of conversions that kept picking up speed until whole nations would instantly fold to follow Unionism in the third century after the [[Cataclysm]]. While once the [[Old Gods]] and other Pagan Faiths were dominant among Ailor, within 200 years they had been reduced to a minority religion that was largely only followed in the northern realms and the [[Drixagh]] area of the [[Regalian Archipelago]]. Meanwhile, Unionism quickly took root in vast swathes of [[Ithania]], [[Daendroc]] and the older Ceardian Kingdoms. Holdouts still remain, and the recent decay of Old Gods and conversions away from the [[Faith of Estel]] have been much slower than in the second century, but Unionism still continues to grow at the expense of all other religions that are turning  into fringe beliefs.
===Schisms===
Unionism has endured several Schisms, all caused at various points in time over major religious differences. Each Schism usually came about following the death of the previous Emperor, which resulted in the priests of Unionism calling for a Diet of Deliberation. During these Diets, thousands of priests from all over the world were invited to discuss the future of the faith, and to have theological debates, as the priests are the only ones allowed to look at the holy words in The Creed. Unfortunately, sometimes these events were also hotbeds of religious politics, and large groups of priests unified behind an idea that incites violence and opposition from the majority or minority, who might break away. There exist more differences between the Schisms than explicitly stated on this page for ease of reading. '''For more information on additional differences, consult the [[Unionist Schisms]] page.'''
* '''The Evintarian Schism''' is the first Schism that appeared directly after the death of Emperor Theomar I. In his later years, Emperor Theomar I changed his mind on the matter of Godsparks, the process by which Unionist Heroes are declared (which are described later on this page). Emperor Theomar I originally wrote in The Creed that Godsparks could only be declared by the priests in a Diet of Divinity, once the subject person had died. In his later years however, he decided Godsparks could be detected in still living mortals during a Diet of Divinity. However, he never wrote this down for unclear reasons. After his death, the majority of priests decided if the Emperors did not write their dissent on previous dogma in The Creed (they are allowed to edit it), it is not considered Divine Will and is irrelevant in the eyes of Holy Law. The Evintarian minority faction believed the Emperor's word is always Divine Will, and that it does not matter if he has or has not written it down into The Creed; if he changes his mind about something and verbalizes it, it must be followed. Because the majority of the priests refused to legalize the Diet of Divinity for living people, the Evintarian faction split from the main Unionist religious community and created the Evintarian Commune. This Commune suffered severe repression at the hands of the Dogmatic Unionists, and were expelled from the Empire to the inhospitable [[Etosian Isles]]. This is also why this Schism is called Etosian Unionism at times, but Evintarian Unionism is the official name. Evintarians consider themselves more holy and pious followers of the Emperors, and consider the other Schisms to be more secular and thus more prone to corruption and sin. The Evintarian Unionists are the second largest Unionist belief in modern days with a powerful army and nation-state for itself in the [[Etosian Theocracy]].
* '''The Dogartan Schism''' is the second Schism that appeared directly after the death of Emperor [[Henri III]]. Emperor Henri III was known to live a pious and virtuous life while rejecting wealth and excess, and due to the rapid growth of Unionism, the Dogmatic Unionist religious community had become very wealthy, as priests were allowed to tax the peasants in their lands just like the nobility. A minority of priests wanted to establish a wealth-cap for all priests, forcing them all to give away their wealth to the poor, which most priests rejected. As such, the Dogartans left the main structure of priesthood and created their own Dogartan Unionism that is based on a vow of poverty and helping others, rather than glory and the self. The Dogartans were less repressed, and in many ways the Dogmatic Unionists simply let them go. They continue to exist in modern times but are few in number of adherents.
* '''The Vultragon Schism''' is the third Schism that appeared as a direct response to the [[Seasonal Emperors Period]], though murmurings of its origins had already begun during the [[Years of the Three Emperors]] a century earlier. Many priests, particularly from the south, believed court politics and intrigue dictated who would become Emperor too much, over the inheritance clauses clarified in The Creed. They argued that the Vessel could not just be assumed-to-be the next-in-line heir to the throne, because this would imply the Everwatcher just jumped into whomever, regardless of how competent they were (with history producing many such Emperors). The priests argued that the Everwatcher is much more intentional, and would take a Vessel that would not become subject to court intrigue. Because it is impossible to tell who the Everwatcher had chosen, these priests argued for a waiting period after the death of the last Emperor, during which they waited for a sign from the Everwatcher. The majority of the priests declared this heretical and in direct contradiction to The Creed, so they violently expelled the Vultarin priests. These priests went home to Vultaro and their beliefs quickly spread among the locals due to the harsh societal environment the southern lands lived under, stoked by constant petty warfare between its nobles. Eventually, the situation exploded into a rebellion, and the [[Regalian Army]] harshly repressed the Vultragon Heresy that continued to spread regardless. Eventually, the Regalian Army backed off and relations were normalized into peace. The Vultragon Unionist religious community is the third-largest Schism of Unionism today, and has firmly established a Unionist belief structure centered around critical thinking in the southern regions of the Regalian Archipelago.
* '''The Breizh Foundation''' is not formally a Schism, but it is often called such because it makes the Breizh Foundation Religious Community easier to understand. When Unionism was first proclaimed, the [[Breizh]] people of [[Kintyr]] followed the so called [[Weard]], which were legendary Breizh warriors who were born gifted with some sort of [[Magic]], and had to earn their place in the pantheon of the Breizh Weard and effectively become demigods through service and achievement in life. The Breizh Weard was distinct from other Ailor pagan faiths in that it did not deny the existence of other divine beings (such as, for example, Old Gods would) and also proposed that these divine beings were granted powers by some unseen hand before they achieved their legendary purpose, not after, and that therefor, demigods were capable of failing to ever achieve anything before dying of old age. This made the Breizh Weard faith very compliant with Unionism, as it lacked any of the rules that would deny the Everwatcher, and the Unionist Heroes even connected with the Weard faith, allowing their Weard to be adopted into the list of Heroes. As a result, The Breizh Foundation (which occurred around 50 AC) refers to a time in which the priests of Kintyr accepted the merger of the Weard and Unionist faiths at the Conclave of Alstyr. It is important to note that while they did essentially become a full fledged religious community of Unionism, the other denominations do not acknowledge Breizh Unionism and see this Religious Community as more of a Schism than a part of their own communities. It is officially not a schism because the priests adopted Unionism, they never officially left any main dogmatic bodies, however it is normally treated like a schism for the aforementioned reasons. To read more about Breizh Unionism, refer to the [[Breizh Unionism]] page.
* '''The Emended Faithful''' or [[Emended Unionism]] is not a schism, and instead simply a denomination of Unionism that came about by general osmosis of beliefs and alternative theories, sprouting in Anglia. Emended Unionism believes that the Vessels of the Everwatcher are Kades instead of Ivrae's, and that Ivrae's simply pretended to be the Vessel for nearly 300 years. There are very few denominational differences between Emended Unionism and Dogmatic Unionism, though some are crucial enough to define Emended Unionism as a more progressive version of Unionism. Emended Unionism is very recent and has only existed for a few months in a formal religious community kind of way.
===Sects===
Smaller Sects exist within Unionism, though they are not full Schisms. Most sects are intersectional, meaning that a priest from both Vultragon and Dogmatic Unionists can be a member of a specific Sect, since Sects only add beliefs and do not subtract from or conflict with pre-existing beliefs. Sects usually have very small support bases, but are entirely legal within the Regalian Empire or the Unionist religious communities at-large, even the Schisms.
* '''The Horopadosi Sect''': This Sect believes in the idea of "physical evolution to a greater being," meaning that being a specific Race is an abstract concept. Those that undergo physical alterations to the body, such as by [[Mutations]] or [[Url]] Symbiosis, are still their original Race, but only if the changes are seen as a way of improving what constitutes the body or mind. This Sect specifically rejects magical enhancement by itself, but believes Magic can be used to elicit physical mutations that are beneficial. Urlification is particularly popular among the Horopadosi.
* '''The Priscelle Sect''': This Sect believes that the inheritance clause in The Creed is incomplete and that the presumption that the inheritance of the Emperors must always be gendered toward the first-born male who survives the Emperor is wrong. They argue that the first-born child, regardless of gender, is the one chosen to become the heir, thus allowing female Empresses to carry the Everwatcher as a Vessel. This Sect does not support changing the inheritance line of succession as it stands now and favor providence in the Kade Succession. They do, however, lobby to get the inheritance changed for the future, so that if the next Emperor should have a daughter first, that daughter becomes the heiress.
* '''The Minoth Sect''': this Sect believes in a more intellectual approach to Unionism that considers the Everwatcher a more abstract "learning" and "knowledge" transferal between Emperors, rather than an actual being with intentions and thoughts of its own. The Minoth Sect believes that the Imperial inheritance should be based on elective choice, meaning the current Vessel of the Everwatcher Emperor or Empress should be allowed to choose the next Emperor or Empress regardless of their birth order. The Everwatcher should aid the Vessel in choosing who is most competent to carry the Everwatcher as a future Vessel. This Cult is currently in-favor in the Imperial Court, and Emperor [[Alexander I]] has chosen the elective inheritance clause.
* '''The Silvershroud Sect''': this Sect rejects the all-demon status of the Occult, and believes that non-[[Affliction]]-based Occult, and to some degree [[Silvenism]], are beneficial and blessings of the Everwatcher, as opposed to [[Demons]] from a different plane of existence. They argue that because some Afflictions or Occult beings are beneficial, or at least not repugnant to life and existence, they must be ordained by the Everwatcher who is the chief creator of all things good. They argue for the legalization of vast swathes of the Occult.
* '''The Diviner Sect''': this Sect rejected the all-inclusion of other Races into the Unionist fold, and argued for the sacrificing of other Races as lesser beings to divinate the future, or receive visions from the Everwatcher. Because this Sect implied that the Everwatcher would speak to anyone other than the Emperor, this Sect was uniformly denounced by all Schisms, and made holy war upon by the Dogmatic Unionism religious community. The [[Holy Herebrand Order]] exterminated the Diviner Sect in 308 AC, killing their last supporters in [[Girobalda]].
* '''The Vierzehn Sect''': this Sect rejects the full integration of other Races or [[Half-Ailor]] into Unionism, though not as severely as the Diviner Sect does, while also sticking closer to The Creed. Vierzehners believe that all other Races are by nature inferior or flawed, and should have their statuses reduced while the Ailor continue lead everyone from the top unimpeded, barring non-Ailor from all military, priestly, administrative positions of power, especially nobility. Vierzehners also believe in an expansion of immoral sins, which largely involve importing more bigoted laws against non-conforming minorities in society who do not portray the exact pure vision of the Vierzehners.
* '''The Thyemic Sect''': this Sect believes that [[Undead]] are resurrected by the Everwatcher with a unique duty to the Great Way. Thyemics (who are usually Undead themselves) tend to fill roles that would be difficult for living members of the faith, such as guarding remote holy sites or ministering to communities stricken by disease. Of note, there is a great disagreement within the Sect over Therin Ivrae, the son of [[Justinian II]] who rose from the grave to kill his older brother during the [[Undead Scare]]. Some hold that Therin was given an opportunity for redemption, but rejected it. Others instead assert that Therin's return and subsequent crime were both divinely inspired, setting in motion a chain of events that will bring about a new era of the Empire.
===Spread===
Unionism is spread through Missionaries who travel to lands where Unionism is not yet present or present in a minority to establish a so-called "Celery". Celeries are areas that the Unionist priests use to define boundaries between their spheres of influence, as each priest has a rough jurisdiction (sometimes just a town, or a city, or a whole valley) where they administer their religious services. Priests and missionary in Unionism are as such the same people, and most priests have been missionaries at some point or another. "Celate" is the most common term for a religious figure of authority within Unionism, though priest can also be used to refer to them.
===Violence===
Violence has always been a contentious point within Unionism, as The Creed professes the need for all people to spread the one true faith--by the sword, if need be. Unionism is likely the most aggressive religion that is forced onto other peoples and nations even against their will, and that many thousands of people have died because they refused to convert to Unionism. The Creed never explicitly states non-Unionists must die; however, The Creed does permit holy warriors of the faith to slay those who would stand in the way of the spreading of the faith. This has allowed some blood-thirsty Celates and nobles to slay large numbers of non-believers to soften up populations for the actual conversion, as they have no warriors left to oppose the missionaries’ influence. In modern times, the Regalian Empire has simmered down the violence, but the spreading of Unionism still is built on a bloodbath, especially against the [[Velheim]] people in Drixagh who intermittently waged Holy War against Regalia for several decades. These Velheimers also committed atrocities against the Unionists, and in most cases, Holy Wars are considered defensive for the Unionists, adding more nuance than is often assumed. There are also large segments of Unionist society that are entirely pacifist, and even those who vehemently oppose Holy Wars or other forms of religious violence, while sectarian violence also happens within Unionism itself.


==Rituals==
==Rituals==
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