Unionism: Difference between revisions

Unionism
Religion
Pronunciation	Union-ism
Origins	Emperor Theomar
Deities
	The Everwatcher and various other Gods and Goddesses

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Latest revision as of 19:42, 14 September 2024

Unionism is the world's second largest religion only trailing shortly after Estelley, on account of the Ailor people being more religiously divided, though it is speculated that Unionism will become the largest religion within a century at least. Unionism at its core is a global unification movement which proclaims the benevolence of the divinely inspired Emperors of the Regalian Empire to bring order, stability, and law to the world that is filled with chaos and strife. Unionism is strongly tied to the Regalian State, and to some outsiders seen as an affirmation of state doctrine, but the Religion is actually quite inclusive, in that it tends to absorb tenets and Gods of other Religions to expand its inclusive message.

Origins

Unionism as a Religion was created in the year 5 AC when Emperor Theomar (the founding Regalian Emperor) proclaimed the Creed (the holy Scripture) as visions received from the Everwatcher. In the beginnings of the Empire, the faith was slow to spread, but through providence and divine intervention, as well as Regalia's military spread and aggressive missionary proselytizing, Unionism quickly spread from its small cult-like origins to a world-religion. It has over the years also absorbed Gods from smaller religions, and included Gods form other Religions to become a very all-inclusive cosmopolitan Religion. Unionism is a multi-ethnic religion that invites all peoples of Aloria to join under the Everwatcher.

Core Beliefs

Central Message

The central message of Unionism is that the Everwatcher created reality and that reality itself (which is often understood to be Dragons), filled it with creation (all living and non-living things). However, the Everwatcher demanded that creation be created flawed and sinful, so that it could be measured to its own potential before deserving paradise and the defeat of death. All living beings are born full of sin and must learn through the stories and preachings of the Gods to become sin-less, but also to contribute to the Great Way. When the Great Way is achieved, the Afterlife and the living world will become one, and all suffering and death will be cast aside to become forever paradise.

The Sins

Central to Unionism is the idea that every newborn is full of sin and that without guidance, that sin will overcome the soul and make a person rotten to the core. Only through divine guidance of the Gods, do the people learn what the sins are, and how to overcome them just as the Gods did with each other's guidance. These sins remain relevant in nearly all Unionist teachings, so this section will set out a more clear explanation of each of these terms.

Indulgence: Indulgence occurs when a faithful is self-obsessed with pleasure seeking to the point of avoiding duty and responsibility. This includes an abundance of the carnal and material pleasures, gluttony, greed, etc.
Belicosity: Bellicosity occurs when a faithful seeks no other recourse but to immediately stab a problem to death with violence. Bellicosity includes obsession with vengeance, wroth, and general ill-tempered violence.
Mutiny: Mutiny occurs when a faithful seeks to upend the authority and order of the Regalian State, and breaks the social contract that the state provides, and the citizenry returns their loyalty to it in equal measure.
Hatred: Hatred occurs when a faithful disdain something, a thought, or a person so deeply, that reason leaves them. Hatred is the logic-deprived and soul-damning emotion that makes all decisions ill-founded.
Blightcraft: Blightcraft occurs when a faithful either makes a machine that causes suffering or re-purposes a benign device into a violent one. Exceptions are machines of war used to defend/expand the Empire/people.
Iconoclasm: Iconoclasm occurs when a faithful engages in mindless cultural and civil destruction, the burning of books, the cutting of statues and paintings, and the destruction of cultural customs and traditions.
Monomania: Monomania occurs when a faithful becomes so obsessed with a single task, person, or object, that all other pleasures and satisfaction in life withers, as do all social contacts and relationships.
Defeatism: Defeatism occurs when loss and anguish overrule bravery and composure, resulting in lack of optimism, in refusing to engage with problems, and in refusing to face the reality that is.
Maleficence: Maleficence occurs when a faithful uses Magic or other divine blessings for personal enrichment, instead of a duty to the Gods and the Empire through moral and dutiful employment in restraint.
Hubris: Hubris occurs when a faithful's pride, ego, and vanity have reached such a point that they obsess over themselves and forget the contributions of others and venerability of those who have come before.
Contempt: Contempt occurs when the faithful refuse to accept their fear towards an enemy, or acknowledge their merits and skills when when they are opposed, leading to their ultimate destruction.

The faithful should constantly seek to overcome these in-born sins, to seek temperance from life's delectable, to seek other means of victory and completion, to stay honest and loyal to the state and one another, to show reason and logic when faced with strong emotion, to seek the betterment of others, to preserve heritage and customs, to remain sober and loving to others, to remain optimistic and objective oriented, to bring honor to the gifts of the gods, to remain humble in the face of the giants of the past, and to acknowledge the betters of one's rivals and enemies. There is no expectation that any faithful is free of sin, and even to assume so is a form of Hubris. All faithful sin, even Gods, even priests, but everyone shares a collective responsibility to point out these sinners, and to put them on the pathway of virtue.

The Afterlife

The Unionism Afterlife is not yet truly reached. The Afterlife is currently called The Stairway, which refers to the idea that souls which have been allowed into The Afterlife, are in waiting, watching the still-living from a bird's eye view on the staircase that leads nowhere in the sky. The Everwatcher weighs the souls of the faithful as they perish, and if the Everwatcher finds too much sin, they are compelled back to the lower social classes, reincarnated to try again. If they have removed enough sin from their soul, the Everwatcher then measures if they have meaningfully contributed to the Great Way. If not, the Everwatcher compels them back to a higher social class in the Empire, giving them more opportunity to re-cleanse their soul of sin, and contribute to the great way. Only when one is as sinless as can be, and has contributed in some small or great means to the Great Way, does the Everwatcher permit a soul into The Afterlife, where they shall wait until the Regalian Empire spans the whole world and incorporates all living beings under one Emperor, after which Afterlife and living world are merged as one deathless and sorrowless reality.

The Great Way

The Great Way is the penultimate goal of Unionism and is one of the required stages for The Afterlife to truly transition into a Paradise. The Great Way is a more gentle way of saying World Domination of the Regalian Empire, believing that all landmasses and all nations and all people should be subject to the Regalian Empire, and obey the laws and words of the Regalian Emperor. Note, that this does not include Religious supremacy, the Regalian Empire allows other Religions to exist and flourish within it, so long as they do not contradict the central tenet of the Emperor's divine supremacy. The faith requires that the whole world be embraced with the Emperor's grace and love for them, and that through him, the Everwatcher can then initiate the completion of the Great Way as unity reaches all corners of the world. There is a great deal of debate about whether this is an oppressive thought. Some would say that violating the sovereignty of other nations is in itself a hostile act, but the Empire rarely expands through warfare, and mostly through diplomacy. The Empire is also no stranger to local autonomy and preservation of local laws and traditions, the only thing it utterly demands with no objection, is to obey the authority of the Emperor.

Gods and Goddesses

Unionist Gods and Goddesses are found within the central pantheon, and two additional cults. Within the pantheon, the Gods are divided into the three Divine Paramounts, and the 24 Divine Virtues. These Divine Virtues are divided into groups of two, each being referred to as a God-union, usually with a shared theme or message within the dogma. While the Divine Paramounts are free of sin or flaw, the Divine Virtues act as lessons to the faithful to guide their life and reach fulfillment for the Great Way. Beyond the central pantheon are the Guided and Evintarian Cults, these Cults have additional optional Gods, but they are not mandatory for the faith itself, only if a believer follows their core theological message. Note, some of the Gods found in the Pantheon are Joined Gods. This term describes a God who is initially part of another pantheon, but either due to conquest or integration, they either wholly join the Unionist pantheon, or have dual-membership between multiple religions, a form of polytheistic pluralism that proposes the Religion will keep expanding, as the Regalian Empire absorbs more cultures and Religions.

The Divine Paramount

Theomar, Prophet God
Everwatcher, the Supreme Divine
Alexander, Vessel God

Theomar Theomar is the Prophet of Unionism, the first Vessel of the Everwatcher, and the first to speak and write the holy word of the faith in the Creed. Theomar does not represent any virtues, but he is still the most invoked God of Unionism, because he represents all the good virtues combined together. While all other Gods bar the Everwatcher have some kind of inherent flaw, Theomar is always considered the leader of the pantheon of Gods, and generally flawless.
Everwatcher The Everwatcher is the enigmatic God being that spoke to Theomar about the gospel. No living or dead person has ever seen the Everwatcher, bar the Emperors of the Regalian Empire to whom it speaks divine will. The Everwatcher is said to be the source of all creation, even Dragons, but because it is such a mystifying being that only speaks through the Emperors, few can be said about it other than to invoke its name for good wishes or prayers.
Alexander Alexander is the Vessel of Unionism, which is a rotating Godhood position held by the faith. When the previous Emperor dies, they lose their divinity, and it passes to the next Vessel as the new Emperor is crowned. Emperors can be flawed and sinners, but are made divine by the whispers of the Everwatcher which only they can hear in divine conclave. As such, Emperors of Regalia while alive are held to god-like status among the faithful.

The Divine Virtues

Ness and Eora, Virtues of duty
Sinnavei and Vyrë, Virtues of temper
Glanzia and Juvin, Virtues of reason
Brand and Allest, Virtues of justice
Tanthor and Dari, Virtues of loyalty
Marani and Al-Asir, Virtues of altruism

Ness and Eora Ness (left) was the 4th Empress of Regalia Nessaria Calontir, and Eora (right) was the 4th Channcelor Eotranna I Kade. Ness was full of sinful indulgence, taking to the pleasures of life and absconding with duties of court and motherhood. Through the guidance of Eora, the both of them reached a higher state of virtue in duty and responsibility, living up to their roles in life, and being the mothers of the nation that gave all blessed forgiveness and nurture.
Sinnavei and Vyrë Sinnavei (left) is the Goddess of honor and dignity, and Vyrë (right) is the Goddess of the unknown seas. Both were Estelley Gods incorporated when the Elven lands joined. Vyrë represents the sin of Bellicosity, with violence as a first answer, while Sinnavei showed her temperance and restraint as a more powerful tool to victory. Together they represent the virtue of caution and calmness, and receive offerings for safe passage on the seas and unknown lands.
Glanzia and Juvin Glanzia (left) is a mundanely raised (still living) Goddess, and Juvin (right) was the 11th Emperor of Regalia Heinrich III Ivrae Heiligenblut. Both were full of sin in their own ways, Glanzia towards her enemies, Juvin towards facts contradicting his knowledge. Through each other, they learned purity, Glanzia to seek reason over hatred, and Juvin to seek knowledge expansion over dogma. Together they are the virtue of pure soul and pure thought and knowledge.
Brand and Allest Brand (left) was the 17th Chancellor of Regalia, and Allest (right) was the 15th Emperor of Regalia Allestrain I Ivrae Heiligenblut. Allestrain was full of the sin of injustice, a soldier Emperor so beset with warfare and wroth, that he treated his subjects and nobles most foul. Through the guidance of Brand, Allest bettered his approach, and became a paragon of justice who saw to it that every injustice that reached him, would be answered by his sword.
Tanthor and Dari Tanthor (right) and Dari (left) are both mundanely raised (still living) Gods who were once crime lord and city guard respectively. Tanthor lived a life of contempt for the state, spitting at any help offered. Dari however slowly showed him the value of loyalty to the state, of the wealth and fame even the most downtrodden can achieve by working with the hierarchy and order rather than being a child of chaos. Both became paragons of the social contract of the Empire.
Marani and Al-Asir Marani (left) is mundanely raised and Al-Asir (right) is a Draconism God (both still living). Marani was full of the sin of blightcraft, the usage of technology to hurt and deceive, to use machines for foul deeds. Al-Asir showed him the virtue of technomoralism the idea that machines and inventions should serve progress and to better the lives of others, and that evil only comes from the use, not nature of technology. They represent altruism to the people.

Neall and Nolven, Virtues of culture
Elia and Leona, Virtues of equity
Kaldric & Caan, Virtues of magisters
Celest and Eoin, Virtues of veneration
Belialus and Eirlys, Virtues of respect
Mendes and Hor, Virtues of bravery

Neall and Nolven Neall (left) is a Fornoss God (Aedán), and Nolven is an enigmatic twin of Neall. Nolven represents the sin of Iconoclasm, the irreverent destruction of cultural heritage, or purposeful burning of art to hurt society. Neall showed Nolven the virtue of preservation and respect for diversity, and together they now represent the varied juxtaposition of art and military. Nolven is also responsible for Unionist Godborn, who usually become holy warriors or paladins.
Elia and Leona Elia (left) was the 15th Empress of Regalia, Leona (right) was the Knight-wife of the 15th Chancellor. Elia was the sin of Monomania, a singular obsessive behavior that sets aside all feelings and obligations to obsess over a single task or work. Elia obsessed over revenge for the death of her husband, and only the love of Leona could temper her obsession and show her how much she was losing her loved ones and purpose in life. Now they are the virtues of love and passion.
Kaldric and Caan Kaldric (left) was a mundanely raised Calemberg crimelord, Caan is a (still-living) Aelrrigan Mage-Knight of mysterious origins. Kaldric was the sin of Maleficence, the usage of the divinely burdened gift of Magic for personal pleasure and enrichment. Magic to Unionism is a great moral burden, which Caan taught him, so that he could better put his fate to work serving the Great Way. Both now represent the Magic moralism and the correct way of using Magic.
Celest and Eoin Celest (left) is a mundanely raised Nun, Eoin (right) is a mundanely raised Imperial Guard (both still living). Eoin was full of the sin of Hubris, to find such pride and vanity in his prestigious position in life, that he showed no regard for the actual weight of his obligation or venerability to elders and authority. Celest taught him the lessons of respect for those that came before, to honor his elders, and to serve their needs, and to respect the words of the sages.
Belialus and Eirlys Belialus (left) was a Demon, Eirlys (right) was a pre-Empire Goddess of the Weard faith of the Breizh people who joined the Unionist pantheon. Belialus was a being of Contempt, showing no esteem or reverence to his enemies and suffering defeat as a result. Eirlys not only taught him humility and bravery in the face of one's enemies, she also reformed him and cleansed him of his sinful Demonhood, both representing the virtues of honesty and reform.
Mendes and Hor Mendes (left) is a Khama God, Hor is a mundanely raised Asha (both still living). Mendes was full of the sin of Defeatism, the loss of his people, the suffering, it all became too much for him to bear. He gave in to despair and loss, and gave up on everyone. Hor taught him the virtue of action, and the value of time, how limited the means of mortals are to act, and the duties gods have to be diligent. They now represent the virtues of diligence and activeness.

Priestly Activities

Unionist priests are part of the so-called Covenant College. At the very top is the Secilly Council. Originally this organization had a leader called the Supreme Reverend, however the Supreme Reverend position was abolished when the last Supreme Reverend discovered insidious corruption within the religious community, tried to expose it, and was assassinated for it. To compensate, Conclave determined that the Dogmatic community should henceforth be ruled by a Council of elder Arch-Everians. Below the Secilly Council, are the Arch-Everian, which are equivalents to Dukes in the Regalian Empire. They wield considerable power and rule over vast areas of land, subdivided into Everies. Below the Arch-Everian is the Everian, or just the average priest. Each Everian administrates an Everie, which is usually a piece of land donated to the clergy where they maintain temples, shrines, and sanctuaries, while also producing crops and tending to cattle. Everians perform all religious tasks such as confession, preaching, hearing concerns, and simply taking care of Unionist needs like a social caretaker or mental health worker. Arch-Everians on the other hand are more administrative in that they take care of the treasury, any military attached to the religious orders, and communication between the Secilly Council and the vast wide-spread Unionist elements. Formally the Emperor is the leader of the Holy Seat, which is more of a group term for the Palace and the Secilly Council grouped, but historically Emperors have interfered very little in the day to day running of the Everies, and as such, this fact is usually ignored, the Emperor being considered a completely independent entity. This has also historically separated the Emperor from controversy among the Everians, and vice versa.

Expanded Lore

The Expanded Lore section contains additional contextual information about the Unionist faith. This section is not necessary to read to get a good understanding of the lore, just the background information.

Contextual Lore

This section contains a group of assorted ideas and pieces of information that are not at first glance relevant to the Religion or its texts, but that may become relevant when engaging in theological debate, or deeper storytelling about the Gods, as priests habitually do. This information is freely available to the people through reading archives and history books, though some of it may be a bit more contextual. If something would not be clear from history books, but learned by researching other religions and or belief systems, this will be mentioned.

Gods are either mundanely raised, incorporated, or post-death ordained. In the case of mundane raising, it is believed that the Everwatcher chooses a Unionist born child and gives them a divine spark, testing them in life for Godhood. If they pass, they become Gods and activate their Godly powers, and should they fail, they lose their Godhood. Incorporated Gods are always Gods from other Religions bringing religious aspects from their original faith into Unionism though this can never count as Syncretism because the dogma is always slightly different. Finally, post-death ordainment occurs usually with Emperors and Empresses, who due to their closeness to the Vessel have a more likely chance of becoming Gods after death if they were legendary in life.
There are some speculative theories that the Chancellors and Emperors were actually Dragonsouls, that is to say, they inherited their souls from Dragons and were physically Dragons just often not aware. This doesn't strictly change theological theories, because Dragonsouls are persistent and undying, constantly reincarnating, while their divine persona diverges. In essence, while Nicholas's Dragonsoul would have been passed to his great-grandchild Morgenkroon Kade, his Unionist divine persona diverged and became a stand-alone divine entity known as the God Nicholas. The bottom line is that there is no secret Dragon plot within Unionism, and even if there was, the Dragons have been reincarnated so far away from their original intention that Unionism is no longer recognizable from whatever plot it might have originated.
Some Gods have intense relationships that are relevant to their stories. Ness and Eora lived in the same era as mortals, and were friends. Brand and Allest lived in the same era, and were lovers, even though Allest was married to Elia and Brand to Leona. Marani and Al-Asir are rumored to be lovers, but are cagey about the subject and show no public evidence of this. Neall and Nolven are supposedly twins, but there is no evidence of Aedán having a twin in the Fornoss faith so theory has it that they may be split personalities. Elia and Leona lived in the same era, and were lovers, even though Elia was married to Allest and Leona to Brand.
Eirlys and Sinnavei date from around the same period, and have often been treated as friend-Goddesses, both having joined Unionism at the same time, and carrying their people with them. Though, Sinnavei still also holds a role within the Estelley Religion, and also has an Evolist God as a lover called Morrlond which raises some complications.
Mendes was once an Asha God of the Dewamenet Empire, but became disillusioned with millennia of hiding during the Pearl Wars. While most Asha Gods stayed true to the faith of Khama, Mendes did not and essentially abandoned the Asha in despair. The Gods of the Dewamenet faith, and Hor, are still in their ongoing attempts to fold Mendes back into Khama, though he has indicates that he will not do so until the faith stabilizes from its current half-broken state.

Unionism and Magic

Magic has an extremely complicated place in Unionism. Unionism acknowledges God Magic (universally good), and Void/Exist Magic (mostly bad) but does not acknowledge Ordial Magic as real. Extraplanar Magic (not mechanically granted by the Unionist Gods) however, still exists with the permission of the Everwatcher and the allowance of these things to become material and tangible in Aloria, which is his created reality. As a result, priests have argued that through a roundabout way, the Everwatcher is also responsible for the Exist and Void, and thus all forms of Magic, even if Unionist God Magic is more pure. The dogma in essence has taken the stance that God Magic is often granted as a reward for service, while Extraplanar Magic is granted at birth as an additional Sin (hence, the Gods Kaldric and Caan). Extraplanar Magic carries the burden of additional duty and mental strain for the faithful, who must maneuver life to understand when and how to ply their Magic for good instead of self indulgence and evil. Magic is not by nature evil, but the dogma implies that more likely than not, do Mages fail to overcome their inherent sin, and become a type of super-sinner. This has led to periods of extreme magical repression and general mistrust towards Mages, purely because of the incidence rate at which Mages end up going in the opposite direction of what Unionism demands of them.

Mournful Sisters

Burial nuns, Not yet complete

Pious Brothers

Ascetic monks, Not yet complete

Unionist Calendar

Not yet complete

History of the Schisms

Not yet complete

Minor Cults

Not yet complete

Additional God Info

Not yet complete

Trivia

Unionism used to be mandatory for nobility somewhere during the second century after Cataclysm, though this Holy Law was removed when the war against the Skagger Horde ceased, and the Empire benefited more from including non-Unionists into the peerage. An exception had always been made for the Solvaan nobles in Solleria however, called the Confessions of Melennar.
Sectarian violence largely came to an end at the turn into the fourth century as the last attacks on Vultragon Unionist by state forces ceased, and an uneasy truce was signed between the Schism religious communities. They still do not see eye-to-eye, and the different Schismatic groups still prod at each other, but instead of murdering each other over sectarian differences, they mostly fight with words nowadays, a legacy of the Kleine Rechnung, the document that called for the truce.
Despite Eirlys's absorption into Unionism, the Breizh still maintained a high level of cultural autonomy, some even clinging to old beliefs. As such, even when Magic became illegal in the Empire, the Breizh Aelrrigan Order continued to find and train Mages safely in their sanctuaries while the rest of the Empire turned to brutal oppression (and the Magic part of Eirlys was suppressed from dogma). Eirlys' faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Eirlys' magical nature in theological teachings was returned.

Accreditation

Writers	MonMarty, FireFan96
Processors	SevenBirds

Last Editor	HydraLana on 09/14/2024.

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 {{Info religion
 |image = Unionismlaaol.png
-|pronunciation = Yoon-yen-is-m
+|pronunciation = Union-ism
 |origins = Emperor [[Theomar]]
-|deities = The Imperial Spirit
+|deities = The Everwatcher and various other Gods and Goddesses
-|subsects = Various Sects and Churches
+|subsects =
+* The Evintarian Cult
+* The Guided Cult
+* The Armageddon Cult
 |}}
-Unionism is a monotheistic religion based on the life and oral teachings of the [[Emperors of Regalia]] and the divine Spirit that binds them all together. Unionism is one of the largest faiths in [[Aloria]] and practiced by millions of [[Ailor]] and those others from [[Races]] seeking spiritual fulfillment. The core belief of Unionism is that one day, Humanity will achieve paradise through the journey they call “The Great Way.” The Great Way refers to the time between now and an undefined time in the future where [[Human]] superiority will eclipse that of all other lesser races and establish a holy paradise on Aloria. In the past, Unionism was greatly divided between various sects and regional systems of belief, but over the past several decades, these divisions have been solved with a newly reunified Unionism. Because of this, Unionism is on the rise (even though it is already dominant) and religious fervor has gripped many devout regions, while the Conclave in Regalia working hard to push the tenants of the faith onto the world.
+Unionism is the world's second largest religion only trailing shortly after Estelley, on account of the Ailor people being more religiously divided, though it is speculated that Unionism will become the largest religion within a century at least. Unionism at its core is a global unification movement which proclaims the benevolence of the divinely inspired Emperors of the Regalian Empire to bring order, stability, and law to the world that is filled with chaos and strife. Unionism is strongly tied to the Regalian State, and to some outsiders seen as an affirmation of state doctrine, but the Religion is actually quite inclusive, in that it tends to absorb tenets and Gods of other Religions to expand its inclusive message.
+==Origins==
+Unionism as a Religion was created in the year 5 AC when Emperor Theomar (the founding Regalian Emperor) proclaimed the Creed (the holy Scripture) as visions received from the Everwatcher. In the beginnings of the Empire, the faith was slow to spread, but through providence and divine intervention, as well as Regalia's military spread and aggressive missionary proselytizing, Unionism quickly spread from its small cult-like origins to a world-religion. It has over the years also absorbed Gods from smaller religions, and included Gods form other Religions to become a very all-inclusive cosmopolitan Religion. Unionism is a multi-ethnic religion that invites all peoples of Aloria to join under the Everwatcher.
+==Core Beliefs==
+===Central Message===
+The central message of Unionism is that the Everwatcher created reality and that reality itself (which is often understood to be Dragons), filled it with creation (all living and non-living things). However, the Everwatcher demanded that creation be created flawed and sinful, so that it could be measured to its own potential before deserving paradise and the defeat of death. All living beings are born full of sin and must learn through the stories and preachings of the Gods to become sin-less, but also to contribute to the Great Way. When the Great Way is achieved, the Afterlife and the living world will become one, and all suffering and death will be cast aside to become forever paradise.
+===The Sins===
+Central to Unionism is the idea that every newborn is full of sin and that without guidance, that sin will overcome the soul and make a person rotten to the core. Only through divine guidance of the Gods, do the people learn what the sins are, and how to overcome them just as the Gods did with each other's guidance. These sins remain relevant in nearly all Unionist teachings, so this section will set out a more clear explanation of each of these terms.
+* '''Indulgence:''' Indulgence occurs when a faithful is self-obsessed with pleasure seeking to the point of avoiding duty and responsibility. This includes an abundance of the carnal and material pleasures, gluttony, greed, etc.
+* '''Belicosity:''' Bellicosity occurs when a faithful seeks no other recourse but to immediately stab a problem to death with violence. Bellicosity includes obsession with vengeance, wroth, and general ill-tempered violence.
+* '''Mutiny:''' Mutiny occurs when a faithful seeks to upend the authority and order of the Regalian State, and breaks the social contract that the state provides, and the citizenry returns their loyalty to it in equal measure.
+* '''Hatred:''' Hatred occurs when a faithful disdain something, a thought, or a person so deeply, that reason leaves them. Hatred is the logic-deprived and soul-damning emotion that makes all decisions ill-founded.
+* '''Blightcraft:''' Blightcraft occurs when a faithful either makes a machine that causes suffering or re-purposes a benign device into a violent one. Exceptions are machines of war used to defend/expand the Empire/people.
+* '''Iconoclasm:''' Iconoclasm occurs when a faithful engages in mindless cultural and civil destruction, the burning of books, the cutting of statues and paintings, and the destruction of cultural customs and traditions.
+* '''Monomania:''' Monomania occurs when a faithful becomes so obsessed with a single task, person, or object, that all other pleasures and satisfaction in life withers, as do all social contacts and relationships.
+* '''Defeatism:''' Defeatism occurs when loss and anguish overrule bravery and composure, resulting in lack of optimism, in refusing to engage with problems, and in refusing to face the reality that is.
+* '''Maleficence:''' Maleficence occurs when a faithful uses Magic or other divine blessings for personal enrichment, instead of a duty to the Gods and the Empire through moral and dutiful employment in restraint.
+* '''Hubris:''' Hubris occurs when a faithful's pride, ego, and vanity have reached such a point that they obsess over themselves and forget the contributions of others and venerability of those who have come before.
+* '''Contempt:''' Contempt occurs when the faithful refuse to accept their fear towards an enemy, or acknowledge their merits and skills when when they are opposed, leading to their ultimate destruction.
+The faithful should constantly seek to overcome these in-born sins, to seek temperance from life's delectable, to seek other means of victory and completion, to stay honest and loyal to the state and one another, to show reason and logic when faced with strong emotion, to seek the betterment of others, to preserve heritage and customs, to remain sober and loving to others, to remain optimistic and objective oriented, to bring honor to the gifts of the gods, to remain humble in the face of the giants of the past, and to acknowledge the betters of one's rivals and enemies. There is no expectation that any faithful is free of sin, and even to assume so is a form of Hubris. All faithful sin, even Gods, even priests, but everyone shares a collective responsibility to point out these sinners, and to put them on the pathway of virtue.
+===The Afterlife===
+The Unionism Afterlife is not yet truly reached. The Afterlife is currently called The Stairway, which refers to the idea that souls which have been allowed into The Afterlife, are in waiting, watching the still-living from a bird's eye view on the staircase that leads nowhere in the sky. The Everwatcher weighs the souls of the faithful as they perish, and if the Everwatcher finds too much sin, they are compelled back to the lower social classes, reincarnated to try again. If they have removed enough sin from their soul, the Everwatcher then measures if they have meaningfully contributed to the Great Way. If not, the Everwatcher compels them back to a higher social class in the Empire, giving them more opportunity to re-cleanse their soul of sin, and contribute to the great way. Only when one is as sinless as can be, and has contributed in some small or great means to the Great Way, does the Everwatcher permit a soul into The Afterlife, where they shall wait until the Regalian Empire spans the whole world and incorporates all living beings under one Emperor, after which Afterlife and living world are merged as one deathless and sorrowless reality.
+===The Great Way===
+The Great Way is the penultimate goal of Unionism and is one of the required stages for The Afterlife to truly transition into a Paradise. The Great Way is a more gentle way of saying World Domination of the Regalian Empire, believing that all landmasses and all nations and all people should be subject to the Regalian Empire, and obey the laws and words of the Regalian Emperor. Note, that this does not include Religious supremacy, the Regalian Empire allows other Religions to exist and flourish within it, so long as they do not contradict the central tenet of the Emperor's divine supremacy. The faith requires that the whole world be embraced with the Emperor's grace and love for them, and that through him, the Everwatcher can then initiate the completion of the Great Way as unity reaches all corners of the world. There is a great deal of debate about whether this is an oppressive thought. Some would say that violating the sovereignty of other nations is in itself a hostile act, but the Empire rarely expands through warfare, and mostly through diplomacy. The Empire is also no stranger to local autonomy and preservation of local laws and traditions, the only thing it utterly demands with no objection, is to obey the authority of the Emperor.
+==Gods and Goddesses==
+Unionist Gods and Goddesses are found within the central pantheon, and two additional cults. Within the pantheon, the Gods are divided into the three Divine Paramounts, and the 24 Divine Virtues. These Divine Virtues are divided into groups of two, each being referred to as a God-union, usually with a shared theme or message within the dogma. While the Divine Paramounts are free of sin or flaw, the Divine Virtues act as lessons to the faithful to guide their life and reach fulfillment for the Great Way. Beyond the central pantheon are the Guided and Evintarian Cults, these Cults have additional optional Gods, but they are not mandatory for the faith itself, only if a believer follows their core theological message. Note, some of the Gods found in the Pantheon are Joined Gods. This term describes a God who is initially part of another pantheon, but either due to conquest or integration, they either wholly join the Unionist pantheon, or have dual-membership between multiple religions, a form of polytheistic pluralism that proposes the Religion will keep expanding, as the Regalian Empire absorbs more cultures and Religions.
+===The Divine Paramount===
+<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="220px" heights="439px">
+File:Theomar.png|''Theomar, Prophet God''
+File:Everwatchger.png|''Everwatcher, the Supreme Divine''
+File:Emperor.png|''Alexander, Vessel God''
+</gallery>
+* '''Theomar''' Theomar is the Prophet of Unionism, the first Vessel of the Everwatcher, and the first to speak and write the holy word of the faith in the Creed. Theomar does not represent any virtues, but he is still the most invoked God of Unionism, because he represents all the good virtues combined together. While all other Gods bar the Everwatcher have some kind of inherent flaw, Theomar is always considered the leader of the pantheon of Gods, and generally flawless.
+* '''Everwatcher''' The Everwatcher is the enigmatic God being that spoke to Theomar about the gospel. No living or dead person has ever seen the Everwatcher, bar the Emperors of the Regalian Empire to whom it speaks divine will. The Everwatcher is said to be the source of all creation, even Dragons, but because it is such a mystifying being that only speaks through the Emperors, few can be said about it other than to invoke its name for good wishes or prayers.
+* '''Alexander''' Alexander is the Vessel of Unionism, which is a rotating Godhood position held by the faith. When the previous Emperor dies, they lose their divinity, and it passes to the next Vessel as the new Emperor is crowned. Emperors can be flawed and sinners, but are made divine by the whispers of the Everwatcher which only they can hear in divine conclave. As such, Emperors of Regalia while alive are held to god-like status among the faithful.
+===The Divine Virtues===
+<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="220px" heights="309px">
+File:Ladiesladies.png|''Ness and Eora, Virtues of duty''
+File:Solleriabit.png|''Sinnavei and Vyrë, Virtues of temper''
+File:Glanzia.png|''Glanzia and Juvin, Virtues of reason''
+File:Allestu.png|''Brand and Allest, Virtues of justice''
+File:BbdgNew Canvasgsgerhfghjyt - Copy.png|''Tanthor and Dari, Virtues of loyalty''
+File:Mairani.png|''Marani and Al-Asir, Virtues of altruism''
+</gallery>
+* '''Ness and Eora''' Ness (left) was the 4th Empress of Regalia Nessaria Calontir, and Eora (right) was the 4th Channcelor Eotranna I Kade. Ness was full of sinful indulgence, taking to the pleasures of life and absconding with duties of court and motherhood. Through the guidance of Eora, the both of them reached a higher state of virtue in duty and responsibility, living up to their roles in life, and being the mothers of the nation that gave all blessed forgiveness and nurture.
+* '''Sinnavei and Vyrë''' Sinnavei (left) is the Goddess of honor and dignity, and Vyrë (right) is the Goddess of the unknown seas. Both were Estelley Gods incorporated when the Elven lands joined. Vyrë represents the sin of Bellicosity, with violence as a first answer, while Sinnavei showed her temperance and restraint as a more powerful tool to victory. Together they represent the virtue of caution and calmness, and receive offerings for safe passage on the seas and unknown lands.
+* '''Glanzia and Juvin''' Glanzia (left) is a mundanely raised (still living) Goddess, and Juvin (right) was the 11th Emperor of Regalia Heinrich III Ivrae Heiligenblut. Both were full of sin in their own ways, Glanzia towards her enemies, Juvin towards facts contradicting his knowledge. Through each other, they learned purity, Glanzia to seek reason over hatred, and Juvin to seek knowledge expansion over dogma. Together they are the virtue of pure soul and pure thought and knowledge.
+* '''Brand and Allest''' Brand (left) was the 17th Chancellor of Regalia, and Allest (right) was the 15th Emperor of Regalia Allestrain I Ivrae Heiligenblut. Allestrain was full of the sin of injustice, a soldier Emperor so beset with warfare and wroth, that he treated his subjects and nobles most foul. Through the guidance of Brand, Allest bettered his approach, and became a paragon of justice who saw to it that every injustice that reached him, would be answered by his sword.
+* '''Tanthor and Dari''' Tanthor (right) and Dari (left) are both mundanely raised (still living) Gods who were once crime lord and city guard respectively. Tanthor lived a life of contempt for the state, spitting at any help offered. Dari however slowly showed him the value of loyalty to the state, of the wealth and fame even the most downtrodden can achieve by working with the hierarchy and order rather than being a child of chaos. Both became paragons of the social contract of the Empire.
+* '''Marani and Al-Asir''' Marani (left) is mundanely raised and Al-Asir (right) is a Draconism God (both still living). Marani was full of the sin of blightcraft, the usage of technology to hurt and deceive, to use machines for foul deeds. Al-Asir showed him the virtue of technomoralism the idea that machines and inventions should serve progress and to better the lives of others, and that evil only comes from the use, not nature of technology. They represent altruism to the people.
+<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="220px" heights="309px">
+File:Ewnolvenn.png|''Neall and Nolven, Virtues of culture''
+File:Mladies.png|''Elia and Leona, Virtues of equity''
+File:Newkacaan.png|''Kaldric & Caan, Virtues of magisters''
+File:Eoinnn.png|''Celest and Eoin, Virtues of veneration''
+File:Eryhihs.png|''Belialus and Eirlys, Virtues of respect''
+File:Furrieskings.png|''Mendes and Hor, Virtues of bravery''
+</gallery>
+* '''Neall and Nolven''' Neall (left) is a Fornoss God (Aedán), and Nolven is an enigmatic twin of Neall. Nolven represents the sin of Iconoclasm, the irreverent destruction of cultural heritage, or purposeful burning of art to hurt society. Neall showed Nolven the virtue of preservation and respect for diversity, and together they now represent the varied juxtaposition of art and military. Nolven is also responsible for Unionist Godborn, who usually become holy warriors or paladins.
+* '''Elia and Leona''' Elia (left) was the 15th Empress of Regalia, Leona (right) was the Knight-wife of the 15th Chancellor. Elia was the sin of Monomania, a singular obsessive behavior that sets aside all feelings and obligations to obsess over a single task or work. Elia obsessed over revenge for the death of her husband, and only the love of Leona could temper her obsession and show her how much she was losing her loved ones and purpose in life. Now they are the virtues of love and passion.
+* '''Kaldric and Caan''' Kaldric (left) was a mundanely raised Calemberg crimelord, Caan is a (still-living) Aelrrigan Mage-Knight of mysterious origins. Kaldric was the sin of Maleficence, the usage of the divinely burdened gift of Magic for personal pleasure and enrichment. Magic to Unionism is a great moral burden, which Caan taught him, so that he could better put his fate to work serving the Great Way. Both now represent the Magic moralism and the correct way of using Magic.
+* '''Celest and Eoin''' Celest (left) is a mundanely raised Nun, Eoin (right) is a mundanely raised Imperial Guard (both still living). Eoin was full of the sin of Hubris, to find such pride and vanity in his prestigious position in life, that he showed no regard for the actual weight of his obligation or venerability to elders and authority. Celest taught him the lessons of respect for those that came before, to honor his elders, and to serve their needs, and to respect the words of the sages.
+* '''Belialus and Eirlys''' Belialus (left) was a Demon, Eirlys (right) was a pre-Empire Goddess of the Weard faith of the Breizh people who joined the Unionist pantheon. Belialus was a being of Contempt, showing no esteem or reverence to his enemies and suffering defeat as a result. Eirlys not only taught him humility and bravery in the face of one's enemies, she also reformed him and cleansed him of his sinful Demonhood, both representing the virtues of honesty and reform.
+* '''Mendes and Hor''' Mendes (left) is a [[Khama]] God, Hor is a mundanely raised Asha (both still living). Mendes was full of the sin of Defeatism, the loss of his people, the suffering, it all became too much for him to bear. He gave in to despair and loss, and gave up on everyone. Hor taught him the virtue of action, and the value of time, how limited the means of mortals are to act, and the duties gods have to be diligent. They now represent the virtues of diligence and activeness.
-==History==
+==Priestly Activities==
-===Early Churches and Worship===
+Unionist priests are part of the so-called Covenant College. At the very top is the Secilly Council. Originally this organization had a leader called the Supreme Reverend, however the Supreme Reverend position was abolished when the last Supreme Reverend discovered insidious corruption within the religious community, tried to expose it, and was assassinated for it. To compensate, Conclave determined that the Dogmatic community should henceforth be ruled by a Council of elder Arch-Everians. Below the Secilly Council, are the Arch-Everian, which are equivalents to Dukes in the Regalian Empire. They wield considerable power and rule over vast areas of land, subdivided into Everies. Below the Arch-Everian is the Everian, or just the average priest. Each Everian administrates an Everie, which is usually a piece of land donated to the clergy where they maintain temples, shrines, and sanctuaries, while also producing crops and tending to cattle. Everians perform all religious tasks such as confession, preaching, hearing concerns, and simply taking care of Unionist needs like a social caretaker or mental health worker. Arch-Everians on the other hand are more administrative in that they take care of the treasury, any military attached to the religious orders, and communication between the Secilly Council and the vast wide-spread Unionist elements. Formally the Emperor is the leader of the Holy Seat, which is more of a group term for the Palace and the Secilly Council grouped, but historically Emperors have interfered very little in the day to day running of the Everies, and as such, this fact is usually ignored, the Emperor being considered a completely independent entity. This has also historically separated the Emperor from controversy among the Everians, and vice versa.
-Unionism began shortly after the rise of the [[Regalian Empire]]. Newly crowned Emperor [[Theomar I]] was said to have had divine visions, which came slowly over the course of 53 years. By 58 AC, the Ten Predictions of Union were officially ratified into the Ten Creeds, and the Unionism sect began to expand its power outside of the Imperial Court. In this early stage, it had no churches or centers of worship, instead being spread slowly between the upper class and nobility present in the capital city. Conversion happened locally throughout [[Regalia]], mostly by court missionaries and by the power of the word of mouth. Sectarian violence in Regalia was a common occurrence in the early years after the [[Void Invasion]], following the fracturing of existing religions as theologians scrambled to try and explain the events that were happening in the world. Limited missionaries were sent out to other states, but did not take root as strongly as they did in Regalia. Regalia was after all at this stage only but a city-state, not a sprawling Empire. When Theomar died in 67 AC, his son [[Lilienmar I]] apparently saw a greater vision for Unionism. He translated the Ten Creeds of Unionism into the Axelland Anglian Dialect, and was also the first Emperor to call a Diet of Unionism to unify the growing religion. After this first Diet of Unionism, various sects were alienated from the centralized church structure. These sects would eventually become the Nonnateans and the Dogartans (sometimes also referred to as the Nonnarians and the Dogarians to reflect against the Sancellians who are the main cast of Unionism).
-===The Etosian Schism===
+==Expanded Lore==
-Unionism's first true Schism happened at the Diet summoned in 67 AC by Emperor Lilienmar I following the death of Emperor Theomar the First. The Council broke unity over the Third Creed, which spoke about the Herons. The Supreme Reverend and the grand majority of the Reverends of the [[Regalian Archipelago]] believed the liberty of the Third Creed was taken too loosely by a Unionist sect called the Evintarians. They reasoned that Herons should function only as the most prime examples of Unionist fervor, and that anointing living Humans as Herons was heresy, because it would imply that the worship of another Human besides the Emperor in life is permitted. The Evintarians, however, believed that living Humans should be anointed as Herons, so that they may function as living examples and be worshiped to indirectly worship the Emperor, as they claim the Emperor was responsible for their good deeds. The debate between the main body of Reverends and the Evintarians continued for several days until an eventual deadlock was declared and the Reverends started a vote of expulsion and declaration of heresy unto the Evintarians. The Evintarians were expelled from Regalia by the Emperor Leomar the First, though this gave them enough time to set up a proper church structure. They originally baptised their new split off church the Evintarian Patriarchate, and moved all their priestly members and a large crowd of their followers who refused to convert to the island of [[Etosil]]. Mixing with the local population and their culture, the Evintrarian Patriarchate eventually became the Etosian Patriarchate as the land was defined by the influx of migrants, who eventually also started adding to the religion. Separated from the Unionist Sancella, which was also set up around this time, largely by the fear of the Supreme Reverend that the Evintarian church would gather more followers due to its structure, the Etosian Church developed  new beliefs. Iconoclasm became a central theme in Etosian Unionism in later years, setting the two churches permanently apart, with the Etosians believing that imagery of the Imperial Spirit or Emperor are heretical objects and that images may only be made of the Herons. Nowadays, the Etosian Church is one of the strongest private military organizations in the world, and the Etosian theological state, while being a subject of the Regalian Empire, has effective autonomy. Etosian Unionists are commonly called Etosian, but may also be referred to as Evintarians. In 98 AC, the Clastic Law was adopted to prevent violence between Unionists Sects, which paved the way for peaceful if somewhat mutually avoiding cooperation to the conversion of Old Gods worshipers in the Empire who at the time were still in the majority.
+The Expanded Lore section contains additional contextual information about the Unionist faith. This section is not necessary to read to get a good understanding of the lore, just the background information.
+===Contextual Lore===
+This section contains a group of assorted ideas and pieces of information that are not at first glance relevant to the Religion or its texts, but that may become relevant when engaging in theological debate, or deeper storytelling about the Gods, as priests habitually do. This information is freely available to the people through reading archives and history books, though some of it may be a bit more contextual. If something would not be clear from history books, but learned by researching other religions and or belief systems, this will be mentioned.
+* Gods are either mundanely raised, incorporated, or post-death ordained. In the case of mundane raising, it is believed that the Everwatcher chooses a Unionist born child and gives them a divine spark, testing them in life for Godhood. If they pass, they become Gods and activate their Godly powers, and should they fail, they lose their Godhood. Incorporated Gods are always Gods from other Religions bringing religious aspects from their original faith into Unionism though this can never count as Syncretism because the dogma is always slightly different. Finally, post-death ordainment occurs usually with Emperors and Empresses, who due to their closeness to the Vessel have a more likely chance of becoming Gods after death if they were legendary in life.
+* There are some speculative theories that the Chancellors and Emperors were actually Dragonsouls, that is to say, they inherited their souls from Dragons and were physically Dragons just often not aware. This doesn't strictly change theological theories, because Dragonsouls are persistent and undying, constantly reincarnating, while their divine persona diverges. In essence, while Nicholas's Dragonsoul would have been passed to his great-grandchild Morgenkroon Kade, his Unionist divine persona diverged and became a stand-alone divine entity known as the God Nicholas. The bottom line is that there is no secret Dragon plot within Unionism, and even if there was, the Dragons have been reincarnated so far away from their original intention that Unionism is no longer recognizable from whatever plot it might have originated.
+* Some Gods have intense relationships that are relevant to their stories. Ness and Eora lived in the same era as mortals, and were friends. Brand and Allest lived in the same era, and were lovers, even though Allest was married to Elia and Brand to Leona. Marani and Al-Asir are rumored to be lovers, but are cagey about the subject and show no public evidence of this. Neall and Nolven are supposedly twins, but there is no evidence of Aedán having a twin in the Fornoss faith so theory has it that they may be split personalities. Elia and Leona lived in the same era, and were lovers, even though Elia was married to Allest and Leona to Brand.
+* Eirlys and Sinnavei date from around the same period, and have often been treated as friend-Goddesses, both having joined Unionism at the same time, and carrying their people with them. Though, Sinnavei still also holds a role within the Estelley Religion, and also has an Evolist God as a lover called Morrlond which raises some complications.
+* Mendes was once an Asha God of the Dewamenet Empire, but became disillusioned with millennia of hiding during the Pearl Wars. While most Asha Gods stayed true to the faith of Khama, Mendes did not and essentially abandoned the Asha in despair. The Gods of the Dewamenet faith, and Hor, are still in their ongoing attempts to fold Mendes back into Khama, though he has indicates that he will not do so until the faith stabilizes from its current half-broken state.
-===The Diviner Schism===
+===Unionism and Magic===
-Nearly 90 years following the Clastic Law, a small crisis point arose in 186 AC. The Second Schism was much smaller than the first, caused by a group of dissenting locals in Girobalda, a lordship of Regalia. The locals and the priests felt that Unionism did not do enough to forcefully convert non-Humans and pagan Humans to their faith. Additionally, Divining and superstition had become a popular local practice, leading the local priests, under the influence of Opium, to believe that the Emperors were not the only ones able to receive visions and messages from the Imperial Spirit. They believed that, in a smaller form, everyone could form a connection with the Imperial Spirit as long as they were devout and sacrificed enough, and used the right potency of numbing substances to achieve a hallucinatory trance. The Second Schism is referred to as the "Diviner Schism" leading to the establishment of the small cult-like religion of Diviner Unionism. This was the first event that caused the Reverends to regret the signing of the Clastic Law. Diviner Unionism was a much more xenophobic and aggressive form of Unionism, demanding regular non-Human sacrifices and violent struggles within the religion itself to advocate survival of the fittest for the cause of Humanity. Despite the original success of Diviner Unionism in Girobalda, the religion did not spread elsewhere, largely because of the lack of appeal in a drug-infested forest dwelling belief, but also because the Girobaldin lands are completely surrounded by Ithanian lands. Ithanian Culture demands a certain level of civility and class, two things that were utterly incompatible with Diviner Unionism. Without a presentable land bridge to spread their faith, Diviner Unionism eventually confined itself within Girobalda and declined over the decades until it was limited to only a few small forest communities who gradually went more and more underground. The Diviner (or Divinarian) form of Unionism is commonly the only one referred to as a “heresy” and excluded from the Unionist dialogue and conclave, because their beliefs are so repugnant to all other Unionist Sects.
+Magic has an extremely complicated place in Unionism. Unionism acknowledges God Magic (universally good), and Void/Exist Magic (mostly bad) but does not acknowledge Ordial Magic as real. Extraplanar Magic (not mechanically granted by the Unionist Gods) however, still exists with the permission of the Everwatcher and the allowance of these things to become material and tangible in Aloria, which is his created reality. As a result, priests have argued that through a roundabout way, the Everwatcher is also responsible for the Exist and Void, and thus all forms of Magic, even if Unionist God Magic is more pure. The dogma in essence has taken the stance that God Magic is often granted as a reward for service, while Extraplanar Magic is granted at birth as an additional Sin (hence, the Gods Kaldric and Caan). Extraplanar Magic carries the burden of additional duty and mental strain for the faithful, who must maneuver life to understand when and how to ply their Magic for good instead of self indulgence and evil. Magic is not by nature evil, but the dogma implies that more likely than not, do Mages fail to overcome their inherent sin, and become a type of super-sinner. This has led to periods of extreme magical repression and general mistrust towards Mages, purely because of the incidence rate at which Mages end up going in the opposite direction of what Unionism demands of them.
+===Mournful Sisters===
+Burial nuns, Not yet complete
+===Pious Brothers===
+Ascetic monks, Not yet complete
+===Unionist Calendar===
+Not yet complete
-===The Kleine Rechnung===
+===History of the Schisms===
-Unionism grew explosively between 190 AC and 250 AC, following the many successful conquests of the Emperors and the subjugation of many other Human States within the Regalian Archipelago and elsewhere. Missionaries, for the first time, had success spreading their faith elsewhere, causing the erection of many Unionist Cathedrals across Aloria. Unionism had undergone several changes as well. Several Emperors selectively removed, added, and re-added smaller sections of the Creeds, or wrote expansions to suit their specific needs at the time. In 263 AC, [[Old Gods]] worship had totally been eclipsed by Unionism as the more dominant religion in the Regalian Empire, and was well on its way to control the rest of the Human world. It was in this year that the Supreme Reverend [[Wolffram Ultor]] signed the "Kleine Rechnung." The law effectively dictated that various lesser faiths and sects were protected within the borders of the Regalian Empire. In communion with the Emperor, the Supreme Reverend concluded that the Spirit proclaimed sufficient galvanization of the faith to allow for more religious freedom in the Empire. What the Kleine Rechnung essentially proposes is that Unionism while still a religion in and of itself, can also be treated as a syncretic faith to other denominations and beliefs, creating a more secular understanding of the Spirit and the Emperor’s divine authority. What this means is that any religion could theoretically exist in Regalia, so long as it does not contradict the divinity of the Emperor’s word, and the authority of the Imperial seat. The Kleine Rechnung is sometimes also called the Confession of Melennar, a priest who supposedly received visions while in close contact with the Emperor, who later verified the visions, giving rise to the dialogue that would eventually lead to the Supreme Reverend proclaiming the Kleine Rechnung.
+Not yet complete
-===The Priscelle Schism===
+===Minor Cults===
-The Priscelle Schism is not formally a Schism since it never erupted from the church internally, but it is often held up to the same standard as the other Schisms because eventually a large body of Reverends would change their allegiance and adopt this newer sect of Unionism. The Priscelle Schism erupted in 265 AC when in Ithania, unrest erupted among the female population over the chauvinistic tendencies of the clergy imposed on them by the Regalian Sancellians. Women were at that time still completely excluded from the clergy, and often had delegated circumstances of worship, an oddity in a land where women actually ruled and dictated the law of the land. Many of the rulers could not stomach being princesses and duchesses outside of the church walls, but delegated to coiff-wearing second-rank worshipers inside the hallowed halls. The Priscelle March is an event where many theologically inclined women marched upon the Episcopal Academy of the Ithanian capital, and occupied it, flushing out the male tutors and essentially annexing this church property for themselves. Quickly following this movement, the women teaching themselves and each other the religious texts at this Academy proclaimed the Priscellian Unionist Sect. This is not formally a Schism, because these women were never clergy to begin with, but the churches usually acknowledge it as a Schism because many Reverends in the western lands would eventually become sympathetic to the plight of including women in the clergy, and switched allegiances to their church. This was largely made possible because Priscelle Unionism isn’t all that different from Sancellian, aside from their belief that women can also be the Vessels of the Spirit, and that female clergy should be permitted. Priscelle remains a relatively small sect nowadays, but has made major contributions to the other churches who eventually buckled to societal pressure after the Priscelle March. The Vultarin church now permits female Reverends, while the Sancellist church formally permits it, but lets in very few women. The only strict bastions of male-only priesthood reside in the Etosian Church and the Dogartan Church. Curiously enough, the Nonnatean Church was very against the Priscelle Movement. From the Nonnatean perspective, women fulfill a different role in society than men, proclaiming that the Priscelle Movement blurred the lines between man and woman as outlined by the Creeds. To this day, Nonnateans and Priscelle have a furious hatred for each other because of doctrinal differences.
+Not yet complete
-===The Vultar Schism===
+===Additional God Info===
-The Third Schism happened upon the ascension to the throne by [[Alexander Kade]], the first non-Ivrae to take the throne in nearly 300 years. The Kade Settlement, as the document would later be called, was a paper signed by the Chancellor and the then dying Emperor that would dictate males from female descendants could take the throne. Prior to this event, Emperor Justinian II had lost all his sons to the [[Undead Scare]] in Regalia, leaving no male descendants alive. Prince Charles, the brother of Justinian who died 10 years prior to him, still had two living daughters, Princess Liliane Ivrae-Kade and Princess Adelheid Ivrae. Princess Liliane, the eldest of the two, had been married to the Arch-Chancellor Moriarty Kade, and had given birth to several sons, among them Alexander. Adelheid Ivrae only had two sons, Daryl and Frederic Ivrae, but she was the younger sister, and so these Ivrae males were overlooked by the Kades when it came time to select the next Emperor. The Reverends of Vultaro believed that, because Alexander Kade was a muddled non male-direct descendant from Emperor Theomar the First, that the Imperial Spirit had left the Imperial seat, and that the churches should reject the current vessel of the Spirit until such a time that the Spirit gives providence to his new selection. This Schism severely affected the south, particularly Montania and Vultaro where the Dressolini locals were already disgruntled by rule of the local Duke, causing this dissent to merge with religious unrest. Vultarians spread like wildfire in these southern regions, accompanied by what the locals referred to as the “Rebirth of Reason”, a uniquely Dressolini belief to challenge the world with cynicism and a critical questioning mind. This more uniquely enlightened mindset allowed the Dressolini to latch onto Vultarianism which demanded more proof before callously accepting religious dogma. Clastic law protected the Vultar Church from violence, and so it continued to grow into the third largest denomination.
+Not yet complete
-===The Ascension of Unionism===
-The Ascension of Unionism is a major event in the history of Unionism, occurring during the reign of Emperor Cedromar I, or more specifically towards the end, as it coincided with his abdication. The Ascension of Unionism was a major event of providence where the faithful flocked to the Imperial Cathedral to witness the Emperor call forth the spirits of the past Emperors to proclaim a holy premonition. Indeed, during this event, the spirits of the past Emperors proclaimed that Unionism had once more ascended to a higher step towards the great goal of paradise, and that it was time for Unionism to speak more broadly to all the faithful. They proclaimed that while the relationship of Spirit and Emperor remained very unique and the sole right of the Emperor, that this relationship changed from a “being as one”, to a “being as best allies”, stating that the Emperors could no longer speak as the Spirit, but rather in name of the Spirit, acknowledging a more “human” aspect to the words of the Emperor. This distinction seemed insignificant to the faithful, but meant a great deal to the clergy, as it allowed the clergy to dissent with the Emperor’s proclamations and decrees for the first time in history. Provided they do with righteous divine interpretations. It also opened the way for the Spirit to speak to others besides the Emperor, though while some have stepped forward to claim the Spirit spoke to them, the rigorous testing by the churches remains in place to prevent any false prophets. Due to the Ascension of Unionism, it became even easier to see the Emperor as a semi-divine secular figure of authority for other religions already nominally legal under the Kleine Rechnung. Despite allowing more freedom of thought in the churches however, the topic of disagreeing with the Emperor or directly contesting his decrees without the backing of the conclave remained hugely controversial. In retrospect, the Ascension of Unionism is largely seen by the clerical community as an attempt from the Spirit to attribute more human qualities to Emperors, as the veneration and “can do no wrong” status of the Emperors was becoming detrimental to the Empire’s progress, sliding it backwards into dogmatic hatred and rejection of things other.
-===The Tenth Creed===
-The Tenth Creed had always been a mysterious piece of writing by Emperor Theomar. In religious discourse, it had largely been ignored in favor of the clearer doctrinal teachings, and some even claimed that the Tenth Creed was a sham. In 307 AC, the Supreme Reverend Piète-a-Piète Kade-Salards (a cadet member of House Kade) discovered the original Tenth Creed as it had been written by Theomar in the floor of an abandoned monastery in the Dragenthal-Anglia border. The Supreme Reverend was, on his way to Regalia to reveal this new found document, assassinated by a clandestine organization called the Brothers of Virtue, a hyper-reactionary and fundamentalist organization of shadow-ruler Reverends who sought to control the minds and wills of the people by skirting canon law and manipulating social opinion through faith. The Supreme Reverend however outsmarted his would-be assassins, sacrificing himself so a milk-maid could deliver the Tenth Creed to safety in the Imperial Palace, where its teachings were quickly spread. The Brothers of Virtue had overplayed their hand, and their entire structure was revealed, causing an internal witch-hunt against these fanatics and many public burnings in the Bonfires of Vanity, where Reverends who had manipulated social politics and the people were burned as heretics on the pyre, a type of heretical execution that hadn’t been seen in over a decade. When the Tenth Creed was finally published, it created a bomb-shell in the clerical community, as the original wordings of Theomar directly contested the actions of the Unionist Diets post-mortem, proclaiming that the Unionist Community should always act to stay together and work together, even if doctrinal differences would come into being in the future. This Tenth Creed essentially contested the expulsion of the Evintarians, Vultarins, Nonnarians, Dogarians and Priscellians, proclaiming that even with doctrinal church differences, the word of the Spirit applied equally to all. This document turned out to reveal a century-long conspiracy by some Reverends from the Brothers of Virtue to control church politics by expelling the ones that agreed with their common consensus to silence dissent. When the Creed was formally ratified by all other churches, these independent bodies unanimously voted to re-combine into the Unionist Divine, re-unifying all churches into one body albeit with great autonomy between them, and all excluding the Divinarians, who were unanimously voted not to be included. Still, this cooperation is far from what it was made out to be to the people. While the Brothers of Virtue and their seditious politics had been removed, many of the churches still did not see eye to eye, and often just begrudgingly sat together in conclave.
-==Churches and Sects==
-Unionism knows several so called Churches and Sects. Churches are main denominations of religion that came into being because of Schisms. Sects are subdivisions of Churches where various believers have different interpretations, but not so wildly different that they become different churches altogether, or choose to remain together for political reasons. Below follows a list for all major Churches and Sects. The churches are ordered based on size of followers.
-* '''Sancellian or Sancellist Church''', is the main body as created by the Emperors in ages past. The Sancellist Church is considered the default state of Unionism. Nowadays the Sancellist Church is politically superior to the other churches, but is on the backfoot in military and doctrinal devotion from its flock, having a very laid-back flock of followers.
-** '''The Minoth Sect''' is a minor sect of the Sancellist Church that believes in a far more secular form of Unionism where much like the Great Alchzech by the Allar, Unionism is seen more as a life philosophy than a divine institution. They believe the Spirit is not so much a separate conscience, but more the collected thoughts, experience and life lessons passed from Emperor to Emperor as knowledge that is so profound it reaches near-divine status.
-** '''The Imperial Sect''' is a minor sect of the Sancellist Church that wants to eradicate the semi-autonomy of all other churches and the local parishes and institute a very strong and militarized divine structure of authority led directly by the Emperor instead of the Supreme Reverend and the Conclave. They are essentially against decentralization and democracy in the Unionist Divine.
-* '''Evintarian or Etosian Church''', is the first schismatic church that is very similar to the Sancellist church, but believes in living herons (saints) and is against depictions of Emperors and the Spirit. The Evintarians have a highly militarized church structure and a societal chokehold on their people with extreme devotion.
-** '''The Ixandrosi Sect''' is a minor sect of almost laughably racist ideology. The Ixandrosi Sect practices racial segregation and profiling in their religious sites. This organization is largely laughed at even by the Etosian Church, though tolerated because sometimes their fanatics are useful in military conflict.
-** '''The Menarian Sect''' is a minor sect that believes in the complete superiority of the male being. While the Etosian Church is anti-women for its clerical structure, it permits women everywhere else. The Menarians believe women should be veiled to become unrecognizable, and remain at home as domestic partners in near servitude.
-* '''Vultarian or Vultarin Church''' (sometimes also called Vultdragon Church), is the fourth schism into a church that is more critical and free-thinking than the others, demanding evidence for worship. Vultarians in modern times reject the rule of Alexander, proclaiming instead the Imperial Dragon as ruler.
-** '''The Horopadosi Sect''' is a smaller sect of the Vultarin Church that believes in body-modification and evolution of the Human form to become a more “perfect Human”. This Sect is notably favorable to Url Symbiosis, as well as some of the not-Void/Exist related mutations and body enhancements.
-** '''The Silvershroud Sect''' is a smaller sect of the Vultarin Church that believes in the physical superiority of the Silven. This Sect was largely born out of the nature of the Iron Duke of Vultaro being a near superhuman Silven being, in the belief that Silven are bearer’s of the Spirit’s Divine Touch.
-* '''Priscellian or Priscelle Church''', is the third schism into a church that is far more open to women in its structure and women in church life. They also proclaim the possibility of a female Empress as Vessel of the Spirit, though do not contest the current lineage.
-** '''The Vinelle Sect''' is a fundamentalist group within the Priscelle Church that denounces the Kade Settlement, and demands that the Emperor abdicates in favor of his first cousin, Frederique-Mattinais Ivrae. This sect is strongly against the Kade Emperors.
-** '''The Soucelle Sect''' is a more moderate group that nonetheless expresses the need for the Supreme Reverend to be a woman, because in their belief, women are more diplomatically and soundly capable, believing that the Spirit blessed women with incorruptibility.
-* '''Divinarian or Diviner Church''', is the second schism into a church that is far more fanatic and racist. The Diviner Church is illegal in Regalia because their very worship constitutes State Crimes, and they are excluded from the Unionist Divine.
-* '''Dogarian or Dogartan Church''', is a small sect that eventually formed a church in and of itself. Dogartans live an ascetic but highly militarized life, giving rise to the warrior-curates of the Dogartan Church who roam the land in defense of the faithful.
-* '''Nonnarians or Nonnatean Church''', is a small sect that eventually formed a church in and of itself. Nonnarians live a semi-ascetic life strongly focused around the psyche, the arcane and spiritual ascension. Nonnarians can be described as the only real “pro-Magic” Church.
-==Beliefs==
-The Unionist Divine has a number of core concepts called the Theologies. The Theologies outline the rough belief of the Unionist Divine and the flock, but some small re-interpretation is possible. This list will also include notable dissenting beliefs from the other churches, while everything is proposed from the default Sancellian perspective.
-=====Theology of Life=====
-The Unionist Divine primarily believes in the unassailable right to life of all good Unionist Humans (which may include races other than Ailor). It is important to note that to the Unionist Divine, the term “Human” is not prescribed to any particular race, rather, it simply means any race that is in line with the Unionist beliefs and not aligned to the forces of ruin, which usually is defined as demons. The Theology of life implies a stance against abortion, but may be conflicted by the Theologies of Military and Races. The Unionist Divine is against capital punishment, save for those who are heretics of the worst decree, violating Imperial Law.
-* The Vultarin Church differs in belief here that termination of pregnancy should be permitted based on a concept of “corporeal right”. Essentially, the Vultarins extend that not only does the individual have an unassailable right to life, they also have an unassailable right to decide what happens to their body. This is not necessarily a pro-abortion argument, but more a pro-choice argument, believing nobody should be able to criticize what any person does to their own body, even at the cost of an infant.
-=====Theology of Family=====
-The Unionist Divine primarily believes in the unassailable right for families to have children, and for children to be well cared for. In theological courts, children are upheld as a virtue of innocence who can do no wrong, and children must always be cared for and looked after before the needs of adults. The Unionist Divine preaches the need for many children, for it is the duty of each Unionist to provide more offspring.
-=====Theology of Sexuality=====
-The Unionist Divine is somewhat ambiguous about the concept of sexuality. It is important to note that there is no teaching or writing or doctrine that specifically speaks out against same-sex relations, but there is an implication of duty upon them to produce offspring “in whatever way is morally unobjectionable”. This is complicated further by the fact that the Unionist Divine considers adultery a sin. While certain degrees of incest are permitted by State Law (and practiced among Nobility to keep the bloodlines pure), the Unionist Divine is strictly against incest. The Unionist Divine is also strictly against what they call “body flaunting”, being very against non-artistic nudity. Polygamy is permitted in the Unionist Divine, but only under the provision that all partners are fully consenting and go through the correct Sacraments.
-* The Etosian Church differs in belief here that same-sex relations are not possible because they go against the very fabric of the reproduction duty. The Etosian Church bans same-sex marriages, but not relationships, proclaiming that anyone wishing to engage in this should enter a polygamist marriage.
-* The Dogartan Church differs in belief here that the duty for children is in fact a vanity, and that the purpose of relationships is not to have children, but to have a fulfilling spiritual connection with someone else. Dogartans as a result support same-sex relations and are also against polygamy.
-=====Theology of Genders=====
-The Unionist Divine believes that women and men are nominally equal, but that men are sometimes more equal. What this means is that women and men don’t really have a difference in opportunity in the eyes of the Unionist Divine, but that in practice, men are favored over women for certain positions. The Unionist Divine does not recognize a legal or societal difference between men and women otherwise.
-* The Priscelle Church differs in belief here that the Divine belief of “men being more equal” is repugnant and that efforts must be made to make sure society is blind to gender.
-* The Nonnatean Church differs in belief here that the Divine belief of “men being more equal” is repugnant and that efforts must be made to ensure the proper division of tasks in society between manly tasks and womanly tasks, and that no genders must cross over into the territory of the other.
-=====Theology of Economy=====
-The Unionist Divine believes that economic progress is a necessary duty for all Unionists, but that charity to those who have a hard time is a good virtue. It is important to note here that the Unionist Divine believes in the need to be clever with said charity, so as to avoid a population of lazy financial parasites, but to truly give to those who have no other way out.
-* The Dogartan church believes that economy is evil, and that capitalism is corruption. They believe in only taking what is necessary to survive from charity, and then rejecting all wealth and status in favor of duty.
-=====Theology of Military=====
-The Unionist Divine believes that the military is a necessary evil, and that deaths incurred from Unionists fighting Unionists is a necessary break from the right to life that all Unionists have. Essentially, the Unionist Divine turns a blind eye to Unionists fighting Unionists in internal struggles, as long as the Emperor does not denounce the fighting.
-* The Dogartan Church differs in belief here that Unionists fighting Unionists is an evil crime that must be ended. They ironically fight to end the fighting themselves, but consider this a necessary evil to remove an unnecessary evil.
-* The Priscelle Church differs in belief here that while Unionists warring each other under the tacit approval of the Emperor is permitted, that this demands additional virtues from those who draw Unionist blood to repent for their violent crimes.
-=====Theology of Races=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the nominal equality of all races “With a torso, two arms and two legs and a head with two eyes”, though always proposes that Ailor or Ailor-adjecent races (like Qadir, Songaskians, Nelfin except Kathar and Sihndar) are more equal than others.
-* The Priscelle Church differs in belief here in that the Nelfin species including all subraces are on equal footing to the Ailor, and that rather than Unionism being an Ailor tale, that it is a communal Ailor-Altalar tale, with supporting roles from the other subraces.
-* The Etosion Church differs in belief here in that Ailor are truly the only Unionist race, and that all other races are inferior and must be reincarnated as an Ailor to re-prove their virtue, or be declared Humanum by the Conclave.
-=====Theology of Governance=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the divine right of the nobility and the Emperor, and the rule of aristocracy. The Unionist divine proposes the need for a class divide between the people and the nobility, and that society would descend into chaos if this relationship was disrupted.
-* The Etosian Church differs in belief here that the Nobility is irrelevant, and that the clergy should in fact be the Emperor’s divine representation to lead the common man in the Unionist wider society.
-=====Theology of Law=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the rule of law, is against theft and murder, foul words, violence, disobedience of parental authority, false witness and evidence and envy or greed for that which is owned by others.
-=====Theology of Death=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the afterlife, where if a person has been evaluated by the Spirit to be of virtue, they shall join the Spirit in the Everwatch where they watch down upon the living, only to return when Paradise is proclaimed. They also believe that non-Humans reincarnate as Humans if they live a virtuous life, and that those who do not live a virtuous life as Humans, are reincarnated as one of the “beast races”.
-=====Theology of Prayer=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the need to pray three times a day, at dawn, at noon and at dusk, though many faithful only manage to pray at noon during the 1 hour intermission from work. Prayer is commonly seen as a right and duty of the nobility due to their large amounts of free time.
-=====Theology of Funerals=====
-The Unionist Divine believes in the need to burn the dead and bury the charred remains in a grave. Nobility are exempt from this, having only their heads removed from their bodies and buried separately in reliquaries in family tombs.
-=====Theology of Arcane=====
-The Unionist Divine has a traditional stance that any non-racial Ability is in itself a corruption of sorts. The Abilities to deny the reality of the world or change the laws of physics, or even worse, the clarity of the mind, are all considered corrupting forces to the Unionist Divine.
-* The Priscelle and Nonnatean churches differ here in the belief that Magic users (and Sorcerers, but not other Afflictions or Silven) are in fact "touched by the Spirit" and that Magic is a divine blessing for a fated purpose. They believe that all Mages have a pivotal point in time where they must do something crucial for Unionism and as such were blessed with powers.
-* The Vultarin church differs here in that it is more ambiguous about the nature of Magic being corruption or blessing, but is very outright about how Silvenism is a blessing, and that Silven are holy warriors of Unionism placed on the world to be taught by the faithful to become weapons of faith.
-==The Creeds of Unionism==
-The Creeds of Unionism are holy books which contain passages written in prose by Emperors that outline everything regarding Unionism. Each Creed is a bound book in and of itself, originally written in Proto-Regalian but eventually translated into High-Anglian, and then into all other languages. These documents are living breathing documents in that many Emperors made modifications and erase or add things when they believe the Spirit commands them to do so due to the changing circumstances of the world. While major themes largely remain intact, smaller aspects of the Creeds are subject to change with each new Emperor.
-* The First Creed is the foundation for all other Creeds, outlining the state religion and core principles of Unionism and the Spirit, the Imperial Bloodline and the Great Way. The First Creed is essentially the foundation of Unionism.
-* The Second Creed dictates the worship and tasks of the faithful, as well as the church structure and virtues of the faithful. The Second creed also explains the Religious Writs and Parish tasks.
-* The Third Creed dictates canon law regarding Herons and the holy decrees of living and deceased Emperors. The Third Creed also records the names of all Herons after each Emperor’s death, meaning it is edited the most.
-* The Fourth Creed dictates the rules of the afterlife and judgement by the Spirit, as well as the general outline of the Great Way and the Everwatch as well as racial reincarnation and interactions with other races.
-* The Fifth Creed was once a major volume on other religions, but has largely become redundant after the Kleine Rechnung. This document as such currently only contains the Confessions of Melennar.
-* The Sixth Creed dictates the duties of Unionists to others, as well as to each other, while also outlining the pathway for non-Ailor to be declared of Human Soul. Furthermore, it outlines some freedoms of interpretations of the Reverends.
-* The Seventh Creed is a bit more esoteric in that it speaks about the need for Humankind to ascend to become a more perfect version of themselves, through trial and error, through failure and success, and through dedication to becoming more capable and skilled.
-* The Eight Creed outlines the rights and status of the Imperial Blood more closely, detailing the Imperial succession and the chosen lineage of Princes and Princesses and their implications on Imperial Law.
-* The Ninth Creed dictates the rights and duties of the Emperor, while also outlining his decree power and his prerogatives. The Ninth Creed includes the most recent Ascension of Unionism aspects into its writings.
-* The Tenth Creed is a final heed of warning against laziness, complacency and corruption, not only of the people, but also of the clergy. It urges everyone to remain ever-watchful for those that would twist the Unionist message of communal harmony to evil.
-==Practice==
-It is implied in the Ten Creeds of Union that prayers can be used to call upon the Emperor for worldly favors and blessings. Emperor Theomar I constructed the grand Regalian Cathedral, home to the Pillars of Blessings. The Pillars of Blessings have small orifices in them, capable of containing small pieces of paper. Believers of Unionism will write down small wishes and deeds they would like to see the Emperor perform, and stuff these papers into the ornaments of the Pillars. Every month, the Emperor would lead a procession of the Imperial Spirit in the Cathedral, after which he would come down to the Pillars and pick out a few pieces of paper. These wishes or deeds would then be performed within the mortal power of the Emperor, giving heed to the blessings asked for by the followers.
-Communal worship for Unionists happens on a daily basis three times a day, and though it is strongly encouraged and almost enforced once a day, participation is not obligatory more than once a week. Most citizens with a profession choose Saturday or Sunday, but Priests hold sermons every day of the week, so one may participate on any day. Sermons of Unionism are usually filled with communal prayer, priests reading from the holy texts, and faith healing. Sermons are held traditionally within churches, but can also be held in open air or in any building. There is no specific celestial law that states sermons must be held in a church, and street sermons are sometimes frequent in times of trouble or social unrest. Worship can be varied for different events. Birth blessings have their own rituals, as do funeral rites, and communions for Union and feast days or holidays.
-It is traditional for Unionists to close religious discussions, debates, or sermons with the wording "Oratario Paean", which roughly translates to "Orchestra of praise or triumph", a diminutive form of Proto-Regalian used to describe the final coming of Paradise. Within folklore and customs of worship, this phrase is uttered both as a blessing for others to be there when Paradise comes, but also to thank the Spirit and the Great Way for its benedictions. It is custom for good Unionists to respond with “Oratario Paean” when a Reverend cites it in Sermon or in Holy Lecture. If in person, whether two Unionists departing from one another, or giving blessings in passing, the more common "Oratario Ode" is used, which is a more personal blessing rather than the more universal “Oratario Paean”, but they effectively mean the same.
-:*''Click [[Verses of the Faith|here]] for the Verses of the Faith, a collection of short prayers commonly spoken by Unionists.
-*'''Liturgical Calendar:'''
-:The Liturgical year of Union is a central way for the devoted to celebrate and devle into worship. It is very class and profession based. The period of spring is seen as the Cycle of Growth, in which children are conceived, crops are planted and the year's census is done. The following period in Summer is the Cycle of Dominion, in which wars are usually performed by the Regalian Empire for expansion. The next Cycle is in Autumn, the Cycle of the Harvest, wherein at the end, children are usually born, crops are harvested, and the lands subjugated. Finally the months of Winter represent the Cycle of Reflection, months filled with worship, feasts and thinking back on everything that has happened during the past year.
-Each Cycle has their own smaller holidays, and its own Festival week, in which most Regalians celebrate the Liturgical cycle with each other in a merry week of drinking, games, feasting and communal prayer. The one during the Cycle of Reflection is especially important, as that is the only Festival which the Emperor actively participates in.
-:*''Click [[Unionist Liturgical Calendar|here]] for more information on the Unionist Liturgical Calendar
-==Sacraments of Union==
-Unionism has several Sacraments, or Rituals, performed throughout one's lifetime, which are done by clergy during key points in a Unionist's life. Some are optional, such as the Sacrament of Harmony and Humanum, though the Sacrament of Entry and Slumber are mandatory for all Unionists. The only strict requirement for undergoing a Sacrament is that is must be performed by an ordained member of the clergy who has completed the [[School of Seminary]], as any layperson conducting a Sacrament is guilty of performing heresy.
-===Sacrament of Birth Blessing===
-The first Sacrament in most Unionist lives is the Birth Blessing. Upon the birth of a Human in a Unionist family, the baby must be blessed by a priest reading the First Creed to the baby, usually when it has just come out of its mother. This Sacrament represents initiation of the Human baby into the duty and rights of a Unionist, but also serves to cleanse the newborn of any past non-Human life they may have suffered, to prepare them for their second chance at redemption.
-'''Applicable to:''' Newborn Humans in Unionist Families
-===Sacrament of Communal Entry===
-The next Sacrament is the first mandatory Sacrament to be undergone by a Unionist, as it is considered a Unionist's formal entrance into Communion with the rest of the Unionist Divine, and as a public proclamation of one's duty to the Great Way. Consequently, it is also the first Sacrament taken as a non-Unionist who wishes to convert from their previous faith. In this Sacrament, Unionist-born children at the age of 10 years old (or converts) must profess the Creeds of Union, and be able to provide a rudimentary summary of what each one means during the sermon. After completion of their recitation, the presiding priest traces an Eye of Union on the forehead of the individual with Holy Water, before concluding with a blessing and proclamation of their formal entry into the Unionist Divine.
-'''Applicable to:''' All Unionists/Converts
-===Sacrament of Harmony===
-The Sacrament of Harmony is performed to each wedding made in the Unionist Divine. If divorced or widowed, the Sacrament of Harmony is repeated with every new spouse, meaning the Sacraments of Harmony duplicate. A Unionist who divorced their first spouse and remarried, thus has two Sacraments of Harmony. Note, because Sects and Churches are allowed to have their own interpretation of what passes for a marriage (including whether or not they accept same-sex or interracial marriages), it is quite possible to have a Sacrament of Harmony that is recognized by one clergyman but rejected by another. It should be noted that a State marriage isn't exactly the same as a Church marriage. The Church and the State do not have the same ideology or legislation concerning marriage, and as such having a marriage legal by State Law is not always the same as getting a marriage from the Church. Generally speaking however, any marriage performed by the Unionist Divine is accepted by the Regalian State, but not vice versa.
-For a more in-depth explaination of the Sacrament of Harmony, and how it is performed, please read [[Marriage_Ceremonies#Unionism:_Sacrament_of_Harmony|here]].
-'''Applicable to:''' Those who are married in the Unionist Divine
-===Sacrament of Humanum===
-The Sacrament of Humanum is intended for individuals who have their soul status elevated to that of a Human's, when their body is still non-Human. This Sacrament is still issued by the Conclave but not officially performed since it is always implied when the Emperor through the Imperial Spirit promotes someone's soul. This Sacrament is the rarest Sacrament, since Emperors very rarely promote anyone. In fact, many Emperors have gone through life never promoting any individual to Humanum.
-'''Applicable to:''' Human Soul Status Grants
-===Sacrament of Slumber===
-The final Sacrament is the Sacrament of  Slumber, the death ritual. The Sacrament of Slumber is performed for those who have passed, but it differs radically per social class. Richer citizens can afford a crypt burial, involving priests reciting the relevant Creeds and heavy use of incense, while the more common folk will simply be cremated and their ashes put in a grave with a simple prayer. It is custom to dress the dead in robes of black, while all those who mourn for their death are dressed in pure white. This is to emphasize that even if the deceased cannot see themselves, they can always see those who are still on Aloria and living, and focus their energy to further their cause instead of any worldly selfish desires.
-'''Applicable to:''' All dead Unionists
-==Symbols==
-Unionism isn't a specifically aniconist religion, meaning it does not rely much on images to convey itself, but there are several symbols which strongly represent the religion. It's often difficult to symbolize the fate of humanity into a single image, though the most acceptable way of putting it is a golden eye with sun rays radiating from it, carrying a weighing scale to represent the value of the soul. This is also seen in priestly prayers where they hold their right hand up next to their face while reciting the Creeds with the Unionist symbol pendant in their hand palm, using their left hand to turn the pages and move religious artifacts around during Sermons. Most Unionists have a necklace with a small golden hand in front of a star, or a broach with the head of Emperor on it to outwardly identify themselves as Unionist. In general, Unionists condemn the practice of outward identification of other Religions however, and refrain from doing it much themselves in the street.
 ==Trivia==
-*Emperor Theomar the First made Unionism mandatory among some of the noble families very early on, but this regulation has relaxed in recent times when it was removed from Synod Law.
+*Unionism used to be mandatory for nobility somewhere during the second century after Cataclysm, though this Holy Law was removed when the war against the [[Skagger Horde]] ceased, and the Empire benefited more from including non-Unionists into the peerage. An exception had always been made for the [[Solvaan]] nobles in [[Solleria]] however, called the Confessions of Melennar.
-*Some speculate there is some dark conspiracy behind the Emperor, the Oxoron Celestial Body and the Void, but most of this is generally called nutcase ramblings.
+*Sectarian violence largely came to an end at the turn into the fourth century as the last attacks on Vultragon Unionist by state forces ceased, and an uneasy truce was signed between the Schism religious communities. They still do not see eye-to-eye, and the different Schismatic groups still prod at each other, but instead of murdering each other over sectarian differences, they mostly fight with words nowadays, a legacy of the Kleine Rechnung, the document that called for the truce.
-*Melennar was not an Elf, contrary to popular belief because of his name.
+* Despite Eirlys's absorption into Unionism, the [[Breizh]] still maintained a high level of cultural autonomy, some even clinging to old beliefs. As such, even when Magic became illegal in the Empire, the Breizh [[Aelrrigan Order]] continued to find and train Mages safely in their sanctuaries while the rest of the Empire turned to brutal oppression (and the Magic part of Eirlys was suppressed from dogma). Eirlys' faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Eirlys' magical nature in theological teachings was returned.
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-[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]
+[[category:Religion]]