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| =ColumnTest=
| | Unionism V2: Electric Boogaloo |
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| <table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
| | ===Holy Orders=== |
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| | * Nonnatean Order of the Silent Sisters |
| |- style="background:#FFD700"
| | **Burial and Caretakers/Nuns |
| | ||
| | * Dogartan Order of the Pious Brothers |
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| | **Monks/Friars |
| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:Alexander.png|200px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
| | * Crimson Order of the Holy Inquisition |
| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals. | | **Secret Service |
| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication. | | * White Order of the Helerian Guard |
| * The Prophets' Golden Lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status. | | **Military |
| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God | |
| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum). | |
| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant. | |
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Everwatcher" style="color:#0645AD; font-size:100%"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Everwatcher">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| The Everwatcher (not pictured) is the Supreme Being of Unionism, the source of all creation, and the final destiny of all things. Unionists believe it was the first thing created at the beginning of time, holding supremacy over all other Gods and Goddesses. The Everwatcher does not manifest in Aloria, and utilizes the Vessel-God to be the living embodiment of its divine will. Alexander is the Emperor of Regalia, and is thus the current Vessel-God of Unionism until his death or abdication (as only the reigning Emperor can be the Vessel-God). Together, Alexander and the Everwatcher represent Divinity, Sageness, Wisdom, Benevolence, Inclusivity, All-Loving, and All-Caring. The Imperial Palace is seen as the chief holy place for the Vessel God, and seen as the holiest site for Unionists. There are no Rituals for the Vessel God, as they are only divine in life, and each successor takes a different approach to carrying out the Everwatcher's will, making it difficult to find any common rituals beyond the imperial coronation and other ceremonies of state.
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| '''Virtues'''<br>
| | ===Feast Days=== |
| The Virtue of the Vessel is to be humble and aware of one's own mortality. Nobody lives forever, as even the Vessel God will one day die, so Unionists make an effort to use what time they have to celebrate their achievements and gains in life, while also preparing the way for their inevitable successors. Likewise, Unionists in positions of authority are tasked with being fair representatives of the Emperor's positive characteristics, as the Emperor in turn is representative of the Everwatcher's divinity. By being a fair and just example, Unionists demonstrate the benevolence of the Vessel-God, which helps to encourage even non-believers to emulate his characteristics to benefit the Regalian Empire and further the Great Way.
| | No such thing as days off of work, so make them community feast days/lunches and stuff |
| | *Feast of the Emperor, May 22nd |
| | **Regalian 4th of July/national founding day. Celebrates the Empire as a whole with the Emperor as an easy focal point |
| | *Feast of Love, Valentine's Day |
| | **Duh |
| | *Feast of all Souls, Halloween/Day of the Dead/ |
| | **Remember the dead. Throw in trick or treating, also jack o' lanterns for Undeath Terror |
| | *Feast of Summertide |
| | **Summer Festival |
| | *Feast of Wintertide |
| | **We have Saint Nicholas. He was Regulus. Draconists have a gift-giving holiday the same month. Yay religious appropriation. |
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| '''Vices'''<br>
| | ===Priestly Hierarchy=== |
| The greatest Vice against the Vessel God is pride itself, and the refusal to prepare the stage for one's inevitable successor. The only way for a society to continue to improve is when one's forebears adequately prepare the next generation with the tools needed to carry on the torch of leadership. To deny and obstruct the transfer of power when the time comes not only causes the creation of incompetent leaders, but also creates cults of personality which detract from the needs of the greater Unionist community. As such, Unionists are obliged to make arrangements to ensure that stability is maintained, so that their deaths do not lead to a power vacuum or future incompetence. Likewise, the faithful should be willing to forfeit their power to another if it benefits the Great Way.
| | Within the Unionist College exist several ranks of priests, otherwise known as Celates. These ranks hold various responsibilities within the College, and thus those with higher offices are consider the most versed in matters of theological and bureaucratic knowledge. Below is a list of all priestly ranks, in order of seniority: |
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| '''Legacy'''<br> | | *The '''Primae-Everian''' was the official head of the Unionist College, considered to be the Unionist equivalent of a pope. Their duties included presiding over Holy Diets (a gathering of Celates to discuss religious dogma) as well as serving as the chaplain of the Imperial Palace. The last Primae-Everian was Piete Kade, who was assassinated by radicals within the College for attempting to reconcile with the various Schisms. While the Emperor is able to appoint a new Primae-Everian, the Concilly Council has advised him to leave the position vacant, out of respect for the previous officeholder. |
| Alexander was born Alexander Kade, son of Arch-Chancellor Moriarty Kade and Princess Alianne Ivrae de Sange, through whom the line of Succession passed through after the death of the previous Emperor, Justinian II. Alexander was brought up to one day succeed his father as Arch-Chancellor, though the Sanction of 302 AC saw him become Emperor instead. Emperor Alexander is actually Alexander II, as the God Brand was known as Alexander the Giant in life. However, the regnal number is often omitted, as Alexander is the first reigning Emperor with that name, and also because Alexander the Giant is referred to by his divine name Brand since his death. Emperor Alexander is the only mortal to have become the Vessel-God twice, as he abdicated the throne to his brother Cedromar before being reinstated after an interregnum period. Despite the Emperor's absence in recent times, he remains the Vessel-God, as he has not been declared dead, nor has any successor taken the Imperial Throne.
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| </div>
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| </div>
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| </td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:Thomur.png|200px|caption|]] || '''Theomar and Thedmir are the Prophet Gods of Unionism, the founders and spreaders of the faith.'''
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| * Theomar (left) is the God Emperor of Prophecy, and in life was the first Vessel-God of Unionism as the first Regalian Emperor, Theomar Ivrae de Sange.
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| * Thedmir (right) is the Called God of Founders, and in life was the first Arch-Chancellor of the Regalian Empire, Thedmir Kade.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden Lesson is that Unionism is good, and that spreading the faith is a virtue, and that sin is turning away from the Great Way, or outright sabotaging its intent.
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| * The Arch Temple of the All-Beacon is considered the holiest site to the Prophet Gods.
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| * The Prophets are the patrons of Fathers, Rulers, Nobles, Leaders, Commanders, and Best Friends.
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| * Theomar ascended to the Pantheon upon his death, whereas Thedmir was not recognized until the Emended Unionists declared him a God.
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Prophets" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Prophets">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| Theomar (left) and Thedmir (right) are the Prophet Gods of Unionism, the spreaders and founders of the faith. Theomar is also known as the first God-Emperor of Unionism, a title used to refer to the Emperors and Empresses who ascend to godhood after their deaths. In life, Theomar was the first Vessel-God of Unionism, making him the first physical speaker of the Everwatcher, and thus was responsible for proclaiming the message of Unionism through the Creed. Thedmir was a God of the Guided Unionists, but following the mending of this community with the rest of the Unionists, was included as the Duo-God with Theomar, as Thedmir was equally responsible with spreading the faith of Unionism during its beginning. Together, the Prophet Gods represent insight, good governance, loyalty, friendship, and faith. They are often represented by the necklace of friendship, as the bond between friends is the same type of bond that should be shared between all Unionists. Their main place of worship is the All-Beacon Temple in the center of the City of Regalia, which is the tallest temple in Unionism. Rituals of the Prophets include the preaching of Unionism to non-believers, aiding in the defense of holy places, mediating disputes between adversaries, and providing spiritual guidance to the military. There are also rituals concerning the sanctification and re-affirmation of friendship.
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| '''Virtues'''<br> | | *The '''Concilly Councillors''' are a group of well-learned Celates who are responsible for overseeing the vast bureaucracy of the Unionist College. Due to the prestige associated with bei9ng a Concilly Councillor, this position also suffers from political intrigue, with various faction plotting to place, or keep, their preferred Celates on the council. Despite this potential for corruption, Concilly Councillors are nevertheless very competent in their duties, as only those most theologically gifted can hope to be appointed to this position. |
| The Virtue of the Prophets is to be faithful, which is practiced in a multitude of ways. First, the act of preaching and spreading the faith is an act to honor the Prophets, as well as ensuring the safety of all Unionist holy places to ensure the faithful can worship freely. Secondly, faith is practiced by supporting the Regalian Empire. As the State Religion, Unionism expects that its practitioners are good citizens, from the lowest commoner working an honest job, to the highest Duke governing fairly as a representative of the Emperor. Finally, the Virtue of Faith is expressed as friendship, or faith in one another, as only through shared bonds and experiences can the Great Way be progressed.
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| '''Vices'''<br> | | *The '''Arch-Everians''' are Celates who administer the most populous cities within the Regalian Empire, with their Celeries often including one of the Arch- or Grand- Temples of Unionism. Arch-Everians are highly influential figures, and often compete with the secular Dukes over authority within their cities (as the line between secular and religious boundaries starts to blur in these areas). Arch-Everians are formally appointed by the Primae-Everian on the recommendation of the Concilly Council, though it is well-known that the regional Duke also plays a notable role in suggesting their preferred candidate. |
| The greatest Vice against the Prophets is to turn away from the Great Way, or to impede it. The most obvious example of such sabotage is treason against the Regalian Empire. As the State Religion, Unionism and Regalia are treated as one and the same in the hearts of Unionists, meaning that to harm the State by cooperating or aiding foreign adversaries is considered both a secular and religious crime. Likewise, the hindering of missionaries is likewise seen as a sin against the Prophets' message. As a tenet of Unionism is loyalty to the Regalian Emperor, spreading the faith to foreign nations is often a first step in incorporating them into the Empire's territory or network of alliances. Preventing the spread of Unionism to these states makes future diplomatic missions far more difficult, which can lead to setbacks in the Empire's ambitions.
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| '''Legacy'''<br> | | *The '''Everians''' are senior-ranking Celates who oversee a collection of Celeries within a geographic area. The position is usually appointed by the local Duke or Count, and confirmed by the Concilly Council. Everians are often the highest rank achieved by Celates, as higher offices start to involve political games that remove well-meaning yet naive Celates from rising in the ranks. |
| In life, Theomar was known as Thulric Ivraan, later known as Theomar Ivrae, the First Emperor of Regalia. It was Theomar who received visions from the Everwatcher which led to the proclamation of Unionism via the Creed, and set the foundations for the religion. Theomar was the Vessel-God, and was considered to be a mortal God. Following his death, the Covenant Council confirmed his ascension to the Pantheon, maintaining the same divinity he held in life. Thedmir was known in life as Thedmir Kade, Grand Alder of Anglia and first Arch-Chancellor of the Regalian Empire. As a lifelong friend of Theomar, Thedmir co-led the Five Family Rebellion which established the Regalian Empire, before working on laying out the government structure alongside the Emperor. When Theomar recieved his visions, Thedmir became the first convert to Unionism, and aided in its spread among the ruling nobility of the Empire. Following his death, Thedmir was not immediately seen as a God, though the Guided Unionists would deify him centuries later to be a Duo-God with Theomar, a status which eventually was adopted by all Unionisms following the mending of the schisms.
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| </div>
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| </div>
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| </center>
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| </tr></table>
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| =ColumnTest2=
| | *The '''Celates''' are the standard rank of priest within the Unionist College, achieved after completing clerical training and becoming ordained by an Everian. Most priests remain Celates for life, though this lack of upward advancements is hardly met with frustration due to the fulfilling experiences most Celates have with the faithful. While higher ranks become more focused on administrative duties, Celates are more focused on the spiritual needs of Unionists, and so spend most of their time providing various services to others. |
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| ==Kithemon & Amandaros, Exist/Void Gods==
| | *The '''Lay Priests''' are not part of the Unionist College, or even considered clergy to begin with. Any Unionist can be a Lay Priest, which is an unofficial title given to those who are very knowledgeable about Unionism, and assist the Celates with their duties. There is no formal training required, though many Lay Priests often study Unionist theology in order to better assist their fellow Unionists. As there are no Celates within the Guided Unionist community, Lay Priests are responsible for overseeing community maintenance of the local Temples and guiding spiritual discussions. |
| {| class="wikitable" style="margin:left; width: 100%"
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:Exitciuv.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
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| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
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| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
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| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God | |
| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
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| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Spirit" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Spirit">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| Kithemon (left) and Amandaros (right) are the Exist and Void God of the Evintarian Cult, respectively. They are paired together as a God-Pair due to the opposite natures of the Void and Exist. Kithemon is the Exist God of Mind Protection, and safeguards the faithful from mind incursions from demons and other corrupting entities. Amandaros is the Void God of Proginy, who aids the faithful who have difficulties to sire children of their own. Together, the two Gods represent resoluteness, stalwartness, protection, hedonism, capriciousness, and lust. They are represented by the shielded silhouette of a head, and a tree of descendance or ancestry. Their main holy place is the Temple of Ethereal Naether in Aetosil. Kithemon and Amandaros rituals vary greatly, as they are obviously very different. Kithemon rituals involves seeking out and revealing the corruption of Spirits and mind control affecting others and then freeing them. Amandaros rituals involve hedonistic self-satisfying parties, preferably those which involve in copious amounts of romantic matches or flings that may expand the population through conventional means.
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| '''Virtues'''<br>
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| The Virtue of Kithemon is to steel the mind against the influence of demonic entities. As Evintarians may utilize Magic and trans-dimensional energy to evolve into a better person, they are tasked with fortifying their minds from Demons and other entities who would corrupt and usurp them and rob them of their freedom and identity. To remain in control while one enhances the self is core to Evintarian beliefs. The Virtue of Amandaros is to sire children by utilizing his divine powers. Unionism preaches of the faithful to bear and raise children to increase the number of believers, though some couples are unable to conceive due to a variety of reasons. By utilizing Amandaros's power to enhance the body, couples may conceive children.
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| '''Vices'''<br> | |
| The greatest Vice of Kithemon is to become demonically possessed. The most important tenet of Evintarian Unionism is to always remain in control when enhancing the self through the Occult, and becoming corrupted with extra-dimensional essence and demonic infestation is considered a spiritual failing. Additionally, making bargains with extradimensional entities such as Arken and Spirit Dukes is seen as a seen, as they are notorious for manipulating the desires of their summoners, often to the latter's detriment. The greatest Vice of Amandaros is to be an incel. To lash out and blame others for one's inability to find and sustain a healthy romantic relationship is considered a failing to Evintarians, as it incorrectly places the blame on others, rather than introspecting to find the critical faults in oneself, and addressing them. One who is unable to self-reflect and grow as a person, is one who impedes on furthering the Great Way.
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| '''Legacy'''<br>
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| Kithemon an Exist entity from another realm that possessed an Aetosian man named Nikolaos. He is considered divine, because many of his advisory words, and their revealing of corrupt individuals have helped and even saved the entire Aetosian state on numerous occasions, believing him to be well and truly a patron of the Evintarian faith's holy birthright. While Kithemon as an entity is not fully understood, the Evintarians know for sure that he is not a hostile or death-inducing entity, and thus welcome his ability to detect mind control and possession of individuals, allowing the faithful to perform exorcisms to cast out the demonic infestation. Amandaros was once a Spirit Sovereign of the Void, serving under Armas, before they abandoned the cause of their master. They possess a primary host, an Asha named Amon, though it is important to mention that Amandaros as an entity does not reside in a single place, but can be in many places (and hosts) at once. Amandaros is also summoned by the Mask of Amandaros which is held in Evintarian Shrines, which the faithful may use to help conceive children if they cannot themselves. Amandaros is the final Unionist God that produces Godborn.
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| </div>
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| </div>
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| |}
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| ==Yvasi & Eredicos, Ordial/Primal Gods==
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:New Canvasgsgerhfghjyt.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
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| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
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| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
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| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
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| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
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| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
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| | colspan="2" |
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Pride" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Pride">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| Yvasi (left) and Eredicos (right) and the Ordial and Primal Gods of the Evintarian Cult, respectively. They are paired together as a God-Pair due to the opposite natures of Bintaar and Aloria. Yvasi is the God of Self-Love, and helps believers become their true self. Eredicos is the God of Elder Wisdom, and embodies the veneration of ancestors. Together, the two represent guidance, mentorship, authority, venerability, and eruditeness. They are represented by the mask of anonymity, the banner of command, and the staff of rule. Their main holy place is the House of the Patrilineal Divinity in Aetosil. Yvasi and Eredicos rituals similarly diverge due to their diverging nature, but they are more similar than Kithemon and Amandaros. Many of the rituals for Yvasi and Eredicos converge on praising and worship of ancestors, to showcase the skill and achievements of ancestors, and to keep a clean grave or shrine to them. Yvasi has rituals of self exploration, meditation, and both also have rituals with experimentation with self-presentation.
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| '''Virtues'''<br>
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| The Virtue of Yvasi is to self-actualize into one's true identity. Evintarians believe that everyone is born defective or imperfect, and that one must search for that perfect state. By discovering one's flaws, and finding ways to overcome said flaws through enhancement, the faithful may evolve to compensate for the flaw of creation. The Virtue of Fredericos is to reflect on the actions of one's forebears, using traditions and past knowledge to aid in solving the problems of the present and future. While the challenges of today are never the same as those in the past, one can still use the accomplishments and reactions of one's ancestors to determine what methods solved previous problems, and which ones didn't. By understanding history, Unionists may understand the future and avoid making the same mistakes.
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| '''Vices'''<br>
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| The greatest Vice against Yvasi is bigotry on matters of identity. All people deserve to be the person they believe themselves to be, and obstructing anyone in their process to achieve their true self is considered a spirutual and personal failing. Not everyone's path to self-actualization is the same, and may not be easily understood, though it is critical to understand that every path is valid, and being obstructionist only aims to create rifts in society that do not have to be there. The greatest Vice against Eredicos is to betray one's family, and to forsake the lessons of one's ancestors. To Unionists, the family is the foundation of society, and its members build each other up by fostering a strong support network. To betray this support network is to undermine the very foundation of society, which impedes the Great Way. Furthermore, ignoring the actions of one's ancestors opens up the possibility to make the same mistakes, which can be costly to those who do not learn from history.
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| '''Legacy'''<br>
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| Yvasi is an Ordial Entity possessing a Half-Eronidas named Girin who has proved to be of aid to the Great Way, by traveling the lands and helping the faithful realize and manifest their true self in gender, appearance, and heritage. It is not known what entity Yvasi is related to, but she did show her loyalty to mortals and the living, by aiding in the defense of the Last City of the Living, before traveling on to Aloria to aid the Unionists. Yvasi in particular discusses many concepts of transhumanist and transgender concepts with the faithful, as she is a female-presenting spirit in a male-presenting body, and how that generally affects gender presentation to the faithful, as well as gender roles in society. Eredicos is a divine name for the Imperial Prince Frederick Kade (second son of the Emperor), who shares his body with an ancestral spirit of Betheoric I Kade. Unlike the other entities who have mostly subsumed their host, Eredicos represents both Frederick in the mortal body and Betheoric in the immortal self, and the two frequently exchange host status. Eredicos is a very recent addition as God, because Frederick only ascended to godhood when he became an Urlan in the past 3 years, and in doing so, proved to have divine god-like powers of command and venerability over even non-believers through Betheoric. The fact that an Imperial prince is technically possessed by a Primal Revenant is a very much not-so-secret at the Imperial Palace, but out of respect nobody causes an issue over it.
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| </div>
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| </div>
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| ==Nicholas & Aarthes, the Leaders==
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:Leadergodsas.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
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| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
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| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
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| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
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| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
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| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Leader" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Leader">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| Nicholas (left) and Aarthes (right) are the Leadership Gods of the Guided Cult, the teachers of responsibility and careful design to those in positions of power. Nicholas is the God of Political Design, whereas Aarthes is the God of Architectural Design Together, the Leadership Gods represent foresight, calculation, intellect, responsibility, and counsel.
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| They are represented by the scepter of regality, government buildings, and the Regalian State Banner. Their main holy place is the Golden Seed Temple in Axford, the capital of Anglia. Rituals belonging to the Leadership Gods involve the bridging of duality, to seek out "the mind" and "the body" in friendships, and form a perfect union between the person who plans and thinks, and the person who acts and completes. The intention is to build friendships from unlikely partners, to create unbreakable bonds and collaborative efforts that showcase the perfection cooperation, that dependency is not weakness but beautiful and meaningful.
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| '''Virtues'''<br>
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| The Virtue of the Leadership Gods is to use one's speech and charisma to deescalate a situation, rather than resorting to combat as the first option. A good leader recognizes that not all battles need to be fought, and often a diplomatic overture will suffice in finding common ground. By resorting to violence, one earns a reputation for being unreasonable, perpetuating a cycle of violence. As such, the Leadership Gods advocate for the use of words to settle disputes, and only resort to combat when all other options have been explored. In doing so, Unionists believe that one becomes better known as a negotiator and one who they can trust to make sound decisions, and thus a leader that they can trust and follow.
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| '''Vices'''<br>
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| The greatest Vice against the Leadership Gods is to disrupt the order and stability of the state. A society that best furthers the Great Way is one which is not embroiled with petty conflicts over trivial matters, as being obstinate or contrarian earns one no favor in wider society. Those who strike out against authority with malicious intent towards will often shoot themselves in the foot, with only themselves to blame for their own misfortunes. A poor leader is one who refuses to act in good faith and compromise on certain aspects, and instead becomes obstructionist to the decision-making process. Being too rigid leaves one open to being ignored by sounder minds, causing one to lose their right to advocate for themselves when the time is proper.
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| '''Legacy'''<br>
| |
| In Life, Nicholas was known as the Glorious Arch-Chancellor, Nicholas Kade. Known as the most competent head of government in Regalian history, his record-long tenure saw the Empire enter into a golden age of prosperity, owing to his political tact. Taking a diplomatic approach, Nicholas was able to negotiate the end of the Skagger Wars and integrate Drixagh into the Regalian Empire, as well and oversee the inclusion of the Ithanian Sovereignty and Aetosian Theocracy into the imperial fold. Throughout his life, Nicholas was accompanied by Aarthes, his Fin'ullen Archon bodyguard. Following the death of the Arch-Chancellor, Aarthes retreated from public life to reside in his master's old Estate in Anglia, where he would occasionally talk about how Nicholas made his decisions. Nicholas's divinity was not immediately declared, as he never manifested as a spirit following his death. The Emended and later Guided Unionists would declare him a God, believing that his legacy coupled with his Dragonblood status was proof enough of his divinity in life.
| |
| </div>
| |
| </div>
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| ==Morgan & Narsil, the Tyrants==
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| {| class="wikitable" style="margin:left; width: 100%"
| |
| |- style="background:#D0D0F2"
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| | ||
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| |-
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:Snakegods.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
| |
| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
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| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
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| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
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| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
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| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
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| |-
| |
| | colspan="2" |
| |
| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Tyrant" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Tyrant">
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| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
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| '''Description'''<br>
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| Morgan (left) and Narsil (right) are the Tyrant Gods of The Guided Cult, the warnings to blind faith and unquestioning obedience. Morgan is the God of Tyrants, whereas Naril is the God of Corruption. Together, the Martial Gods represent selfishness, greed, cruelty, wroth, pride, hyper-competency, and self-assuredness. They are represented by the cobra-hooded head, snake-forked tongue, and snake-hair head. The Tyrants lack a holy place, as they are not worshipped specifically and instead used as a warning against hedonism and sin, even in competent people. Rituals of Morgan and Narsil are less in service to them, and more in deterrence to the qualities of Morgan. The most common form of ritual is the Public Examination, where large crowds gather in front of a speaking stand, where citizens and commoners hold a public debate on the competency and virtues and morality of an individual in office or power, as a means to hold them accountable to good governance and keep them on the right track.
| |
| | |
| '''Virtues'''<br>
| |
| The Virtue of the Tyrants is that sometimes, underhanded tactics are also able to further the Great Way. Sometimes, working in the light is too slow or too ineffectively, and that Spies, Saboteurs, and Rogues can also use their skills to the glory of the Empire. This does not mean that criminal behavior, gang activity, and the like is considered morally correct to Guided Unionists (after all, obeying the law is virtuous). Rather, they assert that covert and underhanded tactics can sometimes bring about quicker progress to the Empire than going through the socially-accepted channels, and that espionage against foreign rivals and enemies is a necessity for Regalia to be well-informed in making decisions.
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| | |
| '''Vices'''<br>
| |
| The greatest Vice against the Tyrants is to use the Emperor, Faith, or Law to justify cruelty and evil. Unionists trust the word of the Emperor, because he communes with the Everwatcher, and that his Laws are made with good intentions for all people. However, those in positions of power who represent the Emperor may use that authority to twist the words of the Emperor to carry out great evil, using the people's faith against them. Likewise, those who manipulate the Laws, or find unintended loopholes, will use them to enrich themselves at another's expense. The faithful are warned to hold those in power accountable, and to be skeptical of anyone claiming to speak for the Emperor without investigating their merits.
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| | |
| '''Legacy'''<br>
| |
| In Life, Morgan was known as the Sun Chancellor, Morgan Kade. Remembered as highly competent, but extremely morally corrupt, Morgan used the aftermath of the Purple Bleeding to force Emperor Justinian I to surrender religious prerogative to him, making the Chancellor kingmaker. What followed was a line of Ivrae Emperor who were Morgan's puppets, each being replaced whenever the Chancellor grew tired of them. To enforce his grip over the Empire, Morgan relied on Narsil, his Snake-Marken bodyguard who painted himself gold, to inform the Chancellor of any threats to his power. For over four decades, Morgan and Narsil ruled as tyrants, using intrigue and tyranny to keep the nobility and government in line while funding lives of opulence and hedonism. Eventually, Morgan would be executed by Emperor Vilgemar, who always hated being told what to do. Immediately after, the Imperial Guards hunted down and killed Narsil in a back corridor of the Imperial Palace, ending the duos reign of tyranny. As with the other pair of Dragon Gods, Morgan or Narsil has never manifested, though their actions coupled with Morgan's Dragonblood status were seen to be the acts of the divine (as who else could play kingmaker to the Vessel-God, but another God). The Emended and later Guided Unionists would accept this stance on divinity, teaching that Gods can also be just awful people, and be extremely selfish and capricious, but that bad qualities and ugly personalities are not reasons to write off the skills and competencies that people do have.
| |
| </div>
| |
| </div>
| |
| |}
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| | |
| ==Celestina & Eòin, the Anticipators==
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| {| class="wikitable" style="margin:left; width: 100%"
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| |- style="background:#FAA2A2"
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| | ||
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| |-
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:New Cauunvasgsgerhfghjyt.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
| |
| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
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| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
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| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
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| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
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| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
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| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
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| |-
| |
| | colspan="2" |
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| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Doomslayer" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Doomslayer">
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
| |
| '''Description'''<br>
| |
| Celestina (left) and Eòin (right) are the Anticipating Gods of the Armageddon Cult, the teachers of going good without material reward. Celestina is the Goddess of the spoken word and the prepared mind, and Eòin is the God of the physical arm and execution of the divine plan. Together, the Anticipators represent altruism, resolve, combativeness, unforgiveness, noncapitulation, and preparedness. They are represented by the Habit and mask of the Silent Sisters, and the Imperial Guard Seal. Their main holy place is the Divine Advent Temple on the Crown Isle. Rituals belonging to the Anticipating Gods involve preparing one's self, or the world around one, for the inevitable Armageddon, and to find peace in the fact that all the toil of a lifetime may not ever see fruits while alive, and that the benefit of one's labor must be for one's descendants or those who come after. and never for one's self.
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| | |
| '''Virtues'''<br>
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| The Virtue of the Anticipating Gods is to fight, restrain, or otherwise hamper the forces of the Void. Armageddon Cultists in essence believe in an inevitable "War in Heaven", and express their belief mainly in daily "thinning the herd" of Demons and Vampires so as to reduce the overwhelming forces that the Demons will come to possess when Armageddon begins. They are doomsday preppers, with many even entertaining that Armageddon will not come in their lifetime, but that they will contribute to a reduction of the numbers of the enemy, and preparing the Empire and their descendants for the final war by producing more weapons, and researching every edge they might gain against the Demons.
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| '''Vices'''<br>
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| The greatest Vice against the Anticipating Gods is to consort with the agents of the Devils. The Armageddon Cult is unique in Unionism in that it acknowledges an actual canonical evil, the supreme devil as it were, and entertains the idea that there is actually a chance that the Armageddon war might be lost if too many people fall to the vices of Demon worship and consorting with the Devil. As such, the faithful are tasked with steeling their hearts and minds against the corruptive forces of the enemy, hunting down Demons, and serving the Emperor by slaying his detractors. Failure to do this is to give the enemy a greater advantage when the Endwar begins, and to place one's descendants into dangers they should not have faced.
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| '''Legacy'''<br>
| |
| Celestina was once a Silent Sister who resided in the City of Regalia, often tending to her duties and upholding her vow of silence. However, the multiple of attacks on the Holy City by various magical and demonic threats took a severe toll on the Silent Sister, who could no longer stand by when it seemed like calamity would tear the capital apart. Eventually, Celestina broke her Vow of Silence, and began to preach about the need to prepare for future calamities, even ones not to be experienced in her lifetime. It was by those who listened that her message seemed to come from a higher power, and she was soon recognized as a Goddess by the fledgling Armageddon Cult. Today, Celestina is an Émérites Knight, frequenting the Regalian courts to preach against the normalization of magic and warning of its corrupting power. Eòin was once a Viridian Knight who was known as a frequent training of students at the Viridian Citadel on the Crown Isle. He was present at the Citadel during the Deathling Crisis, where he witnessed the Grandmaster, Elders, and majority of Knights make a last stand to allow for younger students to escape into the countryside. Eòin managed to survive the eradication, and was recognized as a God after he began to preach divinely inspired messages about preparation, citing how even the most-skilled Viridian Knights were only able to delay the inevitable destruction of the demonic threat. He later joined the Tyrian Knights in defending the Imperial Palace, which he preaches as the final bastion against all that is unholy in the world.
| |
| </div>
| |
| </div>
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| ==Belialus & Sablael, the Devils==
| |
| {| class="wikitable" style="margin:left; width: 100%"
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| |- style="background:#FAA2A2"
| |
| | ||
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| |-
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| | style="width: 1%" | [[File:New dsadCanvasgsgerhfghjyt.png|180px|caption|]] || '''The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God.'''
| |
| * The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals.
| |
| * The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication.
| |
| * The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status.
| |
| * The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God
| |
| * Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum).
| |
| * Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
| |
| |-
| |
| | colspan="2" |
| |
| <span class="mw-customtoggle-Demon" style="color:#0645AD"><u>For expanded lore, click here.</u></span>
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="mw-customcollapsible-Demon">
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible-content">
| |
| '''Description'''<br>
| |
| Belialus (left) and Sablael (right) are the Devils of Unionism, the Supreme Evils of the world, and the greatest threat to the Great Way. Belialus is the Devil of the Sanguine, though is also known by the Elves as Behesael, the Arch-Void and Archdemon, and Supreme Being of the Void on par with the Everwatcher in his dimension. Sablael is the Devil of Shadows, Greatest Lieutenant of the Archdemon, and architect of the Void Invasions. Together, the Devils represent destruction, corruption, seduction, entrapment, danger, and evil. They are represented by the Sanguine Curse, the twisted and coiling shadow, and the hooked tail. Their main holy place is the House of Blood, where Vampires and their allies worship them. Rituals of the Devils involve candle night vigils and ritual purification of objects and people touched by them. The idea is to cast away the evil presence of the Devils (a word itself taken from the Velheim Djevel or "evil one"), because the belief is held that if their influence is cast back into the Void, that their connection with the mortal world is disrupted and they enter a state of slumber.
| |
| | |
| '''Virtues'''<br>
| |
| The Virtue of the Devils is to seek evolution and advances through the Demonic and Void. Unlike all other Unionist Gods, the Virtue of the Devils is not one to aspire towards, but to recognize as the goal of the Devils. Ever since the Veil was first torn millennia ago, and the Void experienced the first "something" in a dimension of "nothing." Ever since then, Belialus had desired a return to nothingness, using Sablael and all his loyal servants to destroy Aloria and all that resides within and beyond. By utilizing the powers of the Void, Belialus is able to corrupt the world into decay, furthering his goal of complete annihilation. To become a servant of the Void is aid the Archdemon, to be discarded by Him when he claims victory in the Endwar.
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| | |
| '''Vices'''<br>
| |
| The greatest Vice against the Devils is to hunt down Vampires, Demons, and other servants of the Void. As the Archdemon cannot manifest within Aloria, he must use his agents of the Void to further his goals. With every infection of a Vampire, with every demonic deal, and with every Void Mage casting a Sinistral spell, his power grows stronger in Aloria. As such, the faithful must work to cure those afflicted with the Sanguine Curse (or put them out of their misery), destroy all tomes and books and prevent the summoning or use of Demons, and hunt down Mages who would use their powers to infect the world with corruption. By seeking out and defeating the enemies of evil, the Devils are kept at bay, weakening them to ensure that Unionists will eventually bring about Paradise and rid the world of all corrupting forces.
| |
| | |
| '''Legacy'''<br>
| |
| Belialus is the Supreme Being of the Void, and thus was the ultimate source of the Void Gods, Spirit Sovereigns, Arken, and lesser Demons. While all of these entities at first owed him loyalty, their time spent in Aloria (or through the actions of Alorians) caused many to break free of their servitude, becoming their own agents despite having some ties to the Archdemon. Most records of Belialus have been lost to time, as most civilizations who knew of him eventually were destroyed in the Void Invasions. As such, much of what is known comes from the Elves, who called him Behesael. His most notable modern calamity was the creation of the Sangaley Blood Curse, which was mutated by the Void Gods to create the modern Vampires. Sablael is the architect of the Void Invasions, and commanded the legions of Void Demons against previous civilizations. They were originally mistaken to be the same entity as the Archdemon, though the scant Allorn records telling of the Fifth Void Invasion differentiate between Sablael and Behesael, confirming that only Sablael can manifest outside of the Void. Fortunately, Sablael has not been seen since the Cataclysm when he was cast back into the Void, and civilization should pray that he never again returns to herald a Sixth Void Invasion, or the Endwar itself.
| |
| </div>
| |
| </div>
| |
| |}
| |
