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{{Info religion
{{Info religion
|image = Unionismlaaol.png
|image = Unionismshield.png
|pronunciation = Yoon-yen-is-m
|pronunciation = Union-ism
|origins = Empror [[Theomar]]
|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 that 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 the only Religion on Aloria that incorporates Gods of their subjugated or annexed people, preserving their culture and traditions as a part of a larger collective.  


==History==
==Origins==
===Early Churches and Worship===
Unionism was founded several years after the Establishment of the Regalian Empire, roughly speaking in the year 10 AC. The exact year date is unclear, because Theomar did not publish the Creed until some time after he received his first visions, and so some theological debate exists on the exact founding year. Emperor Theomar was the first prophet of the faith and recorded the visions of the Everwatcher who joined with his soul, thus Theomar became the first Vessel-Emperor. Unionism has since its founding had a strong upward trajectory of converting those of other Religions to it, but also just population growth in general due to its strong message of expansion of the state and family. It is currently the second largest Religion in the world, only slightly outclassed by Estelley on account of there being more Elves widely speaking.  
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 61 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===
==Central Message==
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 central message of Unionism is that the world is a wretched test of virtue for all mortals who reside in it, and that the greatest test of all is the unification of the world under the secular authority of the Emperors of Regalia. In essence, the faith preaches that the world is filled with chaos and suffering and that only through the guidance of the Regalian Empire's authority it can be unified. When this task called the Great Way is completed, the Everwatcher will create paradise on the world, ending all death and suffering, and bringing back all those who have passed into the afterlife to live among the now immortal mortals in a state of forever paradise.  
==The Great Way==
The Great Way is the task of the faithful to bring about a world-spanning Regalian Empire under the secular authority of the Regalian Emperors. This explicitly does not mean the eradication of other Religions, it purely means that the whole world should follow Regalian state law and be obedient to it, while preserving their own customs and traditions. However, many also interpret it as an implicit call to eradicate other Religions. Unionism is a complicated Religion that professes to do a lot of good, but that is inherently hampered by the selfish wishes of mortals and the self-interested preaching of the clergy. It contains themes of righteousness bogged down by dogmatic narrow-mindedness, and stagnating beliefs.  
==The Afterlife==
Unionism's afterlife is far less colorful or pleasure-inducing than many other Afterlives, it is in fact quite simple. Unlike the paradises of liquor and endless banquets, Unionism's afterlife is a somber staircase upon which all the faithful sit in waiting, gazing down at the world of mortals and watching events unfold until it is their time to descend back down to the land of the living when the Everwatcher creates paradise. There is a sense of togetherness for those who will return to loved ones in the Afterlife, but also a sense of waiting for eternity due to the slow progression of the Great Way, and the many setbacks the Regalian Empire faces in its implicit world-domination plans.
==Faith Mechanic==


===THe Diviner Schism===
==Gods and Goddesses==
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.  
Unionist Gods were either Gods from other Religions, or divinely blessed mortals who became immortal Gods after they passed on with the guidance of the Everwatcher. There is no important distinction between the types of Gods, Unionism treats all Gods equally under the Everwatcher. Each God also has associated Saints who become Immortal divine beings, but are not considered Gods, and discussed further down. The Everwatcher is technically the Arch-God, but this entity is so unknowable to anyone but the Emperor, that it is only invoked, not directly worshiped. The Everwatcher is treated as the creator of all the Gods, but the Gods are like tangible extensions of it, and thus they receive the worship instead.  


===The Kleine Rechnung===
====Theomar, the Father====
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.  
[[File:Theomarart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Theomar was the first prophet-Emperor of Unionism, the first Vessel of the Everwatcher, and the first to speak and write the holy word of the faith in the Creed. When the Regalian Empire was young, he was its first Emperor, having joined forces with the other major families in the Five Family Rebellion to overthrow the Kingdom of Amelore, banish the Bel Hammon Elves, and establish the Empire. Shortly after, he received visions and direct communication from the Everwatcher, who taught him the vision of Unionism. In life, he was considered a highly spiritual and immensely wise person, one of the tranquil Emperors of the Regalian Empire who did not wage wars, but convinced people foreign and his own to accept the word of the faith.  


===The Priscelle Schism===
Theomar is the leader of the Unionist Pantheon and is often considered beyond reproach. While some of the other Gods lived flawed and sinful lives, Theomar represents an unblemished purity of the soul. He is the patron of anyone in the spiritual role of father or caretaker, leaders, generals, commanders, etc. From him, the faithful learn patience, diligence, and spiritual directives, even if Theomar himself is the least active of the Unionist Gods when appearing before the faithful or acting on their behalf as Divine intervention.  
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.  


===The Vultar Schism===
====Ness, the Mother====
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 second largest denomination.  
[[File:Ness art.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Ness was the 4th Empress of Regalia Nessaria Calontir, known in her early life as a woman of sinful indulgence and trustworthiness. Her life was filled with the pleasures of the Imperial royal court, absconding her duties and court protocols to reign as the mistress of the court. When her children were killed in a court conspiracy, a chance encounter with the assassins in prison changed her. It was said the Everwatcher spoke to her in her deepest moment of grief and blessed her with forgiveness and a nurturing spirit. From that moment on she donned the robe of the nurse vowing to bestow the blessing of care onto the sick and dying, that which had been denied her own children. She eventually passed on at the height of adoration by the people, a contrast to her early life.  


===The Ascension of Unionism===
Ness is the caretaker and nurturing mother of the pantheon, representing the idea that it is never too late to abandon one's wicked ways and reform in virtue. She is the patron of anyone in the spiritual role of mother or medical staff, midwives, healers, and those seeking to reform criminals to the light of the law. From her, the faithful learn compassion, sacrifice, and regret. Ness appears when the faithful need her the most when the only thing standing between them and certain death is her forgiving and healing light by their side.  
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===
====Grace, the Custodian====
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.  
[[File:Glanziaart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Grace was an old Hecarian Goddess, the spiritual leader of the Hecarian tribes that joined the Regalian Empire early in its creation but after Theomar spread his gospel. Grace (or Glanzia as she was called by them), was the Goddess mother of the night, bringing wisdom and judgment through her all-seeing owls. When the Regalian Empire peacefully integrated the Hecarian tribes through marriage by the hand of an Imperial Princess, Grace was incorporated into the Unionist Pantheon along with the other Gods from other Religions by her own free will. From that moment on, she became the Goddess of purity of soul and body, the custodian guiding the faithful to remain free of sinful corruption by otherworldly agents and to be judged by her gaze should they fall.  


==Churches and Sects==
Grace is the protector of the purity of the faithful, with one hand shielding them from the corrupting influences of the other Dimensions, and with the other judging them should they fall to its vices and become agents of destruction. Her laws have ultimately been re-interpreted as a call for complete anti-magical/Occult purity, but her teachings to the faithful are more about controlling these things, not being controlled by it. She has granted the faithful Purestone, a material that rejects the Occult and protects the faithful from Magical harm.  
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 mody 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 aunt the severely aged Adelheid 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==
====Allest, the Champion====
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.
[[File:Allestart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
=====Theology of Life=====
Allest was the 17th Emperor of Regalia Allestrain I Ivrae who lived an angry and violent life. Being one of the few Eronidas Emperors of Regalia, he oversaw some of Regalia's most brutal wars of expansion particularly against the Velheim people. He however also dealt his own nobles an unjust hand, often ignoring the law and justice system in favor of honor duels that would end in a bloodbath. It is said, however, that by the guidance of his Chancellor Alexander the First (nicknamed Brand), he found religious purpose and divine directive. His anger was channeled into the arena where he became a glorious gladiator-emperor, and his combat prowess to foreign wars. With all his rage vented, his rule became one of strict but fair discipline that saw major legislative expansions.
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 morale 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.  


Unionists have a set of holy passages referred to as the Holy Creeds, written by various Emperors throughout Ailor history. It is said that the Holy Creeds are written by the Emperors, but their hands are guided by the Imperial Spirit with visions granted from that same divine power. The Creeds are all written in Proto-Regalian, a now ancient and dead language that predated the [[Alt-Regalisch]] language. The Practices of the Unionist church are fairly uniform, in that all forms of Unionism pray and worship in roughly the same ways, though there is a great amount of sectarian variety from one Reverend’s flock to another. Most of the Unionist practices are not mandatory, but highly encouraged or recommended. A list of common Unionist practices is as followed.
Allest is the Lion-God of the pantheon, the patron of soldiers and gladiators, teaching them honesty, and bravery, and praying for victory. It is known by the faithful, however, that his soul was ensnared by wicked plots from the Vola Fornoss Gods to punish him for the crusades and genocide against their people. As such, his divine throne in the Pantheon remains empty, with his Saint Brand appearing to those who invoke or pray to his name, as he cannot hear them while imprisoned in the hellish Demon-realm of Vaarda, the Vola afterlife.
*Prayer three times a day, at dawn, noon, and following dinner after dusk. Unionists are recommended to pray at least once a day in public mass, which occurs at the same time as Prayer time.
====Caan, The Magus====
*The dead are burned and their ashes are buried. The burning occurs in so called Houses of the Dead where priests burn the bodies in ceremonial stone sacrophacusses. After burning, the remains are scraped up and placed in an urn which is then encased in a cask and buried. Most nobles are not burned, but rather beheaded and have their heart removed and placed in an urn away from the body.
[[File:Caanaert.png|left|frameless|250px]]
*Sacred images are used in all denominations of Unionism. This includes paintings of the Emperor, statuettes, and sometimes relics of Herons and previous Emperors.
Caan was an old Breizh God, the leader of the Santel pantheon, who both led the people of Kintyr to join the Five Family Rebellion and in founding the Aelrrigan Order prior. Because Caan was present when the Regalian Empire was founded, he was the first God from another faith to voluntarily join the Unionist pantheon, making the other Santel Gods his saints. While all Santels had white feathered wings, it is said that Caan removed his wings as a virtuous sacrifice to walk more closely with mortals and understand their plight and needs. Over time, however, he has seemingly become more detached and cynical. While he still lives among mortals as a God, he has become quiet and unresponsive, which many of the faithful have blamed on the constant abuse of Magic in the Empire.  
*Four yearly religious celebrations, the festivals of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with their own various religious implications.


==The Creeds of Unionism==
Caan is the patron God of all the Mages and those gifted with Magic in the Empire, teaching them responsible use of their Magic and to use their gift or burden for the Good of the Empire, not to spite it. He is by far the most active of the Gods among mortals because he leads the Aelrrigan Order after ousting the mortal leadership he put in place centuries ago, but comes and goes without rhyme or reason, having fallen into a melancholic unapproachability that makes even the faithful uneasy to be around him when he appears in person.  
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.  
====Elia, the Huntress====
* 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.
[[File:Eliaart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
* 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.
Elia was the Empress-wife of Emperor Allestrain (the God Allest) who had a difficult life. Originally destined to become a Knight, she was forced to surrender her life ambitions and goals when the Emperor chose her for a marriage (later known as a beard marriage). Her obsession with Knights and her dreams made her a terrible Empress, but much like her husband, she found guidance from the Chancellor's wife Leona who would later go on to become her Saint. While Elia was prone to fits of obsessive compulsion, Leona was her temperance, bending her uncollected and uncoordinated actions and thoughts into precision actions and decisions. She carried on the work of her husband after he was killed by the Vola Gods, and finished the work of war against the Skags.  
* 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==
Elia is the patron Goddess of Knights and hunters, but also more widely speaking anyone who needs to cast away distractions in favor of single-minded focus and concentration. She teaches the virtues of calmness, self-control, and clarity, so that the faithful remain aware and truthful to themselves, and act without a shroud in their mind onto others. Elia was a multi-discipline warrior famed with bow and halberd alike, and thus prayed to by the faithful for skill in weapons to protect their loved ones or the Empire.  
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.
====Nolven, the Twin====
[[File:Nolvenart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Nolven was a refracted God, a fragment of the Fornoss Vola God Aedán that disavowed that faith, and joined Unionism instead. Nolven however has a split identity due to his fractured nature. In some seasons he is Nolven the god of war and punisher of the enemies of Unionism, smashing idols of other Religions and casting down enemies of the faith, while in other seasons he is Nolven the god of art and beauty who creates art so profound it makes even the most brutish of warriors weep. His fractured identity means he is as unpredictable as the shifting seasons or the tides of the ocean, representing a constant push and pull of destruction and war, and creation and peace. Nolven in times of war has a particular bone to pick with the Pagan faiths of the Regalian Empire.


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.
Nolven is the patron of art and culture, and crusade and iconoclasm at once. He represents the constant flux between creating art to destroy and destroying to create art. In him are embodied the ability of art to dear down systems, ideas, even Empires, and the need for tragedy and destruction to take place to inspire the greatest of artistic expressions. He represents the need for the faithful to be nuanced complex people, to live the spoken virtues of the Gods but with temperance of change and flaw to be true thinking and living people.  
:*''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.  
====Juvin, the Teacher====
:*''Click [[Unionist Liturgical Calendar|here]] for more information on the Unionist Liturgical Calendar
[[File:Juvinart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Juvin was the 11th Emperor of Regalia Heinrich III Ivrae, who was both a pious priestly man and a strong contender for the most intellectually gifted Emperor of the Regalian Empire, championing the causes of science and knowledge and dragging the relatively backwater war-like Empire at the time into a more modern understanding of the world. While the Empire expanded in knowledge and piety under his rule, many of its intellectual centers became narrow-minded and chased only dogma information that conformed to their worldview. Despite Juvin's best intentions, his relatively short mortal life did not allow for the institutions he made to survive beyond his reign, many of them folding back into ignorance, leading many to believe Regalia's sciences are backward.


==Symbols==
Juvin is the patron God of scholars, teachers, mentors, sages, and scribes. He inspires wisdom to perceive the world and is prayed to for divine insight and inspiration when problems seem unsolvable. It is said that Juvin often appears in the largest of Imperial archives, seeking to help scholars. In a stroke of irony, priests have made this archive inaccessible, fearing the wrong information would be exposed to Juvin, thus creating more ignorance. Juvin's tragedy is that his desire for inspiring wisdom and learning is yet restrained by the clergy.
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.
 
====Mendes, the Bestower====
[[File:Mendesart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Mendes came to Unionism as a former Khama God, once belonging to the Dewamenet Empire but fleeing the Pearl Wars and eventually joining the Regalian Empire with his flock. Mendes was the leader of the Golden Fleet, an Asha migrant fleet that had grown tired of running, and wanted to settle. Mendes led them to Regalia, where an agreement with Theomar was struck for them to live in Regalia, becoming the first large foreign migrant wave. Mendes then became a prosperity God for Unionism in continuation of his prior role in the Khama faith. There are still those in the Khama faith who try to draw him back to their pantheon, but he insists he is not interested in subjecting himself to Tjafar, and has found true wealth of belonging under the Everwatcher.
 
Mendes is the patron God of merchants and traders, of shopkeepers and of bureaucrats working in finance. He is prayed to for good fortune and fair winds for trade ships, and sometimes even talked with regarding financial deals or plans. Mendes is one of the few Gods that can reliably be found in one singular location: The High House of the Imperial Coinage, though access to him is extremely restricted to only those deemed of sufficient piety by the priests, which is a tall order in such a viciously crook-capitalist field.
 
====Al-Asir, the Creator====
[[File:Alasirart.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Al-Asir came to Unionism very recently as the Dragon Marik was re-birthed by the Everwatcher even before the return of Dragons. Al-Asir is a technician God, an engineer of kindness at heart who seeks to make the world a better place. Yet, his nature brings about some controversy, particularly among the Skyborn and Dragonborn. His nature as Marik is not disputed, rather, the Dragonborn claim he is Marik first and Al-Asir second, while the Skyborn claim he is Al-Asir first and Marik second. Which version is truth matters to these people, due to their long historic animosity and continuing wars in their homeland of Ard-al-Nur. Al-Asir continues to dance between truths, preferring to show kindness to all instead of choosing one side.
 
Al-Asir is the patron of engineers and technicians, but also more widely speaking for everyone seeking to do kindness without payment. While his technician-God themes are obvious, Al-Asir is also a God of good-natured hospitality, well-wishes, gratuity, and charity to others. He uses his technology to improve the lives of others and ease their suffering, a stark contrast to the Regalian Empire's wide usage of technology to wage wars and more efficiently kill, something that he has said deeply troubles him.
 
==Schism Gods==
The Schism Gods are not members of the official pantheon and should be seen as optional or additional Gods. Each Schism God represents a belief that is technically against the dogma of the main religion, but is acceptable within the margins to promote religious cohesion, and to prevent the faith from fracturing into 5 different versions of Unionism. These Gods are tolerated on the fringes of Unionism, but there is still a healthy amount of internal conflict and derision against those that hold to the Schismatic beliefs that some of the dogmatic believers find repugnant.
====Morgan, the Wicked====
[[File:Morgangfod.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Morgan is a complex character from a historical point of view. He is remembered as one of the worst Chancellors from a moral perspective, but one of the best from a pragmatic perspective. Morgan was cruel, sadistic, extravagant, and immensely skilled, controlling nearly every layer of Regalian upper class society by himself and leaving behind permanent imprints on whatever he touched that have lived long past his death. Among Guided Unionists (those that worship him), the belief is held that Morgan is like an eternal mirror of self-reflection upon the corrupting qualities of the most blessed of the Empire. While propaganda upholds that he was unequivocally an evil man, reality reflects a more complex image from which other lessons can be learned.
 
Guided Unionists see Morgan as an example God to be fear-worshiped for humility, respect, and loyalty. Through him, Guided Unionists question the narrative, question the information they are fed, and hold their leaders and clergy to account. This makes Guided Unionist a schismatic belief because it goes against the grain of the infallibility of the clergy. Guided Unionists reject the clergy in favor of lay priests who ask them why, instead of commanding them how. Guided Unionism is particularly prevalent among Anglians and Cantaluna Ailor.
====Belialus, the Everchanger====
: ''Note, some of this lore relies on a Spirit/Magic rework that is not yet released. As such, some info may be contradictory to current lore.''
[[File:Belialigod.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Belialus is a Demon, no ifs and buts about it. Belialus submitted himself to Unionism and the Everwatcher early, just after Theomar's death. The kneejerk reaction of the faithful at the time was to utterly reject him and his followers, thus resulting in the first Schism which resulted in a lot of violence and the eventual expulsion of the Evintarian believers to the isle of Aetosil outside of the Empire. Belialus is a Demon-God not unlike the Arken-God refractions, yet different. He represents the desire of Spirits to live in Aloria and become part of the Alorian fabric of life, but on the terms set out by the Everwatcher and in rejection of their nature. Belialus himself is a Demon of Change, and has brought the Saint-Demons of Changing Fates with him to bless the people with their gifts.
 
Belialus is perhaps best explained as the Patron-God of those who deal with Demons and otherworldly entities. This makes him the most controversial of the schismatic Gods, because he stands almost directly opposed to Grace (who has tried to kill him at least three times already). Belialus himself, however, is repentant of his Demonic nature, and his followers both preach safe conduct with otherworldly entities and Veilwalking, while bowing to the Great Way. Note, even if Belialus worship is legal, Spirits are still deemed illegal in the Regalian Empire. Belialus worshipers are also routinely targeted by vigilantes of the dogmatic belief, who inflict violence on them despite the official acceptance of their schism.
====Finell, the Tidelover====
[[File:Finuppigod.png|left|frameless|250px]]
Finell is the closest Unionism has to a love-god, as the majority of the Religion is quite chaste in its approach to intimacy. Finell was once an Elven Prince and the first of the Finul Elves and patron of Bel Faiaal. He ascended Godhood in life, becoming an unofficial God of revelry, party and pleasures to the Elves. The Empresses however rejected him, because he was wild and uncoordinated, his self-serving attitude and apathy to the virtues of perfection a contradiction to the faith. He was banished from the Allorn Empire and became a sea-wandering God only occasionally interacting with his people, until one day he set foot in Regalia and never left. Thus, he became the Enelon Unionist schismatic god of love and revelry who bends the Great Way to far beyond its original intentions.
 
Finell preaches for the virtues of Unionism, the Great Way, to extend beyond the confines of legal authority, and to break down the barriers of decency, arbitrary law, and heritage. Finell preaches for unrestraint normalization of love and intimacy for all, to do away with jealousy, and to break down heritage and culture barriers, and homogenize all people of Aloria into one loving unity. Many of the dogmatic believers reject Enelon Unionism as debauched and adulterous, while Enelon faithful chastise the dogmatic believers for being culturally divisive. 
 
==Priestly Activities==
The Unionist College (what the church of Unionism is collectively called) is a vast sprawling network of clerics and clerks that combine ecclesiastic and secular control of the people. It is a difficult to understand organization, due to its many obvious and less obvious interconnected agencies and organizations that are not always aware of each other. The Unionist College could be considered a state within a state, it has its own army, its own secret service, and its own ministerial positions as well as its own treasury. There is a constant tug and pull between the Regalian Empire's nobility, and its clergy, who wield the words of the prophets to get their way. To many, this makes the Unionist College a very powerful enemy. Indeed, while many of the rank-and-file priests may have good intentions, the Unionist College is a strong political component of the Regalian Empire, one that is just as self-interested and perhaps corrupt as the secular rulers are. On the ground, priests are called either priest or Celates, who in turn control a Celery. A Celery is a grant of land given to a priest by a secular ruler of the Emperor, or a higher priest, with the intent to administer to the flock or manage a monastery or nunnery in the area. While most priests of other religions are purely invested in religious teachings, Unionist priests are very much nobility in their own right, with tax dues and subjects who pay tithes and often even serve in the ecclesiastic guard. When playing a priest, any kind of role is viable, whether you want to play a corrupt priest who is using the words of the Gods for their own benefit, or a priest who is trying to make the best of a difficult situation and guide the flock to the best of their abilities without falling to vice.
 
==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.
 
==Saints==
Unionism is the only Religion that has a semi-divinity concept of saints, mortals who are made immortal either in life or after death as part of the personal retinue of one of the Unionist Gods or Goddesses. These Saints are not directly worshiped but are symbolic and often invoked by name to inspire the faithful with their stories and their deeds. Saints are people to live like or examples to live by, not to worship. Each God has a flock of Saints, some more than others, and below is a list of all currently publicly available Saints to give more substance to their lore.
 
: This section still needs to be expanded to bring back some of the lore lost in the previous revision, but is considered Expanded Lore so is deferred.  
====Saints of Theomar====
* Thedmir the Ally
====Saints of Ness====
* Eora the Companion
====Saints of Grace====
* None yet written
====Saints of Allest====
* Brand the Lover
====Saints of Caan====
* Kaldric the Repentant
* Eirlys the Winged
====Saints of Elia====
* Leona the Squire
 
====Saints of Nolven====
* None yet written
====Saints of Juvin====
* Almar the Justicar
 
====Saints of Mendes====
* Hor the Guard
====Saints of Al-Asir====
* Marani the Repentant
====Saints of Morgan====
* Narsil the Everloyal
* Nicholas the Architect
* Regulus the Dragonblood
 
====Saints of Belialus====
* Yvasi the Trueself
* Freiderikos the Newself
* Kithemon the Mindself
* Amandaros the Lovedself
====Saints of Finell====
* None yet written


==Trivia==
==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 Caan'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 Caan was suppressed from dogma). Caan' faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Caan' magical nature in theological teachings was returned.
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[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]
[[category:Religion]]

Latest revision as of 23:43, 10 November 2024

Unionism
Religion
PronunciationUnion-ism
OriginsEmperor Theomar
Deities
The Everwatcher and various other Gods and Goddesses

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 that 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 the only Religion on Aloria that incorporates Gods of their subjugated or annexed people, preserving their culture and traditions as a part of a larger collective.

Origins

Unionism was founded several years after the Establishment of the Regalian Empire, roughly speaking in the year 10 AC. The exact year date is unclear, because Theomar did not publish the Creed until some time after he received his first visions, and so some theological debate exists on the exact founding year. Emperor Theomar was the first prophet of the faith and recorded the visions of the Everwatcher who joined with his soul, thus Theomar became the first Vessel-Emperor. Unionism has since its founding had a strong upward trajectory of converting those of other Religions to it, but also just population growth in general due to its strong message of expansion of the state and family. It is currently the second largest Religion in the world, only slightly outclassed by Estelley on account of there being more Elves widely speaking.

Central Message

The central message of Unionism is that the world is a wretched test of virtue for all mortals who reside in it, and that the greatest test of all is the unification of the world under the secular authority of the Emperors of Regalia. In essence, the faith preaches that the world is filled with chaos and suffering and that only through the guidance of the Regalian Empire's authority it can be unified. When this task called the Great Way is completed, the Everwatcher will create paradise on the world, ending all death and suffering, and bringing back all those who have passed into the afterlife to live among the now immortal mortals in a state of forever paradise.

The Great Way

The Great Way is the task of the faithful to bring about a world-spanning Regalian Empire under the secular authority of the Regalian Emperors. This explicitly does not mean the eradication of other Religions, it purely means that the whole world should follow Regalian state law and be obedient to it, while preserving their own customs and traditions. However, many also interpret it as an implicit call to eradicate other Religions. Unionism is a complicated Religion that professes to do a lot of good, but that is inherently hampered by the selfish wishes of mortals and the self-interested preaching of the clergy. It contains themes of righteousness bogged down by dogmatic narrow-mindedness, and stagnating beliefs.

The Afterlife

Unionism's afterlife is far less colorful or pleasure-inducing than many other Afterlives, it is in fact quite simple. Unlike the paradises of liquor and endless banquets, Unionism's afterlife is a somber staircase upon which all the faithful sit in waiting, gazing down at the world of mortals and watching events unfold until it is their time to descend back down to the land of the living when the Everwatcher creates paradise. There is a sense of togetherness for those who will return to loved ones in the Afterlife, but also a sense of waiting for eternity due to the slow progression of the Great Way, and the many setbacks the Regalian Empire faces in its implicit world-domination plans.

Faith Mechanic

Gods and Goddesses

Unionist Gods were either Gods from other Religions, or divinely blessed mortals who became immortal Gods after they passed on with the guidance of the Everwatcher. There is no important distinction between the types of Gods, Unionism treats all Gods equally under the Everwatcher. Each God also has associated Saints who become Immortal divine beings, but are not considered Gods, and discussed further down. The Everwatcher is technically the Arch-God, but this entity is so unknowable to anyone but the Emperor, that it is only invoked, not directly worshiped. The Everwatcher is treated as the creator of all the Gods, but the Gods are like tangible extensions of it, and thus they receive the worship instead.

Theomar, the Father

Theomar was the first prophet-Emperor of Unionism, the first Vessel of the Everwatcher, and the first to speak and write the holy word of the faith in the Creed. When the Regalian Empire was young, he was its first Emperor, having joined forces with the other major families in the Five Family Rebellion to overthrow the Kingdom of Amelore, banish the Bel Hammon Elves, and establish the Empire. Shortly after, he received visions and direct communication from the Everwatcher, who taught him the vision of Unionism. In life, he was considered a highly spiritual and immensely wise person, one of the tranquil Emperors of the Regalian Empire who did not wage wars, but convinced people foreign and his own to accept the word of the faith.

Theomar is the leader of the Unionist Pantheon and is often considered beyond reproach. While some of the other Gods lived flawed and sinful lives, Theomar represents an unblemished purity of the soul. He is the patron of anyone in the spiritual role of father or caretaker, leaders, generals, commanders, etc. From him, the faithful learn patience, diligence, and spiritual directives, even if Theomar himself is the least active of the Unionist Gods when appearing before the faithful or acting on their behalf as Divine intervention.

Ness, the Mother

Ness was the 4th Empress of Regalia Nessaria Calontir, known in her early life as a woman of sinful indulgence and trustworthiness. Her life was filled with the pleasures of the Imperial royal court, absconding her duties and court protocols to reign as the mistress of the court. When her children were killed in a court conspiracy, a chance encounter with the assassins in prison changed her. It was said the Everwatcher spoke to her in her deepest moment of grief and blessed her with forgiveness and a nurturing spirit. From that moment on she donned the robe of the nurse vowing to bestow the blessing of care onto the sick and dying, that which had been denied her own children. She eventually passed on at the height of adoration by the people, a contrast to her early life.

Ness is the caretaker and nurturing mother of the pantheon, representing the idea that it is never too late to abandon one's wicked ways and reform in virtue. She is the patron of anyone in the spiritual role of mother or medical staff, midwives, healers, and those seeking to reform criminals to the light of the law. From her, the faithful learn compassion, sacrifice, and regret. Ness appears when the faithful need her the most when the only thing standing between them and certain death is her forgiving and healing light by their side.

Grace, the Custodian

Grace was an old Hecarian Goddess, the spiritual leader of the Hecarian tribes that joined the Regalian Empire early in its creation but after Theomar spread his gospel. Grace (or Glanzia as she was called by them), was the Goddess mother of the night, bringing wisdom and judgment through her all-seeing owls. When the Regalian Empire peacefully integrated the Hecarian tribes through marriage by the hand of an Imperial Princess, Grace was incorporated into the Unionist Pantheon along with the other Gods from other Religions by her own free will. From that moment on, she became the Goddess of purity of soul and body, the custodian guiding the faithful to remain free of sinful corruption by otherworldly agents and to be judged by her gaze should they fall.

Grace is the protector of the purity of the faithful, with one hand shielding them from the corrupting influences of the other Dimensions, and with the other judging them should they fall to its vices and become agents of destruction. Her laws have ultimately been re-interpreted as a call for complete anti-magical/Occult purity, but her teachings to the faithful are more about controlling these things, not being controlled by it. She has granted the faithful Purestone, a material that rejects the Occult and protects the faithful from Magical harm.

Allest, the Champion

Allest was the 17th Emperor of Regalia Allestrain I Ivrae who lived an angry and violent life. Being one of the few Eronidas Emperors of Regalia, he oversaw some of Regalia's most brutal wars of expansion particularly against the Velheim people. He however also dealt his own nobles an unjust hand, often ignoring the law and justice system in favor of honor duels that would end in a bloodbath. It is said, however, that by the guidance of his Chancellor Alexander the First (nicknamed Brand), he found religious purpose and divine directive. His anger was channeled into the arena where he became a glorious gladiator-emperor, and his combat prowess to foreign wars. With all his rage vented, his rule became one of strict but fair discipline that saw major legislative expansions.

Allest is the Lion-God of the pantheon, the patron of soldiers and gladiators, teaching them honesty, and bravery, and praying for victory. It is known by the faithful, however, that his soul was ensnared by wicked plots from the Vola Fornoss Gods to punish him for the crusades and genocide against their people. As such, his divine throne in the Pantheon remains empty, with his Saint Brand appearing to those who invoke or pray to his name, as he cannot hear them while imprisoned in the hellish Demon-realm of Vaarda, the Vola afterlife.

Caan, The Magus

Caan was an old Breizh God, the leader of the Santel pantheon, who both led the people of Kintyr to join the Five Family Rebellion and in founding the Aelrrigan Order prior. Because Caan was present when the Regalian Empire was founded, he was the first God from another faith to voluntarily join the Unionist pantheon, making the other Santel Gods his saints. While all Santels had white feathered wings, it is said that Caan removed his wings as a virtuous sacrifice to walk more closely with mortals and understand their plight and needs. Over time, however, he has seemingly become more detached and cynical. While he still lives among mortals as a God, he has become quiet and unresponsive, which many of the faithful have blamed on the constant abuse of Magic in the Empire.

Caan is the patron God of all the Mages and those gifted with Magic in the Empire, teaching them responsible use of their Magic and to use their gift or burden for the Good of the Empire, not to spite it. He is by far the most active of the Gods among mortals because he leads the Aelrrigan Order after ousting the mortal leadership he put in place centuries ago, but comes and goes without rhyme or reason, having fallen into a melancholic unapproachability that makes even the faithful uneasy to be around him when he appears in person.

Elia, the Huntress

Elia was the Empress-wife of Emperor Allestrain (the God Allest) who had a difficult life. Originally destined to become a Knight, she was forced to surrender her life ambitions and goals when the Emperor chose her for a marriage (later known as a beard marriage). Her obsession with Knights and her dreams made her a terrible Empress, but much like her husband, she found guidance from the Chancellor's wife Leona who would later go on to become her Saint. While Elia was prone to fits of obsessive compulsion, Leona was her temperance, bending her uncollected and uncoordinated actions and thoughts into precision actions and decisions. She carried on the work of her husband after he was killed by the Vola Gods, and finished the work of war against the Skags.

Elia is the patron Goddess of Knights and hunters, but also more widely speaking anyone who needs to cast away distractions in favor of single-minded focus and concentration. She teaches the virtues of calmness, self-control, and clarity, so that the faithful remain aware and truthful to themselves, and act without a shroud in their mind onto others. Elia was a multi-discipline warrior famed with bow and halberd alike, and thus prayed to by the faithful for skill in weapons to protect their loved ones or the Empire.

Nolven, the Twin

Nolven was a refracted God, a fragment of the Fornoss Vola God Aedán that disavowed that faith, and joined Unionism instead. Nolven however has a split identity due to his fractured nature. In some seasons he is Nolven the god of war and punisher of the enemies of Unionism, smashing idols of other Religions and casting down enemies of the faith, while in other seasons he is Nolven the god of art and beauty who creates art so profound it makes even the most brutish of warriors weep. His fractured identity means he is as unpredictable as the shifting seasons or the tides of the ocean, representing a constant push and pull of destruction and war, and creation and peace. Nolven in times of war has a particular bone to pick with the Pagan faiths of the Regalian Empire.

Nolven is the patron of art and culture, and crusade and iconoclasm at once. He represents the constant flux between creating art to destroy and destroying to create art. In him are embodied the ability of art to dear down systems, ideas, even Empires, and the need for tragedy and destruction to take place to inspire the greatest of artistic expressions. He represents the need for the faithful to be nuanced complex people, to live the spoken virtues of the Gods but with temperance of change and flaw to be true thinking and living people.

Juvin, the Teacher

Juvin was the 11th Emperor of Regalia Heinrich III Ivrae, who was both a pious priestly man and a strong contender for the most intellectually gifted Emperor of the Regalian Empire, championing the causes of science and knowledge and dragging the relatively backwater war-like Empire at the time into a more modern understanding of the world. While the Empire expanded in knowledge and piety under his rule, many of its intellectual centers became narrow-minded and chased only dogma information that conformed to their worldview. Despite Juvin's best intentions, his relatively short mortal life did not allow for the institutions he made to survive beyond his reign, many of them folding back into ignorance, leading many to believe Regalia's sciences are backward.

Juvin is the patron God of scholars, teachers, mentors, sages, and scribes. He inspires wisdom to perceive the world and is prayed to for divine insight and inspiration when problems seem unsolvable. It is said that Juvin often appears in the largest of Imperial archives, seeking to help scholars. In a stroke of irony, priests have made this archive inaccessible, fearing the wrong information would be exposed to Juvin, thus creating more ignorance. Juvin's tragedy is that his desire for inspiring wisdom and learning is yet restrained by the clergy.

Mendes, the Bestower

Mendes came to Unionism as a former Khama God, once belonging to the Dewamenet Empire but fleeing the Pearl Wars and eventually joining the Regalian Empire with his flock. Mendes was the leader of the Golden Fleet, an Asha migrant fleet that had grown tired of running, and wanted to settle. Mendes led them to Regalia, where an agreement with Theomar was struck for them to live in Regalia, becoming the first large foreign migrant wave. Mendes then became a prosperity God for Unionism in continuation of his prior role in the Khama faith. There are still those in the Khama faith who try to draw him back to their pantheon, but he insists he is not interested in subjecting himself to Tjafar, and has found true wealth of belonging under the Everwatcher.

Mendes is the patron God of merchants and traders, of shopkeepers and of bureaucrats working in finance. He is prayed to for good fortune and fair winds for trade ships, and sometimes even talked with regarding financial deals or plans. Mendes is one of the few Gods that can reliably be found in one singular location: The High House of the Imperial Coinage, though access to him is extremely restricted to only those deemed of sufficient piety by the priests, which is a tall order in such a viciously crook-capitalist field.

Al-Asir, the Creator

Al-Asir came to Unionism very recently as the Dragon Marik was re-birthed by the Everwatcher even before the return of Dragons. Al-Asir is a technician God, an engineer of kindness at heart who seeks to make the world a better place. Yet, his nature brings about some controversy, particularly among the Skyborn and Dragonborn. His nature as Marik is not disputed, rather, the Dragonborn claim he is Marik first and Al-Asir second, while the Skyborn claim he is Al-Asir first and Marik second. Which version is truth matters to these people, due to their long historic animosity and continuing wars in their homeland of Ard-al-Nur. Al-Asir continues to dance between truths, preferring to show kindness to all instead of choosing one side.

Al-Asir is the patron of engineers and technicians, but also more widely speaking for everyone seeking to do kindness without payment. While his technician-God themes are obvious, Al-Asir is also a God of good-natured hospitality, well-wishes, gratuity, and charity to others. He uses his technology to improve the lives of others and ease their suffering, a stark contrast to the Regalian Empire's wide usage of technology to wage wars and more efficiently kill, something that he has said deeply troubles him.

Schism Gods

The Schism Gods are not members of the official pantheon and should be seen as optional or additional Gods. Each Schism God represents a belief that is technically against the dogma of the main religion, but is acceptable within the margins to promote religious cohesion, and to prevent the faith from fracturing into 5 different versions of Unionism. These Gods are tolerated on the fringes of Unionism, but there is still a healthy amount of internal conflict and derision against those that hold to the Schismatic beliefs that some of the dogmatic believers find repugnant.

Morgan, the Wicked

Morgan is a complex character from a historical point of view. He is remembered as one of the worst Chancellors from a moral perspective, but one of the best from a pragmatic perspective. Morgan was cruel, sadistic, extravagant, and immensely skilled, controlling nearly every layer of Regalian upper class society by himself and leaving behind permanent imprints on whatever he touched that have lived long past his death. Among Guided Unionists (those that worship him), the belief is held that Morgan is like an eternal mirror of self-reflection upon the corrupting qualities of the most blessed of the Empire. While propaganda upholds that he was unequivocally an evil man, reality reflects a more complex image from which other lessons can be learned.

Guided Unionists see Morgan as an example God to be fear-worshiped for humility, respect, and loyalty. Through him, Guided Unionists question the narrative, question the information they are fed, and hold their leaders and clergy to account. This makes Guided Unionist a schismatic belief because it goes against the grain of the infallibility of the clergy. Guided Unionists reject the clergy in favor of lay priests who ask them why, instead of commanding them how. Guided Unionism is particularly prevalent among Anglians and Cantaluna Ailor.

Belialus, the Everchanger

Note, some of this lore relies on a Spirit/Magic rework that is not yet released. As such, some info may be contradictory to current lore.

Belialus is a Demon, no ifs and buts about it. Belialus submitted himself to Unionism and the Everwatcher early, just after Theomar's death. The kneejerk reaction of the faithful at the time was to utterly reject him and his followers, thus resulting in the first Schism which resulted in a lot of violence and the eventual expulsion of the Evintarian believers to the isle of Aetosil outside of the Empire. Belialus is a Demon-God not unlike the Arken-God refractions, yet different. He represents the desire of Spirits to live in Aloria and become part of the Alorian fabric of life, but on the terms set out by the Everwatcher and in rejection of their nature. Belialus himself is a Demon of Change, and has brought the Saint-Demons of Changing Fates with him to bless the people with their gifts.

Belialus is perhaps best explained as the Patron-God of those who deal with Demons and otherworldly entities. This makes him the most controversial of the schismatic Gods, because he stands almost directly opposed to Grace (who has tried to kill him at least three times already). Belialus himself, however, is repentant of his Demonic nature, and his followers both preach safe conduct with otherworldly entities and Veilwalking, while bowing to the Great Way. Note, even if Belialus worship is legal, Spirits are still deemed illegal in the Regalian Empire. Belialus worshipers are also routinely targeted by vigilantes of the dogmatic belief, who inflict violence on them despite the official acceptance of their schism.

Finell, the Tidelover

Finell is the closest Unionism has to a love-god, as the majority of the Religion is quite chaste in its approach to intimacy. Finell was once an Elven Prince and the first of the Finul Elves and patron of Bel Faiaal. He ascended Godhood in life, becoming an unofficial God of revelry, party and pleasures to the Elves. The Empresses however rejected him, because he was wild and uncoordinated, his self-serving attitude and apathy to the virtues of perfection a contradiction to the faith. He was banished from the Allorn Empire and became a sea-wandering God only occasionally interacting with his people, until one day he set foot in Regalia and never left. Thus, he became the Enelon Unionist schismatic god of love and revelry who bends the Great Way to far beyond its original intentions.

Finell preaches for the virtues of Unionism, the Great Way, to extend beyond the confines of legal authority, and to break down the barriers of decency, arbitrary law, and heritage. Finell preaches for unrestraint normalization of love and intimacy for all, to do away with jealousy, and to break down heritage and culture barriers, and homogenize all people of Aloria into one loving unity. Many of the dogmatic believers reject Enelon Unionism as debauched and adulterous, while Enelon faithful chastise the dogmatic believers for being culturally divisive.

Priestly Activities

The Unionist College (what the church of Unionism is collectively called) is a vast sprawling network of clerics and clerks that combine ecclesiastic and secular control of the people. It is a difficult to understand organization, due to its many obvious and less obvious interconnected agencies and organizations that are not always aware of each other. The Unionist College could be considered a state within a state, it has its own army, its own secret service, and its own ministerial positions as well as its own treasury. There is a constant tug and pull between the Regalian Empire's nobility, and its clergy, who wield the words of the prophets to get their way. To many, this makes the Unionist College a very powerful enemy. Indeed, while many of the rank-and-file priests may have good intentions, the Unionist College is a strong political component of the Regalian Empire, one that is just as self-interested and perhaps corrupt as the secular rulers are. On the ground, priests are called either priest or Celates, who in turn control a Celery. A Celery is a grant of land given to a priest by a secular ruler of the Emperor, or a higher priest, with the intent to administer to the flock or manage a monastery or nunnery in the area. While most priests of other religions are purely invested in religious teachings, Unionist priests are very much nobility in their own right, with tax dues and subjects who pay tithes and often even serve in the ecclesiastic guard. When playing a priest, any kind of role is viable, whether you want to play a corrupt priest who is using the words of the Gods for their own benefit, or a priest who is trying to make the best of a difficult situation and guide the flock to the best of their abilities without falling to vice.

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.

Saints

Unionism is the only Religion that has a semi-divinity concept of saints, mortals who are made immortal either in life or after death as part of the personal retinue of one of the Unionist Gods or Goddesses. These Saints are not directly worshiped but are symbolic and often invoked by name to inspire the faithful with their stories and their deeds. Saints are people to live like or examples to live by, not to worship. Each God has a flock of Saints, some more than others, and below is a list of all currently publicly available Saints to give more substance to their lore.

This section still needs to be expanded to bring back some of the lore lost in the previous revision, but is considered Expanded Lore so is deferred.

Saints of Theomar

  • Thedmir the Ally

Saints of Ness

  • Eora the Companion

Saints of Grace

  • None yet written

Saints of Allest

  • Brand the Lover

Saints of Caan

  • Kaldric the Repentant
  • Eirlys the Winged

Saints of Elia

  • Leona the Squire

Saints of Nolven

  • None yet written

Saints of Juvin

  • Almar the Justicar

Saints of Mendes

  • Hor the Guard

Saints of Al-Asir

  • Marani the Repentant

Saints of Morgan

  • Narsil the Everloyal
  • Nicholas the Architect
  • Regulus the Dragonblood

Saints of Belialus

  • Yvasi the Trueself
  • Freiderikos the Newself
  • Kithemon the Mindself
  • Amandaros the Lovedself

Saints of Finell

  • None yet written

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 Caan'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 Caan was suppressed from dogma). Caan' faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Caan' magical nature in theological teachings was returned.
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