Draconism: Difference between revisions

From MassiveCraft Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
(24 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 7: Line 7:
|}}
|}}
==Origins==
==Origins==
Draconism is the oldest Religion in the world, presumed to have existed in some form or another for nearly 100,000 years, though it is at the very least certain that the dogma has changed over successive generations. For example, the Maraya who have awoken from the Vaults, find Draconism  radically different from what they remember in their Civilization, and even different from the archeological studies they did of the third Civilization that preceded them. Draconism styles itself after the values and principles of the Dragons in that Era, themed or styled in itself after the Races that roam the world at that time. It is as such an ever changing Religion that shapes itself based on the followers, though the Dragon Gods are eternal and remain largely similar with only their Race and some subtext changing between successive generations. Draconism has followers all over the world, but is generally speaking one of the weaker religions, being outclassed in number of followers by the likes of Unionism, Estelley, Old Gods, and some would argue even Evolism. Draconism has technically been a dead religion for 300 years, as the Dragons disappeared from the world in various ways, leaving behind their faithful who now worshiped in essence dead Gods. In the last few years however, Draconism has made a quick revival with many Temples being inhabited again, and the Dragons coming back alive in what is referred to as the Revival of Immortality.
Draconism is the oldest [[Religion]] in the world, presumed to have existed in some form or another for nearly 100,000 years, though it is at the very least certain that the dogma has changed over successive generations. For example, the [[Maraya]] who have awoken from the Vaults, find Draconism  radically different from what they remember in their Civilization, and even different from the archeological studies they did of the third Civilization that preceded them. Draconism styles itself after the values and principles of the Dragons in that Era, themed or styled in itself after the [[Races]] that roam the world at that time. It is as such an ever changing Religion that shapes itself based on the followers, though the Dragon Gods are eternal and remain largely similar with only their Race and some subtext changing between successive generations. Draconism has followers all over the world, but is generally speaking one of the weaker religions, being outclassed in number of followers by the likes of [[Unionism]], [[Estelley]], [[Fornoss]], and some would argue even [[Evolism]]. Draconism has technically been a dead religion for 300 years, as the Dragons disappeared from the world in various ways, leaving behind their faithful who now worshiped in essence dead Gods. In the last few years however, Draconism has made a quick revival with many Temples being inhabited again, and the Dragons coming back alive in what is referred to as the Revival of Immortality.
===History===
===History===
To understand why the Dragons "died", it is necessary to understand the grand theme running through Draconism, being The Immortal War. The Immortal War refers to the endless conflict between the Dragons and what they call The Infection, which means Ordial/Exist/Void Essences that creep into the world of Aloria and attach to living and non living things there. The Dragons see themselves as natural wardens of the order of the world, and seek to remove The Infection from the world as a result. The Immortal War is mostly fought between Dragons and the Arken, at least historically speaking when they were still bound to Estel and Behesael. Each successive Void Invasion signals the failure of the Dragons to halt yet another end-times event, though after each cycle, the Dragons remain to restart civilization with new Races. Only the last (5th) Void Invasion was halted, when the Dragons performed the rite of the Denial of Immortality. In essence, Demons and Arken were immortal because the natural laws of Aloria allowed immortality. By denying immortality, the forces the Dragons fought could be killed, but they in turn were also killable. The Arken destroyed Estel and eventually Behesael in their betrayal, and the Dragons went out one way or another as the Immortal War essentially ended in a stalemate. The Dragons relented their efforts to kill the Arken, and contented themselves with the end of the Void Invasions, though recently, the Dragons seem to have come back from this decision, and have started reviving all over the world.  
To understand why the Dragons "died", it is necessary to understand the grand theme running through Draconism, being The Immortal War. The Immortal War refers to the endless conflict between the Dragons and what they call The Infection, which means Ordial/Exist/Void Essences that creep into the world of [[Aloria]] and attach to living and non living things there. The Dragons see themselves as natural wardens of the order of the world, and seek to remove The Infection from the world as a result. The Immortal War is mostly fought between Dragons and the [[Arken]], at least historically speaking when they were still bound to Estel and Behesael. Each successive Void Invasion signals the failure of the Dragons to halt yet another end-times event, though after each cycle, the Dragons remain to restart civilization with new Races. Only the last (5th) Void Invasion was halted, when the Dragons performed the rite of the Denial of Immortality. In essence, Demons and Arken were immortal because the natural laws of Aloria allowed immortality. By denying immortality, the forces the Dragons fought could be killed, but they in turn were also killable. The Arken destroyed Estel and eventually Behesael in their betrayal, and the Dragons went out one way or another as the Immortal War essentially ended in a stalemate. The Dragons relented their efforts to kill the Arken, and contented themselves with the end of the Void Invasions, though recently, the Dragons seem to have come back from this decision, and have started reviving all over the world.  
==Virtues==
==Draconic Nuance==
Draconism does not have traditional Virtues and Vices in the sense that other Religions do. Draconism is a very sober and grounded religion in the sense that the meaning of life to Dragons is to exist, to perform a single duty, and then to die. That single duty, is the concept of pro-creation, or at least to ensure the future existence of the creation of Dragons and the world they tend. Morality of good and evil don't really apply to Dragons, though individual Dragons despise specific acts. For example, Regulus is a radical life-preserver who hates murder, while Caius followers engage in murder because they hate Magic. There are inherent contradictions in Draconism that can cause conflict among them, but generally speaking everyone works together towards the common goal of finding ways to rid the world more permanently of all Magical essence or presence. There is a final topic worth discussing: the (in)validity of other Religions through Dragons. It is pretty widely known that Dragons create both Races and Gods, but this fact does not make them Gods to other peoples and religions who do not observe them as such. Consider this metaphor: if you liked your team-leader, because he did good things for you and your goals align, your belief in your team-leader is not suddenly invalidated, because your team-leader was raised/taught by a different person. All Religions understand the mechanical purpose of Dragons in the world (conception, creation, ecosystems etc.), but reject their religious message or Dragons as Gods (except in some circumstances, like Guided Unionism). Draconism is the only Religion without an afterlife, the faithful neither go to an afterlife nor to the Beyond, their souls are lifted up by Regulus and rejoin the Soul Rivers from which they are born, disappearing into nothingness and lending their life and memories back to the Dragons.  
There is one topic worth discussing with regards to Draconism, compared to other religions: the (in)validity of other Religions through Dragons. It is pretty widely known that Dragons create both Races and Gods, but this fact does not make them Gods to other peoples and religions who do not observe them as such. Consider this metaphor: if you liked your team-leader, because he did good things for you and your goals align, your belief in your team-leader is not suddenly invalidated, because your team-leader was raised/taught by a different person. All Religions understand the mechanical purpose of Dragons in the world (conception, creation, ecosystems etc.), but reject their religious message or Dragons as Gods (except in some circumstances, like the Guided Cult of Unionism). Draconism is the only Religion without an afterlife, the faithful neither go to an afterlife nor to the Beyond, their souls are lifted up by Umbra and rejoin the Soul Rivers from which they are born, disappearing into nothingness and lending their life and memories back to the Dragons.
===Divine Mechanics===
All Religions provide 1 single Mechanic to their Believers that fits within the flair of their Religion. This Mechanic is lost if the individual stops believing in the Religion, or becomes a heretic, but can be regained. Afflicted can use this mechanic, but having the mechanic does not imply that they have blanket forgiveness from their Gods, just that there is more nuance to it than that.
* Draconism worshipers are able to use Persuasion Dice rolls on Gods both outside and inside of [[Divinium]] summonings which is normally not possible. Additionally they gain +2 to every Dice roll of Persuasion against a God, and their Persuasion Cap is raised by +2 when rolling against Gods.


==Gods and Goddesses==
==Gods and Goddesses==
Draconism has several Gods (gender indeterminate, though when humanoid, they do appear gendered), making it a polytheistic Religion. Unlike many other polytheistic religions, however, Draconism has a clear hierarchy and even a form of competitive rivalry between the so-called Dragon Thrones. Every Dragon Throne (a group of Dragons) contains a leader who is the representative God, and the lesser named Dragons. These lesser named Dragons are not strictly Gods, but they are treated with great reverence. Not all Draconism Gods are currently alive, during the process of the Denial of Immortality, most Dragons died in a non-traditional sense (which also made the Religion "dead" for nearly 300 years save for areas like the Sihai Lands), with not all of them having been revived recently. It is possible to worship multiple Dragons, but because the Dragon Gods often conflict with one another even when they have a Dragon King, most Draconism followers worship a single God that best fits their principles and beliefs.  
Draconism has several Gods (gender indeterminate, though when humanoid, they do appear gendered), making it a polytheistic Religion. Unlike many other polytheistic religions, however, Draconism has a clear hierarchy and even a form of competitive rivalry between the so-called Dragon Thrones. Every Dragon Throne (a group of Dragons) contains a leader who is the representative God, and the lesser named Dragons. These lesser named Dragons are not strictly Gods, but they are treated with great reverence. Not all Draconism Gods are currently alive, during the process of the Denial of Immortality, most Dragons died in a non-traditional sense (which also made the Religion "dead" for nearly 300 years save for areas like the [[Sihai]] Lands), with not all of them having been revived recently. It is possible to worship multiple Dragons, but because the Dragon Gods often conflict with one another even when they have a Dragon King, most Draconism followers worship a single God that best fits their principles and beliefs.  
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Regulus, the Dragon King'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Regulus, the Blue King Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Cedragoin.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Cedragoin.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Regulus (Cedromar, for those more familiar with his persona).
* '''Name:''' Regulus, the Dragon of Command, Hierarchy and Rulership.
* '''Domain:''' The Regalian Archipelago, Southwynd, and Westwynd Regions.
* '''Domain:''' Regulus controls the Draconic Conclave and rules the Dragons.
* '''Symbols:''' Thunder Storms, Rulership, Command, Diplomacy, Centrism.
* '''Symbols:''' Thunder Storms, Rulership, Banners, Rain, Bodies of Water.  
* '''Role:''' Regulus acts as the King of Dragons, to mediate and command them.
* '''Role:''' Regulus acts as the King of Dragons, to mediate and command them.
* '''Traits:''' Capricious, Cryptic, Regal, Sagely, Mediating, Attentive, Loyalty.
* '''Traits:''' Capricious, Cryptic, Regal, Sagely, Mediating, Attentive, Loyalty.
* '''Temple:''' House of Dragons on Draackenrust Mountain in Anglia.  
* '''Temple:''' House of Dragons on Draackenrust Mountain in Anglia.  
* '''Allies:''' Arkenborn, Urlan, Adal & Hagen faithful, Leyon faithful.
* '''Allies:''' Arkenborn, Urlan, Adal & Hagen faithful, Leyon faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Murderers, The Afflicted, Malefica & Machinist Cultists, Anarchists.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who stand against the Regalian Empire and seek its downfall.
* '''Rituals:''' Regulus is celebrated through the act of mediation between aggrieved parties, or the Dragon-King trial in which blue Dragon-King flames are summoned, a trial is held between two parties holding their hand in the flame, with the flame burning them if they utter a lie. Finally, a common form of invocation by priests and the faithful is the tribute ceremony of producing art of the Dragon King and dedicating it to him or his name.
* '''Rituals:''' Regulus is celebrated through the act of mediation between aggrieved parties, or the Dragon-King trial in which blue Dragon-King flames are summoned, a trial is held between two parties holding their hand in the flame, with the flame burning them if they utter a lie. Another method of worship is by expanding the political reach of the Dragons or the Draconism faithful, who have to rebuild their religion.  
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Caius, the Dying Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Caius, the Red Dying Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Caiuodragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Caiuodragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Caius (Shalmanisar for Eronidas, using their own language).
* '''Name:''' Caius (Shalmanisar in Eronidas), Dragon of Love, Passion, and War.
* '''Domain:''' The Continent of Guldar, and the Drifting Isles and Seas.
* '''Domain:''' Caius commands the impulses of the living, violence, and fire.
* '''Symbols:''' Volcanoes, Battle, War, Destruction, Flames and Fire, and Magma.
* '''Symbols:''' Volcanoes, Battle, War, Destruction, Flames and Fire, and Magma.
* '''Role:''' Caius acts as the Dragon General, leading Dragon forces in War.
* '''Role:''' Caius acts as the Dragon General, leading Dragon forces in War.
Line 48: Line 51:
</tr></table>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Daiana, the Dreaming Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Daiana, the Gray Dreaming Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Dreamdragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Dreamdragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Daiana (Damu or Da'amu for Eronidas, using their own language).
* '''Name:''' Daiana (Da'amu in Eronidas), Dragon of the Elements and Planet.
* '''Domain:''' The world's Core, the Underground and cave systems of Aloria.
* '''Domain:''' Daiana's domain is the planet itself, she is the world.  
* '''Symbols:''' Earth, Ancestor Spirits, Nature, Dreaming, Child-bearing.
* '''Symbols:''' Earth, Ancestor Spirits, Nature, Dreaming, Child-bearing.
* '''Role:''' Daiana guards the doorway to death and unlife, and dreams of Divinity.
* '''Role:''' Daiana is the rock upon which all living move through space.
* '''Traits:''' Shamanism, Maternal, Nurturing, Meditation, Grounding, Wisdom.
* '''Traits:''' Shamanism, Maternal, Nurturing, Meditation, Grounding, Wisdom.
* '''Temple:''' Great Hall of Mother in Kezzeret Kashubasha (Eronidas State).
* '''Temple:''' Great Hall of Mother in Kezzeret Kashubasha (Eronidas State).
* '''Allies:''' Mana faithful, Environmentalists, Mothers, Yanar, Narim, Dwarves, Elkonur faithful
* '''Allies:''' Mana faithful, Mothers, Yanar, Narim, Dwarves, Elkonur faithful, Spirits.
* '''Enemies:''' The Ordial Aligned, The Afflicted, Renegade (Evil) Mages, The Undead.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who disrespect Spirits as not having a story to tell or live out.  
* '''Rituals:''' Daiana is celebrated through the Harvest Ritual and Caring Ceremony, the former which involves celebrating harvest and sharing meals with others, the latter which involves bestowing both the blessing and responsibility of caring onto someone else by granting them a plant, a pet, or a child to take care of. Daiana is also invoked by priests to summon the Spirits or appearances of dead relatives to give consolation to the mourning living.  
* '''Rituals:''' Daiana is celebrated through the Harvest Ritual and Caring Ceremony, the former which involves celebrating harvest and sharing meals with others, the latter which involves bestowing both the blessing and responsibility of caring onto someone else by granting them a plant, a pet, or a child to take care of. Daiana is also invoked by priests to summon the Spirits or appearances of dead relatives to give consolation to the mourning living.  
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Triton, the Dark Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Triton, the Black Chain Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Voiddragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Voiddragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Triton, though he can also be called Ifrit as he is a [[Evolism|Void God]] also.
* '''Name:''' Triton, Dragon of the Void, known as Triton in [[Evolism]].  
* '''Domain:''' Triton has no official domain, his followers always wander.
* '''Domain:''' Triton's Domain is power and control, specifically of the mind.  
* '''Symbols:''' Revenge, Domination, Darkness in one's Soul, Darkscale Metal.
* '''Symbols:''' Revenge, Domination, Darkness in one's Soul, Dark Metal.
* '''Role:''' Triton is the Dark second half of Caius's split soul, Void infected.
* '''Role:''' Triton is the Dark second half of Caius's split soul, Void infected.
* '''Traits:''' Vengeful, Cruel, Pragmatic, Powerful, Unforgiving, Unrelenting.
* '''Traits:''' Vengeful, Cruel, Pragmatic, Powerful, Unforgiving, Unrelenting.
Line 80: Line 83:
</tr></table>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Nox, the Unknown Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Nox, the Teal Unseen Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Dueuaj.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Dueuaj.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Nox (Madhyaratri for Slizzar & Allar, using their languages).
* '''Name:''' Nox (Madhyaratri in Slizzar & Allar), Dragon of mirrors and truth.
* '''Domain:''' Hadar and Sendras, and the deep oceans of the world.
* '''Domain:''' Nox's domain is that of truth or lies, and wisdom in foresight.
* '''Symbols:''' Mirrors, Snakes, Libraries, Sassrakkand, the Mind, Chrome.
* '''Symbols:''' Mirrors, Snakes, Libraries, Sassrakkand, the Mind, Chrome.
* '''Role:''' Nox acts as Spymaster for the Dragons, but also has his own agenda.  
* '''Role:''' Nox acts as Spymaster for the Dragons, but also has his own agenda.  
Line 92: Line 95:
* '''Allies:''' Inth faithful, Rand faithful, Juvin Faithful, Wadj & Yah Faithful.
* '''Allies:''' Inth faithful, Rand faithful, Juvin Faithful, Wadj & Yah Faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Justicars, Knights, Guards, The Afflicted, The Thralled & Mind-Controlled.
* '''Enemies:''' Justicars, Knights, Guards, The Afflicted, The Thralled & Mind-Controlled.
* '''Rituals:''' Nox's worship is often hidden by pretending to be followers of different Dragons. For those who embrace him publicly, the Mirror Masquerade is a common festivity, where guests must pretend to be a different guest including clothes, make-up and alchemy to look similar. Another is reflective divination, to make someone ponder their deepest desires in a Nox Mirror, and instead see the danger and dark side of their wish reflected.  
* '''Rituals:''' Nox's worship involves the mirrors in which his Dragonsoul was banished by the Dragons for transgressing by creating the Slizzar, which he was specifically forbidden from doing. His followers etch secrets and things they have learned from the Occult into mirrors, after which the messages melt into the reflection and disappear, sometimes causing an approving reflection of Nox to appear for only a split second.  
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Marik, the Etherforge Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Marik, the Brown Etherforge Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:Yayh.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:Yayh.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Marik (Al-Asir in Qadir language) as he is a [[Unionism]] God also.
* '''Name:''' Marik (Al-Asir in Qadir), Dragon of Tech, a [[Unionist]] God also.  
* '''Domain:''' Ard-al-Nur & Southern Islands, as well as surrounding oceans.
* '''Domain:''' Marik's Domain are the Leylines and Leytech, all Draconic machines.  
* '''Symbols:''' Technology, Forgery, Craftsmen, Bronze, Brass, and Desert Sands.
* '''Symbols:''' Technology, Forgery, Craftsmen, Bronze, Brass, and Desert Sands.
* '''Role:''' Marik is the chief Architect of Dragon Weapons against the Occult.
* '''Role:''' Marik is the Architect of Dragon Weapons and Sites against the Occult.
* '''Traits:''' Helpful, Reassuring, Resourceful, Quirky, Compassionate, Self-Sacrificing.
* '''Traits:''' Helpful, Reassuring, Resourceful, Quirky, Compassionate, Self-Sacrificing.
* '''Temple:''' Marik's Temple was destroyed by the Great Storm that ravished Ard-al-Nur.
* '''Temple:''' Marik's Temple was destroyed by the Great Storm that ravished Ard-al Nur.
* '''Allies:''' Qadir, Unionists, Automata & Artificial living Beings, Technicians.
* '''Allies:''' Qadir, Unionists, Automata & Artificial living Beings, Technicians.
* '''Enemies:''' Machinist faithful, Body-Modders, War-fanatics & the Military.
* '''Enemies:''' Machinist faithful, Body-Modders, War-fanatics & the Military.
* '''Rituals:''' Marik worship is very equal and communal, with the Gearwork Exchange being the most common, gathering technicians to all work together on something fun (not necessarily practical). Another way to worship him is through the simple act of technological exchange of ideas and designs, but also the Preservation Fair, where old Technology and devices are scrapped and recycled to become new or different devices.  
* '''Rituals:''' Marik's history of making all the Draconic weapons to exterminate the Occult in history, versus his current reincarnation differ considerably. While in the past worship was the creation of more weapons, now it is the creation of tools to help people live easier and more comfortable lives, specifically to replace the shortcut need of Magic to solve societal and environmental problems, by making the solution tech instead.  
|}
|}
</center>
</center>
</tr></table>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Severena, the Meditating Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Umbra, the White Twilight Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Monkeydragongod.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Umbra, the Dragon of the Dead and the Soul Rivers of Draconism.
* '''Domain:''' The Soul Rivers, the passage between life and death in Aloria.
* '''Symbols:''' A white swirl, blackout tattoos, a furred instead of scaled Dragon.
* '''Role:''' Umbra maintains the Soul Rivers and the Dead-Living boundaries.
* '''Traits:''' Deadly, Pestilent, Renewal, Memories, Capricious, Sardonic.
* '''Temple:''' Destroyed, re-inhabited by the Evolist Temple in Regalia' Wilderness.
* '''Allies:''' Eronidas, Those who hunt Undead and return Spirits to the Afterlife.
* '''Enemies:''' Undead, Geists, those who consort with the Ordial Scourge.
* '''Rituals:''' Umbra is an ambiguous Dragon who is neither motivated by rage and pain or banishment into the Void for his favor to what some would call cruelty. He is the agent of all diseases and sickness on Aloria, because his greatest beauty is death itself, a final act and a final chapter in someone's life. Rituals of Umbra involve speeding an inevitable death to conclusion, and putting the dying at ease with the inevitable.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Felicula, the Yellow Harmony Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Severena (Saaima for the Sihai, using their own language).
* '''Name:''' Felicula is the Dragon of Festivity, Kindness, and Warmheartedness.
* '''Domain:''' Dexai, Zhong, Sheng, and the surrounding Sea and Jade Sea.
* '''Domain:''' Felicula's domain is entertainment and culture, as well as peace.
* '''Symbols:''' Air, Monasteries, High Mountain Towers, Meditation, Transcendence.
* '''Symbols:''' The yellow Hadar Chrysanthemum, vines wrapped around amphoras.
* '''Role:''' Severena is the thinker of Dragons, contemplating meaning and reality.
* '''Role:''' Felicula makes the world pleasant to live in by creating joy in shadow.
* '''Traits:''' Shy, Endearing, Hospitable, Altruistic, Well-meaning, Naive.
* '''Temple:''' Felicula never had a Temple, as worship of her was in festivities.
* '''Allies:''' Entertainers, Artists, Musicians, Bartenders, Party Hosts, Dancers.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who speak with sarcasm, cruelty, or inflict mental anguish.
* '''Rituals:''' Felicula's worship is engaged in through the many varied Draconism festivals, one for each month, and to show random gestures of kindness and gifts to others. Very common is the Draconist gift-giving ceremony, where on the 20th of December, Draconism Faithful gift each other personalized and thoughtful gifts of specifically small monetary value, but also joining events hosted by others and improving the entertainment value.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Severena, the Green Stalwart Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Severena (Saaima in Sihai), Dragon of Protection and Transcendence.
* '''Domain:''' Protection of the world from danger, and the inner Eye and Soul.
* '''Symbols:''' Air, Monasteries, High Mountain Towers, Clouds, Transcendence.
* '''Role:''' Severena guides the protectors of the living across the world.
* '''Traits:''' Contemplative, Insightful, Ascended, Detached, Piercing, Ethereal.
* '''Traits:''' Contemplative, Insightful, Ascended, Detached, Piercing, Ethereal.
* '''Temple:''' The Beian Temples in Zhong where the Air Dragons Slumber and dream of Jade.
* '''Temple:''' The Beian Temples in Zhong where the Air Dragons Slumber and dream of Jade.
* '''Allies:''' Toke & Jord faithful, Elia & Nicholas faithful, Yah faithful, priests, ascetics.
* '''Allies:''' Those who task themselves to save the world from chaos and calamity.
* '''Enemies:''' Evolism faithful, Evintarian Unionists, The Self-Unaware and Ignorant.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who would cause chaos and damage the world and people in it.  
* '''Rituals:''' Severena worship is done the Breath of Serenity, a solo or group excersize of speaking out evils and attachments, and letting go with breathing exercises. Another worship method is the Temple of Elevation where the faithful climb high mountains or tall towers with lanterns to seek enlightenment, and kite flying meditation, where wishes in poems are attached to kites, and let fly high in the wind before letting go.
* '''Rituals:''' Severena worship is done the Breath of Serenity, a solo or group excersize of speaking out evils and attachments, and letting go with breathing exercises. Another worship method is the Temple of Elevation where the faithful climb high mountains or tall towers with lanterns to seek enlightenment, and the vows of protection where those who have attained enlightenment and detachment from the mortal world, can become true world protectors.  
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Aurora, the Creation Dragon'''</center></span>
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Aurora, the Purple Creation Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
* '''Name:''' Aurora (The name Frisit was a deception not Aurora but an Ordial Entity).
* '''Name:''' Aurora, the Dragon of Creation's penultimate design and intellect.
* '''Domain:''' Ellador, the North Belt, Jorrhildr and the Frozen Wastes of the North.
* '''Domain:''' The Creation Dictat, that which creates all live on Aloria.  
* '''Symbols:''' Creationism, Life itself, Natural Selection & Evolution, Design.
* '''Symbols:''' The sprouting plant, the meteor and the meteor's impact crater.
* '''Role:''' Aurora is the Creator of species, the starting point of all organic life.
* '''Role:''' Aurora designs, creates and iterates on all living species on Aloria.  
* '''Traits:''' Frigid, Emotionless, Intuitive, Work-Obsessed, Isolationist, Free.
* '''Traits:''' Frigid, Emotionless, Intuitive, Work-Obsessed, Isolationist, Free.
* '''Temple:''' The Moon-Vault Halls in Ellador, capital of the Life Isldar Elven State.
* '''Temple:''' The Moon-Vault Halls in Ellador, capital of the Life Isldar Elven State.
* '''Allies:''' Alchemists, Hunters, Urlan, Doctors & Healers, Bureaucrats & Scholars.
* '''Allies:''' Alchemists, Hunters, Urlan, Scholars, those in the sciences.  
* '''Enemies:''' All things Ordial, the Afflicted, Death Isldar, the Undead, Slavers.
* '''Enemies:''' Death Isldar, Environmental destruction and eco-system destabilization.
* '''Rituals:''' Aurora worship is often done alone but can also be done together, in the Harvest of the Stars by wishing on the falling stars which are common in the skies, or the Hunting Rite of Passage where mentors take students on hunts to prove their natural selection ability and population control. Finally, the Transition Cave is where animal or people carcasses are laid to rest to turn into new lifeforms in insects and fungi.
* '''Rituals:''' Aurora worship is often done alone but can also be done together, in the Harvest of the Stars by wishing on the falling stars which are common in the skies, or the Hunting Rite of Passage where mentors take students on hunts to prove their natural selection ability and population control. Finally, the Transition Cave is where animal or people carcasses are laid to rest to turn into new lifeforms in insects and fungi.
|}
|}
</center>
</center>
</tr></table>
</tr></table>
==Expanded Lore==
 
Expanded Lore exists to provide additional context and content on the individual Gods that is not necessary to understand what a God is about, but can help those who want to invest in this Religion Roleplay with more depth.
===Gaia, the Indigo Nature Dragon===
===Regulus===
{|
Regulus is the Dragon-God of Command, Rule, Order, Souls, Time, and Lightning. Regulus is considered the warden of Time, by controlling the various strands of possible futures and lived pasts, while also preventing other forces from interfering with Time itself. Additionally, he is the Architect of Souls, through which the Draconism followers believe new souls are born in the world as he weaves their designs into existence. Regulus is a Blue Dragon, whose command over the weather and particularly express his Lightning symbolism. Regulus's primary agents are thought to be the birds, his eyes and ears, but also his messengers in the wider world. Regulus himself is always accompanied by his Falcon, on his shoulder, or high in the sky. Regulus is prayed to for direction and meaning, for aid in order and peace. As the Dragon-King, his role in the Conclave of Dragons is to mediate and preserve peace between the Dragons, even when they flaunt his control. His realm is the Central Junction, which rougly covers the lands of the Regalian Archipelago, Eriu Innis, Etosil, Southwynd, and all seas in between. Regulus's largest Temple is the Draackenrust Mountain in Anglia, which is covered in shrines protected and operated by the Stormsong Archon, and the Life Isldar who migrated there. Regulus is strongly connected with the Anglian Witches and is generally seen as the most sociable of the Dragon Gods who speaks frequently to mortals, even if this is often perceived as cryptic. Regulus's current reincarnation is a 45 year old Ailor, also known as the Prince Cedromar of the Regalian Empire, though among his worshipers, he is primarily known and referred to as Regulus or the Imperial Dragon-Prince. Regulus is frequently challenged by the other Dragons, particularly Caius and Nox, both who believe Regulus is too much of a slow-acting centrist, and who tries to mediate too much between sides who will never see eye to eye. Regulus is best known within the Immortal War, as the Dragon whose policy is that of "Radical Life Preservation". What this means is that Regulus is ostensibly anti-Occult, but believes strongly that the Occult have the right to live and thrive, and extends a radical view to the protection of life to the non-Occult also. Regulus followers take great care to never kill unless forced to do so to protect other lives, never to step on an insect, never to kill an animal, leading to many of them being vegetarians.  
|-
===Caius===
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
Caius is the Dragon-God of War, Warriors, Strength, Power, Love, and Fire. Caius was once called the Fire Lord, on account of his control over the element of Fire and Passion. As the Void first erupted into Aloria, the Dragons did not know what they were dealing with, and Caius was the only one to enter the Void. Doing so trapped him in a realm that was bereft of the laws of reality from which the Dragons function, so it took all might of the Dragons to pull him back. While they brought him back, his soul was split in half, with one half remaining in Aloria, and the other half in the Void that would eventually become the Void God Ifrit of [[Void Worship]] (called Triton in Draconism). Since then, Caius has slowly been dying, kept alive by Dragon Magic and the heat-core of the world while the Void corruption of part of his soul eats up his body from the inside like an ever-expanding cancer. While Caius was once a Dragon whose heat gave way to love, this imminent death has caused Caius and his followers to become violent and borderline genocidal against the Occult, hoping that by purging all the Void-infected rot of Aloria, they can sever the connection between the two worlds and halt the slow death of their lord. Caius is by nature a Red Dragon whose symbolism expresses itself in the fire he breathes, but his body has slowly become blackened with rot. As the Dragon-General of the Dragon Conclave, Caius's role was to lead the military arm of the Dragons that would protect the faithful and the world as a whole, but has since become the majority of the fighting forces of the Archon against the Occult during the Immortal War. Within the context of the Immortal War, it should as such not be surprising that his policy is "Radical Extermination", where all Occult-tainted entities must die to sever the connection between the Void and Aloria. While this would normally mean a disregard for the Ordial and Exist-based forces, because the purges of Caius are indiscriminate, they are usually included as well. All of Caius's Archon are violent and desperate to save their God, wishing death and destruction on many others to save him, and anyone else affected by Void rot. Caius is the most unforgiving god, whether by his rage and grief at his condition, or just because the raging fire has no temperance. Caius's largest Temple is that of the Rock of Eternity, the largest volcano in the world which houses Junction West, which covers roughly the territory of Guldar and the Drifting Isles. Caius's servants however, in their desperation or disgust at the Occult, reach far and beyond, into the territory of other Dragons, where they compete with the local forces over the cleansing of the Occult. Triton's role as both a Void God and a representative of the split in Caius's Soul is explained further below in a separate section that covers why many Draconism followers see Ifrit as a God too.
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
===Daiana===
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
While other Dragons manifest on Aloria's surface and roam, and can be met in person, Daiana is not one such Dragon. Her existence is more metaphysical, as her body is the planet core itself, in a way she is Aloria itself, though she does have an astral projection that can be perceived in visions or manifestations (which is why her appearance is generally understood). Daiana is the Dreaming Dragon, because her Dreams manifest reality itself, the rules of the world, but also the Gods and sometimes even people themselves. Daiana in a way could be considered the entity that dreams up all native Alorian Gods (so not Evolism Gods for example), but does so in an unconventional way. Daiana is directly affected by the living on Aloria in the same way that her dreams affect them. For example, when the proto-Velheim people who had no Gods or believed in different Gods dreamed of a better future, or had hopes of freedom from war and suffering, Daiana dreamt of the God Bard who embodied their strength, bravery, and capacity to fight for themselves. Daiana does not decide what Gods are born, her dreams dictate their themes, but those themes and concepts are also fed to her by the living of the world. Daiana also dreams of people, on occasion, creating the uniquely different Draconism Godborn, who are not actually conceived or born through natural processes, but dreamt up by Daiana's dreams of fate. Draconism Dreamborn (Godborn) are always born as full grown and capably thinking adults for a specific fated reason (literally appearing somewhere in the blink of an eye), which is not always clear to them. Some are dreamed up to protect a temple of specific person, while some might be born with insurmountable tasks like ending the decline of the Dwarven Race or destroying the Dread Empire. It is also possible for Daiana to dream up new Dreamborn for the ones that she has already dreamed of, if they failed to fulfill their destiny in time, or turned away from their fate. Daiana is especially valuable to the Eronidas, because she fulfills the role of Mother Earth, the closest concept in our lore to Gaia, the soul of the world itself. The Eronidas believe all their shamanistic powers derive from her, and believe that Caius is her husband, though such a connection isn't strictly proven and largely impractical because Caius is a literal Dragon while Daiana is the metaphysical concept of one. During the Denial of Immortality, Daiana never "died" or disappeared, though she also only communicates with a handful of people in an Elven lifespan. This circumstance has led some to believe that Daiana was never really alive, and exists in a state transcendent of living or death.
Gaia is not a Dragon exactly, but a mortal Aelrrigan Knight named Iorwerth (depicted right) who was an Archon serving the Dragons, carrying the soul of the dead Dragon Gaia. For centuries, Iorwerth was forced to serve the Malefica, one of the greatest unseen enemies of the Dragons, forced to conjure up vast magical structures, mazes, and fortresses for the Malefica and its Shades to use to deal death on mortals in the living world. He was forced to do this because his lover Cadell's (depicted left) soul had been captured by the Malefica, who used him as a bargain to string Iorwerth along. Through the intervention of mortals in Regalia, Iorwerth and Cadell were able to break free from the Malefica's control, and return to Aloria. There he rekindled with the Dragons he once served, but also still held the power of Ordial god-hood. For this, the Dragons tasked him to ascend to their pantheon by being the (somewhat reluctant) host of Gaia's Dragon Soulspark, a Dragon who had perished many centuries ago during the Denial of Immortality. While many of Iorwerth's structures still serve the Malefica, all have become overgrown with lush vines and the Lillies of the Valley, Iorwerth and Cadell's favorite flower. In this, Gaia's powers manifest as the Dragon of Nature, the other half of Aurora's Craters of Creation. While she created the living beings that inhabited nature, it was Gaia who created the plants and trees and flowers that decorate all the realms. Thus, carrying life and death in his body and his love by his side, Iorwerth is the Draconic God of Nature, tranquility, absolution, and redemption in rebirth.
===Triton===
|-
Triton is the second half of Caius's split soul, and in being so, he is a Void God. Triton was once caught in the Void, but when Behesael was killed, broke free from the Void and chose life on Aloria. This creates the strange circumstance for Draconists and Dragons, in that an Occult Infected Dragon exists in the same plane of reality as his other half, Caius. Attempts have been made by the Dragons to re-merge the two halves, but eventually aborted as Triton and Caius both violently resisted any further attempts, wishing to preserve their individual identities, but also the other Dragons finding discomfort with the idea of killing one of their own, even if Void Corrupted. Triton physically manifests in Aloria, and engages in a variety of plots and machinations that sometimes go against the Dragons, but often align with them. For example, his favor for the Drakon Cult Kathar is unusual, especially since Caius wants to exterminate them, while others don't even want to tolerate them. Triton's actions very much style towards the weaponization of the Void itself to fight the Void, but there is a definite undercurrent of trying to prove that Void and Draconic combinations are superior to Dragon or Void creations alone. Some in fact speculate that if Caius and Triton were ever to come to blows (both considered the strongest of Dragons), that Triton would win this fight with ease. It is unclear what happens if Caius were to be completely absorbed and corrupted by the Void, as this would put him in the same category as Triton. Some speculate that when this occurs, Triton and Caius's souls will re-merge, because Triton's soul is part of Caius's with Void alignment layered on top, and when that completes for Caius, the two will be identical. It is equally unclear whether Triton will always be aligned with the Dragons, or has some greater intention to betray them, though this seems to be a topic that most Dragons are more than content completely ignoring.  
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
===Nox===
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Nox is a complicated figure in the Draconism faith, as well as among Dragons, because of the amount of discord among Dragons he creates. Nox is the father of all Slizzar, not in the literal sense, but in the sense that he created them against the wishes of the other Dragons, and while stealing the gifts of Aurora to do it. When Dragons create life, they adhere to strict rules of what life can and cannot be. For example, it must have free will, it must live and die, and it must remain the same shape throughout most of its life. Nox broke these rules by making the Slizzar, both in that they live far beyond reason, but more importantly because they are Shapeshifters, that which the Dragons specifically prohibited to exist to preserve the natural Eco System. Nox was punished by the other Dragons by having his influence over the Slizzar severed. His soul was split (in a method not too dissimilar from Songaskian creation) into several Slizzar mortal bodies, the Anindriya Slizzar, so his consciousness could not complete his plans, but his followers and Soulcores would continue to function in his absence. Nox seemed to have outsmarted the other Dragons however, because part of his soul was imbued into the law of reflection, meaning that in every reflection experienced in the world whether by mirror or by calm pond of water, Nox's soul partially exists in the mirror world. Over the centuries while other Dragons have died or entered deep slumber, Nox's power had slowly been returning, so much so that he started actively interfering with global events. Some events should however not be misinterpreted as his. The Essa Empire, when the Slizzar puppeteered the Allar en masse to create their own Empire, was specifically not his doing, when an Arken abused his absence and lack of power to manifest in the world to masquerade as his will and representative to unify the Slizzar in this act. What Nox has been planning, or what he has been doing, remains a mystery to many, including his own Slizzar. Some however have posited that sometimes, these plots have no purpose, and that Nox much like other Dragons is subject to mortal desires and free will, and that his plots can in fact be for the simple reason that he enjoys feeling like a God and outsmarting everyone, or being an unseen hand that has guided history. There are even some so bold to claim that Nox was in fact responsible for the Essa Empire folding so rapidly, as he puppeteered the Mai-Allar to rebel against the other Allar and Slizzar, and aid the Regalians in knowing where all the military installations were, and helping the Regalian Empire crack another Empire in record time. The most sinister of plots that Nox is speculated to have engaged in (but for which no hard evidence exists), are the Yellow Dragons. There are in fact no Yellow Dragons, and while the entity called Zanobi was very real to the Allar, and the events concerning the Yellow Dragons were also real with regards to their society, it remains the fact that they are not part of the Dragon pantheon and don't exist in the historical context. Dragon Scholars have speculated that Zanobi and the Yellow Dragons were in fact a deceitful manifestation of Nox and the Silver Dragons, to create more compliance in the Allar to abandon their Evolist ways, and shy away from the corruption of the Void. The Allar who fled Sendrass did so because of the cruelty of the Sendrassian Allar, but the majority of them still observed some relation to Evolism and the Void Gods, which Zanobi was instrumental in weening them off of. It is thus reasonably possible, that one of the most traumatic events in Allar history, the diseased death of the Zanobi, was a skilled piece of gaslighting propaganda by Nox to firmly press onto the Allar that the Void is bad.
Virtue to Gaia (This God is both called Gaia and Iorwerth) is preserving balance of nature, in the give and take between the forces within an ecosystem, and preventing cascade collapse due to dying flora. From the smallest of maggots, to the largest of mammals, nature exists as the bedrock of life on Aloria. Iorwerth specifically adds to this, by making the act of redemption both in receiving and offering others the chance, a true virtue and to never give up in the face of even the most malicious of death-bound forces to return to a righted world and make amends.
===Marik===
|-
Marik as a figure is somewhat enigmatic, even for Draconism faithful who generally act smug about knowing more about the world than non believers. Marik prior to the Sariyd conflict was a very recluse Dragon who lived mostly on uninhabited lands, tinkering with mineral compositions and rare earth metals in the world. Even when the Machinist started investing in the early Sariyd in Marik's backyard, he seems to have taken a backseat role in doing nothing about it, up until the point that the Machinist took its revenge and crept its way back in power among the Qadir through the priests unknowing use of Machinist equipment. There are some that speculate that Marik assisted the Sariyd in their original rebellion against the Machinist, but since the soul of Al-Muqallid being eaten by the Beyond, and Marik dying, there is no person left alive who might remember, except perhaps for Triton who won't say. Marik created the Bralona Race as part of his intelligent artificial lifeforms used in the war against the Sariyd. Historical telling completely negates the existence of the Bralona on Ard-al-Nur, primarily because all Sariyd who would live to tell the tale died in the Great Storm, and because Regulus wiped the memories of all Bralona, and dumped them all on the island Justinia after refusing to kill them due to his belief that all living things deserved a chance at life. Marik was eventually killed by the Ordial Death-Lances even before the final siege that initiated the Great Storm occurred. Historical telling among the Sihai and Qadir has it that Marik was with the Dragons up on the mountain, but once again Regulus wiped the memories of everyone involved to try and hide the fact that Dragons could be killed in the physical sense by Ordial weaponry. Marik's soul however could not be killed, because the existence of Dragons in Aloria is inherent to its natural laws and because Daiana still dreamt of him, as she does of all the Dragons. As such, Marik's soul was reborn in the body of Al-Asir, who would later go on to become the God of the Qadir and become part of Unionism under the auspices of the Everwatcher. A studious reader might observe however, that the Qadir are universally Agnostic or Unionist, never Draconists. This is because the Qadir still have societal trauma towards the concept of Dragons, and because Al-Asir (or Marik, depending on the naming chosen) has made an active effort to distance himself from Draconism, and be closer to the Qadir in the spirit of redemption for his greatest failure, being that his soul and his Dragons permitted their minds and bravery to falter and cause the Great Storm, causing the deaths of tens of millions of Qadir. In a way, his life as Al-Asir is atonement, though the Draconists can still experience the soul of Marik through him. Al-Asir still loves all the same things Marik did, and still has the same powers as Marik. In such a way, Marik and Al-Asir being the same entity mean that this is a God shared by two Religions, which is a rare occurrence in the world. Marik's identity in that regard is complicated. He is primarily the patron Dragon God of the Songaskians, and the leader of the Bronze Desert Dragons who gave up their souls and bodies to birth the Songaskian Race. The Songaskians know and ackowledge Al-Asir is the bearer of Marik's reincarnated soul (just like Cedromar is the reincarnation of Regulus), but this is not accepted fact among the Unionists, or the wider Qadir Race. To the Qadir, Al-Asir is their God alone, they actively reject the notion that he is Marik's atonement, and may get violent to press that point. This is because for Qadir, the notion of accepting a Dragon as God when Dragons were (from their optics) part responsible for nearly wiping out their Race, even if deceived and puppeteered by the Machinist Ordial God. For Songaskians, the war with the Qadir is fresh in the mind, but they don't have the baggage of 40 million of their Race choking to death on sandstorms. It is speculated that the Qadir will not accept Al-Asir as Marik's alter ego, will only occur, when the Qadir individually or as a society can let go of the racial trauma of the Great Storm. Al-Asir is also not exactly Marik. A good analogy is that al-Asir is a clone approximation of Marik through which Marik can be experienced in his powers and wisdom and interactions, but that the original Marik is dead. That does not however make the Songaskians agnostics or atheists either, as those who want to actively worship living Dragons can just swap patronage, and those who do not care can continue to worship the qualities of Marik as they were known in past ages. Just because a God is dead, does not mean their message is no longer valid, and Marik's message still lives and breathes in Al-Asir.
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
===Severena===
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Severena is most political and temporal of the Dragons, having taken a role in mortal society in a way quite unlike many of the others deigned to do until very recently. She and her Clade, the White Dragons, are responsible for the origin point of Sihai civilization and almost all Sihai political and cultural structures that have persisted to the modern day, where they are recognized as the ultimate arbiters of morality and maintain a degree of staying power and ability to give orders in exchange for the extensive benefits of their protection. When Cataclysm struck the rest of the world and many other Dragons engaged in the Denial of Immortality, choosing their own ways to perish, the Sihai Dragons chose to self-sacrificially enter a slumber they could not leave to maintain the Jade Wall, a series of complicated fortifications enchanted to help the Sihai fight off against the waves of Demons which have assailed them since that time. Very recently, in the process of reversing the Denial, other Dragons traveled to the Sihai lands and awoke the White Dragons once again. Amidst political chaos related to their awakening and a civil war caused by the realization that a terrible fate had befallen a portion of the Sihai homeland, with the Dragons unable to protect them (read the Sihai page for the fate of the Sheng Empire to learn more), it is unclear how many of them are awake, whether it is just one or all. But Severena herself, at least, is known to be awake once again. Severena stands for the virtue of transcendence: her "Radical Ascension" philosophy stands for the idea that Occult persons themselves do not commit a sin by existing, but rather that Occultism is begat by sin, that there would be no Renegade Mages or evil sorcerers if the same impulses that created murderers no longer existed, and that the key to victory over Demonic forces is cultivating virtue in the people rather than any arcane-related solution. To this end, Severena's worshipers tend to adopt a very detached, self-perfectionist attitude where they meditate on abandoning their own flaws and attachments in the hopes that others will follow their example and turn to the beauty of Draconic creation. Not just Sihai worship Severena, as well: her immortal concept that the war against the impure starts within the self is popular with many ascetic types, leading to her having a syncretic following among many Dragon Monks, even those who worship other Dragons as primary, as someone whose advice is simply wise to keep. It is also important to understand that Severena's philosophy does not encourage apathy and doing nothing, because sometimes other people do not know what is good for them and have to be guided to the 'correct' spiritual solution. Her worshipers are more than happy to lend their ancient wisdom to all sides of the Draconic cause (though usually Regulus) in their shared goals.
Vices to Gaia, are the stupidity and naivety to outsmart forces greater in power than the self. In this, Iorwerth and Cadell's centuries-long imprisonment in the Beyond acts as a deterrent and a warning that evil forces are not interested in playing fair or honest, and that respecting duels or challenges of powerful entities is foolish. Iorwerth and Cadell express above all that it is a Vice to not seek help, to not ask for saving, and to foolhardy insist that the individual can overcome all trials and struggles alone. Gaia looks down on lone wolves who risk others with their own recklessness.
===Aurora===
|-
Aurora is the most anti-social of all the Dragons, who sometimes shows active contempt for her own creations (especially the sentient mortals), with the sole exception being the Urlan, who she considers the perfect creation and beyond anything she has ever made. The Urlan refer to Aurora as Valerius or the Hunt-Mother, even if they are not Draconists. She fulfills a more secular creationist role for them in the same way that Daiana is a mechanical aspect of god-birth to other Religions. Aurora created the Urlan because she lacked faith in the other Races to live up to her expectations of the apex creature at the top of the food chain, and acting as her representation in preserving the eco system by culling over populations and hunting over-active predators, as well as disrupting factors. Urlan to Aurora, are self-perpetuating creation, especially because they can convert other Races to their own ranks, and have unique defenses against the Occult that Aurora considers design flaws in other Races for being absent. Aurora did not always favor the Urlan so, as she was a fervent supporter of the Dragon Cultists among the Allorn Empire who acted as protectors of the Craters of Creation where she experiments with life forms. She eventually perished in the wars against the Elves and Dwarves (and took a good portion of Dwarves with her), in an event not too dissimilar to how Marik's soul was abused by an Ordial Entity to cause death. The Glacial Ordial Goddess used Aurora's Magic to birth the Isldar and kill hundreds of thousands of Dwarves and Elves, while also putting an Ordial entity called Frisit in her corpse to deceive the Isldar into secretly worshiping her while they thought they remained faithful to the Dragons. This deceit was eventually discovered when the Dragons revived Aurora, unmasking the Frisit beast, and the Glacial's plot, which would result in the Isldar civil war where one side reconnected with Draconism, while the other side threw their lot in with the Glacial as their true protector and became the Death Isldar. While Aurora still shows some favor and connection with the Life Isldar, her pride and glory goes to the Urlan, who have since also become stalwart allies of the Life Isldar as two perfect halves of preserving eco systems in a way that Aurora is perhaps too shortsighted to appreciate. After all, while the Urlan are the apex hunter, the knowledge and information gathering as well as the analytical insight of the Life Isldar is unmistakable, and the two of them combined make an undefeatable combination.  
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Gaia's Radical is the Radical of Integration. This Radical proposes that the Occult can have the right to exist in the mortal world, but only insofar they are able to exist in a social ego system that is in harmony with their environment and the people around them. This vague concept proclaims that the Occult have a right to exist, but that to claim this right they must adapt and conform, concede, and compromise, and cannot hold onto selfish notions of complete autonomy. Failing this, Gaia's Radical proposes purging invasive Occult who disrupt social eco systems to preserve stability.
|}
 
==Magic Policy==
Magic, or more specifically how to treat Magic (that is not Dragon Magic), varies for each of the Dragons, and subsequently as their faithful as they are bound to choose one of the Dragons as their Patron. The Dragon policies are called "The Radicals" for example the Radical of Destruction or the Radical of Apathy. Each Dragon has a context and nuance for why they feel that particular way, which is explained below. It is possible to apply multiple Radicals at once.
* '''Regulus, the Radical of Symbiosis:''' Regulus was born and lived most of his life as a mortal Ailor, and spent many years warming up to the presence of Occult. Notable in his history, is his intense friendship with a Pride Arkenborn, who softened him to the value of the Occult to fight an indeterminate "evil". As such, Regulus's Radical is that of Symbiosis, the idea that the Occult can also be recruited in the fight against the bad types of Magic, or the bad types of Magic users. Regulus fervently believes in the right of the Occult to live their life un-harassed by demands to convert to Dragon Magic or be rid of their Magic, as well as free from the fear of being killed for being Occult, but only for a narrow band of Occult who agree that casual, indifferent, or whimsical use of Magic is extremely dangerous. Regulus seeks to recruit Occult of Void, Exist, or Ordial alignment, who will aid in the fight against the Death Cults, Evolist Gods, Undead, Arken, and their ilk. Finally, Regulus and his followers determine those who are irredeemably "evil" for their vile Magic usage, declaring them Anathema and handing the matter off to Caius and his faithful for the hunt.
* '''Caius, the Radical of Fire:''' Caius has suffered for 80,000 years, as the Void itself is tearing him apart. When the Void opened, Dragons being curious, sent Caius in to try and understand what it was. This event caused Caius's soul and body to split in two (the other half being Ifrit). He has been infected with a slow rotting corruption from within that will eventually overtake him, and so the urgency of his fight against the Occult is a desperation to end the infection before it ends him. His Radical of Fire, insists that the bad type of infection (Magic, Afflicted) must be burned out with fire and sword without mercy. Umbra believes that Caius's condition is made worse by casual Magic usage (such as just doing magic for the sake of it, or to impress others without urgent need), and so while Caius does not demand all Magical people be exterminated for being Magical, he demands they be made to suffer for casual Magic and abuse of Magic for selfish reasons with fire so they learn not to add to the suffering of Caius. Caius and his followers also wait for Regulus to determine who is Anathema in the law of Draconism, and seek out to utterly destroy those that have been labeled irredeemable to help Caius in his suffering.
* '''Daiana, the Radical of Peace:''' Daiana is the world itself, and as such, her policies are only really understood indirectly from the Dreamborn that wander the world that are manifested from her Dreamspark, the thing with which she creates Gods and other matters of reality on Aloria. Daiana is a Dragon uniquely positively disposed to Spirits, and their will to live on Aloria even if they come from another dimension. Daiana dreams of a world without death, which sometimes puts her at odds with Umbra who insists on the need for the life and death cycle. While Spirits cannot truly feel the same way mortals do on Aloria, Daiana is the Spirit mother who seeks to embrace all of them and create a world in which Spirits and the living can exist in harmony, as Spirits in her eyes are always fated to exist for a specific reason, just like her Dreamborn. The exception, however, is what her faithful call the "Hollows", which are Spirits that have vile or ruinous intentions on the world. Daiana and her followers seek out the destruction or banishment of these Hollows, as they believe them to be corruptive to other Spirits who would otherwise have curious or benign intentions to living on Aloria.
* '''Triton, the Radical of Power:''' Triton is both a split personality of Caius that exists in his own body, but also an entirely different person. It is believed that Triton is perhaps the only entity to have been omniscient since the dawn of Dragon times, as all other Dragons have either died, faded from reality, become unaware of the world, or projected into a different reality. Triton to some is called the "Dark Dragon", because he has no anti-Occult stance whatsoever, in fact he wants them all used, even Vampires. Triton's stance of Radical of Power implicates his followers with seeking to bend the Occult to their will, ostensibly to eradicate other Occult who are resilient to their power or are too wretched to be bent into service. Triton essentially weaponizes the Occult against other Occult, both to gather power, but also to bring about an easier destruction of the Occult, specifically by making the casualties other Occult, and not the Mundane or Draconist worshipers.
* '''Nox, the Radical of Illusion:''' Nox much like Daiana has a policy that isn't strictly anti-Occult but aimed at the Occult integration in some way. Nox acknowledges that while other Dragons are mostly focused on the Occult infection of the world, Draconism or Dragons as a whole have many other enemies, including Gods, mortals and even the natural forces of the world. Nox seeks to harvest the Occult for information, knowledge, and sometimes even dark powers short of becoming Afflicted so that they can be weaponized against the threats the other Dragons ignore or aren't aware of. This can also include defending the Draconist cause against incursions from the outside, those who would usurp the powers of the Draconic. Some might even say, that it could involve shutting down Dragon Sites and regulating who get access to them, because sometimes, the enemy is within the Draconist's own cause whether through naivity or having fallen under the wrong influences.  
* '''Marik, the Radical of Illumination:''' Marik is a product of a reborn tragedy, a Dragon whose soul was once used to commit the revenge of a Death God unto the ancestors of the Qadir. Much of his current life is in a mission to heal the damage this has done, and to mend the rifts that have come about between people of different origins, cultures, or beliefs. Marik as the patron of the Songaskians, straddles a difficult position in which he is a Dragon God to the Songaskians, but a Unionist God to the Qadir. The Songaskians do not directly contradict this reality, but the Qadir have not yet surpassed their historical trauma, and refuse to acknowledge that Marik is also a Dragon. Marik himself has always dodged the question or the matter, and resides in his home in Al-Alus, surrounded by the Qadir. His avoidant attitude extends to his Radical of Illumination, believing that whatever issue exists with the Occult, is only secondary to healing the historical trauma and damage that was inflicted on the world by the war between the Dragons and the Occult over the past 70,000 years, by helping Mundane and Occult alike heal from their history and the crimes committed against their ancestors.  
* '''Umbra, the Radical of Demise:''' Umbra's Radical of Demise underpins the absolute necessity for death to continue the cycle of life, and to prevent death from taking place elsewhere. What this means is that Umbrists believe in the inevitability of the fated end, that all thousands of premonitions of the future always lead to one outcome, being a death, and that a death must be made but that they have the choice whose life to take. This evaluation is usually based on the circumstances of the death. For example, if a Purist were to try and kill an Occult and that would result in a riot which would cause even more death, then the Umbrist would instead prevent the Occult's death, and kill the Lothar instead, because they believe that if they do not, that fate will exact another unforeseen death elsewhere. Umbra and his followers are utilitarians at heart, and as such will always seek to exact a clean and painless death to prevent more violence and more undue death that was not foretold in the threads of future visions. This can as mentioned sometimes involve taking the side of the Occult, but often also results in them killing Occult who will inevitably become Demonically possessed, or limit-break and take half a city with them.
* '''Felicula, the Radical of Love:''' Felucila's Radical of Love, is often ridiculed by the faithful of the other Dragons as inanely naive. Her Radical insists that if the Occult were just embraced, cherished, loved, and be made friends with, that the Immortal War will end by itself, and that most if not all the vileness and grief that comes from the Occult, is based by the sociopolitical conditions in which they live, in constant persecution, ridicule, and fearing for their life. While some element of this is certainly very true, Felicula worshipers sometimes neglect the reality that some people just suck, and that some entities are just irredeemably evil. Felicula and her followers will always keep trying to convince those who were led astray by the ruinous powers, that they are welcome and cherished, and through that convince them to turn away from sinful Occult behavior.  
* '''Severena, the Radical of Inward:''' Severena believes that the world, reality as it existed even before the Dragons, created flaws inherent in existence. As a result, Dragons are flawed, and subsequently, mortals they create are flawed. Furthering from that thought, she believes that one cannot truly look at the Occult and claim it to be filth that defiles the world, because the world is already filled with filth in violence, untimely death, suffering, hunger, and anguish, even without Magic. She claims that it is not possible for a Draconist to truly stand against the vilest of Occult that have tasked it upon themselves to inflict suffering, if the non-Occult do not first reach a higher understanding in themselves, and rid themselves of earthly attachments and have a clean mind. The Radical of Inward insists that the faithful must reach a higher level of transcendent detachment from personal anchors such as greed, pride, vanity, lust, and so forth, and then reach out into the world during this journey, to become protectors of the world.  
* '''Aurora, the Radical of Focus:''' Aurora does not care. This is a simple view, the Radical of Focus insists that there are far more important natural functions of the world, such as the continuation of life itself and the perpetuation of new animal species. Aurora quite literally does not have time to spend a second thought about the Occult, and as such she and her followers completely ignore the hypothetical Immortal War or the war between the Dragons and the Occult, to instead focus on maintaining the base functions of the world in the absence of other divine figures to steer them. Note, this does not mean that the Life Isldar are pacifists and simply lay down to the Death Isldar attacking them, they can take a very harsh and hostile stance against the Occult, but only ever do so when the threat manifests in geo politics. Aurora and her worshipers otherwise reject the urgency of destroying unworthy or sinful Occult, even at the cost of Caius's suffering.  
==Priestly Activities==
==Priestly Activities==
To be Expanded.
To be Expanded.
Line 169: Line 220:
|Artists =  
|Artists =  
|Writers = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors =  
|Processors = FireFan96
}}
}}
[[category:Religion]]
[[category:Religion]]

Revision as of 01:16, 22 April 2024

Draconism
Gdwsgdse.png
Religion
Pronunciation Dra-konism
Origins Unknown, presumed over 70.000 years ago
Deities
Regulus, Caius, Daiana, Triton, Nox, Marik, Severena, Aurora.
Subsects
N/A

Origins

Draconism is the oldest Religion in the world, presumed to have existed in some form or another for nearly 100,000 years, though it is at the very least certain that the dogma has changed over successive generations. For example, the Maraya who have awoken from the Vaults, find Draconism radically different from what they remember in their Civilization, and even different from the archeological studies they did of the third Civilization that preceded them. Draconism styles itself after the values and principles of the Dragons in that Era, themed or styled in itself after the Races that roam the world at that time. It is as such an ever changing Religion that shapes itself based on the followers, though the Dragon Gods are eternal and remain largely similar with only their Race and some subtext changing between successive generations. Draconism has followers all over the world, but is generally speaking one of the weaker religions, being outclassed in number of followers by the likes of Unionism, Estelley, Fornoss, and some would argue even Evolism. Draconism has technically been a dead religion for 300 years, as the Dragons disappeared from the world in various ways, leaving behind their faithful who now worshiped in essence dead Gods. In the last few years however, Draconism has made a quick revival with many Temples being inhabited again, and the Dragons coming back alive in what is referred to as the Revival of Immortality.

History

To understand why the Dragons "died", it is necessary to understand the grand theme running through Draconism, being The Immortal War. The Immortal War refers to the endless conflict between the Dragons and what they call The Infection, which means Ordial/Exist/Void Essences that creep into the world of Aloria and attach to living and non living things there. The Dragons see themselves as natural wardens of the order of the world, and seek to remove The Infection from the world as a result. The Immortal War is mostly fought between Dragons and the Arken, at least historically speaking when they were still bound to Estel and Behesael. Each successive Void Invasion signals the failure of the Dragons to halt yet another end-times event, though after each cycle, the Dragons remain to restart civilization with new Races. Only the last (5th) Void Invasion was halted, when the Dragons performed the rite of the Denial of Immortality. In essence, Demons and Arken were immortal because the natural laws of Aloria allowed immortality. By denying immortality, the forces the Dragons fought could be killed, but they in turn were also killable. The Arken destroyed Estel and eventually Behesael in their betrayal, and the Dragons went out one way or another as the Immortal War essentially ended in a stalemate. The Dragons relented their efforts to kill the Arken, and contented themselves with the end of the Void Invasions, though recently, the Dragons seem to have come back from this decision, and have started reviving all over the world.

Draconic Nuance

There is one topic worth discussing with regards to Draconism, compared to other religions: the (in)validity of other Religions through Dragons. It is pretty widely known that Dragons create both Races and Gods, but this fact does not make them Gods to other peoples and religions who do not observe them as such. Consider this metaphor: if you liked your team-leader, because he did good things for you and your goals align, your belief in your team-leader is not suddenly invalidated, because your team-leader was raised/taught by a different person. All Religions understand the mechanical purpose of Dragons in the world (conception, creation, ecosystems etc.), but reject their religious message or Dragons as Gods (except in some circumstances, like the Guided Cult of Unionism). Draconism is the only Religion without an afterlife, the faithful neither go to an afterlife nor to the Beyond, their souls are lifted up by Umbra and rejoin the Soul Rivers from which they are born, disappearing into nothingness and lending their life and memories back to the Dragons.

Divine Mechanics

All Religions provide 1 single Mechanic to their Believers that fits within the flair of their Religion. This Mechanic is lost if the individual stops believing in the Religion, or becomes a heretic, but can be regained. Afflicted can use this mechanic, but having the mechanic does not imply that they have blanket forgiveness from their Gods, just that there is more nuance to it than that.

  • Draconism worshipers are able to use Persuasion Dice rolls on Gods both outside and inside of Divinium summonings which is normally not possible. Additionally they gain +2 to every Dice roll of Persuasion against a God, and their Persuasion Cap is raised by +2 when rolling against Gods.

Gods and Goddesses

Draconism has several Gods (gender indeterminate, though when humanoid, they do appear gendered), making it a polytheistic Religion. Unlike many other polytheistic religions, however, Draconism has a clear hierarchy and even a form of competitive rivalry between the so-called Dragon Thrones. Every Dragon Throne (a group of Dragons) contains a leader who is the representative God, and the lesser named Dragons. These lesser named Dragons are not strictly Gods, but they are treated with great reverence. Not all Draconism Gods are currently alive, during the process of the Denial of Immortality, most Dragons died in a non-traditional sense (which also made the Religion "dead" for nearly 300 years save for areas like the Sihai Lands), with not all of them having been revived recently. It is possible to worship multiple Dragons, but because the Dragon Gods often conflict with one another even when they have a Dragon King, most Draconism followers worship a single God that best fits their principles and beliefs.

Regulus, the Blue King Dragon
caption
  • Name: Regulus, the Dragon of Command, Hierarchy and Rulership.
  • Domain: Regulus controls the Draconic Conclave and rules the Dragons.
  • Symbols: Thunder Storms, Rulership, Banners, Rain, Bodies of Water.
  • Role: Regulus acts as the King of Dragons, to mediate and command them.
  • Traits: Capricious, Cryptic, Regal, Sagely, Mediating, Attentive, Loyalty.
  • Temple: House of Dragons on Draackenrust Mountain in Anglia.
  • Allies: Arkenborn, Urlan, Adal & Hagen faithful, Leyon faithful.
  • Enemies: Those who stand against the Regalian Empire and seek its downfall.
  • Rituals: Regulus is celebrated through the act of mediation between aggrieved parties, or the Dragon-King trial in which blue Dragon-King flames are summoned, a trial is held between two parties holding their hand in the flame, with the flame burning them if they utter a lie. Another method of worship is by expanding the political reach of the Dragons or the Draconism faithful, who have to rebuild their religion.
Caius, the Red Dying Dragon
caption
  • Name: Caius (Shalmanisar in Eronidas), Dragon of Love, Passion, and War.
  • Domain: Caius commands the impulses of the living, violence, and fire.
  • Symbols: Volcanoes, Battle, War, Destruction, Flames and Fire, and Magma.
  • Role: Caius acts as the Dragon General, leading Dragon forces in War.
  • Traits: Ill-tempered, Violent, Uncompromising, Brave, Passionate, Loving.
  • Temple: Rock of Eternity Volcano (largest Volcano in the world) in Guldar.
  • Allies: Ifrit faithful, Leif & Bard faithful, Gladiators, Lothar Knights, Purists.
  • Enemies: Any Occult, Occult Sympathizers, Aelrrigan Knights, Centrists.
  • Rituals: Caius is celebrated through the rituals of Mage-Burnings and Pyro-Branding. The former involves gathering magical scrolls, books, and artifacts, and burning them in a ritual fire, while the latter involves branding the Occult with painful scars that hurt when they use Magic. Less violent forms of worship involve the Flame-Dance, a ritual dance by torches in the moonlight, and the Burning Love Chalice, writing love letters and burning them.
Daiana, the Gray Dreaming Dragon
caption
  • Name: Daiana (Da'amu in Eronidas), Dragon of the Elements and Planet.
  • Domain: Daiana's domain is the planet itself, she is the world.
  • Symbols: Earth, Ancestor Spirits, Nature, Dreaming, Child-bearing.
  • Role: Daiana is the rock upon which all living move through space.
  • Traits: Shamanism, Maternal, Nurturing, Meditation, Grounding, Wisdom.
  • Temple: Great Hall of Mother in Kezzeret Kashubasha (Eronidas State).
  • Allies: Mana faithful, Mothers, Yanar, Narim, Dwarves, Elkonur faithful, Spirits.
  • Enemies: Those who disrespect Spirits as not having a story to tell or live out.
  • Rituals: Daiana is celebrated through the Harvest Ritual and Caring Ceremony, the former which involves celebrating harvest and sharing meals with others, the latter which involves bestowing both the blessing and responsibility of caring onto someone else by granting them a plant, a pet, or a child to take care of. Daiana is also invoked by priests to summon the Spirits or appearances of dead relatives to give consolation to the mourning living.
Triton, the Black Chain Dragon
caption
  • Name: Triton, Dragon of the Void, known as Triton in Evolism.
  • Domain: Triton's Domain is power and control, specifically of the mind.
  • Symbols: Revenge, Domination, Darkness in one's Soul, Dark Metal.
  • Role: Triton is the Dark second half of Caius's split soul, Void infected.
  • Traits: Vengeful, Cruel, Pragmatic, Powerful, Unforgiving, Unrelenting.
  • Temple: Darkscale House of the High Father in the Osciird Princedoms (Daen).
  • Allies: Evolism Faithful, Evintarian Unionists, Military & Martial people.
  • Enemies: The Apathetic & Inactive, Behesael faithful, Pacifists, Ithanians.
  • Rituals: Triton is celebrated through the Metamorphic Baptism, involved in ritually immersing in a pool of Void-blessed Dragon Water, and assuming Void Mutations of Triton. Another ritual is the Retribution Rally, where they summon a banner of Revenge and call forth allies to sally forth and attack their enemy for vengeance. Finally, Triton accepts blood offerings either from the faithful or those vanquished in battle.
Nox, the Teal Unseen Dragon
caption
  • Name: Nox (Madhyaratri in Slizzar & Allar), Dragon of mirrors and truth.
  • Domain: Nox's domain is that of truth or lies, and wisdom in foresight.
  • Symbols: Mirrors, Snakes, Libraries, Sassrakkand, the Mind, Chrome.
  • Role: Nox acts as Spymaster for the Dragons, but also has his own agenda.
  • Traits: Deceitful, Calculated, Foresight, Thoughtful, Wise, All-Knowing.
  • Temple: The Sassrakkand Pyramideon (only accessible to Slizzar and Archon).
  • Allies: Inth faithful, Rand faithful, Juvin Faithful, Wadj & Yah Faithful.
  • Enemies: Justicars, Knights, Guards, The Afflicted, The Thralled & Mind-Controlled.
  • Rituals: Nox's worship involves the mirrors in which his Dragonsoul was banished by the Dragons for transgressing by creating the Slizzar, which he was specifically forbidden from doing. His followers etch secrets and things they have learned from the Occult into mirrors, after which the messages melt into the reflection and disappear, sometimes causing an approving reflection of Nox to appear for only a split second.
Marik, the Brown Etherforge Dragon
caption
  • Name: Marik (Al-Asir in Qadir), Dragon of Tech, a Unionist God also.
  • Domain: Marik's Domain are the Leylines and Leytech, all Draconic machines.
  • Symbols: Technology, Forgery, Craftsmen, Bronze, Brass, and Desert Sands.
  • Role: Marik is the Architect of Dragon Weapons and Sites against the Occult.
  • Traits: Helpful, Reassuring, Resourceful, Quirky, Compassionate, Self-Sacrificing.
  • Temple: Marik's Temple was destroyed by the Great Storm that ravished Ard-al Nur.
  • Allies: Qadir, Unionists, Automata & Artificial living Beings, Technicians.
  • Enemies: Machinist faithful, Body-Modders, War-fanatics & the Military.
  • Rituals: Marik's history of making all the Draconic weapons to exterminate the Occult in history, versus his current reincarnation differ considerably. While in the past worship was the creation of more weapons, now it is the creation of tools to help people live easier and more comfortable lives, specifically to replace the shortcut need of Magic to solve societal and environmental problems, by making the solution tech instead.
Umbra, the White Twilight Dragon
caption
  • Name: Umbra, the Dragon of the Dead and the Soul Rivers of Draconism.
  • Domain: The Soul Rivers, the passage between life and death in Aloria.
  • Symbols: A white swirl, blackout tattoos, a furred instead of scaled Dragon.
  • Role: Umbra maintains the Soul Rivers and the Dead-Living boundaries.
  • Traits: Deadly, Pestilent, Renewal, Memories, Capricious, Sardonic.
  • Temple: Destroyed, re-inhabited by the Evolist Temple in Regalia' Wilderness.
  • Allies: Eronidas, Those who hunt Undead and return Spirits to the Afterlife.
  • Enemies: Undead, Geists, those who consort with the Ordial Scourge.
  • Rituals: Umbra is an ambiguous Dragon who is neither motivated by rage and pain or banishment into the Void for his favor to what some would call cruelty. He is the agent of all diseases and sickness on Aloria, because his greatest beauty is death itself, a final act and a final chapter in someone's life. Rituals of Umbra involve speeding an inevitable death to conclusion, and putting the dying at ease with the inevitable.
Felicula, the Yellow Harmony Dragon
caption
  • Name: Felicula is the Dragon of Festivity, Kindness, and Warmheartedness.
  • Domain: Felicula's domain is entertainment and culture, as well as peace.
  • Symbols: The yellow Hadar Chrysanthemum, vines wrapped around amphoras.
  • Role: Felicula makes the world pleasant to live in by creating joy in shadow.
  • Traits: Shy, Endearing, Hospitable, Altruistic, Well-meaning, Naive.
  • Temple: Felicula never had a Temple, as worship of her was in festivities.
  • Allies: Entertainers, Artists, Musicians, Bartenders, Party Hosts, Dancers.
  • Enemies: Those who speak with sarcasm, cruelty, or inflict mental anguish.
  • Rituals: Felicula's worship is engaged in through the many varied Draconism festivals, one for each month, and to show random gestures of kindness and gifts to others. Very common is the Draconist gift-giving ceremony, where on the 20th of December, Draconism Faithful gift each other personalized and thoughtful gifts of specifically small monetary value, but also joining events hosted by others and improving the entertainment value.
Severena, the Green Stalwart Dragon
caption
  • Name: Severena (Saaima in Sihai), Dragon of Protection and Transcendence.
  • Domain: Protection of the world from danger, and the inner Eye and Soul.
  • Symbols: Air, Monasteries, High Mountain Towers, Clouds, Transcendence.
  • Role: Severena guides the protectors of the living across the world.
  • Traits: Contemplative, Insightful, Ascended, Detached, Piercing, Ethereal.
  • Temple: The Beian Temples in Zhong where the Air Dragons Slumber and dream of Jade.
  • Allies: Those who task themselves to save the world from chaos and calamity.
  • Enemies: Those who would cause chaos and damage the world and people in it.
  • Rituals: Severena worship is done the Breath of Serenity, a solo or group excersize of speaking out evils and attachments, and letting go with breathing exercises. Another worship method is the Temple of Elevation where the faithful climb high mountains or tall towers with lanterns to seek enlightenment, and the vows of protection where those who have attained enlightenment and detachment from the mortal world, can become true world protectors.
Aurora, the Purple Creation Dragon
caption
  • Name: Aurora, the Dragon of Creation's penultimate design and intellect.
  • Domain: The Creation Dictat, that which creates all live on Aloria.
  • Symbols: The sprouting plant, the meteor and the meteor's impact crater.
  • Role: Aurora designs, creates and iterates on all living species on Aloria.
  • Traits: Frigid, Emotionless, Intuitive, Work-Obsessed, Isolationist, Free.
  • Temple: The Moon-Vault Halls in Ellador, capital of the Life Isldar Elven State.
  • Allies: Alchemists, Hunters, Urlan, Scholars, those in the sciences.
  • Enemies: Death Isldar, Environmental destruction and eco-system destabilization.
  • Rituals: Aurora worship is often done alone but can also be done together, in the Harvest of the Stars by wishing on the falling stars which are common in the skies, or the Hunting Rite of Passage where mentors take students on hunts to prove their natural selection ability and population control. Finally, the Transition Cave is where animal or people carcasses are laid to rest to turn into new lifeforms in insects and fungi.

Gaia, the Indigo Nature Dragon

caption
 Description

Gaia is not a Dragon exactly, but a mortal Aelrrigan Knight named Iorwerth (depicted right) who was an Archon serving the Dragons, carrying the soul of the dead Dragon Gaia. For centuries, Iorwerth was forced to serve the Malefica, one of the greatest unseen enemies of the Dragons, forced to conjure up vast magical structures, mazes, and fortresses for the Malefica and its Shades to use to deal death on mortals in the living world. He was forced to do this because his lover Cadell's (depicted left) soul had been captured by the Malefica, who used him as a bargain to string Iorwerth along. Through the intervention of mortals in Regalia, Iorwerth and Cadell were able to break free from the Malefica's control, and return to Aloria. There he rekindled with the Dragons he once served, but also still held the power of Ordial god-hood. For this, the Dragons tasked him to ascend to their pantheon by being the (somewhat reluctant) host of Gaia's Dragon Soulspark, a Dragon who had perished many centuries ago during the Denial of Immortality. While many of Iorwerth's structures still serve the Malefica, all have become overgrown with lush vines and the Lillies of the Valley, Iorwerth and Cadell's favorite flower. In this, Gaia's powers manifest as the Dragon of Nature, the other half of Aurora's Craters of Creation. While she created the living beings that inhabited nature, it was Gaia who created the plants and trees and flowers that decorate all the realms. Thus, carrying life and death in his body and his love by his side, Iorwerth is the Draconic God of Nature, tranquility, absolution, and redemption in rebirth.

Virtues

Virtue to Gaia (This God is both called Gaia and Iorwerth) is preserving balance of nature, in the give and take between the forces within an ecosystem, and preventing cascade collapse due to dying flora. From the smallest of maggots, to the largest of mammals, nature exists as the bedrock of life on Aloria. Iorwerth specifically adds to this, by making the act of redemption both in receiving and offering others the chance, a true virtue and to never give up in the face of even the most malicious of death-bound forces to return to a righted world and make amends.

Vices

Vices to Gaia, are the stupidity and naivety to outsmart forces greater in power than the self. In this, Iorwerth and Cadell's centuries-long imprisonment in the Beyond acts as a deterrent and a warning that evil forces are not interested in playing fair or honest, and that respecting duels or challenges of powerful entities is foolish. Iorwerth and Cadell express above all that it is a Vice to not seek help, to not ask for saving, and to foolhardy insist that the individual can overcome all trials and struggles alone. Gaia looks down on lone wolves who risk others with their own recklessness.

Radical

Gaia's Radical is the Radical of Integration. This Radical proposes that the Occult can have the right to exist in the mortal world, but only insofar they are able to exist in a social ego system that is in harmony with their environment and the people around them. This vague concept proclaims that the Occult have a right to exist, but that to claim this right they must adapt and conform, concede, and compromise, and cannot hold onto selfish notions of complete autonomy. Failing this, Gaia's Radical proposes purging invasive Occult who disrupt social eco systems to preserve stability.

Magic Policy

Magic, or more specifically how to treat Magic (that is not Dragon Magic), varies for each of the Dragons, and subsequently as their faithful as they are bound to choose one of the Dragons as their Patron. The Dragon policies are called "The Radicals" for example the Radical of Destruction or the Radical of Apathy. Each Dragon has a context and nuance for why they feel that particular way, which is explained below. It is possible to apply multiple Radicals at once.

  • Regulus, the Radical of Symbiosis: Regulus was born and lived most of his life as a mortal Ailor, and spent many years warming up to the presence of Occult. Notable in his history, is his intense friendship with a Pride Arkenborn, who softened him to the value of the Occult to fight an indeterminate "evil". As such, Regulus's Radical is that of Symbiosis, the idea that the Occult can also be recruited in the fight against the bad types of Magic, or the bad types of Magic users. Regulus fervently believes in the right of the Occult to live their life un-harassed by demands to convert to Dragon Magic or be rid of their Magic, as well as free from the fear of being killed for being Occult, but only for a narrow band of Occult who agree that casual, indifferent, or whimsical use of Magic is extremely dangerous. Regulus seeks to recruit Occult of Void, Exist, or Ordial alignment, who will aid in the fight against the Death Cults, Evolist Gods, Undead, Arken, and their ilk. Finally, Regulus and his followers determine those who are irredeemably "evil" for their vile Magic usage, declaring them Anathema and handing the matter off to Caius and his faithful for the hunt.
  • Caius, the Radical of Fire: Caius has suffered for 80,000 years, as the Void itself is tearing him apart. When the Void opened, Dragons being curious, sent Caius in to try and understand what it was. This event caused Caius's soul and body to split in two (the other half being Ifrit). He has been infected with a slow rotting corruption from within that will eventually overtake him, and so the urgency of his fight against the Occult is a desperation to end the infection before it ends him. His Radical of Fire, insists that the bad type of infection (Magic, Afflicted) must be burned out with fire and sword without mercy. Umbra believes that Caius's condition is made worse by casual Magic usage (such as just doing magic for the sake of it, or to impress others without urgent need), and so while Caius does not demand all Magical people be exterminated for being Magical, he demands they be made to suffer for casual Magic and abuse of Magic for selfish reasons with fire so they learn not to add to the suffering of Caius. Caius and his followers also wait for Regulus to determine who is Anathema in the law of Draconism, and seek out to utterly destroy those that have been labeled irredeemable to help Caius in his suffering.
  • Daiana, the Radical of Peace: Daiana is the world itself, and as such, her policies are only really understood indirectly from the Dreamborn that wander the world that are manifested from her Dreamspark, the thing with which she creates Gods and other matters of reality on Aloria. Daiana is a Dragon uniquely positively disposed to Spirits, and their will to live on Aloria even if they come from another dimension. Daiana dreams of a world without death, which sometimes puts her at odds with Umbra who insists on the need for the life and death cycle. While Spirits cannot truly feel the same way mortals do on Aloria, Daiana is the Spirit mother who seeks to embrace all of them and create a world in which Spirits and the living can exist in harmony, as Spirits in her eyes are always fated to exist for a specific reason, just like her Dreamborn. The exception, however, is what her faithful call the "Hollows", which are Spirits that have vile or ruinous intentions on the world. Daiana and her followers seek out the destruction or banishment of these Hollows, as they believe them to be corruptive to other Spirits who would otherwise have curious or benign intentions to living on Aloria.
  • Triton, the Radical of Power: Triton is both a split personality of Caius that exists in his own body, but also an entirely different person. It is believed that Triton is perhaps the only entity to have been omniscient since the dawn of Dragon times, as all other Dragons have either died, faded from reality, become unaware of the world, or projected into a different reality. Triton to some is called the "Dark Dragon", because he has no anti-Occult stance whatsoever, in fact he wants them all used, even Vampires. Triton's stance of Radical of Power implicates his followers with seeking to bend the Occult to their will, ostensibly to eradicate other Occult who are resilient to their power or are too wretched to be bent into service. Triton essentially weaponizes the Occult against other Occult, both to gather power, but also to bring about an easier destruction of the Occult, specifically by making the casualties other Occult, and not the Mundane or Draconist worshipers.
  • Nox, the Radical of Illusion: Nox much like Daiana has a policy that isn't strictly anti-Occult but aimed at the Occult integration in some way. Nox acknowledges that while other Dragons are mostly focused on the Occult infection of the world, Draconism or Dragons as a whole have many other enemies, including Gods, mortals and even the natural forces of the world. Nox seeks to harvest the Occult for information, knowledge, and sometimes even dark powers short of becoming Afflicted so that they can be weaponized against the threats the other Dragons ignore or aren't aware of. This can also include defending the Draconist cause against incursions from the outside, those who would usurp the powers of the Draconic. Some might even say, that it could involve shutting down Dragon Sites and regulating who get access to them, because sometimes, the enemy is within the Draconist's own cause whether through naivity or having fallen under the wrong influences.
  • Marik, the Radical of Illumination: Marik is a product of a reborn tragedy, a Dragon whose soul was once used to commit the revenge of a Death God unto the ancestors of the Qadir. Much of his current life is in a mission to heal the damage this has done, and to mend the rifts that have come about between people of different origins, cultures, or beliefs. Marik as the patron of the Songaskians, straddles a difficult position in which he is a Dragon God to the Songaskians, but a Unionist God to the Qadir. The Songaskians do not directly contradict this reality, but the Qadir have not yet surpassed their historical trauma, and refuse to acknowledge that Marik is also a Dragon. Marik himself has always dodged the question or the matter, and resides in his home in Al-Alus, surrounded by the Qadir. His avoidant attitude extends to his Radical of Illumination, believing that whatever issue exists with the Occult, is only secondary to healing the historical trauma and damage that was inflicted on the world by the war between the Dragons and the Occult over the past 70,000 years, by helping Mundane and Occult alike heal from their history and the crimes committed against their ancestors.
  • Umbra, the Radical of Demise: Umbra's Radical of Demise underpins the absolute necessity for death to continue the cycle of life, and to prevent death from taking place elsewhere. What this means is that Umbrists believe in the inevitability of the fated end, that all thousands of premonitions of the future always lead to one outcome, being a death, and that a death must be made but that they have the choice whose life to take. This evaluation is usually based on the circumstances of the death. For example, if a Purist were to try and kill an Occult and that would result in a riot which would cause even more death, then the Umbrist would instead prevent the Occult's death, and kill the Lothar instead, because they believe that if they do not, that fate will exact another unforeseen death elsewhere. Umbra and his followers are utilitarians at heart, and as such will always seek to exact a clean and painless death to prevent more violence and more undue death that was not foretold in the threads of future visions. This can as mentioned sometimes involve taking the side of the Occult, but often also results in them killing Occult who will inevitably become Demonically possessed, or limit-break and take half a city with them.
  • Felicula, the Radical of Love: Felucila's Radical of Love, is often ridiculed by the faithful of the other Dragons as inanely naive. Her Radical insists that if the Occult were just embraced, cherished, loved, and be made friends with, that the Immortal War will end by itself, and that most if not all the vileness and grief that comes from the Occult, is based by the sociopolitical conditions in which they live, in constant persecution, ridicule, and fearing for their life. While some element of this is certainly very true, Felicula worshipers sometimes neglect the reality that some people just suck, and that some entities are just irredeemably evil. Felicula and her followers will always keep trying to convince those who were led astray by the ruinous powers, that they are welcome and cherished, and through that convince them to turn away from sinful Occult behavior.
  • Severena, the Radical of Inward: Severena believes that the world, reality as it existed even before the Dragons, created flaws inherent in existence. As a result, Dragons are flawed, and subsequently, mortals they create are flawed. Furthering from that thought, she believes that one cannot truly look at the Occult and claim it to be filth that defiles the world, because the world is already filled with filth in violence, untimely death, suffering, hunger, and anguish, even without Magic. She claims that it is not possible for a Draconist to truly stand against the vilest of Occult that have tasked it upon themselves to inflict suffering, if the non-Occult do not first reach a higher understanding in themselves, and rid themselves of earthly attachments and have a clean mind. The Radical of Inward insists that the faithful must reach a higher level of transcendent detachment from personal anchors such as greed, pride, vanity, lust, and so forth, and then reach out into the world during this journey, to become protectors of the world.
  • Aurora, the Radical of Focus: Aurora does not care. This is a simple view, the Radical of Focus insists that there are far more important natural functions of the world, such as the continuation of life itself and the perpetuation of new animal species. Aurora quite literally does not have time to spend a second thought about the Occult, and as such she and her followers completely ignore the hypothetical Immortal War or the war between the Dragons and the Occult, to instead focus on maintaining the base functions of the world in the absence of other divine figures to steer them. Note, this does not mean that the Life Isldar are pacifists and simply lay down to the Death Isldar attacking them, they can take a very harsh and hostile stance against the Occult, but only ever do so when the threat manifests in geo politics. Aurora and her worshipers otherwise reject the urgency of destroying unworthy or sinful Occult, even at the cost of Caius's suffering.

Priestly Activities

To be Expanded.

Trivia

To be Expanded.

• Unionism • Draconism • Estelley • Fornoss • Evolism • Baskarr • Pagan Cults •
• Main Page •
Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Processors FireFan96
Last Editor MonMarty on 04/22/2024.
» Read more

Retrieved from "https://wiki.massivecraft.com/index.php?title=Draconism&oldid=50082"