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|origins = Emperor [[Theomar]]
|origins = Emperor [[Theomar]]
|deities =
|deities =
The Everwatcher supreme being, and 7 God Emperors/Empresses
* The Everwatcher
* Theomar
* Ness
* Juvin
* Almar
* Allest
* Elia
* Vess
* Alexander
* Taal
* Borond
* Nicholas
* Elen
|subsects =  
|subsects =  
Dogmatic, Evintatian, Dogartan, and Vultragon Schism with several smaller Sect beliefs
* [[Evintarian Unionism]] Schism
* [[Vultragon Unionism]] Schism
* [[Emended Unionism]] Schism
|}}
|}}
==Origins==
The origins of Unionism are well recorded as it is one of the youngest religions in the world. Unionism was originally founded as an Ailor-only religion by the prophet Emperor Theomar I Ivrae-Kade, of the Regalian Empire following its founding. The prophet spoke about a divine entity called the Everwatcher contacting him in a series of visions, before appearing to him in person, to speak to him about the fate of all living things under the stewardship of the Ailor Race. Emperor Theomar then wrote the holy chronicle called the Creed, which acts like holy scriptures, containing all the religious laws and concepts dear to Unionism. Following the prophet’s death, it was ordained that the Everwatcher would select Emperors of Regalia as its Vessel through which it would speak and guide destiny. Each successive Emperor has made small and large changes to Unionist doctrine by editing parts of the Creed, meaning this holy scripture ended up being a document that evolved as time passed. The core concept of an Ailor-dominant world eventually made way for the concept of a Regalia-dominant world, inclusive of all other Races and creating a more acceptable secular basis for the religion. Unionism is fairly unique in comparison to other religions, in that it suffered several schisms, major events of theological conflict between its worshipers that resulted in the community splitting each time. As such, there are 4 distinct Unionist beliefs now: Dogmatic, Evintarian, Emended and Vultragon. Each of these have their own structures, beliefs, and hierarchy, though all invariably worship the Everwatcher, and work towards a common goal, of Regalian hegemony and rule over all the world and its people and for the Emperor of Man to become the Emperor of All.


Unionism is a polytheistic [[Religion]] based on the life and oral teachings of the [[Emperors of Regalia]], and the Everwatcher supreme divine being that inhabits them. The Everwatcher, in turn, is supported by God Emperors and God Empresses who after their death shed their mortal form and pass into immortality, thus becoming gods and goddesses in their own right. Unionism is the largest religion in [[Aloria]] and is practiced by millions of people of all different [[Races]]--particularly the [[Ailor]] Race. The core belief of Unionism is that one day by the shepherding of the [[Regalian Empire]], its Emperor, and the Ailor people, all Races and all peoples of the world will achieve paradise through what they call "The Great Way", which roughly corresponds to the ambition to make Regalia a globe spanning Empire that controls all the seas and land there is. They believe that all those who died will return to the land of the living, and all shall live in immortality and infinity in a forever-paradise. Despite its great message, Unionism also has its controversies and schisms. It is the most divided religion, perhaps a reflection of its Ailor origin, as several split beliefs have caused major rifts in their religious community. Unionism is generally considered the fastest-growing religion, quickly replacing all other religions across the world due to a combination of its universal message and its enforcement by the military might of the Regalian Empire.
==Schisms==
===Evintarian Schism===
The Evintarian Schism occured directly after the death of the prophet Theomar, when the Concilly Council convened to discuss the matter of the succession. Several Concilly members had dabbled into Magic already, and more of them were of the opinion that Magic could be used to advance Humanity by using it. The hardliner Dogmatic Councillors however felt that Theomar’s preaching on the purity of the soul proved that Magic was a corruption that should be guarded against. The Schism occured when the hardliners broke off the Conclave and started hunting down Magic-users, turning the Empire distinctly anti-Occult. The Evintarian (named after their preacher Horopados Evinter), fled to Etosil and seceded from the Empire. They were later re-integrated into the Empire, but remain religiously separate. And have developed a more pro-Occult and evolution-oriented view of Unionism called [[Evintarian Unionism]]. There remains a lot of bad blood between the Evintarian and Dogmatic Unionists because of the religious violence between the two over the centuries.


==Origins==
===Vultragon Schism===
* '''Beginnings & Founders''': Unionism was founded by Emperor Theomar I, the first Emperor of the Regalian Empire who also functions as the faith's chief prophet. He proclaimed he received visions from the Everwatcher, who chose to bestow the right of the so-called Mantle of Creation unto the Ailor race; it is believed that Unionism was a religion that existed for thousands of years, but was always rejected by the dominant races. Theomar proclaimed that the Everwatcher had rejected the hubris and degeneracy of the Altalar, and now favored the Ailor as the true agents of paradise, or the Makers of the Great Way. This meant that while in the past other races held the Mantle of Creation (an abstract concept that implies a specific race is the protector of all living things), it was now time for the Ailor race to fulfill this task. Emperor Theomar I wrote his visions and intentions into a large holy book called [[The Creed]], which then started spreading from its creation point in the city of Regalia (this is why Regalia is sometimes also called the Holy City Regalia) to all surrounding lands as more and more nobles adopted the faith and spread it to their subjects, before it took to the global stage.
The Vultragon Schism occured regionally in the very south of the Regalian Archipelago, and was triggered by the arrival of Dragons in the Empire, but was already building for a long time because of resentment against the aristocracy and the ruling classes abusing their power. Vultragon Unionism formally split when the Celates of Vultaro and Montania declared apostasy from the Concilly Council. Instead, the Council was locally disbanded, and a single figurehead was chosen Supremoclast by vote from the Celates. Vultragon Unionism diverges from Dogmatic and Evintarian Unionism in that it takes a very critical approach to Unionism where asking questions and being critical of religious dogma is encouraged, something the other Councils consider heresy. [[Vultragon Unionism]] as such is a much more science and fact oriented faith where spirituality and natural science often blur together. For a while Vultragon Unionism rejected the Divine Beings, but eventually it adopted the Emended Divine Beings and restored the Dogmatic Divine Beings as canon, though with a twist. Because of its inherently critical nature, Vultragon Unionism is not well liked by the other religious schisms of Unionism.
* '''Creation Theory''': Unionist Creation theory describes a time called the Uhr-Era, a time before memory and writing, where the Everwatcher was an immortal formless being alone in the universe with the power of perpetual creation. It is written in The Creed that the Everwatcher wished to create paradise, but could not realize true paradise without free will. Each time the Everwatcher created a new cycle of creation without free will, the world would eventually succumb to darkness as there was no spark of creativity or innovation. However, when the Everwatcher gave complete free will without guidance, all of creation perpetually destroyed itself in disastrous hellfire, with bright flashes of destruction lighting up the horizon followed by eternal winter. It was finally that on the last cycle, when the Uhr-Era ended, the Everwatcher chose to seek out a Vessel to provide guidance through visions and direct communication on how to achieve paradise without removing free will. Creation was still prone to sin, but was then also able to overcome it.
 
* '''Racial Access''': Unionism is a religion that is inclusive for all with a caveat. While standard Unionism does include means for all Races to be included, Ailor have a privileged position above all others. The Emperor is always an Ailor, and the Everwatcher has designated the Ailor to be "First among equal races"; that the task of leadership falls upon them. Strictly speaking, this is not a judgment that non-Ailor are forbidden from positions of leadership or and priesthood within the faith. The responsibility for achieving the destiny of all Races falls on the Ailor to uphold. Furthermore, Unionism is a very schismatic religion, meaning many different cults and interpretations of The Creed exist, and not all agree on an all-inclusive vision for the other Races. There are plenty of Cults that do not believe in the inclusion of other races, and some who are outright hostile to what they call the lesser races. Refer to the Schisms and Sects for more information.  
===Emended Schism===
The Emended Schism has a somewhat more staggered appearance, in that it did not come about in just a single schism. Originally, Emended Unionism was Dogartan Unionism, which was a very small schism of Anglian preachers who rejected the wealth of the Evintarian and Unionist Councils. Dogartan celate eventually came to espouse the virtues of asceticism and poverty, and rejected a formalized religious hierarchy, though were largely still in line with Dogmatic tenets. In more recent years, the Dogartan celates have developed new theological arguments heavily rejecting Ivrae-Sange legitimacy and establishing the Emended Divine Beings as their true version of Canon, claiming that the Ivrae dynasty was so incompetent that by their incompetence, they admitted to being usurpers of the true Vessels. [[Emended Unionism]] still upholds that Theomar was the prophet, but claims he was never the first Vessel.


==History==
==Core Identity==
After the creation of Unionism, several nobles joined the Emperor as a show of loyalty and started spreading the faith among their subjects. This caused a slow but galvanizing wave of conversions that kept picking up speed until whole nations would instantly fold to follow Unionism in the third century after the cataclysm. While once the [[Old Gods]] or other Pagan Faiths were dominant among Ailor, within 200 years, Old Gods had been reduced to a minority religion that was largely only followed in the northern realms and the [[Drixagh]] area of the [[Regalian Archipelago]]. Meanwhile, Unionism quickly took root in vast swathes of Ithania, Daenshore and the older Ceardian Kingdoms. Holdouts still remain and the recent decay of Old Gods and conversions away from the [[Faith of Estel]] have been much slower than in the second century, but Unionism still continues to grow at the expense of all other religions that are turning  into fringe beliefs.  
Unionism is a religion centered around the tenets of devotion, piety, obedience and ambition, to live by the example of virtuous forebears. Unionism is an organized religion with a centralized priesthood and structure, though each schismatic group is different. Because each group has different core concepts and tenets, each of them will be discussed on a separate page.
===Schisms===
===Tenets===
Unionism has endured several Schisms, all caused at various points in time over major religious differences. Each Schism usually came about following the death of the previous Emperor, which resulted in the priests of Unionist calling for a Diet of Deliberation. During this time, thousands of priests from all over the world are invited to discuss the future of the faith, and to have theological debates, as the priests are the only ones allowed to look at the holy words in The Creed. Unfortunately, sometimes these events are also hotbeds of religious politics, and large groups of priests unify behind an idea that incites violence and opposition from the majority or minority, who might break away. There exist more differences between the Schisms than explicitly stated on this page for ease of reading. For more information on additional differences, consult the [[Unionist Schisms]] Page.
* '''Bravery:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists show bravery in the face of demons, adversity and the natural vices that all living things are born with.  
* '''The Evintarian Schism''' is the first Schism that appeared directly after the death of Emperor Theomar I. In his later years, Emperor Theomar I changed his mind on the matter of Godsparks, the process by which Unionist Heroes are declared. Emperor Theomar I originally wrote in The Creed that Godsparks could only be declared by the priests in a Diet of Divinity, once the subject person had died. In his later years however, he decided Godsparks could be detected in still living mortals during a Diet of Divinity. However, he never wrote this down for unclear reasons. After his death, the majority of priests decided if the Emperors did not write their dissent on previous dogma in The Creed (they are allowed to edit it), it is not considered divine will and is irrelevant in the eyes of Holy Law. The Evintarian minority faction believed the Emperor's word is always divine will, and that it does not matter if he has or has not written it down into The Creed; if he changes his mind about something and verbalizes it, it must be followed. Because the majority of the priests refused to legalize the Diet of Divinity for living people, the Evintarian faction split from the main Unionist religious community and created the Evintarian religious community--Evintarian Commune. This Commune suffered severe repression at the hands of the dogmatic Unionists, and were expelled from the Empire to the inhospitable [[Etosian Isles]]. This is also why sometimes the religion is called Etosian Unionism, but Evintarian Unionism is the official name. Evinters, as they are called, consider themselves more holy and pious followers of the Emperors and consider the other schisms to be more secular and thus more prone to corruption and sin. The Evintarian Unionists are the second largest Unionist belief in modern days with a powerful army and nation-state for itself.
* '''Calm:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists remain civil with one another and show kindness even when cruelty and aggression is inflicted on them.
* '''The Dogartan Schism''' is the second Schism that appeared directly after the death of [[Emperor Henri III]]. Emperor Henri III was known to live a pious and virtuous life while rejecting wealth and excess, and due to the rapid growth of Unionism, the dogmatic Unionist religious community had become very wealthy, as priests were allowed to tax the peasants in their lands. A minority of priests wanted to establish a wealth-cap for all priests, forcing them all to give away their wealth to the poor, which most priests rejected. As such, the Dogartans left the main structure of priesthood and created their own Dogartan Unionism that is more based on a vow of poverty and helping others than glory and the self. The Dogartans were less repressed, and in many ways, the dogmatic Unionists simply let them go; they continue to exist in modern times but are few in number of adherents.  
* '''Chaste:''' Unionism requires that sexual relations happen only in wedlock, and only in a monogamous sense. Adultery is strictly a sin.
* '''The Vultragon Schism''' is the third Schism that appeared as a direct response to the [[Seasonal Emperors]], though murmurings of its origins had already begun during the [[Years of the Three Emperors]] much sooner. Many priests, particularly from the south, believed court politics and intrigue dictated who would become Emperor over the inheritance clauses clarified in The Creed. They argued that the Everwatcher could not just be assumed to be the next-in-line heir to the throne, because this would imply the Everwatcher just jumped into whomever, regardless of how competent they were. The priests argued that the Everwatcher is much more intentional, and would take a Vessel that would not become subject to court intrigue. Because it is impossible to tell who the Everwatcher had chosen, these priests argued for a waiting period after the death of the last Emperor in which they waited for a sign from the Everwatcher. The majority of the priests declared this heretical and in direct contradiction to The Creed, so they violently expelled the Vultarin priests. These priests went home to [[Vultaro]] and their beliefs quickly spread among the locals due to the harsh societal environment the southern lands lived under, stoked by constant warfare between its nobles. Eventually, the situation exploded into a rebellion, and the [[Regalian Army]] harshly repressed the Vultragon heresy that continued to spread regardless. Eventually, the Regalian Army backed off and relations were normalized into peace. Now, the Vultragon Unionist religious community is the third-largest Schism of Unionism, and has firmly established a Unionist belief structure centered around critical thinking in the southern regions of Regalian Archipelago.
* '''Ambition:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists contribute no matter how big or small, to the great dominance of the Regalian Empire.  
* '''Diligence:''' Unionism requires that those with merit and skill are rewarded and raised to better positions of power to reward their duty to the Empire.
* '''Forgiving:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists are forgiving and do not relent to the vices of revenge and pettiness for they are barbaric and banal.
* '''Charity:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists create equity for the poorest and weakest, so that even the infirm can contribute through charity and help.
* '''Honest:''' Unionism requires honesty and truth, professing the need for a strict but fair law and for fairness for the people both highborn and lowborn.
* '''Humble:''' Unionism requires that all Unionists see themselves as no better than the great who came before, and who they will live as an example of.
* '''Obedience:''' Unionism requires all Unionists to be obedient to the hierarchy of the state, to the Nobility granted rule from the Emperor, who must not be questioned.
* '''Great Way:''' Unionism requires all Unionists to constantly strive to contribute to the Great Way, to find opportunities to further advance the Empire and its people.  
* '''Vessel:''' Dogmatic Unionists believe that only male Emperors can be the Vessel of the Everwatcher. The succession is Elective however, meaning no-one knows the next heir but the Emperor.


===Sects===
===Beliefs===
Smaller Sects exist within Unionism, though they are not full Schisms. Most sects are intersectional, meaning that a priest from both Vultragon and dogmatic Unionists can be a member of a specific Sect, since Sects only add beliefs and do not subtract from or conflict with pre-existing beliefs. Sects usually have very small support bases, but are entirely legal within the Regalian Empire or the Unionist religious communities at-large, even the Schisms.
* '''Narrative:''' In Unionism all faithful (and even unfaithful) contribute or detrimentally affect something called the Great Way. The Great Way is a promise made by the Everwatcher, that the Regalian Empire now carries the Mantle of Creation, a concept that they must protect life and existence itself from the ruinous powers of corruption and evil. The promise is that one day, if Unionism succeeds, the whole world will be ruled by the Regalian Empire as one state, and all living things will be subject to the Emperor and Vessel of the Everwatcher. When that time comes, the Everwatcher shall unchain the gates of the afterlife where all past Unionists have gone, revive the dead, and bring about a paradise without sickness, death, or sadness. Those who are denied entry into the gates of the afterlife, are instead re-incarnated in the mortal world after their death to try again to prove their soul is worthy.  
* '''The Horopadosi Sect''': This Sect believes in the idea of "physical evolution to a greater being," meaning that being Ailor is an abstract concept, and that physical alterations to Ailor, such as mutations or becoming an Url, are still Ailor--but only if the physical mutations are seen as a way of improving what constitutes the Ailor body or mind. This Sect specifically rejects [[Magic]], but believes Magic can be used to elicit physical mutations that are beneficial. Urlification is particularly popular among the Horopadosi.  
* '''Canon Evil:''' Unionist Canon Evil is somewhat dubious, and exists on multiple levels. The most obvious evil in Unionism is called the Sin of Creation. The Sin of Creation implies that all living beings were born with inherent flaws to overcome to prove their worthiness for the cause of the Great Way. As such, evil is done simply because people do not have self control or inhibitions. The next stage of evil are Demons. Unionism acknowledges all entities coming from different dimensions save the afterlife as Demons seeking to corrupt the minds and wills of the living. These beings infest or seduce the living into giving into their Sin of Creation. The third level of evil is somewhat more ambiguous, as it is other religions. While Unionism doesn’t strictly deny the existence or validity of other religions, it does claim that by worshiping anyone but the Everwatcher, that the living are led astray from creating Paradise, and that they live in sabotage of the Great Way’s conclusion. Essentially, other religions are seen as a distracting evil.
* '''The Priscelle Sect''': This Sect believes that the inheritance clause in The Creed is incomplete and that the presumption that the inheritance of the Emperors must always be gendered toward the first-born male who survives the Emperor is wrong. They argue that the first-born child, regardless of gender, is the one chosen to become the heir, thus allowing female Empresses to carry the Everwatcher as a Vessel. This Sect does not support changing the inheritance line of succession as it stands now and favor providence in the [[Kade Succession]]. They do, however, lobby to get the inheritance changed for the future, so that if the next Emperor should have a daughter first, that daughter becomes the heir.  
* '''Identity:''' The Unionist Creed has no words or thoughts on the matter of gender, sex, sexuality or gender-identity, though the topic of homosexuality is somewhat contentious among Ailor. There is nothing strictly against homosexuality, but a theological argument is made that every Unionist has a duty to sire the next generation of faithful, and to be celibate, same-sex loving, or simply choose not to have children, is seen as a selfish act and one that detrimentally affects the Great Way. As a result, many same-sex Unionists adopt, or find other ways to have children.  
* '''The Minoth Sect''': this Sect believes in a more intellectual approach to Unionism that considers the Everwatcher a more abstract "learning" and "knowledge" transferral between Emperors, rather than an actual being with intentions and thoughts of its own. The Minoth Sect believes that the [[Imperial]] inheritance should be based on elective choice, meaning the current Vessel of the Everwatcher Emperor or Empress should be allowed to choose the next Emperor or Empress regardless of their birth order.The Everwatcher should aid the Vessel in choosing who is most competent to carry the Everwatcher as a future Vessel. This Cult is currently in-favor in the Court, and the [[Emperor Alexander I]] has chosen the elective inheritance clause.
* '''Conversion:''' Unionism is a religion that has invariably been applied with the sword, or with word, and both interpretations are somewhat correct. Unionists believe that a person, even one who is not Unionist or pretends to be Unionist, can still work towards the Great Way if pointed in the right direction. This is why the Confessions of Melennar are important, because this preacher created a common understanding that as a Regalian Unionist ruler, one’s non-Unionist subjects can still work towards the Empire’s cause, while not believing in the Everwatcher, and their soul can still ascend to the Unionist afterlife if their own religion or a-religiosity will not claim them. As such, conversion by the sword is also fully acceptable, because it forcibly induces someone into the Great Way, though it has become more controversial and less acceptable as of late.  
* '''The Silvershroud Sect''': this Sect rejects the all-demon status of the [[Occult]], and believes that non-Affliction-based Occult, and to some degree [[Silvenism]], are beneficial, and blessings of the Everwatcher, as opposed to Demons from a different plane of existence. They argue that because some Afflictions or Occult beings are beneficial, or at least not repugnant to life and existence, they must be ordained by the Everwatcher who is the chief creator of all things good. They argue for the legalization of vast swathes of the Occult .
* '''Sins & Taboo:''' The worst cases of sinning and taboo for Unionism are blasphemy against the Emperor, hedonism in cruelty (torture, mental abuse, domestic abuse), moral corruption among government and nobles, infanticide, desecrating holy sites, attacking clergy and temples (even of other religions), rejecting the Everwatcher, and being a traitor or saboteur against the Regalian Empire. Unionism does acknowledge confessionals, but Celates can issue a Writ of Sin, a public denunciation and excommunication of a Unionist (or Unionist) to declare them anathema to the religion. It is possible to reverse a Writ of Sin through a Writ of Harmony, but only through some act of self-sacrifice or service to the Emperor.
* '''The Diviner Sect''': this Sect rejected the all-inclusion of other Races into the Unionist fold, and argued for the sacrificing of other races as lesser beings to divine the future or receive visions from the Everwatcher. Because this Sect implied that the Everwatcher would speak to anyone other than the Emperor, this Sect was uniformly denounced by all Schisms, and made holy war upon by the dogmatic Unionism religious community. The [[Holy Herebrand Order]] exterminated the Diviner Sect in 308 AC, killing their last supporters in [[Girobalda]].  
* '''The Vierzehn Sect''': this Sect rejects the all-inclusion of other Races or Half-Ailor into Unionism, though not as severely as the Diviner Sect does, while also sticking closer to The Creed. Vierzehners believe that all other races are by nature inferior, and should have their status reduced to serving classes, and be barred from military or priestly or administrative positions and certainly nobility. Vierzehners also believe in an expansion of immoral sins, which largely involve importing more bigoted laws against non-conforming minorities in society who do not portray the exact pure vision of the Vierzehners.  
* '''The Thyemic Sect''': this Sect believes that Undead are resurrected by the Spirit with a unique duty to the Great Way. Thyemics (who are usually undead themselves) tend to fill roles that would be difficult for living members of the faith, such as guarding remote holy sites or ministering to communities stricken by disease. Of note, there is a great disagreement within the Sect over [[Therin Ivrae]], the son of [[Justinian II]] who rose from the grave to kill his older brother. Some hold that Therin was given an opportunity for redemption, but rejected it. Others instead assert that Therin's return and subsequent crime were both divinely inspired, setting in motion a chain of events that will bring about a new era of the Empire.
* '''The Ængel Sect:''' this Sect believes that Heroes, after they die, are reincarnated into Ængels, which represent winged warriors brandishing swords as gifts to devout Unionists warriors to aid them in their struggle against non-believers and Holy Wars. The Ængel Sect is not particularly more traditionalist than regular Unionists, they just really worship the idea of Holy Wars and spreading the faith by the sword.  


===Spread===
==Gods and Goddesses==
Unionism is spread through Missionaries who travel to lands where Unionism is not yet present or present in a minority to establish a so-called [[Celate]]. Celates are areas that the Unionist priests use to define boundaries between their spheres of influence, as each priest has a rough jurisdiction(sometimes just a town, or a city, or a whole valley) where they administer their religious service. A priest or missionary in Unionism are as such the same, and most priests have been missionaries at some point or another. Priest is the most common term for a religious figure of authority within Unionism, though Celate can also be used to refer to a priest.
Unionism has a concept referred to as Trans-Divinity. Trans-Divinity means that whatever their faith understands to be divine, is fluid and constantly changes based on interpretations. By standard, the Everwatcher is always the indisputably most important entity in Unionism. The Living Emperor is also a living Divine Being who should be worshiped as a god, though it is not illegal to acknowledge his sin of creation flaws from time to time. Below the Emperor and the Everwatcher are the God-Emperors and God-Empresses. When an Emperor or Empress dies, they are no longer divine, as the Vessel passes on to the next heir, but some Emperors or Empresses are raised up in the afterlife by the Everwatcher and sent back to Aloria to guide the people, during which process they are made Divine Beings. Finally, on the lower end of the spectrum are the Heroes of Unionism, which are also considered Divine Beings. Heroes are raised to divinity by the Concilly Council even while they are still alive, and continue to be worshiped after death. This all means that Unionism, as time goes by, gains more and more Gods and Goddesses, while other religions are fairly stagnant. Furthermore, it also means that it’s theoretically possible for other religions to merge into Unionism if their Gods and Goddesses can be proven to be real, and prove their divinity or past divinity. Unionists can combine a variety of Divine Entity worship. By default, all Unionists worship the Everwatcher, however, whoever else is worshiped additionally is up to the individual. Some worshipers choose only a single patron deity, while others choose a collection, or leave just a few out. There are no hard rules to Divine Being worship, in general they exist more as examples to live by, instead of a strict pantheon that demands worship.
===Violence===
Violence has always been a contentious point within Unionism, as The Creed professes the need for all Ailor to spread the one true faith--by the sword, if need be. Unionism is likely the most aggressive religion that is forced onto other peoples and nations even against their will, and that many thousands of people have died because they refused to convert to Unionism. The Creed never explicitly states non-Unionists must die; however, The Creed does permit holy warriors of the faith to slay those who would stand in the way of the spreading of the faith. This has allowed some blood-thirsty priests and nobles to slay large numbers of non-believers to soften up populations for the actual conversion, as they have no warriors left to oppose the missionaries’ influence. In modern times, the Regalian Empire has simmered down the violence, but the spreading of Unionism still is built on a bloodbath, especially against the Velheim people in Drixagh who intermittently waged Holy War against Regalia for several decades. These Velheimers also committed atrocities against the Unionists, and in most cases, Holy Wars are considered defensive for the Unionists, adding more nuance than is often assumed. There are also large segments of Unionist society that are entirely pacifist, and even those who vehemently oppose Holy Wars or other forms of religious violence, while sectarian violence also happens within Unionism itself.  


==Beliefs==
===The Everwatcher===
The following Beliefs are recorded for Unionism:
* '''Narrative''': The Unionists believe that all Ailor have a destiny to lead the other races and people to a realm of paradise where there is no suffering or death and everyone lives immortal with the dead returning to life among the living. It is believed that this paradise will arrive when all the world is subject to the Regalian Empire, and believes in Unionism (or any of its Schisms).
* '''Purpose of Life''': Is to love and serve the Emperor and the Everwatcher and the God Emperors and Empresses. The primary directive is to follow the secular will of the Emperor, live in the virtues set out by the God Emperors and Empresses and earn the worthiness of the Everwatcher by living a virtuous life free of sin.
* '''Suffering''' is believed to be a test of faith for the mortals that exposes sin and weakness in the mortal soul. All souls are savable, and it is the duty of the priests to elicit reform and improvement in souls so that when a person dies, the Everwatcher will deem them worthy for the afterlife.
* '''Canonical Evil''' does not formally exist in Unionism, but generally speaking spirits from other dimensions are considered Evil. These are called [[Demons]], even if they are in fact not a sentient entity and rather just an infection of the mind on a person. Other evil simply derives from the mortal flaws of Free Will.
* '''Magic''' is considered a taint and corruption brought about from Demons, though some Cults and even Schisms tolerate vast swathes of Magic or what they call "Occult", and some even see it as a direct blessing from the Everwatcher as a tool to be used to achieve paradise.
* '''After Death''', each person's soul is believed to be judged by the Everwatcher. Those with excessive sin are forced to reincarnate into a newborn, and get another chance at proving the value of their soul. Those who are judged virtuous are permitted onto the [[Great Staircase]], where all worthy souls look down on the living and exist in bliss until Paradise arrives.
* '''Burial''', involves burning of the body or beheading and burial, as Unionism has had an issue with mindless [[Undead]], and standardized practices to deny Undeath. When a person dies, a mourning period of several days is announced with mourning robes in White, and [[Silent Sisters]], a female caste of priests, perform the burial rituals along with a priest offering the blessings of the dead and sympathy for the living.
* '''Scriptures''': There is only one holy scripture:The Creed, a 300 year-old book carefully preserved in the writing of Emperor Theomar I. Each successive Emperor, as outlined by The Creed, is able to remove, add or change anything in The Creed, and anything they write automatically becomes Holy Law and truth. The Creed is so holy that it is forbidden for those without priestly training at the [[Divine College]] to read it. This heresy calls for the removal of the offender’s eyes as punishment. Only ordained priests may speak the words written in The Creed.
* '''Calendar''': There exists a Holy Calendar, with yearly holidays and holy periods of the year, each divided into the four holy quarters which roughly correspond with spring, the period of ambitions; summer, the period of the future; autumn, the period of glory, and winter; the period of reflection. To find out more about the religious holidays, read the [[Unionist Calendar]] Page.
===Divine Beings===
====The Everwatcher====
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|[[File:Unionismspirit.png|260px|thumb|left]]
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|The Everwatcher, also known as the Spirit, though this term is diminutive and should not be used, is the supreme divine being of Unionism, the source of all creation and the final destiny of all things. The Everwatcher was the first thing that was created in the beginning of times and created all other races, creatures, the land and all that was and will be. The Everwatcher is not traditionally depicted in any way shape or form, because it never had a physical form and always presented itself through a host, a “Vessel” in which it existed, and dispensed its holy visions and wisdom so the mortal being it inhabited could rule in its stead. Eventually as its Vessel aged and died, it would pass onto the Vessel’s first born child as it would continue to guide its blessed Race to the [[Everwatch]], a time in which all creation would join together with the souls of the dead into an eternal paradise, when creation has proven that it is worthy of eternity.
|The Everwatcher, is the supreme Divine Being of Unionism, the source of all creation, and the final destiny of all things. The Everwatcher was the first thing that was created in the beginning of times and created all other races, creatures, land, and all that was and will be. The Everwatcher is not traditionally depicted in any way shape or form. The Everwatcher is the same for all Schisms, though the Schisms have internal disagreements about who should be the Vessel of the Everwatcher. Generally speaking, Dogmatic and Evintarian Unionists support the current lineage, while Emended and Vultragon Unionists support the erasure of Ivrae legitimacy. The Everwatcher is the highest supreme being which lends divinity to the Emperor-Vessel, and which also sends the God Empresses and God Emperors back to the land of the living, and also imbues certain people born with god-like powers to fulfill their role in the Great Way. The Everwatcher is eternal; it sees all and knows all, though it only works through agents so as not to blind the living from the trials of the Great Way, which are theirs to prove.


The nature of the Everwatcher is a subject of strong debate, especially between the schismatic religious communities within Unionism. Unionism is an immensely divided religion that has several major Schisms: the Divine Unionism (the standard religious community of Unionism), Evintarian Unionism (sometimes also called Ionism), Vultragon Unionism (sometimes also called Clastism), Dogartan Unionism (sometimes also Dosstism) and several smaller sects. The Everwatcher is the same for all of these Schisms, but these Schisms disagree on who should be the Vessel of the Everwatcher, because the Everwatcher does not ever make this explicitly apparent. For example, the common understanding is that the Everwatcher only resides in the first-born male heir, while Vultragon Unionism believes it should be the first-born heir regardless of gender that makes it to adulthood, which the other Schisms disagree with.
Worship of the Everwatcher is never done specifically by praying or asking for its blessings, but rather simply by being a good Unionist. There is only ever one direct interaction between a Unionist and the Everwatcher, and that is in the moment of their death, for their soul to be weighed against their role in the Great Way. If they are left wanting, the soul will be returned to Aloria to be re-incarnated, given another chance to prove itself. If they pass, the soul will join the Everwatcher in the Unionist afterlife. Matters regarding the Everwatcher are always the highest forms of heresy if claimed in contradiction to established theological doctrine. While the Everwatcher does grant blessings to individuals who are born all across the Empire, because it has determined some religious purpose for them at birth, the Everwatcher never speaks through anyone except the Vessel.
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===Theomar, Prophet of All===
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|God Emperor Theomar, or just Theomar (sometimes also nicknamed the Sun-Father), was the first Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Theomar I Ivrae. Theomar was the founding Emperor of the Regalian Empire and the creator of the Unionist Faith, writing the first version of The Creed. As God Emperor, Theomar represents fatherhood, leadership, ambition, devotion and piety. He was known as an Emperor with exceptional charisma, capable of swaying even his most ardent opponents. He is also remembered as an excellent father who had a loving family and acts as an example to all those bringing about the next generation of Unionists.
 
Theomar is often depicted holding up his hand, with the palm to the viewer. This is to emulate his proclamation of Unionism. He is always depicted very dignified, and clothed in his royal purple and cream yellow robes, his favorite colors in life. Shrines to Theomar usually feature a golden bowl in which promises of good lives and good wishes for children are deposited by fathers, or good wishes and promises for fairness and kindness from one employer to employees. As such, Theomar shrines featuring this bowl and his likeness can be found in the home, or in workplaces, where Theomar’s name is invoked for the good fortunes of the business and the good wellbeing of its leadership, who in turn invoke the wellbeing of the workers and productivity.
 
Theomar has historically appeared only during very significant events of religious importance, when the continued existence of Unionism hung by a thread, or when the power and influence of the other God Emperors or Empresses would simply not suffice for a task given by the Everwatcher. As such, Theomar has never truly appeared before any one particular person having a problem, but rather appeared in pivotal moments of the Empire’s general history to provide blessings of protection and reinvigorated power. Theomar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of morality and making the right decision in a tough situation to test the ethics and fairness of the pilgrim. Theomar’s Cloister Trial is at the Arch Temple of the All-Beacon, with the inner Faith Chamber containing his Sarcophagus.
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===Ness, Lady of Forgiveness===
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|God Empress Ness, or just Ness (sometimes nicknamed Nessie or Mutt-Mother by non-Ailor), was the wife of Emperor [[Henri I]] the Honorable, as his wife Empress Nessaria I of [[House van Sherburne]]. Empress Nessaria is best remembered as being an indignant wife to her husband early on, resenting the marriage with Emperor Henri I. Through her early years, she committed many sins of unfaithfulness to her husband in spirit and name. This led to her being punished with being blinded, after which she wore her signature silver butterfly wing eye covers and coronet piece. Despite being vengeful after being blinded, it is said that the Everwatcher gave her sight back after she discovered love for her first born child when she found love in motherhood. She spent many years a devoted mother, only to have her children violently taken from her, and still she found it in her heart to forgive the assassins, giving them blessings as they wept for forgiveness at her feet. Ness is the representative Goddess of Forgiveness, Acceptance, Repentance, Absolution, but also the Downtrodden, the Forgotten, the non-Ailor, and the Half-Ailor who feel abandoned.  


Regardless of the interpretation, the Everwatcher is considered the supreme being, through which all the God Emperors and Empresses are created as divine beings who ascend to godhood as they shed their mortal form. As such, the God Emperors and Empresses are less important than the Everwatcher in the Unionist faith, but they are more generally present because they are far more personal and once lived, thus leaving behind a memory to their existence to be worshiped. One can use the Everwatcher or any of the God Emperors or Empresses in blessings interchangeably; although they all roughly correlate to the same thing, there is only ever one Everwatcher, while there are currently seven God Emperors and Empresses, and more can be declared after their death in the future. The Everwatcher is eternal; it sees all and knows all, though it only works through the divine hands of the living Emperor who acts as its Vessel, while the God Emperors and Empresses function on the peripheries giving individual blessings to the faithful who are not heard by the Everwatcher in particular.  
Ness is always depicted in her mourning dress with her signature butterfly eye-covers and accessories. Butterflies strongly represent Ness, a being and symbol of forgiveness of Unionists, and for those seeking repentance. She often carries a golden Unionist Eye chain, along with a golden rose and two sets of rose-thorn stalks. These items are meant to represent her objects of the many facets of forgiveness through faith, repentance through loss, and the beauty of absolution. Sometimes her statue has three infants around her pedestal to signify motherhood, and sometimes it has three chained criminals to signify the forgiveness she gave. Offerings to her are silent candle vigils, or the repentance those who have wronged seek to the priests of Unionism. Ness frequently appears to those who believe in Unionism but need the strongest forgiveness or cannot go on without help to learn to live with their grief, guilt, or torment. Ness appears relatively often, even seen walking the streets of Regalia seemingly going nowhere.


Choosing a single God Emperor or Empress as a patron God or Goddess is very common in Unionism. That being said, active worship of all Gods or Goddess is not required, and so long as at least one God or Goddess is actively worshiped, even worshiping the Everwatcher is not strictly necessary, as the Gods and Goddesses are all more personalized extensions of the Everwatcher. Worshiping the Everwatch alone and largely ignoring the Gods and Goddesses is also possible. It is even possible to perform active worship of one of the Gods more than the others, or only the male Gods, or only the female Goddesses, or any combination of them. Most Unionists invoke the names of all Gods and Goddesses and the Everwatch, but might choose to have a shrine to all of them, or only one of them.  
Ness is often worshiped by criminals, judges, those who are poor and feel forgotten and downtrodden, those seeking redemption and forgiveness, and those who seek the strength to forgive others. Ness’s Cloister Trial involves priests drawing out the sins and crimes of the individual in confession, after which they are confronted with the circumstances and challenged to find peace and love for themselves despite them. If they are proved worthy by the priests, they are allowed into the Faith Chamber of the Arch Temple of Salvation, where five sarcophagi stand, for Ness and her four beloved children (As Emperor [[Leomar I]], her youngest son, was also buried there after his natural death).
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====God Emperor Theomar====
===Juvin, Oracle of Knowledge===
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|God Emperor Theomar, or just Theomar (sometimes also nicknamed the Sun-Father), was the first Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Theomar I Ivrae. Theomar ascended to Godhood after his death when the Everwatcher passed on to Lilienmar I. Theomar was the founding Emperor of the Regalian Empire and the creator of the Unionist Faith, writing the first version of The Creed, the holy book of Unionism. As a God Emperor, Theomar is the representing God of Fatherhood and Leadership, the Beginning of everything, and Founders. Theomar was known to be an Emperor with exceptional charisma even at an early age who could seduce even his most staunch opponents into allies, steering the future of Unionism on the path of ever-growth and ever-greatness. Theomar is also remembered as an excellent father who sired several children who all loved him unconditionally, and proved to be very skilled and well educated Princes in their own right.  
|God Emperor Juvin, or just Juvin (sometimes also nicknamed the All-Knower), was the 11th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Henri III Ivrae de-Sange. Juvin is commonly remembered as the most pious and religiously pure Emperor, who lived an ascetic life of inner peace and perfection, and outward serenity and virtue. As a God Emperor, Juvin is the god of piety and virtue, the perfection of learning, and thinkers. Juvin was known to be an Emperor with exceptional wit and knowledge even at an early age when he could easily debate and out-smart his teachers and superiors. Juvin was also an exceptional philosopher and thinker who would spend long periods of his rule contemplating the meanings of everything, and make modifications to the Creed to reflect a more pure lifestyle.  


Theomar is often depicted holding up his hand, with the palm to the viewer. This is to emulate his proclamation of Unionism, as his hand is sometimes also holding a book meant to represent The Creed. He is always depicted very dignified, and clothed in his royal purple and cream yellow robes, his favorite colors in life. Shrines to Theomar usually feature a golden bowl in which promises of good lives and good wishes for children are deposited by fathers, or good wishes and promises for fairness and kindness from one employer to employees. As such, Theomar shrines featuring this bowl and his likeness can be found in the home, or in workplaces, where Theomar’s name is invoked for the good fortunes of the business and the good wellbeing of its leadership, who in turn invoke the wellbeing of the workers and productivity. It is believed that Theomar blesses the perpetual goodness of the world and the goodness in Unionist hearts to this day.
Juvin is often depicted in simple garb with only minimal decorations and dull colors, bowing, kneeling or in some form of submissive stance. This is to emphasize that Juvin never considered himself above everyone else, and served knowledge and virtue more than anything. He is depicted tall and frail, with a bald head and a long robe that may sometimes also contain several scrolls and items that intellectuals use to ply their crafts. Shrines to Juvin are usually put into an alcove inside a larger bookcase, surrounded by knowledge and learning. Candles are lit to his will in front of his statue, while incense is let to absorb the knowledge of the books, in the hopes that Juvin will give the offering person the means to learn faster. Juvin shrines can be found in any library or school. Juvin rarely appears, but all divine appearances have been reported in libraries, for Juvin to hand the willing exactly the one book they were looking to embark on their journey, while that book was not even in the library to begin with.  


It should not come as a surprise that Theomar is often worshiped by laborers, employers and business runners, leaders, fathers, patriarchs and overseers. In the wake of Theomar, a cult rose to specifically worship him above the other God Emperors and Empresses: The Theomarite Cult. The Death of Theomar also created the Evintarian Schism, as Theomar was known to be favorable in his later life to the declaration of living Heroes, those who would inherit a spark of divinity from the God Emperors and Empresses, while the majority of the clergy disagreed, resulting in the creation of Evintarian Unionism, a schismatic religion. Theomar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of morality and making the right decision in a tough situation to test the ethics and fairness of the pilgrim. Theomar’s Cloister Trial is at the Temple of the All-Beacon, with the inner Faith Chamber containing the circlet of Theomar, as his actual Sarcophagus is buried at the Imperial Palace.
Juvin is often worshiped by priests, librarians, scribes, teachers, tutors, researchers, alchemists, philosophers and thinkers. Juvin was largely responsible for the creation of the Dogartan Schism, as many Celates in Anglia started imitating him, though it is not officially recognized as a Schism because of how smooth and regional the transition was. Juvin’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of wit at the Arch Temple of Greater Understanding, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Juvin’s Sarcophagus.
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====God Emperor Juvin====
===Almar, Jester of Justice===
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|God Emperor Juvin, or just Juvin (sometimes also nicknamed the All-Knower), was the 11th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Henri III Ivrae de-Sange. Juvin ascended to Godhood after his death when the Everwatcher passed on to Lillienmar III. Juvin is commonly remembered as the most pious and religiously pure Emperor, who lived an ascetic life of inner peace and perfection, and outward serenity and virtue. As a God Emperor, Juvin is the representing God of Piety and Virtue, the Perfection of Leaning, and Thinkers. Juvin was known to be an Emperor with exceptional wit and knowledge even at an early age when he could easily debate and out-wit his teachers and superiors. Juvin was also an exceptional philosopher and thinker who would spend long periods of his rule contemplating the meanings of everything, and make modifications to the Creed to reflect a more pure lifestyle. Juvin is also praised for his divine detachment, his ability to perceive the world and morals without the biases of the living and the common folk, thus allowing him to reach a greater plane of enlightenment.  
|God Emperor Almar, or Almar (sometimes also nicknamed the Blind Jester or Allmaverick, the word Maverick comes from his name), was the 13th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor [[Allamaria I]] Ivrae Heiligenblut (surname differs as he was a [[Wirtem]] Emperor alongside his older brother Lilienmar III). Emperor Allamaria I was also the second son of Emperor Henri III, making God Emperor Almar the son of God Emperor Juvin, while he is also the grandfather of God Emperor Allest. Almar is remembered for several things. Firstly, he is remembered as a rambunctious adolescent, spending much of his early years being a boisterous and wild man with many conquests and broken hearts. He spent money like no tomorrow, and offended many foreign dignitaries with his crude behavior, equally letting many of his stewards and guards land in prison, taking the blame for his juvenile actions. As rule came closer to him however, a series of visions of the past and future caused him to completely reform his life. Where there in the past was celebration and endless nights in leisure, there now was endless nights studying and codifying law to create a semblance of order and justice. Almar is the representative God of Justice, Law, Honesty, but also of Leisure, Entertainment, Vanity, and Ego.  


Juvin is often depicted in simple garb with only minimal decorations and dull colors, bowing, kneeling or in some form of submissive stance. This is to emphasize that Juvin never considered himself above everyone else, and served knowledge and virtue more than anything. He is depicted tall and frail, with a bald head and a long robe that may sometimes also contain several scrolls and items that intellectuals use to ply their crafts. Shrines to Juvin are usually put into an alcove inside a larger bookcase, surrounded by knowledge and learning. Candles are lit to his will in front of his statue, while incense is let to absorb the knowledge of the books, in the hopes that Juvin will give the offering person the means to learn faster. Juvin shrines can be found in any library or school, while his statues are also frequently found in Dogartan Cloisters and places of learning for the Unionist priests. It is believed that Juvin continues to watch over all Unionists, believing he grants them the means to learn, and unveils truth to those who seek it.  
Almar is often depicted as a suave and handsome young man, always with either a blindfold or some kind of unraveling cloth disappearing from his eyes. This cloth is meant to represent the blindness of justice, but also the fact that Almar was blind to the truths of duty and fate for so long in his life, until he saw the light and reformed. He is also always depicted with a scale, the symbol for the Regalian Judiciary, that weighs the value of crime and punishment for those who are subject to Almar’s laws. Almar’s shrine equally has a scale, one with a golden feather, and another with a small box. These items normally weigh roughly the same, however anyone wishing to bring offering or pray to Almar, writes a plan or thought on a piece of paper, inserts it into the box, and then lets the scale weigh the value of this thought. If it is heavier than the feather, it is unlawful or sinful. If it is lighter than the feather, it is lawful and righteous. Almar is not known to appear before anyone, but the Concilly Council still acknowledges him.


Juvin is often worshiped by priests, librarians, scribes, teachers, tutors, researchers, alchemists, philosophers and thinkers. In the wake of Juvin, a cult rose to specifically worship him above the other God Emperors and Empresses: The Juvinite Cult. The Death of Juvin also created the Dogartan Schism, as Juvin was known to lead an immensely ascetic lifestyle, and rejected any and all aesthetics or wealth not forced on him by protocol. There were a number of priests who supported his vow of poverty lifestyle above the wealth that the Unionist religious community had acquired at the time of his death, resulting in the creation of Dogartan Unionism, a schismatic religion. Juvin’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of wit at the Temple of Greater Understanding, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Juvin’s Sarcophagus.
Almar is often worshiped by justicars, bureaucrats, lawmakers, but also entertainers, Musicians, dancers, romancing couples, and those looking for the perfect partner. Almar’s name is often invoked for good blessings to a Courtship or wedding. Almar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of restraint and self control as the pilgrims are led from one seduction to the other, until they finally pass into the final Faith Chamber in the heart of the Arch Temple of Eternal Justice, where the Sarcophagus of Almar rests with his favorite scales on top that are said to weigh the heaviness of a soul as they enter the chamber.  
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====God Emperor Allest====
===Allest, Lord of Domination===
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|God Emperor Allest, or just Allest (sometimes also nicknamed the Bear-Claw), was the 15th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Allestrain I Ivrae de-Sange. Allest ascended to Godhood after his death from an arrow in the back that penetrated his heart on the field of battle while holding off a hundred soldiers by himself allowing his own soldiers who had been cornered by the enemy to escape certain death. Allest is best remembered for being a beast of a man, alongside his best friend Arch-Chancellor Alexander I the Giant Kade, the both of them forming an inseparable warrior duo on the frontlines as the Empire expanded. Allest oversaw the Empire’s fastest and widest expansion, creating the practice of “Beat and Submit”, where the Regalian Army and Navy would submit other nations through economic isolation or outright invasion. Allest was the first frontline commander and warrior Emperor, and was an undefeated warrior who seemed to get that much more skilled with every champion he defeated. Allest is the representative God of Conquest, Rule, Brotherhood, and Fame.  
|God Emperor Allest, or just Allest (sometimes also nicknamed the Bear-Claw), was the 15th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor [[Allestrain I]] Ivrae de-Sange. Allest ascended to Godhood after his death from an arrow in the back that penetrated his heart on the field of battle while holding off a hundred soldiers by himself allowing his own soldiers who had been cornered by the enemy to escape certain death. Allest is best remembered for being a beast of a man, alongside his best friend Arch-Chancellor [[Alexander the Giant]], the both of them forming an inseparable warrior duo on the frontlines as the Empire expanded. Allest was the first frontline commander and warrior Emperor, and was an undefeated warrior who seemed to get that much more skilled with every champion he defeated. Allest is the representative God of Conquest, Rule, Brotherhood, and Fame.  


Allest is often depicted either in his massive bulky armor, or in some state of removal of this armor to emphasize his god-like physique, in a victorious or intimidating stance. He is depicted tall and glorious as an example for all Ailor to strive to physically, and for the many victories he brought Regalia despite his short time on the throne. Allest is often also depicted with two large claymores, or scabbards holding his favorite swords: Blutkraft and Sangria, weapons that passed into Artifact Legend after his death. Shrines to Allest feature larger wardrobes or tables than most other shrines, allowing the owner to cover the surface with a cloth, and put their weapon in front of the shrine to ask for Allest’s blessings. The cloth is often wrapped over the weapon, with the cloth then doused in some form of alcoholic beverage, as Allest was also known to be a heavy drinker, before the liquid is washed off and the item removed from the Shrine. It is believed that Allest continues to lend strength and right of conquest to Unionists to this day.
Allest is often depicted either in his massive bulky armor, or in some state of removal of this armor to emphasize his god-like physique, in a victorious or intimidating stance. He is depicted tall and glorious as an example for all Ailor to strive to physically, and for the many victories he brought Regalia despite his short time on the throne. Allest is often also depicted with two large claymores, or scabbards holding his favorite swords: Blutkraft and [[Sangria]], weapons that passed into [[Artifact]] Legend after his death. Shrines to Allest feature larger wardrobes or tables than most other shrines, allowing the owner to cover the surface with a cloth, and put their weapon in front of the shrine to ask for Allest’s blessings. The cloth is often wrapped over the weapon, with the cloth then doused in some form of alcoholic beverage, as Allest was also known to be a heavy drinker, before the liquid is washed off and the item removed from the Shrine. It is believed that Allest continues to lend strength and right of conquest to Unionists to this day. Allest has appeared historically after the end of major battlefields, not to fight, but to mourn the losses on the battlefield with the survivors.


Allest is often worshiped by Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Commanders, Generals, Gladiators, but even many in the criminal element, due to his inherent connection with victory and conquest of others who are weaker and less willing. In the wake of Allest, a cult rose to specifically worship him above the other God Emperors and Empresses: The Allester Cult. The death of Allest did not result in a Schism specifically. However, many years after his death, Allest’s memory was used as an argument in favor of the Vultarin Heresy that would eventually form the Vultragon Schism, which did create a schematic religious community.  Allest’s Cloister Trial involves several mental tests of self-sacrifice and willpower at the Temple of Perpetual Glory, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Allest’s Battlearmor, as his body was never recovered from the battlefield and rumored to be preserved in a perfect state somewhere.  
Allest is often worshiped by kings and queens, princes and princesses, commanders, generals, gladiators, but even many in the criminal element, due to his inherent connection with victory and conquest of others who are weaker and less willing. Allest’s Cloister Trial involves several mental tests of self-sacrifice and willpower at the Arch Temple of Perpetual Glory, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Allest’s battle armor, as his body was never recovered from the battlefield and rumored to be preserved in a perfect state somewhere.  
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====God Emperor Almar====
===Elia, Mistress of Victory===
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|God Emperor Almar, or Almar (sometimes also nicknamed the Blind Jester or Allmaverick, the word Maverick comes from his name), was the 13th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Allamaria I Ivrae Heiligenblut (surname differs as he was the first New-Regalian Emperor). Emperor Allamaria I was also the third son of Emperor Henri III, making Almar the God Emperor son of God Emperor Juvin, while he is also the grandfather of God Emperor Allest. Almar is remembered for several things. Firstly, he is remembered as a rambunctious adolescent, spending much of his early years being a boisterous and wild man with many conquests and broken hearts. He spent money like no tomorrow, and offended many foreign dignitaries with his crude behavior, equally letting many of his stewards and guards land in prison, taking the blame for his juvenile actions. As rule came closer to him however, a series of visions of the past and future caused him to completely reform his life. Where there in the past was celebration and endless nights in leisure, there now was endless nights studying and codifying law to create a semblance of order and justice. Almar was so profoundly touched by his visions and the injustice in the world that he sought to right wrongs. He later also created the School of Marshalry, which he had envisioned to be the arm that would spread his justice and honor for all across the lands. Almar is the representative God of Justice, Law, Honesty, but also of Leisure, Entertainment, Vanity, and Ego.  
|God Empress Elia, or just Elia (sometimes also nicknamed the Brass-Fist), was the wife of Emperor Allestrain I, as his wife Empress Eolaria I of [[House Cadar]]. This makes God Empress Elia thus the wife of God Emperor Allest. Elia is the representative Goddess of fighting, combat, warfare, victory, love and loss. She is remembered for having been at the very frontline of every battle she participated in, letting the generals do the planning, and just punching her way through the enemy lines with her legendary shield Draackenbuster and her spiked war-glove called Porcelain-Face, both of which passed into Artifact Legend after her death. Elia was the only spouse ever suitable for Allest, rivaling him in size, and reputedly being able to knock-out punch an [[Eronidas]] with one heavy punch to the face.  


Almar is often depicted as a suave and handsome young man (even if his reforms came at a later age), always with either a blindfold or some kind of unraveling cloth disappearing from his eyes. This cloth is meant to represent the blindness of justice, but also the fact that Almar was blind to the truths of duty and fate for so long in his life, until he saw the light and reformed. He is also always depicted with a scale, the symbol for the Regalian Judiciary, that weighs the value of crime and punishment for those who are subject to Almar’s laws. Almar’s shrine equally has a scale, one with a golden feather, and another with a small box. These items normally weigh roughly the same, however anyone wishing to bring offering or pray to Almar, writes a plan or thought on a piece of paper, inserts it into the box, and then lets the scale weigh the value of this thought. If it is heavier than the feather, it is unlawful or sinful. If it is lighter than the feather, it is lawful and righteous. It is believed that Almar provides justice and fairness, even for non-Unionists to this day, as he also cares for those who do not believe in the Everwatcher.  
Elia is often depicted with her fist up, sometimes with or without her spiked war-glove, but always with her shield Draackenbuster by her side. She always wears a muscle-fitting bronze armor with a long crimson dress (which she did not wear into battle) complementing her crimson hair. Shrines to Elia feature her as a statue guarding a small locket box underneath that has a small key-hole. Owners of the shrine put their secrets and diaries inside, along with notes of the names of their loved ones to protect them from harm. It is an unspoken law among Unionists never to steal documents from shrines of Elia, in order not to evoke her wrath. It is also believed that putting things inside this small locket box will aid Elia in protecting them from harm, especially loved ones. Flowers are sometimes also offered to a statue of her likeness as a sign of adoration or love that she had for her husband, even in death. Elia has appeared historically in select battlefields while the Empire was expanding, leading a divine charge.


Almar is often worshiped by Justicars, Bureaucrats, Lawmakers, but also Entertainers, Musicians, Dancers, Romancing Couples, and those looking for the perfect partner. Almar’s name is often invoked for good blessings to a Courtship or wedding and lots of healthy offspring before the worshipers “grow up” and transition to Theomar worship. In the wake of Almar, a cult rose to specifically worship him above the other God Emperors and Empresses: The Almar Cult. The death of Almar did not result in any Schisms. Almar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of restraint and self control as the pilgrims are led from one seduction to the other, until they finally pass into the final Faith Chamber in the heart of the Temple of Eternal Justice, where the Sarcophagus of Almar rests with his favorite scales on top that are said to weigh the heaviness of a soul as they enter the chamber.  
Elia is often worshiped by soldiers, sailors, knights, regalian guards, mercenaries, but even criminal thugs on the street who simply wish to strive for the strength and power she had, as well as the endurance to continue on even in the face of loss and suffering. Elia’s Cloister Trial involves several rooms of increasingly difficult duels of combat against other Pilgrims as a test of strength, before the final victor of the tournament is allowed into the inner Chamber of the Arch Temple of Unyielding Perseverance (though locally known as the Arch Temple of Punching Harder). Inside this inner chamber, lies the sarcophagus of Elia, next to an empty sarcophagus which is meant for her husband, though for who this sarcophagus was, is unknown.
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====God Empress Elia====
===Vess, Liberator of Chains===
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|God Empress Elia, or just Elia (sometimes also nicknamed the Brass-Fist), was the wife of Emperor Allestrain I, as his wife Empress Eolaria I of House Cadar. This makes God Empress Elia thus the wife of God Emperor Allest. Empress Eolaria became the Dowager Empress on the death of her husband, however instead of staying at the palace, she continued her husband's warfare and conquest in his name. Much like her husband, Eolaria died in battle, and was declared the second God Empress. Elia is the representative Goddess of Fighting, Combat, Warfare, Victory, Love and Loss. She is remembered for having been at the very frontline of every battle she participated in, letting the generals do the planning, and just punching her way through the enemy lines with her legendary shield Draackenbuster and her spiked war-glove called Porcelain-Face, both of which passed into Artifact Legend after her death. Elia was the only spouse ever suitable for Allest, rivaling him in size, and reputedly being able to knock-out punch an Eronidas with one heavy punch in the face.  
|God Emperor Vess, or just Vess (sometimes nicknamed Vilgy), was the 26th Emperor or Regalia, Emperor [[Vilgemar I]] Ivrae de Sange. Vess was the Emperor who rid the Empire of corrupt politicians and served as the last Emperor before the Regalian pessimism, heralding the last period in time during which the Empire was truly content and there was true hope for the future instead of a constant battle to stave off apocalypse. Vess is the representing God of happiness, liberty, liberation and freedom, more specifically the breaking of chains and bondage, as he liberated an unprecedented amount of indentured servants and slaves from cruel masters, and spent a large amount of time interfering with foreign nations who tyrannically repressed their local people. Vess is also remembered for being a general fun-loving person who could never be caught in a bad mood.


Elia is often depicted with her fist up, sometimes with or without her spiked war-glove, but always with her shield Draackenbuster by her side. She always wears a muscle-fitting bronze armor with a long crimson dress (which she did not wear into battle) complementing her crimson hair. Shrines to Elia feature her as a statue guarding a small locket box underneath that has a small key-hole. Owners of the shrine put their secrets and diaries inside, along with notes of the names of their loved ones to protect them from harm. It is an unspoken law among Unionists never to steal documents from shrines of Elia, in order not to evoke her wrath. It is also believed that putting things inside this small locket box will aid Elia in protecting them from harm, especially loved ones. Flowers are sometimes also offered to a statue of her likeness as a sign of adoration or love that she had for her husband, even in death. Elia is believed to bring victory to those deserving and bless Regalian armies to this day, her name often invoked before and during a battle by Regalian soldiers.  
Vess is always depicted as a very youthful looking young man (though he is equally often depicted as androgynous or of ambiguous gender as he enjoyed breaking gender expectations), as he still looked youthful even towards the end of his life. He wears the traditional garb of the palace entertainers, a group of people who he had good relations with, and is always standing in some sort of playful position or pose that elicits some sense of playfulness or youthfulness. Vess’s statues often double as ponds or fountains, with water reaching from some object he is holding, or his hand, with flowers being very common in and around the water. Prayers to Vess are usually made by releasing wishes and prayers into budding flowers, and then inserting said flower into the water and letting the petals open up as time passes, believing the wishes to be released into the world with Vess’s blessings as the flower flowers before it wilts. Vess has rarely appeared, though every time to smash the chains of groups of slaves, or free them from a burning barn or barrack.


Elia is often worshiped by Soldiers, Sailors, Knights, Regalian Guards, Mercenaries, but even criminal thugs on the street who simply wish to strive for the strength and power she had, as well as the endurance to continue on even in the face of loss and suffering. In the wake of Elia, a cult rose to specifically worship her above the other God Emperors and Empresses: The Elin Cult. The death of Elia did not result in a Schism. Elia’s Cloister Trial involves several rooms of increasingly difficult duels of combat against other Pilgrims as a test of strength, before the final victor of the tournament is allowed into the inner Chamber of the Temple of Unyielding Perseverance (though locally known as the Temple of Punching Harder). Inside this inner chamber, lies the sarcophagus of Elia, next to an empty sarcophagus which is meant for her husband, who she longs to be united with in death.
Vess is worshiped by party-goers, children, those who treasure freedom and liberty above all, journalists, bartenders, inn-keepers, indentured servants and slaves, particularly for their liberation from bondage. Vess’s Cloister Trial involves challenging the pilgrims to entertain or provide happiness for those struck with mental illnesses or depression, who often gravitate to the Arch Temple of Joyous Everwatch to seek help for their despair. If the pilgrims succeed, they are permitted into the Faith Chamber of Vess, where a single sarcophagus stands surrounded by a sea of broken chains, each belonging to a slave he helped free, tens of thousands of them.  
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====God Empress Ness====
===Alexander, Mentor of Compromise===
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|God Empress Ness, or just Ness (sometimes nicknamed Nessie or Mutt-Mother by non-Ailor), was the wife of Emperor Henri I the Honorable, as his wife Empress Nessaria I of House van Sherburne. Empress Nessaria is best remembered as being an indignant wife to her husband early on, resenting the marriage with Emperor Henri I. Through her early years, she committed many sins of unfaithfulness to her husband in spirit and name. This led to her being punished with being blinded, after which she wore her signature silver butterfly wing eye covers and coronet piece. Despite being vengeful after being blinded, it is said that the Everwatcher gave her sight back after she discovered love for her first born child by the Emperor, Bartolomeux, who would also later become Emperor. Still, her Godhood has little to do with her motherhood, but rather the redemption she afforded for the assassins of her children. While their implicit assassination of the Emperors Bartolomeux, Carvallais and Maxelle were never proven, the story goes that Ness gave them penultimate repentance and forgiveness despite the horror they had inflicted on her. She spent many years a devoted mother, only to have her most prized thing in the world taken from her, her children, and still she found it in her heart to forgive the assassins, and gave them blessings as they wept for forgiveness at her feet, clawing at her mourning dress. She would later on continue to go out and seemingly turn the hearts and minds of many of the most ruthless criminals, spending a night with them in their cell by candlelight, and having converted them to pious men full of repentance and seeking forgiveness come morning, continuing on to her dying days. Ness also showed exceptional favor to non-Ailor races, being nicknamed “Mutt Mother” in a time when all other Ailor hated the sight of Half-Ailor, and some of the more radical religious sects continued to attack non-Ailor over radical beliefs of exceptionalism. Ness is the representative Goddess of Forgiveness, Acceptance, Repentance, Absolution, but also the Downtrodden, the Forgotten, the Non-Ailor and the Half-Ailor who feel abandoned.  
|God Emperor Alexander is the 28th and 30th Emperor of the Regalian Empire, with a short period of Interregnum and Cedromar I’s rule before his abdication. As Emperor Alexander is still alive, he is seen as the Divine Vessel, not quite the same as a God Emperor or God Empress. Emperor Alexander rules during a time of great upheaval and chaos, as the world rapidly changes around the Empire, and the Empire has trouble catching up or staying ahead of these changes. Emperor Alexander is the Divine Vessel of change, reform, compassion, compromise and mentorship. His most common perception among the people of the Empire is of a mentoring Emperor who seeks to rule more by implicit consent than with absolute authority, always seeking compromises and challenging the peerage to think of the commoners first, and their wallets later.  


Ness is always depicted in her mourning dress with her signature butterfly eye-covers and accessories. Butterflies strongly represent Ness, a being and symbol of forgiveness of Unionists, and for those seeking repentance. She often carries a golden Unionist Eye chain, along with a golden rose and two sets of rose-thorn stalks. These items are meant to represent her objects of the many facets of forgiveness through faith, repentance through loss, and the beauty of absolution. Sometimes her statue has three infants around her pedestal to signify motherhood, and sometimes it has three chained criminals to signify the forgiveness she gave. Offerings to her are silent candle vigils, or the repentance those who have wronged seek to the priests of Unionism. It is believed that Ness continues to whisper conscience into the hearts of the most hardened criminals, and that all feelings of guilt come from her, but also all feelings of liberation and acceptance, and that she continues to protect non-Ailor.
Alexander does not have formal shrines dedicated to him, as having shrines built for the Divine Vessel is very uncommon, because the Divine Vessel will lose its status as soon as the Emperor dies and is not elevated to God Emperor. Instead, Emperor Alexander is praised through art, with statues and paintings in particular, with every major government institute or office having a large life-size or greater than life painting of the Emperor in full regalia. Alexander is also seen as a compassionate and caring Emperor for the Occult, the first Emperor who has shown overt positive attitudes towards the Occult and even tolerated them to climb to high government offices in the Empire, something thought impossible mere decades before his rule.  


Ness is often worshiped by non-Ailor, Criminals, Judges, Half-Ailor, those who are poor and feel forgotten and downtrodden, those seeking redemption and forgiveness, and those who seek the strength to forgive others. In the wake of Ness came the Nessilia Cult, which holds her above all other Emperor Gods and Goddesses. Ness’s Cloister Trial involves priests drawing out the sins and crimes of the individual in confessional, after which they are confronted with the circumstances and challenged to find peace and love for themselves despite them. If they are proved worthy by the priests, they are allowed into the Faith Chamber of the Temple of Forever Motherhood, where four sarcophagi stand, for Ness and her three beloved children.
Alexander is yet often invoked by mentors, diplomats, government bureaucrats, and particularly those campaigning for more equity for the Occult of the Empire. Even within Crookback the Emperor has some support, as he is equally the first Emperor to not just dismiss the Occult corrupted and the downtrodden, and has reformed the state to allow them to live with some modicum of dignity. As such, Emperor Alexander is sometimes also called the Dignified Vessel. Alexander has no official Temples, though the Palace doubles as one would traditionally see many pilgrims traveling to the Imperial Palace, and lighting candles near the front door as an offering of prayer.  
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===Taal, Mother of Purity===
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|Divine Heroine Taal is a still-living Divine Being recognized by the Concilly Council with godhood. Divine Heroine Taal is best known as the benefactor of the Belliard Guild and the factions of Unionist Purists who take a hardline stance against the corruption of the Occult among the population. Taal is not explicitly violent against the Occult, but takes a very hardline stance that often conflicts with Emperor Alexander’s more moderate and conciliatory tone, while Taal demands the immediate expulsion or termination of any Occult who step out of line, and the cleansing and curing of whatever can be cleansed and cured. Divine Heroine Taal is the Goddess of purity, cleanliness, obedience to heritage and hierarchy, and the matron of tradition and customs.


====God Emperor Vess====
Taal does not have any official shrines dedicated to her, as having shrines built for Divine Heroes is uncommon, but more and more worship sites have been built in her name in private homes. The most common form of these private worship sites is an altar or table of some kind, upon which the faithful polish and clean silverware, jewelry, or other valuables in service to others under candlelight. It is said that Taal approves of service to others by cleaning that which has accumulated grime and dirt from the passage of time, and to use this time in contemplation of the cleanliness of the soul and self contemplation. Taal is equally a very self-assured Goddess, one that requires all faithful be sure of their actions and banish any doubt, and that those wish doubt seek out confessional to rid themselves of what she refers to as “the first door through which evil enters the soul”.
 
Taal is invoked by purists, as well as anti-Occult hardliners, and as such is an incredibly controversial figure, especially to Evintarian Unionists who do not explicitly reject her divinity, but do not openly include her in their pantheon. Taal does not have any Temples, as Temples built for living Divine Heroes is not possible, though it is assumed that after her death, a Temple to her name will be built in her homeland of Calemberg where she was raised an orphan, where her trial will inevitably have something to do with cleansing the soul and inner purity. As a native of Calemberg, Taal is frequently seen in the surrounding regions but largely avoids coming to Regalia, working closely with the Darkwald Order and other Purist entities in the Empire.
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===Borond, Lord of Seas===
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|God Emperor Vess, or just Vess (sometimes nicknamed Vilgy), was the 26th Emperor or Regalia, Emperor Vilgemar I Ivrae de Sange. Vess ascended to Godhood after his death when the Everwatcher passed on to Justinian II. Vess was the Emperor who rid the Empire of corrupt politicians and served as the last Emperor before the Regalian pessimism, heralding the last period in time during which the Empire was truly content and there was true hope for the future instead of a constant battle to stave off apocalypse. Vess is the representing God of Happiness, Liberty, Liberation and Freedom, more specifically the breaking of chains and bondage, as he liberated an unprecedented amount of indentured servants and slaves from cruel masters, and spent a large amount of time interfering with foreign nations who tyrannically repressed their local people. Vess is also remembered for being a general fun-loving person who could never be caught in a bad mood, except for that one day that the Morgannt reached too far with his Tyranny, thus bringing an end to the last Regalian Tyrant.
|Divine Hero Borond is a still-living Divine Being recognized by the Concilly Council with goodhood, following petitions by Eronidas Unionists, as well as first-hand accounts of his assistance with a variety of Regalian engagements. Borond is a so-called integrated Divine Being, meaning he comes from a different religion originally. Indeed, Borond is identical to the Eronidas god Buru from the [[Asaredu]] religion, though there are a couple of differences. Borond is the god of the seas, of the military, or storms and rainfall, and of military ingenuity. He is seen as a guide to the Regalian Armadas and fleets, and a patron protector of merchant shipping.


Vess is always depicted as a very youthful looking young man (though he is equally often depicted as androgynous or of ambiguous gender as he enjoyed breaking gender expectations), as he still looked youthful even towards the end of his life. He wears the traditional garb of the palace entertainers, a group of people who he had good relations with, and is always standing in some sort of playful position or pose that elicits some sense of playfulness or youthfulness. Vess’s statues often double as ponds or fountains, with water reaching from some object he is holding, or his hand, with flowers being very common in and around the water. Prayers to Vess are usually made by releasing wishes and prayers into budding flowers, and then inserting said flower into the water and letting the petals open up as time passes, believing the wishes to be released into the world with Vess’s blessings as the flower flowers before it wilts. It is believed Vess continues to bless the Regalian forces to bring freedom from Tyranny abroad, and has more recently also been adopted as the symbol for the abolition movement of slavery across the Archipelago.
Borond’s shrine shows a depiction of his very Eronidas-looking appearance with the lower body of a shark or dolphin, next to a large gong. The Gong is a reference to the practice of Regalian Armada flagships to have a large gong close to the water, which can be struck in a matter of emergency. It is said that the gong reverberates into the seas, and can be heard by Borond, who has occasionally answered the call and appeared in dire circumstances to save a ship from sinking or being destroyed. In the home, the gong is struck merely ceremonially, while prayers for good winds and fair weather are made. Borond’s role in Unionism compared to Buru in Asaredu leads to some contentious conflict between Eronidas and Unionists (as the Eronidas consider Borond a false interpretation). At the same time however, Borond’s existence in Unionism is an easy way for Eronidas to quickly grow comfortable with Unionism, and a notable minority has converted.


Vess is worshiped by party-goers, children, those who treasure freedom and liberty above all, journalists, bartenders, inn-keepers, indentured servants and slaves, particularly for their liberation from bondage. Vess is in fact so common among Children that many men have a natural process of Vess for their childhood, Almar for their early adolescence, and Theomar for their adult years, but Vess is equally common among adults because of his strong focus on perpetual happiness and fostering a positive view and attitude on life and events. The Vessper Cult came into being to worship Vess above all, though this cult has not been traditionally seen as a true Cult as they spend less time worshiping Vess and more time having fun. Vess did not cause any Schisms. Vess’s Cloister Trial involves challenging the pilgrims to entertain or provide happiness for those struck with mental illnesses or depression, who often gravitate to the Temple of Joyous Everwatch to seek help for their despair. If the pilgrims succeed, they are permitted into the Faith Chamber of Vess, where a single sarcophagus stands surrounded by a sea of broken chains, each belonging to a slave he helped free, tens of thousands of them.  
Borond is invoked by sailors, usually with a necklace, wooden carving or silver depiction of borond, praying for fair winds after which the necklace is kissed. His infrequent appearances to save Regalian ships from destruction has led to him being recognized as a God of another religion with distinct value for Unionism, thus becoming a Unionist God also. Wave-Born Asaredu worshipers are not acknowledged in Unionism. Unionists, contradicting Asaredu dogma, believe that Borond does reproduce with non-Eronidas, and that if they are Unionist, they are called Borr-folk. Borr-folk are born with webbed toes and feet as well as a prehensile shark-like tail and patches of dark shark skin (all of which are just aesthetic), though these are entirely rejected by the Asaredu faith.  
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====Heroes of Unionism====
===Nicholas, Architect of Magnificence===
Heroes of Unionism can come into being through Godsparks. When a God Emperor or Empress dies, their spirit becomes immortal, but a piece of their Soul can be reincarnated into a newly born person after their death, as this Godspark becomes part of their Soul. It is believed that this process causes the person to become exceptionally pious, but to also grant them gifts bestowed by that particular God Emperor or Empress. For example, Theomar would Godspark a mortal into being exceptionally good at leading, while Juvin grants them exceptional Wit. It is doctrine to declare Godsparks only after a person has died in Diets of Divinity, where the priests debate on whether the person's actions and their piety deserves the title of Hero of Unionism. If approved, that person becomes legal to worship, which usually takes the form of votive offerings for blessings. To read more about Heroes, read the [[Heroes of Unionism]] Page. The Evintarian Schism of Unionism has some living Godsparks, as their religious community is the only one that maintains that Diets of Divinity can be held before a person has died, instead of only after. This has recently resulted in the Diet of Evintarian Divinity declaring [[Prince Cedromar I]] to have the Godspark of Allest.
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|Nicholas the Architect of Magnificence, (who may also go by the name Volodomyr in Krainivaya or Klaas in Anglian) was the 14th Arch-Chancellor of the Regalian Empire, and generally remembered fondly to be the best that the Empire ever had. Nicholas took the position when he was 16 years old, and would reign for 86 years, the longest reign of any Emperor or Arch-Chancellor, with a long list of accolades. Under Nicholas, many lands were conquered or subjugated through diplomacy, the economy soared, Unionism spread like wild-fire, and finally united all of the Archipelago under the Regalian banner. Nicholas had to learn on the job as it were, but quickly proved to be the most competent of rulers the Empire had ever seen, and was the architect of many of the Empire's greatest moments, as well as the increase of power of House Kade itself through skillful political marriage of his many sisters.  


==Rituals==
Nicholas is always depicted in his Arch-Chancellor robes with his long hair and distinct frail appearance. Nicholas is always depicted in some mid-command or mid-statement pose, as if he is ready to lift or strike out his hand to give the order to unleash whatever machination he has stewed up. Nicholas's virtues are leadership, foresight, insight, good planning, longevity and excellent design. He is the patron of all politicians, barons, dukes, generals and admirals, army officers, aldormen, but also architects and artists and bankers. His often less discussed divine flaw is that of "holding on for too long", referring to the fact that he held the position of Arch-Chancellor for so long without resigning, that he condemned the Empire to a string of less-than-stellar Arch-Chancellors who never had the experience on the job to succeed his legacy. This example is often set to the Dukes and other political rulers of the Empire, to resign when it is time for a new generation to take over, so that they may take their own place in history, and not have to hurriedly fill the shoes of the past generation and fail in doing so. Nicholas has been known to appear before politicians to assist them in taking momentous decisions that changed the course of the Empire's history, as well as to fortify the resolve of young Emperors who have just come to the throne.  
* '''Sacred Spaces''':Each God Emperor and Empress has an Arch-Temple devoted to them, they can be found in Regalia. Beyond the seven Arch-Temples in the Regalian Holy City, each region with Unionist-majority inhabitants has one Great-Temple, which usually contains shrines to each God Emperor and Empress, but also smaller shrines to the Heroes of Unionism and one big one to the Everwatcher. Finally, smaller Celates own regular Temples, which are usually devoted to a single God Emperor or Empress, the Everwatcher, or a group of Heroes of Unionism.  
* '''Sanktisms''' are religious rituals and practices that herald a new period in the life of a Unionist. To see the full list of Sanktisms, see the [[Unionist Sanktisms]] Page.
* '''Worship''' to Unionism is not strictly done on a daily basis. For many of the faithful, Unionism is not meant to interrupt their daily activities, and as such, most Unionists perform their worship at home, with shrines to their chosen patron God Emperor or Empress, or just the Everwatcher in general. There is no real communal service for Unionists, as priests engage in a very specialized and personal service that is often only given when the faithful seek them out.
* '''Symbolism''' is mostly centered around the lidded eye that represents the Everwatcher, though statues of the God Emperors and Empresses,and the Heroes of Unionism are also frequently seen as Symbols. The colors purple and yellow are considered holy, though only by circumstance of being Theomar's favorite colors.


==Community==
Nicholas's name is invoked by politicians who seek the insight and foresight that he had, as well as for success in their endeavors. His name is also invoked by scholars to aid them with discovery of truth and attain the correct interpretation or dissertation of their subject. Nicholas's pilgrimage site is Nicholas's Temple in Axenfoort (one that is shared with Emended Unionism), a grand Unionist Temple specifically built in his honor. Nicholas's Temple has often been described as a "pincushion", as its spires are exceptionally sharp and many, imitating a cushion with many needles in it. Those that hold Nicholas in high regard often play a game called "Cross-Bearing Kings", which is a board-game simulation of court life, intrigue, marriage, and plotting. The goal of the game is to accrue as much land as possible each successive generation with skilled use of relatives and politics, to prove their virtues in comparison to Vlaas's accolades.  
* '''Structure''' All priests within a Schism community communicate with one another, and also have a hierarchy among them. At the lowest rank exists the lay-priest. The lay-priests are not formally educated priests, but individuals who have a good grasp of Unionist doctrine, and teach others the ways of Unionism. They are not permitted to perform priestly activities however. This is for the regular priests who are often also called Celates. They go to the Divine College where other Celates teach them the exact practices of the priests before they are either assigned a Celate to rule or venture out in the world to seek one out to build up from scratch. Celacy is sometimes inherited, meaning that Celates can marry and have children, and their children can become Celates and inherit the Celate territory as the next priest. A vow of Celibacy is not required in Unionism, but many priests do it anyway for virtue’s sake. Any race can be a Celate or Arch-Celate or even Primae-Celate, though Primae-Celates as of yet have been exclusively Ailor, and the majority of Celates are Ailor.
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* '''Leadership''': Above the Celates are the Arch-Celates who mostly administer several dozens of Celates under their authority. Finally, above the Arch-Celates is the Primae-Celate, a single supreme ruler who calls for Diets and issues orders to the Arch-Celates. Each Schism community has their own Primae-Celate.
===Elen, Lady of Rivers===
* '''Morality''': Unionism has a strict but very expansive list of sins and virtues. The sins are fairly standard: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, versus Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness and Humility. In the views of Morality, Unionism does not wildly differ from other Religions. What does differ from other religions  is that forgiveness from sins can be bought with military service in the army or heavy donations to the priests and their Celates, or the cause of Unionism as a whole through payments to the Emperor. This concept of purchasing waivers for sins is controversial, but has not faded from Unionist society. The sin-forgiveness of being a soldier is common, resulting in Regalia's massive army of those wishing to buy absolution with their service.
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* '''Gender and Sexuality''': There is gender equality for Unionists in general, except for a few things. Firstly, Emperors have only ever been male. Secondly, the Vierzehn Sect of Unionism has strict male-preference and denies the right of women to be priests or military leaders. In general doctrine, The Creed does not disallow same-sex relations, nor does it enforce a gender binary or assign gender (thus allowing those who wish to self-style gender). That being said, the Vierzehn Sect is strictly against the latter two subjects, believing that because The Creed proclaims the need for Ailor to reproduce, that women and men have a strict role, and that same-sex relations go against the instructions of The Creed, while gender-non-conformity is an unwanted change of the creation of the Everwatcher, as they believe the Everwatcher creates everything perfect by default.  
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* '''Syncretism''': Unionism cannot be combined with any other religion, as the divinity of the Everwatcher and the God Empresses and Emperors is absolute, no other divinity may be expressed.
|Elen the Lady of Rivers, is another example of an integrated Divine Entity that finds its origin in the Breizh faith that existed before they adopted Unionism. Unlike Borond and Asaredu, the Breizh Faith was completely absorbed by Unionism as they only believed in Ailwen, the Lady of the Lake, with all tenets roughly compatible with Unionism, and their concepts adopted by Elen's virtues. Ailwen was renamed in common to Elen, and canonized by the Concilly Council as her divinity was proven, and her worth to the Great Way manifest in the actions of the Breizh under her guidance. Elen is the goddess of purpose, meaning, destiny, judgement and burdens. She is specifically considered the patron goddess of Unionist Mages and the Magically tainted, putting her in direct opposition with Taal, Mother of Purity.
 
Elen is a somewhat complicated deiety because she is specifically known to have been a Magic user, and one who considers Magic to be a burden from the Everwatcher. Magic is a bit more complicated in Unionist dogma, because the clergy nor the Creed have ever really defined Magic (especially when born with Magic) as a flaw in the Everwatcher's creation, just that Magic users are usually corrupted. Elen's place and her role for the interpretation of Magic as such has always been dominated by the idea that to be Magic is bad, but to be Magic without purpose or meaning for the Great Way is worse, so Magic with purpose is actually acceptable so long as the soul is virtous. She represents a path that allows for Mages to be accepted by the Unionist community so long as they learn Magic solely for the good of the Empire and others and not for selfish reasons, and are guided under the strict moral supervision of the Emperor (who is accepting of Magic) and measure their worth and purpose based on how much they contribute to the Empire. Elen is always depicted in her Breizh linen, holding a pearl necklace of purpose, with her white feathered wings spread wide. Worship to Elen is performed through meditation and contemplation, and to seek out those who have strayed from the Unionist cause and re-commune with them.  


Elen's name is invoked by Magic users and those who are affected by the Occult, but also those who are impacted by the Occult. She is both prayed to for guidance and purpose by the non-Magically inclined, as well as to be protected from evil Occult, as much as she is worshiped by the Occult to give them a purpose and let their burden (their Magic) find a way to bring glory and benefit to the Empire and the Great Way. Elen has been known to manifest before those at a pivotal point in life where they feel their purpose is wavering, only for Elen to give them a vision or moral guidance with which to reinvigorate their destiny. Elen's Temple is the Temple of Divine Purpose in Kintyr, which is also home to the Unionist Seers. Seers are sort of like Celates, but not really, they are lay-priests who receive visions of Elen and help those who pilgrimage to the Temple with personal guidance on their road to redemption, or teaching them how to deal with whatever burdens they deal in life, magical or not magical.
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==Priestly Activities==
==Priestly Activities==
Priests do not administer communal services, in fact, Unionism does not have any large communal service that involves the worship of a divine entity in large groups. Rather, Unionism is designed more around individual and personal experiences with priests. Sometimes, priests will stand on the proverbial soapbox and preach to a crowd, but the majority of a priest's interactions with their flock are in private settings. Priests act like spiritual guides of their Celate territory as a guiding father, or a wise grandfather (even if they are young), or a world-weathered sage. Locals seek them out for personal guidance and direct interaction. Below are listed the individual practices that Celates and Arch-Celates partake in. These activities are not unique to only Unionists. While the descriptions below mention "faithful" as a subject to perform the priestly activity on, these activities are routinely offered even to non-Unionists, both as a form of attempting to sway them to Unionism, but also just because Unionists believe in the betterment of mental health of even non-Unionists, as that way they are better able to aid Unionists in their goals of Paradise.
Dogmatic Unionist priests are part of the so-called Dogmatic Religious Community. At the very top is the Concilly Council. Originally this organization had a leader called the Supreme Reverend, however the Supreme Reverend position was abolished when the last Supreme Reverend discovered insidious corruption within the religious community, tried to expose it, and was assassinated for it. To compensate, Conclave determined that the Dogmatic community should henceforth be ruled by a Council of elder Arch-Celates. Below the Concilly Council, are the Arch-Celates, which are equivalents to Dukes in the Regalian Empire. They wield considerable power and rule over vast areas of land, subdivided into Celeries. Below the Arch-Celate is the Celate, or just the average priest. Each Celate administrates a Celerie, which is usually a piece of land donated to the clergy where they maintain temples, shrines, and convents, while also producing crops and tending to cattle. Celates perform all religious tasks such as confession, preaching, hearing concerns, and simply taking care of Unionist needs like a social caretaker or mental health worker. Arch-Celates on the other hand are more administrative in that they take care of the treasury, any military attached to the religious orders, and communication between the Concilly Council and the vast wide-spread Unionist elements. Formally the Emperor is the leader of the Holy Seat, which is more of a group term for the Palace and the Concilly Council grouped together, but historically Emperors have interfered very little in the day to day running of the Celeries, and as such, this fact is usually ignored, the Emperor being considered a completely independent entity. This has also historically separated the Emperor from controversy among the Celates, and vice versa.  
* '''Hearing''' is the act of the faithful seeking out the priest for personal spiritual guidance. This can involve up to three individuals seeking out a single or more priests for a wide range of issues. These issues can range from a crisis of faith, a conflict of beliefs, wanting more explanation about spiritual doctrine or any other form of spiritual assurance. This is a common activity to do with other loved ones, for example partners, siblings or even parents, if a member in the family has some sort of crisis where spiritual relief can help, but might not approach the priest on their own. In many ways, a Hearing is a spiritual form of therapy, where the priest primarily functions to reinforce and remind Unionist beliefs, but also offer philosophical guidance with Unionism as context.
* '''Relieving''' is the act of the faithful seeking out the priest for relief of their sins. This process involves the priest seeking out a comfortable place, and having a truly confidential one-on-one with the faithful. The faithful then pours out all the sins they have committed and all things they feel guilty for to a listening ear, who may give advice on how to move on, or offer words of encouragement to face their guilt head on and find absolution.
* '''Blessing''' is the act of the priest seeking out situations where conflict may soon arise, or where large groups of faithful are in need of blessings or spiritual guidance. These priests then arrive with an incense thurible they swing around while speaking out the seven blessings of the God Emperors or Empresses, or just a general Everwatcher blessing. Another way of blessing those present is through the Theraffar, which is a long pole, twice the length of the priest in silver, atop which sits an ornate silver holder with a [[Solacrox]] in the middle surrounded by small mirrors. This Solacrox gem is then geared in such a way that it shines a bright beam of light on whatever the priest is aiming the Theraffar on, while speaking the blessings of the eye of Unionism. This practice is frequently done before battle, and any army has a few dozen Celates to perform Blessings before any major battle.
* '''Cloistering''' is the act of a priest guiding a pilgrim or faithful through the [[Cloister Trial]] in the Arch-Temples devoted to their God Emperors or Empresses. While other practices done by priests are permitted for non-Unionists, it is not permitted for a non-Unionist to enter the Cloister Trials in the bowels of the Arch-Temples without being a believer. During the Cloister Trial, the priest guides the pilgrim through the various chambers and challenges, dispensing wisdom and guidance along the way, and explaining the challenges, before finally letting them part into the Chamber of Faith, the innermost and most holy place inside the Temple, usually containing the remains of the Arch Emperor or Empress.  
* '''Creed Eleracy''' is the act of priests coming together in a form of meeting in Regalia to discuss ongoing events and potential religious community stance changes before a Diet of Deliberation takes place, because an Emperor has not yet died. [[Creed Eleracies]] are held to make the religious community more flexible in responding to pressing events or crises, and it is also a form of cross-Schism communication, as all Schismatic religious community priests and Arch-priests are invited to participate. Decisions made by Creed Eleracies are not binding, but generally do permeate to all other Schisms if they can agree on something.
* The '''Everloving Choir''' is the act of a priest opening a larger social setting where both spectators and active speakers may join. The priest stands on the stage, waiting for any willing speaker to approach. The willing speaker is usually a believer in the audience who wishes to share a story about how good things happened in their life, or about how they were in a tough spot, but how their faith pulled them through. They speak in front of the crowd their experience, and the priest stands flanked to offer guidance or encouragement, while also commenting to the crowd where the hand of the Everwatcher or the Gods and Goddesses could be felt in the story. This is generally a very positive experience where sharing one's personal and intimate experiences with faith and spirituality is encouraged.
==Unionist Lexicon==
* '''The Creed''' is the single volume large holy book of the Unionist faith which Emperor write and edit.
* '''Celate''' and '''Priest''' are both terms used to describe the preachers of Unionism.
* '''Celate''' also refers to the territory managed by a single Priest.
* '''Arch-Priest''' or '''Arch-Celate''' refers to a higher rank Priest that does more paperwork.
* '''Primae-Celate''' or '''Primae-Priest''' refers to the highest office in a Unionist religious community that leads.
* '''God Emperor''' or '''God Empress''' refers to the sub-gods of Unionism, but they can also be called God or Goddess.
* '''The Everwatcher''' or the Spirit is the supreme religious being and the all-creator.
* '''The Everwatch''' is the temporary afterlife in which all souls are judged by the Everwatcher.
* '''The Great Way''' is the purpose of Ailorkind to produce paradise on Aloria.
* '''Arch-Temple''' are great temples, usually housing the remains of God Emperors or Empresses.
* '''Cloister Trials''' are trials that pilgrims undergo to earn the right to visit the Faith Chamber.
* '''Faith Chamber''' is the most holy and sacred place inside an Arch-Temple that houses the Reliquary.
* '''Dogmatic Unionism''' is the term used to describe the standard Unionist religious community.
* '''Evintarian Unionism''' or Etosian Unionism is the term used to describe the first Schism Unionist religious community.
* '''Dogartan Unionism''' is the term used to describe the first Schism Unionist religious community.
* '''Vultragon Unionism''' of Vultarin Unionism is the term used to describe the second Schism Unionist religious community.
* '''Hero of Unionism''' is a mortal who after death is declared a champion of Unionism, and to have inherited a Godspark.
* '''Godspark''' is a piece of a soul that a God Emperor or Empress allowed to reincarnate with their divinity into a mortal.
* '''Diet of Divinity''' is a Diet in which priests gather to discuss elevating a mortal to the rank of Hero of Unionism.
* '''Diet of Deliberation''' happens after every Emperor dies, to discuss the future of Unionism among priests.
* '''Holy War''' is when priests call for a Diet of Fury, and call for a nation or group of people to be purged by the sword.
* '''Hearing''' is a form of priestly therapy for the faithful or non-Unionists.
* '''Relieving''' is a form of priestly confession for the faithful or non-Unionists.
* '''Blessing''' is a form of priestly blessing before battle for the faithful or non-Unionists.
* '''Cloistering''' is a form of priestly guidance during a Cloister Trial reserved for Unionists.
* '''Creed Eleracy''' is an emergency meeting of all Schisms to discuss ongoing theological events for cross-faith dialogue.
* '''”May he watch over you”''' is a common term used by Unionists to bless each other while departing from one another.
* '''“Everwatcher guide your way”''' is a common term used by priests and lay-priests to bless Unionists or non-Unionists alike.
* '''Great Staircase''' is a sort-of-afterlife where all worthy souls rest on a large imaginary stairs going up to the sky, looking down on the living.
* '''Sanktism''' is a ritual performed on a Unionist to mark certain milestones in their life.
 
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The matter of depicting the God Emperors or God Empresses is controversial at best. Many priests believe that mortals are fallible and cannot depict the Gods and Goddesses in an accurate or divine manner. Any art produced of the Gods or Goddesses is extremely scrutinized. More curiously yet, the eyes of all depictions of the Gods or Goddesses are always depicted in white. This is because the iris colors of the Emperors or Empresses is always a matter of intense debate and historical revision.  
*The matter of depicting the God Emperors or God Empresses is controversial at best. Many priests believe that mortals are fallible and cannot depict the Gods and Goddesses in an accurate or divine manner. Any art produced of the Gods or Goddesses is extremely scrutinized. More curiously yet, the eyes of all depictions of the Gods or Goddesses are always depicted in white. This is because the iris colors of the Emperors or Empresses is always a matter of intense debate and historical revision.  
*Unionism used to be mandatory for [[Nobility]] somewhere during the second century after Cataclysm, though this Holy Law was removed when the war against the [[Skagger Hordes]] ceased, and the Empire benefited more from including non-Unionists into the peerage. An exception had always been made for the Altalar nobles of [[Solvaan]] origins in [[Solleria]] however, called the [[Melennarian Confession]] (who was, in fact, not an Altalar himself).
*Unionism used to be mandatory for nobility somewhere during the second century after Cataclysm, though this Holy Law was removed when the war against the [[Skagger Horde]] ceased, and the Empire benefited more from including non-Unionists into the peerage. An exception had always been made for the [[Altalar]] nobles of [[Solvaan]] origins in [[Solleria]] however, called the Confessions of Melennar.
*Sectarian violence largely came to an end at the turn into the fourth century as the last attacks on Vultragon Unionist by state forces ceased, and an uneasy truce was signed between the Schism religious communities. They still do not see eye-to-eye, and the different Schismatic groups still prod at each other, but instead of murdering each other over sectarian differences, they mostly fight with words nowadays, a legacy of the [[Kleine Rechnung]], the document that called for the truce.  
*Sectarian violence largely came to an end at the turn into the fourth century as the last attacks on Vultragon Unionist by state forces ceased, and an uneasy truce was signed between the Schism religious communities. They still do not see eye-to-eye, and the different Schismatic groups still prod at each other, but instead of murdering each other over sectarian differences, they mostly fight with words nowadays, a legacy of the Kleine Rechnung, the document that called for the truce.
* Despite Elen's absorption into Unionism, the Breizh still maintained a high level of cultural autonomy, some even clinging to old beliefs. As such, even when Magic became illegal in the Empire, the Breizh Aelrrigan Order continued to find and train Mages safely in their sanctuaries while the rest of the Empire turned to brutal oppression (and the Magic part of Elen was surpressed from dogma). Elen's faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Elen's magical nature in theological teachings was returned.
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Revision as of 02:28, 20 June 2022

Unionism
Unionismlaaol.png
Religion
Pronunciation Yoon-yen-is-m
Origins Emperor Theomar
Deities
  • The Everwatcher
  • Theomar
  • Ness
  • Juvin
  • Almar
  • Allest
  • Elia
  • Vess
  • Alexander
  • Taal
  • Borond
  • Nicholas
  • Elen
Subsects
  • Evintarian Unionism Schism
  • Vultragon Unionism Schism
  • Emended Unionism Schism
  • Origins

    The origins of Unionism are well recorded as it is one of the youngest religions in the world. Unionism was originally founded as an Ailor-only religion by the prophet Emperor Theomar I Ivrae-Kade, of the Regalian Empire following its founding. The prophet spoke about a divine entity called the Everwatcher contacting him in a series of visions, before appearing to him in person, to speak to him about the fate of all living things under the stewardship of the Ailor Race. Emperor Theomar then wrote the holy chronicle called the Creed, which acts like holy scriptures, containing all the religious laws and concepts dear to Unionism. Following the prophet’s death, it was ordained that the Everwatcher would select Emperors of Regalia as its Vessel through which it would speak and guide destiny. Each successive Emperor has made small and large changes to Unionist doctrine by editing parts of the Creed, meaning this holy scripture ended up being a document that evolved as time passed. The core concept of an Ailor-dominant world eventually made way for the concept of a Regalia-dominant world, inclusive of all other Races and creating a more acceptable secular basis for the religion. Unionism is fairly unique in comparison to other religions, in that it suffered several schisms, major events of theological conflict between its worshipers that resulted in the community splitting each time. As such, there are 4 distinct Unionist beliefs now: Dogmatic, Evintarian, Emended and Vultragon. Each of these have their own structures, beliefs, and hierarchy, though all invariably worship the Everwatcher, and work towards a common goal, of Regalian hegemony and rule over all the world and its people and for the Emperor of Man to become the Emperor of All.

    Schisms

    Evintarian Schism

    The Evintarian Schism occured directly after the death of the prophet Theomar, when the Concilly Council convened to discuss the matter of the succession. Several Concilly members had dabbled into Magic already, and more of them were of the opinion that Magic could be used to advance Humanity by using it. The hardliner Dogmatic Councillors however felt that Theomar’s preaching on the purity of the soul proved that Magic was a corruption that should be guarded against. The Schism occured when the hardliners broke off the Conclave and started hunting down Magic-users, turning the Empire distinctly anti-Occult. The Evintarian (named after their preacher Horopados Evinter), fled to Etosil and seceded from the Empire. They were later re-integrated into the Empire, but remain religiously separate. And have developed a more pro-Occult and evolution-oriented view of Unionism called Evintarian Unionism. There remains a lot of bad blood between the Evintarian and Dogmatic Unionists because of the religious violence between the two over the centuries.

    Vultragon Schism

    The Vultragon Schism occured regionally in the very south of the Regalian Archipelago, and was triggered by the arrival of Dragons in the Empire, but was already building for a long time because of resentment against the aristocracy and the ruling classes abusing their power. Vultragon Unionism formally split when the Celates of Vultaro and Montania declared apostasy from the Concilly Council. Instead, the Council was locally disbanded, and a single figurehead was chosen Supremoclast by vote from the Celates. Vultragon Unionism diverges from Dogmatic and Evintarian Unionism in that it takes a very critical approach to Unionism where asking questions and being critical of religious dogma is encouraged, something the other Councils consider heresy. Vultragon Unionism as such is a much more science and fact oriented faith where spirituality and natural science often blur together. For a while Vultragon Unionism rejected the Divine Beings, but eventually it adopted the Emended Divine Beings and restored the Dogmatic Divine Beings as canon, though with a twist. Because of its inherently critical nature, Vultragon Unionism is not well liked by the other religious schisms of Unionism.

    Emended Schism

    The Emended Schism has a somewhat more staggered appearance, in that it did not come about in just a single schism. Originally, Emended Unionism was Dogartan Unionism, which was a very small schism of Anglian preachers who rejected the wealth of the Evintarian and Unionist Councils. Dogartan celate eventually came to espouse the virtues of asceticism and poverty, and rejected a formalized religious hierarchy, though were largely still in line with Dogmatic tenets. In more recent years, the Dogartan celates have developed new theological arguments heavily rejecting Ivrae-Sange legitimacy and establishing the Emended Divine Beings as their true version of Canon, claiming that the Ivrae dynasty was so incompetent that by their incompetence, they admitted to being usurpers of the true Vessels. Emended Unionism still upholds that Theomar was the prophet, but claims he was never the first Vessel.

    Core Identity

    Unionism is a religion centered around the tenets of devotion, piety, obedience and ambition, to live by the example of virtuous forebears. Unionism is an organized religion with a centralized priesthood and structure, though each schismatic group is different. Because each group has different core concepts and tenets, each of them will be discussed on a separate page.

    Tenets

    • Bravery: Unionism requires that all Unionists show bravery in the face of demons, adversity and the natural vices that all living things are born with.
    • Calm: Unionism requires that all Unionists remain civil with one another and show kindness even when cruelty and aggression is inflicted on them.
    • Chaste: Unionism requires that sexual relations happen only in wedlock, and only in a monogamous sense. Adultery is strictly a sin.
    • Ambition: Unionism requires that all Unionists contribute no matter how big or small, to the great dominance of the Regalian Empire.
    • Diligence: Unionism requires that those with merit and skill are rewarded and raised to better positions of power to reward their duty to the Empire.
    • Forgiving: Unionism requires that all Unionists are forgiving and do not relent to the vices of revenge and pettiness for they are barbaric and banal.
    • Charity: Unionism requires that all Unionists create equity for the poorest and weakest, so that even the infirm can contribute through charity and help.
    • Honest: Unionism requires honesty and truth, professing the need for a strict but fair law and for fairness for the people both highborn and lowborn.
    • Humble: Unionism requires that all Unionists see themselves as no better than the great who came before, and who they will live as an example of.
    • Obedience: Unionism requires all Unionists to be obedient to the hierarchy of the state, to the Nobility granted rule from the Emperor, who must not be questioned.
    • Great Way: Unionism requires all Unionists to constantly strive to contribute to the Great Way, to find opportunities to further advance the Empire and its people.
    • Vessel: Dogmatic Unionists believe that only male Emperors can be the Vessel of the Everwatcher. The succession is Elective however, meaning no-one knows the next heir but the Emperor.

    Beliefs

    • Narrative: In Unionism all faithful (and even unfaithful) contribute or detrimentally affect something called the Great Way. The Great Way is a promise made by the Everwatcher, that the Regalian Empire now carries the Mantle of Creation, a concept that they must protect life and existence itself from the ruinous powers of corruption and evil. The promise is that one day, if Unionism succeeds, the whole world will be ruled by the Regalian Empire as one state, and all living things will be subject to the Emperor and Vessel of the Everwatcher. When that time comes, the Everwatcher shall unchain the gates of the afterlife where all past Unionists have gone, revive the dead, and bring about a paradise without sickness, death, or sadness. Those who are denied entry into the gates of the afterlife, are instead re-incarnated in the mortal world after their death to try again to prove their soul is worthy.
    • Canon Evil: Unionist Canon Evil is somewhat dubious, and exists on multiple levels. The most obvious evil in Unionism is called the Sin of Creation. The Sin of Creation implies that all living beings were born with inherent flaws to overcome to prove their worthiness for the cause of the Great Way. As such, evil is done simply because people do not have self control or inhibitions. The next stage of evil are Demons. Unionism acknowledges all entities coming from different dimensions save the afterlife as Demons seeking to corrupt the minds and wills of the living. These beings infest or seduce the living into giving into their Sin of Creation. The third level of evil is somewhat more ambiguous, as it is other religions. While Unionism doesn’t strictly deny the existence or validity of other religions, it does claim that by worshiping anyone but the Everwatcher, that the living are led astray from creating Paradise, and that they live in sabotage of the Great Way’s conclusion. Essentially, other religions are seen as a distracting evil.
    • Identity: The Unionist Creed has no words or thoughts on the matter of gender, sex, sexuality or gender-identity, though the topic of homosexuality is somewhat contentious among Ailor. There is nothing strictly against homosexuality, but a theological argument is made that every Unionist has a duty to sire the next generation of faithful, and to be celibate, same-sex loving, or simply choose not to have children, is seen as a selfish act and one that detrimentally affects the Great Way. As a result, many same-sex Unionists adopt, or find other ways to have children.
    • Conversion: Unionism is a religion that has invariably been applied with the sword, or with word, and both interpretations are somewhat correct. Unionists believe that a person, even one who is not Unionist or pretends to be Unionist, can still work towards the Great Way if pointed in the right direction. This is why the Confessions of Melennar are important, because this preacher created a common understanding that as a Regalian Unionist ruler, one’s non-Unionist subjects can still work towards the Empire’s cause, while not believing in the Everwatcher, and their soul can still ascend to the Unionist afterlife if their own religion or a-religiosity will not claim them. As such, conversion by the sword is also fully acceptable, because it forcibly induces someone into the Great Way, though it has become more controversial and less acceptable as of late.
    • Sins & Taboo: The worst cases of sinning and taboo for Unionism are blasphemy against the Emperor, hedonism in cruelty (torture, mental abuse, domestic abuse), moral corruption among government and nobles, infanticide, desecrating holy sites, attacking clergy and temples (even of other religions), rejecting the Everwatcher, and being a traitor or saboteur against the Regalian Empire. Unionism does acknowledge confessionals, but Celates can issue a Writ of Sin, a public denunciation and excommunication of a Unionist (or Unionist) to declare them anathema to the religion. It is possible to reverse a Writ of Sin through a Writ of Harmony, but only through some act of self-sacrifice or service to the Emperor.

    Gods and Goddesses

    Unionism has a concept referred to as Trans-Divinity. Trans-Divinity means that whatever their faith understands to be divine, is fluid and constantly changes based on interpretations. By standard, the Everwatcher is always the indisputably most important entity in Unionism. The Living Emperor is also a living Divine Being who should be worshiped as a god, though it is not illegal to acknowledge his sin of creation flaws from time to time. Below the Emperor and the Everwatcher are the God-Emperors and God-Empresses. When an Emperor or Empress dies, they are no longer divine, as the Vessel passes on to the next heir, but some Emperors or Empresses are raised up in the afterlife by the Everwatcher and sent back to Aloria to guide the people, during which process they are made Divine Beings. Finally, on the lower end of the spectrum are the Heroes of Unionism, which are also considered Divine Beings. Heroes are raised to divinity by the Concilly Council even while they are still alive, and continue to be worshiped after death. This all means that Unionism, as time goes by, gains more and more Gods and Goddesses, while other religions are fairly stagnant. Furthermore, it also means that it’s theoretically possible for other religions to merge into Unionism if their Gods and Goddesses can be proven to be real, and prove their divinity or past divinity. Unionists can combine a variety of Divine Entity worship. By default, all Unionists worship the Everwatcher, however, whoever else is worshiped additionally is up to the individual. Some worshipers choose only a single patron deity, while others choose a collection, or leave just a few out. There are no hard rules to Divine Being worship, in general they exist more as examples to live by, instead of a strict pantheon that demands worship.

    The Everwatcher

    Unionismspirit.png
    The Everwatcher, is the supreme Divine Being of Unionism, the source of all creation, and the final destiny of all things. The Everwatcher was the first thing that was created in the beginning of times and created all other races, creatures, land, and all that was and will be. The Everwatcher is not traditionally depicted in any way shape or form. The Everwatcher is the same for all Schisms, though the Schisms have internal disagreements about who should be the Vessel of the Everwatcher. Generally speaking, Dogmatic and Evintarian Unionists support the current lineage, while Emended and Vultragon Unionists support the erasure of Ivrae legitimacy. The Everwatcher is the highest supreme being which lends divinity to the Emperor-Vessel, and which also sends the God Empresses and God Emperors back to the land of the living, and also imbues certain people born with god-like powers to fulfill their role in the Great Way. The Everwatcher is eternal; it sees all and knows all, though it only works through agents so as not to blind the living from the trials of the Great Way, which are theirs to prove.

    Worship of the Everwatcher is never done specifically by praying or asking for its blessings, but rather simply by being a good Unionist. There is only ever one direct interaction between a Unionist and the Everwatcher, and that is in the moment of their death, for their soul to be weighed against their role in the Great Way. If they are left wanting, the soul will be returned to Aloria to be re-incarnated, given another chance to prove itself. If they pass, the soul will join the Everwatcher in the Unionist afterlife. Matters regarding the Everwatcher are always the highest forms of heresy if claimed in contradiction to established theological doctrine. While the Everwatcher does grant blessings to individuals who are born all across the Empire, because it has determined some religious purpose for them at birth, the Everwatcher never speaks through anyone except the Vessel.

    Theomar, Prophet of All

    GodTheomar.png
    God Emperor Theomar, or just Theomar (sometimes also nicknamed the Sun-Father), was the first Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Theomar I Ivrae. Theomar was the founding Emperor of the Regalian Empire and the creator of the Unionist Faith, writing the first version of The Creed. As God Emperor, Theomar represents fatherhood, leadership, ambition, devotion and piety. He was known as an Emperor with exceptional charisma, capable of swaying even his most ardent opponents. He is also remembered as an excellent father who had a loving family and acts as an example to all those bringing about the next generation of Unionists.

    Theomar is often depicted holding up his hand, with the palm to the viewer. This is to emulate his proclamation of Unionism. He is always depicted very dignified, and clothed in his royal purple and cream yellow robes, his favorite colors in life. Shrines to Theomar usually feature a golden bowl in which promises of good lives and good wishes for children are deposited by fathers, or good wishes and promises for fairness and kindness from one employer to employees. As such, Theomar shrines featuring this bowl and his likeness can be found in the home, or in workplaces, where Theomar’s name is invoked for the good fortunes of the business and the good wellbeing of its leadership, who in turn invoke the wellbeing of the workers and productivity.

    Theomar has historically appeared only during very significant events of religious importance, when the continued existence of Unionism hung by a thread, or when the power and influence of the other God Emperors or Empresses would simply not suffice for a task given by the Everwatcher. As such, Theomar has never truly appeared before any one particular person having a problem, but rather appeared in pivotal moments of the Empire’s general history to provide blessings of protection and reinvigorated power. Theomar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of morality and making the right decision in a tough situation to test the ethics and fairness of the pilgrim. Theomar’s Cloister Trial is at the Arch Temple of the All-Beacon, with the inner Faith Chamber containing his Sarcophagus.

    Ness, Lady of Forgiveness

    GoddessNess.png
    God Empress Ness, or just Ness (sometimes nicknamed Nessie or Mutt-Mother by non-Ailor), was the wife of Emperor Henri I the Honorable, as his wife Empress Nessaria I of House van Sherburne. Empress Nessaria is best remembered as being an indignant wife to her husband early on, resenting the marriage with Emperor Henri I. Through her early years, she committed many sins of unfaithfulness to her husband in spirit and name. This led to her being punished with being blinded, after which she wore her signature silver butterfly wing eye covers and coronet piece. Despite being vengeful after being blinded, it is said that the Everwatcher gave her sight back after she discovered love for her first born child when she found love in motherhood. She spent many years a devoted mother, only to have her children violently taken from her, and still she found it in her heart to forgive the assassins, giving them blessings as they wept for forgiveness at her feet. Ness is the representative Goddess of Forgiveness, Acceptance, Repentance, Absolution, but also the Downtrodden, the Forgotten, the non-Ailor, and the Half-Ailor who feel abandoned.

    Ness is always depicted in her mourning dress with her signature butterfly eye-covers and accessories. Butterflies strongly represent Ness, a being and symbol of forgiveness of Unionists, and for those seeking repentance. She often carries a golden Unionist Eye chain, along with a golden rose and two sets of rose-thorn stalks. These items are meant to represent her objects of the many facets of forgiveness through faith, repentance through loss, and the beauty of absolution. Sometimes her statue has three infants around her pedestal to signify motherhood, and sometimes it has three chained criminals to signify the forgiveness she gave. Offerings to her are silent candle vigils, or the repentance those who have wronged seek to the priests of Unionism. Ness frequently appears to those who believe in Unionism but need the strongest forgiveness or cannot go on without help to learn to live with their grief, guilt, or torment. Ness appears relatively often, even seen walking the streets of Regalia seemingly going nowhere.

    Ness is often worshiped by criminals, judges, those who are poor and feel forgotten and downtrodden, those seeking redemption and forgiveness, and those who seek the strength to forgive others. Ness’s Cloister Trial involves priests drawing out the sins and crimes of the individual in confession, after which they are confronted with the circumstances and challenged to find peace and love for themselves despite them. If they are proved worthy by the priests, they are allowed into the Faith Chamber of the Arch Temple of Salvation, where five sarcophagi stand, for Ness and her four beloved children (As Emperor Leomar I, her youngest son, was also buried there after his natural death).

    Juvin, Oracle of Knowledge

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    God Emperor Juvin, or just Juvin (sometimes also nicknamed the All-Knower), was the 11th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Henri III Ivrae de-Sange. Juvin is commonly remembered as the most pious and religiously pure Emperor, who lived an ascetic life of inner peace and perfection, and outward serenity and virtue. As a God Emperor, Juvin is the god of piety and virtue, the perfection of learning, and thinkers. Juvin was known to be an Emperor with exceptional wit and knowledge even at an early age when he could easily debate and out-smart his teachers and superiors. Juvin was also an exceptional philosopher and thinker who would spend long periods of his rule contemplating the meanings of everything, and make modifications to the Creed to reflect a more pure lifestyle.

    Juvin is often depicted in simple garb with only minimal decorations and dull colors, bowing, kneeling or in some form of submissive stance. This is to emphasize that Juvin never considered himself above everyone else, and served knowledge and virtue more than anything. He is depicted tall and frail, with a bald head and a long robe that may sometimes also contain several scrolls and items that intellectuals use to ply their crafts. Shrines to Juvin are usually put into an alcove inside a larger bookcase, surrounded by knowledge and learning. Candles are lit to his will in front of his statue, while incense is let to absorb the knowledge of the books, in the hopes that Juvin will give the offering person the means to learn faster. Juvin shrines can be found in any library or school. Juvin rarely appears, but all divine appearances have been reported in libraries, for Juvin to hand the willing exactly the one book they were looking to embark on their journey, while that book was not even in the library to begin with.

    Juvin is often worshiped by priests, librarians, scribes, teachers, tutors, researchers, alchemists, philosophers and thinkers. Juvin was largely responsible for the creation of the Dogartan Schism, as many Celates in Anglia started imitating him, though it is not officially recognized as a Schism because of how smooth and regional the transition was. Juvin’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of wit at the Arch Temple of Greater Understanding, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Juvin’s Sarcophagus.

    Almar, Jester of Justice

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    God Emperor Almar, or Almar (sometimes also nicknamed the Blind Jester or Allmaverick, the word Maverick comes from his name), was the 13th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Allamaria I Ivrae Heiligenblut (surname differs as he was a Wirtem Emperor alongside his older brother Lilienmar III). Emperor Allamaria I was also the second son of Emperor Henri III, making God Emperor Almar the son of God Emperor Juvin, while he is also the grandfather of God Emperor Allest. Almar is remembered for several things. Firstly, he is remembered as a rambunctious adolescent, spending much of his early years being a boisterous and wild man with many conquests and broken hearts. He spent money like no tomorrow, and offended many foreign dignitaries with his crude behavior, equally letting many of his stewards and guards land in prison, taking the blame for his juvenile actions. As rule came closer to him however, a series of visions of the past and future caused him to completely reform his life. Where there in the past was celebration and endless nights in leisure, there now was endless nights studying and codifying law to create a semblance of order and justice. Almar is the representative God of Justice, Law, Honesty, but also of Leisure, Entertainment, Vanity, and Ego.

    Almar is often depicted as a suave and handsome young man, always with either a blindfold or some kind of unraveling cloth disappearing from his eyes. This cloth is meant to represent the blindness of justice, but also the fact that Almar was blind to the truths of duty and fate for so long in his life, until he saw the light and reformed. He is also always depicted with a scale, the symbol for the Regalian Judiciary, that weighs the value of crime and punishment for those who are subject to Almar’s laws. Almar’s shrine equally has a scale, one with a golden feather, and another with a small box. These items normally weigh roughly the same, however anyone wishing to bring offering or pray to Almar, writes a plan or thought on a piece of paper, inserts it into the box, and then lets the scale weigh the value of this thought. If it is heavier than the feather, it is unlawful or sinful. If it is lighter than the feather, it is lawful and righteous. Almar is not known to appear before anyone, but the Concilly Council still acknowledges him.

    Almar is often worshiped by justicars, bureaucrats, lawmakers, but also entertainers, Musicians, dancers, romancing couples, and those looking for the perfect partner. Almar’s name is often invoked for good blessings to a Courtship or wedding. Almar’s Cloister Trial involves several tests of restraint and self control as the pilgrims are led from one seduction to the other, until they finally pass into the final Faith Chamber in the heart of the Arch Temple of Eternal Justice, where the Sarcophagus of Almar rests with his favorite scales on top that are said to weigh the heaviness of a soul as they enter the chamber.

    Allest, Lord of Domination

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    God Emperor Allest, or just Allest (sometimes also nicknamed the Bear-Claw), was the 15th Emperor of Regalia, Emperor Allestrain I Ivrae de-Sange. Allest ascended to Godhood after his death from an arrow in the back that penetrated his heart on the field of battle while holding off a hundred soldiers by himself allowing his own soldiers who had been cornered by the enemy to escape certain death. Allest is best remembered for being a beast of a man, alongside his best friend Arch-Chancellor Alexander the Giant, the both of them forming an inseparable warrior duo on the frontlines as the Empire expanded. Allest was the first frontline commander and warrior Emperor, and was an undefeated warrior who seemed to get that much more skilled with every champion he defeated. Allest is the representative God of Conquest, Rule, Brotherhood, and Fame.

    Allest is often depicted either in his massive bulky armor, or in some state of removal of this armor to emphasize his god-like physique, in a victorious or intimidating stance. He is depicted tall and glorious as an example for all Ailor to strive to physically, and for the many victories he brought Regalia despite his short time on the throne. Allest is often also depicted with two large claymores, or scabbards holding his favorite swords: Blutkraft and Sangria, weapons that passed into Artifact Legend after his death. Shrines to Allest feature larger wardrobes or tables than most other shrines, allowing the owner to cover the surface with a cloth, and put their weapon in front of the shrine to ask for Allest’s blessings. The cloth is often wrapped over the weapon, with the cloth then doused in some form of alcoholic beverage, as Allest was also known to be a heavy drinker, before the liquid is washed off and the item removed from the Shrine. It is believed that Allest continues to lend strength and right of conquest to Unionists to this day. Allest has appeared historically after the end of major battlefields, not to fight, but to mourn the losses on the battlefield with the survivors.

    Allest is often worshiped by kings and queens, princes and princesses, commanders, generals, gladiators, but even many in the criminal element, due to his inherent connection with victory and conquest of others who are weaker and less willing. Allest’s Cloister Trial involves several mental tests of self-sacrifice and willpower at the Arch Temple of Perpetual Glory, before pilgrims can reach the inner Faith chamber containing Allest’s battle armor, as his body was never recovered from the battlefield and rumored to be preserved in a perfect state somewhere.

    Elia, Mistress of Victory

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    God Empress Elia, or just Elia (sometimes also nicknamed the Brass-Fist), was the wife of Emperor Allestrain I, as his wife Empress Eolaria I of House Cadar. This makes God Empress Elia thus the wife of God Emperor Allest. Elia is the representative Goddess of fighting, combat, warfare, victory, love and loss. She is remembered for having been at the very frontline of every battle she participated in, letting the generals do the planning, and just punching her way through the enemy lines with her legendary shield Draackenbuster and her spiked war-glove called Porcelain-Face, both of which passed into Artifact Legend after her death. Elia was the only spouse ever suitable for Allest, rivaling him in size, and reputedly being able to knock-out punch an Eronidas with one heavy punch to the face.

    Elia is often depicted with her fist up, sometimes with or without her spiked war-glove, but always with her shield Draackenbuster by her side. She always wears a muscle-fitting bronze armor with a long crimson dress (which she did not wear into battle) complementing her crimson hair. Shrines to Elia feature her as a statue guarding a small locket box underneath that has a small key-hole. Owners of the shrine put their secrets and diaries inside, along with notes of the names of their loved ones to protect them from harm. It is an unspoken law among Unionists never to steal documents from shrines of Elia, in order not to evoke her wrath. It is also believed that putting things inside this small locket box will aid Elia in protecting them from harm, especially loved ones. Flowers are sometimes also offered to a statue of her likeness as a sign of adoration or love that she had for her husband, even in death. Elia has appeared historically in select battlefields while the Empire was expanding, leading a divine charge.

    Elia is often worshiped by soldiers, sailors, knights, regalian guards, mercenaries, but even criminal thugs on the street who simply wish to strive for the strength and power she had, as well as the endurance to continue on even in the face of loss and suffering. Elia’s Cloister Trial involves several rooms of increasingly difficult duels of combat against other Pilgrims as a test of strength, before the final victor of the tournament is allowed into the inner Chamber of the Arch Temple of Unyielding Perseverance (though locally known as the Arch Temple of Punching Harder). Inside this inner chamber, lies the sarcophagus of Elia, next to an empty sarcophagus which is meant for her husband, though for who this sarcophagus was, is unknown.

    Vess, Liberator of Chains

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    God Emperor Vess, or just Vess (sometimes nicknamed Vilgy), was the 26th Emperor or Regalia, Emperor Vilgemar I Ivrae de Sange. Vess was the Emperor who rid the Empire of corrupt politicians and served as the last Emperor before the Regalian pessimism, heralding the last period in time during which the Empire was truly content and there was true hope for the future instead of a constant battle to stave off apocalypse. Vess is the representing God of happiness, liberty, liberation and freedom, more specifically the breaking of chains and bondage, as he liberated an unprecedented amount of indentured servants and slaves from cruel masters, and spent a large amount of time interfering with foreign nations who tyrannically repressed their local people. Vess is also remembered for being a general fun-loving person who could never be caught in a bad mood.

    Vess is always depicted as a very youthful looking young man (though he is equally often depicted as androgynous or of ambiguous gender as he enjoyed breaking gender expectations), as he still looked youthful even towards the end of his life. He wears the traditional garb of the palace entertainers, a group of people who he had good relations with, and is always standing in some sort of playful position or pose that elicits some sense of playfulness or youthfulness. Vess’s statues often double as ponds or fountains, with water reaching from some object he is holding, or his hand, with flowers being very common in and around the water. Prayers to Vess are usually made by releasing wishes and prayers into budding flowers, and then inserting said flower into the water and letting the petals open up as time passes, believing the wishes to be released into the world with Vess’s blessings as the flower flowers before it wilts. Vess has rarely appeared, though every time to smash the chains of groups of slaves, or free them from a burning barn or barrack.

    Vess is worshiped by party-goers, children, those who treasure freedom and liberty above all, journalists, bartenders, inn-keepers, indentured servants and slaves, particularly for their liberation from bondage. Vess’s Cloister Trial involves challenging the pilgrims to entertain or provide happiness for those struck with mental illnesses or depression, who often gravitate to the Arch Temple of Joyous Everwatch to seek help for their despair. If the pilgrims succeed, they are permitted into the Faith Chamber of Vess, where a single sarcophagus stands surrounded by a sea of broken chains, each belonging to a slave he helped free, tens of thousands of them.

    Alexander, Mentor of Compromise

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    God Emperor Alexander is the 28th and 30th Emperor of the Regalian Empire, with a short period of Interregnum and Cedromar I’s rule before his abdication. As Emperor Alexander is still alive, he is seen as the Divine Vessel, not quite the same as a God Emperor or God Empress. Emperor Alexander rules during a time of great upheaval and chaos, as the world rapidly changes around the Empire, and the Empire has trouble catching up or staying ahead of these changes. Emperor Alexander is the Divine Vessel of change, reform, compassion, compromise and mentorship. His most common perception among the people of the Empire is of a mentoring Emperor who seeks to rule more by implicit consent than with absolute authority, always seeking compromises and challenging the peerage to think of the commoners first, and their wallets later.

    Alexander does not have formal shrines dedicated to him, as having shrines built for the Divine Vessel is very uncommon, because the Divine Vessel will lose its status as soon as the Emperor dies and is not elevated to God Emperor. Instead, Emperor Alexander is praised through art, with statues and paintings in particular, with every major government institute or office having a large life-size or greater than life painting of the Emperor in full regalia. Alexander is also seen as a compassionate and caring Emperor for the Occult, the first Emperor who has shown overt positive attitudes towards the Occult and even tolerated them to climb to high government offices in the Empire, something thought impossible mere decades before his rule.

    Alexander is yet often invoked by mentors, diplomats, government bureaucrats, and particularly those campaigning for more equity for the Occult of the Empire. Even within Crookback the Emperor has some support, as he is equally the first Emperor to not just dismiss the Occult corrupted and the downtrodden, and has reformed the state to allow them to live with some modicum of dignity. As such, Emperor Alexander is sometimes also called the Dignified Vessel. Alexander has no official Temples, though the Palace doubles as one would traditionally see many pilgrims traveling to the Imperial Palace, and lighting candles near the front door as an offering of prayer.

    Taal, Mother of Purity

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    Divine Heroine Taal is a still-living Divine Being recognized by the Concilly Council with godhood. Divine Heroine Taal is best known as the benefactor of the Belliard Guild and the factions of Unionist Purists who take a hardline stance against the corruption of the Occult among the population. Taal is not explicitly violent against the Occult, but takes a very hardline stance that often conflicts with Emperor Alexander’s more moderate and conciliatory tone, while Taal demands the immediate expulsion or termination of any Occult who step out of line, and the cleansing and curing of whatever can be cleansed and cured. Divine Heroine Taal is the Goddess of purity, cleanliness, obedience to heritage and hierarchy, and the matron of tradition and customs.

    Taal does not have any official shrines dedicated to her, as having shrines built for Divine Heroes is uncommon, but more and more worship sites have been built in her name in private homes. The most common form of these private worship sites is an altar or table of some kind, upon which the faithful polish and clean silverware, jewelry, or other valuables in service to others under candlelight. It is said that Taal approves of service to others by cleaning that which has accumulated grime and dirt from the passage of time, and to use this time in contemplation of the cleanliness of the soul and self contemplation. Taal is equally a very self-assured Goddess, one that requires all faithful be sure of their actions and banish any doubt, and that those wish doubt seek out confessional to rid themselves of what she refers to as “the first door through which evil enters the soul”.

    Taal is invoked by purists, as well as anti-Occult hardliners, and as such is an incredibly controversial figure, especially to Evintarian Unionists who do not explicitly reject her divinity, but do not openly include her in their pantheon. Taal does not have any Temples, as Temples built for living Divine Heroes is not possible, though it is assumed that after her death, a Temple to her name will be built in her homeland of Calemberg where she was raised an orphan, where her trial will inevitably have something to do with cleansing the soul and inner purity. As a native of Calemberg, Taal is frequently seen in the surrounding regions but largely avoids coming to Regalia, working closely with the Darkwald Order and other Purist entities in the Empire.

    Borond, Lord of Seas

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    Divine Hero Borond is a still-living Divine Being recognized by the Concilly Council with goodhood, following petitions by Eronidas Unionists, as well as first-hand accounts of his assistance with a variety of Regalian engagements. Borond is a so-called integrated Divine Being, meaning he comes from a different religion originally. Indeed, Borond is identical to the Eronidas god Buru from the Asaredu religion, though there are a couple of differences. Borond is the god of the seas, of the military, or storms and rainfall, and of military ingenuity. He is seen as a guide to the Regalian Armadas and fleets, and a patron protector of merchant shipping.

    Borond’s shrine shows a depiction of his very Eronidas-looking appearance with the lower body of a shark or dolphin, next to a large gong. The Gong is a reference to the practice of Regalian Armada flagships to have a large gong close to the water, which can be struck in a matter of emergency. It is said that the gong reverberates into the seas, and can be heard by Borond, who has occasionally answered the call and appeared in dire circumstances to save a ship from sinking or being destroyed. In the home, the gong is struck merely ceremonially, while prayers for good winds and fair weather are made. Borond’s role in Unionism compared to Buru in Asaredu leads to some contentious conflict between Eronidas and Unionists (as the Eronidas consider Borond a false interpretation). At the same time however, Borond’s existence in Unionism is an easy way for Eronidas to quickly grow comfortable with Unionism, and a notable minority has converted.

    Borond is invoked by sailors, usually with a necklace, wooden carving or silver depiction of borond, praying for fair winds after which the necklace is kissed. His infrequent appearances to save Regalian ships from destruction has led to him being recognized as a God of another religion with distinct value for Unionism, thus becoming a Unionist God also. Wave-Born Asaredu worshipers are not acknowledged in Unionism. Unionists, contradicting Asaredu dogma, believe that Borond does reproduce with non-Eronidas, and that if they are Unionist, they are called Borr-folk. Borr-folk are born with webbed toes and feet as well as a prehensile shark-like tail and patches of dark shark skin (all of which are just aesthetic), though these are entirely rejected by the Asaredu faith.

    Nicholas, Architect of Magnificence

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    Nicholas the Architect of Magnificence, (who may also go by the name Volodomyr in Krainivaya or Klaas in Anglian) was the 14th Arch-Chancellor of the Regalian Empire, and generally remembered fondly to be the best that the Empire ever had. Nicholas took the position when he was 16 years old, and would reign for 86 years, the longest reign of any Emperor or Arch-Chancellor, with a long list of accolades. Under Nicholas, many lands were conquered or subjugated through diplomacy, the economy soared, Unionism spread like wild-fire, and finally united all of the Archipelago under the Regalian banner. Nicholas had to learn on the job as it were, but quickly proved to be the most competent of rulers the Empire had ever seen, and was the architect of many of the Empire's greatest moments, as well as the increase of power of House Kade itself through skillful political marriage of his many sisters.

    Nicholas is always depicted in his Arch-Chancellor robes with his long hair and distinct frail appearance. Nicholas is always depicted in some mid-command or mid-statement pose, as if he is ready to lift or strike out his hand to give the order to unleash whatever machination he has stewed up. Nicholas's virtues are leadership, foresight, insight, good planning, longevity and excellent design. He is the patron of all politicians, barons, dukes, generals and admirals, army officers, aldormen, but also architects and artists and bankers. His often less discussed divine flaw is that of "holding on for too long", referring to the fact that he held the position of Arch-Chancellor for so long without resigning, that he condemned the Empire to a string of less-than-stellar Arch-Chancellors who never had the experience on the job to succeed his legacy. This example is often set to the Dukes and other political rulers of the Empire, to resign when it is time for a new generation to take over, so that they may take their own place in history, and not have to hurriedly fill the shoes of the past generation and fail in doing so. Nicholas has been known to appear before politicians to assist them in taking momentous decisions that changed the course of the Empire's history, as well as to fortify the resolve of young Emperors who have just come to the throne.

    Nicholas's name is invoked by politicians who seek the insight and foresight that he had, as well as for success in their endeavors. His name is also invoked by scholars to aid them with discovery of truth and attain the correct interpretation or dissertation of their subject. Nicholas's pilgrimage site is Nicholas's Temple in Axenfoort (one that is shared with Emended Unionism), a grand Unionist Temple specifically built in his honor. Nicholas's Temple has often been described as a "pincushion", as its spires are exceptionally sharp and many, imitating a cushion with many needles in it. Those that hold Nicholas in high regard often play a game called "Cross-Bearing Kings", which is a board-game simulation of court life, intrigue, marriage, and plotting. The goal of the game is to accrue as much land as possible each successive generation with skilled use of relatives and politics, to prove their virtues in comparison to Vlaas's accolades.

    Elen, Lady of Rivers

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    Elen the Lady of Rivers, is another example of an integrated Divine Entity that finds its origin in the Breizh faith that existed before they adopted Unionism. Unlike Borond and Asaredu, the Breizh Faith was completely absorbed by Unionism as they only believed in Ailwen, the Lady of the Lake, with all tenets roughly compatible with Unionism, and their concepts adopted by Elen's virtues. Ailwen was renamed in common to Elen, and canonized by the Concilly Council as her divinity was proven, and her worth to the Great Way manifest in the actions of the Breizh under her guidance. Elen is the goddess of purpose, meaning, destiny, judgement and burdens. She is specifically considered the patron goddess of Unionist Mages and the Magically tainted, putting her in direct opposition with Taal, Mother of Purity.

    Elen is a somewhat complicated deiety because she is specifically known to have been a Magic user, and one who considers Magic to be a burden from the Everwatcher. Magic is a bit more complicated in Unionist dogma, because the clergy nor the Creed have ever really defined Magic (especially when born with Magic) as a flaw in the Everwatcher's creation, just that Magic users are usually corrupted. Elen's place and her role for the interpretation of Magic as such has always been dominated by the idea that to be Magic is bad, but to be Magic without purpose or meaning for the Great Way is worse, so Magic with purpose is actually acceptable so long as the soul is virtous. She represents a path that allows for Mages to be accepted by the Unionist community so long as they learn Magic solely for the good of the Empire and others and not for selfish reasons, and are guided under the strict moral supervision of the Emperor (who is accepting of Magic) and measure their worth and purpose based on how much they contribute to the Empire. Elen is always depicted in her Breizh linen, holding a pearl necklace of purpose, with her white feathered wings spread wide. Worship to Elen is performed through meditation and contemplation, and to seek out those who have strayed from the Unionist cause and re-commune with them.

    Elen's name is invoked by Magic users and those who are affected by the Occult, but also those who are impacted by the Occult. She is both prayed to for guidance and purpose by the non-Magically inclined, as well as to be protected from evil Occult, as much as she is worshiped by the Occult to give them a purpose and let their burden (their Magic) find a way to bring glory and benefit to the Empire and the Great Way. Elen has been known to manifest before those at a pivotal point in life where they feel their purpose is wavering, only for Elen to give them a vision or moral guidance with which to reinvigorate their destiny. Elen's Temple is the Temple of Divine Purpose in Kintyr, which is also home to the Unionist Seers. Seers are sort of like Celates, but not really, they are lay-priests who receive visions of Elen and help those who pilgrimage to the Temple with personal guidance on their road to redemption, or teaching them how to deal with whatever burdens they deal in life, magical or not magical.

    Priestly Activities

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

    Trivia

    • The matter of depicting the God Emperors or God Empresses is controversial at best. Many priests believe that mortals are fallible and cannot depict the Gods and Goddesses in an accurate or divine manner. Any art produced of the Gods or Goddesses is extremely scrutinized. More curiously yet, the eyes of all depictions of the Gods or Goddesses are always depicted in white. This is because the iris colors of the Emperors or Empresses is always a matter of intense debate and historical revision.
    • Unionism used to be mandatory for nobility somewhere during the second century after Cataclysm, though this Holy Law was removed when the war against the Skagger Horde ceased, and the Empire benefited more from including non-Unionists into the peerage. An exception had always been made for the Altalar nobles of Solvaan origins in Solleria however, called the Confessions of Melennar.
    • Sectarian violence largely came to an end at the turn into the fourth century as the last attacks on Vultragon Unionist by state forces ceased, and an uneasy truce was signed between the Schism religious communities. They still do not see eye-to-eye, and the different Schismatic groups still prod at each other, but instead of murdering each other over sectarian differences, they mostly fight with words nowadays, a legacy of the Kleine Rechnung, the document that called for the truce.
    • Despite Elen's absorption into Unionism, the Breizh still maintained a high level of cultural autonomy, some even clinging to old beliefs. As such, even when Magic became illegal in the Empire, the Breizh Aelrrigan Order continued to find and train Mages safely in their sanctuaries while the rest of the Empire turned to brutal oppression (and the Magic part of Elen was surpressed from dogma). Elen's faithful among the Aelrrigan Order are commonly cited as the reason why Magic acceptance eventually returned, and Elen's magical nature in theological teachings was returned.

    Accreditation
    Writers MonMarty, FireFan96
    Processors Hemingway7
    Last Editor MonMarty on 06/20/2022.

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