Silnarian (Religion)

The Silnarian Religion is a pantheistic religion that encompasses the collections of beliefs, ritual and mythology in Silnaria. The religious practice extends east to the land of Lymia, where variant of it is practiced by the majority of the population, and in its numerous overseas colonies, where it is practiced by its people. Amongst non-silnari people, the people of modern day Salvainia also practice the religion extensively, as a result of extensive Silnarian cultural influence amongst them.

The Silnarian have a cyclic view of the world’s cosmology, life, death and rebirth. They recognize the Five Gods of the Pantheon - Cesin, Osin, Ynris, Kanas and Dyarin, who have together created the world, and work together in harmony with each other. The religion emphasizes the importance of giving back to nature and the cyclic nature of life. Yet there is an exception to the cyclic view of the world - the Silnarian venerate heroes whose deeds were so great in life that they were elevated into the pantheon of heroes - of which worship of tens are widespread enough to be considered near canonical and lesser deities of their own. Outside of this group of ten heroes, local worshipers often worship and follow local figures of significance, believing that their stature was worthy of elevation by Kanas, the god of magic.

Belief

Cosmology & Creation

The universe has always existed, and exists in a state of constant flux and flow, cycles of which disturb and create matters. From one of those fluctuations in the empty darkness of the world before time, the first being was created. His name was Ál, which stood for everything and is the word used for it in the Silnarian language. The first being floated around in the void for eons, without thinking. One day, he opened his eyes, and saw the emptiness of the void before him, and thought the universe was too empty. As he floated, he felt the world was too empty. And so he looked at himself, and started talking to his hands and his feet. Eventually, he imbued his limbs with divinity, and his limbs started speaking to each other on their own, keeping himself company.

Ten thousand years later, Ál got bored of talking to his hands and feet, and started bickering with them. The argument grew more and more heated by the day, and Ál’s body glowed bright red. Eventually, the argument became so heated that his head, hands, and feet exploded from his body. With his dying breath he exhaled his divine essence, which formed around where his body used to be. His heart, which was bursting with anger, was so hot and bright that it became the sun. His head, hands and feet each became a deity of their own, and the pieces of his torso and limbs also became deities. The first gods fought amongst each other, resting at night and fighting during the day.

With time, the first gods have killed most of each other, and the divine essence of Ál coalesced into the second gods, who were made out of divine essence and without a physical form. They looked upon the carnage caused by the old gods, their massive dead body drifting, and lamented the destruction they have caused. Together, they killed the remaining first gods, and ended the fighting.

Soon, one of them spoke, and he named himself Cesin. “What shall we do with the bodies of those who came before us? I shall make beautiful art out of it.” So he carved himself a chisel, and picked the largest piece of Ál’s torso. And into which he carved a beautiful world made out of cave and mountain. And then another god appeared amongst the mist, and she named herself Osin. She took the liver of Ál, and then cut it open with Cesin’s chisel. The flood of blood nourished and wetted the world, but flattened mountains, flooded caves and caused great destruction.

“The world was once dry and now you ruin my creation, flowing Ál’s blood onto it.” And so Cesin and Osin fought each other over the new world. Ynris, a being without face, dove into the world and explored the many creations of Cesin and Osin, without a care for the world above. It sought to discover the old god’s secrets.  

Then an old person spoke, their hair long and white, their gender unknown and hidden behind a great white robe,”Why do you bicker like the old gods did, and fight and spill blood?” So it implored the two gods to make peace, and stop fighting each other. The being named itself Kanas.

Kanas then pointed at the world, and then beckoned for another of the second gods to come forward. Dyarin came forward, whose eyes were blinded and who had two faces. With their left hand it dipped its blood in the wounds of Cesin and Osin, and then drew the first creatures of the world with Cesin’s blood. When they passed away, it dipped its hand in the life essence of the dead, and returned it to Cesin’s body, where they waited their turn to be reincarnated.

There were plenty of divine essence left, and so Kanas said that they shall elevate worthy mortals to rule alongside them, leaving them out of the cycle of life. For the rest of creation, the five central gods fought each other for nine hundred and ninety nine times, before they decided on an eternal peace, living in cyclic harmony afterward, allowing the first Silnari civilization to emerge, as the gods have stopped fighting and unleashing calamity on the land.

Central Pantheon

The five gods are the chief deity venerated in the Silnarian religion. It is said that the form of the deity was undefined at first (though interpretation varies, as a significant amount of scholar see the humanoid form as perfect and thus what the gods would’ve looked like), but as the creatures flourished in the world they have created together, they took on the form resembling their own creations. The five gods are:

Cesin, God of the Land

A tall and strong deity, he shapes the world with extreme care down to every cave and mountain. Often depicted as a man with a chisel, he is mostly worshiped by artisans and miners alike. As Cesin has created the earth himself, and thus knows it the best, he is also worshiped by adventurers and sailors.

Osin, Goddess of the Seas

A Serpent-shaped deity, as giant sea snakes are seen by the Silnari as rulers of the sea. She is seen both as an incredible source of destruction but also essential to life. Often depicted as a tall Snake in robes offering a coin, she is worshiped for safe travel, wealth and the desire of change among many things.

Ynris, God of the Beyond

A deity without a face, as he represents the unknown. It rules over all that is yet to be discovered or what has been forgotten. Often depicted holding a book, it is worshiped by scholars, explorators or even many adventurers.

Kanas, God of Magic

An elderly deity, it represents a “fatherly figure” toward the other gods without necessarily being stronger. It is seen itself as wise and meant for the wise only as it owns great responsibilities. Often depicted with a wooden staff, it is worshiped for a variety of reasons. “If none other has helped, why not beg Kanas? May a miracle be sent our way.”

Dyarin, God of the Living and Dead

A young two-faced blind deity, one for the living and one for the dead. It creates life but is also one to give it back to Cesin. Often depicted with animals, it is worshiped by many for good hunts, harvest, fertility but also to cure illness or honor the dead.

The five central gods of the Silnarian faith haven’t changed in millennia, with the exception of Cesin and Osin being depicted with masucline and feminine attributes - which evolved to become canon over the years.

Cycle of Life

The five gods live in harmony and cycle the world for each other. Cesin creates land with care, which Osin slowly weakens with every tide. Once chipped and pushed into the deep sea, it is forgotten and now ruled by Ynris which, in turn, gives it back to Dyarin. Dyarin makes it into a living thing; a tree, a rabbit or even Elves. Once dead, it is buried and given back to the Earth; to Cesin. This cycle is never to be broken and shapes part of the cultural background. To burn a body is to erase it from the cycle and thus should always be avoided. Silnarian followers abhor cremation and prefer inhumation or if impossible - burial at sea.

Afterlife & Reincarnation

The Silnari believes in a cyclic nature of life. All intelligent souls are created by the hand of Dyarin, who takes them back into the body of Cesin when they die, awaiting their turn to be born in the world again. Those who have committed great deeds worthy of the gods are elevated by Kanas to the spot of the heroes.

Heroic Elevation & Cults

Kanas, the wisest of the gods, elevates legendary heroes who achieved feats that impressed the gods, putting the heroes under their protection. They gain some of the power of their patron, and influence the realm of Dyarin, the realm of mortals. Those heroes are outside of the cycle of reincarnation all creatures go through. The status is not limited to Silnari - but the ten traditional heroes are all depicted as Silnari in most canons of the Silnari religion.

These heroes obtain the title of “Bel” before their name and are remembered as such. It is their formal title but are often referred to by their common name. These heroes have changed and will change with time. Those who are forgotten live in the realm of Ynris in peace, until they decide to rejoin the cycle of reincarnation.

Most variations of the Silnarian religion have twelve heroes, with ten of them remaining relatively consistent. They are:

• Balwan: Patron of the Sword. Associated with Cesin
  • Related fields: War, Forge, Protection
• Duvoyah: Patron of the Truth. Associated with Kanas
  • Related fields: Justice, Honour, Wisdom
• Jahoel: Patron of Travelers. Associated with Osin
  • Related fields: Wealth, Weather, Protection
• Orgar: Patron of the Stars. Associated with Ynris
  • Related fields: Sea, Light, Life
• Elluin: Patron of the Depths. Associated with Cesin
  • Related fields: Exploration, Forge, Fire
• Kaylin: Patron of the Cure. Associated with Dyarin
  • Related fields: Life, Light, Protection
• Aman: Patron of Knowledge. Associated with Kanas
  • Related fields: Magic, War, Light
• Vatin: Patron of Storms. Associated with Osin
  • Related fields: Destruction, Sea, Weather
• Nahor: Patron of Discovery. Associated with Ynris
  • Related fields: Exploration, Honour, Magic
• Ulnos: Patron of the Wilderness. Associated with Dyarin
  • Related fields: Life, Nature, War

The remaining heroes vary by the regions of the religions. There are three variants of the religions currently extant - Silnarian, Lymian and Sebduanian. Their additional heroes are:

Silnarian	Lymian	Sebduanian
Scré: Patron of Conquest. Associated with Dyarin. Historical legendary Empress of the Silnari, known as Scré the Conqueror	Éliara: Patron of Navigation. Associated with Osin. Mythological figure who guided the Lymian people away from a legendary island in the sea that sank, to the mainland of Ramul Ta, saving them from certain destruction. Depicted as female.	Adelkin: Patron of Dragons. Associated with None - equally favored by the Gods, first amongst heroes. A legendary dragon adopted from the Qinism religion, who protected mankind on behalf of the gods and fought off evil dragons.
Chlul: Patron of Trade. Associated with Osin. Son of Scré. Historical legendary Emperor of the Silnari, known as Chlul the Seafarer.

Lesser Deities & Omnipresent Divinity

As so much of Ál’s divine essence was not turned into the gods, the Five Gods scoop them together and grant divinity to the heroes of our world. The remaining essence infuse and permeate the world, giving creatures magic - It is said with a spark of Ál’s divinity, even a plant or a dumb animal could become intelligent and magical with a soul of their own, coming under Dyarin’s embrace. Those lesser deities are to be feared, respected and worshiped, for though they are of lesser power compared to the Central Gods, they are the closest to us and thus able to lend us much assistance.

As a result of this tenet, Silnarian religion followers venerate most magical animals and plants and the most powerful of which are seen as deities. However, this treatment is only extended to benevolent animals and plants - though none of the Central Gods are evil, it is said that the Old God’s violence and their essence permeate the land too - and create dangerous magic and creatures that men must contend with.

Festivals

The Silnarian celebrate the peak of the four seasons with sacrifice and festivitivites in honor of the god, with a festival during the spring and autumn equinox, and summer and winter solstice.

Silnarian also celebrate the beginning of a lunar new year. Each of the celebrations are associated with one of the primary gods - the other one are honored, but they are the focus of celebration:

• Fair of Cesin: Beginning of a lunar new year, around the start of February and the end of winter and start of spring. Celebrated for two days. Animal slaughter and sacrifice is frequent.
• Fair of Osin: Celebrate for two days around Spring Equinox. Consumption of fish and mock seafood if not available are usually done.
• Fair of Ynris: Celebrated for two days around Summer Solstice. Usually the most subdued - but traditionally, this is the day where people who are sent off to study from a village are sent off with a farewell feast.
• Fair of Kanas: Celebrate for two days around Autumn Equinox - followed by more working, and then another two days of celebration. Fair of Kanas come around harvest season and always come with plenty of food and often magical tricks and gaudy entertainment.
• Fair of Dyarin: The longest festival, where all but the most vital labor is not performed, and often celebrated for two weeks before and after winter Solstice, with animals slaughtered, symbolically returned to Dyarin at an altar, before being promptly cooked and consumed.

Branches

The Silnarian religion is split into three mainstream branches by the heroes they worship and the primary cultural group they are worshiped by - Silnarian, Lymian and Sebduanian.

A fourth branch has gained significant enough traction in the recent decades to be of note.

Silnarian

The Silnarian tradition - other than their different set of heroes, have a focus on worship on specifically constructed Temple. A temple is usually a T-shaped building with, at its heart, an item of worship. This item can either be a very modest wooden symbol of the deity or a 20-feet statue made out of marble.

In the temples themselves, there’s 3 categories of semi-permanent residents: Priests, Monks and a Watcher. The Priests are individuals who have decided to devote their lives to a single deity or hero. Their motivations are varied. Some expect a better life somewhere else in the cycle, others desperately want to become heroes themselves and some simply prefer this quiet life. A Monk, however, doesn’t permanently live in the temple. He is a traveling priest and isn’t attached to a single location. He spreads his fate through the land and fights evil as he seems fit. Priests may own weapons but the monk is the real fighter. The Watcher is the priest in charge of the temple. He is the religious authority within the walls of the Temple and usually has a life-and-death right over the priests and the monks of his home. Being the Watcher of a well-known temple is a very prestigious title.

The Silnarian tradition is very attached to a temple-centric life, with devotees traveling to pray in temples, going on pilgrimage to famous temples and giving donations. Donations can be made in any form; coins will be used to repair the building or buy supplies, food and livestock will feed the priest and monks or be given back to the poor, etc.

Silnarian hero cults follow a high priest which is seen as the highest authority of the hero cult, usually located in a city named after their namesake - Ulnoor, the capital of Silnaria, being house to the High Temple of Ulnos where the High Priest of Ulnos resides. There are lesser temples of various heroes - but most of the time, each city will only contain the High Temple of one hero.

Historians state that most of those heroes were the original patrons of those cities.

Lymian

The Lymian tradition sees religion as a somewhat personal issue, not one to be dictated by priests and donations, and see contact between individual and the deity as important. Temples are scarce but still exist - with the famous High Temple of Éliara and Chlul in Pepor being the most famous complex in the world, which houses the hero cult of both hero - with Chlul’s part being seen as the canonical High Priest by the rest of the Silnarian world. Worshippers usually own a small symbol of their deity and hold it to pray, and there’s a great emphasis on executing and showing the deity’s values in life.

Sebduanian

The Sebduanian variant of the religion practices a mixture of both the Lymian and the Silnarian tradition in regard to their attitude to the temple - and modern day Salvainia does not host any additional hero cult except that of Adelkin, who is nearly exclusively worshiped by the Sebduanian.

Álism

Also known as the “Devout Followers of the Heart of Ál,” or “the Sixth Godders” (Usually derisively by other branches' followers) are a branch of the Silnarian religion known for their radical departure from traditional doctrine. They worship and praise the Heart of Ál as an additional god - and the God of Sun, often attributing primacy - if not outright supremacy over the other god. Under the influence of generations of philosophers they have adopted a monotheistic or henotheistic outlook on theology, but they’ve always remained a somewhat niche but powerful minority.

With the influence of foreign religions, Álism has gained a rapid surge in popularity in modern day Salvainia