Nakkism is the world's first organized religion. It was founded in 16 AU in Urd by the prophet Nak-Ur .
Creation of the World[]
In Nakkism, the universe, or Namkha, has always existed as a primordial void of nothingness and thought. From this void, spontaneously, a single flower, Rlamn, was born. Untold eons before time passed, until finally the Ralmn bloomed. Contained within Ralmn were the two gods Kalmk and Nak, locked in mortal combat. The two fell from the divine flower into the nothingness, were they continued their battle. As they fought, their blood spilled out into Namkha, and the world, or Ahnak, was born when their blood mingled together. The blood of Kalmk fell on the void and became the endless, barren desert. The blood Nak fell upon the void and became the eternal ocean and the rivers of life-giving water. The two gods locked into eternal battle, and continue to fight each day, as the sun and the moon. Each morning Kalmk throws down his brother Nak and strangles him, and each night Nak wrestles Kalmk below the earth and holds him down. So their battle continues, to this very day.
Moral Teachings[]
The moral teachings of Nakkism are simple. The people are governed by a series of rules, called the Nak-Jhek, meaning "Blessings Of Nak". They are as follows:
- Do not harm the innocent, for they are the blessed of Nak.
- Heed the words of the priests, for they are the voice of Nak.
- Give up all joys that come before the joy of Nak.
- Do not defile or make light of the waters, for they are the blood of Nak.
- Give your respect to your fathers, for they came first in the eyes of Nak.
These teachings are generally considered to be self-explanatory. The Third Blessing is commonly interpreted to caution against gluttony, lust, and sloth. The fourth blessing is considered by some to the be the most important. This is not surprising, considering the importance of water conservation in the Kalmk desert.
Creation of Man[]
Nakkism posits that man was formed from the tears that fell from the eyes of Nak as he struggled eternally with his brother Kalmk. These divine waters fell to the ground, and there they sprung up fully formed into Nak-Ur and Nak-Ha, meaning "Son of Nak" and "Daughter of Nak", retrospectively. These two went on to populate the world, and their descendants are the modern day humans who populate the world.
It is told in Nakkism that from time to time the spirit of Nak-Ur, the spirit of all men and the closest being to Nak in the universe, inhabits the bodies of men from time to time. These men take his name and are considered prophets in the Nakki faith. Their word is considered to be the law of Nak himself being passed down, unless it contradicts the Nak-Jhek, which is considered the ultimate word of Nak and cannot be overturned. It is a commonly held belief that false prophets are identifiable by their inability to follow the Nak-Jhek.
The Afterlife[]
In Nakkism, one's position in the afterlife depends on the life one led. There are two places that one could go to after dying in the Nakki faith. One is Nak-Ka, meaning "Spirit Of Nak". In Nak-Ka, the dead live in a great palace that floats in the center of an endless ocean. In this palace they are waited on by the servants of Nak. Warriors and martyrs alone are reserved a place at the table of Nak, where they may feast and rejoice each day. The virtuous who do not lay down their lives for Nak are the servants and maids of the great palace of Nak. They must serve the warriors, but are allowed to partake in the festivities as long as the needs of the warriors are properly looked-after.
Those who sin against the tenets of the Nakki religion are thought to go to Kalmk-Ka after death, meaning "Spirit of Kalmk". Kalmk-Ka is an endless, blistering desert, where the sun always blazes and the sand burns like fire. Those in Kalmk-Ka are doomed to walk forever, with a great torrent of water always receding before them at the speed they walk towards it. They must eternally suffer the thirst and heat of the endless desert.
Khem Nak-Ra[]
In the Nakki religion, a Khem Nak-Ra, literally "To become the light of Nak", is a traditional journey undertaken by prophets. Those who are destined to become prophets will feel themselves compelled to enter the wilderness of Kalmk on the eve of their thirteenth year. There, in the desert, they will come across the spirit of Nak-Ur, who will inhabit them and use them as a channel for the word of Nak. They emerge from the desert after a year of fasting and meditation, where it is their duty to guide the Nakki people to a great victory against the servants of Kalmk. Each prophet is thought to have a great battle against Kalmk and his followers that they are destined to fight, as it is believed that a prophet of Kalmk arises at the same time to destroy all which the prophet will build.
Marhem Kalmk[]
The Marhem Kalmk is a religious text written by Nak-Ur in 24 AU. The title literally translates to "To Fight Kalmk". It is a manual on the duties of men in the battle against Kalmk. The Marhem Kalmk calls for all men who are loyal to Nak to swear their loyalty to the Grand High Priest of Nak, and to rise to battle whenever he calls. It also demands that all men be fearless, for eternal pleasure awaits them in death if they die for Nak. The text states that any man who flees from the enemies of Nak even once is a coward in the eyes of his creator and will be doomed to roam Kalmk-Ka in the afterlife. The text also contains instructions on the use of slings as a military weapon. It denounces shields and armor as cowardly tools used by the servants of Kalmk who fear death. It also calls for the creation of a force of men who exist solely as the military arm of Nak and his priests, which Nak-Ur used to create the Temple Guard in 25 AU.
Dualistic Nakkism[]
Ritualistic Nakkism is a separate branch of Nakkism that differs from the Orthodox Nakki faith on one large point: Dualistic Nakkists believe that humankind was created not from the sweat of Nak, but from the mingling of the blood of Kalmk and Nak when they fell through the void. This changes several core tenets. The first is that human beings are no longer the descendants of Nak, but an intrinsic part of the mortal and divine world. As a result of this, the story of Nak-Ur and Nak-Ha is rejected. Dualistic Nakkists do not believe in true prophets, only false ones that attempt to distract true believers from the pure word of Nak. The final differing point is that Dualistic Nakkists do not believe that human beings are tempted by Kalmk, but that they already possess his essence within them, so they are born inherently sinful and must overcome their nature through dedication to Nak.