Religion (Origo Mundi Map Game)

Culture can largely be defined by religion. Therefore, understanding any geopolitical situation relies on the understanding of religion. This page aims to describe major religions of the Origo Mundi Universe.

Ulm

Ulm is a dualistic, monotheistic evangelical religion founded in the City of Azoz. It was founded by the Prophet Nelrim and his seven apostles, who subsequently was martyred and resurrected by the True God. The other god, Drokksid, is manifested as every other religion, and constantly works in opposition to Ulmians. Ulmians are designated in their faith by an anointing of oil, and consistent liturgical practices held in a local basilica. Moral teachings given by Nelrim and expounded by his apostles are also emphasized, revolving around acts of humility and kindness.

Drokksites

Drokksites, alternatively known as Azozfari (meaning "the Azoz thing") in Fashnoq, is a syncretic polytheistic and Satanist religion based on the traditional beliefs of the continent prior to the coming of Nelrim. Located almost entirely in the nation of Frasnoq, south of Azoz, these followers are considered to worship the evil god opposed to the Ulm faith. 

Aposicism

Aposicism is a modern catchall term for a collection of ancient religious ideas and systems within Ulmism. These beliefs include more esoteric, secretive cults that branched off Ulm early in its history, as well as alternative beliefs contrary to Ulmian scripture. There is no single Aposic canon, but rather different sects have various canons (or lack there of), which generally contain some of the following main elements:

• All matter/the material world is evil, and a manifestation of Drokkid, while the spiritual realm is a manifestation of the True God.
• There is one True God, from which derives numerous lesser spirits, including Drokkid.
• The creator of the material universe is not the True God, but is Drokkid or some other lesser spirit.
• There is secret knowledge that humans should strive to understand to achieve enlightenment.

Followers of this sect are largely found in the Kingdom of Neum, Syres, and Edom, along with a few cities in Mesallas. 

Enulmism

Enulmism is an ancient Nelrimic (Ulmian-derived), monotheistic religion that arose around the 270's south of Mesallas. Its adherents, known as Enulmians, believe in the existence of the Ulmian “True God” as a single supreme being, which they refer to as Enyeas (from the phrase “Enyeas ris tos”, or “Sole Being”). Despite believing in the same canon as Ulmism to an extent, Enulmism eventually arose as an independent religion to its predecessor.

The religion began as a post-Xaresian, Mesallian sect of the Ulm Religion of Azoz. Traditionally Ulmians believe in a duotheistic divinity between the True God and Drokksid, as well as the teachings of the Prophet Nelrim, who is prophesied to return during the end times and conquer death. Enulmians instead believe that the fulfillment of Nelrim’s prophecy has already taken place and he has returned via a spiritual rebirth process, in which his soul has returned to the mortal world through the body of a living descendant. As such, Enulmians seek to establish a clear line of “rightly guided successors” who are the physical and spiritual reincarnation of the prophet(s) before them, with Nelrim only being the first.

Irrulmism

Irrulmism is the youngest of the three currently existing Nelrimic religions, and is native to the Irrosian Archipelago, the homeland of the Exhulan Vassal nation of Irrosia. Although the religion was initially founded by the Ulmian Apostle Andionus as a sect of the Ulm religion that differed majorly from mainstream Ulm (due to coming from an already very different sect due to its area and he himself having many differing beliefs from them and arriving in Irrosia to get away from them and to spread his own beliefs) but was still not its own religion, Andonius major differences in beliefs and practices and the many alterations to his sects doctrine he preached in order to make converting the people of the region easier eventually saw him condemned by his sect of Ulm, causing him to break off from Ulmism and develop his sect as its own religion instead of just a strange Ulmian Sect, resulting in the formation of Irrulmism.

Although Irrulmian doctrine is heavily based on traditional Ulmian beliefs and customs, the religion majorly differs from Ulmian doctrine and has its own major set of customs and traditions, and is thus by now almost entirely separate from traditional Ulm. For example, it believes that the gods of the Hcctaal Faith exist as aspects of the True God, and that Drokksid and other corrupting forces are controlled and set against the faithful as tests of their dedication and faith so that only the truly worthy will ascend to heaven during the End Times. It also believes that Andionus himself was a prophet of the True God equal to or above Nelrim himself, and that he was sent by the True God to spread the same truths originally spread by Nelrim, which had been corrupted into lies by the servants of Drokksid by the time of his birth. It also believes that the True God wishes for his followers to practice their faith in private places and in clothes that hide their identity, both when preaching or doing his service and when they are worshiping him.

Its followers are initiated into the religion in three separate stages over the course of their life. First they are blessed by one who is blessed by the True God (something usually meaning a Parsuraal (an Irrulmian priest) but not needing too) as an infant 12 Weeks after their birth, as it is believed to take one year after a child is conceived for the influence of Drokksid and that of the True God to stabilize into an ensouled human (as Humans are the only creatures in existence which were created by both the True God and by his dark servant Drokksid and thus have the ability both to fall into darker sin and corruption than any other creature and to be more holy and a greater servant of the True God than any other creature, and thus unlike every other creature the influence of both is required in a humans conception) and thus for them be ready to receive the Rite of Protection, when they are anointed with traditional Ulmian Oils to protect them from the influence of Drokksid so that they are more likely to chose the path of the True God and resist temptation. The second comes when they reach the age of 16, when they undergone four-day long stay completely alone and isolated in their local Irrulmian Temple completely naked (so that they may be fully viewed and examined by the True God for worthiness unlike usual where they cover as much as possible so that they are humble before the True God and cloaked from Drokksid during their worship) without food or water in the pretense of a full cup of a beverage known as Arazoa (which is a type of Irrosian alcoholic beverage mixed with the same type of oil originally used by Ulmian priests to anoint their followers) which they must resist the temptation to drink until the end of those four days, after which they drink the entirety of the drink to take the influence of the True God into their hearts and bodies fully and signal that they are truly devoted to the True God. The final stage is called the rite of departure, which occurs posthumously. This rite is intended to cleanse the body of sin one final time before a man's soul departs to meet the True God and be judged, and which is considered to become less and less effective the further the body rots, so it is typically performed as soon as is possible after the person has died. This rite consists of submerging the body in a pool of water for a period of an hour (or if that’s not practical or possible, in a tub of dirt) before removing it and stripping it bare, and bathing and cleaning the corpse so that it is more presentable before the True God when they depart and to clean them metaphorically of their sins, before finally their eyes are removed and left out in the open far away from a human settlement, so that the birds will take them away to the sky, so that the person's soul, which is believed to reside in and exit through that area, is able to reach the True God in heaven.

Hcctaal

Hcctaal is an organized polytheistic religion practiced in and around the Exhulan Empire, primarily in its own territory but also with smaller but still significant followings in the other nations around it such as Qera and Xüonai, and especially Exhula's vassal of Irrosia. Although initially fairly disorganized and ill-defined due to its origins as a combination of several different tribal gods into one pantheon, over the centuries since its initial creation in 350 it has spread across many regions and also become far more organized, with a head of the religion called the Jdohr and a well-defined hierarchy down from him. Hcctaal primarily believes in the worship of the gods Ihhnt, Jddai, Jddithic, Ccoth, llyivyit and Mu’ran, well also believing in a horrid darkness known as Ettyrh who wishes to consume all reality, with her primary servant and a traitor to the main worshiped gods Kharrnan being the main antagonist of many of Hcttaal's myths. It also believes in primordial and ancient gods known as The Yyrr who represent fundamental pillars of the universe such as Time, who are offered sacrifices and appeased, but are not worshiped, instead receiving a mix of fearful respect and deep wariness, in addition to many more minor deities who aren't really worshiped by most but are still offered sacrifices and some worship for appeasement. Although it is primarily an Exhulan religion, it is also very adaptable and fluid in its beliefs and is prone to changing quickly over time, which also allows it to spread more easily in regions beyond Exhula and is why Qera still has a Hcttaal minority despite persecuting them.

The religion began as the combination of several different small religions into one pantheon when the Exhulan Syvotyrship, the Empire's predecessor, first formed, but it has mutated and changed much since then into a different form. It has many devout followers throughout several different nations and is also something with a close relation to the Exhulan government due to the government, although not the current one, being primarily responsible for its creation as a tool to control the populace, although it has evolved far beyond that. It is also intentionally separate from the government hierarchy despite its close relationship with it, specifically so it can function independently and spread beyond Exhula's own borders without being seen as an attempt to control other countries and so it can continue if the empire ever falls, and it is one of the largest religions in Exhula's region of the world.

Rhatixemy

Rhatixemy (Qeran for Gods of Ours) is a polytheistic religion practiced in the Princedom of Qera and the County of Ualjakia. The exact time where the religion evolved is unclear, but the first temples were built around ~150. The religion has a long oral tradition of storytelling and a vast amount of mystic creatures, gods and heroes.

Irian Religion

Irian religion