Ashvetism
Ashvetism is a middling, ancient religion emanating from the Kingdom of Nimeara and concentrated in western and northern Galisea. It is practiced by the majority of the Halfling population in this region, a good amoun of the Dwarves, and much of the rural Human population. Due to the withering away of the Nimearan Empire and the subsequent arrival of Aeillan control and their more proselytizing religion Pandroi, the number of those practising the faith – or Ashevites – has been steadily declining outside the now-minuscule Kingdom of Nimeara in western Galisea, it's influence has waned, particularly along the coasts of Gallaca, Merida, and to a lesser extent in Elleryca.
It is the dominant faith of the Dwarves, Humans, and Halflings in Tiefen. Through conscious efforts of successive High Mages of Stelara and Brücter over the centuries, the religion has maintained a theological unity combined with a broad tolerance for regional practices and myths. Given it's longevity and history, the faith has undergone multiple iterations and evolved, beginning as a break from the halfling and human tribal faiths of ancient Nimeara, becoming the State Religion of it's Ancient Kingdom, and spreading via overland trade routes to pastoral communities across inland Galisea. For a time, the religion lost favor under Yulan-tai rule, however it was not until after the The Ascendency of the Cult of Hessetal that the practice was persecuted as one of the first targets for the Cult's increasing zealous use of sacrifice.
History
The foundation of the faith is described in the Vision of Uriret, the founder and prophet of Ashvestism. It wasn’t until a uniquely tall halfling (or uniquely short human) by the name of Uriret received a vision during his nightly meditation. In his vision, Eshe and the human gods Kolani and Ishar spoke to him, revealing to him how the Gods do not want war between the two peoples, that the Teachings of Eshe could be followed while worshipping the other Gods. Allowing him to experience the wider realm of existence for a moment in a way no mortal could otherwise comprehend, Eshe, Kolani, and Ishar showed him the cosmic battle between Good and Evil, the prosperity that is the birthright of all mortals, and the dangers of hateful worship.
Uriret’s first convert was future-King Varazdat I, who would found the ancient Kingdom of Nimeara, making Uriret his spiritual advisor, and rumoured lover.
Mythology & Lore
Ashvetism has a number of religious texts, written down at various points in the religion's history, however only the Zehlat is considered scripture, with many others are sacred to particular communities or fire temples. It is the foundational text of Ashevite mythology, philosophy, and ethics, attributed to the religion's founder and prophet Uriret.
“After centuries of bloodshed, the Nimearan valley was devastated. The rivers ran permanently red with blood. Forests were scorched and villages lay in ruin. The rulers and priests of the old faiths were corrupted, serving only themselves and neither the human pantheon nor the teachings of Eshe. Battles started by zealous chieftains and elders for the value of the fight and the fight alone.”Establishing a henotheistic religion, the religious text of Zehlat details the teachings of the religion's founder, Uriret. According to the Zehlat, an untold thousands of years ago in a long lost land, the Great Upheaval occurred, driving the halfling peoples of the mythical city of Ararat from their homes. Not much is known about what this Great Upheaval was, only that “the lands quaked, the sky burned, and creatures of unspeakable horror ravaged the homes of the Ararats”. Many of the halflings settled the region of Elleryca, reaching the borders of the human lands, and eventually pushing ever farther into the Odric Mountains. Additionally, there are two secondary works on the religion; compilations of commentaries, treatises, and dialectics sourced from the fire keepers and other ecclesiastical members during or after times of instabiltiy or drastic change. The first of these is the Zahesk, which contains the infamous Book of Snakes, a compilation of mostly Tiefen Fire Keepers accounts of keeping their temples protected and safe during the The War of Frozen Scales. The second book, the Mithrashta, is a collection of folk traditions from across the homelands of Ashevites, ordered by Queen Artashad II to bolster the notion that non-Nimearans had as much a validity to Ashevite morals and ethics, demonstrated through myths illustrating Ashevite belief, many of which included shared (or syncreticised) mythological figures. Copies of both are held in both Brücter and Stelara's main Fire Temples.– Lines 15–19, Passage 3 of the Zehlat
Divine Origins
“The Mards, threatened by the teachings of Eshe, attacked and tried to drive the heretics from their land, their hearts full of hatred and fear, their heads fortified against other words. The Hin, too, were full of hatred, as in their hearts of arrogance and righteousness they only believed Eshe as one and true.”Ashvetism traces its roots back to the blending of halfling and human beliefs during the early formation of the ancient Kingdom. It combined the pantheon of the humans of the time with the Sky God of Eshe, and emphasising an "uncreated Evil" as a rival to Eshe, too evil to even be named. Emanating from the Kingdom of Nimeara, the faith was spread to the neighboring regions of Gallaca, Merida, and Elleryca, where it is still practiced.– Lines 3-4, Passage 1 of the Zehlat
Cosmological Views
According to the Zehlat, untold thousands of years ago the Great Upheaval occurred in a long-lost land, driving the halfling peoples of Ararat from their homes and forcing them into a nomadic people. Not much is known about what this Great Upheaval was, only that “the lands quaked, the sky burned, and creatures of unspeakable horror ravaged the homes of the Ararats”. Many of the halflings settled the region of Elleryca, however the most adventurous of these halflings arrived in Nimeara, where they found humans living in the mountains.
Ethics
Persona: Grace, generosity of spirit, good manners. Traits: Wisdom in thought, measured speech, and beneficent action. Possessing six virtues: Reason, self-control, modesty, trustworthiness, gratitude, and hope. Without six vices: Malice, anger, arrogance, deceitfulness, greed, and despair.
Worship
"Speak to Eshe only when doubt or uncertainty cloud right from wrong, light from dark. Actions as prayers honor and respect Eshe, and offend the Uncreated Evil, but prayer as its own action can be twisted or corrupted by It."In their daily lives, Ashevites are expected to "think good thoughts," "speak good words," and "do good deeds," over daily ritual or prayer. With the guidance of clergy, lay practitioners use the Zehlat to inform and define these things and more. When needed to reaffirm or introspect, prayer is done facing a source of light and can be done wherever one finds oneself at that moment. For more major life events, such as weddings, deaths, and births, lay practitioners will visit their local Fire Temple to pray to its eternal flame out of thankfulness to Eshe for these natural processes. Ashevite practice generally eschews representations of it's deities in the mortal image, prefering abstract thematic representations of their powers and personality. Certain natural processes are also viewed as corruptions of others, such as smoke being a pollution of fire, a corpse being the pollution of the once living body, and more.– Lines 2–4, Passage 2 of the Zehlat
Priesthood
The ecclessiastical order of Ashvetism is formally centralised, however the political reforms of Queen Arax significantly curtailed the influence of the role of the Stelaran Throne, with the autonomy of temples outside of Nimeara growing steadily over the last 7 centuries. Officially, the legal claimant of the Stelaran Throne is both the Monarch of Nimeara as well as the spiritual leader of all Ashevites, but successive rulers of the Artashad Dynasty legally restricted the throne's religious powers to strictly ceremonial.
Fire Keepers. These are the most prevalent of Ashevite Clergy. They serve as the heads of temples in smaller cities, towns, and villages. Their chief responsibility is to reside in the temple and tend to the eternal fire within it's inner sanctum, keeping it alight through an arcane magical method preserved and passed down by the Ashevite clergy from the time before The Year of the Bright Star. Fire Keepers are trusted confidants, advisors, and sometimes leaders in their local communities. As part of Uriret's teachings on "good religion", they are expected to adapt to the needs of their communities, and often become problem solvers or physicians.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Associated Temples of Ashva are the official religion of the Kingdom, though the Nimearans are a religiously tolerant people. Besides the Ellerycan human noblitiy, which are adherents of the faith, does not have much influence or formal power outside of the Nimearan state, although it does wield sizeable influence in the disorganised regions of Merida, as well as in Gallegan rural communities.
In Tiefen, the Magieriges are lands owned by an Ashevite Temple, under the supervision of the largest Fire Temple in the region, Brücter. The people in these regions are subjects not of a secular fief or lord, but instead tenants of the Ashevite Church. These people have slightly better rights and material conditions than their counterparts in other Tiefen riges, due to the social focus of the the Ashevite Temples.
Sects
There is a de jure hierarchy of Ashevite temples, and no formal sects or schisms. There are some notable differences in between northern and southern adherents, with northern adherents incorporating local folk traditions and the practice of explicitly non-Ashevite faiths restricted to private homes in certain Tiefen riges. Southern adherents view themselves as closer to the historical and mythological origins of the faith, with their folk traditions and myths spreading in tandem with the faith.
Think good thoughts, say good words, and do good deeds
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Demonym
Ashevite
Leader
Permeated Organizations
Related Ethnicities
