Church of Topaz
One of the two primary religions of Samaya.
The Church of Topaz worships the Holy Fire, which was stolen by the Dragon Goryeung in the The Time of Fire and used to turn the skies red. Goryeung was slain by Chaugeung the Hero, who delivered humanity from the The Time of Fire into the The Time of Water.
The Holy Fire is a spark, essence, or spirit that is said to inhabit all things, but shows more strongly in some places than others. Ancient Topazites are said to have worshipped the Sun as the avatar of the Holy Fire. Some draw connections between this and the Liddinawths, who supposedly worship the sun even today. Somewhat ironically, most Donni Samayans (who share ancestors with the Liddinawths) belong to the Church of Pearl.
Topazites believe that spirits guide and oversee the world from the skies, and that only the weaker spirits can sink close enough to the ground to directly interact with the world. However, because they are the weakest, they are also the least connected to the Holy Fire. This means that, just as mortals are capable of error, the spirits best able to communicate the Holy Fire's message to humanity are also the most likely to misinterpret its purpose, themselves.
Topazites do not believe in binary good and evil, but do believe that the Holy Fire has a divine plan, and that it is the mission of all living things to understand and follow that plan. Ideally, this involves a life of study and meditation on life and its lessons, learning to see the lesser spirits in the world and understanding (and judging) their lessons.
Historically, Topazites have celebrated a warrior's path as representing a sacrifice of the self, usually in service of a greater cause (that cause most often being the political intentions of the one of the historic three kings of Samaya). Chaugeung the Hero is therefore greatly celebrated in the Church of Topaz. In modern times, with competition and violence no longer celebrated, 'warrior' is a term now used more metaphorically, and Chaugeung is lionized more for his dedication and his standing against the Dragon Goryeung, than his violent actions.
Despite the fire imagery associated with the Church of Topaz, most altars to their cause are wooden, simple in structure. This is more a reflection of the humility praised by Topazites, and their trust in the Holy Fire to spare them from danger, and further a demonstration of their lack of connection to worldly wealth.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
The Faith of Fire
Demonym
Topazites