The Cult of the Weave
The Cult of the Weave is a religion that is centered around five great goddesses: Cos: the All-Mother goddess of Light and Protection, Mag: the goddess of Magic and Balance, Jor: the goddess of Nature and Shaper of Land, Aeg: the goddess of the Oceans, Chance and Change and Lot: the goddess of Winter and Summer, Life and Death. They are revered for their roles in their respective domains, and have holy symbols associated with them. The religion is focused on honoring the cycle of life, death, creation and destruction, as well as the natural order of things. The Holy City of Kindra, built on the Holy Mountain, is a major pilgrimage destination and is a powerful conduit for communing with the goddesses. The mountain has been settled and used for religious practices by the Stillari people since 200,000 A.R.M. The Stillari were pushed out of the area by the rise of the Grengar Kingdom, but were later allowed to return and helped rebuild the city under the agreement that they would have access to the mountain for religious practices. The city is governed as a theocracy, led by High Priests of The Cult of the Weave and the temples in the city have a strong influence on in, providing housing and work for the poor.
The Holy City is neutral despite being in West Rendin. They have laws under the High Priests from The Cult of the Weave.
Structure
The Cult of the Weave is organized around a hierarchical structure, with different levels of leadership and authority.
High Priestess of Cos: At the top of the organizational structure is the High Priestess of Cos, who is considered the foremost leader of the Cult of the Weave. She is responsible for the final interpretation of the will of the goddesses and presides over all religious ceremonies and rituals where all five are concerned.
High Priests: Each of the five goddesses of the Cult of the Weave has a High Priest, who is responsible for leading the worship and devotion of that specific god. They report to the High Priestess of Cos. They are stationed in The Holy City of Kindra.
Priests: Priests are responsible for leading daily worship and rituals, and for providing guidance and counsel to the followers of the Cult of the Weave. They report to the High Priests of their respective deity. They are deployed to cities and towns around Azrea.
Clerics: Clerics are devout followers of the Cult of the Weave who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the service of the gods. They are specially trained in the use of divine magic, and may assist in leading worship and rituals in combat scenarios. They report to the Priests of their respective deity. Many of them are assigned to Lonstad to support the Knights of Alba.
Paladins: Paladins are elite warriors who are also devout followers of the Cult of the Weave. They are trained in both combat and divine magic, and are often responsible for protecting the temples and holy sites of the Cult of the Weave, as well as for enforcing the laws of the religion. They report to the High Priests of their respective deity. Many of them are members of the Knights of Alba and protect the priests.
Monks: Monks are devout followers of the Cult of the Weave who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the service of the goddesses. They may assist in leading worship and rituals, and may also provide spiritual guidance to others. They report to the Priests of their respective deity.
History
The Cult of the Weave is an ancient religion that has been practiced by the Stillari people since 200,000 A.R.M. In 420 B.R.M., the Stillari were pushed out of the area by the rise of the Grengar Kingdom, headed by King Zholani. In 375 A.R.M., a human, King Louis du la Rent drove Zholani out of the lands and settled there, but the Stillari refused to live among the humans. The humans converted to The Cult of the Weave and rebuilt the city under the agreement that the Stillari would have access to the mountain for religious practices. The city became a major pilgrimage destination and attracted thousands of visitors from across Azrea every year. The culture of the city is open and accepting, and the temples have a strong influence on the city, providing housing and work for the poor. The city is governed as a theocracy, led by High Priests of The Cult of the Weave. The Cult of the Weave became one of the major religions in the land of Azrea again, with the city of The Holy City of Kindra being one of the most important places of worship.
Mythology & Lore
The mythos of Cos: the All-Mother goddess of Light and Protection as Azreans believe it:
In the beginning, Cos: the All-Mother goddess of Light and Protection awoke to a barren land with jutting mountains and wild storms. She saw no life. From the weave of Magic, she gave life to her four daughters. Mag: the goddess of Magic and Balance, to care for the weave and maintain balance in all things. Jor: the goddess of Nature and Shaper of Land to shape the land and bring life in abundance. Aeg: the goddess of the Oceans, Chance and Change to master the unpredictability of the world, foremost of which was the great oceans. Finally, Lot: the goddess of Winter and Summer, Life and Death would serve the cycle of life and death, winter and summer.
The five great beings set to work, refining the continent, shaping the land, growing the forest and calming the seas. They gave life to the world’s races and set the guardian titans to work in constructing civilizations. Soon the land and sea were teeming with diversity.
The dark realm broke into our reality and destroyed the titans in a great cataclysm. Chaos overcame the world until @Mag sealed the rift to the dark realm. Life continued, but the gods withdrew to the light realm from this world. They continue to maintain the order of life and death. They raise the worthy to glory while in prison, the unworthy in ice.
Tenets of Faith
The Cult of the Weave is a polytheistic religion that worships five great gods: Cos, Mag, Jor, Aeg, and Lot. Each of the goddesses are associated with a specific domain of power, and they are revered for their roles in maintaining the natural order of things.
Cos: the All-Mother goddess of Light and Protection. She is seen as a compassionate and nurturing goddess who is deeply connected to the needs of her followers.
Mag: the goddess of Magic and Balance. She maintains the balance in all things, and is an embodiment of the idea that everything is connected and that everything must be in balance.
Jor: the goddess of Nature and Shaper of Land. She is responsible for shaping the land, bringing life in abundance and is closely associated with the natural world.
Aeg: the goddess of the Oceans, Chance and Change. She is capricious and unpredictable, and is deeply connected to the oceans. She is seen as the embodiment of chance and change, and is believed to control the fates of those who travel the oceans.
Lot: the goddess of Winter and Summer, Life and Death. She presides over the cycle of life and death, and embodies the cyclical nature of existence. She is closely associated with the balance of the natural world and is believed to be able to control the elements.
The Cult of the Weave followers believe that the gods created the world, and continue to maintain the order of life and death. They raise the worthy to glory, while the unworthy are imprisoned in ice called Anchorhall. The Holy City of Kindra is a major pilgrimage destination, and the culture of the city is open and accepting. The temples have a strong influence on the city and provide housing and work for the poor.
Ethics
The Cult of the Weave has a set of ethical principles that guide the behavior of its followers. These principles are rooted in the belief that the gods created the world and maintain the natural balance of things, and that entropy must be delayed by all means necessary.
Some of the core ethical principles of the Cult of the Weave include:
Maintaining balance: Followers of the Cult of the Weave believe that the gods created the world, and that the natural balance of things must be upheld at all times. They are taught to strive for balance in all aspects of life and to respect the delicate equilibrium of the natural world.
Delaying entropy: Followers of the Cult of the Weave believe that entropy, or the gradual decline of order in the universe, is a natural process that must be delayed by all means necessary. This includes respecting the cycles of life and death and taking actions to preserve the environment and natural resources.
Compassion and charity: Followers of the Cult of the Weave are encouraged to be compassionate and charitable towards others, particularly the poor and the needy. This is in line with the belief that the gods are compassionate and nurturing, and that their followers should strive to emulate their example.
Honesty and integrity: Followers of the Cult of the Weave are expected to be honest and truthful in their dealings with others, and to be guided by a strong sense of integrity. They believe that the gods are just and fair, and that their followers should strive to be the same.
Duty and responsibility: Followers of the Cult of the Weave are taught that they have a duty and responsibility to uphold the balance and delay entropy, as well as to serve the gods. This includes performing their religious duties, such as attending worship and participating in rituals, as well as taking actions to preserve the natural environment, resources and the balance of life and death. They should also be aware of the impact of their actions on the balance of the world, and strive to minimize negative impacts.
Worship
A rite that the Cult of the Weave may have for dealing with the dead is called the "Circle of Life and Death". This rite is performed by the High Priestess of Lot and is meant to honor the cycle of life and death and the role that the five great gods play in it.
The rite begins with a procession of the High Priestess and the deceased's family and friends, carrying the body of the deceased to the temple of Cos in the middle of the Holy City of Kindra. At the temple of Cos, the High Priestess performs a ritual to consecrate the body and prepare it for its journey to the afterlife. The body is then placed on a ceremonial bier and covered with a shroud adorned with the holy symbol of Cos.
The procession then begins to move in a circle around the Holy City, following a path that goes past the temple of Mag, then the temple of Aeg, then the temple of Jor, finally stopping at the temple of Lot. This circle path represents the cycle of life and death and the journey that the deceased's soul will take on its journey to the afterlife. As they go around the circle, the procession stops at each temple, where the High Priestess and other members of the cult perform rituals and offer prayers to the five great gods, asking for their guidance and protection for the deceased's soul.
At the temple of Lot, there is a large, open-air temple dedicated to Lot. The temple also has underground chambers where the dead are laid to rest. Here, the High Priestess performs a final ritual, in which she invokes the power of Lot to guide the deceased's soul to the afterlife. The body is then laid to rest in the underground chamber. The Cult of the Weave believes that the worthy souls will reach Anchorhall in the realm of light and be with the goddesses. While the unworthy souls will be confined in ice.
The Circle of Life and Death rite is a symbolic and meaningful way for the Cult of the Weave to honor and remember their deceased loved ones, while also honoring the role of the five great gods in the cycle of life and death. This rite is performed to help the dead find peace, to guide their souls to the afterlife and to give closure to the living.
For members of the Cult of the Weave who live far from the Holy City of Kindra, the rite for dealing with the dead may differ slightly. They may not have access to the same resources and rituals as those who live in the Holy City, but they still follow the basic principles of the Cult of the Weave's beliefs about death and the afterlife.
In small towns and villages, the local priests or paladins of the Cult of the Weave would typically perform a simplified version of the "Circle of Life and Death" rite. They would consecrate the body of the deceased and prepare it for its journey to the afterlife, and then perform a final ritual to invoke the power of Lot to guide the deceased's soul to the afterlife. The body would then be buried or cremated in a cemetery or burial ground that is dedicated to the Cult of the Weave.
For those who live in remote areas, or for those who are unable to travel to a temple, the rites may be even simpler. They may bury the dead in a simple grave, or cremate the body and scatter the ashes, while still performing a simple ceremony and offering prayers to the five great gods.
Regardless of where they live, members of the Cult of the Weave would typically follow the same basic principles of honoring the cycle of life and death and invoking the power of the five great gods to guide the deceased's soul to the afterlife. The Cult of the Weave believes that by following these principles, the dead will find peace and reach the realm of light, or be confined in ice.
Priesthood
The priests of the Cult of the Weave live a religious lifestyle, dedicating their lives to the service of the gods and the spiritual needs of the community. They typically live in or near the temples, where they lead daily worship and rituals, provide guidance and counsel to followers, and perform other religious duties.
They may also spend time studying sacred texts and learning about the history, beliefs and practices of the Cult of the Weave. Some priests may also be involved in charitable work and helping the poor, as the Cult of the Weave is believed to have a strong influence on the city, providing housing and work for the poor.
They are mostly celibate, as the Cult of the Weave is a monastic tradition, which means that priests will abstain from sexual activity. They have an austere lifestyle, with simple living quarters and few possessions.
Overall, the priests of the Cult of the Weave lead a dedicated and disciplined life, focused on serving the gods and the community.
Balance and growth
Maps
-
The Continent of Azrea
The continent is varied in its biomes. It is the original home of the Stillary of Stillendam and the Dwan of the Northern Towers. It has a rich and long history that precedes humans by hundreds of thousands of years. -
The Holy City of Kindra
The city hosts thousands of pilgrims from across Azrea every year. Due to the influence of the temples on the city, there are almost no poor as the temples would put them to work or shelter them to become monks.
Founding Date
200,000 A.R.M.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Demonym
Azrean
Leader
Leader Title
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories