Truth

Describe the tenets or precepts of an organised religion in your world.

The faith of the Parou tribes of the desert areas north of the Tambok Plateaus
A faith of minimalist asceticism, Truth emerged many centuries ago in the Sandflood - the destruction of the cities of the Tambok Plateaus guided by a set of precepts known as “The Six That’s” for they are six in number and each begins with the word “That”. A summary of these precepts is given below.

Structure

The faith does not have a priesthood for whilst the faith assumes the existence of one or more gods it is generally held that the belief that they can be negotiated with is an act of self deception and that the faith's purpose is to save the world by spreading the faith and not by matters supernatural.
Those members that are held in high regard whether for the wisdom of their application of the Six Thats or their personal example in adhering to them are known as the mothers and fathers of the faith - for they nurture and grow it in others. Thus the organisation of the faith is loose and situational and driven by the internalisation of the precepts, but people’s standing in the faith is known to their families, neighbours and the wider community and so the pronouncements of the Truthful carry weight.
The mothers and fathers of the faith gather together on the first full moon after midsummer in regional assemblies partly discus any points of contention between the precepts and to further develop their proficiency in Truth, but these do not impose dogma on the faith, for this would contravene the sixth precept.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Within the Parou tribes ones position in the faith is almost synonymous with ones reputation; in the other peoples of southern Marivar the renowned Truthful are respected as negotiators and arbitrators even if their rigorous honesty causes personal offence their arguments carry weight. In the Marivan Empire, particularly in the latter stages of it's development this reputation for honesty and incorruptibility made them deeply distrusted by the ruling classes for whom conspicuous consumption and low politics were a way of life.

Sects

There are some areas where distinctive approaches have arisen and though they have not become strong enough to act as the boundaries between sects it can result in the situation that in one group you may be regarded as a mother or father of the faith, but only as a member of the Truthful by another. With the development of communities of the faithful that are now isolated from each other, or with limited communication it is likely that differences in approach, prioritisation of the precepts and so on may result in sects which see themselves as right but others as wrong. It has been noted that the Truthful of the Long Range come closer to praying to the truth as though it were a god than others do so this process may be well underway.

The Truth Will Make You Free

Demonym

The Truthful

The Truth Moves On

The Truth has acquired followers beyond the plains of southern Marivar, in places where Parou traders have settled or taken home by travellers. A small group of the Truthful has been identified in the Long Range, brought by returning quarrymen from Pshoo and in recent years it has attained a significant following in the Sutran Rides.

Worship

From the detail given it will be clear that The Truth is not a faith expressed by sacrifices of goods or lives (for this would offend the second That), nor is it one of great communal acts. Had it arisen in a more heavily populated land or one with a superabundance of resources it might have developed differently but it's reliance on personal resolve, internalised rules makes it well suited to its origins. It's rites are of meditation and contemplation, which are typically individual or in small groups. The latter often seeing a situation, whether personal, general or hypothetical dissected according to the precepts and the wisdom of the most renowned fathers and mothers of faith. Where many of the faithful are gathered these often spontaneously arise for it is not a creed that can be exercised when in the temple and put away when elsewhere.
Recognition within the faith, whether as a member of the Truthful or the more elevated ranks of the mothers and fathers comes from such exposition and the respect it generates among the Truthful.

The Six Thats

Adherents of the faith subscribe to the six tenets, known as the “Thats”

1: That deception and lying are deadly sins.

The first two precepts are generally accepted to be the foundations of Truth and a reaction to the perceived evils of the Lost Cities which brought about their destruction. That this includes lies and deceptions practiced on ourselves is one of the features of the faith that can be most challenging and the community of the Truthful are expected to support each other in these precepts.

2: That waste is abhorrent to Truth.

Like the first precept this is a reaction to the parent culture of the faith and one which is most definitely a useful guiding principle for life in what is now a generally sparse environment.

3: That our desires will lead us into evil, which the Truthful must resist.

A reminder of the basic condition of almost all sentient species of the need to question our motives to ensure that we are not lead idly into deception or waste.

4: That forgiveness is the mercy of truth

Recognition came early to the Truthful that their faith needed some tempering for otherwise it would be an insufferably hard task master; but the caveat of the first precept applies and the forgiveness must be genuine. This, it is held, encourages co-operation in the resolution of disputes.

5: That Truth will punish the evil doer whether in this life or the next

The sand flood is taken as the prime example of this, with the fall back to the next life reflecting the belief in re-incarnation which predates the faith and which is not a necessary part of it (though it makes the eschatology easier).

6: That the scriptures and sayings of the prophets of the faith are guidance but and should always be checked for the case in point.

The mother of the faith, Garrinah, explained it thus, having been accused of giving contradictory advice: You ask me how to reach their father. I tell you that based on where we are, and where he may be. It is good guidance but not a route to be blindly followed by anyone else or by you next year.