Shamsari

Shamsari is the traditional religion of the Shamsar and the predominant religion within the Dar Al Shams, also known as the Shamsar Khalifate. Shamsari was founded in the year 1AE by The Prophetess. It is a monotheistic religion venerating Ahura Madiya, The Unconquered Sun. Practitioners of Shamsari are collectively called the Atval al-Shams, the Children of the Sun, or the Atval for short.

Structure

The head of the Atval is the Khalifa, the Deputy of the Prophetess. She is elected by the Ulema, the religious scholars and clergy, and serves for life. She also rules the holy city of Alharq and serves as custodian of the First House of the Sun. Though Shamsari clergy may be of any gender, the Khalifa is always a woman. Though she holds a great deal of administrative authority and serves as the ultimate religious arbiter, her spiritual powers are far from absolute. Doctrine, dogma, and religious law are all decided by the Ulema as a group, and the Khalifa does not have the authority to overrule the decisions of the collected Ulema. However, her greatest power lies in her control over the House of Wisdom in Alharq, which is the only institution that can certify new Imams. Thus, the Khalifa is primarily seen as the guardian of religious orthodoxy and the ceremonial representative of the faithful, rather than as a political leader who sets policy.

Mythology & Lore

In the beginning, there was only Ahura Madiya, uncreated and eternal. First She created the moon, to be her consort and companion, to stand watch over Her creations, and to reflect Her glory. Then, She created the stars, and put a small measure of Her divine Light into each of them, so they might aid Her in her work, and to reflect Her glory.
Then, with the aid of the Moon and the Stars, She created the globe of Zamin, which was one barren desert, burnt clean in its creation by Her unyielding Light. Seeing that nothing could live on Zamin, She created water, and poured it out upon the desert. This filled in the low places of the world, and became the rivers and the lakes and the great seas. But then Zamin was covered entirely in water, and she saw there was no dry place on the whole globe, no place for any but the swimming things to dwell. So, she tasked her consort, The Moon, to pull back the waters and reveal the dry land. Then she placed upon the dry land all sorts of creatures. Flying creatures, crawling creatures, cloven hoofed creatures, and all other beasts that dwell upon Zamin. And Ahura Madiya looked upon these new creatures and delighted in them, each in their own particular shape and purpose.
But soon, Ahura Madiya became dissatisfied with the world She had created. The creatures who dwelt upon the globe were all simple, and unable to recognize their creator or to reflect Her Light. So Ahura Madiya said to her servants "I shall create new creatures, higher and more complex, who will know Me and shall reflect My Light". So she reached into the mud of Zamin and shaped from it a form unlike any beast that had preceded it. She stood it upright, and poured more of Her Light into it than she had into any of her previous creations. This was the first Goblin, made a child of Ahura Madiya.
But the shape of the Goblin was flawed. The mud from which it was made was too insubstantial, and the Goblin lived only a short time before it came apart again. Moreover, it was too short to easily turn its head toward Ahura Madiya's glory. Thus the Goblin turned its eyes to the earth, and spent all of its time seeking to fulfill its basest needs. The Goblin turned away from Her Light.
Learning from the Goblin's failure, Ahura Madiya tried again to make faithful children. This time she fashioned them out of stone, and made them taller and stronger, so they might better reflect Her Light. This was the first Human. But the stone was still too yielding, and though the Human lived longer than the Goblin, its life was still too short. Like the Goblin, the Human became fixated on mortal concerns, and took to worshiping idols of its own, made from the stone from which they had been fashioned. Thus the Human turned to idolatry and baseness, and away from Her Light.
Finally, Ahura Madiya decided to make a creature entirely from Her own Light, with no earthly material at all. This was the first Elf, and they were everything Ahura Madiya desired. They did not die, being made from pure Light, and did not have to struggle to live and reproduce, allowing them to devote themselves entirely to reflecting Her light.
Satisfied with Her new children, Ahura Madiya declared Her creation to be complete. For many ages of the world, She lived in harmony with her children, who covered the whole world and built many great Houses for Ahura Madiya to dwell among them. But it was not to last.
One day, a demon of the underdark appeared to Her children. Her name was Lolth, and she was a great bulbous spider, who disguised herself as a beautiful elf maiden. She began to walk amongst the children, and whispered in their ears against Ahura Madiya. All she said was lies, but her honeyed words and illusory beauty enthralled the children, and at her urging they betrayed their creator.
Swearing fealty to the demon Lolth, they destroyed their Mother's houses, and then followed Lolth on a great journey underground. Lolth promised them a paradise, but instead they found a hell. In this dark place bereft of Her Light, the children had to struggle to survive, and first tasted the bitter fruit of mortality.
In their suffering, the children called out to Lolth to help them. But Lolth had no love in her heart, and instead blamed the children's suffering on themselves. She set up false divisions amongst the children, handing them banners and declaring that they were tribes, each distinct from the other, and that they must struggle and compete with each other. They must kill and rob their fellow children. So the children did, and in time they forgot completely their previous life on the surface. They forgot that they were one people.
And so began the Age of Darkness. The children suffered without their Mother, tortured by the demon Lolth and cast adrift in the barren underdark. But Ahura Madiya still loved her children, despite their betrayal, and would not allow them to remain in their exile forever. She would recall her children to reclaim their birthright. And she would accomplish this great work through the most unlikely child of all.

Divine Origins

The first of the children to find The Light was a young slave girl enthralled to the Jadi tribe. When she was still a maiden, she began to receive prophetic dreams. In these visions, she saw a presence in the form of a beam of light. The Light spoke only one word to her. "Climb!" it commanded, without deviation or alteration.
And so, one day, the maiden slipped away from her captors and began to do as The Light commanded. For many days she climbed, through the hostile and barren tunnels of the underdark. Though she carried no food and no weapons, Ahura Madiya was with her. Ahura Madiya provided her with mushrooms to eat, and made sure the monsters of the deep took no notice of her. Finally, after many days of climbing through the darkness, the maiden emerged onto the surface and into the full glory of Ahura Madiya's Light. In that moment, Ahura Madiya revealed The Truth to the maiden. That the children had been deceived and imprisoned by Lolth, that they were created by Ahura Madiya to live in peace on the surface, and that she had been selected to carry this good news to the children and to bring them back into Ahura Madiya's Light.
Armed with The Truth, the Prophetess returned to the Jadi tribe, and began to preach Ahura Madiya's words to them. Though the leaders of the tribe resisted, The Light touched the hearts of her fellow slaves and of the poor and outcast. Soon, nearly all the Jadi had embraced The Truth and acclaimed The Prophetess as the voice of God.
But the Jadi's neighbors took notice of their conversion and, spurred on by the foul priestesses of Lolth, formed a coalition to destroy the Jadi. Three rival tribes, the Tamim, the Quday, and the Kindy, attacked the Jadi at a place called The Crossing. It was here that the Prophetess performed her first miracle, leading the outnumbered and outmatched Jadi to a stunning victory. The three defeated tribes, in awe at the power and certainty of the Prophetess, abandoned Lolth and embraced Ahura Madiya. However, some within the new tribes were fearful that, if they followed the Prophetess, that they would be made slaves of the Jadi.
Thus the Prophetess made a stunning declaration. The Jadi, the Tamim, the Quday, and the Kindy were no more. Instead, they would all be made members of a new tribe, a tribe for all the faithful. And this tribe would be known as the Atval al Shams, or The Children of the Sun. Within the Atval, all would be considered equals as children of Ahura Madiya, and all who accepted The Truth in the future would also be considered equals. The prophetess also declared it a sin for any Atvali to enslave another Atvali, and freed all of the slaves previously held by the tribes.
The declaration of the Atval was not well received amongst the other children. The servants of Lolth saw the new tribe for what it was - an existential threat to their way of life. So they attacked the Atval in ever growing coalitions, hell bent on destroying this upstart religion.
But Ahura Madiya was with the Atval, and against the power of Her Light there could be no victory. Again and again the prophetess defeated the unredeemed tribes, and after every victory the Atval grew in number as the humbled enemy embraced Ahura Madiya. After five years of ceaseless battle, the Atval stood alone and victorious. Lolth's grip on the children had been broken once and for all, and all the children had pledged themselves to Ahura Madiya and Her Prophetess.
Then, it was time for the Atval to fulfill Ahura Madiya's first great instruction. They destroyed their homes, and took with them all of their property and livestock, and they began to climb.
No one is sure how long the Great Emergence lasted, as the children did not yet have any way of marking the passage of time. They walked and walked, fending off attacks from the foul denizens of the Underdark. Finally, they came to a great underground river, and followed its flow until they reached a cave. The Atval stepped out of the darkness and into Her Sacred Light. The prophetess declared her great mission to be completed, and said that henceforth this day would be known as the first day of a new age. And she led the Atval in building the first House of the Sun, and taught them the rituals by which they might venerate Ahura Madiya: to pray three times a day, to give alms to the poor, to sing Ahura Madiya's praises, and to make pilgrimage to this House, the First House of the Sun.
The children began to build homes around this First House, and the city that grew there became known as Al Harq, The Breach. But though Al Harq stood by the source of the river Shivae, the soil was thin and dry, and the Atval had no knowledge of surface agriculture. Needing food and supplies, the Atval sent out search parties to seek out the means of sustenance. One of these parties found a great city of the humans, and tried to put their petition to them. But the humans saw their dark skin and silver hair, and their hearts were hardened. They put the Atval to flight, and killed several of them. When they returned to Al Harq, the prophetess declared that the humans had sinned against Ahura Madiya. She gathered the warriors of the Atval and marched against the city. So began the Wars of Emergence.

Cosmological Views

In Shamsari there is only one Goddess, Ahura Madiya, the Unconquered Sun. Her proper name is considered sacred, so outside of liturgical use She is referred to as Al Shams, The Sun. Ahura Madiya has always existed, and created everything else in the universe.
Ahura Madiya's consort is The Moon, Hilal. He was the first thing to be created and helps Ahura Madiya to watch over Her creation. Clad in silver armor, Hilal is the Cosmic Defender and is venerated by warriors and soldiers, though he is never worshipped.
The Stars were the next things to be created after The Moon. They are Ahura Madiya's servants and messengers, carrying the prayers of the Atval up to the heavens, and bearing the words and blessings of Ahura Madiya back to Zamin. Astromancy, or the study of the stars, is a sacred art. It is believed that the will of Ahura Madiya can be ascertained in part by observing the movement of the stars. Each star contains a tiny fraction of Ahura Madiya's Light, as do each of the Atval.
The Divine Light is Ahura Madiya's power made manifest. It is the animating force of all life, and the physical symbol of Ahura Madiya's favor and authority. Atvali Clerics radiate Her Light when they call upon Her divine power. Saints of Ahura Madiya are said to have a permanent halo of Light that shines from them at all times. Some mystics have claimed that it is possible to capture some of The Light through intense devotion to esoteric rituals, but the clergy rejects this claim on the grounds that to capture The Light would mean overpowering Ahura Madiya, which is impossible.

Tenets of Faith

The first truth of Shamsari is Unity. There is only one Goddess, the world and everything in it were created by the Goddess, and the Goddess wishes all of creation to return to Her Truth. Therefore, in the eyes of Ahura Madiya all of the faithful are equal. An orc slave who accepts Shamsari is considered just as valuable and important as the richest Shamsar noble. To deny the equality of all beings is a sin, and to attempt to divide the community of the Atval is also a sin. One Goddess, One People, One House.
The second truth of Alwaqie is prayer. All Atval are commanded to pray three times a day, once at sunrise, once at noon, and once at sunset. At morning and evening prayers the faithful should face the sun, and at noon the faithful should face Al Harq. Prayers are always to performed in a group. Ideally they should be performed at the local House of the Sun, but any group of three or more Atval may pray anywhere they are able. All Zamin is the House of the Sun, and thus all prayer is pleasing to Ahura Madiya.
The third truth of Alwaqie is charity. All Atval are commanded to hand over one fifth of their earnings to the poor. This charity is usually coordinated either by the local Imam or by a local charity board, depending on the size of the community. Atvali are commanded to be charitable to all people in need, not merely their fellow believers. This isn't always observed, but at least in principle Ahura Madiya commands that all thinking beings be cared for.
The fourth truth of Shamsari is fasting. All Atval are commanded to fast from sunrise on Friday to sunrise on Saturday, and to abstain from all food and drugs during daylight hours for the entirety of the twelfth month of the year. The food that they don't eat is to be donated to the poor, although this isn't always observed.
The fifth truth of Shamsari is pilgrimage. All Atvali are commanded to make a pilgrimage to the First House in Al Harq at least once in their lives. It is important that the Atval never forget the Time of Darkness or the Great Climb. By visiting the sight of The Emergence, the Atval reconnect to their past and recommit to the word of Ahura Madiya.
The sixth truth of Shamsari is service. All Atval are commanded to regularly offer themselves in service to the community, usually coordinated by the Imams. This service usually takes the form of some kind of corvee labor. Each adult is expected to give one day every month in service, but many go above and beyond this commitment as a show of their piety.

Ethics

Acceptance and obedience of the Six Truths is the foundation of Atvali ethics. The collected teachings of the Prophetess, The Hikma, are the primary religious text of Shamsari. The Hikma is divided into chapters, called Sidra, and verses. The Hikma contains many explicit instructions on how the faithful are to live. However, over time religious scholars have elaborated and expanded upon the commands issued in The Hikma. In the third century AE, the Khalifa Nasira II ordered that these commentaries be collected and collated into one document. It took nearly two hundred years for the clergy to complete the project and the result was the Qanun, or The Law, which gives guidance on the right way to live in almost every conceivable situation.
The broad thrust of Atval ethical thought can be summed up as follows: All creatures are created by Ahura Madiya, thus all creatures are worthy of life and dignity. The faithful are called to perfect the world, society, and themselves, and this is to be accomplished by adhering to the Qanun and by bringing the Light of Ahura Madiya to all peoples of the world.
Non-believers in Atval society are not to be harmed or forced to convert, though they do have to pay more taxes than the Atval. The Hikma says "No one has ever changed another's heart by the sword. The Light cannot enter into eyes that are closed, and you cannot open closed eyes with threats. Threats only cause their eyes to close tighter! Therefore, if you with all to see The Light, you must let The Light shine through you, that others may see The Light in you, and believe." Sidra 56:12-14

Priesthood

Shamsari is a somewhat decentralized religion. Each House selects its own Imam in a democratic process, though only Imams who have been educated in an accredited madrasa are allowed to serve as clergy. Imams take no vows and are allowed to pursue normal lives when not seeing to their duties. They may marry and have children, and are encouraged to embed themselves in the life of their congregation. If an Imam becomes unacceptable to the community, they may vote to remove them. However, they can only vote to remove them from their office, not to exile them from the community.
The primary responsibility of the priestesses is to lead the daily prayers, to maintain the House and see to its upkeep, and to deliver sermons on Saturdays with the intention to "enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil!" Sidra 24:19 They are often assisted by one or two initiates (Imams in training) and by the House Servants (lay officers).
The leader of the faith is The Khalifa (The Deputy) who oversees the First House of the Sun in the holy city of Al Harq. She is elected by the Council of Ayatollahs, an order of thirty religious scholars who have served with distinction. The Ayatollahs select their own members and are the primary governing body of Shamsari. Dogma that is handed down by the Council is considered binding on all of the faithful.
The Khalifa is the supreme religious authority within the Dar al Shams. It is a position only attained after many years of service to Ahura Madiya. The Khalifa serves for life, but she can be removed from her office by the Council of Ayatollahs. This has only happened twice in the history of the faith, and is considered a last resort. The Khalifa has the power to make theological pronouncements (subject to the review of the Council) and can issue orders to the Amirs who govern the empire. However, for the past three hundred years, the secular authority of the Khalifa has diminished a great deal. Now, her authority is purely spiritual, and while she often serves as a mediator between the Amirs, her real political authority barely extends beyond the hinterlands of Al Harq.

Founding Date

1AE

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Sun Worshippers, Atvalism

Demonym

Atvali

Leader

The Khalifa

Location

Al Harq