Ëlhyaea
Ëlhyæa is an organized religion hailing from the Jollì Steppes of Ekora. Primarily based upon the ancient spiritual practices of the pre-Feloran contact Ekorans, the faith was the official state religion of the Feloran Empire. Indeed, the word Ëlhyaea itself is derived from the Feloran words for "State" and "Practice". It is a pluralistic religion, with no pantheon, and many practitioners follow other faiths alongside Ëlhyaea, and particularly in modern times the faith is just as concerned with what one should do as with what one should believe. There is no central authority, although the Ekoran Conclave is considered the foundational center of the faith, and it's most devoted practitioners make pilgrimages, undergo spiritual journeys or quests, or even permanently join the Conclave in Ekora. Due to it's pluralistic and agnostic nature, aspects of Ëlhyaean beliefs, practices, and mythology are present in other faiths.
Ekoran influence in the Imperial Court during the Early Imperial Era (4620 - 0 EIE) lead to the creation of the Lèlbrìkèrn, a role bestowed upon one of the druid's from the Ekoran Temple by the Emperor of Felora. The Lèlbrìkèrn would serve for life, and upon death the sitting Emperor would appoint a new one. This arrangement would exist, with some modifications and exceptions, from the reign of Gardoum II (at least 1800 EIE) until the collapse of the Empire at the end of the late imperial era (1817 LIE). The role of the Lèlbrìkèrn was initially to promote the various cosmological and spiritual outlooks and lessons that the Imperial Court believed in, but gradually has come to be viewed as the most enlightened of Ëlhyaean practitioners. In practice, this has meant well-studied high-ranking members of the Ekoran Conclave.
Lèlbrìkèrn's authored spiritual edicts, transcribed ancient wisdom from Ekora, and issued proclamations based on their experiences and views that were disseminated throughout the Empire. At the conclusion of an Imperial Archdruid's tenure, all of their various writings would be collected by the Imperial Archivist and stored in the Library of Lumaira. These writings collectively have become the basis of Ëlhyaean orthodoxy, and during the height of the Empire their study and adherence were considered an absolute. Today, the faith has drifted back to it's emphasis on being a guide to exploring (and discovering) the universe.
Mythology & Lore
There are three broad elements of Elhyaean mythology. First, there is the body of manuscripts from the hundreds of lèlbrìkèrn of centuries past. Next, there are the ancient myths about the creation of the universe, the discovery of the world and the arrival of Elves to it, and other similar cosmological myths. Finally, encompassing the previous two, there is the belief in and accompanying stories about universal spirits – Yīra – who inhabit most locations, objects, things, and living beings.
Ëlhyaea does not have a pantheon of Gods (or can be said to have a wide one, but the distinction is that Yīra are not worshipped directly by most practitioners who do not also subscribe to another faith), and instead is concerned with Yīra and the interactions of mortals with them.
Èlbrìles. Druids (or Mages) Writings. These consist of stories, warnings, guides, and other material considered by their author's to be integral for a life devoted to better understanding the universe. They were compiled and distributed across the Feloran Empire as imperial spiritual documents, or "Official State Practice". They codified a set of beliefs regarding Yīra and established an ethical viewpoint out of shaping and interpreting the values and messages of Ekoran myths and Feloran, Ekoran, Formen, and other ancient stories.
Jomora Cael. These ancient myths had been passed down orally by the Ekorans, becoming a written tradition alongside the adoption of the Ekoran faith by the Feloran Empire. Thy are generally illustrative fables about good practice and ritual, and warnings against offending the Yīra. Some are recounted with variations or even contradictions by different Lèlbrìkèrn of different times, who would often favor certain myths or stories (or variations of them) that suited their particular interpretations. The "true" meanings or content of these stories are subject to great debate in Ëlhyaea's philosophical circles.
Yīra Hërandìkèn. World of the Yīra. It is believed that everything material, from the moon to a pond to a house, contains or can manifest as a Yīra. They are created as part of the process of material creation, and there are stories and myths explaining the aspects that impact a spirit's creation. Some are more powerful than others, for example Forlëya is the yīra of forests, woods, and trees, but Dothale is the yīra of the specific forest of Dothar. As such, Forlëya commands spiritual power through all the forests that have ever been, are, or will be. Dothale may command the power of the forest of Dothar, which itself is a part of the power of Forlëya. Due to the infinite nature of them, as there is one for every object, thought, etc, many do not show up more than once in the Druid's Writings or Jomora Cael, if at all.Cosmological Views
Ëlhyaean cosmology assumes that Getninia is the center of the Jotiri Sàbe. It holds that the various realms in existence are a combination of natural, supernatural, and occult. Existing alongside the material world as alternate dimensions sharing the same material plane are Dàlùnsten and Kebulöv. It is believed that the Elves came from the Feyrealm. Sylvan creatures hail from here, as well as the source of many magic/spiritual powers. Kebulov is a dimension of material decay, a transitory plane for the spirit of those who die on the material plane.
Death is viewed as the process in which mortals shed their material forms, to carry on solely on as Yīra. There is no designated "afterlife realm" according to Ëlhyaea, as yīra are self-aware beings and may move as freely as any mortal, and many form attachments to specific items or locations, "resting" there for eternity. Many others instead embark on new journeys to new realities previously unreachable in their mortal life. Yīra born from mortals lack a physical form on their own, making them susciptible to the malevolent beings and the unbridled chaotic power that can be found in these many of these realities.
Tenets of Faith
Practitioners of Yīra'sai must remember the four keys to allīra throughout their journeyThere are four main tenets of the practice, which form the basis of the ethical and moral outlook of Ëlhyaea. Community: Without a shared sense of being, one loses themself in the world. The wilderness was our first and largest grave. Through the collective faith of many, we strengthen our spirits for when they become Yīra, and increase our protection against wild magics and chaos.– Fa'chèlàs Lò̯lal, 3rd Lèlbrìkèrn
Love of Nature: Holding nature as sacred. One should not hate nature for it's dangers, it has provided security for and sustained our communities. It is from the power of nature that the oldest and most powerful magic is derived.
Veneration of the Yīra: The Yīra are magical, numerous, and everywhere. Respecting them will bring joy ourselves and prosperity to our communities. However, there are dangerous and malicious Yīra, and there are dangers to even the most powerful of Yīra, so it is important to practice self-ritual and to live in peace with the Yīra that protect us. Shrines of various sizes and importance are maintained by custodians, and practitioners often leave trinkets or other gifts for the yira.
Self Ritual: The consistency of a routine of meditation and study, along with periodic pilgrimage to shrines, is how we strengthen our mind and soul. These will become the basis of our Yīra upon death, and they are the only things we bring with us as Yīra. When the spirit first manifests after death in the Plane of Shadow, it will need to be able to ward off undead and other spirits who decided to make their new primary realm there.
Ethics
Each individual is considered to be a keeper of their own Yīra, and practicing Ëlhyaea is considered to be how one prepares their Yīra for when they pass beyond the material plane. A devoted practioner who engages in ritual purification and daily patronage of their local shrine(s) strengthens their soul during life, preparing for the dangers of afterlife, and protecting themselves and their yīra from malevolent forces of beyond the material plane.
The tenets of Ëlhyaea are considered paramount to surviving and ideally thriving alongside a wild, uncontrollable, realm of magic and magical entities. Some, like Yīra, are benevolent or neutral actors, but there are other more malevolent or chaotic forces that are held at bay by the various rituals that make up Ëlhyaea. There is an endless body of stories, fables, and other sorts of myths explaining these forces in more detail.
Since Ëlhyaea is structured around the performing of ritual and in the application of practice, and not around specific morals, there is no concept of piety or sin. Acts considered to be in contravention of practice are viewed as destructive to the self and the community much in the same way that physically violent behaviour is considered harmful. Angering or antagonising Yīra is viewed as placing oneself and their community in the same kind of real, tangible danger as a war or natural disaster. There is wide variance as to what constitutes proper veneration of Yīra, with some patronising shrines daily, and others only in times of personal strife. Yearly festivals ensure a certain amount of community veneration (and protection) from everyone.
Worship
Practicing Ëlhyaea is as much about ritual and behaviour as it is about belief. There are no regularly scheduled communal worship outside of seasonal festivals or celebrations related to rites of passage. In day-to-day worship, an Ëlhyaean practitioner will likely meditate or pray in front of a personal shrine or altar in their domicile, seeking guidance for the coming day's work from the relevant Yīra (a farmer might meditate to connect with the Yīra of their tools or of their livestock) as well as thanking the personal Yīra to them, such as that of their home. While specific figues are worshipped as deities or even-Godlike figures, most do not simply pray tothem, but rather seek to emulate and follow their spiritua journey.
The more rigorous practioners will visit one or more local shrines, and many of them spend a time as a Shrine Custodian, tending to local shrines full time.
Regular festivals throughout the year serve to ensure communal spiritual strength and clarity. These festivals generally are based upon stories or events from Ëlhyaean mythology, and contain a meaning or message meant to be believed in life in order to strengthen an individual's Yīra. Part of most festivals are unique or specific rituals meant only to be performed during the duration, or at certain moments of, the festival. It is believed that shared ritual is a way to ensure a certain amount of spiritual strength for all involved, and it helps foster community, a core tenet of the faith.
Priesthood
The druids and mages of Ekora are considered the foremost guides of the practice, and they have authority to appoint custodians for shrines in Ekora, Soren, and eastern Sarendia. In Soren, the priests of temples and monasteries are under the stewardship of the Bæslèlbrì, an Ekoran Conclave member appointed to advise the Sovereign of Soren. Certain monasteries and orders exist that have their own priesthoods and are too varied to detail here.
Shrine Custodians: Known natively as Brelmöra, these are the most common of the formal Ëlhyaean practitioners. Their ranks are typically made up of passionate local practitioners with an affinitiy for their local shrine. In regions where the Ekoran Conclave appoints custodians, they choose those with a local connection who have studied in the Temple City. Many serve for their entire lives, but a custodian is only expected to serve "as called to" in their experiences in daily ritual. They are likely to only be capable of performing certain minor magics, and in smaller communities are often the ones who teach the children of their communities how to hone their natural magical abilities.
Temple Stewards: Known natively as Àntren'atösh, they are like shrine custodians in their role as community leaders and their responsibility for their practitioners Yīra. Temple Stewards serve in the role for life, or they become Mages. Unlike Custodians, Temple Stewards are directly subordinate to an appointed Druid (known as a Bæslèlbrì in Soren) who guides temple's activities and determines it's spiritual functions. Temple Stewards are not present in all sects of Ëlhyaea, their numbers having declined in the collapse of the Feloran Empire, but currently exist in the Sovereignty of Soren and in the Temple City of Ekora.
Clerics: Sàlër. Clerics are relatively newer than Druids in Ëlhyaean faith, and are a result of individual practice creating a strong, quasi-divine power in the practitioner. Clerics in the faith often hail from organised temples and shrines that have aligned themselves with a particular Ëlhyaean tenet, myth, or figure. Many clerics of other faiths also practice Ëlhyaean rituals and follow its ethics. Purely Ëlhyaean Clerics are becoming more common as the power of Yīra inspires faith more than the ability of practice in many parts of the world, particularlyin the Hadar-Formen Faith.
Druids: Lèlbrì. With Druids, the higher circles of magic are more common. Less involved with the public practice of the faith than the Temple Stewards or Shrine Custodians, they are often advisors to Ëlhyaean heads of state, and spend most of their time in deep meditation or extreme isolation, communing with Yīra of the wilderness or important location, trying to glean new insights into themselves and the natural energies of reality. Most Lèlbrì are Feloran elves, however in the last few centuries several half-elves and humans have become Druids in the Ëlhyaean faith.
Archdruid: Lèlbrìkèrn. Head of the Ekoran Conclave and theoretically, the faith. The Circle of the Wise selects a well practiced Lèlbrì, oftentimes one of their own, who must then complete the Rënèfonè'ek ritual, where they are tested on their personal Yīra's strength of will, to prove they have cultivated and prepared it for the higher levels of reality the faith is meant to be a guide for. The term archdruid can also apply to other designated druids with political authority.
Shrine Custodians: Known natively as Brelmöra, these are the most common of the formal Ëlhyaean practitioners. Their ranks are typically made up of passionate local practitioners with an affinitiy for their local shrine. In regions where the Ekoran Conclave appoints custodians, they choose those with a local connection who have studied in the Temple City. Many serve for their entire lives, but a custodian is only expected to serve "as called to" in their experiences in daily ritual. They are likely to only be capable of performing certain minor magics, and in smaller communities are often the ones who teach the children of their communities how to hone their natural magical abilities.
Temple Stewards: Known natively as Àntren'atösh, they are like shrine custodians in their role as community leaders and their responsibility for their practitioners Yīra. Temple Stewards serve in the role for life, or they become Mages. Unlike Custodians, Temple Stewards are directly subordinate to an appointed Druid (known as a Bæslèlbrì in Soren) who guides temple's activities and determines it's spiritual functions. Temple Stewards are not present in all sects of Ëlhyaea, their numbers having declined in the collapse of the Feloran Empire, but currently exist in the Sovereignty of Soren and in the Temple City of Ekora.
Clerics: Sàlër. Clerics are relatively newer than Druids in Ëlhyaean faith, and are a result of individual practice creating a strong, quasi-divine power in the practitioner. Clerics in the faith often hail from organised temples and shrines that have aligned themselves with a particular Ëlhyaean tenet, myth, or figure. Many clerics of other faiths also practice Ëlhyaean rituals and follow its ethics. Purely Ëlhyaean Clerics are becoming more common as the power of Yīra inspires faith more than the ability of practice in many parts of the world, particularlyin the Hadar-Formen Faith.
Druids: Lèlbrì. With Druids, the higher circles of magic are more common. Less involved with the public practice of the faith than the Temple Stewards or Shrine Custodians, they are often advisors to Ëlhyaean heads of state, and spend most of their time in deep meditation or extreme isolation, communing with Yīra of the wilderness or important location, trying to glean new insights into themselves and the natural energies of reality. Most Lèlbrì are Feloran elves, however in the last few centuries several half-elves and humans have become Druids in the Ëlhyaean faith.
Archdruid: Lèlbrìkèrn. Head of the Ekoran Conclave and theoretically, the faith. The Circle of the Wise selects a well practiced Lèlbrì, oftentimes one of their own, who must then complete the Rënèfonè'ek ritual, where they are tested on their personal Yīra's strength of will, to prove they have cultivated and prepared it for the higher levels of reality the faith is meant to be a guide for. The term archdruid can also apply to other designated druids with political authority.
Granted Divine Powers
The highest power granted (or more accurately to Ëlhyaean philosophy "gained" or "found") is that of total commune with nature. It was from this transcendant union that the earliest Druids of the faith were able to hold back the wilderness and establish ancient Ekoran society. Practitioners of Ëlhyaea have channeled magic of up to the "9th" circle. Shrine Custodians generally practice the rituals for only minor natural magics of the 1st circle, while the 2nd and 3rd circles are practiced by most Temple Stewards. It is rare for anyone besides the Archdruid of the Conclave of Ekora to practice higher than the 7th circle. Ëlhyaean magic includes natural and divine sources.
The more devoted of Ëlhyaean practitioners will seek to isolate themselves away in monasteries or in far-flung regions of wilderness. During their isolation, many will tap into the natural magic of the wilderness or of natural properties of the locales that many monasteries are build on or near. Other monasteries and orders exist that worship a specific figure within Ëlhyaean mythology, generally with a specific myth or legend serving as their foundational story with some historical bearing, and have produced magically invested clerics.
Those who worship specific Yìra have been granted divine powers from the entity in question or from the strength of their faith. The worship of certain Ëlhyaean yīra in other faiths as Gods has also been known to grant divine magic to some of its devoted. A few martial orders have also been granted divine-like favor of specific powerful yīra, most prominently the Order of the Serene Temple in Ekora.
Political Influence & Intrigue
During the height of the Feloran Empire, Ëlhyaean practices and beliefs were an unquestioned worldview. Under the Empire, the Conclave of druids and mages in Ekora had a similar status and position as the Imperial Court. Today, the Conclave in Ekora maintains formal stewardship of the Jolli Steppes, although it is not involved in it's day-to-day governance.
In the Dotharan Alliance, Ëlhyaean shrines are maintained by Dotharan practitioners who make the personal choice to become custodians, but there is no formal system to assign or manage them collectively. In the Sovereignty of Soren, Crown Prince Kaelbryn is a practitioner of Ëlhyaea and has worked with Ekoran advisors to establish a shrine custodian system modeled on the Feloran Empire's. The Sarendian Trust has a shrine custodian system inhereted from the Empire, concentrated mostly in the east, in the Sarene Republic.
Sects
Due to it's syncretic, pluralistic, nature and decentralised structure, Ëlhyaean sects are difficult to define. Historically, there was solely Feloran Ëlhyaea, as the beliefs and myths that made up the faith were not referred to as such until after the integration of Ekora into the Feloran Empire. In contemporary times, there are four identifiable sects or communities of Ëlhyaean practitioners.
Serene Ëlhyaea. Named for the Serene Conclave, this is the sect of practitioners closest to the ancient faith of the Ekorans, from long before their contact with other Elves and the larger world. It served as the basis for early Feloran Ëlhyaea, and has since incorporated much of the traditions and organization started during the Empire, such as the title of Lèlbrìkèrn for the highest ranking member of the faith. Much of the cosmological debates of the faith in the belief play out in the Temple City.
Sovereign Ëlhyaea. Named for the Sorenian Sovereignty. It is one of the newer sects, but has steadily grown in practitoners in no smart part to the efforts of the Sorenian state to encourage it's populace to frequent shrines and temples for guidance from Temple Stewards. There is an increased focus on engaging in rituals on a routine, consistent, and frequent basis. It incorporates a Pandroi-inspired respect for social hierarchy unique amongst Ëlhyaean sects. Common Ëlhyaea. The most widespread of the communities, the successor to the general practice of Ëlhyaea by those across the continent of Felora outside of a contemporary power such as the Sovereignty of Soren or the Dotharan Alliance. Shrines are tended to by the extremely faithful, but there is no uniform support from local authorities. Individual Yīra are not venerated or followed in common practice, however distinct practitioners may have personal faith in some.
The Hadar-Formen Faith. The most unique from the others, the Hadar-Formen faith is an emerging faith that may one day be a distinct religion in and of itself. It is the re-incorporation of many Ëlhyaean practices that were adopted by the Hadar Tradition of the Pandroi faith, as well as many of the Pandroi Gods as particularly powerful Yīra. Many Dotharan cities have a patron or protector-Yīra who is prayed to for good fortune and who is ascribed beliefs and precepts for their followers.
Sovereign Ëlhyaea. Named for the Sorenian Sovereignty. It is one of the newer sects, but has steadily grown in practitoners in no smart part to the efforts of the Sorenian state to encourage it's populace to frequent shrines and temples for guidance from Temple Stewards. There is an increased focus on engaging in rituals on a routine, consistent, and frequent basis. It incorporates a Pandroi-inspired respect for social hierarchy unique amongst Ëlhyaean sects. Common Ëlhyaea. The most widespread of the communities, the successor to the general practice of Ëlhyaea by those across the continent of Felora outside of a contemporary power such as the Sovereignty of Soren or the Dotharan Alliance. Shrines are tended to by the extremely faithful, but there is no uniform support from local authorities. Individual Yīra are not venerated or followed in common practice, however distinct practitioners may have personal faith in some.
The Hadar-Formen Faith. The most unique from the others, the Hadar-Formen faith is an emerging faith that may one day be a distinct religion in and of itself. It is the re-incorporation of many Ëlhyaean practices that were adopted by the Hadar Tradition of the Pandroi faith, as well as many of the Pandroi Gods as particularly powerful Yīra. Many Dotharan cities have a patron or protector-Yīra who is prayed to for good fortune and who is ascribed beliefs and precepts for their followers.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Location
Related Traditions
Related Ranks & Titles
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
