Congregation of Heimarin
The Congregation of Heimarin is a large centralized religion that believes in the Guardians, eight gods that are united in their mission to defend Kriadar from outside forces. Power over the Congregation is held by the Oracle and the High Cleric. With their seat of power in Sheir Mahri, the Congregation is not only the dominant religion of Sh'hoona, but also has a strong presence throughout Kriadar.
Worship of the eight members of the Guardians all predate the earliest records of the Congregation, and independent cults to the various Guardians still exist to this day. Historians believe that the Congregation grew as a universalist offshoot of the Monak Faith. The Congregation began to rise to the forefront of history in 1486, when a peasant revolt in the province of Sherm led to the establishment of a theocracy in the kingdom of Heimarin. Within two centuries, this small province had grown to become the Empire of Sheir Mahri. When Sher Mari was absorbed by the Sh'hoonic Empire four centuries later, the Congregation was granted the original territories of Heimarin as the new kingdom of Sheir Mahri, and declared the official religion of the empire.
Theology
Mythology
Ulam's Grove
In the darkness before existence, the Father, Ulam, took within himself the primal magics, and spat out a seed, creating the first universe. Ulam's brothers and sisters were jealous of him for having taken the power of the primal magics, and they sought to consume the first tree so that they may be the ones to have created existence. Ulam beat his siblings back, and trained the tree and its offshoots to become a great impenetrable grove. Many universes were nurtured within the grove, and within them new life and spirits.Seeds of Ulam
Ulam was saddened that he could not share the beauty of the grove with his siblings, for he could not trust them. He transformed a portion of the primal magics within him, creating a seedling within him and gave birth to his first son, La'aber. While Ulam enjoyed raising La'aber, his son was born directly from him, and was thus no different from him. Ulam decided that a child must come from two. He took the greatest fruit from the first tree and ate from it, using this to impregnate himself with his second child and wife, Celeta. With Celeta by his side, Ulam filled the grove with the laughter of his children.Dovran's Sting
Of all the Outsiders, Ulam's brother Dovran was the most jealous of his grove, for it was initially his idea to absorb and transform the primal magics and he believed that Ulam had stolen his plans from him. He beseeched his brother to share in the power, but Ulam knew that Dovran's ways were destructive and refused him access to the Grove. Dovran, having seen the spirits of the grove from its entrance, decided to take the form of one of the spirits of the bee and sneak into the grove. He flitted about, reveling in the overwhelming power of reality and experience. He wished to taste of it all, and when he saw Ulam as he lay with Celeta, he wished to experience this as well. Dovran landed upon the thigh of Celeta, but Ulam saw him and crushed him with his hand. However, in doing so he was stung by the dying Dovran.The Burning
The dark sting of Dovran caused a portion of his spirit to enter Ulam and Celeta. It twisted Ulam turning him chaotic. He raged against Celeta, who first fled to the Outside. Then, upon seeing his love disappear, he turned his rage against the grove, burning the many trees. Celeta, born upon the wave of outsiders moving in upon the now weakened grove returned, and gathered her children at the largest and most beautiful of trees to remain, the Kholaz. She bore a hole into the tree, hiding her children within it and spinning a web over the bore to protect them. Ulam, seeing the damage he had done, and unable to bring himself to harm Celeta, was heartbroken and laid down by the tree weeping.The Revolt
With the Grove weakened, Outsiders surrounded Ulam and the Kholaz, but Ulam would do nothing to protect it, he would only not harm it himself. The gods, hidden in the hole, grew worried that they would soon be consumed, as they saw the roots and branches of the Kholaz withering. La'aber then gave a rousing speech to his siblings, convincing them that, in destroying the grove and giving up his guardianship, it would be just to overthrow their father and take his power upon themselves to defend the tree. Five of his siblings joined him, attacking their father whilst he slept. Ulam's might was too much for his children, however, and Liberias was killed in the battle. The young gods had little chance of victory, until Aruvia, their sister birthed in the Outside after the last coupling of Ulam and Celeta, arrived bearing a weapon so powerful that even knowledge of its attributes is intentionally lost today. This weapon and the power that Aruvia wielded allowed the gods to defeat Ulam. After the death of Ulam, Aruvia led the victors, their mother, and one of their siblings, in feeding upon the body of their father. She ate from his heart, giving her control of the primal magics, while the others gained his strength and wisdom. This enabled the gods, now known as the Eight Guardians to stand against the Outsiders. However, with the power divided between them, they are only able to keep them back, and cannot rebuild the Grove or defeat them completely.The Eight Guardians
Faithful members of the Congregation of Guardianship dedicate themselves to the eight gods who rose up and slew their father, the creator Ulam, in order to defend existence from outside forces. The Congregation encourages the general populace to not show favoritism with the Guardians, stating that it could create a dangerous imbalance. However, clergy, outside the High Cleric and Oracle, are dedicated to specific Guardians, with checks and balances in place to make sure that one Guardian is not overly represented.La'aber the Judge
La'aber is considered to be the oldest of the deities, broken off from Ulam as a twin son. La’aber assisted his father in burning the first trees of the grove, convinced by Ulam that they had been corrupted by outsiders. It was only after the fourth tree was burned that La'aber saw that Ulam was out of control. It was La'aber who roused his siblings to rise up against their father. He is loved by many as the god of justice, and prayed to regularly by those who feel they have been wronged. Judges throughout Ulamit are often heard giving benedictions to La’aber, and whenever national leaders gather a great ceremony is held in his name to pray that they make the right decisions.Oram the Fool
Oram cares not for boring matters such as justice and freedom, so long as they are the center of attention. When the other deities fought against Ulam, Oram danced and sang, claiming that the music inspired the others. Oram is constantly changing, taking joy in the confusion and chaos that they brings to others. Oram is a controversial figure among the Guardians, with some believing that they should be removed from the pantheon of the Eight Guardians, a fact that is prevented by Oram's support from Liberias and Aruvia.Celeta the Mother
Celeta was the lover of Ulam. Known for her uneven temperament even in the Grove, her siblings were hard-pressed to have her join them in the fight. It was only when Celeta saw Ulam ignore the stings of outsiders against his body that she came about and joined the rebellion. After their victory, Celeta was heartbroken and driven over the edge of sanity. She now has regular changes in personality, going from the good sweet hearted kind goddess, to the evil cruel and wrathful goddess. It is considered a sacred duty of her clergy to help Celeta maintain her good personality, and to find a way to drive away the evil and cruel side of her.Manoam the Artist
Manoam helped to train many of the trees of the grove, shaping them into even more beautiful universes. Just before the burning of the Grove, Manoam shaped the tree that would give birth to the Fey, however, it was this tree that was first burned. Heartbroken, Manoam went into seclusion, not joining their siblings during the rebellion. The other gods loved Manoam, however, and when they fed from the father they brought them to join the feast. Being the most reclusive of gods, many artists seek them out, but very few feel their touch.Liberias the Martyr
Liberias was there to witness the stinging of Ulam, and recognized the poison in his veins. He warned his siblings that their father was going to do great evil, and encouraged rebellion, yet only La'aber would listen. During the battle against Ulam, Liberias was slain, but the powers that Celeta had gained in destroying their parent enabled her to resurrect him. Many other legends tell of Liberias sacrificing avatars in the cause of freedom.Gevurin the Warrior
When the other gods rebelled, Gevurin joined them only seeing it as an opportunity to test his martial abilities. Lacking any true morality, Gevurin is obsessed with feats of strength and power. Worship of Gevurin takes place within great coliseums where followers are pitted against each other in battles to the death.Gnukit the Gardener
Whilst Manoam trained the trees, creating beautiful shapes from them, it was Gnukit who fed them and encouraged new growth, appreciating them as they were. Gnukit fought Ulam from the first tree on, though he never tried to bring his siblings with him. When Kriadar was being woven, Gnukit brought several seedlings into the world, giving birth to all plants and animals.Aruvia the Mystic
Arguably the most powerful of the Guardians besides La'aber, Aruvia is the last of the children to have been born by Ulam and Celeta, conceived during the Dovran's sting and raised by her cousins outside the Grove. When the Grove was destroyed, Aruvia did not take refuge within the last tree like her siblings, but rather hid amongst the outsiders. When the rebellion began, she revealed herself, bearing a weapon that helped them to destroy Ulam. After the defeat of Ulam, it is said that Aruvia led the others in eating his essence, going right for the heart. In doing so, Aruvia gained control of the primal magics, becoming the goddess of magic and fate.Cosmology
Kholatz: The Tree of All
The Congregation of Guardianship believes that all of existence is part of Kohlatz, the Tree of All, the final surviving tree from Ulam's Grove. The world of Kriadar sits as a web covering a hole in Kholatz, serving as a last barrier to the heart of the tree and home of the Eight Guardians. Outside the web of Kriadar are the various parts of the tree that serve as different planes of existence.Kriadar: The World Web
Congregation doctrine holds that the world of Kriadar is not a solid entity, but rather a large web, with several worlds connected to one another. The Congregation believes that Kriadar is continuing to grow, that new worlds are added regularly as the Guardians weave and reinforce the web.The Outside
Outside of the Tree of All, is the Outside, what was once held far back by the grove. According to Congregation doctrine, the Outside is a realm of black nothingness, in which great beasts and monsters, some almost as powerful if not more than Ulam, float. Most of the Outsiders are unaware of the Grove or the Tree of All, for the Outside is ever expansive, but those who were close to the Grove have now surrounded the Tree of All, hoping to get a taste of existence. It is only by the might of the Eight Guardians that the Outsiders have not entered and destroyed Kriadar.Other Beings
The Congregation acknowledges that there were many spirits of the Grove and even other children of Ulam who have great power. Alongside the Outsiders, the Congregation categorizes other beings of power as either Vassals or Parasites. Outsiders The Outsiders are viewed as the greatest danger to Kriadar by the Congregation. As the name suggest, these are beings from outside of Creation, those brothers and sisters of Ulam who were never allowed to enter the grove. With the destruction of the Grove, many outsiders now surround Kholatz, attempting to find a path into reality in which they can feast from the life force of the tree. Outsiders come in a wide variety of strengths and power, and are more often encountered in outer planes, far from Kriadar and the Eight Guardians. Vassals Most gods and beings worshiped by those outside of the Congregation are categorized as Servants by the Congregation. The Congregation believes that, with the power of Ulam coursing through them, the Eight Guardians subdued their brothers and sisters and commanded them to obey. Liberias, however, suggested that rather than serve as slaves, the gods would swear to assist in the protection of Kriadar. Thus, these gods may even gather followers and deny the Eight Guardians, however, they must contribute the souls of their followers in the fight against. Parasites Those beings who's worship is anathema to the values of the Congregation, yet considered a part of Kohlatz are known as parasites, spirits who refused to accept the authority of the Eight Guardians, and work to undermine the guardians for their own purposes. The fiendish Lords of the Dominion, troublesome archfey, and spirits leading dark cults are all viewed as parasites who must either be converted into vassals or destroyed.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Divines
