Afterlife
Imperial Theology is very clear on the format of the afterlife that faces mortals when they die. This certainty has been obtained both directly from the gods themselves, and through the story of Berengarius Commus and the Journey of the Soul, which whilst not widely distributed in its original format, provides the basis for teaching by the various temples and priests.
All Imperial citizens, indeed all mortals, are expected to uphold the worship of the gods, by offering them their dues throughout one's daily undertakings. As well as this, priests of various gods in the The Empire claim that submitting to proper authority and respecting one's underlings are also vital to the well-being of one's soul, although this is a later addition to the theology and secretly not a part of the original cosmology taught by the gods.
Whilst this set-up is taught as, and perceived by many, as a way of rewarding humanity for their faith and devotion, in reality it is entirely for the benefits of the gods. Divine power is limited by the amount of 'energy' a god possesses. Some of this energy is inherent to a god, but they gather most of it through the devotions of mortals; each time someone says a prayer or makes an offering, or engages in a practice associated with said god and acknowledges their presence, they get some of this energy. This provides most of the gods with more than enough energy to reside comfortably in the material world, and even exert their will on the material world when required. To provide a boost, the gods will absorb the energies of the souls of the dead. More energy is obtained from the souls of those who, in their life, were devoted to their gods, so the souls of the devout are worth more. Those who abandoned their gods, or professed disbelief are almost useless, and so such behaviour is discouraged by the presence of a hell-like dimension. Likewise, those who are pious and devoted to their gods are offered a reward, to encourage such behaviour whilst still alive.
Doyom
The most heavily populated of the three realms of the dead, overseen by its taciturn and patient ruler of the same name, and wife to the Lord of Order, Moibus. The vast majority of the souls of Imperials come to Doyom, and exist in unthinking limbo in its cavernous halls for eternity, unless their souls are required by the gods. It was in Doyom that the Inheritors were imprisoned by their father, kept in the same unthinking sleep as the souls around them. It is from Doyom that the gods obtain most of the soul energy they might need, although this has not been required for a long time. Amongst the gods it is considered to be favouring a soul, taking its energy into oneself, and as such often prefer to take a soul that favoured them, although Doyom does not organise her souls by god, expecting the gods to find their own morsels. Doyom is considered not an unpleasant place for one's soul to remain, and the priests concerned with such things encourage the belief that this is a good thing for one's soul, as it allows for rest and the potential to serve the gods in the afterlife, as in life.Lysek
A few exceptional individuals during their brief life display such piety and devotion to the gods that their souls are granted an eternity of joy and satisfaction with Lysek. In her realm, there is an overwhelming sense of happiness and security, and the souls of the dead retain most of their consciousness, and are able to talk and interact with the other souls in that place. The gods are reluctant to consume the energy of these souls routinely, as although they are the brightest flames and most nourishing of sources, there are far fewer than those in Doyom, and even the gods feel that the souls here deserve their reward for a lifetime of service. It was the souls in Lysek that provided the Primae with the power to destroy Turbal's fortress during the The Inheritance War, leaving only a handful of souls in that realm, and none who remember their mortal lives. Lysek was unhappy with this decimation of her realm, but she lacked the strength to resist the Primae in their wrath.Niynar
The least populated of all three realms of the dead, Niynar is the final destination for those mortals who failed in life to give the gods appropriate devotion or, in some cases, outright denied in the god's existence. Like Lysek, his sibling, Niynar keeps the souls in his realm as aware as they can be, but unlike Lysek, the souls under Niynar's watch are filled with regret and chagrin, and are not allowed to rest; constantly harassed by Niynar to keep moving. The priests spread the belief that this place is a place of pain and suffering, but physical effects mean little to souls, and instead the discomfort is entirely mental and emotional. Despite having failed during life, the gods are not entirely merciless, and the souls under Niynar's watch can eventually redeem themselves and move to Doyom, but it requires genuine regret for one's actions during life, and an acknowledgement of the god's superiority. If Niynar feels a souls redemption is worthy, then they are handed over to his sister's care. Not all souls are this compliant, however, and some would rather suffer for eternity than bend to a system they spent their lives opposing. Moving souls to Doyom is not entirely beneficent from the gods; the souls in Niynar are of little use as energy, but with enough time spent there, they can grow enough faith to be marginally useful.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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