Gyrism

Gyrism is a major religion across the whole world, coming in many varieties but all based around the divinity and cosmological significance of The Gyre.
Questions:

• what Lnrmng subdivisions are there?
• who is strongly sacrosanctist?
• two-armed spiral is the symbol - apart from in Sevesh, where a three-armed spiral is used.
• do southern gyrists view Sevesh as a prester-john-like figure? how does this effect Pilgrimage?

Divine Origins

arising in the Vorbish sometime prior to 1400 years ago, the religion spread in all directions, but most particularly to the east and south, becoming popular as far away as Reld, The Giteri, and even northern Caracar. important pilgrimage routes were established via Lnrmng and Elritund. these trade routes helped fuel the rise of the Blackpowder Coast.

Cosmological Views

The site of The Gyre is the location where every essence was created (by who or what is up for discussion).
Essence continues to flow into and out of the Gyre and throughout the world; soul-essence also flows through it once dead, and souls experience judgment (and possibly reward or punishment) there before being sent back out into the world, cleansed of memories, to be born again. Only by great virtue or vice can you attain eternal placement in the Gyre.

Tenets of Faith

Theological Divides

Positions on entering the Gyre:

• Sacrosanctist: forbid any mortal attempts to enter the Gyre as heresy. Extreme sacrosanctists take this even further, thinking it a sin to speculate on the interior of the Gyre - so called "mental incursions". Other speculation - like as to the identity of reincarnated souls, for instance - is also discouraged, as is using the names of dead relatives after the traditional three months is takes their soul to enter the Gyre. Good behaviour is defined as: building and helping communities, family loyalty, generosity, travelling and experiencing the world and other new experiences. Bad behaviour is selfishness, insularity, and philosophy of the "idle speculation" variety (which is seen to sap activeness).
• Analytic: while respecting the Gyre as sacrosanct physically, they freely speculate on its interior structure, and are broadly the most concerned with a scientific analysis of the flow of essence into and out of everything. They have monitoring stations placed at borders between regions (which are generally considered auspicious and significant, as are other borders and thresholds). They have monastic orders that are intensely investigatory - some insular, some imbedded in the world, some theoretical and some practical.
• Pervaders: those that believe entering into the Gyre, while dangerous, is a noble and improving effort, both for the self and for the world.
• an Esoteric strand of gyrism (possibly syncretised) which is obsessed with decrypting the learned canyon's "natural writing". Arguably, just a hermetic tradition that happens to be imbedded largely within gyrism.

Interior structure of the Gyre:

• Unknowing: (strong Sacrosanctists)
• Embodying: A literal realm (possibly paradise)
• Deconstructivist: a complex metaphysical process that alters perception and reality

Positions on the Motion of Essence:

• Counterflowing Motion: essence flows clockwise into the Gyre, and the Pengyre flows in the opposite direction. there is disagreement over whether this is to balance/slow/regulate the flow of essence, or if it is simply drawn against the flow, or if it is a sign of outflow.. there is also debate over whether this opposition is a good thing.
• with-flow motion: the Pengyre indicates the counter-clockwise motion of essence into the Gyre.
• Contrarians: in spite of all evidence to the contrary, the Pengyre flows clockwise.
• Outflow: many different theories abound as to the nature of the outflow of essence from the Gyre - or if it even happens.

Eschatological Positions:

• Expansionists: Eventually the Gyre will grow to consume the world, all dwelling in reward or punishment as they should be.
• Idyllists: the passage of souls and essence through the Gyre improves it with each loop, gradually approaching total universal perfection.
• indrawing: essence flows to the Gyre to improve, and once it reaches perfection it remains there, gradually bleeding the rest of the world dry.

Connection of Essence to the soul, and Positions on afterlife/reincarnation:

• The Soul is a distinct type of essence.
• Remaining: The Soul is distinct from essence, but is bound to it. the soul remains in the Gyre, and only its associated essence flows out, improved.
• Reshapers: The Soul is distinct from essence, but is bound to it. the soul is reborn into a completely different type of thing each time, experiencing different essences and as such improving.
• Attuned: the Soul is a structure that can be made of any other type of essence. the soul is reborn into the same type of thing each cycle, but of increasing perfection.

Other Divides:

• Reverse-Gyrism - thinks the Gyre is a great devourer, and as such, evil.
• Disruptivist: believe in a sudden, apocalyptic expansion of the Gyre, and seek either to predict it or to bring it about. Describes a wide range of disconnected sects, some of them extremely dangerous.

Worship

The basic unit of most branches of Gyrism is the Conclave, led by clerics or Witnesses depending on the tradition.
Common practices.

• Pilgrimage: Pilgrimage should be made to the Gyre at least once in your life, often marked by a tattoo, necklace etc. in practice, however, the vast majority are unable to make the 5,000km or so trek that is common in many lands. devout rulers, aristocrats and merchants all make the journey, but villages and communities may club together to send one representative at least some way towards the Gyre, hopefully to return with a relic. some cannot even stretch to that, instead buying a relic of dubious authenticity. common across all Southern and most Western branches; only practiced by priests and elites in Northern Gyrism.
• Witnessing: The equivalent of prayer, sitting quietly and taking in (metaphorically, conceptually, and possibly (and this is often seen as auspicious) literally) the essences in the world around you. Witness is often the name of a priest/monk in Gyrism.
• Effigies: some groups believe that it is possible to substitute a pilgrimage to the Gyre with a devotional trip to an Effigy - a collection of a great many elements swirled around in imitation of the Gyre itself. forbidden in Reldan and Order-adjacent Gyrism, as well as most Giterikin conclaves; otherwise, widely practiced.

in most sects, Vorbishi is the language of Liturgies and the like.

Priesthood

• Witnesses:
• Clerics:

Sects

The 3 major branches of Gyrism - broadly geographical, but also with important theological differences, are:

• Northern Gyrism: a great and United church, very controlling, the state religion of Sevesh. Considers other forms of Gyrism heresy and seeks to cut off their pilgrimage to the Gyre. Has converted other areas to their form. Pervaders; Expansionist; Counter-flow (they demonise the Pengyre disruptivist; embodying; remainers. possibly tied to the hermitpunk location?
• Southern Gyrism: the region from Lnrmng down to Caracar. not a united church, with some sub-branches being state-based and others not. syncretism common.
• Western Gyrism: a diverse group of faiths practiced to the east and north of Haba-Ish and along the western shore of the quicksilver gulf. Syncretism common, is a minority/non-state religion for the most part - even oppressed in areas. can be sacrosanctist, analytic, or pervasive; can be embodying or deconstructivist or unknowing; have many positions on soul and essence flow; often idyllist; with-flow; mostly not disruptivists.

Northern and Southern branches hate both the other branches; the Western branch mostly wants to be left alone.
Sub-Branches of Southern Gyrism:

• Reldan: intimately tied up with the state infrastructure of the Commonwealth of Reld. follow the Retinolic Creed. It is strongly influenced by Retinol religion; it is permissive of minor variations in theology and practice but strict about Conclaves remaining within what doctrinal bounds it does impose. Analytic; expansionist; with-flow; reshaping; non-disruptivist. Other religions are tolerated, though there is pressure to convert, especially to progress within the hierarchy of the Commonwealth. Nonetheless, it is a major source for pilgrimage, including state-sponsored expeditions. Reldan Witnesses wear 3-inch-tall, brightly coloured, oval-shaped hats with a flapping skirt atop and a corded loop running down by either ear on which tags of status are attached. this is a holdover from the monks of pre-Gyrist faith, who wore ear-piercings to signify status. tattoos and other bodily piercings are, prohibited under Reldan Gyrism.
• Giterikin: a broad array of associated forms of Gyrism, mostly practiced within the Giteri and often syncretic with the native Aeroanimist faiths. Focuses on the flow of essence, using wind currents as a prime example and metaphor. Mostly follows Reldan doctrine, although it tolerates Effigies and is Embodying rather than Deconstructivist. Also distinct in terms of holy days, conclave structures, rituals and social mores. Pilgrimage is especially important, in general, to Giterikin, who emphasise travel and movement ideologically if not in practice.
• Coastal: practised in the Blackpowder Coast, the main difference is that this faith involves the House-of-forms funerary practice and worships the many small gods and the Shaper of the Bindkelp Pantheon. The Shaper is considered to be a servant or personification of The Gyre, with their exploits secretly advancing the union of all essence in a paradise. also has some elements from Western Gyrism. this mostly leads to them being both more likely to be strong Sacrosanctists or strong Pervaders; to be idyllists and attuned; and to be more common users of Effigies.
• Lnrmng: Strongly Sacrosanct. Follow the Grnm Creed, after the holy figure. the arch-enemies of the Northern Gyrists
• Order-adjacent: elements that are syncretised with the Order Principle, the philosophy of continual and inherent increasing order and principle in the world. Most commonly, found in northern Chaneritt, the Pangol Empire, and the lands to the immediate north. Analytic; Idyllist; embodying or constructivist; with-flow; Attuned; disruptivist.

Branch	Intrusion	Structure	Eschatology	Flow	Soul	Disruptivist?	Pilgrimage?	Effigies?
Northern	Pervasive	Deconstructivist	Expansionist	Counter	Remainer	Yes	Elites only	Yes
Lnrmng	Sacrosanct	Deconstructivist	Indrawing	with	Reshaping	No	Yes	Yes
Reldan	Analytic	Deconstructivist	Expansionist	with	Reshaping	No	Yes	No
Giterikin	Analytic	Embodying	Expansionist	with	Reshaping	No	Yes	mostly no
Order	Analytic	Both	Idyllist	Counter	Attuned	No	Yes	No
Coastal	All	Deconstructivist	Idyllist	with	Attuned	No	Yes	Yes
Western	All	Both	Mostly Idyllist	with	Mostly Attuned	No	Yes	Yes

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Gyrist

Permeated Organizations

• Blackpowder Cartel
• Commonwealth of Reld
• Sokani Crown

Divines

• Ithrum
• Mendil, Nidari Duelist
• Thaffter the Freebinder
• Tuveek, fur-adept