Auzedigan
The Auzedigan faith is a loosely organized and highly persecuted organization which focuses their worship on devils. The Auzedigan faith is mostly confined to small, secretive chapters, which can be found mostly in countries which have some Metsamish presence. Thus, it is limited to regions of Telgren which are populated by Cloriadmen, Egrivalad, and Taytaman populations. Auzedigan is distinct from many of the other so-called "Black Cults" as the object of worship is centered around devils themselves, rather than their demonic servants. Besides the beliefs of the Duskborn, most other cults are therefore distinct. This indicates a level of organization beyond these other cults, and explains how Auzedigan has endured despite the near-extinction of the Metsamish peoples and its fall from favor among cultures which once practiced it.
The centerpiece of the Auzedigan faith centers around bargaining and obtaining power from devils, who are worshipped as gods by the believers. It is important to note that the faith is split roughly half-and-half between those who are true, fanatic believers and those who are merely in it for power. As the devils care little for why one worships them, only that they do, this matters little beyond academics. In essence, Auzedigists will attempt to summon and utilize the powers of devils by granting them sacrificial victims, souls, and blood. In many cases, this is subject to the whims of the devils and what works for one may lead to death for another. Thus, the secondary part of the religion is based around researching and learning information on the various devils, so that they can be summoned and appeased. As devils cannot naturally travel through to the mortal plane from the Shadow Dimension except in special cases and thin borders, their influence is usually limited to a few minutes at most. Considering the most powerful devils are on the power level of demigods, these few minutes can accomplish much given enough time. However, powerful devils are rarely, if ever, seen within the mortal plane. This is because the stronger a devil becomes, the tighter it is tied to the shadow plane, and the harder it is to force it through to the other side. Additionally, these mighty devils require even more appeasement to actually do their job rather than simply kill their worshippers. Therefore, the Auzedigists often work with the lower levels of the shadow courts, which leads to being toyed with by devils too weak to have real power in their own plane and who therefore love nothing more than lording ovwer mortals.
Often, oaths are made to a devil in exchange for their temporary service, and common oaths include bearing the devil's child, swearing one's soul to the devil, and furthering the devil's plans on the mortal plane in general. There are several instances where these oaths have caused great harm to the mortal world, though perhaps none so damning as the Cursing of the Forest. This forest, located within the center of Egrivalad lands, was once a prosperous land, before its Auzedigist rulers sacrificed a huge number of victims and their souls in exchange for eternal life*. This created such a massive amount of negative magic that the area became a permanent portal between the mortal plane and the shadow dimension, and was soon warped in the image of the shadow dimension. However, thanks to the efforts of the [tbd], the region was sealed off, halting the spread of the shadow. It is tightly guarded by the remaining Egrivalad, though occasionally demons get out or Auzedigists in.
The final critical part of the Auzedigan religion is their presence in secret societies around Telgren. Many have been strayed to the path of darkness by these organizations, and they often target mages, who are seduced by the additional power they can gain. Auzedigan is a path to many abilities some consider unnatural, and certainly to those which are considered taboo to much of the world and are banned on principal. The most powerful of these organizations is the Black Lotus, whose leader, Aentsha Pashaxea, recently couped both the organizaton and the Kingdom of Siuattua. This has allowed the organization to operate essentially freely from their base in the Taytaman Hills, which lay mostly within Siuattua. *This was a trick, as their souls were eternally bound "living" to the devil lord they served's gates. This allows him to open and close the gates at will, without magic or machinery.
The centerpiece of the Auzedigan faith centers around bargaining and obtaining power from devils, who are worshipped as gods by the believers. It is important to note that the faith is split roughly half-and-half between those who are true, fanatic believers and those who are merely in it for power. As the devils care little for why one worships them, only that they do, this matters little beyond academics. In essence, Auzedigists will attempt to summon and utilize the powers of devils by granting them sacrificial victims, souls, and blood. In many cases, this is subject to the whims of the devils and what works for one may lead to death for another. Thus, the secondary part of the religion is based around researching and learning information on the various devils, so that they can be summoned and appeased. As devils cannot naturally travel through to the mortal plane from the Shadow Dimension except in special cases and thin borders, their influence is usually limited to a few minutes at most. Considering the most powerful devils are on the power level of demigods, these few minutes can accomplish much given enough time. However, powerful devils are rarely, if ever, seen within the mortal plane. This is because the stronger a devil becomes, the tighter it is tied to the shadow plane, and the harder it is to force it through to the other side. Additionally, these mighty devils require even more appeasement to actually do their job rather than simply kill their worshippers. Therefore, the Auzedigists often work with the lower levels of the shadow courts, which leads to being toyed with by devils too weak to have real power in their own plane and who therefore love nothing more than lording ovwer mortals.
Often, oaths are made to a devil in exchange for their temporary service, and common oaths include bearing the devil's child, swearing one's soul to the devil, and furthering the devil's plans on the mortal plane in general. There are several instances where these oaths have caused great harm to the mortal world, though perhaps none so damning as the Cursing of the Forest. This forest, located within the center of Egrivalad lands, was once a prosperous land, before its Auzedigist rulers sacrificed a huge number of victims and their souls in exchange for eternal life*. This created such a massive amount of negative magic that the area became a permanent portal between the mortal plane and the shadow dimension, and was soon warped in the image of the shadow dimension. However, thanks to the efforts of the [tbd], the region was sealed off, halting the spread of the shadow. It is tightly guarded by the remaining Egrivalad, though occasionally demons get out or Auzedigists in.
The final critical part of the Auzedigan religion is their presence in secret societies around Telgren. Many have been strayed to the path of darkness by these organizations, and they often target mages, who are seduced by the additional power they can gain. Auzedigan is a path to many abilities some consider unnatural, and certainly to those which are considered taboo to much of the world and are banned on principal. The most powerful of these organizations is the Black Lotus, whose leader, Aentsha Pashaxea, recently couped both the organizaton and the Kingdom of Siuattua. This has allowed the organization to operate essentially freely from their base in the Taytaman Hills, which lay mostly within Siuattua. *This was a trick, as their souls were eternally bound "living" to the devil lord they served's gates. This allows him to open and close the gates at will, without magic or machinery.
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