Auneirism
Auneirism is a religion based on the teachings of the prophet Auneir, and largely propagated by the Azzartian Empire. It espouses a dualistic cosmology of two warring deities: the god of light and spirit, Oulos, and the god of darkness and matter, Veztoz. Auneirists are led in matters of faith by local priests and priestesses, with no standard clerical structure. Methods of worship vary from realm to realm, and kings often take the role of high priest. Sacrifices are offered by priests in temples - usually with the aid of acolytes or lay people - to aid Oulos in the war against Veztoz. These are usually animal sacrifices, but some sects perform human sacrifice.
Auneir taught that Oulos created humanity as purely spiritual beings, but they were trapped in material bodies by Veztoz, who created the world as a prison for them, lest they escape and aid Oulos in defeating him. Oulos did not abandon humanity, however, as he pierced holes in the prison, which can be seen as stars in the night sky (the sun being the largest of these, and thus the most venerated), allowing humans to escape the prison upon death, and rejoin Oulos in the spiritual world. The moon, as the largest material object in the sky, is seen as a symbol of Veztoz, and reflects the ongoing struggle in the cosmos: when the moon is full due to reflecting the sun's light, Oulos has the upper hand, and when it is new, Veztoz does. Solar eclipses are particularly dreaded.
Sects
Azzartian Auneirism
The Iron Empire was the birthplace of the Auneirist faith, and thus Azzartian Auneirism is in a sense the "purest" form of Auneirism. For centuries, the emperors of the Iron Empire were also the undisputed high priests of Oulos, and had at least nominal authority over all Auneirists, even if their spiritual authority in practice varied as much as their temporal authority did. Human sacrifice (called spiritual conscription) was common, but reserved only for prisoners of war and convicted criminals. As high priest, the emperor had the authority to order specific individuals to be sacrificed, and this was a common means to remove political opponents. The sacrifices were justified by claiming that they were primarily intended to release the victim from their material prison, while simultaneously conscripting them to aid Oulos in the divine war.Isserite Auneirism
The Isserites who conquered the Azzartian Empire quickly embraced the faith of their vanquished foes, with only a few changes. The Isserite King replaced the Azzartian Emperor as high priest of Oulos, and all forms of human sacrifice were banned. Otherwise, the faith did not meaningfully change, and most Azzartian clerics even retained their positions.Provincial Auneirism
As the Iron Empire collapsed, most provinces were left without spiritual direction from the emperor, and thus diverged from Auneirist orthodoxy. Despite the Iron Empire's best efforts, pagan religions were not completely wiped out in all the provinces, and so the remaining pagans syncretised with the leaderless Auneirists in the Tiirianite and Helvennite provinces. This new syncretic form of Auneirism varies in precise teachings from place to place, but generally believes that the elemental spirits worshipped by pagans were an elder spirit race created by Oulos, and trapped by Veztoz similarly to humans. Thus they are worshipped, alongside ancestor-spirits, who are believed to be righteous individuals who stayed in the material world after death to aid those still trapped there. Spiritual conscription is still performed by some syncretic Auneirists, particularly in the Tiirianite cities, and each monarch or ruler generally is high priest of their own realm.Harsu-Auneirism
Another syncretic form of Auneirism adopted elements of the philosopher Harsu's teachings. These Auneirists arose during the Iron Empire's rule, and were sometimes persecuted by it alongside mainline Harsuists. They acknowledge the existence of the Unknown God espoused by Harsuists, but believe that the first creations were Oulos and Veztoz, who became engaged in a divine war, much like in traditional Auneirism. They thus worship both the Unknown God and Oulos. They do not perform human sacrifice, and do not have high priests, preferring councils of clerics instead, much like the councils of thinkers in Harsuism.
Founding Date
Unknown
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
Dualism, Oulism
Demonym
Auneirist
Permeated Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Comments