The Divine Light Within
Life is beyond the flesh, beyond the blood that courses through your veins. Life cannot be taken away from you. The life leaves a husk, and what does it care for it? The life goes on to be one with the cosmos. The husk goes on to rot, unless of course one were to make use of it.The Sacrament of Sister Elouise
Structure
Anarchic: each illuminated interprets the scriptures alone or with a group, but there are no church leaders.
Divine Origins
In the time of bondage, when the humans, gaba, and others were enslaved within Boartongue, a woman who became known as Sister Elouise started sharing her new philosophy of defiance against the tyranny of the yoke; the philosophy that no matter what was done to your body, your spirit could always rise up to fight another day.
The body didn't matter. Elouise knew of what would be considered at the time to be dark magic to raise the dead bodies of her fellow slaves. In the dark of night, her faithful would gather at the graves of those who were worked to death to enchant their bodies, until one day she had an army that could begin the Great Revolution. She was always sure to only raise those she had personally knew would want to have their "husk" serve to liberate their comrades. There were those who did not agree that the body was worthless, and while she tried again and again to share her message of resistance and divinity within, there were those who stuck to the old ways, the old human gods of the hills and mountains, of the streams and forests.
Cosmological Views
Life itself is divinity, and as living things, we are ourselves divine. We are aspects of life, living in husks, experiencing the universe as mortal beings. Life created these husks and inhabits them so that it can have a greater understanding of reality in a way that it couldn't as an immortal conceptual force of creation.
Tenets of Faith
- Recognize the divinity within your husk.
- Respect the divinity within other husks.
- Though the husk is not the life, treat the husk with respect, as well.
- Do not needlessly destroy any husk, nor needlessly release the life within it.
- The land is a husk as well, filled with life. Use the land, but care for it as you care for your husk.
Priesthood
Though there is no official hierarchy, some of the Illuminated take on the role of Beacons, guiding the faithful in study and practice, as well as tending to the Slime Pits.
Beacons train those who wish to become Beacons in the maintenance of the pits, as well as in the creation of Thrulls, and the ministration of funerary rites and medical care for the sick or injured.
A beacon can be distinguished by their bright white robes, with the symbol of the faith, a lit bronze lantern on the back, as well as a red stole with gold fringes. They may also carry the symbol cast in bronze around their neck.
Political Influence & Intrigue
As the Beacons control the creation of Thrulls, many of which perform menial labor all throughout the Union, they have quite a bit of political power. Though the Union has no currency or means of accumulating wealth, the faith has friends who are often willing to do them favors so that they have a steady supply of Thrulls to perform labor, which the general population appreciates, as it allows them to have a generally short work week of about 15 hours a week, not having to do dangerous or menial tasks such as mining or plowing fields.
Life is Beyond the Flesh
Founding Date
12 BL
Type
Religious, Cult
Demonym
Illuminated
Location
Comments