Difference between revisions of "Red Faith"
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[[Thomas Ruric]] <br> | [[Thomas Ruric]] <br> | ||
[[High Keeper Arthas I|Arthas "The Red" Ruric]] <br> | [[High Keeper Arthas I|Arthas "The Red" Ruric]] <br> | ||
| − | + | Hod Svensson <br> | |
| − | + | Galen <br> | |
[[High Keeper Rae I|Rae Arden]] | [[High Keeper Rae I|Rae Arden]] | ||
Revision as of 21:27, 21 February 2021
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The Red Faith, also know as the Faith of the Allfather, is the current majority religion of the Kingdom of Norland. The followers of the Red Faith are most commonly Highlanders of Norlandic heritage however Elves and Dwarves have been found to practice the Red Faith.
The All Father is the central figure of the Red Faith, who is believed to be the incarnation of change and growth. The Faith of the All Father revolves around the resisting decay and stagnation combined with 'spreading the flame'. The All Father is commonly depicted in association with a flickering flame surrounded by darkness as to display the All Father’s never ending war against the Long Dark. In addition to this the All Father has a pantheon of divine paragons, ancestral members of the Red Faith that performed extreme acts rendering them worthy of the All Father’s favour. These can be invoked in support of a specific relevant cause. Each paragon has their own dedicated cult as each member of the Red Faith has a patron Paragon that is chosen upon their cleansing.
In the Red Faith the concepts of the Flame and the Long Dark are central, but somewhat debated by the various clerical authorities. The All Father is believed to be a bright flame of change and hope flickering valiantly against the forces of entropy and decay. It is to this end that his followers are often warlike and ambitious.
The contrast of the All Father is the Long Dark. The Long Dark is not a conscious being but rather a force of nature, believed by those of the faith to be the antithesis of the All Father. A force of stagnation and decay rather than a force of change and growth. While the Red Faith has no conception of good or evil they live in mortal fear of decay and strive to live lives of growth. The Faithful believe that lives lived in stagnation and decay will be taken by the Long Dark, relegated to an eternity of despair as they dwell in complete darkness. The soulless are often assumed to be those that have lived lives of extreme decay, having been taken completely by the Long Dark during their tenure on the mortal realm. On the other hand those that live lives of growth and change, while managing to die glorious deaths are taken into the Hearth of the All Father to participate eternally in his conflict against the forces of stagnation and decay.
Contents
Faith History
The Red Faith existed for some time in various forms prior to it's reorganisation into the Faith we understand in the modern day. Various tribes had their own iterations of the Faith and their own understandings of the All Father, in many cases their beliefs going back hundreds of years. This would change in the year 1300 of the Mathic Age. The Red Faith's modern form was brought to the descendants by Thoromir I Ruricsson Armahnk, founder of House Ruric. The faith would continue to be closely tied to the fate of the Rurics as centuries went on, as well as the fate of the Kingdom of Norland itself.
Thoromir Ruricsson Armahnk
In the year 1300, in the land of Thales, Thoromir Ruric was caught in a horrific snowstorm. He was about to reach his end in the blizzard when a spirit-like figure appeared in front of him carrying a burning Flame. The figure, later identified as the All-Father, and it's flame guided Thoromir out from the storm and into safety, thus sparking the beginning of the Red Faith as we know it today. Thoromir was from then known as the Prophet, and was promoted to the ranks of the Paragons.
Edvard I Thorsson Ruric
After the death of his father, Edvard continued the ways of the All Father, having it become much more successful for a large period of time until relations began to sour with the Dwarven Kingdom and the Orenian Empire. Much of Edvard's reign is noted for failed talks of diplomacy, the looming possibility of war against the Norlandic people and the All Father's religion. It was discovered one day that Edvard had disappeared, thought to have climbed a mountain seeking absolution for his failures in leading his people. A Kingsmoot was held, choosing Eirik Thorsson Ruric as his successor.
Eirik Thorsson Ruric
Gareth Faretto
Gareth Faretto was a Keeper that had been taught by Tyr and the writings of old, he had misunderstood the lessons he was taught and had killed one of the four heroes of Renatus. due to the fact that he was an orc, and under Gareths perception he believed that under the eyes of the Faith all orcs were corrupt creatures only worthy of the fathers mercy. He met his last days as a shadow of his former self in Morsgrad, after a last failed attempt to become the High Keeper, where High Keeper Alisa Camian was chosen instead.
Sven Eiriksson Ruric
The reign of Sven saw the beginning of the Third Rurikid Uprising, a war which climaxed with the Sack of Seahelm and the slaughter of a vast amount of the Norlandic people. Sven abdicated in favour of his elder brother Hakon.
Hakon Eiriksson Ruric
After taking up the mantle of House Ruric from Sven Ruric, Hakon led his people to take refuge with their Allies in the Principality of Dreadlands where he would spend a number of years leading their warriors in raids against Oren, and constructing the Bonefort. Hakon was slain in 1571, and the Dreadlands destroyed, leading to the Norlandic people and the Faith being leaderless for some time.
Arthas I Edvardsson Ruric
Arthas was elected as head of the Red Faith by the Norlandic people during the reign of Artyom Eiriksson Ruric, and greatly reformed the Red Faith, including the creation of the title of High Keeper - which he was the first to hold. His leadership led to the Red Faith's rise to become one of the most powerful religions of it's time. Arthas is remembered as likely the most notable and powerful High Keeper, in his time participating in the Norlandic Moot Wars and starting the Norlandic Purge of Magic. (still WIP)
Hod Svensson
Elected by Godden Ruric, Hod only reigned for a few years due to his lack of ability to lead the faith, which led to a decline of loyalty and discipline shown to King Godden having brought up many fights and disagreements, he was removed by Godden Ruric after only serving as High keeper for 4 years, having reigned for the least amount of time in the history of the Red Faith.
Galen
Elected by Godden Ruric after the Hod incident. He rarely participated in any documents or recruitment in the Faith although he did pass along vasts amount of knowledge of the faith to Godden as well as many of the newer Norlandic recruits, he remained High Keeper after the sack and dissolution of the Fourth Kingdom of Norland, until his eventual disappearance in 1673. (still WIP)
Rae Arden
Elected by Thoromir II Ruric, in his early years as High Keeper, Rae Arden began a massive reformation of the faith, converting almost the entire population of the Earldoms capital of Nordengrad, Rae would later establish a Red Faith temple, the size of the Ruric temple, if not bigger, housing all members of the Red Faith, being home to all those who wish to offer gifts to the AllFather, Rae would then further himself by continuing minor work upon the Red Scrolls, alongside the greatest scholars in Nordengrad. Throughout the majority of Raes reign as High keeper, it remained to be rather inactive only having merely a few priests to assist him in matters, although, after the completion of the Red Faith Temple, it greatly improved the numbers within the Red faith. Although after the start of the Third Atlas Coalition War, Rae knew that it would be the end of him if they were to lose the Siege of Nordengrad, so he greatly worked to recruit numerous members to the faith, being successful in doing so, he made the faith once again an active entity within Nordengrad, although this would be a short lasted victory as when the time came of the Siege of Nordengrad, Rae fought valiantly but fell to an unknown Renatian Soldier.
Faith Tenets
Adherents to the Red Faith live their lives in accordance to the tents of the All Father. The All Father’s Three tenets are central to the faith, these being to Suffer not the Unworthy, Spread the Flame, Stand against the Long Dark. Fidelity to these principles is crucial for one’s membership in the Red Faith.
The First Tenet: Suffer not the Unworthy. The Red Faith defines the Unworthy with three qualifiers - mind, body and soul. Which is to say, those suffering from defects of the mind, body or soul are all to be purified. The scripture remains relatively obscure in defining exactly what falls under the term Unworthy. As a result clerical positions vary wildly. The more liberal minded clerics believe the term should be used exclusively for the Undead and various unholy creatures. Whilst more hard-line clerics believing the definition of unworthy spreads from the unbelieving heathens and heretics to various races.
The Second Tenet: Spread the Flame. The Red Faith determines that the faithful should endeavor to spread the teachings of the All Father to save the worthy from the clutches of the Long Dark. The establishment of faithful domains and amicable conversion of heathens of appropriate worthiness is paramount to the practice of the All Father’s faith. That being said, forced conversion is considered a mortal sin to the Red Faith. However, Holy Wars have been declared in the past, in extenuating circumstances. Most notably the Red Crusade declared by Keeper Arthas against the Turkin horde. The majority of the duties covered by this doctrine in the Faith are fulfilled by the various members of the clergy, specifically the Keepers, who work closely with secular leadership to ensure the children of the All Father adhere closely to the tenets of the Faith and the Flame continues to spread.
The Third Tenet: Stand against the Long Dark. The All Father’s children are tasked with living bright lives in resistance to the corruption and stagnation of the mortal realm. Undead, Voidal Magic, and dark creatures are all viewed as sinisters forces that further the Long Dark. The All Father charges his children with the pursuit and extermination of these servants of the Long Dark. Pushing back the influence of stagnation and decay in favor of a society that rewards those that use their strength to fight the Dark, and culls the weak who refuse to.
Keepers of the Flame
Thoromir Ruric- Prophet and founder of the Red Faith
Edvard 'The Terrible' Ruric
Gareth Faretto
Sven Ruric
Thomas Ruric
Arthas "The Red" Ruric
Hod Svensson
Galen
Rae Arden
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