❧ RELIGION

[{ PASCALINE }]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:URL('http://i54.tinypic.com/1247l9x.jpg'); width:360px; padding:30px; border:4px solid #316292; border-radius:40px; -moz-border-radius:40px; -webkit-border-radius:40px] RELIGION The religion of Aureolian is fairly young as far as religions go, as it is only a hundred and fifty years old. However, in that short amount of time, Aureolian has swept away all other religions and has claimed the spot of most widely practiced religion in both Khthonia and Elysia. The religion’s origins are unknown, as some say Aureolian has been around for much longer and became dead before its boom. Aureolian rose up around the time the series of natural disasters had finished destroying society. Naturally, people wanted to blame someone for the mess since most people did not want to face the fact that they had been majorly responsible in the destruction of the Earth. During these times a small group of survivors found an ancient underground temple. The walls were covered in art that depicted the sky and a woman whose hair was made of clouds and whose breath breathed life into all living things. The drawings told the story of Aureole: how from light and wind she made the world, how her breath could heal the souls of man, and how all birds were her messengers. The survivors began to worship the goddess and named her Aureole. While other religions do exist, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam no longer exist. Religions worshiping spirits and minor gods exist, and you may feel free to make up your own religion. ABOUT AUREOLE Aureole is depicted as a benevolent but mischievous young woman who is blind. In the religious stories she commonly tricks mortals as a way to test the purity of their souls. She is also seen as being malevolent towards those who do not take care of the earth, abuse women, murder, and otherwise harm their fellow humans. In paintings she is shown as a beautiful woman with hair like clouds, eyes that shine light, and a dress made out of wind. ABOUT THE TEMPLE HIERARCHY Aureolian is a matriarchal religion, and believes that while women are the homemakers they are to be respected because only they have the light and air to give birth. This respect for women is also represented in the hierarchy, as only a woman can become the religious leader of Aurealian. The religious leader is known as The High Mother, and her word is taken as the direct word of the goddess Aureole. Mothers and Fathers are the second highest authority in Aurealian. Finally, the last in the hierarchy are the Sisters and Brothers. Although the religion is matriarchal, Mothers and Sisters do not hold more authority over their male counterparts. Rather, men and women in the order are seen as equals. ON CLOTHING The clergy members wear white hooded robes with gold seams, hems, and cuffs. They also wear a gold chain-like belt with hanging crystals loosely around their waists, a gold chain necklace with a crystal, and flat gold slipper-like shoes. The color of the crystals represent the rank of the clergy member. Pink quartz shaped like tear drops are worn by Brothers and Sisters. Mothers and Fathers wear gold quartz. The High Mother is the only one who has golden symbols on her robe and covers her hair with a ceremonial wrap with gold tassels. She also wears diamonds on her chain belt, and a yellow diamond shaped like the sun on her necklace. Clergy members only wear their robes during religious ceremonies, holidays, and while in the temple. ON CELIBACY A vow of celibacy is only required by the High Mother, and any Sister that aspires to become the next High Mother. For all other members of the clergy, a vow of celibacy is optional. However, it is against clergy code for members of the clergy to marry each other and to engage in relationships – both purely physical and romantic – with each other. Only clergy members who have taken a vow of celibacy since Sisterhood and Brotherhood may perform purity rituals. THE MAJOR SINS Believe it or not, there are only two major sins in Aureolian: murder, violence against another living thing. While other things such as greed, envy, and lust are greatly frowned upon, none of those things will turn people into a shade. However, murder and harming others are the ultimate wrongs. The more a person hurts others, then the more their soul gets consumed by darkness until they have no soul. When they die, their darkness separates from the body and becomes chained to the earth as a shade. AFTER LIFE In the Aureolian religion is believed that upon death the soul, which is thought to be the light that gives all living things life, separates from the body and becomes a bird called a halo. A halo bird is small and has a long tail of feathers; it is made completely out of light. As a halo bird, a person is free from the darkness of living. ETERNAL PUNISHMENT A person who has been wicked will not become a halo bird, but rather, they will become a creature called a shade. Shades are odd, imp-like creatures that live in shadows. They are burned by the light, even by the light of the moon, and the only time that they are not in pain are nights of the new moon. A shade’s hands and feet are in chains, so they can only drag themselves around in misery. Shades will influence people to either do good or bad things. Many shades like to make people miserable like them, but some shades feel so guilty about their past wrongs that they prefer to help people. Like halo birds, shades are invisible to human eyes except for humans who have the ability to see spirits. CEREMONIES PURIFICATION: A purification ceremony is performed by a Mother, Father, Sister, or Brother of the Aurealian clergy that has taken a vow of celibacy. The clergy member purifies someone, something, or an event by surrounding what they’re blessing with crystals. They use an anointer made out of crystal to sprinkle water on what needs to be blessed while saying a special prayer. People are usually purified soon after they are born, when they marry, when they are pregnant (for women), when they are sick, and when they die. Other events that require purification are when a new home or business is built, when a child is sent into the Conclaves, the coronation of a king and queen, and the entry of a clergy member. PAIR-BONDING: Pair-bonding is the custom of an Aureolite finding a bird companion in the Conclave of Birds. At age twelve the Aureolite is sent into the Conclave to find an egg. Although this sounds easy, it is actually quite trying and meant to show strength of character. Many Aureolites who return without are pair-bond are thought to be unworthy of one. However, those who do gain a pair-bond will have a feast thrown in their honor. When the bird hatches, they imprint on their human partner and become attached to them. Birds from the Conclave are highly intelligent and seem to have a human-like intelligence and even grasp human speech. HOLIDAYS FESTIVAL OF LIGHT: The Festival of Light happens on the solstice every year. People celebrate with carnival games, good food, and by making offerings to Aureole in the form of food, flowers, and lighting homemade candles. Children design and personalize their own flashlights with religious symbols and write why they’re thankful for light. The Festival lasts all day and all night, and the day of and the day after businesses are closed. THANKSGIVING: Thanksgiving in Aurealian is different from how we consider Thanksgiving. Instead of thanking Aureole for a good harvest, people thank the ones they love for being a light in their lives. Some people even thank strangers, usually saying “I am thankful you were born because you seem like a good person.” It is custom that family and friends exchange gifts to express their thanks for how much they appreciate the person being in their life. This is an Aurealian holiday that even the most non-religious people tend to celebrate. THE CREEPING: The Creeping is not exactly a holiday, as it isn’t a very happy nor celebratory time. On nights of the new moon, people barricade themselves in their homes. It is traditional to place crystals at the foot of the door and on the window sills, and to keep the house well-lit so no shades can sneak in. In the morning people celebrate the passing of The Creeping by saying a prayer of thanks to Aureole and having a feast for breakfast. Businesses are closed until the afternoon. OTHER THINGS OF NOTE Rainbows occur because a child has died, and a halo bird of a child is still so beautiful and innocent that the light of its tail will reflect different colors. Eating a bird is blasphemous, as they are the messengers of Aureole. However, a bird that is already dead of natural causes is allowed if someone is starving. While homosexuality isn't seen as a sin, it is frowned upon by Aureolites because a big part of the Aureolian religion is reproduction. However, gay marriage is permitted. Crystals are earth purified by light, and therefore they have purification and holy properties. When things go missing and can’t be found, when bad things happen out of the blue, or when someone acts uncharacteristically cruel people believe that it’s the work of shades. SOME STORIES A man who was a beggar saw a hawk with an injured wing land nearby. It couldn’t get back up into the air, and so he wondered if he should kill and eat it. Instead, he decided to capture it and nurse it back to health. Even though the man went hungry, he made sure that the hawk did not. When the hawk’s wing was healed the man set it free. However, the hawk wasn’t gone for long when it returned with food for the man. “Thank you for helping me. Now I will help you.” The story emphasizes the sanctity of birds, the blasphemy of eating birds, and that helping someone rather than harming them will benefit you in the end. There was a very kind woman who was married to a very wicked man. The man was a drinker, and when he drank he beat his wife. His wife, however, still loved him for his faults and knew that it was only the alcohol that made her husband bad. She prayed to Aureole every day for her husband to stop drinking. One day the wife fell ill and became bed-ridden. Her husband began to cheat on her, and one night, he came across a very lovely woman and tried to sleep with her. The woman turned out to be Aureole in disguise. Aureole revealed herself in light and told the man, “I have heard your wife’s prayers and her cries. I will make it so you can love only her, and live only with her.” With that, Aureole turned both the man and his wife into a pair of lovebirds. The story, called The Tale of Two Lovebirds, is considered a great romance.