Religion in PlaneShift

[Jjairr]

So in my English class we just finished reading The Iliad, and during the course of the book I started thinking about religion and gods in Yliakum and how people's faith would affect their everyday lives. I mean, it's been established that the gods are very real and occasionally stop in to say hello, so it seems to me like Yliakum's inhabitants would make a point of trying to please the gods through their actions - like in The Iliad when they feast and pour libations and say little prayers and whatnot. I also thought that maybe coming up with an accepted set of religious mannerisms for each specific religion would add depth to the world.

I know people already have weddings in Xiosia's garden and the Laanx temple and such, but I'm talking more general practices here, like what a typical worship service would be like, or maybe even a funeral service (if they ever have those). Like in our world - maybe followers of Dakkru fast one day of the month. Or maybe Talad's followers meditate a lot. Or even belief-wise. Maybe in the Laanx religion you aren't allowed to get a divorce, whereas Xiosia supports polygamy. It's things like that that I want to develop and clarify.

Am I making sense?

Basically I just think we should band together and (if these sorts of things haven't already been established by some dev or other and are just being kept secret right now) establish accepted practices, mannerisms and beliefs for the various religions to add to the RP in PS.

Anyway, in preparation for this I did some research in the East Hydlaa Library, the Death Realm library, and the PS wiki to gather what information I could about religious ideas that are already canon. I would also like the Brotherhood of Talad and the Daughters of Xiosia, along with any other religious guilds, to share with us any established ceremonies that they've already come up with. What happens at a Xiosian wedding or a Talad worship service? Clue us in!

Here's what I have so far:

LAANX:

Laanx is easily the most developed religion in PS. A book in Jayose's library talks about the Five Branches of Laanx and specifies each branch's duties.

- Pryam translates the Book of Names and manages the religion's finances.
- Noctar is in charge of education and runs all Laanx-affiliated colleges and schools, the teachers of which are priests.
- Vestru regulates marriage and children, manages orphanages, and specifies "proper behavior" for parents and children.
- Ogan is in charge of the arts and celebrations (excluding weddings).
- Sempetor comprises the guards and enforcers. They cannot act on their own.

The book talks about the leadership of the religion, which I don't think is relevant at this point. (Just remember - 40 Diats, eight for each level and one for each branch)

Subsequent books begin to actually specify lifestyle choices. For example, priests do not marry, and each Laanx follower is expected to have a private shrine in his or her home where worship is done. These shrines also include a fancy urn, donated by the church, where donations are made - a priest collects these donations once a month. Also, followers must attend a monthly worship service at their nearest temple.

Laanx attracts Red and Azure Way mages, inventors and scientists, politicians, lawmakers, writers, city dwellers, warriors, and the wealthy and educated.

All of that ^ is what we're given. So, what else can we come up with?

The branches provide a lot of ideas. Personally, I find the branch dedicated to regulating marriage intriguing. IS the Laanx religion a supporter of same-sex marriage? Do they allow divorce? Or are both of those not considered "proper behavior" for parents? What about interracial marriages? Are children raised strictly, with rules and limitations, or allowed to explore the boundaries of right and wrong? Does Laanx support "the death penalty" (flying murderers into the crystal)?

And that's just beliefs. When we start talking about what goes into various ceremonies, things get even stickier.

How often do followers of Laanx pray and attend service? What sort of things happen during a particular service? Is it long? Are there animal sacrifices? Communion? Libations? Singing? Dancing? Confession? Long, quiet periods of introspection?

When you read the history of Laanx/Talad/Yliakum/the Lemurs it says that they often sang during what I suppose could be called a "service," and that when the Ogan branch organizes celebrations they are "wild and chaotic". Things to consider! It also says in one book that an ancient law (now defunct) that is sometimes still practiced by very traditional Xacha and Lemurs states that followers must be married by 17 and bearing children by 20. If a spouse could not be found, the church would choose one; similarly, if kids weren't appearing, the church would "intervene." If that doesn't make for an interesting RP for somebody at some point, I don't know what will.

The branches encourage RP in other ways. Why not open a Hydlaa Vestru orphanage? Or an Ogan performing arts center?

The possibilities are endless.

TALAD

Talad is less defined than Laanx. From what I gather, the main idea behind Talad's religion is that followers of Talad love donating their money and skills to the less fortunate and practice patience. Maybe Gugrontid or Ojaveda needs a Talad homeless shelter?

I'm waiting on input from the Brotherhood of Talad here. I don't know how much you guys have already come up with. I tried to make it to a worship service you put on once, but had to log before it could really start, so please share your ideas

XIOSIA

Same with Xiosia. I'm very interested in what DoX has come up with. Xiosia is, of course, a big fan of peace and nature and harmony and not-killing-things. They're very open-minded and I believe I read into meditation. However, one discrepancy I may have found - I believe it said that warriors are attracted to the Xiosian faith, which is weird considering that whole peace thing. So maybe Xiosian warriors only kill out of necessity and pray a lot before/during/after the act?

DAKKRU

Of course I could find the least amount of information on Dakkru. She's the goddess of death and all that, and her followers attempt to combat the Black Flame and fight duels to the death in her honor, but what else? Do they take a cavalier attitude towards death because of their affiliation with her? Do HER worship services include animal sacrifices? OR! Maybe even HUMANPERSON sacrifices, if death ISN'T a big deal? Maybe it's like an honor. "Whoops, it's Tuesday, my turn to get sacrificed to the Almighty Dakkru!"

See how much fun this is!

I really can't wait to hear everyone else's ideas on this. Ready... COLLABORATE.

Sorry this is so long.



P.S. One last thing I don't understand. Being an oldbie, of course I'm aware of a time that Dakkru and Xiosia didn't exist. But is the rest of the world? Is part of the story (as I understand it) that they just sort of popped into existence and revealed themselves to Yliakum? Or is this one of those "Nod and smile, they've always been there." kind of things?

[Phantomboy86]

"Whoops, it's Tuesday, my turn to get sacrificed to the Almighty Dakkru!

That's the best line ive heard in a very long time.

And pretty much everyone in PS is all slavering over Xiosia because they all want to be goody two shoes followers of peace. You see a few Dakkru but they usually dont last long, Talad has the Brotherhood I suppose, and Laanx appears to be almost nonexistant!

[Aramara Meibi]

let Aramara be the first to explain that the Xiosian faith is not necessarily about PEACE as much as BALANCE and HARMONY. Peace just naturally follows once those two objectives are met.

War and violence emerge because of imbalance and/or because of a way of life that falls out of accord with the natural harmonies of the world.

The Xiosian faith I believe is a personal one, where balance and harmony must first be reached within before they can be sought without. This may be why warriors are drawn to the faith, as it would behoove you to be aligned with the natural fluctuations of the battlefield, rather than be an antagonist of fate. You know that ol' Bruce Lee quote? "Be like water, my friend." Yeah, that.

[miomo]

You see a few Dakkru but they usually dont last long

Miomai's been a Dakkru worshipper for as long as she's been in the game. 'Course she hasn't focused on that most of the time. Too busy being insane. Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This is a very timely post for me. Miomai wants to start a Dakkruist group (I have to find a better word). You can add the four revelations to Her religion:

1. The dark crystal's power has grown unstable.
2. All shards of the dark crystal are Her domain.
3. The gods shall no longer spare the faithless.
4. A priesthood shall form to honour Her.

Being a newbie, I did not know that Xiosia/Dakkru were ever not a part of Yliakum.

I have been thinking about conducting Dakkru ceremonies. They'll not be for the faint-of-heart.

[Aramara Meibi]

This is a very timely post for me. Miomai wants to start a Dakkruist group (I have to find a better word).

how about Mystery Cult? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_cult

over at DoX we do have several codified rites and rituals, from our initiation of new Sisters to weddings, funerals, prayer services, etc. In my short time in game, Ara has already performed two weddings and a funeral (kinda, was sorta deceived on that one). We even have practiced a form of ritual magic to remove curses from several individuals.

I'm excited to take part in the establishment of a new Dakkruist sect. Not to detract from the purpose of this thread, but I invite those interested in the Lady in the Dark to seek out Miomai or Icerra (who might have a tad bit slanted view on the Established by Settings interpretation of the faith, but she's just recently stumbled upon it) in game. Keep your eyes on the guilds forum for further details.

[novacadian]

My character, Venorel, is a Priest in the Brotherhood of Talad. Her approach has been to research the IC actions of Talad and try to interpret the teachings of those actions. You will find two chronicles she wrote on the Gugrontid altar stone most days. One is a chronicle called The Appearance of Talad. She interviewed all witnesses she could find to an appearance of Talad in the Hydlaa Plaza about a cycle ago. The chronicle tries to sum up the lessons from Talad's words and actions during that appearance.

She also has written The Lessons of Gugrontid. These are lessons based on Talad's actions during the creation of the Kran and then the Temple in Gugrontid.

Both chronicles may give some insight into where Venorel takes her religious explorations.

During the ceremonies that Venorel has performed she preaches about the lessons learned from the actions of Talad.

As a player I try not to bring dogma into Venorel's religious experience. She has respect for all the God and sees them as all having lessons to be learned; yet her focus is on Talad.

She sees Talad as a God of Creation. The lesson in that is that Talad gives of his creations freely. Followers should learn by that to give without attachment; something she does in maintaining the Gugrontid Altar Stone. She also believes that others should take from the altar according to need.

The tale of the relation of Talad and Laanx also teaches to seek and offer forgiveness to those who one has done wrong to; or they to you. Talad also teaches of patience in how Talad waits for Laanx' forgiveness for the unintentional damage he did to Laanx.

These are the greater of lessons given by Talad. There are others which she has interpreted in her chronicles and more, likely, to be found as her research continues.

- Nova

[Dau]

I keep thinking of starting up a new character on PS who belongs to one of the Iron Hand's Branches, because IMO Laanx's faith is the most interesting religion in-game and criminally underused.   

One of the things I like about it, which is simultaneously the thing that makes it a little hard to get the ball rolling, is that the settings info tends to paint Laanx's followers as very clannish in terms of how they interact with each other and with members of other religions.   This isn't a hugs-and-cuddles religion; it's hierarchical, superstitious, and very powerful.   It would be a really fun religion to get a The Order style guild going in, if it weren't for the awkward fact that no one plays members of the Iron Hand   

A few things I tend to imagine being true of Laanx worship:
* Whether good, bad or indifferent, almost all Laanx worshipers are going to be on the lawful end of the behavioral spectrum.  A lot of politicians are in the Iron Hand, so defying the law is a bad idea.
* Polytheism is a no-no, and other gods are tolerated at best and loathed at worst (hi, Talad!)   For some reason I see Dakkru being the least disliked, as she has her own distinct realm and isn't really poaching on Laanx's glory; Xiosia is a johnny-come-lately who has the nerve to claim she's the goddess of nature when Laanx MADE those trees and rocks.   And Talad is, of course, terrible.
* IIRC it's canon that Xacha and Lemurs are favored in the Iron Hand and heavily represented in its leadership, although I don't know to what degree.   
* It's not stated outright, but IIRC there's some implication in the Branches book and again in the Lemur history book that Laanx's faith is probably at least a little sexist.   Not aggressively so, as in several RL religions, but males appear to be somewhat favored.

(Writing all this is making me tempted to get back into PS as a noisy Laanxian proselytizer.) 

[Aramara Meibi]

i agree about the underuse of Laanx. A good number NPCs you talk to will claim that they follow Laanx, but I've met few player characters who make that claim. Talad and Xiosia seem to be the most popular, maybe not as popular as following your own moral code. I've played a devout follower of Xiosia as my main since day one. Now I am adding to that her kid sister, who has just taken a swan dive into the deep end of Dakkruism. I believe these two Goddesses validate each other. I also believe that both Laanx and Talad created their little realm within the distance between Xiosia and Dakkru, like nesting dolls. Because Talad and Laanx exist within the definitions of Dakkru and Xiosia, they are essential to the existence of the two Goddesses. I'd rather be telling you this through character, but my characters have yet to arrive to this conclusion.

[Dau]

I also believe that both Laanx and Talad created their little realm within the distance between Xiosia and Dakkru, like nesting dolls. Because Talad and Laanx exist within the definitions of Dakkru and Xiosia, they are essential to the existence of the two Goddesses. I'd rather be telling you this through character, but my characters have yet to arrive to this conclusion.

A valid interpretation of how the quartet of publicly worshiped gods mesh together, although one that I bet would ruffle some feathers with many followers of all four! 

I'd like to see more IC debate and philosophy about how the gods interplay and interact with each other.   Might have to try to be the change I want to see in the game re: this one.

[Cirerey]

My char is a follower of Xiosia, with some rather unusual beliefs regarding the relationship between Xiosia and Dakkru. He believes them to be twin sisters, a sort of Yin and Yang. He also believes that they stand on opposite sides of the Wheel of Time, Xiosia placing souls onto it and Dakkru removing them. By this action they maintain the proper rotation of the Wheel. So in a sense it is the purpose of all life to serve the universe by living and dying according to the will of the twin goddesses. Because of this he believes that it is proper for the living to worship Xiosia, and the dead Dakkru. He also sees no conflict between the two faiths, given that in time he too will be in Dakkru's care. If anyone is interested in joining in his heresy, just look him up.

This heresy could be structured as a mystery cult, with unique rituals and light and dark branches for Xiosia and Dakkru worshippers if people were interested. I see a hidden symbol worn by adherents with a copper wheel and scale set on a ground of lumium and bronze damascened together.