The Arison Religion
The Gods:
The Beginning
The cosmos blossomed with many a star, and flowed side by side with time. However they wept, for nothing bore fruit. Finally, the Universe created a spark of life. Melina, the first born, was charged by the cosmos to bring life to them. She thought long and hard on how to bring life forth, bare as she was she never saw a star entering her womb, but it gave her the idea she was seeking.
She birthed Scarlet Rose, and both women at once took a star into their wombs and gave life to one child each. Tiamatt to Melina, and Bahamutt to Scarlet Rose, the cosmos were happy to see life spreading within them, that they wept once more and created chunks of soil that floated around the Ancient’s. Melina was struck with a new idea, creating gardens to share life with them and the cosmos.
Over time, many a garden was fashioned, and the Ancient’s birthed new children from themselves. Larah, Tamren, Do, Perish, Cherish, Riowing, Flamedra and Calista all rose to help their parents and siblings with the universe. However, all was not well at all.
Their children fought often and hard, causing damage to the gardens they had all worked hard to create. The Ancient’s all sat, and the parents looked to their children to resolve the problems. When no problem was found, Melina created a new garden, a planet called ‘Eluris’.
The Perfect Being
When Eluris was created, so too did the Ancient’s create a ‘lesser being’ than themselves. They made her perfectly. Amelia Farice, the protector and guardian of their Garden’s. She would be immortal, unmatched with Might or Magic, and the most beautiful woman next to Melina. Her body that of an otter, sleek, swift, and toned.
For eons, Amelia walked from Garden to Garden, protecting them from the violent storms kicked up by the lesser Ancient’s during their squabbles, and Amelia grew weary of these storms. She began attacking the Lesser Ancient’s before the storms grew to strong, causing them harm until they tried to strike back.
Finally, Amelia snapped. She returned to Eluris and struck at the Primary Ancient’s, wounding Bahamutt’s wings and casting him to the ground. When she turned on the other Ancient’s, Melina knew they had to retreat and she created two voids named ‘Avalon’ and 'Neflihame', a place Amelia could not reach. The Ancient's decided to create a race of "Near Perfect" beings and forged the "Rishishka" within Avalon's safety, and the "El'Karin" deep in the bowels of Neflihame.
Amelia was furious at this, she used all of her powers in an attempt to breach Avalon’s gates. She had nearly done it when Bahamutt appeared with Celestial dragon’s following him. These dragons where masters with mystic arts, created in Bahamutt’s image to combat Amelia’s physical prowess, and it infuriated Tiamatt to the point she created her own children, the Arison Dragon’s.
The Arison were vicious warriors, able to stay on par with Amelia’s skills in close combat and still weather her spells. However their resistance was weak at best, having to rely on the Celestial Dragon’s to heal them, and cover them with their magic’s. Melina was pleased seeing the children of her children working together so well. She crafted a collar that could restrict Amelia’s power, and remind her of her place as Guardian.
For three hundred years, the Ancient’s and the Dragon's fought against Amelia, but it was a loosing battle from the start. A flaw with the designs in the Ancient's new children was found. In exchange for immortality, they had very little fertility. Their numbers dwindled until only two hundred remained on either side. It was only then; Melina opened Avalon’s and Neflihame's gates and brought forth her trump cards, the Rishishka and El'Karin. They had been behind their respective gates, training in the Arts of Warfare and Magic in ways the Dragon's could not near.
Melina stepped out with their strongest children and the two women fought each other with sword, sorcery, tooth and claw for nine days. Gouging out parts of Eluris that bled water from its core. Finally, Amelia pinned Melina to the ground, and as she readied to make the killing blow, a Rishishka and El"Karin grabbed her by the arms just long enough for Melina to place the collar around Amelia’s throat and seal it with a powerful and ancient magic. But just before the collar locked, Amelia spat out a curse at the two women and their races as they held her. The curse effected the El'Karin in how their Mana was channeled through their bodies, forcing them to hide their true Dragon Heritage in bodies of Elf like beings.
The Rishishka on the other hand suffered a sundering of their genes, giving them Dominion over the El'Karin as "Natural Masters", it was Amelia's attempt at usurping the Ancient's power by giving control over their children to their counter parts. For the two beings holding Amelia, Sarahsyn Darkflame of the Rishishka and Queen Elishina Kintera of the El'Karin Clan, they were named leaders among their people - their Families never to be challenged for Rule. Because the El'Karin's Garden, a world known as Kan-Fi Sarine, was destroyed in the battle with Amelia; the Ancient's asked the Rishishka to shelter the El'Karin, something that would allow their Curses to work together.
The Second Creation
After the many problems they had with ‘One perfect being’, the Ancient’s saw how well two species with opposing abilities worked just as well as one perfect creature. The Ancients then created two new species, Sylvian’s and Erdites. The Sylvian’s lasted all but twenty years before two demons appeared from Neflihame, the world of the dead. They disguised themselves as the ‘Real Ancients’ and turned the Sylvian’s against the other species.
The Erdite where all to happy to take a submissive stance with the Arison Clan, becoming their slaves; their property, for years they protected the Sinvaria Forest’s borders from Sylvian raids, supplied with powerful weapons by their Arison masters. This ‘unbalance’ angered the Ancients and they created two new races, the Griffon’s and Ferisk.
The Ferisk where feline like creatures that where created to look like Sylvian’s by Tiamatt, and much like the El’kirin, the Ferisk turned into pets and property of the Rishishka. The Ferisk were a tribe of only females, a genetic mutation in their bodies that caused the 'male DNA' to evaporate from the seed and create only female off spring of pure Ferisk blood. This odd flaw is due to the fact there are no 'male' Ferisk and Ferisk breed with other species to keep their numbers up.
The Griffon’s remained a nomadic tribe, moving around constantly on the wind currents and creating an alliance with both the Celestial Court and the Arison Clans. They where their own people however, and soon became an Amazonian like tribe like the Ferisk had. Though, men where not allowed any weapons or rights.
While these two new species helped the balance, the Sylvian’s where still unchecked. So the Ancient’s then created Fin's and Treba in hopes the Sylvian’s would revert and take hold of balance once more.
The Treba developed into a barbaric culture, lead by the strongest members through bloody combat. Short lived and breeding like rabbits, they swarmed the Sylvian lands only to be slaughtered by armored and more experienced soldiers. The Sylvian king took control of the Treba and instilled breeding rights, training zones, and slave pens.
Fin's on the other hand, settled into their own place in the world and hid from it. There wouldn’t be signs of them until the next creation took place.
The Final Creation
With the world in order, for the most part, the Ancient’s were happy. Amelia had taken her place as head of the Guard in the Rishishka under Sarahsyn’s order. The collar was working amazingly, her powers restrained but still viciously powerful. She worked as an intermediate for many of the species trying to communicate to the Arison.
Amelia was the first to discover the Fin's, they attacked her without question and she killed them all out of self-defense. Because of this, the world once more fell out of Balance. Fin's were recreated, but at the same time, so were the Featherling’s, Furling's and prey animals.
Featherling’s where birds of many species that mingled with Erdite's and Furlings, and created cities together, but the prey animals where not all just prey. Many grew to immense sizes, others shrunk over the eons, but many developed teeth and Claws.
The final two creations were the Harpies and Omerians.
Harpies kept to themselves in their Mountain homes, evolving slowly in to two distinct clans, the Moonowl's which appeared like Erdites but with Owl like feathers, wings instead of arms, and large eyes. The other tribe, The Misthawk's, kept closer to their avian heritage with less Erdite looks. Both clans fought bloody wars with the other, but they rarely came in to contact with other races.
The Omerians on the other hand, were very friendly little bat like creatures with an amazingly deep connection to Ether. While their bodies remained small and compact most of their lives, when they took a Mate their bodies swelled and grew fuller, but they could only have that one Lover, ever. Should their love die, they could never have another for their bodies would refuse the touch of another. This lead them to being strictly Celibate until they were sure of their love.
Eluris was now complete, a Garden with many blooming flowers.
The Celebration
There are four celebrations within the Arison religion. Since Arison means “Power of Mana” the world revolves around the flow of mana, much like the flow of Time.
Spring Fane: A time when the ‘gift of life’ is celebrated by all cultures. By dressing up in the seeds of life on brown garments. Scarlet Rose is the one worshiped during this time, and because of this, many culture’s celebrate on the First day of Spring by being intimate with loved ones at the end of the day.
Summer Fane: Melina’s awakening reminds all in the world that it is through her birth that they are there. This festival is celebrated through a massive carnival filled with dance, drink, and games. The Arison and Celestial Dragon’s often hold a gathering in the Sargasi forest, with permission from the Rishishka, to meditate and remember those fallen to the Perfect being.
Fall Fane: Bahamutt’s fall to the ground from Amelia’s hands is celebrated on this day. Everyone around the world will lie on the ground and slowly climb up to take a short walk from their homes and back again for seven days. It is through this display, they imitate Bahamutt’s journey to and from the cosmos.
Winter Fane: A time when the world morn’s the deaths of those in the past year. Tiamatt has decreed that any battle fought on this day will see her visit to slaughter all who participate. The Arison and Celestial dragon’s never leave their homes on this day, spending time with there loved ones and only them.
The Twelve Elements
ELEMENTAL MAGIC:
The BASIC Elements:
1: Fire - Red, Creation and Destruction - Melina's Element
2: Water - Blue, Life and Honesty - Scarlet Rose's Element
3: Air - Light Green, Power and Wild War - Tiamatt's Element
4: Soil - Dark Green, Wisdom and Fortitude - Bahamutt's Element
The COMBINED Elements:
5: Lightning - Aquamarine (A mix of Air and Fire magic), Future and Past brought to Present - Perish's Element
6: Ice - Purple (A mix of Air and Water magic), Violence Held Still and Silent - Do's Element
7: Metal - Silver (A mix of Fire and Soil magic), Inanimate Creation given Strength - Flamedra's Element
8: Wood - Orange (A mix of Water and Soil magic), Life overflowing in combination - Riowing's Element
CORE ELEMENTS:
The MORTAL Elements:
9: Blood - Yellow, Death or Life's Gift, Calista's Element
10: Psychic - Gold, Perfection Centered - Tamren's Element
The DIVINE Elements:
11: Light - White, Fertility and Order - Larah's Element
12: Dark - Black, Raging Torrents of Emotion - Cherish's Element
The Ness’era
Tiamatt’s massive claymore, created from a collapsed sun by using the powerful force of a black hole. The sword is said to hold death for any who see it. However, Tiamatt herself offered up a promise to all those who wore a symbol of her blade around their necks.
To wear the charm on their bodies would mean they die by the sword. A warrior’s death, falling in the battlefield.
Placing the charm on any surface and wrapping the chain around the charm in a circle shape would signify being protected by the Sword. Any who do this would die only in their beds, but then it could be from anything.
Neflihame’s Gates
The Nine Gates of Neflihame where not always there, however they were created after the Dragon Clans where created. The mortality of the other species began flooding Neflihame with many different people who caused some crime or another in their life. It was soon seen that a system was needed to sort the criminals for review of resurrection.
Those in Avalon could rejoin the living in a new body at any time they chose, with or without their memories of their past lives to help guide them through their new lives. But those in Neflihame had to earn it. To earn it, they had to spend time in Neflihame, and then meet the Three Goddess of the under world, Tiamatt and her two daughters Calista and Flamedra.
To sort them all, Flamedra crafted nine massive and un-moveable gates. Each was enchanted so that any Ancient could open them, along with one ‘Guardian’. The gates where placed outside of the Onyx Tower, Tiamatt’s home, and a challenge was offered. “To the strongest of you, goes the job of Guardian with new rights.”
Every last soul in the underworld attempted the challenge. Eight of the gates where already opened. At the ninth gate the Great Phoenix mother lifted her head. Needle Al’rines waited patiently, not a single soul survived her. Because of this, Tiamatt forced Needle to be bred by an Arison Warrior, the off spring was Sirun, the Astral Dragon. This off spring took guardianship over the 8th gate.
Once more, a challenge went out, but this time only seven gates were open. Sirun guarded the 8th gate and fought viciously against the souls. In the end, only one stood against him on equal grounds, Fenrir the Wyntara Alpha female. She was in the world for falsely claiming to be a goddess to the prey animals, the Wyntara evolved into giant non-morphic wolves with control over Ice and gained Sentience on their own. Deadlocked with Sirun, Tiamatt gave Fenrir the job of guarding the seventh gate.
The next challenge ended with an Erdite guarding the sixth gate. The fifth, forth, and third gates were already sealed by Tiamatt who appointed Needle’s purebred sons to guard them. Shadow Phox at the fifth gate, Coner at the forth, and Alin at the third, when the Second gate was closed off, Tiamatt ripped one of her claws from her fingers and had Flamedra fashion it into a living spear that could reshape itself.
In the Final Challenge, a Naga female from another race of prey species that had evolved to gain sentience, whom mutilated her own body in life took over the first gate. Now that there where Guardian’s, the gates were all opened and suddenly the souls of the dead where sucked into them and slung back out. Beyond every gate was a new form of torture for those inside, based on their crimes in life.
The first gate held those who mutilated their bodies for personal gain like the Naga Jiank’O.
The second gate closed in thieves, guarded by Talon, the spear formed from Tiamatt's talon, a treasure worth more then gold.
The third gate held murderers and were held in check by Alin and his sword that could cut multiple enemies at once.
The forth gate closed in rapist and Coner ensured that each one of them felt painful and soul shattering tortures.
The fifth gate held those who abused children. Shadow Phox, an eternal child phoenix, guarded the gates with spells only he was taught.
The sixth gate restrained those who committed war crimes; the Erdite guardian could not handle this and was soon replaced by Fenrir when her mate, Laragin, later in life, defeated her.
The seventh gate was, originally guarded by Fenrir, was now guarded by Laragin. He restrained the heretic’s who claimed holy wars falsely.
The eighth gate held those who falsely claimed to be gods, they where known as ‘Demons’ and punished viciously by Sirun.
The final gate, Guarded by Needle, held those who killed just for the pleasure of killing, wanting only to feel blood on them.
After the ninth gate was the Onyx tower. One final challenge waited those who attempted to enter the Towers. Nightshade Sparkscale, a dragoness who crushed her own eggs out of pleasure, just to enjoy it as they squished under her, she was unmatched in combat.
If ever a soul could pass the gates, and Nightshade, they could see Tiamatt and be given their life back along with a single wish.
The Runes of the Arison
Within the Rishishka, El'Karin, Arison and Celestial clans, members wear runes emblazoned on their upper right arms to mark their names and ranks. Each rune is so finely written, that they are to be seen by all, or covered in such a way they can be revealed easily. The Runes also hold a connection to the Ancient’s directly as they are written in the words of the Cosmos. This connection allows every follower to connect with the Ancients and feel them in their hearts. These runes are drawn in such a way, that they can never be branded on to another in the same fashion, so none can be mistaken for whom they are.
Many have claimed to communicate with the Ancient’s through the Runes, but it is well known that Do, and only Do, will speak to mortals under the rank of High Priest or High Priestess.
Temples, Churches & The Priesthood
While many religions have Temples & Churches as places of gathering for mass and readings of scriptures. The Arison Religion has Temples & Churches for Religious study, Confession, and Meditation.
The Priesthood is a structured one, much like a Royal Family, the Priesthood has sub-ranks within it. This allows for rights and duties for each rank to be handed out. The High Priest or High Priestess is alone at the Top. Cleric, Priest, Devout, Acolyte, Apprentice, Page and finally Scribe.
Members of the Priesthood with Priest or Higher rank may Bless a Marriage, Annul a Marriage, and Bless new born Children to the Arison Religion.
Only a High Priest or High Priestess may impart a Banishment from the Religion, even then it is first reviewed by a Council of Priests.
Harvesters, Enrijir’s, Seraph’s & Allowin’s
Harvesters are messengers of Death for both Avalon and Neflihame. Given passage by the Ancient’s themselves to claim the lives of mortals for either Light or Dark deeds in life. They are gifted with manipulation, able to semi-control the actions of mortals to bring them to their deaths. Each carries a Scythe unique to them.
Enrijir’s are the Soldier’s of the Ancient’s. Hand picked from the souls of the dead and gifted with divine weaponry to banish opposing forces back to their own realm for a temporary time. Often an Enrijir will accompany Seraph’s as Guardian’s.
Seraph’s are muses who have been given mortal form and under Divine order, they move near a single being and give them the gifts the Ancient’s wish them to receive. Often, Enrijir accompany Seraph’s for protection from mortals.
Allowin’s are protector’s of mortals. The counter part to Harvesters, they bring life back to those claimed when a life is taken mistakenly. They are often felt as a presence watching over you, but never seen. They carry shields that are forged from crystals in Avalon with the power to block a Harvester’s Scythe.
Belief’s of the Arison towards other Religion’s
Arison have some beliefs that relate to other Religion’s. The biggest is that Arison shall not force their religion on others. It is a choice to follow the Ancients, and the Ancients understand there is more to the Divine universe then themselves.
Another belief is that Arison study other religions, to gain an understanding of the religion and see the world from other points of view, as well as to ensure the follower is following the path meant for them.
When it comes to Holy wars, or Wars of any kind. Warriors of the Arison will not violate the dead bodies of their enemies. Those bodies will be buried or tended to in the same manner that their comrades would give them. No matter the warrior’s feelings, it is Heresy to desecrate dead bodies in a manner not meant by their beliefs.
One final belief of the Arison religion, is that meditation is mandatory. At least once a day at any point in the day, it is considered cleansing and self-discovering to meditate and patiently await the flow of time. For this reason, Meditation is meant to be done as much as possible to discover truths about oneself.
The Twelve Ancient’s
Melina- Goddess of Creation and Destruction, The Wolf, She is represented by the element of Fire.
Larah- Underling to Melina, Goddess of Birth and Fertility.
Tamren- Melina's Second in Command, God of Neutrality.
ScarletRose- Goddess of Love and Truth, The Fox, She is represented by the element of Water.
Cherish- Underling to Scarlet Rose, Goddess of River's and Sea's.
Riowing- Underling of Scarlet Rose, Goddess of Forest.
Bahamutt- God of Wisdom and Health, The White Dragon, He is represented by the element of Earth.
Do- Underling of Bahamutt, God of Intervintion.
Perish- Underling of Bahamutt, God of Future Sight.
Tiamatt- Goddess of War and Power, The Black Dragon, She is represented by the element of Air.
Calista- Underling of Tiamatt, Goddess of Death.
Flamedra- Underling of Tiamatt, Goddess of the Forge.
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