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[Religion] Cantyrism


LordCommander
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The Bronze Sword of Cantyr

 

 


 

 

“The Creator was a Craftsman, seeking to bring wonders into this world, by their will manifest, created the Immortals, and finally the Descendant Races. They are not a protective father, nor our savior. They are our birth and our end.”
-The Book of Trials; 5:13

 

“When I think of the Creator, I see the sword, I see the hard work of a Craftsman who put his blood, sweat, and tears into the fires of creation. The mortal races, we are that sword, and so often are swords misused or left to rust and decay. So often are swords shattered and broken, however, the craftsman continues to make them, in hopes to see what they become.”
-Cathal, High Warpriest

 


Something stirred in the heart of a man, born anew in a conflict unknown to him. They had no family, no friends, their memory of such things faded. All that remained was a name, and the symbolism of a sword stuck within a pyre. The words of the Canon did not provide answers to this ghost of war, and such they sought out new answers. Prayer, not for divine intervention, but for the strength and willpower to find this new Truth. They traveled the world of Axios, from the deserts of the orcs to the mountains of the Dwed, from cities to villages. Seeing the harshest nature of the mortal races, watching as brother killed brother, soldiers who proclaimed Piety while they slew and ravaged the innocent. 

 

The specter was horrified at this, how could a merciful God allow such tragedies to befall such a people. Their nights sleepless as the haunting image of a battlefield happened upon every night, each time, lasting longer and longer. Surrounded by armored shades and dissonant screams, every night seeing another tragedy and sign of the brutality of the world around them. Bringing the figure to a state of numbness, as they traveled to find their purpose. Doing work as a mercenary, the only talent he had, fighting for the purposes of others. 

 

The dreams became more and more bearable every single day, where many would have fallen to madness or nihilism. The fire in their soul turned to nothing but cinders, and finally to nothing. The Figure saw the strength in every action of conflict. Seeing the truth of the arena of strength that was this world. The Descendant races would never know true unity, as the Oren Empire had fallen multiple times, the Church of the Canon falling mute when compared to the loud selfish voices of the worldly nobles.  Every act of conflict only rekindled the pyre in his eyes. There shall be no false truth, no false sense of Unity. On the final night, the ghost of war found the Daelish people. Discovering the sacrifice and trials of their Champion; Cantyr. 

 

This was when the Truth was made manifest, the Truth of Mortal’s ability to shape their destiny. This being the Start of Cantyrism.


The Tenets of Cantyrism 

 

 

 

Strength: You must not allow weakness to take your heart and body, find strength, be it spiritual, physical, or mental. Show personal strength in every action you do, from never backing down from a fight out of fear to surrendering your beliefs to another.

 

 Endurance: You must endure the hardships that life will throw at you, we are the swords of the Creator’s creation. Either you shatter, or become tempered by the pain that happens in your life. Never forsake the good, for if you strive through the evils of this world, glory will await you.

 

Improvement: No one can claim perfection, be it the immortals, or the mortal races. However, that does not mean you can not strive to. Never allow yourself to be content with mediocrity, always be trying to better yourself.

 

Honesty: Show pride in what you are, by lying to others, you are only diminishing yourself. Only Cowards hide behind lies, always strive to put deed to your words.

 

 

Honor: Hold yourself to high esteem, promote merit, not weakness. Prove your worth to others, and strive to have others prove their worth. Never disrespect an honorable enemy, for they are hard to come by, and might one day become your loyal friend.

 

Self-Reliance: Don’t blame your misgivings and problems on others, nor rely upon the fickle nature of the Divine, the Arcane, or Mundane. For they will fail you, in the end, put trust in yourself and your brethren. Being able to support yourself, is a sign of victory.


Competition: People do not improve when everything is secure. The world changes around us, and rivals will appear in every corner. Without competition, you will stagnate and find no reward. Burn bright or do not burn at all. 

 

Guidance: You will be tested, be it on the battlefield, or in the daily struggle of life. Find comfort in those you can trust, and use their support to empower you. You are a pyre of the Creator’s flame, become a torch for others to follow in your footstep. 

 


The Book of Trials

 

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“Written by The First, Detailing the bravery and actions of Cantyr; The Self-made Savior of the Daelish people. This Book details the power of Man made miracles, detailing that by the power of personal strength, containing legends such as; The Four Brothers, The Nether Champions, and other great figures that made their mark on history through their deeds and personal strength. This Book speaks in great detail about the importance of the eight tenets of Cantyrism.”

 

The Book of Trials is the only sacred tome of the Cantyrist Faith. Those who become members of the Clergy are required to add more to its pages. Detailing every great self-made miracle and heroes. Those who join the Clergy shall be given a copy of the book. For the book to be given to a nonclergy member or member, not of the faith, is to be considered a great honor. The book is written in the Common Language, as to allow as many people to read it for themselves. 

Each Clergy member should take great care of their book, often protecting it with their lives, and brutally hunt down those who would steal such a book. The Book of Trials is always never full. Should one ever fully fill one out, they are to begin working on another one. However, all volumes will contain the story of Cantyr, and the details of the Tenets of the Faith, as to allow anyone to read a copy without feeling lost. Once every couple of years, the Cantyrist Clergy are to gather and spread the stories of those who have performed greatness. To keep their deeds immune to the sands of time. 
 


The Clergy of Cantyrism 


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“Those unable to defend themselves, are unworthy of the cloth. Faith must be clad in steel, and they must have the strength to match their conviction.”

 

The Clergy of Cantyrism, battle-hardened men, and women who possess great personal conviction and uphold the tenets of the Faith. There are few rules within the clergy, except following the spirit and the letter of the eight Tenets of Cantyrism and to be at least sixteen years of age. Those who become Priests of Cantyrism are expected to spread the message and ideals of the faith through deed and action. They are expected to go where conflict and struggle are most prevalent and to test the strength of both themselves and others.

 

The religious doctrines of the Cantyrist Faith are rather simple and straightforward. All members are expected to able bodied men and women, with at least basic martial training. The Priests and Priestesses are organized, less in a religious hierarchy and more into a militaristic hierarchy centered around merit. The Church expects for healthy competition between its members, to have those who strive to better themselves and improve the church, become higher up in the chain, while those of a weaker will, are left to the bottom or outright removed. The Cantyrist Faith allows all backgrounds, gender, and race within their ranks. However, any who would expect special treatment would be quickly removed or corrected. Despite the rather mortalistic focus, the Cantyrist Church does hold prayer to The Creator (or in the closest Racial/Cultural representative, such as Yemekar for Dwarves or The All-Father in Norlandic Culture). However the Cantyrist believes and preaches that prayer cannot solve a problem, it is only a way to strengthen the soul and spirit, so the mortal can change the world around them. 

 


Beliefs

 

View on the Void and Void Magic
The Cantyrist Church does not have a negative view on the Void, it is called by a different name within the Book of Trials; The Realm of Wills. It is viewed as a place that is powered by mortal emotion and willpower, a catalyst that could have been used by the Creator to create the world. However, in the hands of mortals, it can be used to honor the Creator by mimicking their desire to create, much like a child to a parent. The Creator made such a realm in order to allow the mortal races to create their own destinies. They view the magics created from the void, as a tool and a weapon to be used, seeing mages in the same light as a warrior wielding a sword.

 

View on AengulDaemons
The Cantyrist Church has an extremely neutral viewpoint about the AengulDaemonic forces. Viewing them as simply forces of nature and as physical embodiments of ideas, they are the first and grandest creations of the Creator, and so long as servants of said powers, do not rely entirely upon their divine gifts and make use of their own tenacity and mortal abilities, they are welcomed as useful allies. The magics of the Aengulic Servants are highly prized for their ability to heal and for dealing with any hostile dark magics. However, the often strict codes, especially the ones related to being disallowed to harm mortals, is considered a great downside and prevents them from taking up leadership should they join the Faith. 


View on Mercy, Redemption, and Forgiveness
Where many Churches preach of the mercy and forgiveness of the Creator, The Cantyrist Church does not strictly follow such teachings. Detailing instead that compassion and respect are something to be earned, not just given. Should someone who has fallen low, wish to rise up and better themselves, they are given the chance to. However, should they prove themselves unable to change, they have cast aside or destroyed, for the world will only punish those weak of spirit. Despite this, it is often preached that honor is one of the highest attainable virtues of self-perfection and that a good enemy is a rare one, and should be treated with respect. It is also frowned upon and considered a deep crime, to treat prisoners of war poorly or for innocent bystanders to be assaulted. The usual punishment can range from a beating from a Warrior Priest, to being sentenced to Death. 


Views on Good and Evil
The Cantyrist Church does not fully subscribe to the black and white nature of Good and Evil, now to say that good and evil do not exist, would be foolish. There are men and women of great and wicked hearts and plenty in between. Acts associated with Good include Altruism, Honesty, and the willingness to act. Acts associated with Evil include Narcissism, Stagnation, and Cowardice.  The Cantyrist Church dictates that those who would only better themselves and promote stagnation must be destroyed. Those who would run away from the sword, are put to it. However general selfishness, such as a desire to push themselves further, is completely encouraged for ambition is required for progress.


Afterlife 
There is no clear set answer to the afterlife, for the Cantyrist Church fully acknowledges the existence of other afterlives, from the Seven Skies for Humans, to the Orcish Spirit Realm. They were all created by the Creator, as a reward to those who have carved their own destiny and have worked hard with tenacity and determination. To the Cantyrist Church, they do not ask “Where we go when we meet our end” instead they ask “What will we have done before we meet our end”. This leaves for cultural and racial adoption to be easier to do, and forces the Clergy and the followers of Cantyrism, to find their own answers. 

 

The Holy Scrolls
The Cantyrist Church does not deny the existence of the divine scrolls of the Creator, written by Horen himself after hearing the words of the divine. However, the Cantyrist Church does not strictly follow them and does not include them in their teachings. For the Cantyrist Church is focused on the mortal works, for although the Creator is all-powerful, they do not understand the struggles and problems of being mortal. Also with the limited access to the Scrolls, It is hard to give criticism or truly understand the scrolls as the divine word, since it is always told by the personal interpretation of mortals.

 
The Virtue of Conflict and Competition
 One of the great virtues of Cantyrism is the truth that the mortal races will never truly remain united for conflict lies in the hearts of all. It is by mortal nature to fight and compete, be it in times of war, where thousands fight and die for causes or during times of peace where businesses fall and people struggle to better their own standing in life. Without these things, the mortal races would be destroyed by their stagnation, and no lasting progress would ever be made. It is the belief of the Cantyrist Church, that those who preach peace and desire Pacifism, are lying to themselves and lying against the true nature of mortals. Because of this, Pacifism is illegal within the Church.


Belief in Mortal Willpower and Personal Strength
The most spoken aspect of Cantyrism, is the belief that Divine intervention can only be obtained by one’s own personal strength. Prayers and Meditations, be it as a member of the clergy or as a follower, are to be done in order to help improve and hone the strength from within. Cantyrism believes that all members of the mortal races are capable of receiving the true gift of the Creator; The ability to shape destiny around them. Because of this, self-perfection is key to worship, and the focus on the self is put above the focus on the divine.
 

 

 

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Just now, Heff said:

ha... gay!

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Says the guy who was killed by a grape.

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+1 Cool ****, kind of like Warhammer or Tempus, but a cooler lovechild of them both. Good work, fam.

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