Adunic Orthodoxy

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Adunian Orthodoxy

Overview

“We are a people twice damned by the choices of our forebears, abandoned by the Creator for their sin. Left aimless and adrift in a hateful world, we now turn to the only ones who understand our lot - our Ancestors - to guide us to salvation. And thus we have chosen to undergo our third damnation, to remain restless in the river of souls, to guide our kin from beyond the grave until our honor is restored.”

-  Llyfr yr Hynafiaid (Book of the Ancestors)

Adunic Orthodoxy is a religion created in the early days of the Adunians’ time on the isle of Illdyn. In the aftermath of the Fall of the High Kingdom, the Adunian people began to see themselves as abandoned by the Creator that their Orthodox Cannonist faith saw them pay homage to. They were half-breeds, abominations in the eyes of their old church and its Creator. Thus many began to lose hope as they grew more hated by the rest of the world and more aware of their twice cursed nature and lack of guidance from a higher power. However, their lord Elendil held strong and led his people to a new home on Illdyn. Maria served as a mediator and counselor, quelling tensions on the ships and keeping people together. Elendil’s son Braen also helped the people stay strong, serving as a moral and spiritual leader among the people, showing wisdom beyond his age.

Eventually, after a successful move and with the growing settlements on Illdyn secure, Elendil passed onto the next world. Braen saw his spirit linger, however, as that of a saint, or perhaps something different. He quickly spread news of this boon to his comrades, that his father had ascended to guide his people from beyond the grave, and people took the news well. For a damned people, twice cursed and abandoned by their Creator, this ember of hope grew into a flame, which quickly spread across Illdyn, drawing people to it wherever it went. However, Braen would not live to see the full impact of his words and his philosophy, for the prophet and lord died young, slashed by an Illdic Bear only a few short years after taking his father’s throne, cementing himself as the third member of the high Trinity of Ancestors - Elendil the Father and Leader, Maria the Mother and Counselor, and Braen the Son and Prophet.

This tradition stayed strong for several centuries, but eventually, as the Adunians began to once again integrate with their human kin many were drawn back to Cannonism, either by their own wishes to be close to the humans they resided with or necessitated by the threat of persecution, ostracisation, or execution. However, those among the Adunians who call themselves the Harren’hil, or “Heirs of Harren”, seek to keep these ancient traditions of ancestral worship alive, and see them as an integral part of restoring the glory of the High Kingdom.

Beliefs

“With great forebears to guide us, we shall always be strong. For if we heed the wisdom and warnings of the past, it will guide us to a brighter future. This is why we make our final self sacrifice, for the good of our sons and daughters, so they may see better days than we.”

-  Llyfr yr Hynafiaid (Book of the Ancestors)

Adunic Orthodoxy holds several core beliefs paramount. They do believe that the Cannonist Creator did create the worlds, and share many of their beliefs about the creation of the world, the rise and fall of Iblees, and the ancient days of history with the Cannonist religion. However, they believe that when Harren and Sarai married and procreated, whether it be out of love or for the good of their peoples and the cessation of conflict between them, they created an abomination in the Creator’s eyes, and he turned away from them and their heirs. While the High Kingdom followed the Creator, and at first found great success, he was not there to save them in their time of trouble, and the High Kingdom fell. Thus, the Adunian race needed to turn to a new guide - their Ancestors.

The veneration of the Ancestors is perhaps the most key part of the Adunic tradition. It gives the people hope, for they can look back on their ancestors achievements and learn from them, and apply the lessons to the present. However, the veneration of ancestors goes far beyond this. Adunic Orthodoxy teaches a much more real and corporeal connection with the ancestors, for it is believed that many of the greatest Adunians, in a tradition starting with Elendil, refused to find peace in the afterlife. They refused the protection and peace offered to them by any Aengul, Daemon, god, or spirit, and instead remained in the Soulstream. Thus, they decided to avoid peace so they may more easily be called upon and help their children. It is for this reason that some select elements of magics involving spiritual communion are sometimes seen as almost holy by the Adunians, for they serve to bridge the gap between the self-exiled Adunic ancestors and the physical plane, allowing for more direct guidance to be granted.

In contrast, magics that mar the soul irreparably and leave no choice to enter the soulstream are generally viewed in a more negative light. Thus the decision to overextend any magic - voidal, divine, or unholy - in a way that would destroy, mar, or trap the soul is taken only in times of great need for the whole of the Adunic race, for any who would make such a choice would be shirking their duty to guide their progeny for the sake of immediate and temporary power. Voidal magic of any sort (besides enchanted items) is generally frowned upon due to its corruption of the body and soul for the sake of pure power rather than any sort of spiritual connection, while the corruption or effects of Spiritualists, Seers, and Templarism are generally more excused, since they serve to either connect the race to their ancestors more directly, guide the race into the future with their true-sight, or to sacrifice themselves to protect their people in the most dire times of need.

 

Notable Ancestors

“Harren the Founder, strong and proud, who’s imprudence sealed our twice damned fall. Sarai the Fair, of Wildewynn, who sailed for western shores afar. Elendil, Father and Leader Strong, pillar in the monstrous sea of doubt. Maria, Mother and Counselor, who eased the pain and fear of all. Braen, Son and Prophet wise, who’s light restored us to our course. Lead us, please, to better times where prosperity reigns forevermore.”

-  Litani yr Hynafiaid (Litany of the Ancestors)

 

While many Adunic Orthodoxists, due to the nature of their faith, choose to stay in the Soulstream as guides and are thus venerated at least by their close families, some have reached such renown for their actions that they are respected by most or all those who follow the Adunic Rite. These can be sorted into three categories: The Founders (Harren and Sarai), the Trinity (Elendil, Maria, and Braen), and the Doethion (Felcryn Delmar, etc).

 

The Founders

Harren and Sarai, being the progenitors of the race, are viewed in a complex way by those who followed. On one hand, they are viewed with respect and honor, for they laid the foundation for the High Kingdom, a golden era for the Adunians where they were able to advance their skill in arts, architecture, literature, shipbuilding, medicine, and the natural sciences to a level never again recaptured. They showed the value of the friendship between Elf and Man, and through their union and the unions of their peoples granted the Adunians of today their longer lives. However, they are also viewed with a degree of scorn, since they through their shortsightedness also brought upon their offspring the twice-cursed nature they know all too well to this day, and the scorn of the Creator and many other gods and spirits who despise such cursed unions.

Hence, the positive aspects of these founders are respected. The advancements of the High Kingdom, friendship with the elves, and a love of woods and sea are all remembered fondly, but the resentment for the extra curse laid upon their offspring cannot be overshadowed or forgotten.

The Trinity

The second set of major ancestors chronologically, and the chief ones in the Adunic Orthodox Rite, are the Trinity of Elendil, Maria, and Braen. Elendil was born in the latter days of the High Kingdom to High King Arendil. When the High Kingdom fell and his father was deposed by the rebelling highlanders, Elendil inherited the leadership of the Adunic people, now banished from their great cities and lush forests, forced to sail across the sea from Aegis or face genocide for their transgressions. Elendil, however, kept his resolve, gathering his people and leading them across the sea to Ildyn, where the Adunian people had their second chance. But the journey was not easy, and many divisions came, to the point where several times the whole affair nearly failed.

This unrest was quelled and mediated by Maria, wife of Elendil. She helped to settle disputes and be a calm, gentle hand and voice to her people, nurturing them and keeping them together until they found their new home and regained their hope and resolve. She and Elendil then also had a son, Braen, who became Elendil’s heir. Braen was for most of his life wise beyond his years, and had a deep interest in the spiritual and the philosophical. After several years, once the kingdom had begun to regrow on Ildyn, Elendil passed on into the next world. Braen was the only one to witness this, and when his father died he saw him rise up, as a saint, or perhaps something else. 

This vision by Braen became the basis of the Adunic Orthodoxy, thus making him the founder of the faith. He rose to the position of Lord or King upon his father’s death and spread the new faith in ancestral guides about the land. However, he didn’t live long enough to see the full effect of his teachings, for he was killed shortly thereafter, slashed and mauled by the claws of an Illdyc bear. And thus the Trinity had all passed into the world beyond. Elendil the father, admired for his leadership, justice, and his undying hope for his people, Maria the mother, admired for her calm, nurturing demeanor and her ability to keep her people together, and Braen the son, prophet and giver of wise counsel.

The view of the Trinity is overall far more uniformly positive than the Founders. They already faced the same curse that all subsequent Adunians face, and they managed to give their people hope and a new chance at survival by founding a new kingdom, a faith that actually serves to protect and guide their descendants, and moved their people away from the pride and slave-based system that led to the fall of the High Kingdom and to a more humble, hearty, self-sufficient, and well-balanced way of life.

The Doethion

The final group of ancestors are the Doethion, or Wise Men. These are the equivalent to Saints among the Adunians, and are made up of all those Adunians who passed on into the next world and, as is customary for all those who are not bound by some other fate for the good of the people, remained in the Soulstream to aid their progeny. To join the Doethion in death to guide one’s ancestors is viewed as a final duty and oath to the Adunic people that all should make, and to sacrifice the ability to join the ancestors is often taboo, though it is accepted as a noble sacrifice in certain cases, such as that of the Templars. This is why the study of deific magics and magics that corrupt the soul are exceedingly rare among the Adunians, and while small bands of Adunic holy mages (especially Templars of the Aengul Malchediael, also known as Saint Michael to many Humans and Adunians, and is counted among by that name) are common, and often kept around, the choice to join one of those groups is an extremely difficult one for an Adunian to make, and is never taken lightly.

While all Adunians who pass on and enter the Soulstream are members of the Doethion, some are worshiped more widely than others. Each clan or house will tend to have certain ancestors who they hold in high esteem, and then there are ones that are held in esteem by all Adunains. Small Prayers are oft written to them asking for intercession, along with the greater rites for weddings, funerals, and invoking the spirits of the dead.

Prayers, Songs, and Rites

Funerary Rites

"In the tradition of Elendil, lord and father, may the soul of [name] forever join his (or her) forebears in the river of souls. May he (or she) join the ranks of the Doethion, to offer his (or her) descendants his (or her) wisdom and good counsel. Never to rest, until our honor is restored, and we all may find peace."

The Rite of Invocation

“O Doethion, O wise forebear of old, heed my call. Come now, [name], return from thy slumber and aid thy children, as is thine oath and duty! Come now, [name], grant us thy wisdom from ages past, to help our present plight! Come now, [name], speak to me, then return once more to thy watchful rest.”

The Rite of Matrimony

"Sons of Harren and Daughters of Sarai, we are gathered here today to celebrate the blessed union of [Couple’s names here]. Let all gathered here, with the Trinity and Doethion witness, seal, and bless this Union. 

 

[Name], [Name], do ye swear to Elendil, Father, Lord, and Guide, to lead thy family forth into the uncertain future. To be an example of discipline, honor, and humility to thy children, so long as ye both shall live?

 

 I do

 

[Name], [Name], do ye swear to Maria, Mother and Mediator, to let thy home be one of kindness and understanding. To weather all the difficulties, disagreements, and woes that life brings cheerfully, fairly, and respectfully, so long as ye both shall live?

 

I do 

 

And do ye, [Name] and [Name], swear in the name of Braen, Son and Prophet, to let thy house be one guided by faith and reason. To teach thy progeny of reason, and of our faith and our history, and to always grant them good counsel when they should ask, so long as ye both shall live? 

 

I do 

 

Say now any other vow or oath ye wish to swear to each other, and make known to the Doethion and to the People here gathered. 

 

[your own vows go here, if you want to have them] 

 

With these oaths of long tradition and of thine own love, ye art in good faith bound to one another in the eyes of the Harren'hil and of the Doethion. Exchange thy rings and thou mayst kiss the bride. Go now in peace and prosperity." 

 

Elendil’linn

“Father Elendil, Lord and Guide, show us the way through the tumultuous sea of fate. Inspire us to lead our people ahead, through the darkest of times to the brightest of lands. Help us stay humble, to never feel dread, to know that soon our time is at hand.”

Maria’linn

“Mother Maria, show us your grace, show us the way through the problems we face. Be our good counsel in times that are hard. Help us stay civil, to lay our thoughts plain. Show us to reason, and keep us from hate.”

Braen’linn

“Braen, son and prophet, patron of the wise, show us the truths which most never find. Help us to recover the knowledge we’ve lost, and grant us the wisdom to use it or not. Show us the way on the rivers of death, so we may also guide forever our kin.”

 

The Prayer to Felcryn Delmar

“Oh mighty Felcryn, grace my tongue with the sharpness of silver and my ears with the keenness of the hawk. Guide my actions and my words so all may be under my thumb and follow my will, knowingly or not.”

 

The Prayer to Malchediael

“Aengul of Courage, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of Iblees. Help us to stand resolute against all odds, to selflessly defend our people from harm, and to deny the temptations of corrupting power.”

 

The Burning of Aglaribaind

"Woe to thee, Aglaribiand, 

Strong and tall in distant land. 

Vanished now across the sea, 

Ashes due to our folly. 

 

Aglaribiand stood tall upon the bay, 

It glistened white, and blue, and grey, 

Its walls were strong, its halls were fair, 

And great works we created there. 

 

Poems were read and Songs were sung, 

Hammers from the forges rung, 

On the wind our great ships sailed, 

But beneath all this our city ailed. 

 

For in our pride we took on slaves, 

Our Highland kin all to us gave. 

We abandoned honor in our greed, 

And for that folly we now grieve. 

 

The slaves rose up upon the town, 

Burnt great ships and buildings down. 

Threw Harren’s corpse into the Sea, 

Over which we soon would flee. 

 

To his Throne Elendil rose, 

As King Arendil hung for the crows, 

From Aegis we were banished forth, 

On pain of death we left the North. 

 

We sailed west to Illdyn fair, 

And Elendil ruled us there. 

Nevermore to fall to pride, 

To live with honor at our side. 

 

Woe to thee, Aglaribiand, 

Strong and tall in distant land. 

Vanished now across the sea, 

Ash due to our folly.”

[Jameson_h 393]

*OLIVER PRAISES HIS ANCESTORS*

[OldeTymer 323]

Excellent story, and I think this fits the Adunians quite well. I'm interested to see how these beliefs will interact with those of us with characters (perhaps it's only me!) who still worship the gods of the Old Faith and follow the practices under it. Certainly not mutually exclusive, and I think lots of room for cultural growth RP!