Naxóteíðó

The logo of the Unified Covenant of Lemobrogia

Naxóteíðó (in the Lemobrogian language, "ancient way" or "old customs") refers to the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Lemobrogian peoples; these are distantly related to those found in the Concordian faith of the Gylic peoples, and have been significantly influenced by Dharmic and Hellenic concepts and practices, to such an extent that Naxóteíðó believers often observe their religion alongside with Hahtta (especially in the south of Lemobrogia) and Zobethos (especially in the north of Lemobrogia), or syncretize it with the Hahtta and Zobethos outright. Naxóteíðó is a polydeistic and polytheistic religion: even though it holds the belief that gods are distinct, separate, real divine beings, and rejects the notion that all gods are one essential god, it also states that, even as the universe is the collective creation of several gods (the current state of creation being the result of divine consensus) they then ceased to intervene in the universe's evolution.

Naxóteíðó is one of the oldest religions still practiced today in Tyran and, as such, it has an extensive literary canon; it is not a fixed and unchangeable canon however, as there is no aspect of the faith that is considered above the need for further research and study, with relevant decisions being taken by the believers' consensus. Naxóteíðó is characterized by a non-violent and pacifist ethos, but even that has been challenged throughout history, especially during the Syaran and Tennaiite occupation, the birth of the Salvationist faith and the Ŋéžé ethnoreligious group being a consequence of this dispute. Today, the Naxóteíðó faithful largely recognize the hereditary queen of Lemobrogia as head of the religion, regardless of branch or school; despite this, certain cults and sects, up to and including those Salvationist believers of Xevdenite descent that rejected the 1958 Treaty of Þoúsu, have refused to fall under the aegis of Lemobrogia's state church.

Beliefs

Naxóteíðó is a polydeistic and polytheistic religion: even though it holds the belief that gods are distinct, separate, real divine beings, and rejects the notion that all gods are one essential god, it also states that, even as the universe is the collective creation of several gods, they then ceased to intervene in the universe's evolution. Since it is the collective construct of many gods, none of them has interest in the universe as a whole; each one of the 12 chief deities of the Naxóteíðó faith has their own attributes and functions, their own outlook on and vision of existence and the universe, and their own celestial plane and heavenly abode, the current state of creation being the result of divine consensus. Since this balance can not be broken, lest the universe die an early death, the gods have left lesser beings the opportunity to exercise their free will inside of it, rewarding those who act in such a way to benefit the universe.

Gods, spirits and demons

According to Naxóteíðó's extensive literary canon, 12 chief deities exist, that are depicted as distinct, separate, real divine beings, the notion that all gods are one essential god being openly rejected; each one of the 12 chief deities of the Naxóteíðó faith has their own attributes and functions, their own outlook on and vision of existence and the universe, and their own celestial plane and heavenly abode. Each one of these 12 deities, or Ècəmeí, is the flawless archetype of each one of the 12 virtues in Naxóteíðó belief; this does not entail their absolute perfection, however: an individual Ècəmeí can be, and is often, lacking in the other virtues, had to rely on the other Ècəmeí to create the universe, and has to rely on the other Ècəmeí to preserve the universe. Even as any individual Ècəmeí can reward those who act in such a way to benefit the universe, divine consensus is required to do so, therefore all Ècəmeí should be honoured and all virtues should be practiced.

Ècəmeí	Attributes and Functions	Ècəmeí	Attributes and Functions
Èlureí	the Knowledge Keeper: they represent intellect, knowledge and wisdom; they encourage and reward learning and research, observation and study in their believers and followers, but can be egotistical and manipulative.	Nansaè	the Guileless Guide: they represent authenticity, purity and simplicity; they encourage and reward happiness and hope, playfulness and wonder in their believers and followers, but can be too naive and trusting for their own good.
Èsalaè	the Daring Defender: they represent bravery, courage and resilience; they encourage and reward honour and self-sacrifice, inspire believers through adversity and through hardship, but can be quite arrogant.	Nóðəhal	the Roaring Renegade: they represent disruption, rebellion, and reform; they favour people that confront injustice and defy the unjust, and that seek a balance between order and chaos, between old and new, but they can be prone to anger, and short-sighted.
Gaèjam	the Masterful Maker: they represent creativity, expression and imagination; they favour people that better the universe and understand their selves through creative and other endeavours, but can be too perfectionist for their own good.	Sažèvaþ	the Majestic Monarch: they represent authority, leadership and responsibility; they favour people that are able to lead others in a fair, just fashion and persuade others to live a good, pious existence, but power can get to their head.
Gòxunas	the Boundary Breaker: they represent curiosity, discovery and exploration; they favour people that face the unknown, both in the world and in their own selves, and experience everything life has to offer, but can be quite restless.	Sèmat	the Tranquil Teacher: they represent enlightenment, introspection and reflection; they favour people that contemplate and meditate in order to understand their selves and the world, but can be prone to inaction due to their pensive nature.
Maèwan	the Passionate Paramour: they represent affection, desire and passion; they encourage and reward caring for and loving oneself and others, as well as beauty and sensuality, but can be quite codependent and too eager to please everyone.	Yeíkóŋi	the Playful Prankster: they represent adaptability, change and unpredictability; they favour people that are able to reveal hidden truths and think outside the box, shaking up the natural and social order, but can be quite frivolous.
Móki	the Everyday Exemplar: they represent humility, modesty and relatability; they encourage and reward honesty and sincerity, and support believers in their search for acceptance and belonging, but can lack drive and initiative.	Yukaè	the Radiant Refuge: they represent compassion, healing and nurturing; they encourage and reward caring for and tending to all life, and abhor self-serving behaviour, but their tendency for self-sacrifice can turn into a martyr complex.

Naxóteíðó canon also recognizes 144 spirits; while the Ècəmeí are, by and large, forces of good, due to being avatars of virtue, these spirits, or Wòþameí, are neither good nor evil, due to being associated with natural phenomena and physical constants; and unlike the Ècəmeí, whose birth precedes that of the universe, the Wòþameí were born together with or shortly after the creation of the universe, as they can not exist without a world to inhabit. Early on in the history of the Naxóteíðó faith, the distinction between Ècəmeí and Wòþameí was vague at best, with both terms being used almost interchangeably; centuries of learned debates and theological disputes eventually resulted in the definition of separate spheres of authority for Ècəmeí and Wòþameí. As they are capable of both good and evil, their relationship with humanity is a contractual one, with good deeds being rewarded, and bad deeds being punished; they are traditionally subdivided into 12 councils, that replicate the divine council on a lesser scale.

Finally, there are 1,728 demons; these demons, or Ňèximeí, are forces of evil, that were born not only after the Ècəmeí, but also after the Wòþameí, as a result of conscious evil being introduced in the universe by those creatures capable of differentiating good and evil, that chose evil nonetheless; unlike the Wòþameí, whose birth and death will largely coincide with that of the universe, the Ňèximeí can die as soon as they are starved of the kind of evil they feed on. Moreover, just as the Ècəmeí are not entirely perfect, the Ňèximeí, who are traditionally subdivided into 144 councils, are not entirely corrupt, either: in fact, they can be coaxed and tricked into doing good, and Naxóteíðó canon is replete with stories about Ňèximeí being forced to do good deeds by skillful conjurers, or even by the Naxóteíðó trickster deity - by its very nature, prone to intervening in worldly affairs behind the backs of its divine peers, or with their tacit consent, for nothing but their own amusement.

Cosmology and afterlife

The central tenet of Naxóteíðó cosmology is that nothing can be made from nothing: the faith's creation myth has the Ècəmeí create and shape the universe using whatever they were able to salvage from their own universe; the death of that universe illustrates another key tenet of Naxóteíðó cosmology, that everything is born, lives and dies, and nothing is eternal. Therefore, if nothing can be made from nothing, and if everything is born, lives and dies, eventually (as foretold by the religion's chief eschatological text) not only the Ècəmeí will die but, after aeons beyond count, the Ècəmeí of the last ever universe won't be able to create and shape a new universe at all. Another eschatological text, written down during the Syaran and Tennaiite occupation, states that at that point, Yukaè or her successor will give birth to another set of 12 Ècəmeí, that will build a new "first" universe out of the corpses of their predecessors, beginning a new cycle of birth, life and death.

According to the traditional religious cosmology of Naxóteíðó, human beings live on the inside surface of a concave, hollow Earth, with the rest of the visible universe lying in the world's interior; the Earth acts as the inside of a world tree, whose outside is split into 12 sections - the abodes of the Ècəmeí. Moreover, each and every one of these abodes is connected to a branch, an ethereal plane of pure spirit, and to a root, an elemental plane of pure matter. Balance and harmony between material elements and spiritual substances allows the world tree to live on, while discord and instability threaten its very existence; Naxóteíðó religious texts hint at the possibility of this world tree not being the only one, but are vague about whether this means that each universe is overseen by the same Ècəmeí that created and shaped this universe, or that each universe has its own creators and custodians. Nonetheless, Lemobrogia's speculative fiction tradition is said to have been influenced by Naxóteíðó's peculiar cosmology.

As everything in existence is born out of blend of matter and spirit, Naxóteíðó subscribes to soul dualism - the belief that all living things, from the smallest bacterium to the largest of mammals, have two souls, a material "body soul" that can not leave and dies with the body, and a spiritual "free soul" that can leave the body not only upon the death of its host, but can also can freely wander during sleep or trance states. When a person dies, their free soul is judged by the divine council and, if found lacking in any one of the 12 virtues, it is put through a series of tests and trials in the abodes of the Ècəmeí, whose difficulty and nature can vary depending on the free soul's conduct during a person's life. When the free soul passes those tests and trials, it is granted access to heaven and, when it finally feels fulfilled and at peace, it can opt to end its existence, dissolving into its constituent parts, that will eventually fuse with other constituent parts to create a brand new free soul.

Moreover, as stated above, even the Ècəmeí will die: despite their free soul being theoretically eternal, their body soul is subject to decay; therefore, they need to find a physical host to pass on their free soul to, before their mental and physical strength atrophies to such an extent to turn the Ècəmeí into dull husks of their old selves, their own character and personality and the host's character and personality coalescing and fusing into a new being. By doing this, the Ècəmeí gain a new body soul, and their free soul is rejuvenated; even then, the Ècəmeí's eternal life is depicted not as an ideal state of being, but as the price they have to pay in order to be able to create and oversee the universe: due to having lived for aeons beyond count, they have done and seen everything, to such an extent that, in those rare instances when they take interest in a human being, it's often because they think this human being might introduce something novel and unique to the universe, brightening up their boring, depressing existence.

Morality, ethics, and gender roles

Naxóteíðó's ethics and morality center upon a set of 12 virtues, each one represented by one of the Ècəmeí; as everything in Naxóteíðó's conception of the universe is subject to an eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth, ethics and morality in the Naxóteíðó faith do not necessarily have, as their end goal, a heavenly reward (as even heaven itself is just a temporary abode for one's soul), but the betterment and improvement of the universe, as even the most pious, saintly soul will eventually have to return to Earth. These 12 virtues, or Ècəmoú, are of fundamental importance for Naxóteíðó believers and for the Naxóteíðó faith, to such an extent that living one's life in accordance to them is deemed more essential and valuable to the Ècəmeí and to the state of the universe than belief or ritual; indeed, ethical texts written down during the Syaran and Tennaiite occupation state that even those who do not worship the Ècəmeí can benefit the universe, if their conduct is right, prescribing tolerance for the righteous among them.

Lemobrogian	English	Description
Èluroú	Knowledge	Using one's intellect in order to understand oneself and the world, and enabling others to do the same, by furthering education and spreading awareness; the early diffusion of literacy in Lemobrogia and the country's history of debate and discussion, in the civic and religious spheres alike, are closely associated with the promotion of this virtue.
Èsaloú	Courage	Not only resilience in the face of adversity, but also the courage to seek help when facing hardship by oneself can result in harm and injury, to oneself, to others and to the world; also, the civic and religious duty to combat adversity through ingenuity or strength, without causing further hardship, avoiding senseless revenge and unnecessary bloodshed alike.
Gaèjæm	Creativity	The ability and the process of forming something new and valuable are prized not only as a vehicle for creation and discovery (if these abilities and processes are applied to the sciences), but also (if these abilities and processes are applied to the arts) as a way to induce beneficial, positive emotions, or to draw out negative emotions that can then be purged through a process of catharsis.
Gòxunæs	Curiosity	Facing the unknown, both in oneself and in the world, without fear, and enabling others to do the same, fostering a spirit of inner and outer discovery and exploration. Naxóteíðó practices aimed at inducing a state of trance in believers can be seen as means through which the faithful can expand their horizons and embrace new experiences, deepening their connection to one another and their understanding of existence.
Maèwæn	Love	Valuing emotional connection and physical intimacy, and enabling others to do the same, while not being ashamed or embarrassed by one's desires and passions; this also applies to artistic and intellectual pursuits, and not only to emotional or physical concerns. Repression of one's desires, if beneficial or innocuous to others and to the world, is seen as harming oneself and others.
Móku	Humility	Avoiding arrogance and excess, while recognizing that everyone has significance and value; cultivating a fair and inclusive society where anyone can have their voice be heard, while being approachable and gentle with regard to one's behaviour. Lemobrogia's civic and religious leveling mechanisms, through which the powerful are humbled or shamed - physically, psychologically and sexually - originate here.
Nansoú	Innocence	Not only purity of action, of deed and of thought, shunning deceit, dishonesty and duplicity, but also approaching life with child-like innocence, not avoiding fun and play, and existing in a state as close to nature as possible while avoiding asceticism and self-denial; simple living and social nudity are associated not only with this virtue, but also with the influence of Dharmic monasticism and Hellenic philosophy in Lemobrogia.
Nóðəhæl	Defiance	Breaking free from established societal norms and rising up against oppressive forces when necessary, not ignoring the civic and religious duty to eventually restore balance inside oneself and in the world, in such a way to preserve what was beneficial or innocuous in the old order. Many of the antinomian tendencies of the Naxóteíðó faith, such as the ritual breaking of established taboos, stem from this tenet.
Sažèvæþ	Responsibility	Whenever one is in a position of authority, they should not forget that they can not force others to follow their lead: they can only persuade others to do so by sharing in their burdens and duties, and by obtaining concrete and visible results through their leadership; the countless taboos and prohibitions placed on the royalty of Lemobrogia are seen as the price they have to pay in order to exercise their power.
Sèmæt	Tranquility	To be calm, serene, and free of worry, and to obtain such a state of mind not only by acquiring knowledge of oneself and of the world through contemplation and meditation, but also by turning one's surroundings into a harmonious and peaceful environment, suitable for the pursuit of such a goal not only by oneself, but also by everyone else living there, up to and including animal and plant life.
Yeíkóŋu	Adaptability	Not only to recognize that the universe is ever-changing and ever-shifting, but also to approach this truth with a sense of humour and playfulness, embracing renewal and transformation with joy and wit alike - if these changes and shifts are either beneficial or innocuous, of course. Death, as it is just one of the infinite ways through which the universe changes and shifts, should not be feared.
Yukoú	Nurture	To benefit, to care for and to protect all life, sentient or not - up to and including oneself, violence being justified only as a last resort, whenever non-violence would end up being even more damaging than violence itself; perhaps the most important of all Naxóteíðó virtues, and one whose interpretation often led to disputes, up to and including the birth and rise of the Salvationist faith.

Controversially and paradoxically, Naxóteíðó's insistence on non-violence and pacifism led to historically significant and widespread instances of bigotry and prejudice towards those sectors of the population that were perceived as engaging in bellicose or violent activities and trades, sectors of the population that were statistically overrepresented in Lemobrogia's incarnation of the Xevdenite state. Even today, people in certain lines of work, or people guilty of violent offenses, are doxxed or harassed, at least in places characterized by a traditionalist outlook. Even though, in theory, this status is not hereditary, but tied to one's reputation or profession, in practice, even those who no longer practice such activities and trades can still experience bigotry and prejudice; the election of Varnaþ èŋ Kəlnaþ as king in the second half of the 20th century, due to the widespread abuse he was subject to by his political rivals - owing to his past in the Nerveiík Kingdom - is seen as a turning point in Lemobrogia's history.

Just as Naxóteíðó's outlook on gender and sex has been shaped by Lemobrogia's peculiar environment, so has Lemobrogia's outlook on gender and sex been shaped by Naxóteíðó belief: on one hand, the country shared several key characteristics with other historically hunter-gatherer and horticultural polities even before the establishment of Naxóteíðó as a coherent, distinct faith; on the other hand, philosophical and theological debates were often able to influence the course of gender and sex history in Lemobrogia, as finding the right balance between the male and female constituent parts of society was seen not only as a way to allow both men and women to live a pious and virtuous life to the best of their abilities, but also - more cynically and realistically - as a way to avert and prevent societal disruption and keep the peace in the country. For this reason, the Naxóteíðó view on gender roles can be seen as complementarian, with men and women having separate but equal roles and responsibilities.

That said, these gender roles largely coincide with those that are better suited for men or women depending on the characteristics of one's biological sex, or with those who are deemed appropriate for one gender in order to balance out those who are deemed appropriate for the other gender; endeavours less reliant on innate physical differences, such as the arts and sciences, have always been, by and large, gender neutral and, even then, not only is Lemobrogia's history rife with men and women taking up certain gender roles associated with the other sex due to certain physical traits that set them apart from their own sex, but Naxóteíðó belief reserves a distinct place for what we now know as intersex people - as they were thought to reflect, if only in a limited, partial fashion, the hermaphroditism of the Ècəmeí. Moreover, the flexibility of Naxóteíðó gender roles might have its roots in biology: the robustness of limbs in Lemobrogia's populace is nearly identical in men and women, as in their Paleolithic Cro-Magnon ancestors.

Rites and practices

Naxóteíðó rites and practices can be subdivided into two categories: everyday practices, or Lèzisó, that consist of allowances and prohibitions one can follow in order to better align their behaviour and conduct to that of the Ècəmeí, and exceptional rites, or Cètukó, that is, celebrations and rituals that take place in certain days of the year, or at certain points in a person's life. Just as a right conduct is considered to be of greater importance than ritual correctness, so is ritual correctness considered to be of greater importance than orthodox belief; in fact, many Naxóteíðó faithful are skeptical about the existence of the supernatural, but remain involved in the religion because of its ritual experiences, as Naxóteíðó rites and practices were explicitly developed and refined over the centuries in order to induce altered states of consciousness in believers, reinforcing their bonds to each other and to the universe as a whole. Just as in the Concordian faith, dance and song are a key part of ritual.

Appearance

Naxóteíðó believers often avoid wearing clothes weaved with animal fibers of any kind; before the development of synthetic pigments, Naxóteíðó faithful often avoided wearing clothes dyed with biological pigments extracted from animals, as well. Nudity is not only tolerated, but encouraged, as an extension of the religion's teachings about one's closeness to nature and the preservation of innocence, especially in the dry season. Good hygiene and physical fitness are valued, as not taking care of either is seen not only as an act of violence against oneself, but also against those forced to look at slovenly people; however, resorting to makeup or plastic surgery for purely aesthetic aims is seen as a form of deceit and duplicity. Controversially, those afflicted with physical disabilities, or the aging and elderly (if insufficiently pleasant to the eye) a seen as ritually impure, and barred from certain civic and religious positions under pain of death, up to and including those of royal standing.

Diet

Devout Naxóteíðó believers adhere to a strict vegan diet, consistent with the duty to benefit, to care for and to protect all life; the avoidance of artificial additives and of food that has been chemically modified - up to and including food that has been produced using fertilizers or pesticides - is also quite typical. Exceptions to these rules exist, especially when dealing with the very young and the very old, as well as with infirm or pregnant people, but also whenever an animal product is obtained without resorting to physical or psychological violence towards the animal in question, for example cage-free and free-range eggs; concerns about the environmental impact of any kind of animal product have however been raised, and there have been instances of sabotage and terrorism perpetrated by fundamentalist cults and sects against those considered guilty of injuring life - in a few cases, people have been bullied into suicide or starved to death on purpose.

Exercises

Even though Naxóteíðó does not have a tradition of individual or solitary worship, daily practice of self-cultivation exercises is encouraged; unlike the rites and practices featured in collective worship, that have ecstasy and trance as their goal, these self-cultivation exercises are supposed to help believers live their daily lives in a state of conscientiousness and mindfulness. A wide variety of self-cultivation exercises exists, and the faithful are encouraged to find those that work best for their body and spirit, preferably with the assistance of a priest or of fellow practitioners; often, they are practiced in group settings in parks and other public spaces, not just by believers, but also - as exercise and relaxation techniques - by those with no connection to Naxóteíðó as a religion. Due to Hellenic influence, intellectual and physical pursuits are often paired, with beauty and virtue being considered tributes to the Ècəmeí.

Worship

The interior of an Ècəheísó in the city of Yòbažis

Naxóteíðó worship does not have, as its purpose, the request of aid from the Ècəmeí, as they are thought to have largely ceased to intervene in the universe, except to reward those who act in such a way to benefit it; instead, they serve as a form of group bonding, in which the community is reminded of its duty to better the universe for the sake of those yet to be born in it, up to and including their reincarnated selves. Celebrations and rituals take place in certain days of the year, or at certain points in a person's life; they are as diverse and varied as they are elaborate and intricate, but they all share a common structure, characterized by a decorous, sedate onset that slowly but steadily gives way to ecstasy and trance, peaking in a ritual sacrifice (that often goes counter to established taboos), eventually circling back to a decorous, sedate conclusion. Ritual purification is required before and after entering any house of worship, often in a bathing facility right next to it.

Naxóteíðó temples, or Ècəheísó, are often circular or dodecagonal, with twelve doors that are always open; even though they no longer double as public spaces for political debate, as they were from the late Neolithic to the late Middle Ages, they can still include not only facilities such as classrooms, kitchens, libraries and nurseries, but also services and shelters for those in need of either, open to and staffed by people that can belong to any faith. Moreover, Ècəheísó are often built in such a way that they can be easily taken apart and eventually rebuilt, a peculiarity that arose due to the unpredictable and violent natural hazards that gave Lemobrogia the reputation of a land where endless abundance and incredible danger coexisted, a quirk that Naxóteíðó religious texts spent thousands of pages elaborating on; even as advances in technology have allowed for the construction of earthquake-proof, fire-proof and flood-proof Ècəheísó, old and/or rural Ècəheísó still follow the old style.

The Wòþameí are honoured through wayside shrines, or Wòþaheísó, placed near those natural areas and features they are believed to exert influence over; it is quite frequent for them to be furnished with a collection box, with donations being devoted to the tutelage and upkeep of said natural areas and features, and with feeding or nesting stations for the local fauna. Often, the Wòþameí are worshipped just as ardently and fervently as the Ècəmeí, especially in rural areas; indeed, the beliefs, rites and practices related to the Wòþameí have been researched and studied in order to reconstruct not only the archaic phase of the development of Naxóteíðó, but also the parent religion of both Concordianism and Naxóteíðó. Moreover, the Ňèximeí are often displayed or invoked in apotropaic altars, or Ňèxóheísó, depictions and rituals, in order to deceive or repel them and safeguard oneself, others and the world from the evils they are incarnations of; blood rituals and sex magic are said to be especially effective in fooling or misleading them.

Daily life

Naxóteíðó does not have a tradition of individual or solitary worship, even though household altars and shrines are nonetheless quite widespread, due to Dharmic and Hellenic influence; believers are, however, expected to adhere to certain standards in their daily life. A set of standards concern the beautification and cleansing not only of one's body and house, but also of public spaces: on one hand, dirt and filth, excess and waste are seen as physical expressions of spiritual disorder, due to the faith's emphasis on simple living and ritual purity. On the other hand, one's self and one's surroundings should not be bare and unadorned, as that could be considered a rejection of life itself, traditional Lemobrogian architecture and dress having been explicitly developed and refined over the centuries in order to strike a balance between simplicity and vibrancy, and to fuse the artificial and the natural in a harmonious, seamless whole - even glass and steel buildings often include decorations and greenery.

Moreover, another set of standards concerns one's own mind and spirit, and one's interactions and relations with other people: Naxóteíðó faithful are encouraged to be curious and inquisitive about the world on one hand, direct and honest about their desires on the other hand, and to shun dishonesty and selfishness, while keeping a joyful and playful outlook on life. The Naxóteíðó code of conduct emphasizes and reiterates the need for consensus in decision-making, with even direct democracy being considered to be nothing more but tyranny of the majority; discordant and dissenting voices have a right to opt out of any agreement or arrangement - it is hoped that concrete and visible results will bring them back into the fold. Controversially, this is the reason why several cults and sects of Xevdenite descent, including several self-proclaimed governments in exile, are allowed to exist in the country, even as their lack of support has reduced them to a destitute, impoverished existence.

Participation in the political and public life of one's surroundings is seen as both a civic and religious duty; even as popular participation in the building and upkeep of public structures and works (a defining feature of ancient and medieval Lemobrogia: corvées often doubled as raucous parties, a peculiarity not only tolerated, but encouraged by the authorities, native-born and foreign-born alike) has been phased out due to the increasing complexity and specialization of modern society, charity and volunteer work are still seen as worthy practices. Moreover, civic and religious occasions often bleed into each other: political debates can be coupled with or defused by chants and prayers, and religious festivals can serve as an excuse to hold assemblies or peddle wares, as was the case not only in ancient Lemobrogia, but also elsewhere in Tyran, notably Megelan - a country with which Lemobrogia has close, if contentious, ties. For this reason, several of the oldest trade unions have a faith-based origin.

Festivals

The Naxóteíðó liturgical calendar is subdivided into four quarters; these four quarters are then subdivided into three months of 28 days each: the resulting 12 months are devoted to and named after one of the Ècəmeí, with each Ècəmeí being honoured with a greater festival on the last day of each month, and lesser festivals on the last day of each week. The year ends with a thirteenth month, also of 28 days (29 days on leap years), devoted to and named after the Ècəmeí as a whole. Moreover, the annual equinoxes and solstices, the starting dates of the dry and wet seasons, and the birthdays of both royals are considered religious festivals as well; controversially, ritual animal and human sacrifice is still practiced during these holidays, with the royals engaging in the ritual breaking of established taboos before being physically, psychologically and sexually assaulted by the believers, a leveling mechanism whose roots go back to the Neolithic.

At certain points in their lives, believers take part in, or are the subject of, certain rites and practices; chiefly, after one's birth, at the start of one's puberty, at the start of one's pregnancy, and after one's death. However, it is quite typical for Naxóteíðó believers to fully devote their selves to an Ècəmeí in particular during the month named after said Ècəmeí, partaking in rites and practices associated with them for the whole length of the month; usually, this entails spending one month each year, for 12 years (one for each Ècəmeí) as paid assistants or paid priests, conducting or helping to conduct rituals, operating and taking care of places of worship, while working in an Ècəheísó in a variety of roles, from cook to sacred prostitute. However, finishing the above cycle is a feat only a fraction of the Naxóteíðó faithful can achieve, with those who clear several cycles being an especially rare occurrence - and only royalty is expected to devote the whole year, for their whole lives, to divine service.

History

Naxóteíðó is one of the oldest religions still practiced today in Tyran; it coincides or overlaps with the development of religion in Lemobrogia since the late Neolithic. Even as it originated as a synthesis of various cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no single founder, its evolution eventually depended on the learned debates and theological disputes that took place when the country was unified under the authority of Maèsóňisó's chief priestess, the first hereditary queen of Lemobrogia; the resulting pacifist theocracy was not, however, authoritarian and dictatorial, as there was no aspect of the faith that was considered above the need for further research and study, with relevant decisions being taken by the believers' consensus. When the state fractured again, several independent branches and schools developed, that were eventually significantly influenced by Dharmic and Hellenic concepts and practices, even as Lemobrogia's former head of state was still recognized as the head of the religion.

When Lemobrogia eventually reunified, the greater part of the branches and schools that had developed were able to agree on a set of shared tenets, and to recognize the head of state as the head of the religion - even as the Salvationist branch rejected both points. With the defeat of the Xevdenite state in Gylias, the 1958 Treaty of Þoúsu reintegrated several Salvationist believers into the Naxóteíðó fold; not all of them accepted the conditions of the treaty however, and a series of natural disasters in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in the birth and rise of several cults and sects that broke off from the state church, many of them apocalyptic and/or fundamentalist in nature - just like the Salvationist faith of old, especially before its takeover of Gylias through the Xevdenite state. A few of them have been classified as hate groups or terrorist groups, up to and including several self-proclaimed Xevdenite governments in exile, some of which have targeted the descendants of Varnaþ èŋ Kəlnaþ as racial and religious traitors.

Organization

The administrative structure of the Naxóteíðó church and the administrative structure of Lemobrogia's state have largely coincided for most of the shared history of the country and the faith; even during periods of foreign influence and political division, the functions and structures of the state kept their religious relevance, despite existing only on paper. While the reunification of Lemobrogia in 1569 restored said administrative structure in full, the radical reforms of the 1960s and 1970s separated the church from the state, with the church taking the name of Unified Covenant of Lemobrogia; the queen of Lemobrogia was, however, retained as its head, and the church's assemblies and councils largely mirror the functions and structures of those of the state, with its branches and schools taking up aspects and roles typical of political parties and trade unions. As in civil and secular society, decisions are taken by consensus, with the Modified Borda Count being used to break deadlock when necessary.

People not affiliated with the Unified Covenant of Lemobrogia are allowed to take part in its debates and discussions, especially at the local level, but people in good standing and of good character can often rise above said level; this happens regularly with Hahtta and Zobethos believers, as Naxóteíðó is often syncretized with either faith. For this reason, even Naxóteíðó religious texts are notable for including content penned by writers of other religions, if it is found not to contradict content penned by Naxóteíðó writers, or if it is found to provide useful insights and observations that can benefit everyone and everything; due to its radically inclusive nature, Naxóteíðó has been described by foreign philosophers and theologians as an open-source religion, a description that was seized on by the church itself, that is currently trying to upload the entirety of its oral and written tradition on the internet, a process that is being assisted by archaeologists and historians.

Demographics

Official statistics show Naxóteíðó to be Lemobrogia's largest religion, with 75% of its citizens engaging in Naxóteíðó rites and practices; however, only 25% of the country's population describes itself as exclusively or purely Naxóteíðó, as it is an established habit to syncretize it with other beliefs in general and with the Hahtta and Zobethos faiths in particular: indeed, for this reason, the state's census rarely, if ever, includes an exact count of Naxóteíðó believers, with offshoot cults and sects being notable exceptions, either due to their exclusive nature or due to reasons tied to national security. While most Naxóteíðó faithful belong to Lemobrogia's indigenous Paleo-Lemobrogian ethnic groups and to the country's creole Meso-Lemobrogian ethnic groups, Naxóteíðó has nonetheless been adopted by several of the so-called Neo-Lemobrogian ethnic groups (peoples of foreign origin that sought refuge in Lemobrogia over the centuries), and by a few thousand individuals born or residing outside the country.

Reception

Naxóteíðó is one of the oldest religions still practiced today in Tyran; its non-violent and pacifist ethos has been agreed with or objected to at various points in history and by various sources in Tyran, both external and internal to Lemobrogia. While its democratic and environmentalist features have attracted nearly unanimous praise among philosophers and theologians, many of the faith's antinomian tendencies, such as a few civic and religious leveling mechanisms - that can go as far as to include ritualistic rape - and the ceremonial breaking of established taboos - that can go as far as to include human sacrifice - have been widely censured and denounced, with such rites and practices having been banned in the rest of Tyran. The oldest features of Naxóteíðó have been researched and studied in order to reconstruct the parent religion of both Concordianism and Naxóteíðó, a belief system that was likely an animistic and shamanistic nature religion.