Tàrztresh

Tàrztresh is the name for the traditional religion or religious beliefs and practices of the Elleseans. It usually refers to as they are being practiced in the present day, although practitioners of it and sometimes other people as well will also refer to the pre-Christian religion of the Elleseans as Tàrztresh (there are probably some differences between the two, but not a great deal.)

The general theology and cosmology of the religion is that there are two worlds: a spirit world and a material world. The spirit world is invisible, made up of a mysterious, difficult to describe substance called Tarz, which can take three forms: that of a soul (human or animal) that of a spirit and that of a God. It is closely intertwined with the material world, because each spirit, soul or God has a material host. The host and the spirit (second sense) are taught to be very difficult to separate, as they very nearly merge. However, the animal and especially human souls are less merged with their hosts, and thus death (which involves the departure of the soul from the host) is not such a painful process for them. Still, the fact that it is painful shows that we are partially merged with our hosts. It is perhaps a case of 80% to 60%.

Nearly always, there are two and only two Gods: the God of the Sun, or Shamar, and the God of the Earth, or Lestren. Usually, these Gods are genderless, but some practitioners of the religion (about 5%, according to multiple surveys) ascribe genders to the gods: Shamar is male, and Lestern is female. These Gods are the most powerful and "conscious" of all spirits, and they created the world. They are the natural and rightful rulers of the world. It is said that we can know little about them because they are so great, but it is said that they are neither completely good or completely evil. Rather, they like to test humans, if they pass that test, they will be fulfilled, if they do not, they will be unhappy.

The test, essentially, is to maintain balance and harmony in the world, between all of the immaterial, the hosts and the spirits. There are special people, Barcrers, who are entrusted with the more difficult, or "specialist" tasks to do with this. Ordinary, untrained people also then have certain things they are supposed to do to maintain this harmony: these are usually not so much specific rules (although there are a few of those) but rather guiding principles and to follow, somewhat in the form of values.

After death, it is said humans souls will simply find a new human host (reincarnate), which will then change the soul slightly. This is the same for animal souls, but they can only go into animal hosts. Sometimes, certain or all trees are also said to have souls; it is the same for them as well. This is also the same for spirits, found in water and plants chiefly. Gods are immortal and eternal, on the other hand.