Æhrycreda

The Æhrycreda, or 'True Creed' in common tongue, is the national religion of the Royal Union of Kouralia. As a faith it predates all predecessor states to the Royal Union, and its presence is believed to have developed and spread concurrently with the development of Kouralian civilisation. It has a polytheistic pantheon, and much of its ritual symbology relates to the classical elements, particularly water.

Etymology

The word 'Æhrycreda' is formed from two High Kouralian words, 'Creda' and 'Æhrys.' Creda is a feminine noun meaning 'creed,' in the sense of a closely held set of beliefs and values which guides someone's actions. While it has come to mean a religious faith, the origin of creda in relation to Kouralian faith is believed to predate the concept of an organised religion, and originally refer to personally held beliefs. Æhrys is a masculine noun meaning the concept of a fixed, objective truth. Current thought is that the two words are blended as 'The beliefs of the Truth' rather than 'The Beliefs that are true.' The earliest known usage of the word 'Æhrycreda' in written language is believed to predate the city of Kurton, being from a carving on a smooth stone slab set into the wall of a cave that has been dated to the early 8th century BCE.

Pantheon

Ino - The White Goddess

Unlike many religions, the Æhrycreda has a

Principal Beliefs

The principal beliefs of the Æhrycreda are not that the pentatheon created the universe, or even that the pentatheon created Kouralians. Instead, it relies on the idea that the peninsula and Outræcor fall within their 'sphere', and compared to other places in the world any other deities hold less sway there. Further more, devotion to the pentatheon increases their sway and ability to influence the lives of their worshipers.

Afterlife

All sapient beings in Kouralia, whether human or Feivien, are believed to possess an immortal soul. Following death that soul is judged by **GOD 2** for whether it has been just and honourable in life. Once judged, the being's soul takes on a quasi-corporeal state and continues their existence within the assigned circle of the afterlife until eventually they simply run out of the ability to keep themselves together and dissipate into the aether. Before they get to the judgement they must be taken over the sea of the dead by a boat crewed by one of nine maidens of the afterlife who serve **GOD 2** and assist her in judging the deceased. Those who cause trouble on the journey are cast from the boat by the maiden and their soul is destroyed utterly. Once arriving in the Aballonian land (Aballoledas in High Kouralian) the being is judged rapidly and transported by **GOD 2** to the circle of the afterlife they are assigned to.

• Tartarus is the area of the afterlife for those who are to be punished with maximum prejudice by the divine for their terrible crimes against the righteous. There are no descriptions of Tartarus, for it is held to be too terrible for a still-living mortal to behold.
• Moronœvya is the area of the afterlife for those who are judged to require punishment, but less so than would be received in Tartarus. Indeed, it is possible for the punishment received here to not be eternal, and for the beings to be bumped up to the Meadows with sufficient contrition. Moronœvya is considered to be a dry plain of dirty brown dirt with stones and small patches of scrubby grass dispersed around it, battered by hot winds and a baking sun.
• The Asphodel Meadows are for ordinary souls who did not distinguish themselves as being great or worthy of any accolade or reward. They are perceived as boring, an almost purgatorial experience. One can interact with other beings and learn of their lives, but aside from the tall grass covering the rolling fields and the occasional other terrain feature such as a stream or tree there is little else in the Meadows. It is not cold per se in the Meadows, however it is regularly shrouded with a chill mist which reduces it to a twilight-esque state. Some have theorised that it would be possible to walk from the Meadows to the Valabalna, but there is no evidence that this could be the case.
• The Valabalna or Vale of Abalna is where those who have lived good lives reside: those who have been just and honourable, who have lived and died selflessly, who have been heroic, and who have been 'pure.' It is up to **GOD 2** to decide if one deserves to reside there, and the judgement is based primarily on one's adherence to the teachings of the Æhrycreda. It is described as a paradise: 'where life is easiest for men. No snow is there, nor heavy storm, nor ever rain, but ever does **GOD 2** send up blasts of the shrill-blowing West Wind that they may give cooling to men.' It is not a perfect life - indeed all who are sent there must live as they do on earth, but it is without excess hardship, without ailment, and without evil.
• The Ynys Nesoi or the Fortunate Isle is an island within a wondrously large lake in the Vale. The only way one can reach it is to be judged worthy of the Valabalna, then to find and submerge oneself It is naturally impossible to quantify the size of the island or number of residents it has, but as scripture describes it as being possible to see from one side of the lake to the other, the island cannot be too significant in size. Thus some have theorised it must be dimensionally transcendental.

Natural Essence

The natural essence is a concept combining both the body and soul of beings and representing their

Other Deities

The Æhrycreda does not claim that there are only five gods, and that the five gods of its faith are the one true gods, or even the most powerful. It acknowledges that there are many gods of varying power, and there may be gods of more power than the Æhrycredan Pentatheon - however it does not acknowledge that these are known. Those who are as deities to our gods are simply too powerful, too vast and too subtle to be comprehended by lesser beings - even next to the incomprehensibility of 'normal' gods. What the Æhrycreda says on these foreign deities is that they should be acknowledged and respected, however the worshipers of the Æhrycreda do not fall within their sphere and therefore they hold less sway over their fates and fortunes. Thus while one could worship them, it would be ineffectual.

Worship

Priesthood

Kouralian Priests are seen as the epitome of the Guardians of the Sacred Way, which is a general term for those who serve the gods. To become a priest, one must usually spend two years as a Novice Guardian before moving on to become a Brother Guardian. At this point one should show sufficient promise to be accepted entrance into one of the Collegiæ Sacræ to train to become one of the Ðyacoſæ - the fully ordained priests. It is not necessary to become a Priest, and the majority of Guardians will remain semi-ordained laypersons for their entire religious life. This does not prevent them from holding some of the most senior offices in the organised faith - akin to non-pilots within an Air Force.

To become a priest one must study Thaumistry, the teachings of the gods, the methods to complete and reasoning behind sacred rituals, and attain an understanding of many of those things that goes beyond the average lay-person. Once a priest, the Ðyacoſæ can take up office as a resident Ðyacos at a temple, can be assigned to assist a more senior Ðyacos, or can begin a career in one of the Sacred Orders - or continue one already started.