Soriven

the Soriven faith was founded in the Norundra archipelago prior ro the founding of the Koto'Ara of Zanaro. It is a religion that worships a multitude of gods, said to be innumerable in number. As well as the spirits of nature ans seeking communion with them to gain knowledge and understanding.

Sacred Books

The Kai'Hon: The Kai'Hon describes the creation of the Universe as we know it, the creation of life, the creation of humanity, and the appearance of the Gami. It is primarily done as a large number of poems. The Kai'Hon also has within it many rituals and rites.

The Ko'Vern: The Ko'Vern is based on traditional Zanarite folktales, many of the Gods take prominence in these stories, rituals for working with the Gami, and that the Hand of Kairi is passed on by the blood of Kuruss Minimo.

The Seven Seals: The Seven Seals has additional ceremonies from Pre-Soriven Zanarite history, the belief in chakras as well as their locations, and additional laws to live by.

The Ascendancy: The Ascendancy speaks about the life of Verrin Kurohiun, his teachings, and his eventual ascension to Godhood.

The O'Rijion: This is a banned unholy book that is dedicated to the hateful teachings of Arasho the Mad near the end of his days. It is filled with profane rituals, mad writings, and demands for blood sacrifices to the O'Rijii (Evil Spirits) in exchange for power.

Hierarchy

•Kairi no Te:(The Hand of Kairi) The Hand of Kairi is a mostly ceremonial position, it is also an inherited position. It is only followed by the Imperial Soriven denomination. The Hand of Kairi is claimed to be the descendant of Kuruss Minimo.

•Shai'Kyo:(Archon) Each nation that has a significant Soriven following has a Shai'Kyo to guide the nations faithful. The Shai'Kyo is selected by the Dai'Zaijii of the nation, within Imperial Soriven the Shai'Kyo must be confirmed by the Hand of Kairi.

•Dai'Zaijii/Dai'Zaijii-Ko:(High Priest) Zaijii who have anointed over 20 new Zaijii into Soriven.

•Zaijii/Zaijii-Ko:(Priest/Priestess) Members of the Soriven faith who have been trained in the rituals and spells written about in The Book of Souls. They were anointed by another Zaijii or Dai'Zaijii. This supposedly dates back to Kuruss Minimo from before the founding of Soriven.

•Misho/Misho-Ko:Shrine Keepers- Members who dedicate there lives to ensuring that the shrines across the world are taken care of and the spirits are honored there.

•Kai'Tsuka:(Magi) Members dedicated to the cleansing of evil spirits from the world. They use spells and incantations written in the Book of Spirits, The Kai'Hon. They are trained in specific temples and are blessed by Zaijii or Dai'Zaijii and are sent to wander the world.

Short History

The Soriven religion was founded by Kuruss Minimo before written records were kept in Zanaro. Kuruss Minimo saw the advances in weapons and a disregard for life. He saw the world falling into darkness, and so he decided to separate himself from the world. He went deep into the mountains to seek out a new way, to seek isolation.

After three years he returned from the mountains with a book, now known as The Book of Souls, or The Kai'Hon. He anointed eighteen Zaijii (Priests) within the first year of its teaching and many shrines were built throughout the Zanarite Kingdoms. The religion spread quickly, converting many of the Dai'Ara (Kingdoms) to the faith.

The Dai'Kashi (Kings) of Zanaro, Verrin Kurohiun, converted to Soriven at the age of 70, he became a devout follower of Kuruss Minimo giving up his crown and dedicating the rest of his life to finding the state of Chi'Kajii. Verrin Kurohiun wrote down his meditations, guidance, and experiences as he followed the will of the spirits. He died defending Kuruss Minimo from a group of bandits. Kuruss Minimo recorded the encounter as an addendum to the book that Verrin had written. The book was expanded upon by the disciples of Verrin, claiming that in his death he ascended to Godhood as the God Ve'Kin. The book they created is called The Ascendancy.

Many disciples of Kuruss Minimo began to gather the folk beliefs and traditional practices of the various Zanarite , bringing them together and conforming them to the beliefs that the Book of Spirits espoused. This led to the creation of the Ko'Vern.

After twenty years of teaching the Book of Souls Kuruss Minimo vanished into the mountains alone. Some people hold that he will return one day, but most say he joined the Goddess Kairi in Shallim or the Mists.

During this time Soriven began to break into various sects with a supposed daughter of Minimo claiming to hear the voice of the Goddess Kairi, and would act as her hand on the mortal world. The Hand of Kairi wrote an additional book called The Seven Seals which was meant to guide the followers of Soriven and allow for the practitioners to better serve the Gods. This led to the formation of Imperial Soriven as it led crusades of it own against non-Soriven following Kingdoms. Eventually settling in the Uwhein region and founding the Holy City of Kai'Kajii.

There were several Shai'Kyo who did not follow the Hand of Kairi and founded a sect of Soriven called Kairic Soriven that was dedicated to finding a state of Chi'Kajii through meditation. Other shrines focused on their own specific area and not on the politics that began to appear with the Soriven faith, these are considered Independent Soriven Shrines.

Many years later a Dai'Kashi of Zanaro, Arasho Kurohiun, began to practice human sacrifice to various O'Rijii he claimed he could hear. During this time he invaded the holy region of Uwhein and sacked the Temple of Kairi. Upon its altar he sacrificed the Hand of Kairi to his dark ambitions. A cousin of Arasho, Togashi Kurohiun assassinated Arasho when he returned to Torman. Togashi along with those loyal to Imperial Soriven eradicated the line of Arasho. A close adviser to Arasho, Aeshi Mashiri, escaped Torman with the ritual diary of Arasho. This book, along with additional teachings by Aeshi Mashiri would become the loathed O'Rijion, or the Book of O'Rijii.

The Kurohiun family donated large sums of money to rebuild the Temple of Kairi, and helped to ensure that the new Hand of Kairi would be protected by sending them a battalion of Knights. The descendants of these Knights still serve the Minimo family as guards for the Hand of Kairi.

Beliefs

The Soriven faith believes that spirits exist all around us, and many inhabit different areas within nature. These areas sometimes have a particularly powerful spirit that should be respected and given a shrine so that humanity may commune with it. Many of these shrines are hidden deep within deserts, mountains, and forests. On a rare occasion is a Shrine within a city. These shrines are often very busy with people coming to commune with the spirit. There is also a pantheon of gods, each overseeing a different aspect of life, but the chief deity is Kairi the Goddess of Fate who rules over The Mists.

The Book of Souls describes the creation of the Universe as we know it, the creation of life, the creation of humanity, and the appearance of the Gami. The Universe was created when the beautiful and pure Kaimirin first began to fight against the dark and corrupt O'Rijii. The conflict led to the deaths of untold numbers of spirits on each side, and the power of their conflict created the mortal world. From the energy of the dying spirits, and the intermingling of it the Gami were formed. They were a fusion of the light and the dark, with many having an imbalance between the two. These beings could not touch the physical world, but they could affect it. These Gami created the laws of nature and began to inhabit the many areas of the mortal world.

The Gods looked upon this new world that was formed from such destruction, and they saw a glimmer of the divine light they each carried within it. The Goddess Kairi created humanity, a race that was filled with all the Good things that Gods could offer. The O'Rijii saw this and filled with jealousy and hatred began to corrupt the hearts of humanity, causing them to fight one another and destroy the world around them. Kairi gave humanity a spark of divine power, their souls, so that they could one day live again and atone for the damage they have wrought, so that they may one day become Kaimirin.

The conflicts between the Kaimirin and the O'Rijii is said to continue, and is the cause of much conflict and strife among mortals. Until all of humanity can achieve a state of Chi'Kajii and ascend as Kaimirin the war will continue. Once all of humanity ascends then the Kaimirin can defeat the O'Rijii, forcing them back into the void from which they came.

The followers of Soriven believe that a person is continually reincarnated until they have attained a state of Chi'Kajii (True Freedom) and are thus accepted into The Mists. Soriven teaches that the way to live a life in accordance with Chi'Kajii is to seek Knowledge, live a life of generosity, consume with moderation, give to charity and be charitable in your action, live with modesty. There are things though that the O'Rijii use to corrupt humanity; Ignorance, Pride, Gluttony, Greed, and Selfishness. If these things fill your life you will continue to make decisions that will harm others, and your own soul.

When one dies, if they have lived a life seeking Chi'Kajii, they will enter into the Mists. It is within The Mists that person becomes a spiritual force that may one day return to the physical world as a protector of nature, and a guide to mortals. Some souls are chosen from the mists to serve as the hands of the gods on occasions and it is proclaimed by Imperial Soriven that Kuruss Minimo was the original Hand of Kairi. Those who had not quite lived in accordance with Chi'Kajii instead are reincarnated, while those who seek to harm and fall to the corruption of the O'Rijii usually descend into the depths of the void becoming like the beasts that sought to corrupt them.

There are three major types of spirits within the Soriven faith. The first are the Kaimirin, or good spirits. The Kaimirin exist to guide humanity to Chi'Kajii and thus create more Kaimirin, The Gods of Soriven are the highest level of Kaimirin. The second are Gami, or nature spirits. The Gami are the most common and many seek to commune with them and gain wisdom from their centuries of existence. The final type are called O'Rijii, or evil spirits, they seek to corrupt humanity and to cause widespread death and chaos. People who cause great harm and spread evil are often thought to become O'Rijii after death.

Gods of Soriven

Kairi- Chief Goddess, Lady of the Mists, Lady of Fate. She is often depicted and a beautiful woman with four arms and six wings. Her main temple is in Kai'Kajii, which is also the Grand Temple of Zanaro, and the Center of the Soriven faith.

Yu'Razul- God of War and Strategy. He is depicted as a bronze skinned man with four fiery wings, holding a Katana in one hand and a Wakazashi in the other.

Rasu- The Brother of Yu'Razul, Rasu is the god of Victory, Duels, and Sports. He is often viewed as a Zanarite male made of golden light.

Yue- Goddess of the Seas, and of Storms. Depicted as a woman made of salt water with long flowing hair made from a thunder storm.

Ve'Kin- The Ascended Verrin Kurohiun as the God of Dragons. He is depicted as a Zanarite man with Red hair, the wings of a dragon and wielding a fiery Katana. His Temple is located in Torman, the city he is said to have founded in his youth.

Io'Rin- God of summer, and of growth. He is often depicted as a bronze skinned man with the antlers of a deer and the tail of a bull.

Syl'Varia- The goddess of nature and of spring. She is depicted as a strong woman with long brown hair and a wolf tail. She is often viewed carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows.

Harrik- The god/goddess of entertainment and entertainers. He/She has many appearances and motives.

Kal'Mea- The goddess of fall, the harvest, and fertility. She is viewed as a lightly dressed woman of astounding beauty and is well known for her lust and love of life.

Dal'Shi- The goddess of freedom and justice. She is often viewed as a four eyed and six winged angel who holds a torch in one hand and a sword in the other.

Vias'tal- God of Wisdom and Truth, often viewed as a tall pale blue skinned man in white robes with two massive wings, he is often depicted as an elderly man with a beard and a large staff. His eyes are covered with a bandage with bloodstains where the eyes would be. It is said he saw the truth at the beginning of time, it's beauty so great he had to remove his eyes to protect it.

Major Gami of Soriven

Hikari no Ryu- The Great Elemental Dragon of Light, it is said to be the incarnation of all light within the universe.

Sabishi no Ryu- The Great Elemental Dragon of the Void, it is said to be the incarnation of the space between.

Rai no Ryu- The Great Elemental Dragon of Lighting, believed to be the incarnation of energy within the Universe.

Kaze no Ryu- The Great Elemental Dragon of Air, said to be the incarnation of the physical state of gaseous matter.

Kasai no Ryu- the Great Elemental Dragon of Fire, said to be the incarnation of the physical state of plasma matter.

Suiiki no Ryu- The Great Dragon of Water, said to be the incarnation of the physical state of liquid matter.

Tsuchi no Ryu- The Great Dragon of Earth, said to be the incarnation of the physical state of solid matter.

Spirits of Soriven

Kaimirin- The Kaimirin are beings of pure good, the most powerful and pure among them are the Gods that rule over all of creation. It is written that many Kaimirin were once mortals who had achieved the state of Chi'Kajii and ascended. They are said to guide people through mediation and dreams, helping them to find peace, and live in harmony with the spirits and thus the Gods. It is believed that the Hand of Kairi will ascend to being a Kaimirin after death, with only a few notable exceptions. Many 'Saints' from other religions are believed to be mortals who've become Kaimirin after death and now do the will of the Gods on the mortal plane.

Gami- The Gami are nearly as old as the Gods but do not serve them, instead the Gami serve the natural world and care little for mortals. It is widely held that Gami are very wise because they have existed for such a long time upon the mortal plane. As such there are many shrines dedicated to the Gami and people often go to them to try and commune with the Gami seeking guidance and help in there lives.

O'Rijii- The O'Rijii are the darkest and most vile spirits. It is believed that the O'Rijii came into being at the same time as the Gods and it is from the war between them that the mortal plane was formed. O'Rijii seek to corrupt people and create more O'Rijii in the world after, thus forcing them to bring greater harm among other beings. It is a common belief that Arisho Kroviun betrayed the Gods, and his people, and was thus cursed to become and O'Rijii in the next life. All of Arisho's descendants were killed to keep the Kroviun line from being infected by the taint of the O'Rijii. Surprisingly there is a cult dedicated to the worship of the O'Rijii of Arisho, often called Arisho the Mad. Many of this cult see becoming an O'Rijii as the ultimate way of achieving power, and that Arisho betrayed Kairi because he was stronger.

The Soul in Soriven

All people are imparted with a soul that originates from the Kaimirin, a spark of pure divine light that is said to animate the weaker and impure physical form. The soul enters the body when a child takes its first breath after they are born. The soul controls the body through spiritual channels, or chakras, allowing for this energy to fully animate the physical form. There are seven main chakras within the body, and over one thousand minor chakras. The location of the chakras is detailed in the Seven Seals, named after the seven main chakras.

Before the founding of Soriven the Seven Chakras were originally only aligned to the seven elemental dragons, which were worshiped as Gods, they are now viewed as the Seven Great Elemental Dragon Gami. It is dictated in the Seven Seals that the materials universe is given order by the Seven Elemental Dragons, and that the universe is given shape inside of us, hence why mortals have seven major chakras.

A soul is made up of four soul shards. When a person dies these shards intermingle with others to make new souls and to learn new lessons. In the case where a person achieved Chi'Kajii they four shards become a Kaimirin instead of remaining as four seperate shards.

The Seven Major Chakras of Soriven

The Light Chakra- Said to be located at the crown of the head. The Void Chakra- Said to be located in the middle of the forhead. The Lightning Chakra- Said to be located in the throat. The Air Chakra- Said to be located in the middle of the chest. The Fire Chakra- Said to be located in the stomach. The Water Chakra- Said to be located in the lower abdomen. The Earth Chakra- Said to be located as the root of the spine. Tenants of Soriven Marriage

The following are core tenants of marriage in the Soriven faith 1. Marriage is a partnership between two people, who seek to live a life of Chi'Kajii. 2. Children raised in marriage should be raised to walk the path of Chi'Kajii. 3. Married people should look to bring into their family children who are without parents to protect them from the ravages of the O'Rijii. 4. You do not abandon your partner, hardships and challenges are times to seek meditation, mediation, and purification. 5. Marriage must be performed by a Zaijii or Dai'Zaijii. Clarification or Soriven marriage: Same Sex Marriage is allowed within the faith, as are the inclusion of Concubines, though they are bound to the couple as a whole in a lesser role.

The Soriven Sects

The Following sects of Soriven are the most prominent and well represented of the whole of the Soriven religions. The major structural difference being the Hand of Kairi, which is only recognized by Imperial Soriven and the Kuro'Hi Soriven.

Imperial Soriven

Imperial Soriven follows many of the same beliefs as the rest of the Soriven faith. Imperial Soriven follow The Kai'Hon in addition Imperial Soriven has three additional books; The Ko'Vern, The Seven Seals, and The Ascendancy. The Ko'Vern is based on traditional Zanarite folktales, rituals for working with the Gami, and that the Hand of Kairi is passed on by the blood of Kuruss Minimo. The Seven Seals has additional ceremonies from Zanarite history and additional laws to live by. The Ascendancy speaks about the life of Verrin Kurohiun, his teachings, and his eventual ascension to Godhood.

Imperial Soriven focuses more on the worship and service to the various Soriven Gods. They believe that by giving offerings, building temples, and spreading the ideals of Soriven that they will achieve a state of Chi'Kajii. Imperial Soriven is also the most culturally connected to Zanaro of all of the major sects, focusing on many of the traditional aspects of Zanarite culture.

Imperial Soriven builds large temple complexes dedicated to various Gods and Goddesses. Often times they will have a large tree within the complex that is said to house a Guardian Gami which oversees the protection of the Temple and those who visit. These trees are almost always Zanarite Black Cedar trees.

(Note: Imperial Soriven recognizes the following books as Holy Books: The Kai'Hon, The Ko'Vern, The Ascendancy, and The Seven Seals.)

Kairic Soriven

The largest of all Soriven denominations, it was founded just after the disappearance of Kuruss Minimo by Shai'Kyo from several Kingdoms coming together to discuss the splintered faith. They recognized that they all had a shared belief, except for a few minor details that Imperial Soriven believed in. It was soon decided that Kairic Soriven would recognize Kuruss Minimo as the Hand of Kairi and as the founder of the faith, and that Verrin Kurohiun ascended to godhood as the god Ve'Kin. They denied that any other mortal being could be the Hand of Kairi.

Kairic Soriven focuses less on the worship of the Gods and more on meditation to enter a state of Chi'Kajii. The Gods are viewed more as exemplars, as divine beings who have entered that state of Chi'Kajii and to be imitated. Their view states the Gods care not for worship, but that you live a life of balance, and that the Shrines should work with and protect nature.

Kairic Soriven focuses on building smaller Shrines with dedicated meditation space, and a large amount of sacred nature to appease the Gami. Many of these shrines have only a single Zai'Jii to oversee them, with the aid of Misho and Misho-Ko.

(Note: Kairic Soriven only recognizes three holy books; The Kai'Hon, The Seven Seals, and The Ascendancy.)

Kuro'Hi Soriven

This sect of Soriven was founded by the followers of Verrin Kurohiun, they were the initial sect to espouse The Ascendancy as a holy book, and they spread the worship of the God Ve'Kin. They recognize the Hand of Kairi as a major spiritual leader, but they view the Kotonashi or Kotonashi-Ko as the actual head of the religion as they are the descendants of an ascendant mortal.

The sect is widely popular in Zanaro, and the Imperial Family follow this sect. Outside of Zanaro and the Imperial Family other sects of Soriven are far more popular. It focuses primarily on The Ascendancy and puts much less focus on the other holy books of Soriven. The sect split after the death of Arasho the Mad. Many aided in founding the original Arashin Soriven sect, the rest joined Togashi in stamping it out. Followers of Kuro'Hi Soriven seek to emulate the life of Verrin Kurohiun and serve the Imperial Family as their way of achieving Chi'Kajii.

The Kuro'Hi Soriven sect focuses on maintaining the old sacred sites within Torman and the surrounding area. Temples and Shrines are not built, instead sacred land and sites are left natural and protected.

(Note: Kuro'Hi Soriven recognizes the following books as Holy Books: The Kai'Hon, The Ko'Vern, The Ascendancy, and The Seven Seals.)

In'Jain Soriven

This sect of Soriven was founded by the Zanarite priest Urashi In'Jaa, a commoner who became a dedicated priest of Soriven and traveled to the distant land of Ichruum where Soriven would be adopted and localized. One of the changes was a switch from Gongs for use in ritual to the use of drums. Urashi In'Jaa taught that to attain Chi'Kajii one must live a life with the Gods and Spirits always in mind, and to live a life of poverty. Money sent to the sect is dedicated to building new shrines, and places for the poverty stricken to recover and rest. This sect denies the book The Ascendancy and thus they do not worship the God Ve'Kin. The sect never took off on the mainland of Ichruum, being mostly relegated to an island off the coast instead.

Followers of In'Jain Soriven dedicate much of their daily life to finding peace through meditation, communion with the Gami through ritual, and simple rituals to the Gods. It is highly ceremonial and ascetic compared to other sects of Soriven. Only through discipline, dedication, and a life of sacred poverty could one attain Chi'Kajii.

The Shrines of the In'Jain sect also act as roadhouses for homeless and poverty stricken individuals. There is often some small amount of subsistence farming done on the land, as well as several pagodas with picturesque views for mediation.

(Note:Insel von Hoffnung Sorivenism/In'Jain Soriven follows the following holy books; Kai'Hon, The Seven Seals, and the Ko'Vern. They specifically do not follow The Ascendancy.)

Independent Soriven

Traditionalists of the Soriven faith, the only unifying book among Independent Soriven is they all follow the Dai'Kairi and are usually solitary practitioners. Their numbers are small and they are not organized or united except in the sharing of belief in the Kai'Hon.

Independent Soriven practitioners typically have a small household shrine for ritual purposes. This shrine can either be a simple indoor shrine, or a more complex shrine that remains outdoors. Some are also known to instead utilize a tree for ritual, seeking the guidance of the local Gami.

(Note: Each member of Independent Soriven is considered a Priest or Priestess, they are happily accepted into Kairic Shrines and Temples as brothers and sisters in the faith.)

The Fallen Sects

These sects of Soriven are outlawed and considered to not only be heretical but inherently dangerous and destructive. These sects are typically very small cult like groups, often hiding within the criminal underground of areas where Soriven has spread.

Arashin Soriven

Many who were loyal to Arasho during his slow descent to Madness believe him to have found a new path to immortality by becoming an O'Rijii named A'Zai. They also recognize that he 'Ascended' as an O'Rijii, something they believe to be more powerful than a God. Many of these followers have themselves degenerated into nihilists who seek to utilize pleasure and violence as a pathway to become an O'Rijii. The Founder of Arashin Soriven, Aeshi Mashiri, wrote a new 'holy' book called the O'Rijion, that is dedicated to the hateful teachings of Arasho the Mad near the end of his days. Luckily this is a very small sect of the Soriven faith.

The Arashin Soriven sect is officially outlawed within Zanaro, its Holy Book, The O'Rijion is also banned. This has only driven the cult underground and the book to be handwritten and passed down from Priest to Priest. They worship A'Zai as the most powerful being in existence, as the founder of their perverse faith, and as the sole being worthy of respect.

The cult puts up a front as a new 'Soriven' faith group, but it of course is a way to recruit new members to the actual cult. It maintains control of its membership through brain washing techniques, drug addiction, shaming, threats of death or torture, and human greed. Slowly driving the members closer and closer to acting as future leaders of the cult. Arashin Soriven often operates drug dens and other black market rings as ways to attain power and influence over other people. It has thankfully remained fairly small as it the police seeks to eradicate it, and the criminal element, from existence.

(Note: Arashin Soriven recognizes the following books as holy books; The Kai'Hon, The Ko'Vern, The Seven Seals, The Ascendancy, and The O'Rijion.)