Paleocism
Paleocists (or Ancient Ones, the Perfected, the Fullkommenhet) are a radical and distant movement in Judeo-Christian theology. The movement is generally regarded as different enough to be seen as a separate category of religion altogether, although many Old Testament figures are featured heavily in Paleocist theology.
As of 2012, there are 48,290,000 Paleocists in the world, and the majority of adherents reside in the Skaldafen Confederation.
The movement encourages that people make the most out of their life, that seeking out stronger sensations is in itself a form of worship. Members are encouraged to aid and rely on their fellow man, and to build community wherever they go. Solidarity is cited as the integral core to the faith, as is the concept of forging one's happiness as a group. Worship consists of engaging the carnal senses in order to contact and worship one of six Fallen Angels, that Paleocism holds to be anscestors of all mankind.
| Paleocism | |
|---|---|
| Fullkommenhet | |
 The Azazel Banner, a symbol used by the movement since the early 19th century CE | |
| Scripture | The Book of Giants |
| Theology | Amoral Divinity |
| Language | Skaldanian |
| Origin | 893 CE Ostandet |
| Branched from | Arianism |
| Perfected Men & Women | 7,712 |
| Church buildings | 39,708 |
| Hospitals | 11,920 |
| Tax status | Taxed |
| Other name(s) | Ancient Ones, the Perfected |
Origins
The beginnings of Paleocism are sparsely recorded and poorly understood. It is certain that it is a result of Arian Christian Nordanes encountering the monumental Ziggurat temple-complexes of the extinct Sakrossi civilization and re-evaluating their faith accordingly. After nearly five-hundred years of oral tradition and no direct contact with other Christian theological bodies, these religious leaders of the Skaldanian Nordanes slowly developed an increasingly divergent interpretation of Christianity. This resulted in the eventual creation of an entirely new holy book, the Book of Giants, which has very little in common with any other interpretation of the Bible. Perhaps most notably, while the concept of fallen angels is central to the faith, Lucifer is entirely absent.
Rejecting the New Testament entirely and focusing heavily on more mystical aspects of the the Old Testament, the differences became severe. By the time actual direct contact was re-established with a major Christian body during the 13th century Latin Crusades, Paleocism had grown enough to become something nearly unrecognizable. Since then, Paleocism has undergone a number of adaptations. God's depictions have shifted away from an actively malevolent to a more uncaring figure. Attempts to reconcile with other Christian denominations have been inconsistent, although it has been more successful among various Protestant communities.
Beliefs
Paleocism is a rejection and reinterpretation of traditional Judeo-Christian theology. Rather than a veneration of God and the Holy Trinity, Palegocists regard the monotheist God as a neglectful and cruel figure. Instead, they worship the six Fallen Egrigori (or Watchers, analogous to Angels) that were sent to Mount Kunun.
The holy book of the Paleocism tradition holds that the Egrigori descended from heaven to Mount Kunun in order to teach people and help them learn wisdom and righteousness. There, they taught the Sakrossi people how to build cities and civilization, and their mighty cities and culture were the result of it. However, the Egrigori fell in love with mortal woman and gave them godly children. These children were the Nephalim, mighty boneless Giants that ruled as God-Kings of the Sakrossi. However, God saw these actions as a betrayal and a threat to his power, so he buried the Egrigori beneath Mount Kunun as punishment. Despite this, the Egrigori are believed to still be capable of manifesting themselves through intense sensation.
The six Egrigori are:
- Azazel the First
- Semyaza the Healer
- Ezekiel the Father
- Shamshiel the Seeker
- Kokabel the Wanderer
- Arakiel the Builder
Paleocists believe that the essence of the divine can be felt through the carnal senses, and that enlightened individuals have the ability to achieve "Perfection" or "Fullkommenhet" through communion with the divine. Perfection is achieved by making contact with one of the six Egregori through intense sensation and prayer, and therefore is something that cannot be achieved through any church or scripture. Becoming Perfect makes a person into a religious authority, akin to the clergy of other religions. They are believed to have passed beyond "Moral Responsibility", and are therefore unaccountable for their actions.
The seven deadly sins of Christianity are not seen as negative, nor are the virtues regarded as especially positive. Women are regarded as equal to men in worship, and may become Perfect all the same. Extreme physical experiences are key to the faith, and activities such as flagellation and intercourse are viewed as valid forms of prayer.