Luminism

 

Luminism, also referred to as the Celestial Faith or the True Faith by its most devout followers, is the dominant religion of the Kingdom of Lumera. A duotheistic faith, followers of the religion worship the sun god Aureon and the lunar goddess Lunessa as the creators of the mortal world and who continue to subtly influence the lives of humanity. Aureon and Lunessa are together referred to as the "dual gods". The Luminescent Church is considered the governing body of the faith, though many cults exist outside of the church's control, preaching doctrines deemed heresies by the church.

According to the Celestial Texts, the mortal realm was created following by Aureon, King of the Sun and All That Is Day, and Lunessa, Queen of the Moon and All That Is Night, both of whom were born from the chaos of the universe. Together, they created all life in the world, with the pride of their creations being humanity itself. With their creations at an end, it is believed that the dual gods retired from the mortal plane, leaving to govern their heavenly realm. However, their influence continues to guide humanity in subtle ways.

Luminism first appeared in the desert towns of Sedania in -8,000 BU. Over a period of three thousand years, the tenants of the Luminscent faiths were spread by legendary preachers, some of whom are considered saintly beings in the modern church. In -4,000 BU, the Luminescent Church was established as the governing authority of the faith, and by -1,000 AU, all corners of the continent of Lumera, then known as Solaria, were practicing the faith. Following the unification of Lumera, the Luminescent Church relocated to the Church of Moon and Sun in the new capital of Lumeris, where it remains to this day. The church is governed by the Solaris Primus and the Lunaris Prima, who are the heads of faith and govern the orders of solar priests and lunar priestess. While both dual gods are worshiped equally, in some places either one is worshiped with a more special degree. For example, worship of Aureon may seem more devout in places that receive his solar embrace the most, such as Sedania. This has given rise to some heretical cults, all of which have been persecuted to the fullest extent by the Church.

Luminism is both the dominant and state religion of Lumera. The faith is strongly tied to the bloodline of the royal family, as the first king, Arthur I, is viewed by the church and the most devout as the Son of Night and Day, the prophetic offspring of Aureon and Lunessa. Other faiths, including the many religions of the Outer Realms and the pre-Luminite faiths of the ancient past, are discouraged, shunned, and in most places persecuted with extreme prejudice. Despite this, certain port cities contain foreign places of worship.

History

Origins and early history

Luminism emerged eight thousand years prior to the Unification of Lumera. The name of the founder of Luminism has been lost to history, though since the creation of the Academy, he has been referred to as the Most Devout Father. It is believed he wore a mask and robes to hide his identity. During this time, a collection of holy texts gathered by the Most Devout Father and his early followers formed the early entries of the Radiant Testament, the most holy and important books central to the tenents of Luminism. The Most Devout Father preached the existence of the dual gods Aureon and Lunessa, and their role in the formation of the mortal realm and the creation of humanity. Viewed heretical by the zealots of the old gods, Luminism was persecuted during its early existence, with early devotees, including the Most Devout Father, being executed by the desert kings. However, the execution of the Most Devout Father only emboldened his follower. The faith endured the initial persecution, and soon spread across both in Sedania and beyond.

Over a period of three thousand years, Luminism spread through the continent of Lumera, then known as Solaria. House Drummond, who ruled as the kings of the Dunes for centuries prior to being subjegated by the Lysanders, credit themselves as the first of the noble houses to convert to the Luminiscent faith. This is described in their house words, "First of the Devout". However, the sages of the Academy are doubtful of the validity of this claim, as the historical Drummonds were firm believers in a forgotten polythestic religion for many centuries after the spread of Luminism. It is known that amongst the realms, Sedania was the first to fully convert, and Emberpeak was the last to, with now extinct House Firemander being the last recorded house to fully convert in -5,000 BU.

In -4,000 BU, disagreements between the Luminiscent clergy, along with the rise of heretical cults, prompted the establishment of the Luminiscent Church...