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

The exact origin of Luminism is unknown, even amongst the most learned of sages. It is known that the earliest forms of the religion came to fruition in the desert towns of Sedania around 8,000 years prior to Lumeran unification...