Tethuricism is the dominant religion throughout most regions. It follows the air god Teu with three aspects called Tesh, Ethura, and Uricus (which also forms the full name of Tethuric). The primary institution in the Tethuric Church is the Saent Isala's Ethucary, which governs from its headquarters in Catal, an estate in Jura. Its chief priest is the Archcleric of Catal. It is the most traditional and filled with ritual of all the religions. Many of the saents people have heard of are Tethuric saents. The main text used by the Tethuric Church is called The Canonida, though it is believed that they house a large number of arcane books in their archive, many of which deal with magic and ancient history.
The main text is called The Canonida.
The Trine
The god Teu is the all-one, whose name is an acronym from the three aspects called the Trine (also sometimes called Teu's Braid):
- Tesh - masculine aspect, forceful and powerful, life-taking
- Ethura - feminine aspect, soft and warm, life-giving
- Uricus - ethereal aspect, omnipresent
The purpose of the Trine is to demonstrate that there must be a balance of all these forces in the whole. The official position of the Jury of Bishops is that this refers to the world being balanced with these energies, while some sects believe the Trine is intended to be a balance within each individual.
History
Following the destruction brought about by the Great Purge, a paradigm shift ensued once the exodus began as the lands of Greater Galwyndor became inhospitable due to the Time of Decay. People saw this as the result of the gods punishing the world for destroying one of their greatest gifts: magic. In response to this, new deities rose to prominence, the most popular being the Teu, who did not deal in magic but in a more philosophical sense of being ever-present in the air, as air could be found in all places of the world. Most importantly, within all living creatures. So new gods were fashioned to replace those lost, and because of the influence of Saent Isala, the Tethuric Church gained a foothold among the royal houses. Having such affluent patronage enabled the movement to thrive, and subsequently, grow exponentially.
Formation
The events of the Purge played a major role in the shift of power from magic to religion. Smaller religious sects latched onto the prevailing opinion of the day, which was that magic was evil. Many of these sects began offering their aid to the Tal Calar, and once all of the vorbright creatures were eliminated, focus was shifted toward finding and collecting magical items to be locked away. Of these sects, one in particular outgrew the rest, given their dedication to the cause of "antimagic." These were called the Bolgonds, being that they originated in the Bolgond region of Nelestine.
The Bolgonds became experts at retrieving artifacts and they soon expanded their purview to include magical texts, and their vast hoard afforded them a tremendous deal of power (the Tal Calar had no interest in maintaining these items). Some people feared them, as they feared the Tal Calar. Being the only ones in possession of all magical relics surely meant they could use them, right? They leveraged this.
Notable Tethurics
- Bishop Kertha - in charge of the Archive of Enen, she is very protective of it.
- Father Aiim - High Priest of the local temple in Everwind City
Notable Locations
- Saent Isala's Ethucary
- Archive of Enen - a vast collection of documents and other items that is heavily protected by the church and shrouded in secrecy
- Shrine of Tesh by Saent Dothen - a holy shrine in Halfshaer dedicated to Tesh
- the Vault of Wonders is locked deep beneath the shrine
Hierarchy
From order of highest to lowest, the ranks of the clergy are as follows:
- Archcleric of Catal- pontiff supreme
- Jury of Bishops - a selection of nine archbishops, which are spread throughout various regions of the world
- Prince-Bishop - chief Bishop and high minister of the Jury of Bishops
- Bishop - a high cleric, typically fulfilling a role as emissary or counsel to highest government
- High Priest or Priestess- the person in charge of a local temple
- Priest or Priestess- a person of rank below a high priest or priestess who is ordained and authorized to oversee rituals
- Monk - a cleric in training
- Acolyte - a monk who serves as a missionary
Tethuric Factions
- Jury of Bishops
- Daughters of Ethura
- Hand of the Gale - a militant arm of the church, whose job is to protect holy sites, relics, and individuals.
Saentship
In Tethuricism, saentship is the official declaration of a deceased person's holiness (only martyrs qualify) and is the highest form of honor one can achieve. Notable saents include:
- Saent Isala - the first saent and founder of the Tethuric church; the headquarters in Jura are named after her
- Saent Algo of Meath
- Saent Dothen the Tall