2. Ways of Worship
Offering blood, limbs and organs from victims. The victims don't have to be volunteers, pure of heart or believers. Sacrifices of enemy soldiers and civilians have been made, as well as criminals and animals. The blood is offered by running it down the blade of a believers sword/dagger that is forced into the ground. Organs, such as the heart, lungs and liver are burnt in an offering and the bodies are either buried in the ground in an unmarked grave or are consumed (eaten) by believers. Consuming sacrifices is believed to give the believers more power when praying. If no blood can be spilt from non-believers, true-believers take it among themselves and are found cutting themselves (usually the wrists) to make a small offering of true blood.

3. Standards of Conduct
The basis of the religion was never an attempt to be barbaric. Enemy soldiers, civilians and criminals were either sacrificed by believers or executed by the Military. Animals however needed to show they were willing to be sacrified. This intailed them to extend their necks before the Priest performing the ritual. It was soon discovered that by holding food for the animals just out of reach gave the desired effect and is now a popular method to sacrifies animals.

4. Organization of Groups
The main group is faithful. They not only sacrifice, but pray that the being is gaining enough strength. However, in some areas of the known world, small groups have broken off becoming more barbaric. Some reports say that some believers form Raiding Parties to raid small towns and villages, kidnap men, women and children to sacrifice.

[Created by Cypher]

Vidians believe that woman are inferior and are probably the reason why Earth 1 was destroyed and replaced by Earth 2. They have fragments that mention the forbidden actions of woman and punishments that resulted. There are even some passages that depict a woman being transformed into a man, fueling the belief that males are the preferred sex by the gods. Thus, woman are treated as lower class citizens. They are viewed as good for procreation and little else. However, if a woman can prove herself, with devout service to the faith, she may earn privileges and rank.

They also view any who undergo transformations from human form into something else as sinners, for transformations are viewed as punishments from the gods. These individuals are commonly referred to as ‘tainted.’ Anyone who is unable to maintain their superior, humanoid form has incurred the wrath of the gods in some form, and association with the individual should be minimal, lest the untainted lose favor. Any who are proven or suspected of being tainted may be marked upon their breast as such my more fanatical members of the faith.

Men, therefore, are viewed as the true specimens of society, those closest to the gods and generally incapable of wrong. The only exception to this are those who undergo transformations. These men are avoided, seen as unlucky, but are usually still above the rank of a woman.

The higher powers that drive the Vidian religion are Jove, the male, dominating force responsible for maintaining the world, and Muse, the feminine, subservient force whose main influences are in childbirth and development. However, there are those who believe that there are further deities, an entire pantheon, which has yet to be discovered from the non-translated, preserved pages.

2. Ways of Worship
Vidians worship Muse through the arts, such as painting, poetry, and music. Followers of the faith are expected to take up at least one of these areas in some fashion and practice it once a week. A household may also worship Muse by sponsoring an aspiring artist by giving them a place to live, money, or food to further their career.

There are specific expectations for both genders as well, which are believed to be further ways to honor the gods. Women are to be meek and subservient to men, and are encouraged to have lots of children to stress their primary roles as procreators. After having children, they are expected to be the primary influence in their child’s life outside of school.

Men, on the other hand, are expected to keep their women in line and run an efficient household. They are responsible for discipline in their families, and a man with a wild wife or disobedient children will be seen as inferior in the eyes of other men. There is also an encouragement for a man to entertain a homosexual relationship at some point in his life, to reinforce his masculinity. It is discouraged if this relationship takes precedence over a heterosexual bond between man and woman, for that is viewed as more important.

Tainted, should they choose to join, are expected to serve penance for their sins. Primarily, they are to be extra vigilant in their worship, based on gender, and are encouraged to be strict in their views of other tainted. Other ways to serve penance are extra performances of the arts, performance of homosexual acts (for a man), and frequent reciting of passages from the Tamor.

3. Standards of Conduct
Vidians are fairly polite and learned, considering their ties to the arts. Even considering their opinions of women and those races who can transform, believers are generally civil. They would prefer to avoid interacting with tainted individuals and will usually attempt to end the association as quickly as possible if they are forced to speak with one. Some, more benevolent members, may go out of their way to speak with the tainted with the intention of absolving their sin.

However, there are fanatic elements to this religion. Some factions take the status of women to an extreme, treating them as slaves or punishing them should they not conform to their standards. Members of these groups are responsible for marking those who transform so that they may be avoided or, in extreme cases, persecuted for their supposed sins. These sort usually have prejudices and discriminate against anyone who isn’t a male, stable species.

4. Organization of Groups
As this faith is fairly young and on the extreme side in terms of its beliefs, members are not organized into group but rather left to individually practice their faith. They are encouraged to keep in touch with others who practice, for updates as more is deciphered from the tattered pages. Some fanatics are suspected of banding together outside of Connlaoth.

5. Who May Join and How?
Anyone is welcome to join Vidia. In fact, if a woman joins of her own accord, she instantly gains some rank. To join, a prospective member must simply approach an inducted member who will then ask to inspect the joiner’s home and community, to see if they are suitable. If a man with a family asks to join, it is assumed his family will be joining as well. If this is not the case, the man may be summarily rejected.

After approaching an inducted member, the joiner will then be asked to demonstrate an art and if the joiner is unable to do so at that time, a period of time will be appointed for the joiner to learn. Once the art has been performed, the joiner will be observed for a month, to be sure they keep up with worship and the doctrines of the faith. After this period, if they are deemed acceptable, they will be given all currently translated pages of the Tamor.

Tainted individuals are permitted to join as well, though they will be expected to be extra vigilant in their worship and will be observed for a longer period of time.

[Created by Maiyou]

It is believed that if a follower of this belief breaks any of the customs, that they are not worthy of life. Therefore, it is acceptable for others to take the offending individual as a slave or to slaughter them on site. However, if said individual has a family that is dependent on them, the offending person will, instead, be put through a ritual called ‘Gunshiba’. Once the ritual is over, the person is released to live out their life. They will not be accepted as a X’Narepoen again.

According to old belief, X’Narepo will resurrect from his slumber; the very slumber that saved him from the obliteration of the world. X’Narepoens believe that once this feat has come to pass, X’Narepo will rise up and restore the world to what it once was, placing his followers in charge.

2. Ways of Worship
How X’Narepoens worship their god is quite an odd thing. They often capture and kill humanoids during their ‘week of the dark’, often burying the bodies at the base of cliffs or large mountains. It is said that the spirits of the dead join X’Narepo in slumber, keeping the god company while he rests his strength. The more one kills during this week, the higher one is held in religious views.

The ritual of ‘Gunshiba’ is a way to punish those who betrayed X’Narepo that are ‘unacceptable’ to kill. It involves forcing the individual to ingest a special paste them is made by the Eldors. This paste places the individual in question into a trance-like sleep. They dream and see many things that they fear, often driving the victim into a state of ‘half-sanity’, as it is called. Once the side effects have died down, the person is released, forever cast from the religion. To ensure all of the follows know this, a scarring mark is placed on the bridge of the nose. This scar cannot be healed as it is magically inflicted.

3. Standards of Conduct
X’Narepoen religion is barbaric in a sense, but with good reason. It keeps the ‘unpure’ from the ranks of the true believers. Neither man nor woman is held in higher regard than the other. In fact, if a X’Narepoen is found to be sexist in any way, they are also considered ‘unpure’ and will be kicked from the ranks of believers. This is the highest insult one could possibly receive as a X’Narepoen without being enslaved, killed or put through ‘Gunshiba’.

With more far more traditional belivers, the children will often be put through intense physically and metal training, making their first kill typically at the age of 8. After that, they’ll be handed over to Nemoen, typically an older relative or friend who had already surpassed their mentor, to be taught the ways of X’Narepo and his teachings.

4. Who May Join and How?
Anybody of any species is free to join the ranks of the worshippers of X’Narepo. To prove themselves, they must simply make an offering of a small stillborn child or baby animal to X’Narepo. They must have a witness to prove that they have done so. After that, they are officially X’Narepoen.

5. Holidays
The most popular holiday of the X’Narepoen religion is the “Week of the Dark”. During this week, the X’Narepoens will go out in groups or by themselves and kill other humanoids. They have a very strict way of killing. Poison is the most popular form; however, some external forms are used as well. Breaking of the neck, a stab to a vital organ except for the heart or a slit across the throat. Any other way will not be accepted and the body will be burned. This week symbolizes the week that X’Narepo took to fight his way to the ‘seat of power’, killing all who had sinned.

[Created by Ramok]