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[big]Firineire[/big][/center][big]
Religion in Fornoire[/big]
Firineire (Fornirian: Firineireim) is one of the largest religions in Fornoire. Practiced across Fornoire, it has ~32-33 million followers, and 20% of the Fornirian populace practice it. The Firineire believe that there are two worlds, or dimensions: the Spiritual and the Earthly, and that both are permeated by spirits. The good or bad you do in this life, they say, reflects on the fate of your soul.
Historians put this religion originating in the 10th to 7th Centuries BCE, very old, but not as old as religions such as Valianity. It is believed that communities where Firineire grew were struck by devastating natural disasters, and, upon their local gods failing them time and time again, they stopped believing in them and forged a new faith.
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Beliefs[/big]
The Firineire, as stated before, believe that there are two worlds, or dimensions: the Spiritual and the Earthly, and that both are permeated by spirits. The good or bad you do in this life, they say, reflects on the fate of your soul.
This fate can vary: if you lead a moral and honest life, you can be rewarded by finally being transported to the Spiritual World upon your death, and your soul will be eternal and conscious. If you have been evil and have lived a bad life, you are also transferred to the Spiritual World, but, due to your attraction for darkness, your soul will be corrupted by the Dark Lands of this theoretical realm, and will eventually cease to exist. Those who have lived neither a good nor bad life will be reincarnated, and will continue to be so until they live a truly pure or corrupted life.
Due to their belief in spirits, many Firineire honour their dead relatives, and, if they have truly lived exceptional and honest lives, you can pray to them so they can protect you from darkness. It is believed that family spirits who are believed to be on the Spiritual World and conscious can voluntarily come out and help their kin, sort of like a guardian of sorts from corruption and evil.
For a person to be transported into the spiritual realms, one must be:
- A moral person (texts on morality help those who seek to live honest lives)
- An honest perso
- A fair person (texts on fairness help those who seek to live honest lives)
- A peaceful and polite person
- Live a humble and don’t be greedy of your fellow man’s property (this has caused a rift in the faith, as some believe that even wishing money is greedy and not humble, while others believe that ambition is not bad)
- Don’t commit any crimes (crimes that go against the texts of fairness and morality can be exempted)
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Rituals[/big]
The Firineire do not have a lot of rituals. Instead, they pray to ancestors, loved ones and friends who have passed away and are believed to be in the spiritual lands. Their religious activity is focused on living a good, honest and moral life.
Prayer customs vary from region to region. For example, some just plainly pray, others light up fragrances that are believed to have attracted them in their stay on Earth, thus allegedly attracting the spirit more, and some pray at the tombstones, believing that the spirits have a deep connection to their burial sites. Thus, any whom practice the tombstone form of prayer believe that cremation will damage the link between you and the spirit that is trying to be contacted to.
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Sects of Firineire[/big]
Unlike other religions, Firineire sects are not that notable. They just differ on the form of prayer, and if having ambition is a corrupting force. Thus, there are two types of sects: Prayer-related and Ambition-related. Any person can belong to any of two different types (for example, you may practice the fragrance style of prayer and believe ambition is evil, or might also believe in the fragrance form and believe that ambition is not inherently a corrupting force).
Due to how minor their roles are, sects are not viewed as an identifying character of the person. They just have a different way of prayer and thought, but nothing like Valianity (OOC: Or Christianity, Islam, etc.)