Elandism

Real Life Connectionedit | edit source

-Judaism

Deity/Deitiesedit | edit source
-The Architect

Lore
The Elandites believe in one god, the Architect. The Architect created everything that exists. Once the Architect made himself, he first made the bright and radiant heavens, the lifeless underworld to balance out the heavens, and the world in between. He created men, who proliferated and spread out across the world. The Garden is in the center of the world, and the Elandites, who were cast out by Nshm h'r (Forest people), settled there. The Elandites made a pact with the Architect, where they would live in the Garden and be his chosen people, but only if they followed the Architect's laws. King Jonah was the formed the Kingdom of Elandia and made the pact with the Architect, he is regarded by all three faiths with reverence and is seen as a pious man. Many centuries later, the Elandites began to worship the demons and pagan gods of their neighbors, so they were often punished by the Architect. They eventually conquered by the Calradics, sometime before 1 AD by Emperor Brutus. While many Elandites accepted Makerism, a strong sect emerged which was opposed to Maor. These Elandites who rejected Maor would form the basis of modern Elandism. After several failed rebellions, were expelled. This caused an Elandite diaspora to spread out all over the civilized world.

The Elandites faced varying treatment, at times they would be tolerated and would even hold positions of power, while other times they would be persecuted and exiled. Many Elandites migrated to the lands south and east of the Calradic Empire, where they composed the Sefer. Unlike the Kitab or the Scriptum (Old Book), the Sefer is an amalgamation of different rabbinical writings and accounts, providing various laws and different interpretations for their scriptures. There are many different perspectives and views provided in the Sefer, although all Elandites agree on much of it. Mysticism and esoteric knowledge plays a heavy role in the Sefer and the other Elandite texts.

Information
-The Architect is impossible to be understood. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and good. Teachings on free will and predestination are inconsistent between the Elandites. The Architect does not have any gender, he is utterly incorporeal, and he is utterly incomprehensible.

-Elandites believe their Messiah will be a great leader who will bring peace to the world and who will be the redeemer of the Elandite people. Elandia will be reclaimed, a descendant of Yonah will lead them, the dead will be resurrected, a great temple will be constructed, and everyone will recognize the Architect.

-The Elandites hold a very vague concept of the afterlife. Most believe in a vague concept comparable to heaven, hell, and purgatory. Elandites will go to heaven, which has several layers, and there they will be with the Architect. Elandites who have done wrong will have to go to a state where they will be purified, this is not hell and this is not painful, and they will all partake in the glories of the world to come. The teachings of gentiles is inconsistent, but it is generally believed they will go to hell or they will stop existing. Some rabbis believe righteous gentiles may be a part of the world to come, while being inferior to the Elandites. Others believe that no gentiles will be a part of heaven and the world to come.

-Unlike Makerism and Sarria, Elandism is not a proselytizing religion. While there have been cases of conversion, it is exceedingly rare and it is seen as taboo by Elandites. Some believe that converts will always be inferior to true Elandites, while others believe that converts will be equal.

-Unlike Sarrians or Makerists, many Elandites believe in resurrection. An Elandite will be resurrected as an Elandite, a gentile will be resurrected as a gentile. Souls may be reincarnated until the Architect feels otherwise and sends them to their fate.

Notable Religious Figures

-Yonah (Jonah) was the first King of Elandia, he formed a covenant with the Architect. There are up to 80 prophets in Elandism, including those from before Maor and those after Maor. Elisha, Gomer, Menashsheh, Mikhal, Mikhah, Shemuel, Yehonatan, are all significant prophets.

Scriptures

-The Sefer and the Reshimat(Old Testament)

Miscellaneous

-The Sefer states that Maor is boiling in excrement for all eternity and that Adah was a prostitute who sold herself to a Calradic legionary. That, along with several disparaging verses about gentiles in the Sefer, has been used to justify the killings and expulsions of Elandites by Makerist kingdoms. -There is no concept like the Taker or Mudamir in Elandism. The Accuser is typically viewed as a metaphor for evil influences, while a minority see him as an agent of the Architect.

-The Elandites believe in a perfect "world to come," which all Elandites will partake in. Whether or not "righteous" gentiles will be a part of it is debatable. Being a "righteous" gentile is identified by some as following a small set of basic rules, which would only apply to Sarrians (due to their unitarian belief of god).

-Dar Tzeba and the west of northwestern Aserai hold the highest amount of Elandites in the world. There are also significant Elandite minorities in Bariyye, parts of Aserai, and Charas. Elandite populations are virtually nonexistent in the North, save for Reyvadin. They have a negligible presence in Dhirim and Calradica. They do have presences in Praven and the Rhodok lands.

-The Kingdom of Dar Tzeba is the only Elandite realm in the world. It is surrounded by colossal mountains and maintains some trade with its neighbors. It is ruled by King Nogah. Dar Tzeba prides itself as being the "Second Elandia" and the "pure" successors of the original Elandites. Some Elandites believe that the arrival of their messiah is imminent, which is apparently common in Dar Tzeba.

-Sarria has historically been more tolerant to the Elandites than Makerism, one notable exception to this was during the reign of Sultan Abdullah of Durquba, when he sought to kill all infidels. As such, Sarrians and Elandites have friendlier relations. Elandites in the Caliphate have better views of gentiles than Elandites who live in the Makerist kingdoms and have greater religious freedom.