Celestialism

From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

Celestialism_logo.jpg


Though an officially secular state in governmental practice and consideration, as well as having a vast swathe of her people non-religious as rule, the Serene^Union is not without faith amongst her teeming billions. Indeed, though variation is perhaps limited, one particular religion commands an impressive number of followers amidst a society dominated by logic, and science over all else.

Such a religion is known as Celestialism, literally "Of heavenly descent or origin". It is further unique in being the only sanctioned faith of the Aengelistoria Dominica; for in order to function effectively any potential religion must be exhuastively examined, mandated and cleared by both the Office for the maintainence of Law and also Internal Administration. Stringent perhaps, but none may argue their case otherwise.

In accordance with the Act of Supremacy [Houses of Worship & Religious proceeds] the only sanctioned state maintainer of Celestialism is The First Celestial Church of Solarri.


Ovierview of Celestialism

That which begot all.

Before flowers had first risen from their nurturing soil and focused their petals upon a star, begging for nourishment; before the first creature had slid painfully from the lapping waters of world-spanning ocean to fill gasp their first rocky breath; before the mountains had settled into their impossibly long silence above all and sundry, all was as black as the bleakast nightmare.

A void not simply empty, but incapable of ever becoming relevant nor viable. A formless wasteland without boundry and equally robbed of hope; for without even the stuff of life, how could that which gave comfort to it in that darkest hour come to fruition?

Hope however did not relent in failure to exist, for it found sustinance and existance within an alternative reality, seperated from the darkness and laid upon a tumulus expanse of the brightest colour, and swirling meaning. Here within this Kingdom of wonder, pure potential existed as the rolling waves of an ocean forever reaching and without anything so mortal as limitation. Expression not limited to bouts of inspired achivement instead mingled with raw emotion - As simply as reactions upon the atomic level ocurred.

Yet these ripples were not truly conscious - They could not form abstract ideas nor truly grasp the enormity of their abilities; as the tragic conundrum of potential truly is, that it must be somehow realised before it can be taken advantage of, this Celestial Kingdom of sorts remained sealed and quiet.

Though time had no meaning here, where nothing existed to appreciate the concept of limiting one's own existance, action did. As ripples spread outward they met other such disturbing movements, and amalgamated. Waves which were previously inconsequential soon found their energies boosted by collisions with their likewise kin. Tremendous vortexes gathered and span at velocity, sending heaving depressions within the energy which had once been as serene and still as a any stagnant source.

Thusly, did some spark of true realisation dawn, though none could be there to note when. As each crashing collision passed, so did some semblence of understanding dawn so that this lawless Kingdom did begin to exhibit deliberate control over its sorroundings.

In this way, was Adria, Mother of creation, borne forth into existance. At first unable to regulate true thought, but soon gifted the sentience needed to rise up from the vast energies of the Celestial oceans and ascend to control over all that remained beneath. She learned to craft the oceans, and to her bidding turn them to. She channeled energies, and created sorroundings from nothing and interest from mere imagination. For a time she was content, reveling in the capacity to change all that could be changed.

Yet she grew unhappy, as the energies mindlessly obeyed without qualm. For what companionship could be gathered from that which could ont understand loneliness? Adria was one, her realisation of consciousness a hollow triumph if none could be present to experience it also. And though she laboured to create a second blossoming of intelligence, as she herself had been first, all fruits of labour fell rotten, and unripe.

Failure followed her doggedly, and incited her temper to anger and furious retribution. How cruel a punishment to bestow life upon something, to isolate it thusly and keep from it any appreciation of such a special gift. Anger and sorrow gathered, as the foreboding storm clouds might give warning to a greater incident overhead, and the oceans of the Kingdom heaved forth heavily with mindless excitement.

With a terrible cry, Adria's sum sadness found realise, as the gates of the Celestial Kingdom tore asunder, her growing powers not yet under total mastering or control peaked at their potential without oversight or control; the energies of her birthplace finding a new and utterly silent land to flow unto - The void which represented all beneath the Kingdom.

Known latterly as The Big Bang (Simplified though ironically precise) though more precisely regarded as Adria's Sorrow, marked the beginning of the physical and tangible. For the void was forever changed and altered by the flodding forth from the Celestial Kingdom. Where previously there had existed nothing, and nothing further to become bored by the silence, now spurned random occurrences - the Celestial energy which had been save for Adria's manipulations silent, now found random release, forming themselves into that which came to be known in the latter day as the Universe itself.

Adria knew true joy, as she found herself free from what she now regarded not as a home, but a prison. She wandered the infantile Universe and found her abilities truly expanded by her unwilling fury which had granted freedom. It was here she crafted the first Star, moulding the now excitable energies of her Kingdom to a furious and burning brightness.


That which spurned others.

Of her loneliness, she found relief, for now this Universe would grant her companionship and from its expanding frontier, she plucked kin and breathed into them the true glory of their newfound position as cultivators of her garden.

And thusly did Khandrii become such a companion, and did Adria set to teach the youngling all she could recall and truly deem as knowledge. Taking great delight as a teacher did they tour what had come forth and learn - For the first worlds of rock and gas were shaped not as creations in their own right, but learning tools and delvings for Khandrii to come to terms with her abilities and influence.

However Khandrii soon found fascination in Adria's first construction, and begged so that her Mother might give unto her the secrets of its burning light. Relenting, Adria did so teach her first child how to ignite and place the flickering lanterns and placed Khandrii upon the path that would eventually see her known as the Sister of Stars.

For a time, they journeyed as two. Khandrii's knowledge expanding at a truly immortal rate to surpass that of her mother, whom chose slower, more delicate projects; the first galaxies brought together as collossal works of art and understanding. Eventually, Adria regarded the immense size of the Universe reason enough to sire further - And from this came forth her first son, Anyal.

Anyal's fate became sure as he happened upon the world sculpted by Adria and Khandrii, rocky and utterly silent. It span randomly and cruelly, without a strand of fate that might give it the hope of a future to complement an uninteresting and largely irrelevant past. Taking it upon himself to deliver to this globe endless possibilities, Anyal bestowed light from his Sister's stars, and crafted the clouds and sky that might keep out the harsh and burning heat from said lanterns.

He set about great rains, that might bathe the dry surface for a hundred lifetimes, until such time as even the tallest peak was submerged beneath the waves. On a thousand worlds did Anyal sow his efforts and failure was a price to reckon with improvement. Some baked painfully as his Sister's creations drew them towards fiery destruction and certain doom, whilst others never held physical surface - Instead swirling clouds of gas whose only anchor to spherical form remained the intense pressure bestowed to keep cohesion.

This Triumvirate; Adriana the Mother, Khandrii the Star-Sister and Anyal existed onwards. Shaping that which they came across and unleashing a myriad of ideas and possibilites upon that which had spilled forth ironically as accident.

However, not all was as it should be. As time passed, now existing as it could not within the Celestial Kingdom, resistance began to show clear existance. The stars which had been so easily crafted by Khandrii became bloated, and angrily red. The galaxies pulled together by Adria span violently, or collided to create grotesque new mosaics. Only Anyal's worlds escaped what seemed a rebellion, continuing as much they had done.

Initially, the Guardians of this new Universe simply forced their creations back to previous states. Yet for each star returned to its birth, another would remain eternally young only for as long as it took to escape the attentions of Khandrii, and expand once more. It soon became apparent the Celestial energy which infused all, that which the Guardians themselves were created from, and which flowed from their Kingdom was skewed.

It possessed a chaotic streak which prevented long-term shaping. It could not accept a role assigned and bucked authority in any form, remaining true only temporarily before warping and twisting what it had been moulded to into a new and unpleasant variation. As though impregnated with a scarcely-detectable malevolence which subverted all efforts at beauty, and reason -- Corrupting the Guardians' works with animalistic sly.

Aware of such an imbalance, Adria decreed that a final great project would be undertaken, to bring forth to this burgeoning Universe a myriad number of creatures whom would themselves bring great joy to all sorrounding and give forever onwards the Guardians purpose in being. It is this chain of thought responsible for bringing forth the first of the races, Kaeneians.

The Celestial Trinity worked as one; Ayal did craft them worlds and homes to inhabit, as Khandrii worked to ensure a steady light and shining beacon to so warm the world and her inhabitants. Adria from the stuff of pure energy, grafted bodies and from her own considerable will bestowed upon them an essence unmistakable in its perfection; possessing of the highest ideals and dreams which would be relegated not to slumbering, but to reality and achievement.

For a time, their great project suceeded admirably. These Kaeneians did awake and from the moment of counsciousness never cease to provide thrill and awe, as they spread forth and interacted to form a civilisation entirely thankful to those Guardians whom enabled it so. Disease and death were laughably impossible, banished and bade not to return for a million millenia. Content and assured their final work was true, the Celestial Trinity allowed themselves rest, to simply observe their beautiful children.

The corrupting nature of this new Universe however, would not be left to silence. For no sooner had Adria took deserved rest, than her children began to bicker. Their perfect intellects and attuned emotions clashing with one another where before there had been harmonious unison. Such disagreement quickly escalated, as Kaeneian turned upon Kaeneian and unleashed violence, and bloodshed. The Guardians so attempted as they had before, to restrain the influences of the dimension around them, but found themselves virtually impotent.

For the Celestial energy of the Universe had grown ill-tempered at being beckoned, and had revolted against virtually all authority and order. No longer restricted it surged as a swollen river might gorge itself on the shattering wood and mortar of a village impeding its catastrophic flow, uprooting and distorting the careful works of art previously left.

Adria took sorrow moreso than any can truly know at such a turn of events. She watched her children battle in vain, expend their every moment reversing and erecting what later proved vain barriers to the corruption and subversion. She observed her Kaeneian children burn, and pillage and murder without any comprehension of their true barbarity. At this moment she came to understand truly the terrible reality of the Universe created.

For at the moment of the opening of the Celestial Kingdom's gates, the spark of creation to break them open so was sorrow, anger and loneliness. The founding principles of this void had been set in unbreakable stone at the moment Adria herself had lashed out in fury at being so isolated, forever empowering the Universe with a mindless anger and sadness that would leach and drain at all things worthy.

The Mother of Creation felt sorrow anew, and knew that even she and her children could not hope to bring the strands of fate now guiding this rapidly degenerating existance into order. With a heavy heart did she bid her children, Ayal and Khandrii, to return with her to the Celestial Kingdom. At first and for many centuries did they refuse, so sure they were that the damage could be undone, true order restored. Adria granted them this time to rebel, for she was certain they would come to see the futility of their ways.

At it transpired, only Ayal returned - Exhuasted and embittered at the tragedy. For Khandrii failure proved too costly an admittance, and she elected to remain within the physical plane; to do her upmost to watch over those Kaeneians -whom had once numbered hundreds but now scarcely made a dozen- that remained living.

Realisng her daughter would never relent, Adria sealed forth the gates of the Celestial Kingdom, forever seperating the spiritual from the physical. Devoid of a surging river of replenishing energy the lifetime of the Universe was set, and time became a true factor - For without the Celestial energy forever reimbursed, the frantic growth could not be sustained and eventually, death would come to pass all.

It is written that Khandrii ceased to be a mere millenia after the gates of the Kingdom closed; for her life force was grealy spent without the same access and her constant exertions upon the violent strands of fate tired her so. It is said that at the moment of her expiration, she crafted herself into a final star; pitifully lit so that it might never dare to compare itself with brighter brethren, and burned only briefly. Whereupon that sun became asn cold as the unforgiving void sorrounding, did that star became the world known as Solarri.

Yet other life sprang forth - For the Universe now free of the restraint of the Guardians set a thousand actions in motions and stole from the Celestial Trinity their works; Ayal's worlds so painfully crafted were thusly taken and manipulated to bring forth other races - Some of suprising worth and others of terrifying dread.

The future's end.

Thusly it is written that eventually, when the final stars have glimmered last, and the oceans boiled unto dust, the glow of life shall fade to black, and all shall be as before it began; with the Guardians coming forth once more from the Celestial Kingdom to recreate a better, more just world free from the terrible tarnishing that afflicted their initial creations and brought such unhappiness upon all that lived within that time.

Beliefs

The central tenet of faith within Celestialism is that the Universe is intrinsically prone to evils. The fabric of reality is submerged in a simmering vat of sadness, pain and loneliness that cannot truly realise its own folly. Only the continued deeds of the true retain a balance that prevents the premature destruction of all that exists today.

The essence of a Kaeneian, their 'soul', is not of the same fabric as the Universe. It is bestowed from beyond for the Guardians, though isolated still reach forth from the Celestial Kingdom to aid and assist Kaeneian kind when the threat is great, or the sorrow unbreachable. As such all whom are born are thus born kindly of spirit and pure; it is later for their soul to become impeached, as all irrespective of personality are under constant assault and whispered nightmares from that which binds them to their reality.

When one dies, their essence returns to the Celestial Kingdom and though it is not sentient in the true meaning of a conscious Kaeneian, it is self-aware and resides there under the care of the Guardians. All return when perished; those of good and evil, for their essence remains Celestial in origin.

Those whom are deemed pure of heart, can be remade by Adria upon the expiration of this Universe and the beginning of the next. For without the same error the second existance shall be a true paradise of happiness and glory; where the Guardians shall set right all that is wrong and bring forth all to live as they should have lived.

For those too corrupted by the intrinsic evils of their reality, there can be no rebirth. For the Guardians can remould not the Celestial Energy which resists them most, and for those that consequently do there can be no new life. This is neither condemnation nor a true 'hell', for they simply cease to be, or exist.

Scriptures

There are three primary tomes of religious work pertaining to Celestialism, whose age and considerable length lend to them official status as "Texts of the faith," and as such, considerable respect and study amongst theological groups. They are:


The Book of Adria. (The beginning of all that began)


The Book of Khandrii. (The reason for all that is)


The Book of Trinity. (The future of all that shall be)

Doctrines of Adherance

The Doctrines of Adherance can be found in the Book of Trinity, which dictate the guidlines laid down to what is "permissable and true behaviour".

From that which you own give, for that which you give is love for your neighbour.

The Celestiality of all life is assured; judge your kin not upon their differences.

Take not the greatest gift of Adria (Read: Life) lightly.

Right all wrongs committed, lest the wrongs become your only constant.

Sorrow knows not love, and the greatest weapon against evil is such love.

There can be no higher authority than he who guides his own life.

Thoughts on Celestialism

Celestialism possesses a number of unique ideas amongst world religions which set it apart from anything considered "Mainstream". For example with its core tenant of sorrow and failure, this Kaeneian religion does not protray a truly "happy ending" as related faiths such as Christianity may to believers. The purpose of existance is to exist, rather than await some truly spectacular reward at its termination.

Also, Celestialism does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual identity ability or race. Indeed it is possibly one of the few religions in the world which welcomes forth other species into its fold, as the Book of Khandrii speaks of other races being spurned by the madness of the Universe and though not true children of the Guardians, still valued and worthy of hope.

"Loneliness shall never affect you as it has our place in existance, my children. For despite your great sorrow you cannot be alone eternally; for even sorrow in its infinite hesitance can create forth good, and I have seen with my own eyes those whom also look up upon the lights of Khandrii and squint at its tremendous glare.

You cannot hope that you shall lay your own eyes upon them in your lifetime, or your children's lifetime but believe in me as you have done for all else, that you shall come upon them and know their hearts to be as yours are - destined for the Celestial Kingdom at the end of all days."

Chapter III, "Solarri", Book of Trinity.

Interestingly further, worship is not tantamount to entrance to the Celstial Kingdom. Becuase by their very nature the Guardians are not truly Omnipotent they did not write forth utter devotion to their cause, and as the Book of Khandrii confirms, realise whilst the gates of the Kingdom remains closed they cannot have supreme authority.

The final Doctrine of Adherance illustrates this; "There can be no higher authority than he who guides his own life."


Religious affiliation as per population

  • Approximately 5% of Kaeneians within The Serene^Union profess Celestialism as faith.