Alderism
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| Theology | Polytheism |
| Language | High Attian |
| Founder | Alder Himmelschwert |
| Current Vater | Vacant |
| Origin | The Attian Empire |
| Territory | Norlanden, The Hinterlands, The Heartlands |
| Most Dominant | The Hadrian Empire |
| Separations | Makerism, Wahrheit Alderism |
| Cults | The Cult of Mortius, Alda's Sisters |
Intro
The most prominent religion among human settlements along the western reaches of the continent, Eden, is Alderism. As the name suggests, the religion revolves around the figure named “Alder” or “Alder Himmelschwert”. A mortal made God through his understanding of the Greater Pre-Determination. Those who follow Alderism believe that a greater force known as the previously mentioned Greater Pre-Determination is the ruling guiding power of everything that has ever happened and will happen in the future. Every possible state of the universe has been Pre-Determined by this force and can generally be cast into two distinct sides. The Ruling of Order, and The Ruling of Chaos. Alder was the first mortal amongst humanity who was capable of seeing and interpreting the two sides of the Pre-Determination and the guidance it provided to reach either of those ruling ends. He used this knowledge granted to him by the Greater Pre-Determination to pave a path for mortals to follow to the Ruling of Order. His excellent guidance in mortal life granted him a God-like status in death as his seed, The Nine Sentinels, were born as a result of his ascension and continued to guide mortals along the path to Order except one. Dolus, sentinel of Deceit and Corruption was born from Alder’s passing as well but unlike the other eight, he represents the darkness Alder bore within his heart and has become a Sentinel dedicated to guiding mortals to the Ruling of Chaos and through that, eternal damnation.
Mortals blessed with the chaotic power of free will are now at a crossroads between following Alder’s Guidance to enlightenment, or Dolus’ guidance to eternal damnation.
The Legend
The Age of Prosperity
1.1 Origins
It was in the age of barbarism when mortal life wandered aimlessly throughout the mortal realms. Their fate had been decided as without guidance to the path of enlightenment, free-willed mortals such as the first Attian Humans were doomed to fall to damnation under the Ruling of Chaos. Humanity dwelled in the darkness for ages until the rise of Alder, a mortal man destined to lead humanity onto the path to Enlightenment and save them from the pre-determined fate of Chaos. Alder was no man of high standing nor was he gifted with the spiritual blessings of the arcane and would grow up to become a simple thief to keep his family fed. Though from a young age, Alder began receiving visions of unknown origin. At first, these visions were dismissed as simple dreams, yet these dreams persisted with the same message. A call to action from the Greater Pre-Determination, an offer for mortal life to step on the path to enlightenment and rise from the darkness in which they lived.
It would only be when Alder encountered a golden feathered griffin in the woods that he said spoke to him directly when he was out foraging. The griffin appeared to be a spirit that emitted a soft golden light from its eyes. When Alder made eye contact with this creature, a voice appeared in his head that repeated the same message from his visions, telling him to rise to lead his tribe and then unite the northern people under his guidance. Only then could mortal life be saved from damnation. To achieve his first goal of rising to the position of king of the tribe, Alder was said to have been gifted a greatsword by the golden griffin before it faded. Through this encounter, Alder was set on his pre-determined path to greatness.
1.2 The Rise to Power
Alder’s first challenge on his path manifested itself shortly after he embraced his fate of becoming the chosen guide of humanity. When the priests from his hometown were made aware of a to them stranger preaching of a new faith, they moved swiftly to eradicate this newcomer before he created a foothold within the town. Alder was arrested by the religious cult of his town and brought before the high priest who in order to prove the falsehood of his religion challenged him to a duel. The high priest fought with a great axe painted red with the blood of those slain by it. Opposite to him stood Alder with his sword. A brutal duel ensued that quickly shifted in favor of the high priest until Alder’s sword out of nowhere erupted into golden flame. Those observing the duel said that they saw the golden griffin manifest behind Alder and that his sword became guided by the beast’s claw. With a single blow with this blade, Alder would strike down the priest, evaporating his body in an instant. From this point on, Alder cemented himself and his new religion as the new dominant theological force of the region as this great deed’s rumor spread like wildfire. Alder would burn down the temple of the old faith and have a sanctum to the Greater Pre-Determination built from which he acted as its oracle. He would continue this life up until the death of his tribe’s king without a living heir. It was here that his pre-determined destiny to lead the people would materialize for he would be chosen as the tribe’s next king.
1.3 The Unification Wars
Not long after his ascension to kingship was it that Alder was granted another vision from the Greater Pre-Determination in which he would ride atop the golden griffin and unite the tribes of Magna Attia under his banner and faith. He would start his campaign of unification a few years after his coronation, starting with those closest to him. Instead of outright attacking the tribes, Alder would allow them the option to join his army peacefully. Most kings accepted though hesitantly, fearing Alder after hearing the rumor of what he did to the priest of his home village that defied him. Others who would not accept were challenged to a duel by Alder, defeating most kings easily in the same manner as the high priest, adding to his legend.
After a short and brutal campaign in the south of Magna Attia lasting for a little over three years, most of the human tribes of the Attians were united under Alder’s banner. This great achievement marked the end of Alder’s first march and shortly after its conclusion, he declared his new domain the Attian Empire. Though impressive, Alder was not satisfied with his conquests for there were many more tribes to enlighten to the will of the Greater Pre-Determination. Alder’s second march marked the conquest of the north which he launched after ten years of ruling his southern domains, enlightening them to the way of the Greater Pre-Determination, opening temples, and appointing oracles to interpret his visions and spread them to the commoners. His visions allowed him to become an extremely gifted and wise leader who built an empire that was meant to last a thousand years. Massive progress was made in terms of education, warfare, science, magic, and the taming and domesticating of a variety of local creatures. Alder’s Second March was meant to bring the northern tribes of Magna Attia into the Empire and save them from eternal damnation through his guidance.
Alder would cross the great dividing river that previously marked the northern borders of his realm and repeated many of the tactics used on the southern tribes afterward. At first, this worked about as well as one would expect. Many tribes would bend the knee or fall in swift brutal campaigns of subjugation. These swift unification wars came to an abrupt end in Lilith's Veil of the second campaign year when Alder attacked a northern tribe during the harsh cold and with stretched supply lines. Alder once again would use his tactic of peaceful subjugation and when that was rejected, a duel. This time Alder would face a king blessed by voidal powers. This king, Barjandal The Mighty, struck Alder down with a demonic blade, wounding Alder severely and ending his campaign. He would return to his capital, Attia, once the cold passed where he started to slowly withered away. Imperial doctors tried whatever they could, yet none could cure the festering voidal wound Alder suffered on his chest.
This vile act of voidal intervention with the Greater Pre-Determination was an act of those who followed the Ruling of Chaos. This shock through the plans of Alder’s guide prompted a direct intervention in return from the Greater Pre-Determination’s Ruling of Order. As Alder’s days dwindled and it was clear that he would pass shortly, the Greater Pre-Determination preserved his essence, and when he eventually passed, reformed it into nine distinct shards of his being. These new life forms were known as the Sentinels, each representing a piece of Alder’s wisdom and granted visions from the Greater Pre-Determination. From that point on, mortals had to rely on Alder’s writings and teachings combined with the visions and pearls of wisdom granted by the Sentinels who now acted as the new custodians of the will of the Ruling of Order.
The Age of the Phantom
2.1 The Fall of Attia
It did not take long for Alder’s Imperium to crack and crumble in the void of his absence. The succession crisis was resolved relatively quickly as the predecessors of what is now House von Lichtenfelts took power over the Attian people and their empire for they were the first to align with Alder and were unwaveringly loyal to him, through this they were granted the by far greatest slice of the Attian domain. The new theological void left behind by Alder was cobbled together by his oracles into what is now known as the Temple of Alder. Where Alder’s Oracles are on a constant quest to interpret the scriptures and visions provided by Alder and the Sentinels after him. In Alder’s place came the “Vater”, a head of the new temple meant to act as a sort of replacement for Alder as the ultimate religious guide and leader to ensure the people of Alder remain on the path of Order. This though suitable solution was flawed for without Alder’s direct guidance, it would all come crumbling down eventually, and it would, for when the last Attian Emperor, Claudius I von Lichtenfelts, allowed himself to be corrupted by the forces of the Ruling of Chaos, it all came crashing down and Attia together with the entire Imperial heartland and Alder’s artifacts were swept from the face of the world by a great flooding, forever rendering the lands uninhabitable.
2.2 Modern Alderism
The remnants of the Empire fled south and resettled in the hinterlands after a brutal campaign of forceful replacement of the local less developed Hintish populace and from there, the new Temple of Alder flourished and shaped itself into what is experienced today. What one would notice is that the temple shifted its focus from directly interacting with the Greater Pre-Determination to interpreting Alder’s visions and writings together with Sentinel worship to ensure mortals return and remain on the path of enlightenment and the Ruling of Order.
The Rulings of Order and Chaos
The Fields of the Unliving
Alderists believe that they stand at a great crossroads between the path to either Enlightenment or Damnation. They have through the gift of free will the ability to independently follow the signs of the Greater Pre-Determination to either end of the rulings. Those who are unbelievers and refuse to follow either path throughout their lives are doomed to eternally wander in the fields of the unliving. This afterlife purgatory is without the guidance of either Pre-determinating force. Those who thread there are without purpose and without protection, ripe for the taking by the claws of voidal beings, making them their unliving puppets for all eternity in their demonic realms. Those whose fate this is are forever purposeless puppets free to be controlled by their new masters who do enjoy the guidance of Pre-Determination, be it for Order or Chaos. They lose the one thing they hoped to maintain by staying clear of any path, their free will, for it is their new masters who control their every move if they so desire, even if your mind tries to resist, your body shall march forward in eternal servitude. There is no way out of this fate.
The Ruling of Order and The Halls of Alder
Those who live their lives aligned to the path that Alder set out will after death find themselves beyond the fields of the Unliving and instead wander golden fields where golden apple trees dot the landscape. Throughout these fields run golden paved roads that will lead those who follow them to the Halls of Alder, a mystical place where the living may sit alongside their guide, Alder, once more in his renewed kingdom in the lands of the Ruling of Order where no being of Chaos can thread. Living under the Ruling of Order is a perfect existence far away from the world of mortals. Order reigns supreme under the guidance of the greater Pre-Determination’s side of order. Those who enter the realm feel as if they are enlightened as great ideas form in the mind, potential once being but a dream suddenly materializes as those enlightened by order feel as if the very air of the realm is saturated with guidance’s essence that ensures great success for every saved soul using it to further the realm.
The Ruling of Chaos and The Six Spires of Dolus
Mortals who for whatever dark reasonings decide to follow Dolus’ guidance and through him the Greater Pre-Determination's Ruling of Chaos will find themselves in the Ashen Abyss, a dark and vast woodlands that will eventually lead to a great clearance in the center of the realm. From this clearance, mortal wandering souls are met with Dolus’ scribe who judges the worthiness of the individual, reads their soul, and sends them to one of the Six paths leading from this clearance. Each of these paths should under no circumstance be left unless the mortal wishes to risk eternal enslavement similar to those who find themselves in the fields of the unliving, leading to one of six great dark spires. Each of them towers far beyond what the wandering soul’s eyes can see. Once the entrance of a spire is reached, the wanderers are expected to climb its steps to the top where their infernal blessing awaits. When the top of these spires is reached, the soul shall find Dolus who with a single touch burns the mortal skin off the wanderer and reshapes them into a Demon of the spire they climbed and thus now serve. Those expecting freedom away from the in their eyes shackles of Alder may find themselves tricked by Dolus for not all souls are equally worthy to him and thus may not all lead to infernal greatness. Some lucky souls may find themselves rising to demonhood as a powerful lord of Dulus’ domain, bound to his and the spire’s servitude and are tasked with destroying Alder’s guidance and the Ruling of Order at the head of Dolus’ infernal forces. Yet most souls do not meet this same glorious Chaotic fate and are reborn as nothing more as runt lesser demons that serve no more purpose than to be the pawns of Dolus doomed to eternally be reborn after they are slain on the field of battle or banished from the mortal plain by the servants of Alder and Order.
Each demon born anew from the followers of Chaos represents the spire they are birthed in. Those who are born as demon lords are reborn from the Spire of Wrath. The lesser demons are born from the other five, those being the spires of Carnality, Gluttony, Deceit, Greed, and Indolence.
Alder, Dolus, and the Sentinels
Alder | Himmelschwert / Common Tongue: Sword of Heaven | Ruler of the Halls of Divinity, Alder stands for balance and order. Alder was gifted a trait from all the Sentinels aside from Dolus, creating a perfect balance, and is described as the one keeping the realms from plunging into chaos. He is said to wield pure light and present himself as a nine-pointed star.
- Physical Depiction | A dark-haired man with fair and aging skin, clad in gilded armour while wielding Heillicht, a Zweihander said to be forged from the star of Hadrius itself. He wears a golden circlet, inlaid with rubies, and was said to ride an enormous Griffin into battle.
Dolus | Sentinel of Deceit and Corruption | Dolus betrayed Alder and the other sentinels during the great battle against Lilith, for which he was cast down and eternally shepherded fallen souls towards the Endless Plain, getting the same punishment in the process. They are no longer counted among the deities and stand alone.
- Physical Depiction | A hooded figure said to be surrounded by smoke. Nobody knows their true form, since Dolus is a shapeshifter.
Rosatia | Sentinel of Wisdom and Learning | Rosatia stands for wisdom and learning and is responsible for all knowledge of the world, she is the shepherd of all learned people. The first of the Sentinels to side with Alder during the Great War against Lilith after she observes his mind and deems him a flawless soul. She began rallying support from the other Sentinels, beginning the road towards unification between them. Rosatia bestowed the gift of wisdom upon Alder.
- Physical Depiction | Depicted as a fair woman wearing a white gown. She is usually depicted with a white owl at her side, as well as a book said to contain the moral truths of the world.
Salvor | Sentinel of War and Honour | Salvor stands for war and honour and is responsible for all conflict in the world. He is a leader of armies and usually a favourite amongst Knights. Salvor was the seventh Sentinel to join Alder during the Great War, having been skeptical of Alder’s worthiness until most of the others joined him. Salvor bestowed the gift of tactical prowess upon Alder.
- Physical Depiction | Much like Alder, he is usually depicted clad in armor and wielding various weapons. These weapons range from swords to spears and war hammers. He is depicted as a handsome man with brown hair, though he is scarred across his entire body from all his fighting.
Elric | Sentinel of Judgement and Justice | Elric stands for judgment and justice and is responsible for all fairness and equality within the world, he is an example for all rulers, judges and leaders. Elric was the fourth Sentinel to assist Alder in the Great War, following Aristea’s example. Elric became a vital part of keeping the peace between the united Sentinels during the war. Elric bestowed the gift of Justice upon Alder.
- Physical Depiction | Elric is depicted as a tall and thin man with blonde hair; he wields a golden staff in his right hand and a scale in his left. An eagle is said to follow him, whose eyes he can use.
Alda | Sentinel of Love and Beauty | Alda stands for love and beauty and is responsible for all things stunning in the world and the love within it. She is usually associated with motherhood and art. Alda was the sixth Sentinel to join Alder in the Great War, falling in line with Mortius after he convinced her of Alder’s intentions. Alda bestowed the gift of love upon Alder, and this love he then harboured for the Attian people.
- Physical Depiction | Alda is usually depicted as a tall woman in a red dress adorned with different flowers, she is said to be the most beautiful of all the Sentinels. A dozen of doves always fly near her, and these animals are now always connected to her.
Aristea | Sentinel of Fertility and Decay | Aristea stands for fertility and decay and is always associated with nature, she is the token Sentinel for all farmers and lovers of nature. Aristea was the third Sentinel to join Alder in the Great War, joining his side after witnessing him protect a forest from being corrupted by Lilith. Aristea bestowed the gift of life onto Alder, making him immortal like the Sentinels.
- Physical Depiction | Aristea is usually depicted as a short woman. Half of her body is in a state of eternal decay, while the other is life. She wields an ebony staff of which the top is a carved serpent hugging a lotus.
Reimar | Sentinel of Creation and Craftsmanship | Reimar stands for creation and craftsmanship and is responsible for all created works and materials in the world, he is the Sentinel most craftsmen and miners resonate with. Reimar was the last Sentinel to join Alder in the Great War and tried to buy his way into Alder’s graces by crafting his famous Zweihander from the Hadria star. It is said that when trying to forge this Zweihander, the sparks from the hammer became stars in the night sky.
- Physical Depiction | Reimar is depicted as a short, bulky man with dark hair wielding a hammer and a simple leather apron. He has a large ruby inlaid on his forehead and seems to be working in every depiction he is in.
Volker | Sentinel of Change and Destiny | Volker stands for creation and destiny and is responsible for writing the destinies of all beings in the world; he is the Sentinel most clergymen and fortune-tellers associate with and often speaks in riddles. Volker was the second Sentinel to join Alder in the Great War, which allowed him to see destiny.
- Physical Depiction | Volker is depicted as an older man with grey hair; he has a third eye which he uses to see the destinies of all beings and write them. Volker is sometimes depicted with a harp, the strings symbolizing the souls he weaves.
Mortius | Sentinel of Death and Dreams | Mortius stands for death and dreams and guides souls towards the afterlife, where he judges them and sends them to either the Halls of Divinity or the Endless Plain. He delivers all souls that have failed his test to the Endless Plain, where they join their march in purgatory with Dolus. Mortius was the fifth Sentinel to join Alder in his struggle against the tides of Lilith and gifted his knowledge of the souls he shepherded.
- Physical Depiction | Mortius is depicted as a hooded skeleton plated with gold. A skilled shapeshifter like Dolus, only the other Sentinels know his true form. He always carries a skull named Asmodai, after the first soul he brought across the Sea of Souls, which he uses to capture the spirit of those who have passed and judge them.
Workings of the Temple
The Steps of Alder
The Head of the Temple of Alder is called the Vater, who serves as the spiritual head for all the Alderites across Eden. He leads the Temple from the cathedral in Adelsburg and is said to be the closest servant to Alder present in the mortal realm. He has absolute authority on all matters relating to Temple and religion and acts as the mouthpiece for Alder’s will, he is elected through a vote among the clergy should the previous Vater die.
Arch-priests, priests and monks make up the bulk of the ranks of the Temple. These sworn brothers and sisters live and die in the service of Alder, and make it their life’s goal to preserve and spread his word. These brothers and sisters often do this in diverging ways, some opting for the path of a scholar, some opting for the path of a warrior, equally devout.
Joining the Temple is an easy process, to become an acolyte one must be clean in Alder’s eyes. Clean of guilt, clean of fault, by having the nine-pointed star marked onto one’s skin, burning away all that is unclean in the eyes of Alder.
The Way of Alder
The Himmelschwert lived a pious life, and a life filled with glory. To live a life worthy in the eyes of Alder, one must live it to the fullest. The Way of Alder teaches mediation in all things, and to gain strength through unity. Alder teaches three rules by which every Alderite should live, and are constantly repeated by those of the clergy: Alder teaches us not to destroy, but to create. Alder teaches us to act when others remain silent. Alder teaches us that strength can only be gathered through unity and that none should stand alone.
Every Alderite chooses which Sentinel they shall devote their life to at the age of eighteen, with most Alderites choosing one that fits with their employment and standing in life. The believers then attempt to live their life as their Sentinel imagined, caring for what they care for, and promoting their values. The most pious of Alderites who have chosen the same Sentinel to worship are commonly seen banding together in sects and cults, doing what they can to appease their deity.
It is customary for Alderites to pray to their chosen Sentinel daily, and for communities to gather together in prayer at least once a week. These communal prayers usually happen within Templees and cathedrals, but some pious sects prefer other locations. For instance, the most pious followers of Aristea would prefer their prayers to happen out in nature as their deity intended.
Symbolism
THE NINE-POINTED STAR
The symbol of the Temple of Alder is a white nine-pointed star, representing Alder and his eight Sentinels. These nine-pointed stars can be found everywhere, on clothing, armour, weapons and shields. Followers of the Temple of Alder can usually be seen wearing a pendant of this nine-pointed star, made from various metals such as gold, silver and steel. These pendants are worn around the neck or the wrist and are said to ward you from the influence of Dolus.
HEILLICHT, THE ZWEIHANDER
The weapon of Alder himself, it is very common practice for Alderites to either use Zweihanders in combat or adorn their clothing, armour and shields with symbols of the Zweihander. Having been the weapon that warded off the invasion from Lilith, it stands for good luck and perseverance through hardship.