NOS



Within the Tawdonian Empire the citizens worship a single god called either NOS, the Three-Faced God, or The Aspected One. Each face of the god has a distinct name and purpose. This is the official religion of the Empire but the belief has spread to other locations and churches can be found within The Frontier.

The Faces of NOS
Followers of NOS, commonly called 'NOSians', believe that the influence of these aspects rises and falls, and these changes can affect both the world as a whole and their lives as individuals. NOSians believe that balance between the three aspects is essential to the stability of the world, and that if they achieve balance of these three aspects in their own lives it will result in personal happiness and enlightenment. Likewise, balance between the aspects on a societal level leads to prosperity and growth.

There is no room in NOSian theology for other gods. Anything claiming to be another god is interpreted either as a heretic, a fake, or as an aspect of NOS. Anyone claiming to worship another deity is dismissed as being a heathen.

Core Tenets

 * Balance in all things.
 * There is only one god, and it is NOS.
 * Nothing is coincidence, all is NOS's will and influence.
 * NOS does not directly interact with mortals, we are but guided by them through the natural flow of our lives.
 * Any being that appears claiming to be NOS is false, and heresy.

The Church of NOS
The Church of NOS is a highly structured formal church originating in Tawdic City. The church consists of a hierarchy of priests called Primes and Arch-Primes, led by the Primus. Across the Empire and in the Frontier there are also monastic communities of monks and nuns. There have been no major church schisms - or at least no remaining rival churches.

The church holds a lot of wealth - in most Imperial towns and villages, the church is the most ornate building in town. The Church owns a lot of land and uses The Servants Guild to find folks to work it, and this money serves to further enforce the power of the Church. The upper echelons of the church are very political and can also be quite corrupt.

The further in distance from the Primus' seat in Tawdic, the more regional variance there is in church ritual. NOSians originating far from the Empire's borders may not know official forms of address or proper rituals, marking them as outsiders and sometimes inviting disdain from elitist Imperial officials.

While the goal of the followers of NOS are to strive for balance between the three aspects, to better guide the followers some priestly orders devote themselves to a specific face of NOS - sacrificing their personal balance to perfect skills and teachings related to one aspect so as to better serve their followers. Priestly orders devoted to Ney may specialize in delivering births or performing weddings, orders devoted to Olt may specialize in the collection of knowledge or the teaching of children, and orders devoted to Sim may specialize in the treatment of illness or performing funeral rites. Specialized orders are mostly seen in cities and large towns of substantial population, but may also be found in remote monasteries.

The order of importance within the Church, from lowest to highest, is Priest, Prime, Arch-Prime, Primus.

The Primus
The Primus is the leader of the NOSian church, the ultimate religious authority in the balance of the aspects. He controls the hierarchy of Arch-Primes and Primes, and in turn the hierarchy is expected to report to the Primus.

During the life time of Medaka III, Medaka held both the position of Primus and that of Emperor. It became obvious during his reign that what was in the best interest of the church was not always in the best interest of the Empire and vice-versa. After that it was agreed that these roles were best kept separated.

The current Primus is Primus Laetillus II.

Magic and the Church
Followers of NOS believe that magic is a gift of NOS. They believe that NOS unleashed it into the world, in order to compensate humanity for the horrors of The Plague

The Order of the Talon
The church maintains a religious order of knights known as the Order of the Talon. For more information, see their page.

Life as a NOSian
Worship of NOS is structured around the church - a NOSian community gathers at the church for festivals and feasts, and offer prayer. The unknowable nature of the Aspected God means that a NOSian is less likely to pray for a direct blessing, but instead pray for personal fortitude. Where a Faeist would ask for a direct sign from Faerie, a NOSian would ask for the wisdom to see what is already in front of them. Other prayers commonly revolve around the weather - asking for NOS' will to bring forth clear skies or to end a drought.

The year is divided into three seasons named for the three aspects, with a feast marking the fall of one and the rise of another.

All NOSians are taught that their soul is their most direct connection to the will of NOS. The nature of their soul determines their potential and to squander it is to defy the will of NOS. For this reason, deals with demons that trade away parts of a person's soul are seen as acts of blasphemy.

Willingly becoming undead is also an act of blasphemy. Death is inevitable, and to subvert it is to defy the will of NOS. What this means for unfortunate souls who are made undead against their will can vary - some priests see their destruction as a necessity to enforce the aspect of Sim, others may see their new life as a possible chance for redemption.

Admission Service
Within a month of their birth, children born in the Empire are presented at a NOSian church for an Admission Service. At this simple service, the local Prime welcomes the new life to the church and the community. He will also bless the child in the name of all three of NOS’s aspects.

Church Service
Sermons are given traditionally on Sundays and Holidays, and are run by a Prime. It begins with welcoming the three faces, then the Prime will begin to speak of three things that relate to the community, connecting them to each face. The central service varies region to region, with some having repeating prayers, others a more open conversational tone. The service finishes with saying goodbye to each face.

Altars are usually elaborate and expensive. It is customary to have three coloured candles, white purple and black, one for each face of NOS. There is always a bowl to collect coin from churchgoers, and it is an insult to NOS if one can see the bottom.

Reaffirmation
When a NOSian does something they feel they have done wrong, they can speak to a Prime or write their sins in a chapel book. This process is known as Reaffirmation, affirming their link to NOS and their admittance of guilt. Reaffirmation is private, and is not revealed to anyone outside of the local Prime.

Holy Text
There is no one holy text for NOSians. There is, however, a book most churches keep called "The Collected Works of NOS", which include writings from the current and all previous Primus', influential Primes, and academics. It is academic in nature, and reprinted often with new citations and amendments.

Harvest
A good harvest is seen as a personal fortune as well as the will or blessing of NOS. Planting, tending, and harvest are a mark of the farmer's balance, and the weather being foul or fair is only by NOS' will.

Marriage
A traditional Imperial wedding is split into three parts, one for each aspect of NOS. In the ceremony of Ney the couple exchange wedding tokens and expresses their willingness to enter into marriage. During the ceremony of Olt, the couple vows to remain faithful to one another though out all the changes their lives may bring. In the ceremony of Sim the couple vows to stay together until separated by Sim’s final blessing.

Death and Burial
When an Imperial dies, their body is prepared for burial by washing it and putting it in clean clothes, then the body is wrapped in a shroud. Funeral prayers are said, ideally by a Prime at a church of NOS, but any of the faithful can say the prayers in the absence of a Prime.

It is then custom for family and friends to ‘sit’ with the body, for a full day. This custom has become even more prevalent since the dead began resurrecting. Once the day has passed the body is buried in a graveyard. The family will be in official mourning for three months.

The family will visit the grave every year during the festival of the Rise of Sim. At this time the grave is tended and food is left for the dead.

Imperials equate the Land Beyond with the Land of Sim. Here they expect good NOSians to be rewarded with Citizenship in the City of Sim. Those that are worthy of Citizenship are those that made use of the blessings and gifts NOS saw fit to grant them.

Heathens and heretics must stand forever outside the city in the Swamps of Sim. They can see the reward of the good NOSians but can never partake.