The Church of the Unseen is the promoted dominant religion of the Kingdom of Gomotesk.

Overview

It is a monotheistic, patriarchal religion that believes in the Unseen, a deity that the followers believe is the First, Last, and Only deity in the universe. Any other deities are false.

It is a fairly popular religion, though it is thought most adherents merely pay lip service in order to avoid persecution. Outsiders are believed to be deceived by false gods.

Worship

They worship in churches, in solemn group animal and food sacrifices. They celebrate few holidays, commemorating martyrs, and the Day of Repentance where all followers must repent their sins, and the Day of the Triumph of Truth, the day that the religion was made the official religion of Gomotesk a century after its foundation.

The clergy can be of any gender. Priests and Bishops participate as community leaders and wear a red sash around their foreheads. Others are monastics, requiring vows of chastity and poverty, and these individuals are distinguished by a painted forehead (red dye or blood traditionally).

Their symbol is the five pointed star with an eye in the center.

Beliefs and Doctrines

Their holy book is very short, the Witnessing of the Unseen, which is an ancient scroll safe-kept in the [[ Maro Parish ]]. Most of the doctrine is composed of commentary on this holy scroll over the centuries.

The Church followers believe that the planet was created from a void of chaos and that mortals were born out of the earth. All other deities and creatures are aberrations.

They do not believe in an afterlife and believe that the supernatural is to be feared and shunned, that they are abominations.

The Hall of Vanquished Lies is in [[ Abbey in the Wilderness ]]. It contains totems, idols, and holy symbols of religions long destroyed by the Church. The meanings of some of the symbols are lost to time.

Culture

They exalt piety, chastity, abstinence, loyalty and condemn blasphemy and cowardice. Followers who commit blasphemy or cowardice are judged by the Church’s courts and sentenced to have their eyes removed (in order to become closer to the Unseen and learn their lesson.)

Strong emotions are looked down upon. Stoicism is revered.

Traditions

Members come of age at 9 years old, happening once a year for groups of similarly aged people. They are placed in a cave alone for 3 days to become closer to the Unseen.

Marriage rites are private celebrations and only followers are allowed to attend. Marriage is meant to create families and create more believers.

Death rites are a public affair, attended only by adherents, and the body is burned with mementos.