Divine Sanctum

The Divine Sanctum, though also referred to by its shorter name The Sanctum, with other nicknames being simply "The Faith" among Avanoran nations, or the "Faith of Eight", is an organized religion which is found mainly in the continent of Avanor and oftentimes within its former colonies. One of the major world religions, it is the second largest faith in the world behind only Otlam in amount of adherents, according to estimates from the Union of Nations.

The faith is sometimes mistakenly labeled as polytheistic, though in truth it is monotheistic: with followers believing that there is only one god, The Divine, though he takes the form of eight aspects. The faith follows the teachings laid out by the Book of the Divine, which, among other things, stresses the values of the Eight Teachings or the Eight Philosophies. This was written by the prophet known as Gabriel the Blessed, who was burned at the stake during the times of the Avanor Imperium. The main symbol of the faith is the Star of the Faith, which is usually depicted as an eight pointed star, or eight crystals arranged in the shape of a star, which Octums and Octias (male and female priests of the faith), traditionally wearing a necklace of the eight pointed star about their necks in the tradition of Gabriel the Blessed.

The Sanctum is highly organized, and historically was an important social, humanitarian, and political institution in Arganorh as the High Octum wielded mighty influence over kingdoms and monarchs in the middle ages. The faith today is decoupled from government and politics in most countries, though it still is influential through its effect on the morality of modern society and culture.

General Beliefs
The Divine Sanctum chiefly believes in the existence of the god referred to as "The God of Eight" or "The Divine" and its eight aspects. It is believed that the Divine itself created the universe and is a being incomprehensible to the mortal person. They revealed themselves to their prophet, Gabriel, in the time of the Augustine Imperium, and ordered him to convert the masses to the true faith. He spent his life in service to the gods, walking across the land barefoot and in tattered robes, with an eight pointed star necklace about his neck he preached the word of the faith and challenged the divinity of any mortal - questioning the Emperor's authority. As such he was burned at the stake for his crimes and became a martyr. He is remembered today as Gabriel the Blessed.

The faithful grew in number, and Octriums sprouted in every village and city. The Octums (m) and Octas (f) of the faith preached the book of the Divine to the peasants. The people were taught to revel in the eight great truths, to be humble, and to accept the mercy of the gods into their lives and to spread it to others.

The Eight Aspects
The faith believes all these aspects are different faces of the same god, though many who worship the faith regard them as almost separate entities. The Book of the Divine is the main text of the faith: originally written by the followers of Gabriel the Blessed, the receiver of the divine’s teachings who converted millions, who was then burned at the stake. Faithful gather in Sanctums on Sundays to pray and hear sermons from the Octio or Octia. Additionally followers of the faith gather on holy days, such as the feast days of each divine.

The "8 Teachings" of the Faith
The Sanctum outlines the “8 Teachings” for every follower of the faith to follow:


 * 1) Be truthful to the divines and to your fellow man. Followers must not partake in lying or deceit, and must not take false promises or give false testimony against another.
 * 2) Selflessness and charity are required. One must never partake in a selfish or greedy act at the expense of another. The theft of possessions from another is sin.
 * 3) Do no harm to your fellow man, one must show kindness and mercy wherever you go. However, do not allow evil to prevail, as one must always stand for the good.
 * 4) Every individual is the master of their own destiny, and is answerable in their actions in the end to the gods. No mortal may pass judgement on the soul of another, not act as master over another.
 * 5) Care for the poor and needy. One must always give to one that is less fortunate, and taking advantage of the needy is a sin.
 * 6) Focus on family and loved ones. A holy person cares for their family members, upholding their relationships with spouse and children. These relationships are holy in the eyes of the divines.
 * 7) One must admit when they have sinned or acted wrongly, and seek the forgiveness and mercy of the gods. Only a soul truthful to the gods and themselves of their shortcomings will make their way to a peaceful afterlife.
 * 8) One must worship the divines and their mercy. Upon death, a soul either goes to one of the eight levels of the afterlife, depending on the pureness of their souls.

Birth
When a child is born to parents who count themselves amongst the faithful, the child is usually taken to a sanctum by their family. There, a priest usually takes blessed holy oils and draws an eight pointed star on the forehead between the eyes on the baby, and anoints them as "born in the light of the gods". In old times, it was believed that babies who did not go through their anointment would go to the lower levels of the afterlife. Nowadays that belief has mellowed, and while the anointment is still widely practiced and undertaken by followers, it is not a requirement, nor is it believed that it has any effect on one's place in the afterlife.

Marriage
A marriage in the faith is considered a sacred bond between those who love one another. Unlike other religions, the faith has no laws on homosexuality, and anoints these unions - however marriages that involve children, incest, or polygamy are seen as an affront to the gods. Normally the two spouses enter their union at a wedding ceremony held in a sanctum. The two make silent prayers to each of the divines for their union's happiness and wellbeing, then promise to "love, defend, and protect" one another, and anoint the other spouse with holy oil on the forehead before the priest ties one of their hands to the other spouse with a white ribbon, and drapes a shroud over the couple - proclaiming them as one in the light of the gods. The pair then walk from the alter to the door of the Sanctum and, when approaching the threshold of the door, untie the ribbon and walk out holding the other's hand, signaling their union before the gods. This ceremony can be altered somewhat depending on person: in the modern day some will forsake the cloak, or will not tie their hands together, just hold hands. However most people partake in the formal ceremony.

Death
In death, the faithful are normally placed in the center of the sanctum while the priest anoints their bodies with holy oils and those gathered for the funeral ceremony recite a prayer with the priest in the Sanctum to wish the dead peace in the afterlife. The final resting place of the body is normally a burial ground or crypt. The dead wrapped in white cloth and placed in a plain wooden box - then buried in a cemetery. The burial has no religious connotations to it, the main religious aspect of the burial is the prayer of the family in the Sanctum.