Religion     Thanks ultimately to the all-pervading influence of the Alacris, Lur-Asko has only one religion in the strictest sense: the veneration of a deity known simply as the Creator. Though many people care nothing for faith and ignore it entirely, the legacy of the Alacris has ensured that no rival religions have met with any notable success. Ultimately, the land is far more divided by the various philosophies' opinions of the Creator than by the religion itself.

Antecessor Religions & the Golden Dismissal    Little information on the earliest known religion amongst the Antecessors has survived the reign of the Alacrian Rationalists, who referred to it as "Eldest Superstition." The beliefs apparently involved a blend of ancestor-worship and reincarnation, asserting that the spirits of the dead eventually rejoined the fabric of the universe and were re-expressed in later generations. In the meantime, though, these spirits could linger in the world, haunting old enemies or awaiting the deaths of loved ones before moving on. According to Alacrian histories, ritual worship and sacrifice were employed to appease these spirits, in the hope that doing so would earn a more favorable future rebirth for the worshiper and material blessings in their current life.

    The first religious wars amongst the Antecessors were between these predominant beliefs and an offshoot system of more organized worship. This new religion framed the cycle of reincarnation as something to be escaped rather than embraced and appeased. Its doctrines spoke of the Helix - a "spiral of ruin" that would eventually destroy a person's spirit if it did not escape the cycle into a state of restful permanence. Soon numerous minority beliefs - including cults worshiping what today is known as the sun, moons, and rings of Tsuunahgo - were syncretized into this religion. The Helix was now proposed to spiral upward into eternal consumption within the fires stoked by Helyo - a celestial deity of justice long identified with the sun. Through graphic descriptions of the fiery torment awaiting those who failed in their journey of meditation and ritual, the Helyoic religion gained many fearful followers. It largely prevailed in its holy wars against the Eldest Superstition, though both continued to exist into the First Alacrian Era.

    In one of the very few surviving quotes of ancient holy scripture, one Helyoic prophet described Rationalism as "a mighty curse, a mighty idolatry, one which makes a false god out of one's own mere thoughts." Unfortunately for ancient religion, this rival "idol" performed too many miracles. Helyoic theology was too dependent on authoritative holy scriptures, almost all of which contained doctrines that were utterly disproven by Rationalist science, such as the true nature of the sun. Meanwhile, the Eldest Superstition had long devoted itself to attracting the "miracles of the spirits," such as favorable weather and fertility; these were soon revealed as natural processes by the early Rationalists.In addition to their own life-changing advances in technology, Rationalists succeeded in blaming most of the devastating Nucleonic War on religious dogma, and selling the rejection of religion as a new post-war hope. Before either religion could overcome millennia of established doctrine and reform to fit a new understanding of the world, both were virtually annihilated by the zealous efforts of their new rival.

    The demise of religion was often "peaceful," as the rest of the Alacris and eventually the "adopted" species had little choice but to accept the evidence presented by Rationalist science and philosophy. Other efforts were not so gracious; some of the great buildings of the First Era were built on the literal ruins of spirit shrines and Helyoic cathedrals, along with the blood of the most stubborn ancient worshipers. Some have called this an unavoidable step in the progress of sentient civilization and the beginning of the Alacrian Golden Age, while others (most notably Prismatics) have decried the hubris of the early Rationalists and the euphemistic title they gave to the whole transition: the Golden Dismissal.

    Practically speaking, controversy about the Golden Dismissal is fruitless. All pre-Golden Age religion was ruined beyond repair. No ancient scripture or tradition survives with which the old beliefs could be properly recovered; in the words of an ancient Rationalist mantra, "If the gods and spirits could not defend themselves, let them be forgotten." Even the name "Helyo" is derived from the Draconic word helleh'oh, more frequently translated as simply "star" or "light source;" the original names of the ancient gods in antecessoroid tongues were deliberately lost.

    Curiously, two small legacies of Helyo-worship remain in Lur-Asko. First, in the architecture and aesthetics of Red Draconic abbeys - the towering spires and sweeping curves that often make them a modern city's most distinctive buildings. The permanent fire often maintained in their main sanctuaries evokes the old symbolism of the sun-flames in Helyoic cathedrals. Still, Red doctrine bears little resemblance to what is known of the ancient beliefs, beyond a superficial similarity in their focus on ritual and discipline. The stained-glass windows bear no images of sun-gods, but of watchful dragons, virtuous Vicars and agee'oy, and dutiful red-robed devotees. The first Red architects simply revived the aesthetic as a counter-cultural departure from the cold gray geometry of Alacrian cities.

    The second surviving legacy is linguistic. During the Golden Age, the word helleh'oh began to be used by non-Draconic speakers to connote the general idea of torment and suffering - a faint echo of the theology of the Helix. Eventually, this word evolved into the Concordic word hell. Furthermore, ever since the Draconic Wars, there has been no place more associated with ultimate suffering than the terrible city of the white dragons: Eer'Kalla. "Hell" continues to be a synonym for that reviled valley, and an adjective of the many horrors produced there (such as the Hellborn armies). Much like the doom of ancient "miracles" upon meeting the actualized wonders of science, no fear of theological torment could outlive the dread of the real-world hell revealed in Eer'Kalla.

The Three Unanswerables & the Creator Religion    Despite Rationalist victory, the Alacris could not fully overcome the religious impulse seemingly conditioned in many sentients. A half-scientific, half-religious doctrine known as the Three Unanswerables soon arose - three issues that Alacrian science hadn't resolved, and which many philosophers postulated as impossible for beings within the universe to answer. Traditionally formulated as Time from Untime, Life from Unlife, and Soul from Unsoul, these referred to the mysterious origins of the cosmos, natural organic life, and sentient consciousness, respectively.

    A new deistic entity called the Creator soon appeared in the beliefs of Alacrian thinkers, so named because of what they needed this god to do: perform the necessary creative acts behind the Three Unanswerables. These new religious ideas spread almost immediately to the masses, but were ridiculed by the Rationalist elite. The latter saw this "latest god" as a lazy stopgap explanation for questions that would either be inevitably answered, or which could be safely accepted as mysterious without irresponsible speculation. Yet despite their protests, the Creator went on to become the generally accepted religion of the Alacris - and, by extension, of the Subject Species as well. Now the religious impulse was not to be ignored or cut out, but merely purged of emotionalism and superstition. The educated elite reluctantly devoted some effort to establishing an "orthodoxy" for the new beliefs - namely, refuting those who wished to reintroduce old religious ideas such as miracles and reincarnation, reimagined as deeds of the Creator.

    The resulting "religion" barely qualified as such, at least in the sense of the religions that had come before. Creator-worship lacked ritual, clergy, blessings, holy scripture, or complicated doctrine. Philosophers held the Creator to be the ultimate Being, the Person responsible for all persons, the very Foundation of the universe and consciousness. Yet based on the overwhelming weight of all evidence, the Creator was not intervening observably in the universe, regardless of any potential past role in the Three Unanswerables. No one speculated that the Creator might give instructions or revelation to their creatures; many scriptures and traditions had already been purged from the world. Belief in the Creator went only as far as it needed to, and no further. Questions which had once been the domain of religion - areas such as morality and the meaning of one's life - were now relinquished to philosophy.

    Later, a more mature Rationalism went on to largely repudiate the "unanswerability" of the Three Unanswerables. Alacrian chemists and biologists eventually answered many of the details of Life from Unlife, just as their neuroscientists catalogued the alleged aspects of the "soul" as brain functions - observations which had long since been made by dragons and demonstrated by their telepathy. The cause of the cosmos itself was still unanswered, but its origin had been dated to an expansion of sorts some 15 billion years ago, and words like "cause" were not even sure to be relevant at the quantum scale of the beginning of time. The Three Unanswerables were thus gradually undermined as an idea, to the point of near-total irrelevancy amongst philosophers by the peak of the Golden Age. But by then it was too late for the masses. All the controversies and arguments had prevented the unanimous atheism that Rationalist scientists had once thought inevitable, and the largely "harmless" Creator had become too firmly entrenched to be worth any effort to purge.

Afterlife & Null    Beliefs about the Afterlife were present even from the early years of the Creator religion. Soul from Unsoul implied that sentient beings may be more than the sum of their material parts, so the question of whether the soul could survive death were inevitable. Early Rationalists observed that nothing in the world was ever truly destroyed; indeed, the non-destruction of mass-energy was a fundamental law of Alacrian physics. Therefore some believed that, if the soul existed, it may not be able to be destroyed. Furthermore, if the Creator was the ultimate source of consciousness, it stood to reason that a soul might pass back to them once its body was dead. Belief in this Afterlife was as widespread as it was vague; Alacrian culture now cared little to discuss things which could never really be studied. Virtually the only fact that could be known was that the Afterlife, if it existed, was a permanent and complete separation from the universe of the living - otherwise, evidence of its nature would have already been discovered.

    Given the questionable nature of the soul and the lack of Afterlife evidence, some Alacris denied its existence entirely. In its place arose the Null - the fading of one's consciousness into permanent nothingness upon the death of the brain, just as it did not exist before one's brain was formed. Such a prospect evoked too much terror and meaninglessness for the majority of the Alacris, but its proponents held it as actually preferable to an ominously unknown eternity.

    Notably, both concepts still exist not only in modern Lur-Asko's thought, but in its most severe curses and war-cries. A person who curses a rival "to hell" is wishing them suffering or trouble, but one who curses them "to the Afterlife" or "to the Null" fully wishes them death.

Modern Creator Religion    Those who have sought a rival god to the Creator have had to start their own cults, as there is no way to revive the pre-Alacrian religions. Of course, such cults are rare, and those who dislike Creator religion decide more often to simply avoid it. Others devote themselves wholeheartedly to religious pursuits, but these must inevitably use one of the ten philosophies to proceed in their studies. Anyone who seeks to do the Creator's will, earn favor from the Creator in the Afterlife, or convert others to their beliefs in the Creator must use philosophy to decide what each of those pursuits looks like. Each of the philosophies inevitably remakes the Creator in its own image, envisioning the deity as in harmony with truth as the philosophy perceives it. Many sages argue that there are really ten religions in Lur-Asko, as the differences between the philosophies' ideas about the Creator can often seem far more extensive than the basic Alacrian foundation on which they agree.

    One distinction of more recent Creator religion is a much greater tolerance for providence. An invisible and unprovable form of divine intervention, providence is what the people of Lur-Asko hope for when they pray to the Creator in city chapels (another institution that did not exist in Alacrian society). Extant as a large minority across many philosophies, believers in providence care little for proving their beliefs, though they also stop short of claiming the outright miracles of the extinct Antecessor religions. They simply have faith in the subtle goodness of the Creator, however their own philosophy defines goodness. The exact origin of providential ideas is unknown, but it is likely related to the much more perilous existence of Lur-Asko civilization today when compared to the Alacrian Golden Age. Indeed, the very survival of sentient species is often cited as evidence by believers. Of course, equating this coincidence to "evidence" means that providential thinking is rejected by the more cautious minds within every philosophy, and near-unanimously by Rationalists.

    Today, Rationalists are generally among the least religious, despite originating Creator religion in the first place. The philosophy's irreligiosity is exceeded only by the Dark Path, which rejects the sacred entirely, and Nihilism, which mocks virtually any idea so grandiose. Meanwhile, Red Draconic philosophy is by far the most spiritualized of the ten, constantly incorporating Creator themes and religious symbolism. Ascendancy is arguably next in line, but Methodian religion is far more influential, and tightly correlated with modern providential thinking about the Creator.

Draconic Religion    Dragons are extremely secretive about their religious beliefs. Only a few scant facts have been revealed to trusted acolytes, and only late in the Second Aeon. By all accounts, the Protodragons - along with their red and white offspring - revered a group of beings usually translated as Genitor-Gods. The term connotes direct ancestry, to a greater degree than a mere creator, but not to the extent that it could not be a metaphor. Most analysts have concluded that the Genitor-Gods were indeed literal ancestors, but that they are revered to a much greater extent - far more reverence than would be considered appropriate towards even the Protodragons. Whether the Genitor-Gods existed on far-prehistoric Tsuunahgo or elsewhere in the universe depends on one's beliefs about draconic origins (see Dragon Lore).

    It is unclear if draconic religion entails any specific rituals or practices, or whether or not the dragons believe that the Genitor-Gods are still active in the world. What is known is that several core draconic precepts - such as the notion that all beings should follow their true natures, and the prohibition on violence between dragons - are held to be direct instructions from the Genitor-Gods. These ideas precede modern draconic philosophy and even the Protodragons' teachings. Compared to Alacrian Creator religion, these doctrines seem uninterested in explaining the origins of the universe or of non-draconic life. The beliefs also seem to contain no equivalent to the Afterlife, perhaps appropriately for beings that thought little to nothing of death until after the Draconic Wars.

    Although these few facts have been begrudgingly released to acolytes over the centuries, both colors of dragon forbid mortals from any reverence towards the Genitor-Gods, apparently viewing it as "natural" only for their own kind. Likewise, very little influence has been exerted in the other direction - though they encourage Creator-worship in their own acolytes, dragons seem to view it as irrelevant to themselves.

Religions Outside Lur-Asko    The Koh-Trr nation in the Far Remote, because of the influence of the Protodragon Onnoma, followed philosophies of rigorous discipline - a common thread between Onnoma and his red descendants. They also partook in ancestor-reverence, the details of which varied from region to region. Still, most scholars hesitate to call any Far Remote beliefs a religion. They seem to lack the outright worship afforded to ancestor spirits under the Eldest Superstition, or even to the Genitor-Gods under draconic religion. Koh-Trr typically focus on living a virtuous and honorable life, trusting in the order of the universe to handle it from there (in the event that they believe in any sort of afterlife at all, which is not universal across Far Remote regions). Some of those who settled in Macska have accepted Lur-Asko's Creator religion, though they filter it through Red Draconic philosophy almost as much as actual acolytes.

    Prior to their assimilation into Hal'Tayatic culture, the Vitur Roc followed a polytheistic religion involving the worship of several sea, storm, and battle gods. Some researchers believe that this religion may have been inspired by the power of the Protodragons when they rescued the Roc from the asteroid disaster. Still, the lack of any clear draconic imagery in Roc culture - as well as dragonkind's refusal of worship by mortals - stands against this view. Most academics instead hold Roc polytheism to be an ancient relic dating back to their Wynthian past - a sentiment shared by many progressive Roc and elves during the Adventuring Age. Today, almost all Roc have adopted the elves' Alacrian ideas about the singular Creator. The old beliefs and traditions survive only in honorary or aesthetic contexts, and even then mainly in specific warrior-clans such as the Einhayizh and Svartari.

    Since the humans of Wynthia were deliberately settled there during the Golden Age, they were already inculcated with the Alacrian religion. However, according to Manusian accounts, their faith has since been corrupted into a tool of control by the lich Eulissis. Wynthian propaganda relentlessly affords him the title of "Creator-Blessed," and the Manusian refugees decried many Wynthian religious practices as outright "emperor-worship."

    Religious beliefs in the Deep remain unknown, thanks to the amnesia inflicted upon Therbolgite Sojourners and Exiles.
Accusations of Religion    Calling something other than the Creator faith a "religion" is almost always an insult in Lur-Asko - amusingly, even when the accusation comes from the religious. Such verbal battles are almost always philosophical assertions seeking to bolster themselves with a sense of spiritual indignation. Still, the claim is often effective in rallying commoners ill-informed about the details of certain beliefs.

    With the heavily religious symbolism maintained by Red acolytes, they are popular targets for such attacks. "Dragon-worshiper" is an insult often thrown around in regions less sympathetic to Red abbeys, such as Hal'Tayat and Chthon. When denied by both the dragons and their acolytes, the argument often becomes that it is essentially worship, if not literally. Red acolytes honor their dragons as "Blessed Sovereigns," after all, and nearly always defer to the authority of their Vicars. Still, Reds are firm in their refutation - the dragons' authority is based on their superior understanding of the natural world and natural law made by the Creator, not in some deific status of their own. A more recent "moderate" opinion promoted by Prismatic scholars holds that red dragons stepped into the theological role once filled in pre-Creator religion by Helyo's holy angels, thus further explaining the Helyoic themes in Red architecture - a claim that has managed to anger both sides of the debate.

    The common root of discipline and order has lent itself to a similar religious aesthetic between Red and White philosophy. White acolytes hold fatalistic Phonoss to be very much a product of the Creator's natural law, just as Reds believe that struggle is natural. Still, Whites tend not to invoke the Creator quite as often, and it is often in mockery of Red beliefs when they do. The "sanctuaries" found in Eer'Kalla, and sometimes set up in lesser war-camps as well, are laid out in a similar way to those of Red abbeys. There, the Symbol of the Creator looms over ritualized mass torture and sentient sacrifice. White religiosity looms large in Lur-Asko minds regarding the dangers of "cults," and it is often easier to cast them as dragon-worshipers than to confront the unsettling similarities to religious language used elsewhere in the Creator faith.

    Curiously, the next most frequent target of religious accusations are the dragons' enemies, the Aterr. In many rural folk tales, the Aterr are "moon cultists" who serve the Restless Sleeper - often protrayed as an eldritch and evil entity out to destroy moral goodness and turn people away from the true Creator. This essentially superstitious tradition is mutually reinforced by more measured stances often found in Orthodox arcane schools (particularly Red-influenced ones), which characterize the Restless Sleeper's corruption as subconscious and manipulative. This helps the accusation bypass the claims of actual Aterr texts and beliefs, which universally hold the Restless Sleeper as simply a source of power and confirmation, rather than anything sacred or authoritative.

    Of course, the "nothing is sacred" stance of the Dark Path is sabotaged in the public eye by stories of the Svartari - the Vitur Roc clan who serve the Aterr as couriers, ferrymen, and occasional soldiers. The Svartari recycle many old symbols of Roc polytheism, and refer to the Aterr as the "Shadow-Gods," just as Old Roc mythology did. According to an oral tradition suspiciously similar to a religious prophecy, the Svartari claim that the "Shadow-Father" (Atro Vys) made a pact with them in ancient times, that they and the Aterr would fight side-by-side in an apocalyptic "Day of Star and Shadow." Apparently, this refers to a final epic war against the "Star-Gods," the dragons. Educated analysts hold that the Svartari are genuinely Dark Path, reinventing ancient Roc mythology for their own enjoyment - not out of any actual devotion to their arcane allies as true gods, given that they also call their enemies gods. Some Prismatics even praise them for preserving their cultural heritage, even if in a slightly ironic way. Still, the language used gives the strong face-value appearance that the Aterr are accepting worship. The Aterr, of course, pay as little heed to this criticism as they do to any other.