Ætérnalism
Summary
Ætérnalism is the official state religion of the Priesthood of Ettêre Ðiffyt and had been the official state religion of the Kingdom of Kyaw Cen up until its constitution has been adopted on May 2024. It is, in general, the belief that Ætérnal is a god, and involves worshipping Ætérnal. There are currently five Ætérnal Shrines in Nguhcraft, three of which are located in the Kingdom of Kyaw Cen, one in Bažaxyžyn, Myžariky, and one south of Yuɱa in Xarslasja. The shrine in Bažaxyžyn is the first Ætérnal Shrine to have ever been built and the oldest sign of Ætérnalism in Nguhcraft. Ætérnal himself does not appear to believe in Ætérnalism, instead proclaiming „Hail Rabo” to all those who listen.
Charlottism
In some denominations, Ætérnal is considered to have a messiah by the name of Charlotte or Shar, hence these denominations are grouped under ‘Charlottism’. Historically, she was identified as ‘Queen ofLeporia’, however with the disappearance of this nation, modern Charlottists may no longer identify their messiah with any nguhcraft nation. Nonetheless, the human form of Charlotte continues to rule Hanebrug.
Charlotte was first proclaimed messiah by Hilja on the 20th of April, 2024[1]. Her stated reasons for this were the large amount of miracles which Ætérnal had bestowed upon her: he built a fully powered railway connecting Leporia to the Slab Exchange, as well as granting her a Riptide X trident (though only temporarily) and over 100 golden shovels, including an impossible stack of 35. All of this happened while she had only been present on Ngearth for a mere two days.
Modern charlottist nations include Ettêre Ðiffyt and Þunan Qumreá. Ætérnalist countries which do not recognise Charlotte include Imerchal.
Þunan Qumreá
(See WIP article Religion in Þunan Qumreá for more information)
Upon its founding, Þunan Qumreá practised a non-Ætérnalist faith known as Śácamþaśáń pentatheism. After Ætérnal helped catch the perpetrators of The Great Heist however, Ætérnalism became widely popular, especially in Saxland and Fájaþáw/Æscetoun. In addition, he was seen as willing to integrate into the existing pantheon, given that he willingly restored the Temple of the Sun, one of the then-five deities of Þunan Qumreá. After Hilja proclaimed Charlotte Messiah, the time was considered right to adopt the religion without losing too much control over its population.
On the 21st of April, 2024, Hilja proclaimed the extension of the faith to Þunan Qumreáń Hexatheism, adding Ætérnal to the existing pantheon, with Charlotte as his messiah. It thus became the first country to officially recognise Charlottist Ætérnalism. Within hours of this event came the discovery of El Dorado, which was thus attributed as a great favour from Ætérnal for his veneration.
In Þunan Qumreáń Hexatheism, Ætérnal is one of two gods who are assigned male (the other being Ár, the Earth). He is considered the God of Justice. In Saxland, he is often considered the only true God. Religious iconography centers on depictions of the trident (symbol of Ætérnal) and the golden shovel (symbol of Charlotte). Sometimes the two are combined into a golden trident symbol (as is the case in the Charlottist monument by El Dorado).
Ettêre Ðiffyt
The nation of the Priesthood of Ettêre Ðiffyt is an Ætérnalist theocracy, and is perhaps the most devout to Ætérnal as a nation. The name of the nation itself references Ætérnal, "Ettê" being the localized name of the god into Syltanennie, the nation's official language.
The nation follows a sect of Ætérnalism called Tripartite Divinity. They believe that Ætérnal is The One True God, and that there have been two messiahs in history, Agamashuya the Old Messiah, and Shar the New Messiah. Furthermore, purity and humility are prized as the two most important principles, often called The Principle.
The three figures are prominently represented by colors: Pink represents Ætérnal, Red represents Agamashuya, and Purple represents Shar. The Principle is also represented by a flower in addition to a color, the Lily of the Valley and White respectively. All the colors are featured on the nation's flag, and the Lily of the Valley is referenced in the name as "Ðiffyt", the Syltanennie name for the flower.
Therefore, "Ettêre Ðiffyt" translates to "Ætérnal's Lily of the Valley" in Syltanennie.