Post by Nathalia on Feb 23, 2011 22:45:21 GMT -5
(Cards do have an afterlife that they can choose to partake of after they die. Though it is not playable on this board. All who have died can mix there, or they can move to more Realm or religion-specific group sections organized on different planes by those fervent enough in their ways or beliefs to need them.
It commonly looks like what you want or expect it to look like at the time and, through practice, can be manipulated to give the people there whatever they desire, though this practice does take time and learning.
It can be made happy, it can be made miserable, it can be made bland.
Cards can also reincarnate after death, though this wipes all but the vaguest vestige of basic personality from them to allow then to truly start anew.
Some Cards become bored and simply cease existing after a time, this is no cause for concern unless you were deeply attached to the person as it does not affect others around them, only themselves. None of the Realm religions are "true" as they have seen it, and no one has truly come back from the other side to inform the living what lies in wait for them.
Ghosts, as they exist on the alter-plane (or the living world) are not truly "back from the dead". In some ways, they have yet to die completely, being so unwilling to leave the world they are in or having been bound there through magic. They do not know what exists on the other side, or if anything does at all, and thus; cannot speak about the after-plane as none have ever been there and returned.
Supernatural creatures; such as the four Horsemen, Rasha the Undertaker, and the White Rabbit do exist; but they have no more knowledge of the reality of what happens after creatures move on than any ghost or living being.
Many of the Deities on the after-planes are either beings conceived of hope, wishes, and need, or were powerful beings in life who in death slowly convinced themselves that they were actually "Gods".
Very, very few Deities are actually "Gods" of any kind and many are far more lax than their followers.
The Golfam, for example, are often disappointed at how difficult their God is to rouse for any kind of combat or war on the after-planes against other groups, Deities, or non-believers; often far more interested in indulging itself or watching the world on the alter-plane.)
Now, onto the beliefs of the living:
Highlands: The Highlands and Avington have an incredibly similar religion that follows in the same vein of one another; they are nigh on interchangeable and one could conceivably go to a church in either Realm and find the practices almost identical.
The Highland religion most closely resembles Christianity; they believe in one, often male, God (most of them like to think of him as a Highlander, but realize that he can represent any Realm he chooses). He is thought to have created the world, is the God of everyone (not just their own Realm), and provides a rewarding life after death for those who believe in him, called "Heaven" and an eternal torment for those who did not, called "Hell".
Unlike those of the Calloo and some stricter parts of Avington, Highlanders will not make any concentrated efforts to convert you to their religion.
"You don't want to believe in God? That's cool, have fun in Hell." Being the popular opinion. Some will even refuse to speak of the nuances of their beliefs outside of their churches in order to increase the likelihood of their "Heaven" being populated by more Highlanders than not when they get there.
Living a prosperous, efficient, and "good" life is supposed by the believers to make you worthy of Heaven, while backstabbing, overindulgence, and slothful nature, along with non-belief, are supposed to send you to Hell. Many churches in the Highlands argue constantly over the correct interpretation of what prosperous, efficient, and "good" are really supposed to mean when applied to life. No two really agree.
"God", in the Highland religion, is often depicted as being a mostly golden Highland Feline with a masculine jaw and a long, golden mane. If any red slashes are depicted on him, then they are in the form of an "X" on his chest down the breastbone.
(This religion is one of the few to truly have a "God" of sorts, behind it on the other side. He/She/It resulted from the wishes of many to have something to believe in and rely on in their lives and is, in actuality, the Deity referred to by Highlanders, Avingtons, Lowlanders, and Villas; though none of them are aware of it, nor would they believe it if informed. The God very, very rarely ever has direct contact with the people living and prefers to let them live their own lives.
It will converse with its believers once they have crossed and has amassed a small army of truly dedicated followers it calls "Angels", who will occasionally enter people's dreams or guide their subconsciousness. Otherwise, it allows people to simply greet it and move on with their existence in the afterlife.)
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Lowlands: The Lowland religion is a terrible, broken thing, and does nothing to assuage the horror and misery that disease leaves the people of this Realm. Their belief centers around a Deity simply referred to as "Death", a male God who revels in torment and agony in life so as to prepare his followers for the true bliss that "Death" will bring. Commonly believed to be the God only of their Realm, they worship him without consideration of other Deities, believing theirs, not to be better, but to be true. Lowlanders do not try to convert anyone to their religion as it applies only to Lowlanders and Lowland mixes,keeping it to themselves and not bothering to explain to to many outside of their culture.
Lowlanders believe that once Death comes for them (literally and figuratively), he will take them to a place called "Hel". This fact alone is the only widely-spread aspect of the Lowland religion, and is often confused with the Highland and Avington version of "Hell". This causes people to sneer at the Lowlanders for not only living in a variation of Hell, but believing that they then die and go somewhere worse. How pathetic.
In actuality, Lowlanders use the word as it derives from their own language, as opposed to the common tongue; Helacavat, meaning: happiness or bliss. They believe that once taken by Death, they are delivered to an amazingly beautiful and healthy place, finally given riches, and healed of all their rot and hurts. The afterlife is supposed to be their reward for all of the horror and unhappiness they suffered in life, many believe that those of other Realms either have a blander afterlife than the one awaiting them, or that their Gods are in fact crueler and punish them for their lives of fortune and unappreciative nature. Lowlanders believe that every single one of them goes to Hel after death, good and evil, but that those who commit evil acts such as theft, torture, rape, and murder, are left with their rot as a mark of their misdeeds for all time.
Often depicted as a large, strapping Crocodile mix with huge twisted horns wearing a black cloak, he is a handsome specimen; rare and lovely as a Lowlander can normally be with a healthy green being highly prevalent in his coat. Many envision him with either a rotted ear or tail tip to make him more appealing to the everyman. He is often seen wearing a long, black cloak and carrying a staff with a skull of any sort mounted on top.
(Contrary to the most vicious and humble Lowland priests beliefs, this God does not actually exist.
Lowlanders were, in fact, Highlanders eons and eons ago. A good number of them decided to become nomadic due to poor location and split from the main group to live elsewhere.
They settled in the Lowlands as it used to be good fertile ground; decades of habit and tradition caused them to continue to live there, even when the land became poisoned against them (magically and otherwise) over time.
Inbreeding, surrounding decay, and disease that eventually became genetic; are what caused them to evolve into what they are today.
This bit of history has long been forgotten by those currently living on the alter-plane...though there are a few ghosts and some buried cities that might tell of these things somewhere...)
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Villa en Miir: The Villa worship the "Creator", a Bird-like being composed wholly of light, sound, and emotion, who created the world in its entirety and all the beings in it. They believe in a living God, one who exists in everything around them and brings them joy in life through the arts. They believe that the joy of the Creator is expressed in every song, picture, and dance; the Creator supposedly creating the world by painting the lands, singing the people into existence, and then dancing with them until they felt the emotions that the Creator was composed of, which brought them above the animals and Aces (though more liberal and open churches will cut the bit about the Aces out). The Villa are said to be made in this genderless Creator's image, its final touch upon the world to make sure that the joy the arts bring thrive as a people, not just as surroundings.
Most in the Villa believe that, after death, one joins the Creator; becoming one with it and being embodied in all forms of art. An of form of belief in reincarnation, some Villas think that it is a metaphor for how they will subtly teach the living the arts still through dreams, instead of actually becoming the soul of art themselves upon dying. The afterlife is supposed to surround them with their favorite form of artwork and them revel in and (interpreted in many ways) become it, in a form of incredible ecstasy.
Conversion of others to the Villa religion is not really seen as a necessity. Villas tend to view it as a Deity reserved for themselves, regardless of the fact that they feel the Creator made everyone, and are often content to allow the other Realms to flounder with their pitiful false Gods.
The Villa en Miir has one of the highest rates of docile agnostics in Wonderland; believing that there is something after death, but not knowing or really caring what it might or might not be; believing more in the spiritual feelings their preferred art gives them over anything a church could truly offer. Visitors to the Villa are often told to visit a Villa church service as the experience can easily be taken as less of a religious experience, and more as an incredible and diverse presentation of art and song.
(The Villa Creator does not actually exist, much like the Lowland and Avington Gods, this one stemmed from the original stories spread by traveling Highland priests long ago and was tempered by the Villas to better fit them. Though the God all of these religions center around will still greet them cordially (and tends to like its Villa followers for their fun) and accept them if they wish; many are too disappointed in the reality of it to continue their fervency from life.))
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Avington: The forests and deep woodlands of Avington worship a being simply referred to as "God". The Highlands and Avington have an incredibly similar religion that follows in the same vein of one another; they are nigh on interchangeable and one could conceivably go to a church in either Realm and find the practices almost identical.
The Avington religion most closely resembles Christianity; they believe in one, often male, God (most of them like to think of him as an Avington, but realize that he can represent any Realm he chooses). He is thought to have created the world, is the God of everyone (not just their own Realm), and provides a rewarding life after death for those who believe in him, called "Heaven" and an eternal torment for those who did not, called "Hell".
It is thought that the secrets were created for Avingtons as God's chosen people, to teach them humility and to let them know that they were truly blessed with this extra knowledge in life. An Avington's secret is, in many ways, viewed as the visual impression of their soul. An Avington or mix with a dead and blackened tree is practically seen as the walking dead; a creature without a soul, who has either had their soul stolen, or sold it for nefarious purposes...either way, a lost creature fallen from the path of God, and a thing to be feared and hated.
Some of the more liberal believers will take in and care for those with lost souls, in the hopes that they may someday find them again, but most will shun and fear them...afraid that getting too close might spell the death of their own tree.
God is often depicted as a Human male with vibrant green hair and trim beard, his tree markings visible on his pale skin and encircling his eyes in their branches; he cuts quite the commanding figure. Often bedecked with light, but incredible finery, and always carrying the holy book and wearing a crown of antlers, he is always pictured with piercing blue eyes and a stern expression.
(The Avington "God" is one and the same as the Highland Deity. This surprises very few when they actually get to the afterlife, especially since it tends to take on the appearance of a Human very closely resembling the appearance they made it out to be, with the exception of the golden hair.))
