Concisus Numinism/Traditions

Traditions

Rights

Marriage

Marriage is the institution by which noble houses might marry. Only members of the nobility may marry; the peasantry shall have no official institution. Only those of opposing genders may marry, as unification of the two genders is achieved, in part, through marriage. A person may have only one husband or wife. The children of a marriage will bear the name of the highest-ranking parent, to be decided by husband and wife. Divorce is allowed, but only in very rare cases. Marriage binds society together, and divorce breaks it apart again. As such, both sides of the divorce must be consenting and must each pay to the mithraeum a sum of 500 pieces of gold, as well as having permission from the elders of the mithraeum. Divorcees must find new partners within the week after divorce or else face the holy synod.

Concubinage is allowed by the mithraeum for the highest class of nobility. They may select up to five concubines of any gender from any lower class of nobility and must pay an indulgence to the mithraeum to the sum of five gold pieces for each concubine of the opposite gender, ten for each of the same gender. The bastard children sired on yourself or the concubine must be given a decent abode and education, though they will take the name of their concubine unless they endure the trials of purification, known colloquially as "adventuring".

Blessings

All Numinian priests may give out blessings. Earth, as the most basic shard, is the greatest representation of our God and is used in many blessings. Often a priest will run sand over a follower's head or rub charcoal onto his face, then utter a blessing. Blessings are often used by warriors before combat, by sinners who have come to atone, and to men who lie on their death bed that their soul shard might find a place in the heavens. Earth reminds the heavens of our base nature, that the heavens might take pity on us.

Swords are also often rubbed in charcoal before fighting against the undead, that they might remind the lost souls within the reanimated corpses of their origins and put them to rest.

Prayers

Prayers are not directly divinely inspired, and instead are developed by man themselves, in tribute to God or the gods above. As a new religion, Numinism does not yet have many prayers.

The Prayer of Unity

"O' God, that God of gods, who stands yet above almighty heaven, Hear my prayer. I am but man, I am but dirt, but I am yours.

Grant us unity, o' God. Give our priests fervor and our soldiers sharp blades. Let all men bow to you, o' merciful God. Grant death to the infidels and life to our husbands and sons.

Grant us unity, o' God. Give our culture greatness and have all the tribes of the world bow to it. Give our painters slick brushes and our sculptors deft hands. Give our librarians fast minds and our rulers rightful crowns.

Grant us unity, o' God. Give us that which we need that we might be as you, o' God.

Olim concisus, nunc resarciō."

Holy Law

The Prohibition of Alcohol

Alcohol leads us into temptation. It is the drink of gluttony and malevolence and no holy man shall ever drink of it. High nobility guilty of this crime will be tried before the Synod. Lower nobility guilty of this will have their fortunes seized, their noble name removed and will be outcast to poverty. The peasantry guilty of drinking will be drowned until dead.

Divine substances like incenses, hashish or mushrooms shall be permitted, though should they drive a man to wickedness or sin that man will be burned until dead. These are substances that bring us to God, not away from it, and corruption of these substanes is a crime of a most unholy nature.

Modesty

To dress immodestly is to lead others into temptation and gluttony. Priests of the Mithraeum must cover themselves head to toe, though they may show their faces.. All others may dress as they will, though arms must be covered up to the wrist, legs must be covered to the ankle, and the hair and scalp must be hidden. Those guilty of immodesty will be lashed according to the severity of their crimes.

Female priests tend to wear the burka, while males tend to wear a thawb.

During warfare, soldiers shall dress for combat and will be excempt from this rule, save for extreme cases.

Whoring

Whoring is strictly immoral. Any man or woman who sells their body shall be drawn and quartered. Any man or woman who purchases human flesh shall have half of their wealth taken and be lashed.

Witchcraft

Witchcraft is the stuff of Evil. Only Evil may create Magick, as it is the only way that Evil may influence the physical reality. The source of all monsters and most undead are witches. Those guilty of spellcraft will be stretched until dead, their corpse will be desecrated and scattered and their name will never be spoken again by any holy man.

Holy Days

The New Year

The new year, as the anniversary of the near-death of all good in the world, will be a day of mourning, a day of vengeance against Evil and a day of worship for that which we have in the world. Families often are brought together to eat meals in solemn gratitude, and opposing warriors will attempt an armistice and to host a feast between the two hosts.