Aetheris Pyrism/Terminology

Terminology

This is Out of Character information to help the players deal with the religion's specific language.

Basic Terminology

Concepts any follower of Aetheris Pyrism would know.

Charkh: God of hierarchy, rule and order. See The Gods.

Flamma: Literally "flame". Spiritual essence that provides movement, life and action to the world. See Flamma.

We too believe everything has a Soul, which we call flamma, for it is a more ample and complex notion than the traditional use of such word. This ethereal entity, or essence, is what provides any inanimate object with reaction, and every animate object with life. We see it everywhere, when we feel a cold gust of wind, notice the sparks of a fire or hear the end of the fall of the raindrops. It has consequences beyond the immediately perceived, and as food changes its form and substance when exposed to the right amounts of heat, also we change, for better or worse, under certain influences, not always visible to the casual observer.

Fz'Ar: Underlord of darkness, madness, fear and nightmares. See The Unholy Ones.

Gods: Higher spiritually ranked beings worshiped by Aetheris Pyrism. See Gods and The Gods.

We have three different kinds of spiritual beings, who differ in essence. The higher ones are the Gods, and what they are made of, how they think, what are their motivations and many other questions are not only interrogations we cannot properly answer, but they themselves might not even make sense for their context, given how superior they are. If an ant were to ponder about us its thought would likely be limited to if we are threats, if we are in their way, or even simpler processes we would not be able to properly call thoughts, which would be too simple to be applied to our own complexity. In the same way we are to the Gods. Of course we do not desist in comprehending them, such is our nature, and we create lore and narratives of their deeds and commands, characterizing them with humane personalities, as to attempt to translate to our reality what is immensely more complex in reality. It is for such reason that our study of them is never quite finished, for each word we receive from them through their messengers is simplified to reach our limited minds, and might have inflections we cannot even imagine. Careful study makes itself a need.

Higher Spirits: Second higher spiritually beings that act as messengers of the Gods. See Higher Spirits and The Holy Spirits.

In a closer plane to our own, but still vastly superior, are the Higher Spirits. We cannot fully comprehend them either, but their actions are much more transparent to our eyes, and we can establish patterns and working analogies with much better results than we can with the Gods. They act as their messengers, and they too pale in comparison with them. They do not inhabit our world in physical forms, being purely in the spiritual plane. We call them the Lightkeepers and Sailors of the Celestial Sea, and imagine them sailing in Star ships, carrying the messages of the Gods and making the connection between the mortal and the Divine.

Tyka: Goddess of battle, adventure and glory. See The Gods.

Katrina: Goddess of art, meditation and reason. See The Gods.

Korroth: God of warriors, honor, courage and strength. See The Gods.

Najch'Akuy: Underlord of the undead, plague, sickness and decay. See The Unholy Ones.

Nalucht: God of study, wit and politics. See The Gods.

Nasia: Goddess of justice and morals. See The Gods.

Nemordiabel: God of loyalty, protection and altruism. See The Gods.

Soul: See Flamma entry.

Ukhra: The embodiment of pure chaos and pure deadly static order. See The Nothingness and Ukhra.

Underlords: The fallen Gods that dwell in the Underworld, seeking to corrupt and consume the souls of the living. See The Unholy Ones.

The Underworld is indeed the place in where the Underlords dwell, but they are not merely "evil" beings. Such word is too abstract, and could lead to erroneous interpretations. See, even between the Gods there is conflict, much alike we humans, who were formed in their image, so a follower of one God could hypothetically cast such judgement over a rival God. And yet there is a difference. The Underlords are not merely evil, they are also corrupted beyond recognition, having their own essences changed to the point they cannot be considered "Gods" anymore, perhaps in a way analogous to how an undead is not a man.

Vlan: God of freedom, rebellion and combat against superior forces. See The Gods.

Waren: Goddess of administration, trade, heritage and noble values. See The Gods.

Intermediate Terminology

Concepts any member of Aetheris Pyrism would have access to.

Aetheris: Literally "ethereal; on the space surrounding a deity". Combined with pyrism it forms what could be translated as "faith in the ethereal fire", the official name of the church of the Gods. The ethereal fire refers not to the mundane flames, but to the flamma.

Exter: Literally "outer, external". Combined with flamma it forms "outer flame", and it designates every ethereal flame to be found in the mortal realm outside men, such as the lesser spirits. See Exter Flamma.

Imus: Literally "inmost, deepest". Combined with flamma it forms "inner flame", and it designates the ethereal flames, or souls, present inside every living creature. See Imus Flamma.

Pyrism: The prefix "pyr-" literally translates as "fire", and the suffix "-ism" as "belief". Together it means "faith in fire", and when in conjunction with aetheris it forms "faith in the ethereal fire", the official name of the church of the Gods. The ethereal fire refers not to the mundane flames, but to the flamma.

Advanced Terminology

Concepts reserved for members with advanced theology knowledge.

Advoco: Literally "to call to one's aid". Combined with caelum it forms what could be translated as "to call to the Gods' aid", and it forms part of an ethic path or philosophy inside Aetheris Pyrism.

Caeles: Literally "a dweller in heaven, God". Combined with opsecro it forms what could be translated as "to pray to a God", and it forms part of an an ethic path or philosophy inside Aetheris Pyrism.

Caelum: Literally "heaven" (as the home of the Gods). Combined with advoco it forms what could be translated as "to call to the Gods' aid", and it forms part of an ethic path or philosophy inside Aetheris Pyrism.

Favilla: Literally "glowing ashes, embers; spark". Part of the flamma, it designates what the part responsible for the personality and consciousness. See Psychosophy.

Opsecro: Literally "implore, pray (with deity as object)". Literally "a dweller in heaven, God". Combined with caeles it forms what could be translated as "to pray to a God", and it forms part of an an ethic path or philosophy inside Aetheris Pyrism.

Calor: Literally "warmth , heat, glow". Part of the flamma, it designates the part responsible for life. See Psychosophy.