The Awakening

The Awakening is a new religion, begun within the Obsidian Islands, whose Prophet Gauihu Olik claims to have gained his knowledge from both extensive research, and directly from his god.

Beliefs

The Gift

Gauihu has, in his preachings, made the case that death is a Gift given to the world by a single god; that without it, mortals would live without dying, their bodies becoming decrepit and rotting, unable to die. This Gift can be refused, however, for a number of reasons. Mortals who refuse the Gift are said to return to their dead bodies, living in torment as Undead. According to Gauihu, the Gift is given by one of the few gods who have compassion for mortals.

Polytheism

The Awakening acknowledges the existence of many gods (more than could be counted or named, and more than are accounted for by all the world's religions). However, Gauihu's teachings focus on the Gift, and the one god (the God of the Awakening) who gives it - although Gauihu has in the past used the name "Vaun," possibly in reference to this god, even Gauihu's followers are still uncertain who gives the Gift.

Position on Other Faiths

The Awakening doesn't consider any religions to be evil, misguided, or variants; so far, its one Priest has made no mention of other religions whatsoever. Gauihu's preachings have indicated a cynical position towards gods, however - according to him, they are petty, conceited and vindictive, playing endless games of power and dominance, and using mortals as pawns.

Gauihu has, in his preachings, made the case that death is a Gift given to the world by a single god; that without it, mortals would live without dying, their bodies becoming decrepit and rotting, unable to die. This Gift can be refused, however, for a number of reasons. Mortals who refuse the Gift are said to return to their dead bodies, living in torment as Undead. According to Gauihu, the Gift is given by one of the few gods who have compassion for mortals.

Selected Quotes by the Prophet

on Death and the Gift

"The Gift is not a euphemism for death itself, as some might first assume. Rather, it is the choice given to mortals upon dying which will leave them in one of two states. One - the peaceful afterlife. Two - Undead."

on the Choice offered by the Gift

"The choice might seem cruel. But the universe is not kind to us, is it? That there is a choice for us is something we, as mortals, should be grateful for. It is, after all, our Gift, given to us by the Most Compassionate God. He, along with all other gods and demigods, is bound by a horror we cannot comprehend - Eternity."

on Eternity, Peace, and the madness of Gods

"At first, Eternity might seem like a good idea. But your body is not eternal, and so first it would rot, and then begin to fall apart. Eventually, you might not be able to move anything but ash blowing in the wind. Yet still you would exist, even if you wanted to end yourself - you could not. For hundreds, thousands of years - for thousands upon thousands, until you were driven utterly mad, alien and inhuman."

"That, my friends, is the fate of Gods. Unlike us, they have their divine powers to amuse themselves - that makes them all the more dangerous! Yet we are but insects compared to them, and in their games of power they move us like worthless pawns, sacrificing us just for some obscure, perhaps even insane agenda. Unlike them, we can choose to accept the Gift and rest in peace. I for one, accept the Gift!"

on the existence of Gods

"All gods exist - at least, all gods who are worshipped, or recognized - and many who are not. But this doesn't mean that what any religion teaches about a god is correct - they may well not even have a correct Name! One must take any religion with a grain of salt. But the gods are not to be trifled with, and they are more numerous, and more complicated in their pursuits than anyone believes."

"Some have asked me if one man's Storm God was another man's Thunder God, as it were. How should I know? I am only a Mortal, and my connection with the divine is limited to a single being - the most compassionate and worthy god. Even he might not know, or care, and I have no interest in asking."

Believers

The Awakening currently has about 1000 converts, of which the Wasteland's population are included along with some folk of the Chaos Temple; there are at least two noble adherents to the religion other than Gauihu.

Religious Buildings and Places

Wasteland

The only Temple of the Awakening is located in Wasteland Village, situated at the dead-end of the Wasteland Road, overlooking the plain and the rocky coast, at the foot of the great volcano of the Chaos Temple. It is a simple, circular stone construction, described by observers as a "quiet black stone."

There is also a shrine of the Awakening in this region, located a few miles west of the Village, in the middle of a desolate, deserted plain. Nonbelievers have a hard time finding it, since it is a "found shrine" with no actual construction involved: a series of stones arrayed in a semi-circular formation at the peak of a small rise.

The Wasteland is a "dead-end region;" accessible only by a single road leading to and from the Chaos Temple. The coast is too rocky and dangerous for boats or ships to approach. As a result, travelers never pass through, and the shrine - like the Temple - seems only to exist for those who go to see it specifically.

History

The Awakening began when Gauihu was granted a special opportunity by his lord and sovereign in the Wasteland. Gauihu first preached to the people of that region, converting 30 within the space of twelve hours.

Timeline

(2008-03-07) Gauihu founds the Wasteland Temple and becomes the Prophet of the Awakening.
(2008-xx-xx) Gauihu builds a shrine in the Wasteland.