Midanism

Midanism
Type	Mystery cult
Areas of concern	Wealth, the afterlife
Typical worshipers	Eretreban merchants and nobles
Domains	Ambition, Secrecy, Wealth
Divine font	Heal or Harm
Divine skill	Diplomacy
Divine ability	Charisma or Intelligence
Favored weapon	None
Symbol	A stack of gold coins
Sacred animal	None
Sacred color	Gold and deep blue

Midanism
Type	Mystery cult
Leader	Grand Treasurer
Headquarters	Iareios, Eretrebus
Goals	Accumulation of wealth
Scope	Primarily within Eretrebus
Structure	Hierarchical, with the Grand Treasurer leading the Tellers of the Bank-Temples
Members	Eretreban merchants and nobles

Midanism (pronounced MY-dahn-ism) is a philosophy and secular mystery cult prevalent mostly within the Kingdom of Eretrebus.

Edicts and anathema

Edicts

Acquire wealth, maintain cleanliness, give offerings to the Bank-Temples, follow Midas' teachings

Anathema

Share secrets of the Midanites' practices and rites, break the law, give away wealth

History

See also: Midas

Midanism as a philosophy and faith grew out of the worship of Midas, an Eretreban hero-god who lived in the early tenth millennium. A master alchemist, he was obsessed with learning how to transmute objects to gold, a feat he finally achieved in a limited form shortly before his death in Y9040^*. Though the veneration of Midas was not unalike that of any other Hellean hero-god, the cryptic writing he left behind on alchemical matters and the unclear circumstances behind his death brought about an entirely new set of beliefs that have long outlived the hero-god himself.

As with other hero-gods, nearly all faithful of Midas ceased their worship upon learning of his death, but a small handful of them continued to pore over his notes in search of secrets he had never revealed. Almost a hundred years later in Y9133^*, after a century in which Midas' legend had slowly waned, a collection of his writings entitled The Transcendence of Wealth was published by an unknown benefactor in Iareios. A remarkably brief volume, this book contained not merely Midas' notes on his studies but also interpretations of them that derived lessons and moral teachings from the otherwise dry and straightforward alchemical observations. All of this was in service of one final revelation, previously unstated by Midas - that gold, and wealth in general, was a pathway to the afterlife. This was not presented in a metaphorical way, but rather entirely literal; through his transformation of living creatures to solid gold, he wrote that he had found a method of choosing one's own future after death. Just as transforming the body to gold caused it to no longer tarnish, it did the same to the soul, preserving it in a private demiplane for all eternity.

Soon after the book was published, a group of his disciples declared they had uncovered Midas' lost notes on how his golden transmutations were performed. Calling themselves the Midanites, they announced they would carry out the ritual for those who proved themselves similarly devoted to the teachings of Midas. Many of the wealthy on Eretrebus flocked to the new mystery cult. While they faced significant resistance from traditional religious institutions and figures, the Midanites nonetheless grew rapidly.

Through a set of events known as the Midan Transformation, by Y9200^* Midanites were influential and powerful enough that effectively all of Eretrebus was at their command, at least indirectly. The monarchy of Eretrebus became vestigial, with the newly established position of Grand Treasurer functionally controlling the kingdom.

Tenets

Above all else, Midanites prioritize wealth accumulation as the foremost tenet of their philosophy, as great amounts of valuable material are required as reagents to fuel the ritual transforming oneself to gold. Becoming wealthy, or further increasing one's existing wealth, is seen as the most righteous achievement in life. Methods of coming into possession of riches in ways that counteract their other tenets, however, are seen as far worse than having the status of a pauper.

A true Midanite follows Midas' teachings closely, as they do with all laws. Many tenets of the Midanites are based on interpretations of Midas' studies applied to contexts entirely separate from the alchemical research in which they were first written. For example, the priority they place on personal cleanliness is based upon his notes about the importance of not contaminating experiments. This belief has contributed both to the development of central plumbing in many cities in Eretrebus, for personal cleanliness, and the increasing class divides on the islands, as Midanites often view it as spiritually unclean to associate with those who do not follow their faith.

Midanism is a secular cult - as long as one follows its tenets, worship of any, all, or no gods is permitted. Some Midanites follow Khalkeus, and others venerate Triteia or deities more broadly popular on the island kingdom. Many Midanites, however, do not profess any faith. For centuries atheism has not only been tolerated but officially sanctioned by the Grand Treasurers.

As a mystery cult, prospective Midanites must be approved then inducted into the faith by the Tellers. Knowledge of their greatest ritual continues to be restricted to only the Tellers, kept away from the faithful as a whole. While formally open to all, nearly all who are inducted into the Midanites are already quite affluent.

Most Midanites regularly provide monetary donations to the Bank-Temples under the belief that doing so will grant further prosperity. This is by and large true, if only because the Tellers favor and provide advantageous information towards those who support them the most.

Followers

The vast majority of Midanites are wealthy figures in Eretreban society - the philosophy has seen little adoption by the lower classes, or by those living outside Eretrebus.

Midanism has a rigid hierarchy, with the Grand Treasurer seen as the foremost authority on the philosophy and arbiter of the meanings of Midas' writings. The Grand Treasurer also serves a role in Eretreban government. While officially only in charge of the kingdom's finances, in practice the Grand Treasurer has the ability to direct all aspects of the island's governance.

The Tellers, the leaders of the religion below the Grand Treasurer, do not only serve the faith by performing their great ritual. Experts in divination, they are frequently consulted to foresee the best course of action in regards to trade deals and other matters of wealth accumulation. Those who seek their services are strongly encouraged to make generous donations to the Bank-Temples in return. While Midanism is secular, the Bank-Temples treat financial business with almost a sense of reverence, turning loans and other forms of financial services into almost spiritual matters.

Rituals

Upon the conclusion of a Midanite's life, individuals who donated enough to the Bank-Temples and who are considered morally righteous by the Tellers are given the offer to undergo their great ritual, known simply as the Gilding. In a complex set of practices, their bodies are cleaned, both physically and spiritually, and placed flat in a reclined position with the gold and other valuables required for the ritual arranged in specific patterns around them. The Tellers maintain a great degree of secrecy about this entire process. In the accounts of one of the exceptionally few people to have viewed the ritual performed, the transmutation to gold appeared to start at the outside of the body before working its way in, eventually turning the entire subject to solid metal.

At the conclusion of the Gilding, while the body is for all purposes deceased, the soul-form continues to live in within a demiplane bound to the now-golden figure. This demiplane is said by the Tellers to be effectively whatever the subject desires, a place where they can continue with their memories and personality intact for eternity, engaging in whatever leisure interests them.

Not all Midanites wait until they are on their deathbeds to undergo the Gilding. Some choose to do so to escape severe consequences in life, and others when they believe they have come into possession of as many riches as they ever will. Regardless, even within the ranks of the most faithful Midanites , comparatively few are ever Gilded.

A significant aspect of the Gilding that appeals to Midanites is how it neatly avoids the uncertainty of the afterlife. Not only is one's soul guaranteed to exist with memory of their past life, but also those who adhere to Hellean or Chaskan beliefs of the afterlife consider this method to be a convenient way to avoid sending their soul for judgement in Echo. Regardless of their deeds or religious beliefs in life, wealthy Midanites can die knowing they will enjoy a luxurious afterlife with a strong connection to their former selves.

Some Midanites that undergo this funerary process have their bodies interred in their opulent residences, maintained as if they were still alive for as long as the remainder of their estate lasts. The ritual itself is already rarely performed, and maintaining an estate in this manner after death is even more so - in any case, this arrangement usually does not last long before the remaining family of the deceased find loopholes in their last will and claw the money back for themselves. Alternatively, many choose to have their golden forms taken by the Tellers to be securely interred in the vaults of the Bank-Temples.

According to the Tellers, it requires far more gold to perform the Gilding than one would theoretically gain by melting down the now metal forms of those who undergo it. As such they require large donations over the course of years in order to finance such a ritual.

Knowledge about the intricate details of the Gilding is not public - only the Grand Treasurer and the Tellers fully understand the process, and it is never taught to those outside their ranks. As such to receive the Gilding Midanites must be on good terms with the authorities of their philosophy and have been prosperous enough for them to take notice.

Bank-Temples

Most Bank-Temples are broadly similar in design. Exterior doors usually open into a single, large chamber, typically an cross-arched dome. Fountains or golden statues of a hand are frequently used as centerpieces, with the rest of the of the chamber typically dimly lit and divided into areas for seclusion. Those of high standing within the Midanites may be invited to the lower levels, below ground, where the vaults can be found.