Monadism: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:40, 16 October 2024

Monadism is a sect following the Blind Witness. Monadists, as the adherents of this faith call themselves, have adopted some unusual beliefs, including ardent pacifism and a form of monotheism. These beliefs have made Monadists pariahs in some coastal regions around the Chaska Sea, where most followers of the religion can be found.

Edicts and anathema

Monadism has few of its own edicts. The faith is defined more by what actions its adherents do not take than by the ones they do.

Edicts: None
Anathema: Tell a lie or knowingly spread a falsehood, take up arms for any reason other than defense, take action on matters that do not concern you

History

Worship of the Blind Witness has historically been tied to the Aserdian pantheon, with most of its followers residing in Brightmarch. Sometime in the 94th century, however, the god's faith increasingly began to spread north. Perhaps carried by merchant caravans along the trade routes through the Sangora Desolation, small cults to the Blind Witness began to form in Khapesh and in the communities along the southern coast of the Chaska Sea. Though the Khapeshan followers of the Blind Witness have retained similar tenets and practices to those in Brightmarch, elsewhere around the Chaska the faith has heavily diverged. By Y9600^* cults calling themselves Monadists had appeared in the Akrotirian Isles.

Beliefs

There is no single definition of what it means to be a Monadist. The religion actively eschews leadership, and their tenets vary somewhat between communities and individuals. Still, there are a core set of beliefs that are shared by all Monadists.

Monotheism

Monadism is a monotheistic faith. Monadists believe the Blind Witness, who they sometimes refer to as the Monad, to be the only true deity. To them, other gods are merely aspects of the Blind Witness, manifested into existence to hold the cosmos in constant tension. Through influencing the faiths of their aspects, the Blind Witness keeps balance through conflict, pitting religions and extraplanar creatures against each other to ensure none gain an upper hand.

When faced with those that would seek to prove the existence of another deity, Monadists do not deny the divine. Rather, they insist that the god is merely an aspect of the Blind Witness, whether or not the divine entity or their followers comprehend their nature.

Creation of the universe

Monadists strongly disagree with the cosmology and and creation mythos of most other pantheons. They believe the universe has always existed, with no beginning and perhaps no end. To them, the Blind Witness itself is an eternal deity. It has watched over the cosmos forever and will continue to do so until time itself ends, if such an event ever occurs. Monadists do not believe Kishar to occupy an important position in the universe, instead seeing their planet as just one amongst an infinite number of others.

Pacifism

Pacifism is a core tenet of Monadism. They do not engage in violence beyond the minimum required to defend themselves. Even then, some amongst the most extreme Monadists prefer to suffer violence enacted against them rather than raise a hand to stop it. Many Monadists eschew eating meat as a result of their pacifism as well.

Balance

In Monadism, balance is the natural and desired state of existence. They believe the Blind Witness wishes to avoid altering the cosmos, and therefore allows all forces of law, chaos, good, and evil to survive, only indirectly interfering if one manages become stronger than another. In order to keep this balance, Monadists believe they should be completely truthful at all times, as telling a lie or knowingly spreading falsehoods would potentially alter the intricate divine plans of their god.

Followers

Most Monadists reside in the Akrotirian Isles, where they have found relative acceptance and tolerance of their beliefs. They also have a small presence in the towns on the southern and western coasts of the Chaska Sea. Some believers can also be found within Meklaw, southern Thadria, Khapesh, and the eastern Chaskan cities of Yurza and Aradet.

Very few Monadist centers of worship are known to exist. The faith holds three sites to be holy, located near Armuta in the Akrotirian Isles and Russicada and Idalion on the southern coast of the Chaska Sea, all places of remarkable yet entirely natural stillness and quiet. No permanent Monadist temples exist - instead, they prefer to gather to pray in the homes of other followers.

Tensions with other faiths

Monadism and its adherents are viewed very negatively by some followers of other deities. Their belief in monotheism is extremely heretical to almost all, especially through its insinuation that the devotees of two very opposed deities actually follow the same god. Other beliefs, such as their cosmology and adherence to pacifism and complete honesty, also cause significant friction. Outside of the Akrotirian Isles and some southern Chaskan communities, Monadists frequently find themselves persecuted for their beliefs, often driven out of town once their views become public knowledge.

Early in the religion's history, Monadists used to proselytize in an attempt to spread their beliefs. These practices have almost entirely halted, largely as a result of their persecution. The faith spreads very slowly now, entirely dependent on word of mouth and the growth of their own, increasingly insular communities.

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-Commonly referred to by outsiders as '''Monad cultists''', certain sects devoted to the aeon demigod have adopted more unusual beliefs, including monotheism and ardent pacifism.
+{{DeityInfobox
+|name = Monadism
+|image =
+|type = Sect
+|adjectives = Monadist
+|plane = Material
+|alignment = Neutral
+|areas_of_concern = Neutrality, balance
+|worshipers = Followers of the [[Blind Witness]] around the [[Chaska Sea]]
+|cleric_alignments = {{Alignment grid
+| off | off | off
+| off | on  | off
+| off | off | off
+}}
+|domains = Knowledge, Time, Truth
+|divine_font = Heal or Harm
+|divine_skill = Diplomacy
+|divine_ability = Intelligence or Wisdom
+|favored_weapon = None
+|symbol = Filled black circle silhouetting a light
+|sacred_animal = Turtle
+|sacred_colors = Black and white
+}}
+'''Monadism''' is a sect following the [[Blind Witness]]. Monadists, as the adherents of this faith call themselves, have adopted some unusual beliefs, including ardent pacifism and a form of monotheism. These beliefs have made Monadists pariahs in some coastal regions around the [[Chaska Sea]], where most followers of the religion can be found.
-== Description ==
+== Edicts and anathema ==
-Worship of the Monad, the aeon of creation, the infinite, and truth, is already highly unusual, but a small number of its followers take their beliefs a step farther. These devotees believe that the Monad is the only deity worth worshiping, or perhaps the only deity at all. The more extreme of these views hold that all other deities are merely aspects of the Monad, manifested into existence to hold the planes in constant tension and balance. This form of monotheism is unique in the world.
+Monadism has few of its own edicts. The faith is defined more by what actions its adherents do not take than by the ones they do.
-It is unknown if the Monad is aware of these worshipers, or any of its worshipers at all. Monad cultist clerics are able to gain divine spells from their worship, though these clerics are exceedingly rare.
+{{DeityReference
+|edicts = None
+|anathema = Tell a lie or knowingly spread a falsehood, take up arms for any reason other than defense, take action on matters that do not concern you
+}}
-Monad cultists hold the following as their central tenets:
+== History ==
+Worship of the Blind Witness has historically been tied to the [[Aserdian pantheon]], with most of its followers residing in [[Brightmarch]]. Sometime in the 94th century, however, the god's faith increasingly began to spread north. Perhaps carried by merchant caravans along the trade routes through the [[Sangora Desolation]], small cults to the Blind Witness began to form in [[Khapesh]] and in the communities along the southern coast of the Chaska Sea. Though the Khapeshan followers of the Blind Witness have retained similar tenets and practices to those in Brightmarch, elsewhere around the Chaska the faith has heavily diverged. By {{Year|6600}} cults calling themselves Monadists had appeared in the [[Akrotirian Isles]].
-* Creation is infinite - the world was not created by natural forces or willed into existence, but rather is as it always was.
+== Beliefs ==
-* Balance is the true state of the universe - too much good, or evil, or lawfulness, or chaos, must necessarily come to an end. Monad cultists believe in correcting imbalances in small scales, while leaving large changes to the Monad itself.
+There is no single definition of what it means to be a Monadist. The religion actively eschews leadership, and their tenets vary somewhat between communities and individuals. Still, there are a core set of beliefs that are shared by all Monadists.
-* Truth is central to existence - to be untruthful is to deny the singularity of creation, and therefore all Monad cultists are bound to complete truthfulness.
-Very few centers of worship for the Monad cultists are known to exist. The cultists hold three sites on the material plane to be holy, located near [[Armuta]] in the [[Akrotirian Isles]] and [[Russicada]] and [[Idalion]] on the southern coast of the [[Chaska Sea]]. No permanent Monad cultist temples exist. Elsewhere, Monad cultists are frequently persecuted due to their heretical beliefs towards all other deities - any attempts at proselytizing are stopped and worshipers run out of town.
+=== Monotheism ===
+Monadism is a monotheistic faith. Monadists believe the Blind Witness, who they sometimes refer to as the Monad, to be the only true deity. To them, other gods are merely aspects of the Blind Witness, manifested into existence to hold the cosmos in constant tension. Through influencing the faiths of their aspects, the Blind Witness keeps balance through conflict, pitting religions and extraplanar creatures against each other to ensure none gain an upper hand.
-When faced with direct proof of another deity’s existence, Monad cultists do not deny the divine, but rather insist that the entity, whether they realize it or not, is merely an aspect of the Monad. Monad cultists are almost universally pacifists and do not try to convert others by force.
+When faced with those that would seek to prove the existence of another deity, Monadists do not deny the divine. Rather, they insist that the god is merely an aspect of the Blind Witness, whether or not the divine entity or their followers comprehend their nature.
-Most worshipers of the Monad do not ascribe to these beliefs - even among the devotees of this esoteric deity, these views are outliers.
+=== Creation of the universe ===
+Monadists strongly disagree with the cosmology and and creation mythos of most other pantheons. They believe the universe has always existed, with no beginning and perhaps no end. To them, the Blind Witness itself is an eternal deity. It has watched over the cosmos forever and will continue to do so until time itself ends, if such an event ever occurs. Monadists do not believe Kishar to occupy an important position in the universe, instead seeing their planet as just one amongst an infinite number of others.
-== Location of worship ==
+=== Pacifism ===
-Monad cultists have a small presence in the towns on the southern coast of the Chaska Sea. Some believers can also be found within [[Meklaw]], southern [[Thadria]], and the western Chaskan cities of [[Yurza]] and [[Arwad]].
+Pacifism is a core tenet of Monadism. They do not engage in violence beyond the minimum required to defend themselves. Even then, some amongst the most extreme Monadists prefer to suffer violence enacted against them rather than raise a hand to stop it. Many Monadists eschew eating meat as a result of their pacifism as well.
-[[Category:Deities]]
-[[Category:Religions]]
+=== Balance ===
+In Monadism, balance is the natural and desired state of existence. They believe the Blind Witness wishes to avoid altering the cosmos, and therefore allows all forces of law, chaos, good, and evil to survive, only indirectly interfering if one manages become stronger than another. In order to keep this balance, Monadists believe they should be completely truthful at all times, as telling a lie or knowingly spreading falsehoods would potentially alter the intricate divine plans of their god.
+== Followers ==
+Most Monadists reside in the Akrotirian Isles, where they have found relative acceptance and tolerance of their beliefs. They also have a small presence in the towns on the southern and [[Western Coast|western coasts]] of the Chaska Sea. Some believers can also be found within [[Meklaw]], southern [[Thadria]], Khapesh, and the [[Eastern Chaskan city-states|eastern Chaskan cities]] of [[Yurza]] and [[Aradet]].
+Very few Monadist centers of worship are known to exist. The faith holds three sites to be holy, located near [[Armuta]] in the Akrotirian Isles and [[Russicada]] and [[Idalion]] on the southern coast of the Chaska Sea, all places of remarkable yet entirely natural stillness and quiet. No permanent Monadist temples exist - instead, they prefer to gather to pray in the homes of other followers.
+== Tensions with other faiths ==
+Monadism and its adherents are viewed very negatively by some followers of other deities. Their belief in monotheism is extremely heretical to almost all, especially through its insinuation that the devotees of two very opposed deities actually follow the same god. Other beliefs, such as their cosmology and adherence to pacifism and complete honesty, also cause significant friction. Outside of the Akrotirian Isles and some southern Chaskan communities, Monadists frequently find themselves persecuted for their beliefs, often driven out of town once their views become public knowledge.
+Early in the religion's history, Monadists used to proselytize in an attempt to spread their beliefs. These practices have almost entirely halted, largely as a result of their persecution. The faith spreads very slowly now, entirely dependent on word of mouth and the growth of their own, increasingly insular communities.
+{{Deities}}
+[[Category:Religion]]
+[[Category:Blind Witness]]
+[[Category:Blind Witness/Followers]]
+[[Category:Sects]]
 [[Category:Chaska Sea]]
-[[Category:Monad]]