Sijikken

Sijikken is a skeptomorphic faith that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently by its observers. Sijikken is an amalgamation of Pyrasian and Nixum, with two ministries of faith: the Sijiks, clergy of the Nixum faith, and the Ignati, clergy of the Pyrasian faith. One can become a Sijik by performing a religious pilgrimage to the tallest peak of the Flowing Mountains. Here they are ordained by the priesthood in the Temple. The Ignati by contrast are an hereditary title, passed on from father to son. Both clergymen perform distinct religious rituals.

Beliefs
The Sijikken believe 2 forces control the universe: the Nix, supernatural beings associated with ice, and the Ethos of Fire, a being which imitates the thoughts and behavior of birrinkind. The Nix are autonomous beings which manipulate Birrin to do their bidding. It is believed that the gods worshiped by other faiths are merely Nix deceiving their followers. The Nix are viewed as malevolent spirits indoctrinating Birrin to become irrational. Sijikken do not believe the Ethos to be a god, as is a common misconception by outsiders. On the contrary, they view Fire as the manifestation of the thoughts and feelings of Birrin, similar to the Buddhist concept of tulpas. When people are calm, so is the flame. When people become irritable or hysterical, the flame burns the world. It is said that if Birrin do not learn to control their emotions, the world will succumb to the flames. This makes Sijikken society very stoic and uniform, with very plain and monotonous clothing and architecture. The Nix are the instigators of thoughts and feeling, and the Ethos is a manifestation of those thoughts. The Nix by themselves are weak, but by influencing the behavior of Birrin they in turn influence the Ethos. According to myth the Nix are physically encased in ice, and intend to free themselves by thawing the ice with the immense heat of the Ethos generated by the flared emotions of Birrin. This would in turn, of course, incinerate all of the Birrin and life on Chriirah, an apocalyptic event known as the Age of Ashes.

Kantacori
The Kantacori is a ritual for social mobility in the Sijikken faith. Those who complete the pilgrimage become Sijiks, the elite of society. Those who die on the journey are said to become the Nix, driftless spirits forever trapped in the cold peaks of the Kanta Mountain Range. The pilgrimage begins in Calia, where pilgrims are given lanterns lit from the Sacred Pyre in the center of the city. The fire is intended to keep the pilgrims warm in the frigid wastes of the Kantas. If the fire is extinguished before or during the climb, it is interpreted as the Ethos disowning you. Pilgrims can climb the mountains in any direction they seek, but the popular tradition is to climb from the slope near Mielrah. The journey from Calia to Mielrah on foot is about 45 days, and the journey from Mielrah to Kantara is about 90 days.

History
Long ago the Kantelli revered the Nix, performing sacrifices to appease them. With the volcanic eruptions of the Flowing Mountains, fearful Nixum grew attached to the concept of the Ethos of Flame, while still practicing ancient Nixum practices. The two faiths gradually melded into one. The religion severely punishes excessive euphoric or belligerent behavior, considered inappropriate and sinful. Those with repeated felonies or mental illness are brought to sanatoriums to be ‘cleansed.’Sijikken often have fire altars dedicated to the Ethos of Fire in their homes, burning sacrifices to appease the flame and remove any unwanted diversions from spirituality. Every year, the Ignati priesthood ignites the Sacred Pyre in Calyra, kept burning for the duration of the year. Priests then travel across the known world to deliver the flame to local communities, transported in caravans and cargo ships. If the fire is extinguished before it reaches its destination, bad luck will curse that community for a full year. Those born in a year without the flame are to be sacrificed into the pyre to appease the Ethos of Fire and prevent the Age of Ashes. Sijikarat is a ecclesiocracy, ruled by clergymen of the Sijikken faith. In Western Sijikarat, the congress of Ignati elect a Sijik to become Anak. In Eastern Sijikarat, the congress of Sijiks elect an Ignati to become Ignasir. These two heads of state co-rule the commonwealth.