The Church of Apris (アペリス教, Aperisu Kyō?) is a polytheistic religion that originated 700 years ago in the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor on Elicoor II.
It is the official religion of Aquaria, but is also practiced by around half of the rest of the Elicoor II's inhabitants. The primary god is Apris, the Sun God, who is named after their star.
The practice of runology is almost-exclusively associated with practitioners of the Church, who interpret the practice as a secret art bestowed on Aquaria I from the Emissary of Apris during the founding of the Kingdom of Aquor. Thus, only a small number of people on Elicoor II are chosen to "officially" learn runology in Castle Aquaria, as the art is gatekept by Aquaria's theocratic monarchy.
After Fayt and his group penetrate 4D Space, it is revealed that the Church of Apris arose as a religious "misinterpretation" of early interactions between inhabitants of the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor and Sphere employees working on Blair Lansfeld's "Project Apris" who entered the Eternal Sphere and whose first names became associated with the Aprisian gods. It is unknown whether this religious misinterpretation was accidental (due to the Elicoorians misrepresenting Blair's employees as divine), or intended (due to Blair's employees openly declaring themselves gods).
Elena Frahm, the current head of Aquaria's First Runological Weapon Development Division, is revealed to be a 4D Being and ex-developer of the Eternal Sphere as well (with the Goddess Elena being her associated deity).
Entries[]
- Dictionary
- Till the End of Time: Church of Apris; Aire, Apris, Dirna, Erinia, Folstar, Irisa, Leiria, Oreas, Palmira, Shar, Solon; Arrow of Apris, Emissary of Apris, Holy Mother, Ikelos' Book of Prophecies, Sacred Tablet of the Ten Precepts
History of the Church[]
700 years ago. Aquaria I, the first Holy Mother, established a small, nameless kingdom in the northern reaches of central Gaitt after fleeing to escape divine plagues in their previous location. Aquaria I and her people worshipped "primeval gods," but nevertheless the Church of Apris would later claim that they were protected by the Wing of Time, one of the wings left behind by the seraph Faria in their creation myth.
Within a few years, a small dispute arose between Aquaria I's fledging kingdom and its neighbor. The dispute quickly spread to 7 nearby lands vying for control of the central part of the continent. Within a generation, it had grown into the Torastic Religious War. During this war, Apris, the Sun God, answered Aquaria I's prayers for peace by sending the Emissary of Apris. The Emissary presented the Queen with The Legendary Sword of the Crimson Scourge (a sentient, magic sword that devours the souls of its victims) and awakened her to the esoteric practice of runology. Aquaria I was thus chosen by Apris to be the first Holy Mother, and she used her two newly granted powers to end the Torastic Religious Wars.
With Aquaria I's power, the small nameless kingdom won the war, made peace with four of their neighboring lands, and then merged them into a single kingdom: the Kingdom of Aquor. Aquaria I, as the kingdom's first ruler, expressed her gratitude to Apris by establishing the Church of Apris as the official religion and vowing to worship Apris the Sun God for all of eternity.
During the events of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, it is revealed that the Church of Apris actually arose as a religious "misinterpretation" of early interactions between Aquaria I (and other early inhabitants of the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor) and Sphere employees working on Blair Lansfeld's "Project Apris" who entered the Eternal Sphere sometime around this period (e.g., Elena Frahm, Palmira Armes, Eleanor Duran, Irisa Pahm, Folstar Rood, etc.) and whose first names became associated with the Aprisian gods. It is unknown whether this religious misinterpretation was accidental (due to the Elicoorians misrepresenting Blair's employees as divine), or intended (due to Blair's employees openly declaring themselves gods).
Beliefs[]
Creation Myth[]
The history of creation is described in the Books of Creation, summarized as follows:
In the distant past, before the concept of time, the world was divided into the promised Land of Aden and the Land of Eldia, where the souls of humans resided. Aden was protected by the divine powers of 10 ancient deities, and the people there lived in peace and happiness. But in Eldia, where the powers of the 10 deities couldn't reach, the negative emotions of anger, hatred, suffering, envy, jealousy, scorn, and lust filled the land.
One day, out of idle curiosity, the seraph Faria, who was born in Eldia but raised in Aden, sowed seeds of strife between the demon Luqifer and the deva Lance. The seeds soaked up the red water Faria gave to both Luqifer and Lance, and suddenly they sprouted and grew so big that they covered all of Eldia. This small strife soon turned into hate, precipitating a massive war that ultimately involved the people of Aden.
When the war ended, Aden and Eldia had been ravaged by searing white flames that stretched all the way to the heavens. Countless gods and human souls perished, and those that survived had nowhere to call home. Frightened by the consequences of their actions, the gods created a new promised land known as Enalneed, guided the survivors there, and then vanished from this world. This is where the Age of the Ancients ended.
The world became a void with no light, wind, or sounds. And yet, after after an immeasurable amount of time, new life sprouted. From the formerly blazing Aden rose the Father God, Apris, clothed in a crimson robe, and from the formerly frozen Eldia rose the beautiful triplet Moon Goddesses Irisa, Erinia, and Palmira.
Over a period of 1,024 years, Apris married the three Goddesses and created a new land of hope, filling it with many living things. Once they finished creating all life, Apris threw his own body into a fire in the Ancient Ruins of Mosel, transforming his soul into a great mass of flames that rose into the heavens and became embodied as the Sun so he could watch over this new world for all eternity. The triplet goddesses Irisa, Erinia, and Palmira also wanted to protect the world with their husband. As they rose into the heavens from the Mosel Ruins, they also became embodied as the three Moons that circle Elicoor II, however the ever curious Irisa kept looking back at the world they had created, causing her to be separated from the other two Moon Goddesses.
The new promise land Enalneed is likely a mythological reference to Energy Nede (and Nede itself is the reverse form of the name Eden, the Biblical mythological paradise) based on a developer interview in the Star Ocean: Till the End of Time -Eternal Materials- book, which revealed that Elicoorians are the modern day descendants of ancient Nedians who escaped their dying planet Nede on a ship that could travel through time and space. They arrived on Elicoor II several billions of years after the destruction of Nede since their time-travel technology wasn't sophisticated enough to move any faster or prevent the many time-travel related accidents that occurred during the journey. The Nedians onboard put themselves in cryostasis and slept until reaching Elicoor II. They brought their writings and symbology with them, eventually giving birth to the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor.
Additionally, the mention of 1,024 digits is likely a reference 1024 bytes in a kilobyte, as 1,024 is the highest number than can be expressed with 10 binary digits, further suggesting that the Church of Apris scriptures were very much influenced by interactions with 4D Beings in the Eternal Sphere.
Afterlife[]
According to the Rozaria, daughter of the High Priestess in Castle Aquaria, the souls of the "pure and righteous" ascend into the heavens (possible in Enalneed) to dwell with Apris. The souls of the "defiled and wicked" are swallowed up into earth and cast into the Underworld, where they will be judged by Folstar. Once a soul has atoned for the sins of its past life, it is reincarnated back into Elicoor II until it becomes pure and righteous.
Religious Artifacts[]
The Elicoorians have found four objects thought to be evidence of the existence of the Aprisian gods, since they possess power beyond all mortal comprehension. They have been since been identified as the The Treasures of the Gods, which comprise of:
- The Sacred Orb, a crystal sphere of pure runological force, capable of drowning entire cities;
- The Sword of the Crimson Scourge, a magical, sentient sword which assimilates the souls of its victims;
- The Sacred Tablet of the Ten Precepts, which records the law as handed down by the gods; and
- The Living Eyes of the Holy Mother.
Religious Code[]
The Sacred Tablet of the Ten Precepts is said to have been bestowed by Elena, the Goddess of Light, to Ronaldo Dyne, the brother of Crestia Dyne (later Sirvia I when she assumes role as Queen of the newly-formed Kingdom of Aquaria). The Ten Precepts are as follows:
- 1. Thou shalt walk thine own road, provided thou doesn't not violate the following precepts.
- 2. Thou shall not steal, maim, nor kill.
- 3. Thou shall practice moderation, not indulgence.
- 4. Thou shall cherish thy fellow man, and value the souls of the all living creatures, for they are equal.
- 5. Thou shall work hard and fulfill thy duties, for indolence is the death of the soul.
- 6. Thou shall not cause needless strife, for pain begets anger, and anger begets suffering.
- 7. Thou shall abandon desire and broaden thy knowledge, Act upon truth, not illusions.
- 8. Thou shall judge fairly. It is a sin to do otherwise.
- 9. Thou shall punish criminals according to their crimes, for those who go unpunished will commit them again.
- 10. Thou shall never punish the innocent.
Holy Sites[]
Sites considered holy by the Church's followers include:
- Castle Aquaria, the site closest to the Sun;
- The Shrine of Kaddan, the resting place of the Sacred Orb;
- The Ancient Ruins of Mosel, known as "the Beginning and End of All;" and
- The Mountain of the Gods, one of the few remaining locations where Palmira's Flower can still be found.
"Mythical" locations include Enalneed, the promised land, Aden, the former promised land, and Eldia, the former land of Sin.
Runology[]
The practice of runology is almost-exclusively associated with practitioners of the Church, who interpret the magical as an secret art bestowed on Aquaria I from the Emissary of Apris during the founding of the Kingdom of Aquor. Thus, only a small number of people on Elicoor II are chosen to "officially" learn runology in Castle Aquaria, as the art is gatekept by Aquaria's theocratic monarchy. Although some runologists do not serve Aquaria, these few exceptions to the rule, and they consist almost entirely of people who have absconded from Aquaria, students of teachers who have done so, or retirees.
Runology is practiced by inscribing certain patterns known as "runes" onto the body, and by combining special incantations and sigils, which are able to effect a variety of different phenomena. The strength of the runological force created will depend to a large extent upon the level of the runological invocation and the strength of the runologist's psyche, as well as upon the runologist's experience and purity of bloodline. The purity of a runologist's bloodline is determined by their ancestral connection to the Holy Mother, Aquaria I. The more concentrated the blood of Aquaria I is in a runologist's veins, the more qualified that runologist will be.
The Holy Mother is the title bestowed by the Emissary of Apris onto the individual (usually a woman) with the most sophisticated understanding of runology, who can additionally command the secrets of the gods. The Holy Mother also possesses the special ability to deeply perceive the flow of runological force with the naked eye.
Runology, as the equivalent of symbology, is indeed simply the Eternal Sphere's processing code as written by 4D Beings - that is, runology is the practice of manipulating the universe itself.
Prophesies[]
Central to the Church's belief is that, during times of upheaval, a prophet of Apris will descend from the heavens to search for the age's most powerful wielder of runological power to elevate to the status of Holy Mother. As of S.D. 772, due to the Aquarian-Airyglyph war currently unfolding, the Church believes that the prophet chose Aquaria XXVII, the current Queen of the Kingdom of Aquaria. Previous Holy Mothers who were queens of Aquaria include Crestia Dyne (also known as Sirvia I, the first ruler of Kingdom of Aquaria) and Aquaria XXIV.
Another belief is that, according to Ikelos' Book of Prophecies (which were handed down from the founding years of Kingdom of Aquor), "when chaos strikes the holy land, an arrow will shoot down from the heavens". This book was written by the first Aquorian Queen, Aquaria I, and comprises a total of 777 chapters spanning 13 volumes. It is said to record all the divine plagues that will ravage Elicoor II, but since its prophecies are shrouded in cryptic language, it is thought by some to be a forgery written around S.D. 400. Nevertheless, some of its predictions have come to pass, and thus, is considered by some to indeed be the word of the gods.
Pantheon of Gods[]
The Church of Apris worships many deities in addition to Apris, their primary god. These deities consist of Apris's wives, the Triplet Moon Goddesses, as well as their offspring, all who preside over the natural world.
These gods and goddesses are enshrined at temples throughout Aquaria. The Emissary of Apris, a prophet who is charged with conveying the word of Apris, is also worshipped. The history of the pantheon's origins is told in the Books of Creation.
Known deities in the pantheon are:
- Apris (アペリス, Aperisu?), the Sun God, rules over the other gods and presides over raging flames and rebirth. He is also embodied in their sun. It is said that his words become the Emissary of Apris as they descend to our world, and his heart takes the form of the Holy Mother.
- The triplet Moon Goddesses who are embodied by the three moons that circle Elicoor:
- Irisa (イリス, Irisu?), the Goddess of Storms, is the eldest of the three (and as such the largest moon) and a wild deity who presides over the vast sky and dance. She is the mother of Elena and Solon.
- Erinia (エリニア, Erinia?), the Goddess of Thunder, is embodied by the second largest moon. A fierce goddess who presides over war, she is the mother of Dirna and Folstar.
- Palmira (パルミラ, Parumira?), the Goddess of Rain. A tranquil goddess who presides over water and beauty, she is the youngest of the three sisters (represented by the smallest moon). Palmira is the mother of Oreas and Aire.
- The eight sons and daughters of Apris and his wives:
- Aire (アイレ, Aire?), the God of the Land, who is said to be a giant—the largest of the gods—who wields a gigantic battle axe.
- Dirna (ディルナ, Diruna?), the Goddess of Fire, has two forms: one of fury and one of wisdom. Legend has it that when she takes the form of fury, she uses a magic staff endowed with the power of ancient dragons, and when she takes the form of wisdom, she wields a bow that shoots dazzling beams of runological light.
- Elena (エレナ, Erena?), the Goddess of Light, has wings of pure white growing out of her back, and spins songs with her wooden sword to inspire warriors. She is said to have given the Sacred Tablet of the Ten Precepts to Ronaldo Dyne.
- Folstar (フォルスター, Forusutā?), the God of the Underworld. Frigidly handsome, Folstar is said to cleave the silver thread that binds the soul to the body with a long sword he holds in his hand.
- Leiria (レイリア, Reiria?), the Goddess of Time. She is a gentle goddess who tags along with her older sister Shar. It is said that Leiria winds time with her staff, thereby allowing history to move forward.
- Oreas (オレアス, Oreasu?), the God of Darkness, is a sharp-eyed god of few words said to wield a dagger steeped in the purest black.
- Shar (シャール, Shāru?), the Goddess of Water, is the most dispassionate member of the pantheon. She wields a frozen blade of infinite forms.
- Solon (ソロン, Soron?), the God of Clouds, is the most agile of the gods and wields a two-handed mist enshrouded blade.
- Miscellaneous Deities
- Tria, an extremely multifaceted god very briefly described in the dictionary. Resembles a trickster god, on whom one must keep a constant eye.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- When Airyglyph invaded Aquaria, the Aquarians believed that one of the Ikelos' prophecies was coming to pass and eagerly awaited the coming of the Arrow of Apris. When the Eagle crash landed in Airyglyph carrying Cliff Fittir, Mirage Koas and Fayt Leingod, the Aquarians believed this to be their Arrow of Apris and sent Nel Zelpher to forcibly extract the occupants, whom according to Ikelos' Book of Prophecies, would be the Emissaries of Apris in order to utilize their technological know-how to win the war.
- If Nel is recruited to travel to 4D Space, she eventually ends up losing her faith in the Church of Apris after coming face-to-face with the truth of "Project Apris" where her gods are uncovered as mere Eternal Sphere avatars for 4D Beings. At first, she resists this, calling 4D Beings demons on the Aquaelie, but by the time the party joins the Diplo she has come to accept it, telling Fayt that even though her ancestors must have mistakenly worshipped 4D Beings as gods, the idea of Apris "rose from the long-held ideals of the Aquarian people", and those ideas still have meaning. The implications of her atheism on her future service to the theocratic monarchy under Aquaria XXVII (who also purports to be the Holy Mother of the Church of Apris) is unclear, let alone her interactions with her devout community (e.g., Clair, her subordinates, Laselle, Rozaria, etc.)