The Church of Apris (アペリス教, Aperisu Kyō?) is a polytheistic religion that originated in Elicoor II. It not only is the official religion of the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria, but is also followed by around half of the rest of the planet's inhabitants. The primary god is Apris, the Sun God.
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
Characteristics[]
Their 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 (usually a woman), and elevates this person to the status of Holy Mother. As of S.D. 772, due to the Aquarian-Glyphian conflict currently unfolding, the church believes that the prophet chose Aquaria XXVII, the current Queen of the Kingdom of Aquaria. Previous Holy Mothers include Crestia Dyne and Aquaria XXIV.
Another belief is that, according to Ikelos' Book of Prophecies—handed down from ancient times in the Kingdom of Aquaria—, "when chaos strikes the holy land, an arrow will shoot down from the heavens". The book was written by 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, but as 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.
The Elicoorians have found, long ago, four objects that are thought to be evidence of the existence of the gods as they possess power beyond all mortal comprehension. They have been identified as the Sacred Treasures since. These are the Sacred Orb, a crystal sphere of pure runological force; the Sword of the Crimson Scourge, 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.
The Sacred Tablet of the Ten Precepts is said to have been bestowed upon St. Ronaldo Dyne (the builder of the Sealed Cavern) by Elena, Goddess of Light. The precepts presented 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.
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, 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. Locations shrouded in legend include Aden, the "promised land", and Eldia, the land of Sin.
Pantheon[]
The Church of Apris worships many deities in addition to Apris, their primary god. Such are his wives, the Triplet Moon Goddesses, along with their offspring, who preside over the natural world. These gods and goddesses are enshrined at temples across Aquarian land. The Emissary of Apris, 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.
- 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 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 thought this to be their Arrow of Apris and sent Nel Zelpher and her Secret Legion to forcibly extract the occupants—whom according to Ikelos' Book of Prophecies would be the Emissaries of Apris—from Airyglyph custody in order to utilize their technological know-how to win the war.