Ninhavism

Ninhavism (nin-AH-viz-em) is a universalist Orosilian religion based on the teachings and life of Ninhavé. Its adherents, known as Ninhavans, believe that Ninhavé is the mender of a great cosmic war between the Forces of Order, as represented by the Great Mother Aiou, and the Dragon of Chaos, known as the Serpent Xandilizar. They believe Ninhavé's coming was prophesied by earlier prophets within different Orosilian pagan traditions, and is seen as a continuation and fulfillment by Ninhavans of the Testament between the Great Mother Aiou and Her people, the Kazeliks. Ninhavans believe that Ninhavé will return to bring about the final clash between Order and Chaos and establish a Paradise on Eurf, of which all true believers will be invited to participate in, whereas all disbelievers will fall into the maw of Xandilizar, and be doomed to the Void.

Prehistoric - Kazelik Era (2000 - 4 BCE)
The early history of Ninhavism is directly tied to the history of its founding people, the Kazeliks; a desert race which emerged from central Marzath approximately 4000 years ago. In opposition to the polytheistic tribes which encircled them, the Kazeliks were monotheistic, or rather duotheistic. Instead of viewing nature as controlled mechanistically by different gods and goddesses, or seeing objects as being imbued with supernatural power, Kazeliks saw the world as an expression of the work of Aiou. To them, Aiou was the Great Mother, the giver of life and strict matron of a household which included all of Creation. She birthed the world single-handedly and continued to give birth to new and different forms of life each day. All things she created were assigned their place, and would live happy, content lives so long as they did what they were meant to do. For this, Aiou created Fate and Destiny, Fate assigned as the immovable cord which dragged one from birth to death and destiny as the weak cord which could pull one towards their "best" life.

Aiou was opposed in all things by Xandilizar, the Dragon of Chaos. Kazelik stories differ as to where the serpent came from; whether he was older or younger than Aiou, whether he was a former lover or a blood relation, these traits differ from story to story. What is consistent, however, is that Xandilizar was the source from which evil and calamity sprung, and he was responsible for the marring of the natural order which Aiou created and sought to preserve. In the most ancient of stories, before his form was set in the eyes of mankind, Xandilizar was no more than a whisper, a pang of discontent in the face of harmony, or ill winds which brought famine and disease. Overtime he grew more powerful and began appearing to men for what he was, the father of serpents and the progenitor of monsters.

For an eternity, Aiou and Xandilizar were locked into conflict, with the advantage between them changing on a daily basis. This was the case until the arrival of humankind, whom Aiou created specifically to end the conflict between Order and Chaos and banish the serpent to the Void beyond the stars. However, when Xandilizar learned of this, he set about creating his own champions, and using the murky sand which produces bitumen, he impregnated himself and brought forth all the monsters which have ever existed. Unequipped to carry life and even worse to deliver it, the creation of monsters wounded chaos deeply, and prevented him from creating anything ever since. However, the monsters which were brought forth, vampires, witches, necromancers, zombies, elves, dwarves, and demons, were of such magnitudes more powerful than the humans that the Great Serpent could not but be satisfied with this arrangement. Thus the Kazeliks would say during times of hardship, yay, though my load be heavy and great woes are set upon me, these troubles can not grow, for chaos is impotent and Aiou is always creating.

The development in monotheism by the Kazeliks parallels the historical fortunes of that tribe. Long having settled in central Marzath, the Kazeliks were expelled from their homeland by war and famine around 1000 BCE and forced to travel ever westward. Upon crossing the Harrol Mountains, the Kazeliks found themselves in a climate to which they were unsuited, among people worshiping the polytheistic deities much like their neighbours had. The disgust which the Kazeliks held, seeing another land under chaos, pushed them to become insular and endogamous. Beliefs regarding the Kazeliks' native religion, known at that time as Kazelan, were increasingly codified. Counterpoints to nearby religious practices were made and set into dogma. Despite spreading out across western Marzath and Orosilas, little discrepancy existed between the faith as a whole. By the time of the 1st century CE, Kazelan represented a coherent monotheism which was present in most major cities of the ancient world, and whose adherents, the Kazeliks, stood apart from surrounding pagan societies. This would be until the coming of Ninhavé.

The Life of Ninhavé
Ninhavé was born in 4 BCE the region of Melondi, in the city of Zultania. Ninhavans say that he was born directly from the womb of Aiou, in the ashes of burnt out building, in the midst of a plague, through the blessed surrogate known as Zeda. This region was then under the dominion of the Androsian Empire, which held most of western Marzath and southern Orosilas. From its capital at Androsia, located in south-central Orosilas, the Empire set about integrating its subjects and instilling in them a common ethnicity, a common language, and a common pantheon. While in the Empire failed in the first two steps, the third had taken root throughout a substantial part of the domain, with many native practices consciously aligning traits of their gods to the gods of the empire. In particular, the Androsian Emperor at the time, Garanus Exaltas, crafted an Imperial cult dedicated to the worship of his immediate ancestor Andronicus I, and required that each religion pay tribute to this new deity. Most pagans were happy to oblige, but the action incensed the Kazeliks, who viewed idolatry as treachery fermented by the Dragon of Chaos.