Genus Reditus

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Genus Reditus (A.R.: 'Return of one's kin' or 'Rebirth'), whose followers are referred to as Redita in Radosis and as Redits everywhere else, is a major ancient polytheistic religion primarily found in Radosis.
Redits believe that there is a higher realm, referred to as the Godrealms across religions, where godlike beings reside. They believe there is one God that rules over all; but as they consider all residents there to be of divine nature, it is considered a polytheistic belief. Redits do not generally worship deities in particular, but instead the "eight domains" of life; a Redit's goal is to master balance between all these domains before the return of the eight demigods.

Belief

Book of Genus

The book of Genus, the main source of knowledge of Genus Reditus, state that God decreed eight demigods, each representing a domain of life, down to Surface to establish a holy land for a chosen people. Upon arriving before the dull and timeless people, the demigods taught the people of Surface of all domains of life, as well as of time itself; Mankind had thus become both blessed with virtues and cursed with the sins that follow.

The domains of life were as follows: Creation and destruction, sincerity and deception, reason and empathy, ethics and aesthetics.

After giving Mankind the ability to progress in time, the eight demigods founded Radosis; this would be the land for those who wished to follow their teachings. The demigods proclaimed that each domain is a curse and a blessing, and must not be kept in isolation; instead, separated into pairs, they must each be balanced against each other; each duality against itself, and the four dualities against each other. The demigods then appraised; should Mankind reach the ultimate balance, they would become ascended upon their return, allowing them to dine at the table of other deities. Lastly, the gods then warned; should each domain be kept unchecked and unbalanced, Mankind would no longer have domains left to master; thus a fate worse than death would occur.

The demigods would then leave Surface, and Mankind's fate would be left to themselves. However, when they inevitably descend upon Surface once more, Mankind will be judged; whether they are to ascend and be granted eternal life in Godrealms, or to descend into a timeless state once again for all eternity.

Interpretation and the faith in practice

The demigods that descended were believed not to be half-human, half-deities, as some might consider implied by the name. Rather, Redits viewed them as a mix between a deity and an abstract concept; in effect, the personification of said concept.

As they are believed to return once to judge Mankind, Redits live after the principle of bettering themselves, and to master the balance of the eight domains/the four dualities. Because there is such a large time gap between the first descent of the demigods and the supposed reckoning, Redits adapted a belief that whatever improvements you made in your life, to master the domains, would have to be carried over through your bloodline. This means, in effect, that Redits believe in a form of reincarnation: there is strict emphasis put on that one's soul lives on in one's offspring.
For this reason, Redits place great importance on conceiving children. How many is not so important, so long as one has blood-related offspring. This has naturally made it difficult for people who either cannot conceive children of their own, or do not wish to, to reconcile this with their faith.

Redits also believe that one's bloodline's progress towards a divine ascent can also be manifested visually. This has been used to explain the existence of divine, who for many centuries ruled Radosis either directly or indirectly. Their angelic form is considered to be a stepping stone towards godhood.

It is also believed that, ultimately, the demigods will return to Surface in a "reckoning;" this is popularly described as a sort of doomsday, where the world will either crumble to dust or otherwise cease to exist as we know it. When this happens, only those who have mastered all domains will be saved by the demigods and ascended to experience an immortal life in the Godrealms, which is considered more like the "real" world.

Diverging faiths

Eventually, many people broke off from the conventional interpretation of the book of Genus.

A belief that the demigods never really left Surface, and instead blended themselves in among Mankind in order to judge them continuously, became a popular alternative interpretation. This would go on to become known as Assecula de Genus.
Asseculs do not believe that there will be a "reckoning" the way Redits believe it. Instead, as Mankind is being watched at all times, one would be granted godhood whenever the time was ready.
At some point, Asseculs also gave greater emphasis on the individuality of the demigods. While Redits do not generally worship them, nor even concerning themselves with the deities' name, Asseculs would start idolising them; giving them names, personalities and a body for them to imagine them in.

Asseculs also eventually changed the belief that one's progress was carried through one's bloodline. Instead, they believe more in a conventional form of reincarnation; the progress you make on your soul is then carried over when your soul is reborn elsewhere. For this reason, conceiving children is not considered all that important; however, making sure your soul is in good "shape" before you die is of outmost importance.

Perhaps because of these reasons, Asseculs are often experienced to be less strict and more hedonistic in nature. They generally place a larger emphasis on enjoying life, as they believe this to be the ultimate form of balance.

The beliefs of Asseculs would also influence the Church of Langenthal. The worship of the demigods would prove popular among many Devouts. As Devouts normally worship only the relatively indistinct one God, Assecula de Genus with its eight deities were much easier to practice worship to, as the various facets of life now had a distinct name and face attached to them.
The now called Devout Asseculs did not adopt all facets of the faith of Asseculs, such as reincarnation, and are considered a middle line between the hedonistic and liberal nature of Asseculs and the more conservative nature of Devouts.

The eight domains of the deities

# Domain Symbol Animals Patron Deity Characteristic
1 Creation Snake
Butterfly
Phoenix
Lysa The symbol of infinite growth, Creation represents a belief in progress and change, and the transition from chaos to order. It is usually represented with white, as a symbol of life and peace.
2 Destruction Scorpion
Bull
Solutus The symbol of entropy, Destruction represents the inevitable breakdown of any and all systems, and a transition from order to chaos. It is usually represented with black, as a symbol of death and war.
3 Sincerity Dog Felix The symbol of honesty and purity, Sincerity represents a strong optimistic belief in the good of others, and the concept of trust and good will. It is sometimes represented with white, as a symbol of peace; other times with red, as a symbol of love.
4 Deception Monkey
Spider
Khada The symbol of impurity and ingenuity, Deception represents the corruptive force that spreads doubt, distrust, anger and hatred. It is sometimes represented with red, as a symbol of bloodshed; other times with black, as a symbol of hatred.
5 Reason Owl
Three-eyed Raven
Dianna The symbol of the mind, Reason represents the desire to objectify and structuralise the natural, and to recreate it synthetically, but also rationalism; the disregard for emotions in favour of logic. It is sometimes represented with blue, as a symbol of intelligence; other times with grey, as a symbol of technological advancement.
6 Empathy Lion
Cow
Tayibea The symbol of the heart, Empathy governs sentimentality, emotions and a desire to follow one's true self, but also a respect for nature and harmony. It is sometimes represented with red, as a symbol of love; other times with green, as a symbol of nature and courage.
7 Ethics Camel
Horse
Turtle
Rakish The symbol of moralism and stoicism, Ethics represents the resolve to change and restrain oneself, and to hold strong principles, willpower and adherence to social order. It is usually represented with blue, as a symbol of responsibility and matureness.
8 Aesthetics Cat Aurelia The symbol of decadence and selfishness, Aesthetics is a hedonistic instinct to indulge in greed, lust and gluttony, but also represents pragmatism, shallowness and beauty. It is usually represented with yellow, as a symbol of wealth.

The four dualities of life

# Duality Meaning of Mastery
1 Creation & Destruction In order to create, one must first destroy. This duality symbolises that life and death are two sides of the same coin, and that nothing is infinite.
2 Sincerity & Deception Blind naïveté is as toxic as blind hatred. To be distrustful of ill intents is to guard oneself, but to trust others is to take care of oneself.
3 Reason & Empathy Reason allows Mankind to evolve far beyond animals, but Empathy makes sure one's humanity is not lost in the process. There is a time for emotions, and a time for rationalism.
4 Ethics & Aesthetics The duality symbolises treading the balance between freedom and order; selfishness and selflessness; to be able to enjoy life's bountiful experiences without succumbing to it.

In history

Genus Reditus has had enormous impact on history. The many conquests of Radosis were justified through this.

can't be assed to write more atm