Hanasaeri

Hanasaeri is the primary religion practiced in Naea. It also has some influence in some Vasri and Taosri communities, especially in Nath communities near the Rashad jungle.

Ontology

The Hanasaeri believe in a single god: Hanasae (literally meaning The Giver). The most basic teaching of the religion is Hanasia-Harakia "a gift given, a debt made". Hanasae gives people their body, and people are in his debt for this. Acts of charity and worship pay off this debt. A virtuous follower might eventually find themselves having paid off their debt, and Hanasae will give them glories for their further acts.

God

The God referred to casually as Hanasae, or more formally as Hanasae-Ta-Jian (literally The Giver of Change), creates mortal bodies so that souls could share in the fullfilment of existence and have a chance to change their base nature. Followers believe that spirits have a fixed nature and are incapable of change, making mortal life an opportunity to become happy and fulfilled forever.

Hanasae-Ta-Jian has created ten Pillars of Truth, each a divine servant. These pillars of truth hold up the Ancestral Home in which the worthy dead live. A commonly held belief not actually preached directly in holy texts is that the Pillars of Truth are the Kyate'i known to the Vasri and Taosri, though which pillar is which Kyate'i is widely debated. This is an especially common belief amongst the Nath communities in Kyawas and Patresh.

Each Pillar of Truth represents one matra of wisdom:

1. Hanasia-Harakia (A gift given, a debt made.)
2. The Ancestral Home welcomes all.
3. You contain everything you need.
4. The joy of one is the joy of all.
5. Choices now become choices forever.
6. To be alive is to be impure.
7. Debt can not be paid with impurity.
8. Debts will always be repaid.
9. Thoughts become actions.
10. Only actions purify, thoughts are not enough.

The Divine Pillars are beings through which people commune with Hanasae-Ta-Jian, they are messengers and grant power to the pure and devoted.

The Afterlife and Spirits

Death is considered the final repayment for the gift of life. A worthy soul will fade away quickly, returning to the Ancestral Home where they can live with joy. Those with outstanding debts to Hanasae-Ta-Jian greater than what they started with at birth will find their souls unable to return to the Ancestral Home, and will be trapped in the Shroud forever warped by the recollection of their debt.

Worship

Hanasaeri followers have a daily rituals to connect themselves with their god. This daily ritual is a set of slowly performed meditative dances performed at sunset known as the Ashima. The Ashima allows one to center themselves and think on the path they need to walk to become pure again.

Shrines are also common, with daily or weekly service being offered around sunset. The clergy of Hanasaeri are known as Divinators. Divinators offer guidance and teach the religion.

Holy Texts

There are two main pieces of work considered official within Hanasaeri. The Dance of Life is a set of poems from the first konwn Divinator, Karanath. These poems give basic information on Hanasaeri-Ta-Jian but focuses more on the pilosophy of Hanasia-Harakia and how a person can remove their impurities.

The Debt of Life is a statement of beliefs put together by a referendum of Divinators hundreds of years in the past. It has an appendix sealed to all but Divinators with secret rituals and information only meant for the clergy.

Plenty of other writings and oral stories are used when teaching the religion, but none are seen as canonical as the Dance of Life and Debt of Life.

The Amnathkal Metamorphosis

The majority of Nath are Hanasaeri followers, and likewise, most Hanasaeri followers are Nath. The transformation of a Nath to an Amnathkal is seen as a sacrifice, a way to take on the impurity of others that they can more easily return to the Ancestral Home. Undergoing this transformation can be seen as prideful or foolish, and disrespectful to Hanasae-Ta-Jian, if the person is not sufficiently prepared for the process.

Unfortunately, it is a common occurence for young devout Nath to undertake the metamorphosis prematurely. Unprepared Nath often end up as debtors to Hanasae-Ta-Jian, as they become unable to control themselves to the degree required to purify themselves and pay off their life debt.