Cult of Ilraeus ([il-righ-us])

This religion initially started innocently. Five priests claimed to have spoken to the one true god, and this god would then guide the nation. In reality, these five men had been tricked by a spirit which would then try to influence the nation. Via this influence, the five men soon found themselves in positions of power, still firm believers that the religion (Ilraeus) they were preaching was true. However, after some time of them leading the community of the faithful, a confrontation occurred- somehow the men had discovered the spirit’s lies, but, still being firm believers they attacked this spirit as a false god and after casting a number of spells somehow ended up with the powers of this spirit inside of them. They would then claim that the true god had imbued them with power and left the religion of Ilraeus to those upon earth- essentially becoming gods on earth to their followers. Over time, with their lifespans enhanced by the spirit’s magic, they took over nearly the entire kingdom, reducing the king to a puppet and corrupting the nature of the original religion into what was essentially a xenophobic and violent cult. Following their deaths, the corpses would be preserved by their magic while their spirits lingered in the world. The Ilraeuns, indoctrinated as they were by the teachings, had become convinced that after a few thousand years the five would return and cleanse the earth of heathens. To keep up this image, the five spend their days as spirits gathering power to put on illusory marvels for their constituents and to whisper secrets to the new high priests. However, their power is not unchecked, as sometime after their death a rebellion broke out and took over some land. For the last thousand or so years this former rebellion has spent their time fighting the Ilraeuns and developing their own militaristic religion.           The cult of Ilraeus began when a spirit* spoke to five priests, claiming to be the true God of the world, and that their country, Amnira, was his chosen. The spirit told the five priests that he would guide them to rule the nation, and that they were his chosen prophets. These five prophets began to preach to the masses, of their God, Ilraeus,