Reincarnation

A religious belief in the faith of Janus, as well as Tsukuyomi, Izanagi, Kadakalan, and Tartarus, reincarnation is an unproven form of magic that allows the soul to be reborn in a new body after death. Whether the process is possible, if there are challenges one must undergo to be reincarnated, and how this reincarnation applies to the lives on Totania are subjects of debate among those who acknowledge the process as even possibly being anything more than a fairytale.  

Eternal Life in Many Forms

To those who believe in reincarnation, the soul is immortal. Whereas souls that go to some Heavenly Realm can be killed again and permanently destroyed, the immortal soul involved in reincarnation is always brought into a new body, a shell that protects it from harm, for the body may die, but the soul will be born again, never to be harmed or destroyed.   Most who are reincarnated have no idea that they are the new form of someone who once lived. To them, this may as well be their first experience at life, though the soul has learned lessons and is said by some to grow with each life. Still, they may be made aware of their former lives by Gods, priests, monks, or even divination mages. In stories, this is often done to help one get back on the right path of fate, though it is not uncommon for one to hear their former life was as a peasant farmer who died in a battle over their farmland or some other (largely) irrelevant life.  

Variations Between Faiths

Each faith has a distinct view of how the specifics of reincarnation work. Kadakalan teaches that reincarnation is less a way to grow and learn and exists mostly to protect the soul, while Tsukuyomi asks his followers to seek growth with every new life, learning at least one thing that can be carried to the next life.   Janus's view is similar to Tsukuyomi's, though he also recognizes the safety found in reincarnation rather than in the afterlife. However, while everyone who worships Janus (save for those who become his angels) is said to be reincarnated, only those who meet the criteria are allowed the honor of reincarnation with the King of the Gods. These criteria are arbitrary to most, but they are that they must follow the core tenets of Tsukuyomi or do something worthy of living again. The issue is that this seems to contradict the idea that Tsukuyomi's followers become stars in Space after they die. If those are not the burning souls of his followers, what are they? Or does he have the power to split their souls in two? This leads many to deny reincarnation, saying that it is a lie told by Tsukuyomi to gain more followers.   The difference also comes when determining how long between reincarnation cycles? Is there an afterlife between one life and another? For Izanagi, the answer is maybe. For Janus, the answer is absolutely, as his followers are allowed to stay in Limbo as long as they'd like until they move on to a new life. Tsukuyomi and Kadakalan bring about reincarnation instantly, with the soul waking in a new body the moment after death.   Izanagi has a peculiar view of reincarnation in comparison to the others, partially because he does not actually teach reincarnation as a central tenet of his faith, but many of his monks and kannushi have insisted that it is still relevant to his faith, and will impact those who follow him.   This is not what is most strange about Izanagi's reincarnation, if that is even something he himself teaches, and the true oddity is due to his control over time. Other Gods insist that their followers may be reborn into future lives, but Izanagi says his followers live new lives in all time periods, and that he chooses where the soul goes in time. He may send it to the future, to the past, or he may allow it to remain stationary in the present day.   Kadakalan and Tsukuyomi both teach that it is only sapient creatures (humanoids and others on the same level of intelligence like Slimes and Dragons) are capable of reincarnation, Janus and Izanagi (or rather, some rogue monks of Izanagi) instead teach that reincarnation is for all living things.   There is a belief touted by some priests of Tartarus that the afterlife is only for those whose souls are not meant to be reborn, unfit for the world, so they may be imprisoned forever for the sins committed in their life, and that reincarnation is for good and worthy souls to live again. This is not a widespread belief in his faith, but he is still associated with the practice due to this idea.   Ishtar's Pantheon has a niche belief that has been lost in most modern texts, but was central in Ancient Ishadan faith of the Goddess. While not specifically about reincarnation, it says that the souls of the dead leave behind seeds when they die, and that these seeds grow into new souls that are implanted in the newly born. This means that while the soul does go to heaven, a fragment of it remains behind, reborn in a new form. This belief is known as metempsychosis, and is disregarded at a level that makes even belief in reincarnation seem widely accepted.  

Causes

While Janus' The Two-Faced Cult is responsible for popularizing the idea of reincarnation (since Izanagi's holy text In Praise of the Sun. does not mention it), it is the brothers Izanagi and Tsukuyomi whoa re responsible for reincarnation, if the Gods themselves are to be believed, with Janus serving as an intermediary (as he often does).   It is said that the meeting of Izanagi's Sun and the Space of Tsukuyomi produces a strange phenomenon with souls that cross between the two. As Izanagi's light was made to combat his brother's darkness, the two fundamentally opposed forces cannot function in direct contact, but they do exist next to each other, and since Space takes up all of existence around the heavenly realms, they cannot be separated. Limbo exists between all matter, and so it prevents the two from completely clashing and destroying each other, but it cannot prevent anomalies. The anomaly of the soul is that, even when dead, it can return to Totania, transforming and changing into an entirely new form.   Through Limbo, this was not only perfected, but spread, as Janus' realm is in direct contact with all others through the doors. Other Gods attribute Janus as the creator of reincarnation, even though it is the clash between brothers that allows it to occur.  

Scholarly Disagreement and "the Disproven Belief"

A major issue with reincarnation and how it clashes with other religions is that most churches preach about Heaven, which many scholars, mages, and the resurrected dead (though many peasants, especially in regions where magic may not be as common like the Abral Islands, Zherar and a majority of Udai, have no access to the counterargument against reincarnation) have confirmed.   When a soul dies, in most circumstances it goes to one of the many Heavenly Realms, such as Selene's Realm of the Moon, the Vault of Helle, or the Battlefield of Leigong. Even the faiths that believe in reincarnation also have heavenly realms, as it is where the Gods themselves live. Izanagi's realm is visible to everyone, as it is the Sun itself. Does he inhabit it alone, with only his angels by his side, if all the souls are reincarnated?  

Phoenix, Necromancy, and Resurrection

The Phoenix, a Mana Beast of Sia, can bring people back to life. Some say that it is a form of reincarnation, but since the body and soul do not change, and there is no interaction with the afterlife, the Phoenix has no place in the reincarnation cycle, and does not serve as "proof" of reincarnation like some try to claim.   The same can be said for necromancy, which revives the soul into its old body. As there is nothing new, save for the severing of heavenly ties, this does also not prove reincarnation in any way, and may as well disprove it.   What disproves reincarnation with necromancy is that, if the soul is in another body, how can the original body be brought back? Necromancy recaptures the soul; does that mean that it would kill or incapacitate whoever the soul was reborn into? Or would it, instead, be impossible to resurrect a reincarnated soul?   In most cultures where reincarnation is popular, in the east, there are not enough mages for this to be a problem, as Kamejin and Ophidians are not very attuned to magical practice, though the belief supposedly spread by the Lizardfolk Lich Vonlichter is that necromancy will split the soul, leaving the reincarnated individual considerably weaker, but will not kill them or leave them completely without a soul.  

Legends of Reincarnation

With reincarnation being so important to multiple major faiths, there are many legends involving it, both from these religions and beyond.  

Fated Rivals of the Holy Blade

There is a story told by the Ophidians, believed by some others like the Kamejin and Jihdi as well, about a group of five individuals cursed to reincarnate together forever, always in the same roles of a conflict that is fated to never end.   It begins with an ancient war between the Kamejin and Ophidians. A Kamejin known as Atsushi led the one side, and an Ophidian named Haneul arose on the other side as a hero. Atsushi caused untold destruction along the eastern coast of Elone, taking many hostages in an attempt to end it and get the Ophidians to capitulate. Among these was the lover of Haneul, a man named Jee.   Haneul was then bestowed a set of blessed weapons by Tsukuyomi to strike down Atsushi and end the war.   Haneul had been nothing more than a peasant living out in the countryside when Jee was taken away from her. She was not prepared to fight, but with Tsukuyomi's help she scoured the region to find Atsushi, coming across a rogue warrior named Seungri, who had involved herself in the war on both sides to win no matter what. Haneul defeated Seungri and convinced the opportunistic warrior to aid her instead of dying.   Together, Seungri and Haneul fought their way through the Kamejin army, facing Atsushi's advisor Yukie, a great warrior who ultimately took down Seungri before Haneul killed her. This left only three: Haneul, Jee, and Atsushi. Their duel was said to be legendary but ultimately inconclusive, as both died in the battle. Jee sacrificed himself, throwing himself in front of Atsushi's blade and shattering it in an attempt to help Haneul win, but Atsushi was too skilled to go down just because his sword was broken. The war wrapped up, but both were unsatisfied, and their allies were left without proper endings as well. Due to this, the Gods Tsukuyomi, Izanagi, and Janus are said to have created a blessing (or perhaps a curse) to allow the battle to continue until they are satisfied (which, as they can never truly remember their past lives, is likely to never happen).   This conflict has continued in many forms throughout history, even today, and each generation it is said a new incarnation of these five figures is reborn to take their place in the fight again. They do not know it at first, but they discover their soul's history (sometimes they are informed of their roles, other times they stumble into them) and they play them as best as they can (or in some cases, find ways to avoid doing so, as quite a few Seungri reincarnations have done).   It is not necessarily true to say that everyone believes all five are reborn. Haneul, Atsushi, and Jee are at the center of this myth, and it is their souls who are in every version, with Seungri and Yukie being afterthoughts more often than not, included in new versions of the story, though their feelings and motivations are often disregarded to emphasize the importance of the struggle between Haneul and Atsushi, and Jee's place between the two.   They are not always the same species, but they are almost always reincarnated as a humanoid in the region. Haneul may be a Kamejin in one era, while Atsushi is an Ophidian. They may both be Yajin or Jihdi, they may be any gender, and it is never guaranteed which side of the war they will be on, but no matter what, Haneul is almost always praised as the hero and Atsushi is considered a vile villain who must be destroyed. The reincarnated Jee is someone close to the Haneul, often a lover but at times a friend, relative, or even pet. Yukie, as well, is often some kind of animal companion working with Atsushi, causing some stories to omit the fifth member of the reincarnation cycle entirely.   But each of these five represents an important part of what reincarnation means. Haneul is about the hope that, with reincarnation, the good in the world may continue. Atsushi is about the fear of what one loses in their past lives, and what they may become in a future one. Jee represents the love one may find, and continue living with, even after death and rebirth, always finding each other again. Yukie represents the determination one must always face in life and death, assured that they will live again, but not wasting the chance they have. Seungri, then, stands for the opportunity in a new life, as they always seek out what benefits them most, causing each reincarnation to make new and bold choices that transform the tale into a new form.   The reincarnated Haneul is bestowed the "vestiges of the hero" which are the sword, shield, and purple garments left behind by the hero, while Atsushi almost always makes their own weapons or purchases new tools to fight with. Some claim this allows for Tsukuyomi and his priests to simply call anyone they disagree with Atsushi, knighting a random person to take them down with holy weapons, while those who believe in reincarnation find the story to be a classic romantic tale of heroism vanquishing evil.   The greatest issue that has come about from the tradition of bestowing the sword and shield of Haneul on those she is supposedly reincarnated in is that she wielded a western blade, made in the style of Elven or Gnomish weaponry. At the time, this was not too strange, but now most people around the Abral Islands wield eastern-style blades like katanas, making the Holy Sword of Haneul a burden to learn how to use, as one's training with a blade is almost entirely thrown out.   A result of this is that Haneul's reincarnation does not always succeed, sometimes dying in battle to Atsushi or, in some cases, never even making it that far. But even in failure, there is no end, as reincarnation means they will fight this battle until the end of time, or at least until the Gods decide to stop cursing them to live forever in conflict with each other.  

The Eternal Boar

There is a tale in the faith of Janus of a boar that is eaten every night, reincarnated into the body of another boar, and then eaten again the next night. This boar is named Doonelt, and it is said that if one finds the boar Doonelt and eats it, they will be blessed the next day, and that it will be the greatest meal they will ever have.   Doonelt was once a man, or so some stories say, who committed a great sin against Janus and his people, killing a rival named Bithan and eating him and his family. When Doonelt died, killed in the middle of the street, his body was cut up and dumped into the sea. Ever since then, Doonelt was reincarnated as a boar, forced to endure the fate of Bithan every night.  

Amukk

There is a belief among the followers of Divine Amukk that, one day, he will be reborn on Totania again. This idea stems from the idea that Amukk did not intend to rise up to godhood purely to become a God, but that his goal was instead to help the people by bringing their ideas to heaven and being an advocate for them in the heavenly realms.   When enough time has passed, when he has become divorced from the common will again, some say he will return to Totania as a mortal once more, hearing out new opinions and becoming a voice for the people again. Others dismiss this, saying the purpose of his teachings as a God are to foster this kind of attitude in his followers, and for them to gather the opinions of the public for him, as he knew his role in Heaven would be one that may lead to difficulty with understanding people eventually. His followers, instead, have fallen into hero worship of the mortal-turned-God, refusing to take the accountability that Amukk once asked them to assume.   How one would reincarnate from being a God is a mystery. Would he need to die like the Nameless God? If so, did the Nameless God reincarnate on Totania again?  

The Reincarnated Queen

There are beliefs in some Elven circles that Meiriris Nerifir, their first Queen, is a figure of divine importance beyond the role she played while she was alive, and that she is reborn again and again to help the Elven people.   Some say it is Selene sending her back as a boon to her followers, and that Meiriris' reincarnation guides them into prosperity. Others believe it is Meiriris's feud with Mimir, and that the God of Secrets refuses to let her soul rest, instead sending it back into lives of torment.   As Selene's faith does not teach reincarnation, most dismiss this as a fringe belief, but some prominent nobles endorse the message, particularly the Lusisce family, who have been closely tied to the Nerifirs since Galgeon Lusisce worked with Meiriris herself.   There was a later belief, when some public figures began claiming that her brother and eternal rival Dresmorlin Cobath was still alive, that her purpose in reincarnation was instead to oppose him until he was finally laid to rest. This leads some to think that if she is reincarnated, it is as some member of the Vampire Hunters of Waire, or some figure who will eventually stop the vampires.   If that is true, there is a fear that, if Dresmorlin were to ever die, he may also be reincarnated, as they were both the first Elves created, and shared a fateful bond.   Names thrown around as reincarnations of Meiriris (in this rather uncommon Elven belief) are Arazion Nerifir, Guldin Nerifir, Dunstin Nerifir, Sinner Caerxan, and Heiven. Sinner Caerxan represented a strange time in Elven culture when, for the first time, they recognized that Meiriris may have come back as something other than an Elf. Still, those who believe in this number in the hundreds, maybe low thousands, so it's not particularly widespread or important.