The Elemental Faith

Elementalism is, of course, not the only religion practiced in Quel'Ahma. There are populations of Pantheonists there, and temples to the gods can be found in many major cities, often catering to foreign visitors (and consequently most prominent in Al-Riyah). There are even some people, often in remote or tribal regions, with customs comparable to the Old Faith. And Quel'Ahma is also home to the mystic traditions of the Covered Path, a philosophy dedicated to the pursuit of transcendence from earthly concerns. But it is Elementalism that comprises the Quel'Ahman state religion, underpinning much of Quel'Ahman society and informing and legitimizing the caste structure of its society, and it is certainly the path practiced by the majority of its citizens.

Elementalism is quite different than other religions, especially those of the north. The faithful do not direct their worship to any sort of entities, such as gods, spirits, or ancestors, but to the cosmos itself.  The pursuit of Elementalism is not to serve the whims of higher beings. It is to live in harmony with the elements, and to strive toward achieving the perfect balance of the elements within one's being, as much as is possible for one to do in their station in life. Elementalism does not assert the gods do not exist (given all the miracles they have performed, that would be a foolish assumption) - rather, it cites that even the gods are prone to the vanities of mortals, and thus are not worthy of worship no matter how powerful they are. It contends that gods are not above the fabric of the universe, but a part of it, and just as subordinate to it as mortals are.

In the pursuit of perfection, the Elemental Faith is characterized by logic and rational thought. Its tenants are outlined in the Four Books of the Elements, a collection of holy texts and observations by generations of holy men, which describe the nature of the elements, their role in making up the universe, and how they influence life, as well as how their balance affects both individuals and the world. The elements are each associated with all things in life - the cardinal directions, personality traits, the bodily humors, and so on - and this tradition has influenced alchemy and science, as Elementalism encourages one to understand the natural world in order to best live with it and understand how to master it. Quel'Ahman society is in itself an attempt to create the perfect order in accordance with Elementalist teachings, as is reflected by the privilege given to genies and genasi for their perceived greater purity, and how the four emirates are laid out to correspond to the four elements, organized spatially according to what the Four Books hold to be in proper balance.

However, there is plenty of room for interpretation. The Four Books of the Elements are comprised mostly of anecdotes, parables, and philosophic musings, sometimes even apparently contradicting one another, and with little effort to explain themselves. Some anecdotes are older than others, and some come from sources believed less reputable than others, but they are included within the body of the text nonetheless. It is thus up to the individual to interpret the texts and what they mean, and to determine how perfection can be achieved with the information they impart. Many scholars in Quel'Ahma study the texts obsessively and debate their meaning, and it is an important task of the genasi elite to interpret the Books and judge how they may be used to apply policy - something that has, in the past, sparked wars over differing interpretations.

Elementalist places of worship are built around examples of the elements. Though some have drawn parallels between Elementalism and the worship of sacred sites found in some Old Faith traditions, Elementalists do not truly worship examples of the elements so much as they worship the elements themselves. A specific rock or a holy fire are only parts of the great cosmic forces that compose the universe, and when Elementalists venerate such things, they do so as extensions of the greater elements, standing in for something much bigger and harder to comprehend - at least to outsiders. That said, these objects are valued for their purity, and to move or handle them requires complex rituals to ensure this purity is not disturbed. Each temple venerates a specific element, according to the direction in which it is placed, and where it is located. Thus, temples west of Tasshen, including those in Al-Riyah, worship the wind. These elements must be kept pure, and great measures are taken in order to do so.

A typical wind temple contains a sanctum that is kept open to the sky, placed to the west and faced by worshipers when addressing their prayers, but this sanctum may only be entered by members of a priestly class to keep the wind as pure of other elements as possible, and those who face it must veil their faces and wash their hands and feet so they do not contaminate the air with the impurities of their sweat or breath. When it rains (rare in Quel'Ahma, but it still happens), the opening of this sanctum must be covered with a cloth so that the air is not polluted by rainwater, and this cloth may never be used twice to prevent any lingering residues of past rains from entering the site.

Because Elementalists worship no gods, they are not granted powers through prayer. In the Lunar Lands, most clerics actually learn their spells through study in a temple rather than direct divine intervention, and Elementalists also observe traditions of magical training so that their priests are better equipped to understand the cosmos. Use a Way of the Four Elements Monk to represent the average adventuring Elementalist priest. A Pyromancy Sorcerer could also represent a priest dedicated to fire.