Animists

The Animist’s are a small religion primarily found in the lands of Izhura, where in ages past it was considered the main religion of the country. With the advent of the fourfold path and the coming of the Emperor, its practitioners have slowly been converting, in addition to the spirit wars of Shaytarn, only a few communities in Izhura can be called fully Animist practitioners.

The principle of the Animist religion is the belief of the spirit realm and this realm are closely intertwined, that the essences present in the spirit realm can be a boon to this realm while helping to provide catharsis to the spirits themselves.

Spirit mages who act as priests of the faith, draw out the spirits from the spirit realm, and help bind them to locations and objects, letting them help regulate the area and essences present. Some imbue weapons such as swords, which as they gain power become more intelligent eventually being able to speak.

When the spirit has obtained its official catharsis, they are released, able to rejoin their greater whole, and leave behind a boon of mana for their service, benefiting the area and making it more prosperous. By doing this, the region or object will have a guardian, gain more power and mana, and eventually receive a final boon when the guardian leaves. Often times this cycle will repeat, with a new spirit drawn from the spirit realm.

The spirits called from the spirit realm vary, most often called are animal spirits, ones not commonly called upon by spirit contractors, giving them their chance to also reach catharsis. Imbuing a sword with the spirit of a wolf for instance could make the weapon swifter and more ferocious, while imbuing a region with the spirit of a Grass Tiger could give the region better stability and help produce game, while giving it a fierce guardian to call upon.

This cycle was upheld for several generations, helping to keep the lands of Izhura prosperous and healthy, but the Shartyn invasion as well as the advent of the fourfould path has signaled a long and slow death for the religion.