Infernalism

Infernalism (Phoenician: 炎教, : Yánjiào, lit. "teachings of fire") is an occidental religion originating from Fengjiang based upon the doctrines and teachings articulated by the Mother Phoenix through Her only prophet and prized daughter in the mortal realm, Yanshizu, and all her successive reincarnations as the Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant - hegemon over all Phoenician civilization. These teachings were first compiled in the 1000s BCE as the Book of the Fire, later expanded upon by both successors and other lesser Heralds recognized to be part of the Infernal - the principal of which are the Six Infernal Apostles who studied under Yanshizu and are believed to have undergone similar reincarnations.

Fundamentally, Infernal belief is predicated on the revelations of Yanshizu and successive Heralds on behalf of the compassionate Mother Phoenix, explaining reality as dualistically split between blissful Brilliance and ruinous Oblivion, and that the material universe in which humanity resides is a Brilliant creation made flawed by Oblivion, imposing the terrible cycle of suffering, death and rebirth on all souls. It is posited that humans must gain Erudition, to understand reality in all its facets in order to enable one to escape the cycle of reincarnation and transcend beyond it. As foretold in the Prophecy of Obliteration, the ultimate endgoal of Infernalism is the transcension of all souls, initiating a grand eschatological upheaval wherein the flawed universe is obliterated and rebuilt into the idyllic paradise of the Eternal Consummation in Brilliance's image.

Guided from the Yuedi Monastery, seat of the Scion and heart of Infernalism since antiquity, there are currently more than 2 billion adherents to Infernalism - known as Infernalists - worldwide, primarily concentrated in the continents of Serica and Capricornia, the world's most populous continents. With Fengese geopolitics and interests in cultural Phoenicization as vehicles, the religion has maintained a steady growth in popularity worldwide, though such associations have in turn caused its persecution in large parts of the world - especially those aligned with the Tavaric Treaty Organization.

Etymology
Infernalism is a Fengese religion, the English name itself derived from a literal interpretation of the Fengese name for the faith, that being Yánjiào (炎教): meaning "teachings of fire".

Adherents of Infernalism are called Infernalists, the demonym similarly being Infernalist or sometimes Infernal. Adherents in ancient Fengjiang referred to themselves not by any specific demonym, but as a member of the Yánjiā (炎家), which can be translated to mean "Infernal family" or "Infernal clan" when taking into account the politics which dominated the era - the scholarly interpretation is that the term was used to identify oneself as part of a "greater family" above familial or genealogical ties. With the central nature of Infernalism to the Phoenician identity, the term has at times been used interchangeably to refer to oneself as part of the Phoenician ethnic group. In modern times, the term Yánjiàotú (炎教徒) is more common, meaning "follower of Infernalism".

Doctrine
There are no exact theological or philosophical guidelines that are espoused in Infernalism. Notably due to the internalist traditions of the religion and resultant secretiveness, there is no singular, unified dogma for the faith - the fullest theological models for Infernalism are kept secret from the public, only shown to the Initiates of the religion. When referring to a "central doctrine" in regard to Infernalism, it refers to the prevailing traditions and rites practiced by the major mainstream sects of Infernalism, which generally find commonality due to their use of the universally adhered Book of the Fire and supplementary Auguries. Generally, all Infernalist sects can be unified in their common citation of the Book of the Fire and recognition of the Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant's unassailable authority to interpret Infernalist canon, from which a and central theological and cosmological dogma is explicated and agreed upon - sectarian divides in doctrine and practice is explained as slightly different paths which nonetheless lead towards the same endgoal of transcension.

This section primarily covers the principal concepts held universally by every sect of Infernalism, referred to as Zhīlǐ (知理, "known knowledge"). This is the foundation upon which the beliefs and doctrines of Infernalism are extrapolated from, one which is unassailable and beyond dispute. The faith's institutional organization and coordination, deeper knowledge of Infernalist theology and cosmology, as well as the exact rites and traditions one must follow in order to achieve enlightenment are kept obscure and in the confidence of the initiated in the know. This is referred to as Yǐnlǐ (隱理, "hidden knowledge" or ""), and is the basis of clerical and monastic hierarchy in the religion.

Theology
Fundamentally, Infernalist theology is in nature. It is posited that reality in its totality exists as a dualistic communion between the two primordial essences of Hui and Yin (輝淫) - Hui representing Brilliance and Yin representing Oblivion. The mortal realm is said to exist as a conflict between these two essences, a flawed amalgamation described in scripture to be a "stillborn world" lacking the perfection of Brilliance and tainted by the confusion of Oblivion - it is thus stated that Brilliance, representing absolute purity of life, creation, intelligence, existence, and freedom is fated to clash against Oblivion, representing the absolute depravity of death, decay, confusion, non-existence, and aimlessness.

All mortal beings, recognized to be humans, animals and most recently, non-human s, are believed to be a product of this anomalous relationship between Brilliance and Oblivion. The Brilliant Vitae - the - is made impure by its Oblivious mortal prison. Humans are the ultimate product of this corrupt amalgamation of essences, granted consciousness and reason through Brilliance yet trapped in a cycle of constant decay and suffering in its Oblivious husk. In the flawed human condition, one is able to perceive mortality yet blind to the realm of Brilliance above from whence they arrived - referred to as the Empyrean Illusion (幻穹, Huànqióng). Upon the inevitable death of one's flawed body, the spark trapped within is tainted by its failure to perceive and break past the Illusion, fated to join again with Oblivion to birth mortality in the Infernalist cycle of reincarnation, the Vital Spiral. This process of continuous mortality and suffering is known as Descension, an innately destructive and traumatic experience that chips away at the inherent Brilliance of one's Vitae, until it is thoroughly annihilated and damned to Oblivion.

Therefore, it is the, the principal goal of the Infernalist to break free of this continuous cycle of mortality and suffering and purify oneself of the taint of Oblivion. Capable of free will and reason, humans are able to break free of such mortal bonds through attaining Insight towards the Empyrean Illusion by clearly and truly believing in its existence through adherence to Infernalist canon. This is viewed to be the first and vital step towards Ascension, the process where the Infernalist gains more knowledge regarding the universe and all its facets, thus allowing them to truly understand the Empyrean Illusion. This accumulation of knowledge is known as Erudition, which allows for the accumulation of intelligence and thus Brilliance in one's vitae. It is believed that once enough Brilliance is accumulated in one's vitae throughout its journey in the Spiral, it may attain Transcension, wherein the vitae gains - an extraordinary understanding of the Illusion through which one may "see beyond the Empyrean and gaze at the ultimate truth of the realms".

Souls that have attained such grand knowledge and transcended mortal bonds are referred to as Luminaries (烽塔, Fēngtǎ), accorded deserving respect by Infernalists. It is believed that every Luminary in existence reside within the Infernal Sea (炎海, Yánhǎi), a realm of pure, unfettered Brilliance from which they the faithful and guide the needy in their contemplations towards Erudition. Most revered among them are the Heralds (天使, Tiānshǐ), who in a great act of benevolence chose to descend once more into the corruption of the mortal realm and re-enter the cycle of Continuation bringing with them divine knowledge to elucidate the masses and to perform acts of in service of Infernalism. Having descended back into the Spiral through this act of sacrifice, it is believed that people can become Hosts to reincarnations of Heralds, receiving their Brilliance and thus aided greatly on the right path towards Transcension.

Greatly internalistic, much of Infernalistic theology is centered around the trials and tribulations of Luminaries and Hosts as described through collections of s, s, s, and compiled throughout the near-three-millennia-long history of Infernalism, studied and contemplated upon by Infernalists as aids towards Enlightenment. Despite this, Infernalism does possess a supreme deity, known as the Mother Phoenix (鳳凰大母, Fènghuáng Dàmǔ). The Mother Phoenix is the ultimate embodiment of Brilliance, simultaneously representing the primordial essence in all its resplendent glory through Her capacities as an, , deity and present as the divine spark within every being across the mortal realm and beyond, influencing the world at large and guiding every being on their paths towards Enlightenment at the same time. She is the Allmother, the progenitor who birthed forth the universe from the ineffable nothingness that is Oblivion entire. She is order manifest, granting coherence and direction to all things real and true. She is reason and existence incarnate,.

Creation
Reality, in the Infernalist comprehension, is highly dualistic in nature, completely and utterly comprising the two primordial essences of Brilliance and Oblivion and their respective realms: the Brilliant Aether (娟, juān) and the Oblivious Nether (淫, yín), their amalgamation forming the Macrocosm, the sum of all existence. Diametrically opposed, these two essential realms are fated to clash against one another in a primordial conflict believed to have been initiated at the moment of existence's birth, poetically described in Infernalist literature as the "Cosmic Struggle" (玄戰, Xuánzhàn). Representing Oblivion and its ineffable entropy, the Nether is believed to have existed before existence itself, until the emergence of the deific Mother Phoenix, and thus of Brilliance and existence.

In Infernalist, it is believed that the Mother Phoenix was the "first of firsts", the unitary consciousness opposing the confusion of the Nether surrounding Her since Her birth. Having remained amongst Oblivion for an "interminable time", She was the first to gain Erudition, attaining understanding of the fundamental workings of reality and thus enabled to conduct it, creating order from disorder. It is through this that the Infernal Sea, the pure realm of Brilliance is birthed forth, and the Cosmic Struggle between Brilliance and Oblivion begins.

While described to be tremendously powerful, the Mother Phoenix is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. In their entireties, Brilliance is incomparable to Oblivion in their sheer vastness, but their positions are equalized through the prevailing of Brilliant reason over Oblivious confusion. Just as the Mother Phoenix is Brilliance manifest, this is contrasted by the Archanathema, the Blind Devourer among many epithets, representing the ineffable and destructive nature of Oblivion. As the Phoenix desires to bring order to reality, the Archanathema - bereft of desire in its blind and Oblivious state - only destroys. As the Phoenix pushes away and cleanses Oblivion from Her realm, the Archanathema discorporates Brilliance into nothingness.

It is through this essential flux that the current state of the material universe, the Microcosm is birthed. Existing in the collision of Brilliance and Oblivion, it is an amalgamation of the two, the coherence of Brilliance tainted by the confusion of Oblivion. Incomparable to the perfection of the Infernal Sea, it is described to be a "stillborn thing", at a fateful crossroads between life through salvation by Brilliance and death through annihilation by Oblivion.

Eschatology
Facing an eternity of paradise or damnation in an inevitable yet indeterminable future through the Microcosm's eventual and complete enfolding by Brilliance or Oblivion, it is foretold by Yanshizu in her Prophecy of Obliteration that the Microcosm is impermanent, fated to be thoroughly obliterated when either Brilliance or Oblivion triumphs over the other. Humanity, as agents of reason in which fragments of Brilliance - the vitae reside, are instrumental in the eventual result of the Cosmic Struggle, as it is their capability to cultivate their inner vitae that decides whether the divine spark within them may ascend towards Brilliance or descend towards Oblivion. In expansive terms, the collective vita of all humanity is the deciding factor in the Cosmic Struggle, the salvation of humanity through transcension contingent on the enlightenment of all vitae: every human in existence and to ever exist.

The objective of Infernalism is thus to cultivate the vitae of humanity as a whole, conducting and directing society towards the greater understanding of the cosmos and the attainment of Erudition, such that all vitae may in this indeterminable future achieve collective transcension, empowering the Aether and its conductor the Mother Phoenix to initiate a grand upheaval to overwhelm and eradicate all Oblivion. It is through this ultimate victory of Brilliance over Oblivion that the righteous obliteration of the flawed Microcosm may be achieved, allowing for the Phoenix to birth forth a truly perfect universe in the image of Brilliance: the Eternal Consummation, an idyllic paradise lacking the mortality and suffering inherent to Oblivion.

Practice
Above all, all practices and traditions in Infernalism surround the pursuit of Erudition, the attainment of knowledge about reality from the cosmos without to the spirit within. Affirmed by the necessity of enlightening all towards eventual transcension lest the damnation of existence be had, there exists no separation between private and public practice of the faith: all levels and spheres of society must conform to Infernalist doctrine.

Erudition
Erudition, in Infernalism, is the possession of deep understanding regarding the workings of reality, enabling one to break past the Empyrean Illusion and cultivate one's inner vitae, opening the possibility of transcension. In the Infernalist perception, Erudition is one and the same as piety to the faith, the accumulation of knowledge equivalent to worship. In converse, it is perceived that only Infernalists can attain Erudition, whereas non-believers can at best reach its precipices as their understanding of reality is crippled without knowledge of Infernalism's precepts. Ignorance, in Infernalism, is the quality of lacking knowledge, which damns oneself to descension and thus must be solved through conversion and correct bestowance.

Infernalism splits knowledge into two parts: Zhili (the Known) and Yinli (the Unknown). Zhili is knowledge that is made available and clarified to the lay public, whereas Yinli is knowledge that is to be hidden and obscured from the lay public. This distinction between the publicizing and obscuring of knowledge is the foundation of clerical and by extension, societal hierarchy, zealously guarded on the basis that certain knowledge can only be truly understood and utilized in full by those "in the know" - typically those initiated to the faith or higher levels of religious leadership. It is reasoned that knowledge considered Yinli can be easily misused or misunderstood to the detriment of Infernalism, opening the possibility of its corruption and the dispersion of such corrupted knowledge - a heretical phenomenon which only hinders the Infernalist goal of spreading Erudition.

Yinli may be applied by the Infernalist clergy to guide their decision-making and cultivation of a society's collective vitae, allowing for the benefits of Yinli to be indirectly enjoyed by the lay public. Historically, Yinli classification has been used to obscure over the decision-making process of Infernalist governments, but in modern times is more typically used to classify what oriental societies may consider, such as cosmosophy (atomic science).

Bestowance
Central to the advocation of Infernalism is the concept of Bestowance, the transmission of knowledge from the more informed to the less, thus spreading Erudition. The term is most traditionally used to describe the liturgical rite of the same name, that being the ritualized imparting of knowledge from an Infernalist cleric (Erudite) to a layperson, typically performed at a gee. In wider terms, it refers to the concept of applying and designing a society such that it maximizes the bestowance of knowledge, whether through direct transmission or indirect enabling of that transmission.

Contemplation
Contemplation is the Infernalist act of self-introspection and deep analysis of knowledge, typically performed as part of meditation. It is considered vital in the process of attaining Erudition, as it promotes the internalization and deep comprehension of knowledge instead of shallow memorization. Comprehension may be done either alone or in a group, generally done with the aid of rhythmic chanting and ritualized debate. Buildings built to Infernalist standards have secluded spaces reserved for quiet contemplation, though the act may also be performed in conventional spaces designed for conferences.

Organization
The organizational jurisprudence of Infernalism is based on Zhufa, its. Traditionally, there are four sources of Zhufa: from the Book of the Fire, from later supplements and edicts from the Scion (Auguries), from important scriptural and legislative contributions from the Luminarchy which are not expressly canonized (Illuminations), and from analogical deductions from the combined contents of the previous three sources.

Erudite
An Erudite is an ordained member of the Infernalist clergy, charged with the administration of Infernalist liturgy, bestowances and counsel towards their lay parish. Besides their ritualized duties in the spiritual and cognitive care of their parish, Erudites hold extensive secular responsibilities (even if Infernalism does not distinct between the secular and religious spheres) including participation in the legal, judicial, and legislative fields in governments. As embodiments of Erudition over all facets of reality and agents in its bestowance, the model Erudite is a priest, polymath, and leader of their community; but typical Erudites generally pursue specialization in either of three duties.

Traditionally, due to the matriarchal doctrine of Infernalism, the position of Erudite has been an exclusively female position, owing to belief in innate feminine brilliance over male vulgarity. This is justified to be a theological necessity: Erudition, it is argued, ought to be bestowed by those inherently superior in their capabilities to grasp it, and that allowing the opposite would leave greater possibility of misinterpretation and heresy. Challenges to this matriarchal order has been a perennial dispute in theological circles: the most influential of these being the Egalitarian Controversy during the Great Fragmentation, which argued that the innate capacity for human free will and reason enabled males to pursue and bestow Erudition, questioning the belief of an inherent barrier (biological, spiritual, etc.) precluding such pursuit. Becoming a frequent point of sectarian contention, the issue was not decisively settled until the Scion's Edict of Catholic Cognizance in 1960 as coaxed by contemporary Materialists. Since 1960, the clerical ordination of Erudition does not "distinct between genders", theoretically allowing for both male and female clergy - though female ordinations still occur at higher rates, and female clergy dominate theological discourse in Infernalism.

An unordained studying to become an Erudite is known as an Initiate after they are initiated through the Rite of Revelation. Initiates are partially privy to the Yinli reserved for fully ordained Erudites, serving as assistants to ordained Erudites in their duties and receiving ritualized bestowances in kind to aid them on their ascension.

Gee
The gee (from 寺: : Sì, : Dźi, lit. "temple") is the foundational entity through which Infernalism's clergy and parish is organized. Its primary functions are as the site of worship and social organization for a parish, a center of education bestowing knowledge of both conventional and theological forms, and a database within which the archived information of a parish may be collaged - but may also include additional features and duties depending on the size and accorded responsibilities of a gee, such as those in the judiciary or government. Gees range from the community centers of small villages and monasteries for Infernalist ascetics, to temples and academies servicing metropolitan areas to the great gee-complexes which hold jurisdiction over satellite gees and double as sites of local government. Due to the broad responsibilities of gees, it is standard practice for gees to share jurisdictions and specialize in particular responsibilities - two gees in a shared jurisdiction may respectively minister the parish and attend to their conventional education.

In gees of all sizes, a Sage serves as the gee's political administrator and spiritual leader, being the highest ranking Erudite in the gee's jurisdiction. In smaller gees, a Sage may simply be the only Erudite in the jurisdiction. In larger gees, they are aided in their duties by subordinate Erudites - who may simply wish to avoid political duties to focus on other Erudite pursuits - and assisting Initiates - who carry out more mundane duties such as the maintenance of the gee and data collection for archivation. Notably, the size of a gee administered by a Sage is generally not used to denote hierarchy - it is not uncommon for renowned Erudites to retire to more secluded gees after the conclusion of their scholarly careers. Several gees have the historical reputation of being the retirement destinations of such Erudites, these Erudite Retreats being frequent sites of pilgrimage. These exceptions notwithstanding, it is general practice for the Sages of more secluded gees to only physically preside them periodically - usually once per week - due to the scholarly obligations of Erudites.

Gees of historical, religious, and/or political importance typically evolve into gee-complexes, major gees to which smaller gees are subordinated and annexed. These great centers of Erudition hold extensive responsibilities, which can serve as sites of local governments aside from their ordinary responsibilities. Hosting Magistracy Boards comprising Erudites of legal and political disciplines, gee-complexes may administer cities or even provinces, and have governed entire countries in the past. In their capacities as centers of Erudition and academic knowledge, gee-complexes have more recently served roles similar to oriental s and s, providing vital insights into the fundamental nature of reality.

Sanctuaries and Magi
A Sanctuary is the of a monumentally influential gee, whose status in the clerical hierarchy is so high that it answers to no higher authority other than the Sanctuary of the Most Eternal - which holds absolute primacy over all Infernalism due to its prophetic lineage. Due to the traditional non-interventionism of the Most Eternal, Sanctuaries are functionally similar to s, acting as autonomous schools of thought distinct between one another in their interpretation of Infernalist canon and law. Despite these sectarian differences, Sanctuaries generally recognize one another to be non-heretical and merely slightly different paths to the same endgoal of universal erudition and transcension. Only the Sanctuary of the Most Eternal can proclaim the jurisdiction of a gee to be a Sanctuary. No other authority may proclaim a Sanctuary, as such an act is considered heretical in its challenge of the Most Eternal's primacy.

The Sage of a Sanctuary is known as a Magus, who holds sovereignty over all gees and Infernalists under the Sanctuary's jurisdiction. A Phare, composed of the most influential Erudites in a Sanctuary, is responsible for deliberating on candidates and recognizing one such candidate to be in possession of the "greatest erudition" - a closed electoral process which chooses the Magus of a Sanctuary. Phares additionally serve as the legislator of Infernalist jurisprudence for their Sanctuaries, comparable with the oriental concept of. In Infernalist politics, Sanctuaries have extended their legislative authority towards spheres orientally considered to be part of public life, leading them to become the legislatures of the uniquely occidental magocracy wherein Erudites are centers of political power based on their eminent ability to obtain and bestow knowledge - the closest equivalent to the oriental conception of the culture- and ethnocentric.

Sanctuary of the Most Eternal
The Sanctuary of the Most Eternal residing in the heavily fortified Transcendant Gee in Fengtianmen, Fengjiang, is the universal paragon of the entire Infernalist faith, its hereditary leader - the Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant - recognized to be the successive reincarnations of Yanshizu. Thusly, she is recognized to possess unassailable and indisputable prophetic primacy over Infernalism: holding the truest understanding of reality and the authority to unilaterally interpret religious canon.

As a Sanctuary itself, the Most Eternal has its own Phare, the Eternal Phare composed of every Infernal Magi alongside important Sages across Pyrosphere, one of which is internally elected to represent them as Archmagus - a "first of equals" in theory. The Eternal Phare nominally serves in an advisory capacity, clarifying the accumulated Erudition of Infernalism to the Scion to aid in her decision-making. In practice however, the public status quo of non-interventionism by the Scion has allowed for the delegation of her tremendous religious and political sway to the Archmagus, such that the Archmagus functionally serves as her voice in public affairs.