Mysticism:
Roughly 80% of the people of Kassara are mystics. Nearly everyone goes through a catechism for the religion at an early age.
Mystics are expected to pray at shrines and keep ‘jigo jisho’, but probably only 30% of the followers actually do.
-The prayer shrines are abundant wherever there is civilization. They are pools of water with a shrine maiden present, who is an ‘awakened’ water elemental.
-Jigo jisho is a personal journal mystics keep of their spiritual progression.

Mystics believe in what cannot be seen; they are adherent that some things in life cannot be explained with empirical data alone. Mystics and scientists work together regularly to attempt to explain the true nature of Lura. The fact that apparitions are a commonality is definitely a huge factor contributing to why the religion has gained so many followers.

The ideology of the five rings is embraced by mystics. They believe in the ‘convergience’, which is the idea that all realities intersect at the third ring. They believe they cannot communicate with the Light of Creation directly (which they believe is a manifestation of the fifth ring), and must worship through intermediary gods and goddesses instead.

However, most mystics aren’t entirely convinced the awakened really have powers. It is easy to be skeptical since awakeneds are so rare, and some people are worried their religion is using parlour tricks to keep their followers in line.

None-the-less, the wards to keep evil spirits away seem to work. Read the rest of this entry »