Religious worship in Hepekeria has traditionally followed the same lines as other parts of Western Lythia, with followers of all of the ten primary deities. Which deities were more popular depended in a large part on which population of the Numec, the nomads often favoring Agrik while the city dwellers leaned towards Halea, Save K'nor, and the peasant population surrounding the coastal towns mostly worshipped Peoni. Roughly 200 years ago a new religion, Ziryabism, emerged among the desert nomads, composed of elements of the other religions, and quickly swept through all of the desert Numec. Given the prominence of the nomads in the armies of the coastal Numec this religion was also quickly introduced there as well and has all but supplanted worship of the original 10 deities.
This new religion, called Ziryabism after its founder Ziryab, is an outgrowth of worship of the 10 primary deities. Ziryab was an Numec warrior and shaman who spent much of his time alone, wandering the desert. On one such expedition he experienced a revelation, apparently the result of intervention by Save K'nor, though critics say his visions were the product of dehydration and spoiled food. Whatever their source, Ziryab was profoundly affected and quickly began preaching his new religion to his former congregation. These warriors then began spreading Ziryabism by forceful proselytizing, conversions often gained at swords point. Shortly afterwards Ziryab was killed fighting in Korlua and immediately achieved the status of demigod. The eruption of Mt. Veramel, whose ashfall affected most of eastern Hepekeria, is said to be a 'sign of the gods, noting his passage'. His death if anything strengthened the new religion and his son, Ziryab the Younger, continued proselytizing. Within one generation Ziryabism had completely swept through the nomadic population. Several of the coastal towns 'officially' converted in the next few years, at least in part to avoid more forceful conversion at the hands of the nomads. Ziryab's successors have been somewhat less fanatic and have stopped conversion at swords point. Direct worship of some of the 10 primary deities is even permitted (sometimes), but nevertheless the vast majority of the city populations in direct contact with the desert Numec also follow Ziryabism.
Ziryabism is unique among Western Lythian religions in that perceives the entire material universe as a creation of evil in an attempt to fight good. According to this tradition originally there were only Light and Dark. Dark coveted the brilliance of Light and created an army of creatures, led by the demon Ba'ali, to attack the Light. Light responded by creating its own creatures, led by the angel Ahrmiz, for defense and battle was joined. In the initial confrontation, the minions of Light were defeated and eaten by the creatures of Dark, allowing the Dark to capture some Light. Ba'ali created the universe and creatures to inhabit it, each acting as a prison for a small piece of the captured Light. All of physical existence, the bodies of all creatures and people, were created from the Dark purely for the purpose of holding Light.
Metaphysical existence is also perceived differently than by other religions. Ziryabites hold that all known deities are creations and tools of either Light or Dark, and all work directly to further one or the other. Save K'nor, Peoni, Larani, Azer and Siem are all seen as tools of the Light. Agrik, Morgath, Naveh, Halea, Sarajin, and Ilvir are all seen as tools of the Dark.
Ziryab preached that the realization that each individual is composed of Light (spirit) and Dark (body) enables the individual to aid in the struggle of Light versus Dark. By denying the physical and pursuing the spiritual one can gather and preserve the Light and eventually aid it in returning to the Light as a whole. Through successive lives the spirit can be strengthened and enhanced until it is capable of rejoining the Light, reaching salvation. Recognition of reality's dual nature is the revelation which founded this religion.
Ziryabites follow several principles, more or less strictly depending on the strength of their faith and their self-perception. Most spirits are far from reaching salvation, ie rejoining the Light, and so must live many lives before they are ready for this transition. These lesser spirits lead lives as people from all walks of life. Each should try to uphold the precepts of Ziryabism as best as possible, though it is realized that they are not ready to follow the strictest rules. Stronger spirits are born as warriors for the faith, still following a physical path but one dedicated to furthering the cause of Light, and therefore of strengthening their own Light. Those spirits nearing readiness for salvation lead lives of asceticism and enhanced spirituality, thus purifying themselves for the final transformation.
The basic practices of Ziryabism are all designed to nurture the spirit. They include: Vegetarianism, chastity, poverty, and general denial of the flesh. The degree to which one follows these practices is a good indicator of one's status: the lay faithful marry, occasionally eat meat, and strive not to live in poverty. Warriors occasionally eat meat, pledge chastity, own nothing other than their clothes and the tools of their trade, and are supported mostly by the lay faithful. The Elect, essentially priests, monks and nuns, lead lives of abject poverty, supported entirely by handouts from the lay faithful. They are highly respected for their self-denial, purity of spirit, and for the knowledge they share with worshippers. Most spend their lives in contemplation, study, and creation of the scriptures of Ziryabism.
It should be pointed out that the Ziryabite belief in reincarnation and general spiritual beliefs lead to a warrior class which is fanatic and fearless. Each warrior believes that he has earned the right to be a champion of the faith through careful conduct in many previous lives. It is his privilege to defend and expand the faith and through this he will further his own spiritual perfection. Dying in this cause moves him one step nearer to salvation, perhaps even into the class of the Elect. As a side effect of this, most Numec warriors do not wear armor of any sort, perhaps one of their few weaknesses from an outsider's point of view.
At birth each child is assigned to its appropriate class. Priests examine the child and its spirit and decide which stage it is ready to live. Most children follow the path of the lay faithful and are raised by their parents. A few are deemed either warriors or Elect and are fostered to members of those classes. Despite being raised in foster homes, most members of the warrior and Elect classes maintain strong relationships with their birth families. Birth parents take great pride in producing warriors or Elect and this greatly enhances one's status in the community.
Given its youth, Ziryabism is still being formulated and details ironed out. Disputes between different congregations over what to the outsider appear as minor theological points are common. (Recently two tribes nearly annihilated each other over the issue of whether melons or oranges contained more light and hence were better foods.) Traditionally Numec clans were frequently in a state of feud and this has continued into the present. Now such disputes are often represented as religious conflict but in actuality are just continuations of old rivalries.
Among the Korluim, Ziryabism has developed a clerical hierarchy and the structure of the church is much more formalized. Communities of Fada'ilyen and Ghaziyen, called Fada'ekhyen and Ghaz'ekhyen, are governed by strict sets of rules developed over the past 100 years. Each city has its own 'bishop', a Fadaram, and the religion as a whole is governed by the 'pontiff', Fadabarit, in Isynen. Daoudim Ziryabites look down on such structure as a weaker form of the religion, designed to help those who cannot themselves work towards spiritual perfection. Needless to say the two branches of Ziryabism, Korluim and Daoudim, are frequently at odds.
Roll for background on either the Imperial Table (for city people) or the Tribal Table (for the desert Nomads). For the city dwellers, no further modifications. For the Tribal people, all have Ride Camel (3), Desert Survival (2).