Cardiniality

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Cardiniality, the Cardinial faiths and rarely Cardinialism refers to a group of Northeast Borean religions which share a belief in a pair of contrary divine creators that preside over the universe as it currently exists as Spectators. The religions first emerged concretely around the 2nd Century BCE in modern-day Kæra'zna, and exist in varying degrees of decentralization. Despite this, the Cardinial sects each share a number of core tenets and beliefs both internally and amongst other Cardinials - enshrining a number of Azraic cultural practices and philosophical understandings in the context of faith. This was first codified through the Encompassing of all History and Prophecy, commonly referred to as the Compass. The Compass was written in the 1st Century AD and codified both the history of the Azraic people and the universe, as well as a number of prophecies and myths which form the foundation for the Cardinial faiths.

The primary point of distinction between the religions is their position towards the Spectators, Pæf and Læs. Followers of Soynulf - the largest group of Cardinials - believe that both Spectators must be venerated in a form of bitheism to continue a state of balance between them. Viewing the Compass through the lens of religious literalism, they believe that the universe and its current inhabitants shall reach its end in the event that one Spectator claiming victory over the other. Conversely, followers of Pæfism and Læsism venerate only one of the Spectators as creating the good of the universe, whilst seeing the other as an antagonistic force whose influence distorted the universe from perfection. While the nature of the two religious groups creates inherent opposition, they both agree on the idea that the Soynulf interpretation on the end of the universe is incorrect, and the Compass actually suggests that those who embody the traits of the victorious Spectator shall become to sole residents of the resharpen universe.

The last major current within Cardiniality is Cardinial Akuanism, which perceives the Cardinial creation myth through a distinctly Akuanist lens - forming a sort of religious syncretism between the two. Followers of Cardinial Akuanism, referred to as the Cardakuan, believe that the Spectators used the Ny-Gin-Stol as tools in which to form the universe. While generally also believing in the existence of Akuan deities, Cardinial Akuanists adhere to a number of practices and customs from their counterparts in Kæra'zna - being identified more with Cardinials than Akuanists due to their history and tendency to stand out within other Akunaist communities. Such a distinction most starkly exists through the adoption of a Cardinial depiction of the Spectators as primordial watchers whose presence on the world is currently very little beyond a continuation of their work during creation, contrasting the more common Akuanist depiction of the Spectators as members of the Vodkaniate.

Due to the generally isolated nature of the early Kæra and the disempowerment of the faith by those within the orthodox branches of the Ritual nihilist movement, the adherents to Cardinial faiths have declined since the Nylic Revolution of 1853. The 2021 Kæra census noted a follower count of 754,681 in the country based on those who identify as Cardinial, though the amount of those regularly practicing the faiths within the country expected to be lower.