Beliefs: Worship centers around progress and the mechanical order of the universe. Followers see machines and industry as divine manifestations of humanity’s evolution.

Practices: Building and blessing machines, praying in factories, and oiling mechanical altars.

Customs: Followers often wear brass ornaments or cogwheel-shaped pendants.

Beliefs: Followers believe in divine inheritance passed through bloodlines and view their ancestors as demigods.

Practices: Bloodletting rituals, feasts to honor ancestors, and genealogical recitations.

Customs: Members wear red sashes or ribbons and keep family relics as sacred objects.

Beliefs:

The Church of the Final Mercy teaches that death is not an end but a divine transition—a sacred passage to eternal peace and rest. Life is seen as a trial of suffering, growth, and preparation for the afterlife. The faithful believe that death, when accepted with dignity and readiness, is the ultimate mercy granted by their deity. The religion views fear of death as a failure to understand the divine plan and encourages acceptance and reverence for mortality.

Deity or Central Figure:
The church worships Narael, the Pale Shepherd, a compassionate and patient divine being who guides souls to the "Eternal Halls," a paradise where suffering ceases. Narael is depicted as a robed figure bearing a lantern to light the path and a staff or scythe to gather the lost. While feared by some, Narael is ultimately seen as merciful, offering release to those burdened by pain and despair.

Practices:

Funeral Rites and Processions: Elaborate ceremonies to honor the dead, including chants, incense, and symbolic offerings like coins and feathers to aid the departed on their journey.

Comfort for the Dying: Clerics, known as Wardens of Mercy, minister to the terminally ill and those preparing to pass, guiding them through meditations and rituals for a peaceful transition.

Day of Remembrance: An annual holy day marked by silent processions through towns, honoring ancestors and reflecting on mortality.

Sanctuaries for the Dying: Churches often operate hospice-like sanctuaries where the sick and elderly can spend their final days surrounded by care and ritual.

Merciful Release: Though controversial, the church supports euthanasia in cases of extreme suffering, viewing it as an act of mercy when performed with consent and prayer.

Customs:

Clerics wear long black or gray robes with silver accents and often carry lanterns, symbolizing Narael’s guiding light.

Followers wear small charms shaped like lanterns or bones to ward off restless spirits and remind themselves of mortality.

Bells are rung during ceremonies to signal the passing of a soul.

Parishioners recite prayers known as Whispers to Narael each evening, asking for guidance and courage to face their eventual end.

Sacred Texts:

The Book of Departures: A scripture describing Narael’s teachings, detailing the importance of acceptance, mercy, and readiness for the afterlife.

The Songs of Passing: Hymns sung at funerals and vigils, written to calm the dying and console the grieving.

Organization:

High Warden of Mercy: The global leader of the faith, residing in the Grand Basilica of Mercy, a vast cathedral located in one of the major cities.

Wardens of Mercy: Clerics who oversee temples, minister to the dying, and perform funeral rites.

Seekers of the Light: Traveling missionaries who spread the teachings of the faith, offering aid and comfort in remote areas.

Current Influence and Reach:
The Church of the Final Mercy is widely respected in many regions for its care of the dying and dedication to preserving dignity in death. However, some factions within the faith advocate for stricter practices, including broader acceptance of mercy killings, leading to tension with more moderate followers. Critics accuse the church of using fear of death to expand its influence, while defenders argue it provides solace and order in an uncertain world.

In politically unstable areas, the church’s focus on death and transition has made it a stabilizing force, while in more authoritarian regions, it has faced accusations of supporting rebellion by offering hope to the downtrodden and oppressed.

Beliefs: This pacifist religion emphasizes inner peace, balance, and harmony with nature. Followers believe that spiritual enlightenment can be found through meditation and contemplation.

Practices: Quiet meditation, fasting, and retreats by bodies of water.

Customs: They wear robes in shades of blue and white and carry small bottles of water collected from sacred lakes.

Beliefs: Followers worship an unnamed, unknowable force beyond human comprehension. They believe silence brings clarity and connection to the divine.

Practices: Monastic lifestyles marked by vows of silence, complex sign languages, and contemplative walks in nature.

Headquarters: Remote mountain retreats or isolated communes.

Core Tenet: “Words corrupt; silence reveals.”

Appeal: Draws intellectuals, mystics, and misfits seeking spiritual isolation.

Beliefs:
The Order of the Silent Veil twists the teachings of Narael, the Pale Shepherd, into a dark, authoritarian faith that venerates death not as a transition, but as the ultimate offering to their god. They believe that suffering cleanses the soul, and that only through pain and sacrifice can one truly be worthy of Narael’s mercy. To them, death is not just a release—it is a divine judgment, and those deemed unworthy must be “purified” through suffering before they can enter the Eternal Halls.

Where the Church of the Final Mercy offers peace and comfort, the Silent Veil demands obedience, punishment, and blood as tribute to Narael. The faith views death as an absolute necessity to maintain order, control, and divine favor.

Deity or Central Figure:
The Order still worships Narael, the Pale Shepherd, but their depiction is far more terrifying. He is not the kind guide of souls but a cold and pitiless judge, appearing as a skeletal figure draped in shadows and clutching a scythe dripping with blood. Known also as Narael the Harvester, this version demands constant sacrifice to stave off his wrath.

Practices:

The Harvesting Rituals: Ceremonial executions performed publicly as offerings to Narael, often targeting prisoners, political dissidents, or anyone accused of impurity. Victims are prepared with weeks of fasting and prayer before being sacrificed.

Blood Cleansing: Ritual whippings, self-mutilation, and branding performed by devotees to purify themselves of perceived sins and stave off divine judgment.

The Binding of the Veil: New initiates are “veiled” by being blindfolded and buried alive for a night, symbolizing death and rebirth. Those who panic or attempt to escape are deemed unworthy and sacrificed.

The March of Silence: Once a year, priests lead massive funeral processions of the faithful through towns and cities, their faces veiled in black cloth. The march ends in a mass execution of chosen “sinners.”

Soul Tithes: The faithful are required to offer sacrifices to the Order, often livestock or crops, but in times of scarcity, criminals or outsiders are handed over instead.

Customs:

Devotees wear hooded black robes lined with red to represent the blood price of salvation.

Masks resembling skulls are worn by higher-ranking members to invoke the visage of Narael.

Followers are required to recite The Litany of Silence before sunrise and sunset, a prayer begging Narael for continued mercy.

The ringing of bells at dusk signals the end of mercy for the day, and any transgressions committed after dark are punishable by immediate execution.

Sacred Texts:

The Book of the Veil: A corrupted reinterpretation of the original scriptures, emphasizing punishment, sacrifice, and submission.

The Lamentations of the Condemned: A collection of prayers allegedly spoken by souls in torment, urging the faithful to embrace suffering to avoid eternal pain.

The Threnodies of Narael: Chants and hymns recited during rituals, filled with ominous tones and descriptions of divine wrath.

Organization:

High Harvester: The supreme leader of the Order, said to commune directly with Narael’s will and authorize purges in his name.

Harvest Priests: Mid-ranking clergy who oversee rituals and sacrifices, as well as enforce obedience in their congregations.

Shrouded Wardens: Elite enforcers tasked with punishing heretics and enforcing the Order’s decrees.

Veiled Acolytes: The lowest-ranking members, often initiates who have yet to prove themselves worthy through acts of devotion and pain.

Current Influence and Reach:
The Order of the Silent Veil operates in secrecy, hidden in catacombs, abandoned churches, and remote desert shrines. However, whispers of its influence have begun spreading into cities, especially among the desperate and downtrodden who see its brutal order as a reprieve from chaos.

In war-torn areas, the Order has gained power by offering protection and structure to those willing to submit to their rule. Meanwhile, in places like Eredan, rumors persist that members of the Silent Veil have infiltrated government offices, military ranks, and even the Church of the Final Mercy itself.

Criticisms and Fears:
Opponents view the Order as a dangerous perversion of faith, preying on fear and desperation to expand its power. Survivors of their rituals speak of nightmares, torture, and manipulative leaders who justify their actions as divine will. Yet, the Order’s growing influence remains undeniable, especially among those who crave order at any cost.