Khetism is the primary religion of the people of Kheterata. Its founding goes far back to ancient times, when the Elikhet led the Kheteratan people from Bulwar into the Salahad Desert. The basis of the religion is the worship of Elikhet and his descendants, known as the Khet, a race of god-like beings resembling a human with a cat head. The existence of other gods is neither expressly recognized nor denied, but the worship of any entity beyond the Khet is strictly rejected. The faith primarily exists along the Mother's Sorrow, as well as much of the Kheteratan coast and Tijarikheti mountains, though foreign enclaves are known to exist as well.
Structure[]
The Khetist faith is structured around the Khet family, with the quasi-divine Khet acting as all religious authority while the human Kheteratans act as worshipers and priests. The main figure in the faith is the Khetarch, a member of the Khet family elected by a council of elders within the family, known as the Elder Council. Under official doctrine, the Khetist faith places Elikhet as the eternal master of Kheterata and - while not rejecting other gods' existence - the only being worthy of true worship by the Kheteratans; the Khet family as just below him, worshiped his holy descendants yet positioned as demigods rather than full divinities; and below them the (traditionally human) High Priest of Elikhet, their representative on religious affairs, and the appointed King of Kheterata, known to the Khet as the Steward of the Sorrow, their representative on secular affairs. In theory, both of these positions exist solely on the sufferance of the current Khetarch, though in reality the King can exert significantly more independence than the High Priest can - though even the King can be, and has been, replaced by the Khetarch.
Doctrine[]
Though Khetism at its core is a simple belief in the sanctity of Elikhet and his kin above other gods, there also exists a complex canon of official doctrines and unofficial traditions rooted in records of Elikhet's personal decrees as well as later proclamations of the Khetarchs.
One of the most well-documented of Elikhet's decrees, issued in response to questions of the nature of the djinn, was on the sanctity of magic.
It is the nature of men to shape the world with their hands. It is the nature of gods to shape the world with but their will. The force you would call magic is the application of the divine will, and in its pure state a sign of the highest holiness, yet in these devils called djinn it has been corrupted. Stolen from the heavens, the magics of these djinn are putrid! Look upon our former kin to the east, the Bulwari, ruled now by men turned devils after they, tricked by the most perfidious of all djinn Brasan the Liar, sought to turn the djinn magics to their advantage and were driven mad, falsely proclaiming themselves gods. Let those who were justly granted the gift of magic from birth be regarded as holy, yet all those who would steal this gift must be regarded as the worst of sinners.
The original interpretation of this saw the mages of Kheterata given great privileges and political positions, existing as one of the highest ranks of the traditional Kheteratan nobility. This would eventually cause issues with Khetist authorities, with the magical nobility being some of the most enthusiastic adopters of Damerian culture following the Republic's conquest of Kheterata and many placing the Dame as equal to Elikhet in authority.
Elikhet's return on the Day of Ashen Skies would see this tendency wiped out, with the Kheteratan nobility finding itself abolished as a legal class in favor of an empowered clergy that swiftly propagated a new doctrine calling on those of magical potential to serve Elikhet himself in his priesthood rather than pursuing selfish ambitions as their noble predecessors had. The Tower of Muhaqaar was erected near the clergy's traditional center of power, the city of Nirakhet, as both educational and research facility for Kheterata's mages
Khetarch[]
The Khetarch is the main authority within the faith, and has many powers because of this. The Khetarch's primary duty is assigning a king to Kheterata, though in times of peace they usually bestow the title to the king's chosen heir, normally the firstborn child, making Kheterata function like a traditional monarchy in most cases. The Khetarch also assigns members to the Elder Council when old members pass away. Usually the Khetarch fulfills the minimum required in their position such as ceremonial and religious activities, though it is not too uncommon for the Khetarch to select another Khet, or, in rare cases, a Kheteratan, to perform these duties in their stead. While the Khetarch can extend absolute authority over Kheterata due to their divine-like powers within the lands of Kheterata itself, there have only been two recorded cases of this. Why it is such a rare occasion for direct rule from the Khet is owed much to the nature of the Khet, as a lazy and decadent species - too powerful to oust, and very easy to please.
Elder Council[]
The Elder Council, also known as the Eldkhet, is the primary source of law within the faith. Composed of the four eldest of the Khet, they also provide advice to the Khetarch and act as his privy council. When new religious doctrines need to be approved, they are voted on by the Eldkhet before being presented to the Khetarch for final approval.
The High Priest[]
The High Priest of Elikhet is the voice of the ruling Khetarch, charged with the spiritual guidance of the faithful just as the Steward of the Sorrow is charged with their protection. Almost always chosen from the priestly lineages of old, the descendants of Elikhet's original advisory council, the High Priests command a level of respect in Kheterata second only to the Khet themselves yet their actual power has waxed and waned, with the Steward traditionally holding a stronger position. As with all higher religious positions in Kheterata, the High Priest is always of strong magical potential and traditionally a graduate of the great Black Academy of Muhaqaar.
History[]
Khetism has a long and storied history stretching all the way back before the founding of any of the greatest empires. Originally, the faith revolved around the worship of a single Khet, the living god known as Elikhet. Shortly before his death, he created the Khetarchy, allowing for his legacy to continue on. In his final will, he stipulated the establishment of the Elder Council, to ensure that his legacy will be maintained only by his best descendants.
As time has gone on, however, this has proven to not be the case. Typically, the Elder Council is populated by the oldest Khet in the family, save for the most elder Khet, who is instead the Khetarch. The Khet, in general, have lost the will or the care to rule. They have taken more pleasure from being worshiped, and have demanded increasingly lavish lifestyles, leading to most Eldkhet and Khetarchs being lazy, uninspired, and decadent rulers - leaving the actual ruling to their most favoured Kheteratan subjects instead.
Heterodox Sects[]
Though Khetism is united by a strict adherence to the rulings of the Eldkhet, the majority of these are on single topics and the Eldkhet makes rulings very rarely. The Eldkhet may pass a formal ruling on which precise days it is best to sacrifice to a given aspect of Elikhet, but it is unlikely to care much on what exactly those sacrifices are. Disagreeing interpretations of particularly ancient doctrines are also rife. As such, much of Khetism is undefined folk tradition, and many unorthodox sects exist beyond the influence of the temples.
One of the most notable of these is the Peyimaaw sect, followed by the ahati brotherhoods and originating from the teachings of King Menkaunswt the Warrior, founder of the Second Dynasty of Kheterata. Also known as the Avenger Cult, this sect is heavily tied to the code of minisris, holding to a more militaristic yet meritocratic view on Kheteratan identity than the orthodoxy.