FEATURE ARTICLE

Forces of Faith
Efil

Common Symbol of Efil

The second most popular force of the people, Efil, is the Force of Life. Seen as a gentle and caring Force, her priests strive to live up to the ideals laid out before them.

Dogma

"Above all else, there must be life."

Efilians can sometimes be a prideful bunch, believing that out of all of the Forces, theirs is the most important and crucial. "Without life," they argue, "what is the point of everything else? Even death becomes meaningless." To this end, the Efilians regard life as the greatest gift of the Forces and Elements and believe it to be a treasure worth protecting.

Example Holy Passages

Taken from The Codex of Essence:

"If nothing else, all people share the same trait - we are alive, and we should be thankful that we are."

"To kill is sin. To kill onesef is to spit in the faces of the Forces who graced us with the essence of life."

"And lo, High Priestess Cyrilla had been correct. She lifted her hands to the sky and thanked Efil for the guidance wrought from an eternity of observation. 'Live,' the high priestess declared. 'Live and let all others live. That is the answer to the question of our existence.'"

Holy Days

Fourth Fervan of Nox - Efilive: Generally the last day of the year, Efilive is a renewal of appreciation for our lives and the lives of others. On this day individuals are encouraged to gather (especially family) and exchange gifts or words of appreciation for the people who make a difference in their life.
Third Rosa of Nuo - Lifegiver Day: A private holiday that is only sparingly celebrated (much to the lament of the priests), on this day all individuals are encouraged to spend homage to their parents and their mothers in particular in whatever fashion they see fitting.
Second Silva of Solary - The Revel: At the height of summer, coinciding with Sacrifice of Taed's religion, the Revel is a day and night long festival in honor of Efil. The morning is filled with ceremonies and sermons from the priests of Efil, followed by celebrations that vary based on the locale of the church. Most people have a festival that will involve the whole town and other religions willing to participate (though in some places, priests of Taed are forbidden to join).
First Aria of each Month - Newlife: Less of a holiday and more of a monthly rite, the priests of Efil gather all newborns of their congregation and give them small gowns of white cotton. The babies are kept at the temple for the day and cared for while all prayers surround them for the day - beseeching Efil for longevity and good health for all of the infants.

Roles of an Efil Priest

Efil priests fill the roles of most of the 'stereotypical' priestly duties. They specialize in marriages, naming ceremonies, and tending to the ill (of either body or spirit). Efil priests are all required to take minimal lessons on the care and healing of others. While this does not make all Efil priests healers by right, all of the priests know how to at least dress wounds, make splints, and other rudimentary skills.

There are no factions within the priesthood in terms of belief - all priests believe in Life and the preservation of it. Some may have a more fanatical bent on the religion than others, but all work towards a common goal. The only 'faction' that could be clearly defined are the templars and the regular priests. The templars are not official priests, but act in the name of the church as protectors. In times of holy war, they serve as the generals and soldiers of Efil.

Transcendance Through Priesthood

A position in the church of Efil is hard to get out of - promotion tends to come only from outstanding work and recognition from superiors or in the case of death from a superior. While anyone can nominate a priest for promotion to a higher rank within the church, only the Head Priest has the authority to make such a decision. All choices made in such a manner by the head priest can be overturned by the high priest. In the case of death of a superior, the head priest selects individuals best suited for filling the position.

Relations to Other Religions

Taed - Efilians and Taedians have a hate-hate relationship. Most Efilians do not like Taedians and the feeling is often mutual. Both are often suspicious of the other's motives, or they are embittered by any number of other reasons. For this reason, the two religions try to avoid each other as much as possible when not waging war.

Worg - Worgans and Efilians have a relationship that varies from individual to individual. On a whole, the religions wind up being mostly neutral towards one another. The more violent Worgans, those that seek to expand their own strength at the expense of others, are often reviled while those who act as protectors and benefactors are smiled upon.

Thuoth - This is a neutral relation. Thuothians enjoy speculating over the purpose of life and the origins of it with Efil priests. Otherwise, they do not often interact.

Soahc - Efil priests are a bit wary of Soachians. Unless they prove themselves harmless, they are viewed with suspicion.

Etaf - Etaf and Efil priests get along fairly well. Rarely do their paths cross and so judgments are left to the individuals.