Murserism



Murserism is a religion that originated in the Kalaal region in 972 and today has over 12 million followers, most of whom live in Lurberas.

It's sacred text, the Kirvia, was written over the course of 70 years by the religion's founder, Mursa Kolaan, after she reportedly received a divine revelation from the supreme being, Setogh. In the Kirvia, Kolaan writes that Setogh revealed to her the existence of the evil being named Pesbir who was created by the hatred, greed, jealously, lust, and anger of mankind and will continue to grow as long as humanity continues its wickedness. If Pesbir's growth is not halted, he will ultimately bring about the destruction of the world, an event referred to as the Bukara. Those who remained righteous and loyal to Setogh, the Tarim, are promised to be protected from eternal damnation while those who rejected Setogh will be cast away into an eternal darkness, rife with despair and void of any hope, a fate called Mutun. Kolaan also writes about how Setogh gifted her with an ability called the Teseran, or divine insight which allowed her to supposedly understand Setogh's will. Also recorded in the Kirvia are instructions on how to live righteously in accordance with Setogh's will as well as various stories and accounts of Kolaan's life before and after her revelation.

Core teachings of Murserism include the Five Characteristics of Setogh (visualized in the hamak, Murserism's primary symbol), divinity and marvelous qualities of Mursa Kolaan, the weekly attendance and observance of the tapakath ("gathering") and the necessary guidance of spirits of the deceased into the afterlife. Themes found in the Kirvia include isolation, the disorientation of mankind, redemption, loyalty to family, and reverence for the truth.

Following centuries of persecution in the Kalaal region, a small group Murserists, which are refer to as the patgama ("the messengers") sailed to Lurberas and began spreading the Kirvia and built many temples and chapels. Murserist beliefs spread quickly throughout Lurberas which resulted in the conversion of King June I which began the era of Murserist dominance in Lurberan society which lasted until the abolition of the monarchy in 1879. Since then, Murserists have become a minority and have had a strained and distraught relationship with the now irreligious majority. Support for an independent Murserist state in what is the Irlabat province has increased in recent years, especially following the 2007 Zeitu riots.

Setogh
Murserists believe Setogh is the creator of the universe and is the final arbitrator on what is truth and what is moral. They believe he has always been and that he created the universe as a demonstration of his power, resulting in the creation of humans who are, according to Murserist doctrine, the only intelligent beings in the universe, and as such are endowed with a responsibility to serve their creator. The Five Characteristics of Setogh summarize his qualities:

He is one

He is the creator

He is truth

He is everywhere

He is perfect

According to the Kirvia, it is impossible to truly know Setogh outside of these five characteristics. Only Mursa Kolaan understood Setogh after she was gifted with the Teseran which allowed her to author the Kirvia.

Pesbir
Pesbir, according to the Kirvia, was created from the wickedness of mankind. Anger, lust, greed, jealously, and all things contradictory to Setogh's commands increase Pesbir's power which, if not kept in check, will result in the destruction of the world, referred to as the mutun. Pesbir is regarded by many Murserists to be mankind's divine punishment from Setogh for its depravity. Pesbir has an intense hatred for humans and uses his limited abilities to agonize them, including the power to create evil spirits known as shamineries. Shamineries are agents of Pesbir and execute his will on Earth. Their primary goal is to terrorize humans, creating conflict and strife which increase Pesbir's power and furthers his goal of the destruction of humanity.