Istvalla

Beliefs
The core belief of the faith is that there is one supreme power under which a multitude of lesser forces exist. This supreme being is too great for any race, let alone individual to fully understand. Instead understanding must come through a series of revelations through mortal prophets.

The lesser forces are often refereed to as Manifestations, spirits given to widely varying power and gifted with free will. They are sometimes treated as gods. Most can be divided into two camps; the Maervala who are for the most part benevolent, and the Ogolfaer which tend towards selfishness and malevolent behavior. The Creator itself is mostly viewed as benign, and distant after the creation of the universe.

Most also believe these Manifestations are influenced by their worshipers in a symbiotic relationship. They are fractured reflections of the creator seen through a lens of time and culture.

Concepts
All higher beings are separated from the lesser by a "rational" soul. This provides them with the ability to recognize the station of the divine and their relationship to it.

Free will and Personal responsibility are also important concepts, one that rejects predestination. A person bears responsibility for all of their actions. Reward, punishment, happiness and grieg all depend on how an individual lives their life.

All sapient races were created equal in worth, with individual strengths and weaknesses.

The Trinity of Being is a corner of the faith and explains how the mind, body and spirit interact. The body is the physical shell that interacts with the world and shelters the mind and spirit. Then comes the mind which allows the individual to understand the world and is the seat of knowledge and personality. Last comes the spirit which connects the individual to the ephemeral world and nourishes the mind and body.

Temples
Istvallan temples are places of learning and worship.

The center of the temple complex is the reflecting pool and sacred flame. The pool is no less than four meters across, but is normally quite shallow, maybe a meter at the deepest. In the center is a island where the sacred flame burns. Surrounding this is a colonnade aligned to the cardinal points, and representing the wheel of the year. They support a roof that protects both the pool and flame from the elements.

The other great building of the temple complex is the library. In addition to holy texts and meditations on the faith it also holds books on science and the arts. These books are treasures to be shared with pilgrims and the faithful alike.