Gésh

Gésh is a major religion of Etera. It originated 1540 years ago in Northern Wejít, and is currently most widespread among several states of Northern Wejít and along much of the coast of Eastern Nariyása. 

The word Gésh can be etymologically traced to old Wejít languages, and its meaning falls along the line of 'correct prediction', 'spot-on insight', 'prophecy that was fulfilled' and the like.

Origin

Within a timeframe roughly between 1550 and 1570 years ago (Gésh Reckoning -10 to -25) - 8 people around the world experienced extended visions depicting the creation of the world and the forces responsible, and their expectations regarding their creation. Each attempted to spread the revelation, travelling around the world. It took a many years for the news to spread enough for them to find out each other. 1540 years back from now (Gésh 0), the 8 prophets gather in a single city on the eastern coast of Northern Wejít.

They pieced together the puzzle of their visions, finding that the visions were linked to the locations, and that it was possible to grant others a glimpse of the visions. At this point they started taking not only followers, but also apprentices that were to become their replacements as the leaders of the rising religious movement.

Both the leaders and their apprentices went on regular pilgrimages among the 8 places where visions were first experienced. With new revelations, the religion was becoming more formal and structured. Even so, it took almost 200 more years until it became the accepted norm to write down the revelations and the retellings of revelations from the previous generations. This, combined with the fact that as time went by, visions were becoming shorter, and people capable of experiencing them fewer, meant that within another 100 years the revelations firmly stepped into the the territory of mythology. At this point, and until now, very few people experience glimpses of revelations, and those glimpses mostly repeat the old revelations in different words. As of now (Gésh Reckoning 1540), there is perhaps a thousand living Gésh who claim to have had visions during the pilgrimages.

Basic Tenets & Revelations

Demiurges gathered once again. This time they were forging the sun, Luminoferus, then Etera. They brought water to cool down the planet, and separated the mass into four parts. They sculpted the people from wood and stone, and placed them on the land. They flew over the planet, taking care so as to always fly only over the side that was under the sun, and played their majestic flutes to bring the people to life. When people woke up, the Demiurges separating them, giving two continents to those made of wood, and two to those made of stone.

The Demiurges watched over the people on the planet, hopeful. They drew lots, deciding whose fate it would be to return to the planet many centuries later, and judge whether the people grew up to be wise and righteous, or foolish and wicked. The Demiurge with the longest lot, the one to be the judge, lists the wise and righteous virtues that he hopes the people will attain, and the foolish and wicked vices that he hopes they will leave behind. The other Demiurges remind him, that should the people be found unfit, it is by his hand that this world is to be razed, leaving nothing behind. The Judge-To-Be sighs, and they all depart, to make new worlds and new people.

Virtues and Vices

Gésh Faith sees the following traits and actions as good and bad, according to the list mentioned by the Judge-To-Be.

Virtues:

• Orderly life - loving one's parents, having plans for the future, having a long-term heterosexual partner and children, being on time.
• Apprenticeship - listening to the wise, the leaders, the elders; pilgrimage to the places of revelation.
• Proselytizing - teaching others the way of the Gésh; supporting the Gésh way of life.
• Humbleness - Being subtle about one's flaws while working to fix them, general humbleness.

Vices:

• Wicked acts - Murder, stealing, violence, lying.
• Disorderly life - being homeless, not having a schedule, promiscuity or alternate sexuality, using mind-altering substances.
• Blasphemous professions - playing music after dusk/before dawn; prostitution; dealing in mind-altering drugs; work without contracts and obligations (i.e. pay-no-matter-the-result).
• Misjudgement - making hasty conclusions, not giving a chance of a fair trial, disbelieving Revelations.