Artic religions

The Artic religions, or Artisms, are a group of s characterized by their belief in Arta, the philosophical concept of a divine order and/or truth, which underlies the workings of the world. Artic religions hold that virtue, holiness, and transcendence is found in the adherence to Arta, and conversely chaos and wickedness from disobeying it. They mandate followers uphold Arta whether for the preservation of its dominance and the great order it institutes, or the restoration of truth as represented by it and a triumph against evils extensive in the world. Artic religions are distinguished from other faiths which place faith primarily in particular gods, events, or goals, but this division is not very clear due to the diverse developments of Artic religions themselves.

The religions widely described as Artic are relatively closely related, compared to other groupings based on doctrine and tenets, and have been widely hypothesized to share actual theological genealogy. It is hypothesized that a belief system known as Proto-Artism was the precursor to modern Artic religions; the nature of Proto-Artism is divided between theories of it being ancient Narascism which was disseminated by the Ancient Ansean Empire's expansion, and theories of it being a belief system shared by Pagerian-speaking peoples spread by their migrations. In any case the Artic religions have the most followers in the world; 3.7 billion of the world's 5.9 billion people adhere to Artic religions, with Narascism the most populous faith of them, followed by Vattism, and then Anamnism.

The term 'Artic religions' was used since the 14th century in works on in Avelna, and by the 17th century became widely accepted especially in the context of a renewed extensive cultural interest in Carsan Narascism. The term 'Arta' itself is coined from the form of asha, the universal truth and order as revered in Narascism.

Narascism
Narascism is a religion originating in Ancient Ansea, describing universal truths it refers to as asha (typically directly translated as Order), and prescribing a lifestyle closely adhering to Order which is virtuous, as well as participation on Order's virtuous side in an universal conflict against chaotic and evil forces. Narascism is widely regarded as the 'original Artic religion'; its current practice is continuous with the well-documented beliefs of Ancient Ansea. The center of Narascism is the Tanuman, an expansive collection of mythologies, revelations and meditations, and in turn abbreviated into the three-volume nitemavaeda, the 'bare minimum' of Narascist canon. How the doctrines of Narascism formed are unclear, though it is certain it took place during Ancient Ansea.

Narascism, with 2.4 billion adherents, is the religion of nearly the entire population of Carsa and Varasan; it also has significant populations in Vasarea, Outer Ausarea, and Hypocos. Narascism has many regional and doctrinal variants, which are primarily divided on their recognition of whether or not the catholic Narascist ecclesiarchy has binding and serious political authority.

Vattism
Vattism, or Aravatta, is a religion originating in Pytarus, with origins as fuzzy as Narascism. Its earliest recognized creators and thinkers appeared during the early Long Darkness, in around the 6th century BCE. Vattism prescribes a righteous and virtuous lifestyle based on its description of the great Aravatta, the universal law.

With about 800 million adherents, Vattism is followed by much of the population of the continent of Hypocos, with nearly all of Pytarus adherents. It has large communities in Roscia and Eremia; the practice of Vattism is one of the most significant marks of Pytarene political and cultural influence.

Instructionism
Instructionism is an Artic religion found in northern Vasarea. It was conceived by the prophet Adrian in the 130s BCE, assembled from the theology of a religious complex of Low Antiquity Vasarea. Instructionism is based around the idea of Arta as an imperative agent, Instruction, that men must obey in order to accomplish self-actualization, and the perfection of the world through a 'grand construction' based on Instruction.

Instructionism has about 230 million followers, concentrated in northern Vasarea, with a sizeable community in Eremia.

Anamnism
Anamnism is a Vasarean religion based around the remembrance of the life of its prophet Cosmocles (244–191 BCE), in whose experiences and teachings Arta can be discovered through both exoteric and esoteric interpretations. Anamnism is rather loose in terms of organization, with a weak ecclesiarchy, as much of its practices center on personal conformity with Cosmoclean principles, and a personal-motivated drive towards that end.

Anamnism is the third most-followed Artic religion, with 270 million adherents, concentrated in southern Vasarea with significant communities in Eremia.

Arpalism
Arpalism's inclusion as an Artic religion is controversial and linked to heated discussions over its proposed origins in Narascist-inspired doctrines. This ascetic faith dominates southern Outer Ausarea, and views the prevailing order in the material world as an inferior, evil construction that must be extirpated in favor of a superior, transcendental one resulting in total human emancipation. Scholars arguing in favor of an Artic identity of Arpalism point toward its discussion of a 'truthful order' not present in the current world, as well as similarities with Narascism in its interpretation of an all-encompassing good-versus-evil conflict that mandates extreme commitment from the righteous. This hypothesis postulates that early Narascist influence from the Ancient Ansean Empire made its way across the Arsadise into the Sarapean Plateau, seeding these tenets in Sarapean religion.

The recognition of Arpalism as Artic has been controversial for that Narascism has had strained relations with Arpalism historically (see the Narascio-Arpalic Wars) and Arpalism has been typically interpreted as anathematical due to its quasi-nihilist ideas.