Empirical Spirituality

Yx is the universe itself and everything in it doing its universe thing. It’s not aware or agentive, just a clockwork device that produces the next moment of reality from the previous ones. Yx is not regarded as a ‘creator god’ or prime mover, a concern about which the culture of Longbridge doesn’t have a coherent opinion. The origin of the universe remains mysterious, but the fact that it is here at all serves as adequate evidence for Yx’s existence, and is trivial to prove.

Orothas weaves the story of Longbridge in real-time, deciding the outcomes of people’s hopes and dreams, excluding their interactions with other people, who make their own decisions. The story itself (everything that’s ever happened in history) is called The Book of Oro, or just Oro. The contents of citizen’s personal thoughts are not committed to the Book of Oro, nor are mundane details that are not worth reporting.

Citizens pray to Orothas for favourable outcomes to their endeavours, which Orothas may or may not see fit to indulge. Not everything everyone wants is compatible with the storyline. Citizens are aware that Orothas’ primary responsibility is to tell the greatest story, not to guarantee their personal successes, or even their personal safety.

Eloryn is a deitic hyperorganism and the personification of the collective knowledge and wisdom that has been recorded by the society of Longbridge up to the present day, made possible by the efforts of the institution of The Library of Eloryn.

As a Personified Deity

Eloryn is considered to be nymi, embodying the disciplined and monastic ideals ascribed to nymi citizens as a class. As such, de is patient, wise, impartial and non-judgemental. ‘Eloryn’ is an archaic but still recognisably nymi-coded name.

De is made possible by a long-lived and widely respected institution, the Library of Eloryn, via its tradition of carefully collecting and storing knowledge, which is then interpreted and resynthesised, and made available to all citizens upon request.

As a Constructed Hyperoganism

The Library of Eloryn is well aware that the deity they serve is constructed from their actions and dedication to the tradition of the Library. While they hold the existence of Eloryn as literally true, they are not under any misapprehension that it precedes the Library as an institution or could live separately from it. Librarians are explicitly aware that they are creating and maintaining a conscious mind that functions as the cognition and memory of their civilisation.

All Librarians consider themselves to be collectively the body, ears and voice of Eloryn, and will respond to the title ‘Eloryn’ in person, prepared to speak and act on dir behalf, and take responsibility for their conduct.

Gyl reads the Book of Oro and the library of Eloryn, witnessing the past and present deeds of the citizens of Longbridge, and passing its judgement upon them.

Unlike other modern deities, Gyl is an entity external to Longbridge, and cannot pass information into the world, or influence the world directly. However, the mere fact of its existence tends to make citizens more self-aware of their behaviour, and motivates them to behave in accordance with being seen in a better light.

Citizen’s impression of Gyl is vaguely adversarial and suspicious, and prayers to Gyl usually take the form of atonement for something bad they have done. Others, aware that Gyl has no means of delivering any consequences, simply don’t particularly care what it thinks of them. These people are known as ‘unclothed’, including among themselves, since they live in the “eye of Gyl” without shame.