The Immortal Dawn

While most Estahiiri believe balance between the Celestials to be the right path forward, some disagree with that philosophy. These people consider Komaris to be the only Celestial worthy of worship, and dismiss the idea that a world without darkness would be bad for humanity, for they see darkness as the root of all that’s wrong with the world. This group calls itself the Immortal Dawn, and has by far the most followers out of any alternative religious movement. They are known to accept anyone who shows devotion into their ranks, even the poorest of the poor. For some, the cult is an attractive alternative to joining the nomadic Outriders.

Sacrifices
Within the Immortal Dawn, worship is solely dedicated to Komaris and things that symbolize him, such as the sun, fire and light. However, they believe simple crops or artifacts are not enough to please the Celestial, and that the only way to satiate him is by sacrificing what they believe to be the agent of life itself within the human body - blood. This can be one’s own blood, drawn out with a ceremonial knife not unlike those used by the poor, or the blood of a heretic. Crucifying someone in the blistering sun and having them bleed out into a ceremonial bowl is not at all out of the ordinary for members of the cult. In fact, some even consider it an honorable deed for both themselves and the person whose blood they’re offering to Komaris. If a person survives until nightfall, they are taken down and put back in a cell.

Prisoners
Death is rarely ever the goal, as a healthy captive may provide blood for many sacrifices. Holdings of the cult typically do not have a lot of prisoners in their cells, if any, making them valuable assets. As such, captives of the Immortal Dawn are actually treated quite nicely, and usually get as much time to recover between sacrifices as possible. Monks are known to cook for those in the dungeons, often serving better food than that on the plate of an average Estahiiri citizen. Attempts to escape are dealt with in a calm, almost eerie manner, with the cult refusing to use lethal force on even the most aggressive captives.

Burial Traditions
More so than in the cities, members of the Immortal Dawn place a greater emphasis on the holy cleansing power of fire. They still believe a corpse is not to be defiled, but choose to burn all the dead instead of burying them. To them, this is the only way a person can be redeemed for worshipping false idols. However, they make sure not to follow the burial rites that are used to cleanse a person of their dishonor in mainstream religion, as this is believed to prevent Maramel from taking the spirit into the Celestial Temple for eternal rest. For this reason, cremation is common even among their own ranks. Having oneself cremated is seen as the final sacrifice to Komaris, defying death by stimulating the growth of new life through one’s ashes and denying Maramel their spirit. All ashes are collected and set adrift on the winds near clearings or open fields, promoting the growth of plants or crops.

Territory
The Immortal Dawn operates primarily out of temples and monasteries in the western mountain range, where no armies from the cities venture on extended campaigns. From their temples, they attack traders and pilgrims. The aim is not to kill unless the situation necessitates it, as taking prisoners for later sacrifices is considered the better option. Most cities shun them altogether, although the cult has managed to get a foothold in three northwestern cities of the island continent by converting a petty king, becoming the de facto rulers. The temples in these cities have been converted to only allow worship of Komaris, and are the main reason the cult has grown substantially in numbers over the last few decades.

Internal structure and appearance
The Immortal Dawn features a rank structure and some quirks not unlike the militaries employed by the city- states and petty kingdoms. They are led by a single high priest called the First Light. Due to the high profile this position entails, the whereabouts of the First Light are a mystery to most, and operations instead tend to be run by a group of religious leaders called the Torchbearers. Members of the cult frequently wear robes that are a crimson red in color, detailed with white and gold. This makes them easily distinguishable, but also elicits a degree of fear in those who do not follow their creed, as they rarely travel alone. One’s attire gets more extravagant the higher up they are in the chain of command, starting with simple, plain robes for initiates. Tattoos for the cult are always set using red ink instead of the usual lack, and are naturally dominated by religious iconography pertaining to Komaris.

In list order:
 * The First Light
 * Torchbearers
 * Aspirants
 * Initiates