Zaneeth was a major religion in Samuelonia prior to the Cruisianization of Longerath. The Zaneethian's would later come into conflict with Cruisians in Samuelonia. At it's height the religion held vast lands in Samuelonia under the Theocratic Kingdom of Zaneeth. These lands included the Samuelonian provinces of Elysium (Muhtassa), Issanna (Makia), Lamanerda, Correana and eastern Samoria.
History[]
Early Samuelonian's believed that Odyn was the creator and that he sent his 16 children to Samuelonia via a meteor shower. His children were said to be the first King's. A large number of Odyn's grandchildren, known as Odyn's guardians had dominion over certain aspects of nature. For instance, Nathil was the sky-guardian, sending thunder and lightning, Lanis ruled over the sea and Ordilla controlled the sun. Other guardians ruled over various concept; for instance Dacias was the Guardian of warriors and Iraccia controlled fertility.
It was believed that Odyn resided in the afterlife, along with the guardians and those who proved their valor and piety in life would be rewarded with a place in the afterlife at Odyn's side.
Many believed Zaneethidan, the guardian of death and the underworld, to be the King of the Netherworld, or hell and those that failed to honour the other guardians in life, would spend eternity suffering in the Netherworld. There were certain sections of society who chose Zaneethidan as there god and around 3000 BP, temples in the Minbarri villages of north-east Samuelonia became common place.
Odynian War[]
In 2014 BP, King Maximus I of Samuelonia came to power and summoned the Grand Council of Odyn, where it was decided to outlaw the worshipping of Zaneethian. The royal decree led to the Odynian War.
Rise of Zaneethism[]
The town of Rabbath Tirrah in Shuquilat, by around 2000 BP had become a central location of Zaneethism, with the Grand Temple of Adazirah, built to worship Zaneethidan.
A Zaneethian preacher, Vazagor Dar'Aath began preaching Zaneethism around 1990 BP. Vazagor preached that Odyn and the other all other deities were intact false gods, worshipped by sinners, and Zaneethidan was the one true God, fighting an eternal war in the afterlife. Vazagor travelled far and wide and many peasants flocked to him.
King Julius I of Samuelonia came to power in 1984 BP and his reign was marked by a period of harsh rule and cruelty. His harsh actions led to a huge surge in support for Zaneethism, with many preachers speaking out against King Julius. In 1974 BP, Julius ordered the massacre of a whole village in Lamanerda, which came about after a number of elders had complained about and failed to pay the extortionate taxes. Zaneethian preachers grasped the opportunity to gain further followers and encouraged uprisings across north-east Samuelonia. This led to Julius ordering further massacres which led to an even greater number of supporters flocking to Zaneethism, who had become an authority to the peasant population.
The huge support for Zaneethism around this time saw the creation of the Council of the Nine to organise and govern the Zaneethian followers. Nine prominent preachers were elected to the council, with Vazagor Dar'Aath being elected the first Grand Priest of Zaneethidan.
The March Revolt in 1970 BP led to a number of Samuelonian governors in the north-east flee to the capital, which led to King Julius passing a motion to outlaw the practising of Zaneethism. Julius began preparations to send an army to the north-east, until he was forced to cancel the campaign, after his brother Augustine, started the Augustine Revolution in 1969 BP. Vazagor took this opportunity to declare the Zaneethian lands independent of Samuelonian rule, this included the provinces of Minbarrium, Shuquilat and Lamanerda.
With King Julius occupied fighting his brother Augustine, the Zaneethian's enjoyed a short period of peace. Vazagor expelled all of the Samuelonian nobility and land owners across his towns and placed Priests in local authority.
In 1966 BP, Augustine met with Vazagor and the Zaneethian Grand Priest agreed to support Augustine in the war, in return of Augustine recognising Zaneethian rule in the north-east. This turned the tide of the Augustine Revolution and saw the eventual defeat of Julius.
With the defeat of Julius and the crowning of Augustus I of Samuelonia, the Grand Priest agreed for the Zaneethian lands to be returned to the crown of Samuelonia, on condition that the crown would not interfere with local law and religion and that all previous Samuelonian nobility would give up any claim to land in the region. This infuriated many sections of the Samuelonian nobility who viewed the Zaneethian's as devil worshiping religious fanatics. Whilst Augustus didn't like the proposal, he had little option other than to agree.
Conflict with Cruisianity[]
The Theocratic Kingdom of Zaneeth held an unsteady peace with Samuelonia and later the Liliani occupiers. The Zaneethian's would later come into direct conflict with the Cruisian's, who like the rest of the region opposed there religious beliefs. Zaneethian Priests denounced the arrival of Cruisian preachers as believers of a fictional God and many Cruisian preachers met a terrible death in the Zaneethian lands.
In 1048 BP, relations between the Samuelonian crown and Zaneeth collapsed sparking the 1st War of Zaneeth, the first of six wars between Zaneeth and the Cruisian states.