The Siblings

"And so she wept for her children, her endless tears streaming down her cheeks; and so he went mad, driven to insanity by the pain he was forced to cause."

- Common saying about the Siblings

The Siblings are the two gods - the Sister and the Brother - that are central to the majority faith of the Druthenians, which is also the state religion of the Kingdom of Druthenia. The faith is not organized, and its adherents practice their faith without any sort of clergy.

Canon
The official canon states that there used to be another god before the Siblings. Though never mentioned by name, it is known as the Creator.

The Creator did exactly what the name suggested - it created the universe and most things within it. No order of creation is specified in the canon, but it is heavily implied that the sky and stars came first, followed by the sun and its planets. Lastly, the Creator shaped the world, but left it empty and barren as it continued its work elsewhere. Eventually, the Creator shaped the Siblings - The Sister and the Brother.

While the Creator continued on its unknown quest, the Siblings gained a liking for the solar system. Deciding to go beyond their progenitor's work, they set about to create life. The earth was turned from a barren rock to a lush paradise with vast forests and mighty mountains, and they populated it with animals and humans. The humans were created in their own image, and were their most beloved children, and they gifted them with wisdom so that they too may one day create.

The Creator, once it returned, was furious with the Siblings that had gone behind its back. To punish them, the Creator cursed the Brother to eventually kill all creatures, and the Sister to keep giving life for her brother to destroy. For the Siblings it was torture, to forever end their own children's lives: the Sister continuously weep for them, and the Brother was driven mad with grief.

Though the Creator had enacted its punishment, it did not think of limiting life to just the Siblings' creations. The Brother, seeing his opportunity, thus slew the Creator as a last act of defiance. It made little difference, for they had been cursed for all eternity, and would never die lest their torture would end.

The Creator
Little is known about the Creator besides what was mentioned in relation to the creation of the universe, and the Eternal Curse. It is notable that the Creator does not appear to have a gender, being referred to as "it" or "the Creator" in all cases.

The Sister
With the general belief being centered on the cycle of life, and the inevitable end of all things, it is only natural that the Sister has come to represent the more positive aspects of life. Aside from being the one who give life (it's worth noting that the initial creation of life was both Sibling's doing), she also represents light, hope, purity, and peace.

Because she is canonically described as eternally weeping, she is traditionally depicted as such in artwork and sculptures.

The Brother
The Brother, being the destroyer of all, mostly represent the more negative aspects of life - darkness, despair, death, war etc. It is however important to note that, due to the story laid out in the canon, the Brother is not considered to be a malevolent or evil force. Rather, both he and the Sister are considered neutral and natural aspects of life and existence.

Being the destroyer of all life, the Brother assumes the role of our Grim reaper. It is said that people who die see the Brother wielding his sword (Daud, Druthenian for "Death"), ready to strike the dying to abide by the curse. Even though most visions of the Brother are assumed to be delirium of the dying, all who describe him give a similar description: a tall man with a pale face, wearing black, indistinct clothing. His face is locked in an expression that most describe as "that of a madman laughing". These descriptions have distinctively shaped the way the Brother is depicted in sculptures and artwork.

Way of life
The Siblings as a faith is somewhat unique in the sense that it has very little impact in the lives of the believer. Described as a "religion for nihilists", official doctrine states that there is no express purpose of life (though most adherents would say that it is to "live life to its fullest"), and there's no official stance on what happens after one dies.

While both Siblings are revered, and uniquely, prayed for (to not suffer as much in their torment), the dynamics of the two switch dramatically depending on circumstance. In peace, and when there is plenty of food and wealth, the Sister acts as the representative. Conversely, in times of war, famine, and disease, the Brother comes to the forefront of the faith. Much like life and death, these circumstances are considered natural parts of life.

As for reverence, there are prayers that are directly aimed at the Siblings in the form of hymns and songs. These hymns and songs usually deal with alleviating the Siblings' pain and to show humility. However, the common belief is that living life to the fullest - by not squandering the original gift of life - is the ultimate prayer, the foremost way to show appreciation to the Siblings. In doing so, they are made aware that their gift has not been in vain. Because the Siblings are considered to be powerful even though they are eternally cursed, sacrifices are not practiced by believers, as it would be a waste of resources.

The Sisterhood
The Sisterhood is a semi-religious order that exists within Druthenia and some other states that have a part of the population following the Druthenian faith. As the name suggests, it is solely comprised of women.

The Sisterhood is a large and overarching organization whose members can be mostly found working in the public service sector. The basis of the order is to work in the spirit of the Sister; i.e, for a positive cause and the betterment of your fellow man. For this reason, most members can be found working in the field of healthcare and education: the former has an estimate of 70% of female workers to be members of the order.

Members of the Sisterhood must follow certain rules in their work. Compared to other religious orders, it is usually seen as quite tame. The rules are as follows:


 * 1) Unless it is to save a life, you must do no harm, no matter the enemy.
 * 2) You must help your fellow man, no matter their allegiance.
 * 3) You must respect your fellow man, no matter their origin.

Members who have proven themselves to be worthy members of the order are given a face tattoo; a solid, thin, black line that originates from below the left eye and continues down to the chin. This mark, meant to symbolize the eternal weeping of the sister, is treated with great respect in Druthenia.

Earlier in the history of the order, there was debate whether or not members would stay celibate. Opponents argued that a member who gives birth has created life, much like the Sister they follow; proponents however claim that, by foregoing a family and dedicating your life to help others, you show a different kind of respect for your fellow man. Officialy, the order does not force members to abstain from relationships, but it is not uncommon to have devoted members foregoing a normal life in the service of others.

The Order of Daud
The Order of Daud, sometimes known as the Order of the Sword or simply The Brotherhood is, much like the Sisterhood, a semi-religious order in the service of the sibling gods. Like the gender restrictions of the Sisterhood, the Order is comprised solely of male members employed in the military.

It is much smaller in scope than the Sisterhood in membership, and the members are almost exclusively employed in the Druthenian military. Most commonly, members are found in the ranks of the Royal Sentinels and Royal Guards, as the Order requires royal approval to enter. Many high-profile male mages are also members of the order.

While the Sisterhood is a full organisation on its own, the Order is more an exclusive group. Becoming a member is considered a great honour, and membership is worth a lot of prestige.

Relations with The Clockwork
Because of the casual relation Druthenians have with the divine, the Clockwork was not much of a concern until it started to gain a larger following on the rest of the continent. Since there is no clergy, there is no official stance towards the Clockwork. But since the canon describes humans to have been created to one day becoming creators themselves, the Clockwork is seen as a natural development of this gift given by the Siblings - however, what the creation of the Clockwork actually means for humanity is the subject of a wide array of ideas and beliefs.

Much again due to the lax views of adherents to the Siblings, followers of the Clockwork are not seen much in a negative light, especially since most of the following in Druthenia still is in tandem with the Siblings still. Though few in numbers, those that only follow the Clockwork and reject other gods are viewed with suspicion, mostly because they may be threats to a status quo.