Viristicism

Viristicism is a semi-religious academic organization originating from discussions between Faulter and Middler scholars. It is less popular than Schism, but has had an arguably equal or greater influence on Zariphex. It is currently the largest governmental body of the Faultlands.

History
The Faulters, being a binary and somewhat xenophobic race, had great difficulty communicating peacefully with other species. When a group of Middler scholars began studying one of the desolate wastes of the Faultlands, the Faulters reacted in their usual hostile way, but the Middlers, charismatic as they tend to be, were able to defuse the situation. One of the Middler scholars, Rovan Soltair, became fascinated with the Faulter's binary way of thinking. Curious to meet one of the rare academic Faulters, Rovan went to the Gray Tower (where many Faulter heretics were imprisoned). He was searching for Khersai the Liar, a charismatic, free-thinking Faulter who had been viewed as dangerous for her open denial of most supernatural ideas, most notably declaring dreaming as just the dreamer's mind creating fantasies during sleep. Rovan managed to speak with her, and they began a long discussion about the world from a scholar's perspective. After this first meeting, Rovan, extremely excited, returned the next day, bringing the rest of his friends with him. They entered the Gray Tower and spoke en masse with the various inmates, speaking about such profound things as the origins of the universe, the purpose of life, and how gravity functioned. The warden of the tower was nervous, and decided to lock the Middlers in as new inmates. The Middlers, though unhappy with their imprisonment, were not incredibly concerned - it gave them more time to talk with their newfound colleagues. Deciding to start carrying out experiments to continue their discussions Rovan and Khersai began developing a system of study based on the Faulters' need for binary truth and the Middlers' adaptability to change. This system is now considered the origin of modern science.

Over the next two years, the Gray Tower became almost legendary across Zariphex. Stories of experiments and studies taking place in a Faulter prison and tales of colossal discoveries kept secret by the warden spread across the continent very quickly. Many scholars went to the Faultlands and had themselves arrested on purpose, so that they could be taken to meet the thinkers in the Gray Tower. Eventually the Faulter Hegemon, Kark the Unbinder, decided that the legend of the Gray Tower could not continue, for fear of usurping the Faulter religious beliefs. He announced the planned executions of the Gray Tower's inmates publically, as was the norm, but was met with extreme opposition by a majority of his citizens. In under a week, the Hegemony fell apart, and the Faultlands fell into chaos. Kark, now almost powerless, tried to make amends by ordering the pardon of all Gray Tower prisoners, but it was too late. Cities and towns, divided on the issue, had brought up old rivalries, and small civil wars spread out among the populace. In addition, the Middlers and their many allies opened hostilities with the Hegemony, and for a time it seemed as though nothing could stop the utter destruction of the Faultlands.

The Gray Tower inmates, now free, decided to turn their efforts towards saving the Faulter civilization. They spread from one town to another, speaking to leaders and influential people, pushing for peace. Though many were successful in attempting to restore peace, others were killed as they arrived, and many went missing. After the next five years of conflict, peace was eventually established, but the Faulters were leaderless and divided after the end of the Hegemony. The Tower residents, now spread across the Faultlands, had spent the last five years teaching the many things they had learned, their system of scientific research, and their personal, evidence-based religious beliefs. After the last of the smaller wars ended, many small academic schools had sprung up. It was this small link between the Faulters that, over time, led to a united civilization. The Gray Tower became the nation's capital, and the scientific and political organization that resulted from this became known as Viristicism, named after Virioz.

Though it has since been partially the Faultland government, Viristicism has spread to many scholars and thinkers in many cultures across Zariphex, known for its evidence-based worldviews and analytical perspective.

Teachings
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