Lolion

Lolion /'lɑːliən/ is an ancient dantrian religion, which conceptualizes the world as a dish connected to the feast of gods by an infinite staircase.

It was a major religion in the Western Dantrian civilization. The direct influence of Lolion can be seen in the dantrian calendar, which is based on the concept of cycles and is usually visualized as an infinite staircase (Quun Tirtoir). It also designates the end of the world, which is defined according to Lolion's theology.

More fundamentalist branches of Lolion have seeped into Gantolia in the second half of the second revolution, gaining notoriety due to sectarian violence.

Lolion has remained a minor, but a prominent religion in the east, lending many of its theological elements to other religions, while retaining its unique culture. Lolion is the only known religion to not have any elements of the Eater myth.

Etymology

The exact meaning of the word "lolion" has been lost, however multiple interpretations exist based on the surviving dantrian documents, as well as based on the context of Thonthal, although pronunciation of the word does not comply with Thonthal rules.

One of the most common translations of the word is "life cycle" or "lifecycle", referring to the descent and ascent that each creature experiences, and to the fact that this is just a single world out of many.

Another common translation is "life energy".

History

Lolion was a major religion in the Western Dantrian civilization, although its status in the second half of the second revolution remains unclear and some researchers believe that it began losing ground in Western Dantria. For instance, migrants of the New Dawn exhibited knowledge of the theology, but did not appear to practice the religion in any discernible way.

Worldview

The world is viewed as a dish, a flat disc, that is connected to the celestial realm by an infinite staircase ("Quun Tirtoir" in Thonthal). Creatures descend the staircase and upon reaching the dish get born as animals or humans. When a creature dies, it ascends the staircase to return to the celestial realm. Therefore, each creature's life is just an incarnation of their soul in the material world. However, none will ever return, because the staircase is infinite. Therefore, by the time one reaches the celestial realm, this world will end. This posits the idea that each person can experience life on Ephius just once, which makes life precious.

The celestial realm is the feast of gods. There are many worlds, each is its own dish. The difference between the divine and the worldly is that everything worldly is finite and mortal, whereas the divine is infinite and eternal.

Lolion does not focus on the end of the world and simply acknowledges that the dish is necessarily finite. A later variant of the religion in the form of Xaewoon Lolion combines the general Lolion cosmology with that of Eater, providing much more focus on how and why the world would end.

Superhero warriors

Superhero warriors are regarded as demigods, children of gods sent to the world. Some are sent to wreak havoc, some to build and explore. Each demigod has a deity, designated as a parent or a guardian. A parent signifies a closer relationship, while a guardian is usually a reflection of a less noble heritage.

Mysteries

Lolion places high importance on its "mysteries", a set of philosophical problems that seem to defy logic. They are mostly dealing with the concept of infinity, since the central role of Quun Tirtoir in its worldview complicates matters. Lolion mysteries are hotly debated between its theologians and have divided the religion into multiple sects and branches.

The beginning of the world

Quun Tirtoir, the infinite staircase, poses a problem in that if it's infinite, no creature could have actually reached the dish (the world), since it would take an infinite amount of time to reach the dish, while the dish's existence is finite.

Several theological theories exist, such as the descent beginning infinitely far in the past and the dish being created only when the first traveler reaches it. Another view is that there is a single Quun Tirtoir, with dishes of various worlds intercepting the paths of souls that walk on the staircase.

The elusiveness of Quun Tirtoir

Quun Tirtoir can be understood as both a metaphysical and a physical entity. Complex theology surrounds the issue, with the majority of believers siding with a more metaphysical and elusive nature of the staircase, where elusiveness means that Quun Tirtoir, while actually existing in physical form, cannot be found as being in a particular set of coordinates.

A number of fundamentalist sects known as Seekers treat Quun Tirtoir as a strictly non-elusive entity, which means that it can actually be located. Seekers have gained notoriety over the centuries due to their sectarian violence, as well as an uncompromising view of non-elusive branches being a conspiracy to possibly hide the true location of the infinite staricase. A more moderate reading of the concept also exists.