Yakosei no Konchuu
| |
|---|---|
| Total Population | |
| Founder | |
| Replace with Founder's Name | |
| Origin | Toshi-bu date: ~7540 |
| Type | Syncretic |
| Theology | Practical, ancestral worship |
| Scriptures | none |
| Branches | |
| Significant regions with adherents | |
| Southern Altaia | |
| Languages | |
| Kakuri (liturgical) | |
Yakosei no Konchuu (やこせい の こんちゅう) also spelled Yakō-sei no konchū and abbreviated as Yakoko is large denomination of Guso and generally considered as the starting point of this southern Altaian religion. Yakoko predates Guso by about 40 years, but curently it is an integral and influential part of this largest religion in Sokoku.
History
Yakosei no Konchuu started as a religious cult in the Kakuri Community around 7540. At that time the Kakuri population was not larger than 4000-5000 people. There are few written accounts of that time available for research into the history of Yakosei no Konchuu.
Within the perfomance tradition of Kakuri culture, the eight women and one man forming Yakosei no Konchuu combined their song material and performances with existential themes and mythology. Despite their popularity at the time, they were not interested in acquiring leadership, but wanted to focus on their artistry and the accompanying emotional services aimning at a mental state. The performing group got a cult-like status since they appealed to the more mystical sides of life. When the group got a following implying that the four remaining women had religious capacities, the group developed that role and theme more and more. In order to focus on Yakosei no Konchuu, members denounced their past, including their names, and got indicated by a number instead. They started harvesting souls, which happened in the form of a personal allegiance between a soul and a group member.
The performance group became more of a concept, where initiated members served for a while and then could be replaced. Apart from the founder, who was connected to the cult until the late 7560's, no male has ever been a group member. In 7570, when Nokumo Nobono took over the leadership of the Kakuri people, they even took control over the cult. This meant that the fringe movement all of a sudden got a status in society. Before that, the group was merely tolerated as peripheral cultural folklore, focusing on the ultra dark sides of life and society. Nokumo Nobono however started using the group as a counterpoint for their own joyous and vivid style, giving them a role as "the opposite side of the coin".
In 7577 the then five women large group went to visit Vittmark accompanied by two male clerks and musicians. The group consisted of 41, 44, 45, 47 and 48. One of the members left the group during the visit, giving a reason that quite shocked the Vittmarker hosts: she was having problems with the euthanasia services the members had to provide. Upon return the group fell apart completely with only one member continuing in Yakosei no Konchuu. 41 founded Marakuriya, 44 and ex-member 43 joined Kuroi Hana while 48 founded Tayaborika. As such, this line-up of Yakosei no Konchuu can be seen as the cornerstone of Guso religion.
However, when the religious performing groups met in 7593 and formulated their Guso Kyōtsū-ten (common points) Yakosei no Konchuu did not participate. The group operated in the fringe of the quickly blossoming religion, but finally (and rather reluctantly) coverted into a Guso congregation when Sokoku was founded as a nation state. Yakosei no Konchuu established itself on Shuuen and Shaaniaah, becoming the first denomination to actively reach out to a non-Kakuri population. The other congregations followed quickly, but Yakosei no Konchuu had establisehd itself as the original Guso denomination.
Beliefs
Yakosei no Konchuu based its denomination largely on the complete irrelevance of mankind as a whole in the perspective of the universe. This rather dark approach leads to the absence of a clear definition of the meaning of life. Instead, it is generally assumed that the human mind is too limited to be able to comprehend the complexity of the universe. This results in a rather nihilist approach of life questions, which however has a positive element in that seeking pleasure plays a central role.
Where other denominations clearly embrace the acquired knowledge of modern science, Yakosei no Konchuu has remained much deeper into its nihilist and dark approach. One other element that sets the congregation apart is the active help at the final stages of life. If a person no longer sees any possibilities for seeking pleasure due to physical discomfort or mental inabilities, they can ask Yakosei no Konchuu clergy for help. Where medical doctors and staff are unable to assist due to their commitment to healing, Yakosei no Konchuu has taken over this niche. The argumentation used is that the transfer to the other plain, where the ancestors reside, is an inevitable result of being born and should be handled as naturally and pain-free as possible at the right time. It creates stronger bonds with the ancestors, which is a central role for all Soul Keppers in Guso.
Current issues
As a large denomination having grown very fast during the establishment of Sokoku as a nation state, Yakosei no Konchuu has not been free from incidents and scandals. Apart from the euthanasia services, which gives them the reputation of a death cult up to today, the overexploiting of young female Soul Keepers is a recurring problem in the congregation. The Yokosei no Konchuu leadership has been accused of poor human resource management, resulting in many mental problems among their Soul Keepers, as well as burn-outs and very short soul keeper careers. Even within the Guso community there is general consensus that Yakosei no Konchuu puts too much pressure on their soul keepers.
Another recurring problem is financial mismanagement, where clergy and other employees get paid late (if ever) and customers complain heavily about lack of delivery of services after payment. This has been mentioned as the main reason why followers change congregation, that Yakosei no Konchuu regularly does not deliver what it promises.
Yakosei no Konchuu is actively trying to get a foothold in Stoldavic cultures, in places like Vittmark, Aedeland and even Helreich and Cassia. This in contrast to most other denominations that only present themselves as part of the religious diversity, but make no efforts to actively convert people outside Sokoku adn southern Radhria.