Editing Dolsia (section)

== Religion ==
It is said that, in time immemorial, caelians were indeed once human. Pilgrims then, they climbed to the highest peaks of the [[Coronus|Coronus mountains]], where they bathed in glorious light. Thus baptized, they emerged changed: light graced their steps and their brow, and newly formed wings granted them access to the vault of the heavens. Exalted, they danced among the stars, their joy eternal, until the day they were torn down to earth. This is a story every caelian knows, though the details of it change depending on the teller. For example, some believe a singular force provided the light, while others believe there's a whole society of higher beings beyond the sky. There are no written records from this era to confirm one way or the other: all that survives is fragments of stories from great-grandparents. Whatever it was, most caelians accept the stars themselves to be their gods' symbol and emissaries. 

Believers seek to follow the stars' guidance as much as they can, meaning astrology is incredibly popular among the faithful. There are caelian scholars that fully dedicate themselves to studying the links between the arrangement of the stars and auspicious events. Starwatchers--a self-proclaimed profession--are akin to priests in caelian religion, and people go to them for guidance. Starwatchers are often present for births, where they proclaim a child's fortune. Faithful caelians believe that, if they follow the stars' guidance, they will be invited back to the sky, and it is a common sentiment that the current decline their society is experiencing is due to too many straying from the path. (Though what the right path is is a matter of intense debate.)

Additionally, some towns and cities are lucky enough to be home to an aviary of cave birds. The birds live freely in the skies and return to the caves to roost: for this, they are considered sacred and highly protected. The health of a flock is considered an omen about the health of a community, and the community in turn cares for them.

=== Controversy ===
Religion is a fraught topic in Dolsia: though there are still ardent believers, overall, faith has been on the decline for a long time. Many academics treat religion as already a thing of the past, and approach religious topics through a purely academic lens. These academics believe that the stars and light were metaphor for another unknown--but natural--phenomena. Many are indifferent. The stars have been out of their sight for such a long time that, even if they were sacred once, they no longer have a connection. Still others have taken a combative view: they believe that caelians have done nothing wrong, and it is the stars who abandoned them and turned their back on them in their times of need. Now, with society in decline, no one will help them but themselves. These people believe something is up there, but sneer at those who still turn to the stars for guidance.

In spite of these different views, many religious rituals persist even in secular life, and political leaders still reference the stars. Star iconography is everywhere, and ''may the stars guide you'' remains a popular way to say farewell. It is just one of many phrases that survives into the colloquial lexicon.

=== Death ===
Caelians believe that, when the bodies die, the soul returns to the sky. To facilitate this, they follow an elaborate death ritual: first, the deceased's loved ones are gathered. If a starwatcher is present, they assist in carrying the body and lead the group in a linear procession out of the caves and up the mountain, to the tallest point they have access to, trying to get them as close to the sky as they can. Less so in modern times, but historically, the bigger the procession and the taller the point, the more dangerous the approach, for the more visible they were, the more the entire group risked being attacked by dragons or ignii. (It has still been known to happen, on rare occasion.)  

The journey is always long, and mourners carry small orbs of light in their hands as they walk. Once at the top, the body is set down somewhere with a clear view of the sky, and feathers are gathered from the caelians wings and distributed to the mourners. Only tertiaries are taken; it is believed that primaries and secondaries are needed for the caelian to ascend. When night falls, a pyre is built, and as the body burns, the mourners circle around it, holding their feathers and their balls of light, praying for a safe journey. They always leave ''before'' the body finishes burning. It is considered grotesque to see the remains; the fire's light is imagined to carry the deceased up and away, into the night. 

When the procession returns home, the feathers are added to family trees and geneologies. Sometimes, a more public funeral will be held after the cremation, where less intimate friends and family are invited to share stories and memories that can be added to the deceased's records.

=== Cultural Blending ===
Some caelians that live near to the [[Sayil]] border have incorporated Sayilan religion into their belief system. As Sayilan religion is highly focused on cycles and reincarnation, that manifests in a few ways. Some think Dolsia's decline is just another cycle: they will become humans, and that's okay, because once they are they can join the stars again. Others think that the stars ''are'' caelians long past--or that they themselves are the stars--and one day they will rejoin them.

In the east, the [[The Void Mother's Congregation|Void Mother's Congregation]] has rapidly gained popularity in recent times as well. The Congregation is a belief system rooted in nihilism, and believers find a sense of peace in Dolsia's decline. It is the natural order of the world; there's no point to fighting it. From dust they emerged, and to dust they are returning.