Hynethism

Hynethism is the primary religion of the Valkanrian continent. Having developed from the more classical Sassyari polytheism, Hynethism is a monotheistic faith which ideolises Queen Hynethe of Sassyar, the wife of Theophylact, King of Sassyar, and the mother of the prophet Alexander.

History
At some point in the Age of Petty Kings, Theophylact ruled over Sassyar with an iron fist. Outshone by his sister-queen, Hynethe, he grew jealous and bitter: a plague augmented by the divine inbreeding of his family members. Eventually, when Hynethe bore an illegitimate son, Alexander, he had her whipped through the streets naked before beheading her, and exiling the bastard to the Kingdom of Hetzburg. For sixteen years, Theophylact faced successive rebellions and Holy Guard desertions, until he rode his chariot through the marble streets and killed every commoner in sight. At that point, Alexander returned to Lyzentos and slew Theophylact in his tracks.

The peasants hailed Alexander as a god and pleaded him to take the crown of Sassyar, as Theophylact had no legitimate heir. Alexander refused, however, citing "When I return, I shall be king; until then, you must spread the mandate of peace to all who bear the banner of men. Only under Hynethe can our realm prosper." Thus, the wealthiest families of Lyzentos, now known as the Five Families, elected amongst themselves Prince Mero of Meria as their new monarch. As his blood was not divine, he scrapped polytheism and worshipped only Hynethe.

Spread through Valkanren
Hynethism became widespread through Valkanren in very short time after missionaries told monarchs in the Brythonian petty kingdoms of Alexander's prophetic victory. The first Supreme Pontiff was named, and chose to name himself Cassius. Notwithstanding the Brythonians' eagerness to follow the new faith, the Kingdom of Cyngvar remained staunchly Deronist.

Worship
Hynethists worship Hynethe in temples. These can vary in size, with the largest two being the High Temple of Lyzentos and the High Temple of Ellgyr. Most castles have temples for family use, as do most towns. In Valkanren, Hynethist priests are regarded with great reverence.

Symbolism
The primary symbol for the Hynethists is the sun, which is used to represent Hynethe's radiant light. The sun is used on many noble coats of arms, most notably that of the House of Dornay, who ruled the Kingdom of Hetzburg, the Princedom of Hetzburg, and eventually the Kingdom of Valkanren.

A secondary symbol is the golden sword Godslayer, which was also an ancestral heirloom of the House of Dornay before being lost by Conrad VII of Hetzburg. The sword was used by Alexander to slay Theophylact.