Temtem legends

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Religiosity, spirituality, and storytelling are natural human activities whereby people try to make sense of their internal and external worlds. In Temtem, there are many legends surrounding various Temtem, creating a cultural atmosphere of mythology for each island.

Shared cosmology

There are many references to Highabove and Downbelow, which are analogous to "Heaven" and "Hell" but remixed with need to make meaning of living on floating islands. Although these terms serve as stand-alone mythological realms, it is unknown whether or not these myths refer to real places. At least Cipanku monks seem to believe them to be literal, physical places, within the same sphere as the Archipelago. These same monks believe other spheres exist, and this description seems supported by extracanonical materials.

The consensus in both folklore and science is that the Airborne Archipelago was once a single island. Narratives vary on how the island became the Archipelago.

Temtem cults

Although Temtem-worshiping cults are uncommon now, they were once the Airborne Archipelago's more common form of religion. Practices may have included actual worship of Temtem, or veneration for the Archipelago's unique natural phenomena. These numerous local faith movements are referred to in-game by the religious studies term "cult." (They may not strictly signify religious abuse like the common use of the term "cult" often implies.)

There are formal religious cults in the Airborne Archipelago that exist to this day. They include:

• Brothers of the Shard: Separatist group centered on spiritual purity as revealed and made possible by the Crystal Shrine.
• Sea-Queen acolytes; a similar cult that reveres the Sea-Queen, based off Dabmis' Rest.
• A large portion of Kisiwa's populace, that practise ancestor worship. Most notable is the cult of the Aisha the "mitochondrial matriach", which guard her shrine Aisha's Hearth.
• Omninesia's worship of the Giant Banyan tree and the Anak Volcano (personified as a goddess). The latter possesses a formal shrine in the Altar of the Inner Flame, whose cultists seem to revere fire in general as well.
• Monks of Cipanku: Revere Electric Temtem as kami spirits.
• The Digital Kami Shrine in Neoedo, seemingly adapted from an earlier site for Electric Temtem, now revering also Digital Temtem in addition to their electric counterparts as both Temtem types have reconciled.
• The Chieftain's Barrow in Arbury, an ancient place of worship that dates to prehistoric times, and currently reveres "the true king".
• On the surface of the Pan-Sun, a strange cult of masqued individuals revere the star and stand watch over Galios' imprisonment, fearing the spread of the umbra phenomenon were it to be relased.

Religion characteristics

Most religions in the Airborne Archipelago appear to be animistic in nature, worshipping natural spirits (including temtem interpreted to be kami) and land features over more abstract deities. Consequently, there is no unified religion, religious practises seemingly almost always local. A seperation from religion and government seems omnipresent as there is no evidence of theocracies.

In Kisiwa as noted above ancestor worship seems to be instead more common, people often mentioning "the ancestors" whereas to praise them, swear by them or ask them for guidance. This culminates in the worship of Aisha the "Mitochondrial Matriarch", said to be the ancestor of all humans. She is nonetheless perceived somewhat as an earth spirit herself, tying to the broader animism seen elsewhere.

In Deniz the Sea-Queen is a deity featuring in the foundational myth of Arissola, with the Denizans being her descendents. In spite of this there is no divine mandate, suggesting that theocracies are again not a thing. Another myth is that of the The Endairiad, in which it is stated that Endaira procreated with animal spirits, giving rise to the temtem.

None of the deities shown so far appear to be omnipotent, distant beings. Rather, they seem to be in some ways not so different from humans/temtems, simply ancestral to them and living on through the land.

Broadly speaking the religious traditions of the world of temtem are a bizarre blend of Shinto with Melanesian and Aboriginal Australian religions, showcasing an intimate connection with nature as well as human descent from nature spirits. In Arbury, elements of Arthurian legend are also present.

Legendary locations

Locations alluded to in myth, legend, and faith movements.

• Shrines
  • Crystal Shrine
  • Dabmis' Rest
  • Altar of the Inner Flame
  • Digital Kami Shrine
  • Chieftain's Barrow
• Kingdom of the Sea Queen: A place gifted by the Sea Queen to the first humans in Deniz. Professor Nakamura believes it to be in the Aguamarina Caves.
• The Seedstone, in Quetzal, said to be the origin of all .

Temtem in folklore

Temtem are often referenced as people of the Archipelago try to make spiritual sense of their lives. Some Temtem are and were worshiped outright. Others are revered or referenced in civic religion and folklore. Such Temtem include:

• Orphyll: Feared and revered by the proto-Arburians. Used in iconography.
• Capyre: Trickster figure in Omninesian folklore.
• Zenoreth: Monster of urban legend. Prevalent near the Crystal Shrine, which is sacred to the Brothers of the Shard.
• Barnshe: Heraldic emblem of the University of Arbury.
• Myx: In times past, considered "dark spirits," frightful envoys of supernatural good or evil.
• Raican: Ran free on the ancient Tucma-Kisiwa fire plains when the two islands were one.
• Umishi: Benevolent and friendly "sea-angels" of Denizan folklore.
• Raignet: Its magnetic powers act similarly to a poltergeist.
• Toxolotl: Folklore associates mane strands with ancient tribes of Tucma settlers.
• Ganki: Kindly kami of wind and lighting.
• Oceara: According to legend, it is the "serbatiyo" of the Sea Queen.
• Shuine: Likely worshiped by the ancient people of Quetzal as a water-purifying god.
• Kinu: Guardian spirit of the Giant Banyan, venerated even today.
• Vulvir: Speculated to be the last lineage of dragons.

Trivia

• Various cults are mentioned and investigated in the quest Cultist Hunt.
• The Temtem Discord community created "cults" worshiping Saku and Pigepic. The official Twitter account for Temtem later created a tweet pitting the "Sakult" and "Team Porket" against each other. The Sakult is currently the winner.