Religion plays a central role in Atlantean society and runs through all aspects of life in the city, from the government, science, education and economy to the public and even private space.

Atlantis is a hierocracy, meaning the government consists of priests, which in turn are led by the two diarchs. Even though the Atlanteans consider themselves to be the most advanced society of all, religion has always and will always be important for their culture.

Atlantean religion, while polytheistic, is centered around the worship of Nekeiy, goddess of the moon and mother of all. Still, worshipping and praying to other gods is an essential part of Atlantean life, employed in many different situations. While Nekeiy and Raeh are prayed to the most, people might address prayers to a specific god depending on the situation. When merchants offer their wares, they ask for the god of trade's help, believing he will bring them luck and good business. When healers prepare medicine, they pray to Danaisa, when going to war, warriors offer sacrifices to Alliarn. Besides the twelve major gods and goddesses, there are countless lesser gods, many of which don't even have a name, but still are considered important. 

It is a common to choose a certain god as one's guardian, someone who watches over and protects one's family. Normally, a household adopts their protector based on their profession, for example Islaityth for blacksmiths and inventors, or Eyazethra for farmers. The same goes for businesses - the sex workers of Ruya's Temple worship the genderless god of love and sexuality as their patron god. 

Worship is something private and usually done at home or at work. The inner sanctum of Atlantis is a place where people can feel and bask in the presence of the gods, study holy scriptures, establish contact with their ancestors or ask for spiritual guidance. Sacrifices, unless small, are made on the altar, which was built both to attract the attention of the gods and to provide a link through which the gods could descend to earth. Usually, worship is done in quiet and solitary contemplation, but there are special occasions such as holidays, festivals, important rituals or meetings on which all citizens gather either in the temple or in uthoash stadium. The temple is also the center of learning, where people have access to the city's library, which contains all sorts of written texts and sacred records.

There are many different ways of worshipping the gods, but the most important are:

Language and writing is something sacred. There is a huge emphasis on literacy, as it is believed that studying holy scriptures and acquiring knowledge is a way of understanding and communicating with the gods, just like machines are a way of interacting with the divine and make use of their gifts. The Atlantean language knows no swearwords, the reason being that using such words is considered a grave insult against the gods.

Another method of honouring the gods is through art. The inner sanctum is a richly ornamented masterpiece of architecture, embellished with statues made of marble, silver and gemstones. Every household has its own shrine and smaller version of the statue of the lovers, as well as one for their guardian god. Everywhere in the city, there are statues of various gods, as well as paintings. Music also plays part in the worship of the gods. Combining words and music to sing is believed to please the gods; as such, there are numerous pieces of music, poems and songs, all passed from one generation to the next.

Sacrifices are also common, but there are special rules for them. The rite of hunting is considered an important part of Atlantean spiritual life. Killing animals is a way of honouring Eyazethra, goddess of nature and animals, and Hildasr, patron of hunters. Despite killing creatures of the wild, Atlanteans are taught never to waste anything given to them by nature and to give back what they can. Slaying an animal with the intention to sacrifice it to the gods is wrong - rather, one should only hunt for meat, hides, bones or claws, and take parts of their prey to offer it to the gods. It is important to burn whatever is left of the animal's body to ensure Eyazethra can take its soul and return it to the stream of magic.

A special kind of ritual is the imprisoning of conductors for their blood. Among those who know what Silitan truly consists of, it is believed that conductors who die for the its production offer themselves to the gods, and that their unconditional devotion will be rewarded. Some conductors willingly die, but most are not given a choice.

In the center of Atlantean religion stand the priests, also called eres. They are messengers, counselors and leaders, interpreting the stream of magic to guide their people. Legitimated by their knowledge and strong connection to the gods, they are highest in Atlantean hierarchy and serve as a bridge between earth and the sky. Each priest has been chosen by the gods themselves and had to go through long rituals, at the end of which stands an act of enlightenment, the best kept secret of the priests.

The eres lead their apprentices into the heart of the temple, where stands a small font filled with the tears of Nekeiy. One after one, candidates have to dip their heads into the water, eyes wide open, and then are left alone for half an hour. No one ever talks about what they have seen in the water, but it must be something astonishing and horrible at the same time, for more than half of the candidates are frozen in shock and, unable to move, drown, while others manage to emerge again, but have lost their minds and have to be killed. Most claim they have seen all memories of Nekeyi, and while they were unable to remember everything (the sheer amount of knowledge would be exorbitant), some things have burned themselves into their memory. Of all candidates, only a few emerge and survive - they have been reborn with a second sight. The tears turn their eyes into orbs of bright, shining light, robbing them of

Major gods

• Nekeiy: also called mother moon, the weeping goddess or Mathenaat; the major deity worshipped by Atlanteans, goddess of the ocean, moon, night and life. She is said to have skin as dark as the night, slitted luminiscent eyes and long white hair that seems to be made from pure, cold light. Nekeiy is the only god that is truly immortal, for she doesn't die when Raesashu devours the worlds. Being caught in this endless cycle and unable to do anything to prevent it, Nekeiy weeps for all lives that were lost, yet allows it all to happen over and over again, unable to bear the loneliness.

• Raeh: goddess of the sky, knowledge, art and peace. Raeh was created by her lover, Nekeiy, after said had spent thousands of years alone. The fair-headed goddess is considered to be the more gentle of the couple, known for her loving and caring nature, as well as her optimism and appreciation of all beauty.

• Rairdasril: goddess of the sun, fire, the light of the day and summer, wife of Sa'mrl; mother of Yurselu, Ledisa, Ruya and Esshaid. Her hair is made from fire and her eyes burn with fiery determination and a short temper.

• Sa'mrl: god of storms, hurricanes, lightning and thunder, and rainfall, husband of Rairdasril; father of Yurselu, Ledisa, Ruya and Esshaid. Before the birth of Eyazethra, most people hated Sa'mrl, as his storms made everything damp and chilly. But now that Atlanteans understand the importance of rain for their crops and nature, they appreciate and worship Sa'mrl as well. That doesn't mean he's forgiven them - Sa'mrl is known to be a resentful, sulking god.

• Yurselu: god of volcanos, mountains, deserts and earthquakes; son of Rairdasril and Sa'mrl, and brother of Eyazethra, Ruya and Atkosath. He represents masculinity in its worst and is the least liked god of all after having split the primal continent into pieces only because Danaisa rejected him. As punishment for his crimes, he has been chained to a cave at the bottom of the ocean, where he is fuming in rage.

• Eyazethra: goddess of nature, forests and plants, agriculture and lifestock. Daughter of the sun and rain, sister of Yurselu, Atkosath and Ruya. Eyazethra is believed to wander around restlessly; if one day she stopped, nature would cease to regenerate. She is the patron of beasts, a wild and boisterous woman with vines for hair and brown skin, who returns the souls of animals to the stream of magic, and is known to take the form of one to test humans on their treatment of nature.

• Ruya: genderless god of love, kindness, beauty, loyalty, fertility and sexuality; protector of the family. Child of Rairdasril and Sa'mr, and sibling of Eyazethra, Yurselu and Atkosath. Ruya is sweet and naive, but will not hesitate to punish sex offenders and rapists. Usually, they are depicted wearing nothing but jewelry.

• Atkosath: god of craftsmanship, child of Rairdasril and Sa'mrl; brother of Ledisa, Yurselu and Ruya. Atkosath fathered Ilairhasr (patron of fishermen), Hildasr (patron of hunters) and Rshuresr (patron of scholars). He is depicted as a man covered in soot, with numerous arms in which he carries different tools.

• Naedh: the child goddess of afterlife and death, guardian of the stream of magic and Saernullnaedh. Naedh is depicted as a nonverbal, small girl wearing a mask, who carries the dead to the stream of magic and allows them to be reborn.

• Islaityth: goddess of blacksmiths, metals, metallurgy, technology, associated with jealousy and greed. Her hair looks like strands of metal, and her eyes are like burning flames. She can be blamed for Yurselu's destructive actions, as her words of arrogance reaffirmed his intentions. Islaityth has long done penance, but many still distrust her and are careful not to say anything even remotely wrong.

• Danaisa: goddess of medicine, healing, literature and writing. It was her who bestowed the people with literacy, making her the mother and guardian of all written word. Statues show her as a short, beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure and eyes that sparkle in wisdom. She always carries a book, scrolls or a ring, the symbol of healing.

• Alliarn: formerly a mere mortal, now the goddess of battle, war, warfare, strategy and honor. Depicted as an inhumanly tall and muscular woman, she wears full armour, carrying a sword and a trident. She represents honourable battles fought to protect, not to destroy and conquer.

Important holidays

• Full Moon: every month on the day of full moon, people celebrate a festival with dance, music, public prayers and sacrifices. It is believed on full moon, Nekeiy is the closest to earth, thus contacting her and asking for blessing is the easiest. This celebration lasts from dusk to dawn.

  • Exceptions to this are nights when the moon is completely hidden behind clouds, therefore cannot be seen. These nights are characterised by melancholy and sadness, a gentle reminder that Nekeiy is suffering.

• New Moon: when Nekeiy closes her eyes to mourn, evil forces can easily gain entry to the mortal world. temptation to sin is strong these nights, testing the Atlanteans' faith, devotion and strength of will.

• Day of silence: on this day, citizens of Atlantis try to stay as quiet as possible, for Raesashu's slumber is light and he could be woken up by any kind of noise. Traditionally, communication takes place in the form of writing - talking is strictly prohibited.

• Nailnnaedh: paying respect to the dead. For nine days, people walk around wearing masks, and offer sacrifices to those who have died. During these days, ancestors are believed to walk alongside the living, watching over them and protecting them from evil influences.

• Atlantis' day: celebrating the birth of Atlantis, first leader of the city. It's also the day the nation of Atlantis was founded. Usually, a parade is held in her honour, complete with music, dance and costumes that pay tribute to Atlantis' traditions.

• Ihathki: sailing still is an important part of Atlantean culture. Every year in summer, the lights of the old lighthouse Ihebak are turned on, and a race is held. Participants dress in traditional clothes and sail in old Atlantean boats, trying to be the first to return to the port of Atlantis after sailing round a small island three hours away from the city.