The Solduni Faith: from State religion to near extinctionSolduni is a Egelonian religion with a long and complicated history.
The Solduni symbolIt was founded in December 3377 as State religion outlawing all other faiths. It was initiated by the Partido Unido de los Trabajadores, a socialist party based in Demar Solad. Enforced by state officials and the government, the faith was imposed as sole choice for all citizens. Solduni was political in nature; its goal was to bring unity among citizens and encourage political participation. yet, the religion was tyrannical in nature and was enforced with force. Hosianism, that the vast majority of Egelonians practiced and held dear, was forcibly destroyed and many people were martyred for their religion. Solduni had no real religious or spirituals basis and was purely political; hence people, not even officials, believed in it.
in theory, followers of Solduni, known as Soldunis, believe in The Teachings of Solidarity. They all also belong to the same church, known as The Union of Solidarity. Solduni as a religion teaches all humans to live in solidarity with each other, and if you comply, then you'll live forever and ever as a spirit of good force in the people you help, and the people they help, the helped helped helps, and so forth.Essential to the religion is the daily sharing, where all believers are urged to share a loaf of bread, known as Sol, with a fellow believer. This bread may not be stale, nor older than 3 and a half day. By doing this act of compassion and love the believer enhance their spiritual side and feel the pleasure of helping their fellow man.
Altough officially all Egelonians were Solduni, Hosianity (in the form of the SPC) continued in secret and up to 60% of Egelonians practiced it secretely. The SPC formed an extensive underground web and kept the faith alive. Many were discovered and some were martyred; but the majority of judges and police officers were also still Hosian or not against Hosianism, so many of them pretended not to see the "criome of hosianism". Martyrdom happened in the case of radical Solduni officers, in particular at high levels of government. The imposition of Solduni was one of the resons of the fall of the partido in 3390.
After the fall of the Partido, the SPC was legalized again and quickly reestablished itself as main religious body in Egelion. The Solduni faith was not supported by the government anymore, and quickly lost the majority of the converted followers and many of its properties. A considerable number of Soldunis still kept hold, particularly in big cities.
yet, because many Egelonians opposed the SPC, the Soludni faith retained a slice of the populations, particularly among left-leanient voters. Throughout the 35th and 36th century, between 20 and 30% of Egelonians were Solduni.
A dramatic change happened suring the dictatorship of Francisco de Nueva, who since childhood hated Solduni and how it had transformed Egelonians in ambitionless and lazy citizens that looked up at the State and leftist parties in order to survive. Solduni was banned and its practitioners were hunted to near extinction during the reign of Francisco de Nueva. Although after the fall of the dictatorship Solduni was re-legalized, it never recovered.
The census of 3598 showed that 5% of Egelonians were Solduni, and the census of 3675 showed a 4%.
A turning point in the history of Solduni was in 3623. IN the light of the newly found strenght of the TPC, part of the faith adopted a more synchretic understanding of religion that merged Solduni with Hosianism. This view was highly criticized by the minister of solidarity of the time, the highly traditionalist Miguel Núñez, descendant of the Núñez politician of the Partido Unido de los Trabajadores. The debated heated up and eventually lead to a major split . The pro-Hopsian followers formed the Solidarity Fellowship, and eventually merged in the SPC. The remaining Solduni formed a traditionalist core that persevered in its teachings and was highly anti-Hosian. Many other split followed due to the harsh leadership of the ruling Solduni elite.
Throughout the years, up until today, the small Solduni faith wavered down, especially under the expansion of Hosianism. The advent of the kingdom, with our beloved Juan Felipe and his succcessor Carlos Domingo, increased the strength and purified the SPC, making the Solduni faith lose even more members.
Today, it is beleved than less than 100 Solduni remain. This community is strongly based on a few family tied with the history of the Partido Unido de los Trabajadores. It has become more than a cult, strongly leftist and elitarist, highly anti-Hosian and anti-Monarchist. The speeches of the minister of Solidarity are filled with hate and the religion has become a hateful and conservative political group empty of nay spiritual teachings. It is uncertain what the future holds for the cult, since many young members who try to immerse themselves in modern Egelion are marginalized and kicked out.
Temple of Demar SoladThe Temple of Demar Solad was built at the dawn of the religion, in 3377. It acted as the main temple for the religion of Solduni, where one can find the Headman of the Union Alexander Roscoe as the main Minister of Solidarity.The Temple of Demar Solad was the centre of the feasts held every Tuesday at 9 am.
During the ceremony several Ministers of Solidarity would hold speeches which tended to emphasize the general thoughts of the Union. The feast ended after the Headman had hold his speech, although this only applied to the temple in Demar Solad.
During the persecutions by Francisco de Nueva, the temple was converted into an auditorium and left abandoned for a long time. After the fall of de Nueva, the democratic government gave ownership of the temple back to the faith.
In 3843, the small Solduni community ran out of funds for the upkeep of the large and decading building. The structure was set up for sale, but no buyers made any offers.
The Main Temple of the faith, before its decadenceIt was the personal interest of Maria Pia Dolorosa de Montavlivet y Nueva Formoselle, that saved the building. She contacted her cousin, King Carlos Domingo of Egelion and His Eminence Rodrigo Cardinal Casamarada, Archbishop of Egelion, and petitioned for the building to be bought and transformed into a Church.
The King offered the money himself, and Cardinal Casamarada paid for the renovation. On July the 22nd of 3846 the temple reopened with the name of Templo de Nuestra Senora de la Solidaridad. the building was renovated for Selucian Hosianity use, but a small chapel was saved for Solduni use in an act of kindness of the King.
The renovated temple, with Hosian angles hanging from the ceiling
