Bastion Elementalism
Bastion Elementalism, also known as Kildean or Cetrain Elementalism, is a peculiar form of Elementalist religion practiced almost exclusively in Siranoire. Traditional Mana Elementalism teaches that there are twelve elements (Fire, Earth, Light, Darkness, Air, Moon, Water, Man, Tree, Sun, Death, and Life). However, the Kindred believed that these elements were what tied the material world together, and that there are five, primal elements that tie together all worlds, and the very fabric of reality itself: Light, Dark, Order, Chaos, and Void.
Cetrain Elementalists believe each of these so-called "High" Elements are embodied by a particular Goddess, known collectively as the Five Ladies; however, like their Mana Elementalist counterparts, they tend to only follow one particular path. The Five Ladies, also known in folklore as the Great Sisterhood, are unique as a pantheon, as all five are believed to be ascended Sorceresses.
The central pillar of Cetrain Elementalism is the practice of magic. Indeed, the line between magic and religion is extremely blurred within it, and Cetrain Elementalist sorcerers can be frighteningly powerful, capable of feats of magic other, lesser magic users can only dream of. However, the High Elements are extremely dangerous to work with--particularly Chaos and the Dark, which have driven more than one would-be adept mad. Dabblers tend to be eaten alive, as are those who do not approach the Ladies with reverence, or those who believe Cetrain Elementalism can be reduced to mere science or technology. Magically, it is very much tied into place, as well. Cetrain Elementalist sorcerers draw their abilities from sacred places of concentrated power known as Wellsprings, areas where a High Element is particularly strong. The ancient Dark City of Léa Monde in fallen Valendia is the most infamous example of a Wellspring.
It is believed by many that the Hallowed Bastion is a "super" Wellspring of sorts, for all five High Elements.
Wrapped up in this belief is the concept of the Sayadin, a Kildean word that means "He Who Controls" (the feminine form of the word is Sayadina). The Sayadin is a legendary figure in Cetrain Elementalism, a sorcerer of such tremendous power that the very High Elements bend to his will. Each of the High Elements has a Sayadin, said to be chosen by its Lady, and there is only one Sayadin of each High Element at a time (the exception being Sydney Losstarot and Ashley Fiennes, who are simultaneously Sayadin of the Dark due to the oddities of the Place Which Is No More). Sayadin are much like Disciples in that they are immortal, embody the essence of their Goddess, and are very often lonely and set apart because of their preternatural powers. One odd belief of Cetrain Elementalism holds that the Five Ladies were the original Sayadina as mortals--each was the First Sayadina, the first to unlock the power and mystery of Her respective High Element.
