Shazism is an Eskandric, henotheistic, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Shazi people. Shazism is centered around the Shaz, which Shazis believe is a spiritual force given by the god Sealtiel via his son and avatar Eskander to the Shazi people to inhabit them and set them apart as a chosen race of righteousness. According to Shazi teachings, those who inhibit the shaz - meaning having a Shazi bloodline, adhering to and keeping Shazic law, speaking a Shazic language, and observing Shazic traditions - are considered righteous.
The Shazi faith developed from ancient tribes in Safarica who migrated by fleet from the continent to the land of Zenith led by Eskander and Yohez. As mentioned before, the shaz serves as an integral part of Shazi teaching, reserved for those deemed righteous via Shazic law and ethnically related by blood to the original followers of Eskander. This effectively makes Shazis an ethnoreligious group, and tolerance of outside converts as well as marriage with outsiders varies between denomination. Furthermore, Shazis worship Sealtiel, who is the most revered (although not only) deity in Shazism because of his role in creation and in his leadership of the Shazis through inhibiting Eskander. Many Shazis also acknowledge the existence of several lesser deities, including Lorgush, Sealtiel’s wife and goddess of the moon; Azarath, the deity of evil and mischief; and Eskander himself who, according to adherants, became a deity himself. Only Sealtiel and Eskander are deemed worthy of worship by Shazis.
Shazic law, founded upon a diverse body of texts, traditions, and worldviews originating from ancient Safarica, is comprised of 32 commandments allegedly written by Eskander, Zen the Philosopher, and Yohez found in the Selashir. The Shazi Selashir is comprised of three principal sections: the Books of Zen, the Books of Eskander, and the Books of Yohez, which lay out Shazic law, as well as history from creation to the migration, and the formation of Shazi government. With several modifications in order, content, and overall narrative, what Avabism calls the Zascas has several of the same or similar books as the Shazi Selashir; and the Nelorists use the Shazi Selashir as secondary scripture also confusingly called the Books of Eskander.
In addition to the Selashir, there is also the Shazi Orkhan, which elaborates on traditions regarding creation, wisdom, and histories written by Yohez. Yohez’s three sons, Shan, Han, and Neil each wrote additional commentaries, though each son separated from the others in interpretation. The former two sons formed the backbone of the largest two denominations of Shazism: Shan Shazism, which is 90% of practicing Shazis in the world found in Kzak, Bavratia, and Ronaria; and Hanism, which is a more monastic and orthodox 7% of practicing Shazis settled mostly in the land of Zenith, where the followers of Eskander landed after migrating from Safarica. The third brother, Neil, would be the founder of Nelorism, an esoteric and polytheistic interpretation of Eskander’s teachings deemed heretical by the other two brothers.
Throughout the centuries, Shazism spread across the Old World from Zenith to Ronaria. They became a powerful military and merchant caste within Elaghabid Ronaria and even emerged as the ruling class over the Zaigevid Empire in Ronaria around 220. After being brutally crushed by the ancient Tanithians, many Shazis settled in the Artian Empire where they faced severe repression. However, under Emperor Theobi II, the Shazis were granted land to settle in southern Vicus. After the fall of the Artian Empire, Kzak was founded in southern Vicus, where for several hundred years they dominated the penninsula and trade in the Arythine Sea. This prompted Zascaic Avabist kingdoms to wage war on the Shazis, with Kzak’s capital city and primary Shan Shazi holy site Eskandergret falling to Vicus in 1611. Two centuries later, after the Great War, Kzak gained independence from Vicus thanks to pan-Shazi movements originating from Shazi teachings. Today, the capital of Shan Shazism is in Kzak, while the capital of Hanism remains in Zenith.