Overview

Confluence is the primary religion of Tarquinia, its outlook rooted in the nation's rivers. Life is like the river deltas - its ebb and flow to be accepted, not fought, in order to yield its fruits.

Everyone begins at the source in the mountain peaks and follows “The Flow” downstream across the deltas to the ocean, where they drift into peaceful, eternal slumber.

Confluence is unique in having no god or godly figure. Instead, there is The Mouth, a spiritual leader who speaks on the river and The Flow - holding no authority over the religious populace, but deeply respected.

Unlike the stalwart teachings of The Fayth (and, to a degree, Heltevei), Confluence holds that the meaning of life isn't meant to be understood - trying to make sense of the world's chaos, drifting from The Flow, only leads to despair and insanity. The key is accepting that not everything has an answer, and focusing instead on what's in front of you. Its doctrines centre on self-improvement and community; followers are famously friendly and inviting, to the point that visitors are often shocked by strangers genuinely inviting them into their homes for tea and cake.

Where The Fayth is repressed and rule-bound, Confluence's boundaries flex with context, like the river's seasons. Where The Fayth asks you to mourn quietly and move on, Confluence wants you to release your emotions freely and mourn loudly, without shame, and pause on the riverbank to feel what you need to feel. The Flow continues without you, but is never gone; it welcomes you back when you're ready to rejoin the current.

The main adversary to The Flow is the desire for control - wanting more than what's granted, wanting to take advantage. At its extreme, Witches are seen as those who'd dam the river and hoard its riches, which is why Tarquinia hunts Witches with particular scrutiny.

Yet the outlook on other Evil creatures differs entirely, if someone cursed with Lycanthropy exiles themselves to do no harm, why bring harm to their door? Where The Fayth insists Evil must be eradicated regardless of cost, Confluence views it far more holistically - a divide that often puts Tarquinian Jaegers at odds with the rest of Aynca.