Sortisism

 is a  that originated in the second century BC in southwestern Alutra. It remains a significant religion in Ventora and its headquarters are in Plenas, the of that. The religion is centered on the interpretation and meaning of, particularly in the form of the three , from which the religion takes its name.

Basic tenets
Highly structured, Sortisist practices are largely ritualistic with a focus on inferring the will of the gods in an effort to discern destiny. The Book of Rituals, called Teletourgión, guides worship and divination services. Services take place in a temple called a pantheon so as not to exclude or dishonor any god whose influence might be desired. The fundamental doctrine of Sortisism focuses on the interrelationships and independence of the gods subject to the regulation of the Fates. The On the Nature of the Realms (342 BC), although not considered definitive, is the closest treatise the religion has to a.

The Fates
The Sorti (singular: Sortis) are distinct from the deities. The Sorti are supranatural and supradeitic, transcending both yet affecting both in the manner in which destiny comes to pass. The Sorti observe activities for positive and negative efforts and even thoughts, balancing their weight in the process of shaping outcomes&mdash;a person's Luck. Despite this ostensibly free will, the ultimate destiny cannot be changed. Followers hold this is neither nor preordaining in that man or the gods can sometimes influence the manner in which destiny occurs.

Each Sortis has a role in the manner in which destiny unfolds. Their roles are complex and imprecise. To help understand them, the analogy of life as comparable to an onion developed..
 * Coka guides the genesis of the onion, influencing its germination and sprouting, thus determining fertility and birth
 * Aglaia affects the growth and bulb development of the onion, including size and flavor, similar to the manner in which an existence transpires
 * Kleio governs the susceptibility of the onion to pests, pestilence, and seniscence, accordingly regulating pain, the exact time and manner in which life ceases, and legacy

Deities
The deities represent various aspects of the physical world and characteristics of beings, especially humans. The gods cannot escape the sway of the Sorti any more than man can. Although the gods can be influenced, such as praying for rain or victory in battles, destiny is immutable. The effort, therefore, seeks to moderate the manner of the eventual outcome. For example, a man cannot change the fact he will die, but how he lives his life can influence his place in the afterlife and, with proper intercession, the gods may be influenced concerning the death experience.

While the gods have command over their realms, which are at the mercy of their god, control of the realms by the gods is not absolute. Each of the realms can be influenced by other realms. In addition to interactions between the realms, whether initiated by the gods or man's endeavors, the Sorti choreograph those interactions to derive the intended destiny. For example, rains from the water realm can wash away soils from the earth realm just as man could build structures to control the flow of rivers yet the Sorti could cause such a structure to fail.

Physical gods
The physical gods have preeminence over the major components of the universe:

Characteristic gods
Attributes of beings, especially man, fall under the dominion of the characteristic gods.

Afterlife
Sortisists generally believe in places for their souls in the afterlife. The virtuous will be rewarded with a place of serenity while the damned will be doomed to an eternity of torment.

Dicta
The Dicta of Sortisism establish the structure and general practices of the religion. They provide for the geographic organization, hierarchy, and governance of Sortisism.

Organization
Congregations of Sortisists form a parish as the primary organizational element with a congregatory as their meeting place. Each parish is led by an abbot who may be assisted by one or more deacons. A large parish may have deacons who focus their talents toward a specific god or gods, particularly efforts at deducing their will.

A group of parishes comprise a diocese under the guidance and administration of a presbyter. All of the dioceses are members of and subject to the Sortis Synod, the governing body of the religion.

Patriarch
The Sortis Synod is itself is subject to the day-to-day oversight of the Patriarch, currently Rodolfito Leocadio de Arreola Martínez. The Patriarch serves for life or until he retires or is no longer able. Upon a vacancy, a Convocation of all presbyters nominate candidates for the patriarchy and the Grandee, who is the titular head of the Synod, makes the appointment from among those candidates. Although there is no requirement for the Patriarch to be Ventoran, he has traditionally been so. Similarly, the Patriarch may be male or female, but has always been male since the majority of presybters are male.

Grandee
The Grandee was the monarch of Ventora until King Florián III and the entire royal family were killed in a horrific train derailment at Lorqui in 1961. Since then, the Regent of Ventora has served as Grandee in the stead of the monarch. Historically, a number of Ventoran monarchs have been Wajraders, which did not exclude them from being the titular head of Sortisism. Even today there is no requirement for the Regent to be a Sortisist in order to act as Grandee.