The Pravoslavic Faith is a major monotheistic religion practiced predominantly by the ethnic Bosken population on the continent of Nastavak. It is the dominant state-supported religion in the Federation of Boskenmark and the majority faith in the disputed Kresimirian southern territory of District X (Moraviskameja).
Historically emerging from the same ancient theological roots as the Sanctian Church (the precursor to modern Kresimirianism), the Pravoslavic Faith split during the 11th-century religious schism over profound differences in church hierarchy and the spiritual role of the state. Because Pravoslavic doctrine fundamentally rejects the concept of a “Divine Government” ruled by a Divine Chancellor, its adherents within the Divine Republic of Kresimiria have historically been subjected to severe political disenfranchisement and systemic discrimination, most notably through the Faith Restriction Clause of the 1921 Kresimirian Constitution.
History and The 11th-Century Schism
Prior to the 11th century, the Slavic tribes of Nastavak generally adhered to a unified, loosely organized church. However, as the northern and central duchies began to centralize power, their religious leaders sought to deeply intertwine theological authority with the state, eventually evolving into the highly structured, legalistic Sanctian Church.
The southern and eastern provinces (modern-day Boskenmark and Moraviskameja) vehemently rejected this centralization. Pravoslavic clerics argued for a decentralized, mystical approach to theology, where salvation was a communal, spiritual endeavor entirely separate from the coercive power of a king or chancellor. This fundamental disagreement culminated in the Great Schism of Nastavak, permanently dividing the continent along the so-called “Faith Line.”
Throughout the era of the Vosti Empire, the Imperial Edict of Tolerance (1642) kept a fragile peace, protecting the religious rights of both the Sanctian north and the Pravoslavic south. However, the collapse of the empire in 1918 shattered this coexistence.
Core Tenets and Practices
The Pravoslavic Faith differs significantly from Kresimirianism in both doctrine and practice:
- Decentralized Authority: Unlike Kresimirianism, which is ruled absolutely by the Council for Divinity and the Chancellor, the Pravoslavic Church has no single, infallible leader. It is governed by a loose synod of regional bishops (Patriarchs) based primarily in the Boskenmark capital of Vost.
- Mysticism and Liturgy: Pravoslavic worship is highly sensory and mystical, heavily featuring incense, chanted liturgy, and the veneration of historical saints and martyrs—practices that Kresimirian Diviners condemn as idolatry.
- Rejection of the Divine State: The most politically explosive tenet of the faith is its insistence that no earthly government can claim divine mandate. This directly contradicts the foundational ideology of the Divine Republic.
- Social Conservatism: While Kresimirianism utilizes the bizarre theological loopholes of the Books of Kresimir to legally enshrine progressive social policies (like abortion and marriage equality) as “divine bodily autonomy,” the Pravoslavic Faith remains deeply traditional and socially conservative, aligning closely with the right-wing policies of the Bosken National Alliance.
Status in Kresimiria and The Faith Restriction Clause
Following the Kresimirian Unification War and the annexation of Moraviskameja in 1921, the new Kresimirian state faced a massive population of Pravoslavic Boskens within its borders.
The Revolutionary People’s Council, deeply fearful of southern secession, drafted the 1921 Constitution to explicitly disenfranchise this population. The Faith Restriction Clause (Article 5) mandated that only certified adherents of Kresimirianism could vote, hold public office, or serve in upper-level civil service positions.
For forty years, Pravoslavic Boskens in Kresimiria lived as second-class citizens. Their faith was officially “tolerated” only in private; public processions were banned, and the construction of new Pravoslavic churches required nearly impossible permits from the CIA. This systemic oppression directly fueled the BRC-21 insurgency.
The 1961 Exemption
The brutal guerrilla war eventually forced Sinj to the negotiating table. The 1961 Treaty of Brod Moravice legally ended the insurgency. As a core condition of the peace, the Kresimirian state agreed to uniquely waive the Faith Restriction Clause only for residents of District X, finally allowing the Pravoslavic majority to vote and legally form the Bosken Liberation Front (BLF).
However, outside of District X, the restriction remains absolute. A Pravoslavic Bosken living in Sinj or Novi Otonik is still legally barred from participating in Kresimirian democracy.
Religious Extremism and Conflict
The religious divide continues to generate violence. Kresimirian ultra-orthodox terror groups, such as the Prophet’s Hands, view the Pravoslavic presence in the Republic as a spiritual contamination and have historically bombed Bosken infrastructure in an attempt to violently purge the south.
Conversely, in Boskenmark, the Pravoslavic Church is deeply intertwined with the revanchist nationalism of President Viktor Luxenberg. The church frequently blesses military parades in Vost and provides ideological cover for the state’s covert funding of AFIM terrorists operating across the northern border, framing the conflict as a holy struggle to liberate their oppressed brethren from the Sanctian heretics of Sinj.