In the cosmology of Sarthía, the ultimate destination of the souls of the deceased is a return to the dream-time, Tshayelía, the atemporal playground and mental theatre created by Zeltetéa for her daughter in the aeons before the creation of the material universe. Sarthía writes that it is self-evident to anyone who dreams that the garden of Tshayelía admits no weeds: for never, or only very seldom, has anyone been murdered by a spirit visiting them in their sleep. To explain this she speculates that Neptarléa, the Recoverer, necessitates that the deceased spend a time in a domain of Her own, where the soul is purged of impurities before being admitted.
This is Neptarlekína, comparable somewhat to the late Catholic concept of purgatorium, although unlike in Christian eschatology, there is no risk of divine punishment or gracelessness, only ever-longer labours required to reach the state of total purification necessary for entry into Tshayelía proper. It is supposed that even the very best must spend at least some time in Neptarlekína, with 5040 years (7! = 7×6×5×4×3×2×1 years) spent there for each year it would have taken the same soul in life to rid itself of the same impurities. Thus there is no true damnation in Sarthíanism, only choices that lead one further into the wilderness, away from personal Zeyeta.
There are few authoritative claims as to what Neptarlekína looks like. Fínanía supposed it was probably as inconstant as the rest of Tshayelía, and that those within it would only know they had entered Tshayelía proper by the shúessoi (echoes) of other souls and the certainty of having attained true enlightenment. Atsha-Sithéa imagined it as a voizo (labyrinth) wherein the right path only reveals itself as the soul improves; Súa Gleméanivía called it a denelía (writing room) where one sits with Neptarléa herself as a student in conversation. In popular conceptions, the only certainties that everyone agreed upon were that it is interminably boring for all those not ready to accept enlightenment, and that the unwilling may therefore spend an eternity trapped within it, although Sarthía never addressed this possibility directly.
It is occasionally suggested that the process of Neptarlekína is so profound that the final, enlightened being arriving on the other end is unrecognizable, and that even the most enlightened person to ever live has many aeons of improvement in front of her. This was briefly Orthodox doctrine at the start of the Illeran period, but was downplayed and withdrawn after Sarthía's return as it provoked despondence among the laity.
Several goddesses are thought to interact with the dead or the amount of time spent within Neptarlekína:
Prayers to Múrekíha and Telméa are an assured way to extend one's time in Neptarlekína, and are regarded as treating with evil.
Prayers to Úravéa are said to shorten lifespans—introspective Sarthíans interpret this as a mere correlation with the stress caused by keeping secrets.
Tshayéa shepherds the dead and dreaming once they leave Neptarlekína for Tshayelía, and greets the dead when they first reach Neptarlekína.
Poaléa also visits the dead as they reach Neptarlekína. She rids them of ailments to their bodies and minds, including old age, so that they are able to endure the path of restoration.
Neptarléa collects the souls of the dead in most cases, and supervises them in Neptarlekína.
In exceptional circumstances, Rostyaekía retrieves the dead instead of Neptarléa; her hand is offered to those heroes who are especially accomplished in their service to the Lilitina and have distinguished themselves through good works. Rostyaekía makes the decision to escort those souls deemed worthy by her own criteria, and her endorsement has no bearing on the time spent in Neptarlekína, though, to be sure, there is a correlation, and it is very rare indeed for someone to be escorted by Rostyaekía before spending an unusually long period of time in Neptarlekína. Rostyaekía has no further concern with the dead, so this honour is only a temporary one.
See also spelling note at arlé.
This is Neptarlekína, comparable somewhat to the late Catholic concept of purgatorium, although unlike in Christian eschatology, there is no risk of divine punishment or gracelessness, only ever-longer labours required to reach the state of total purification necessary for entry into Tshayelía proper. It is supposed that even the very best must spend at least some time in Neptarlekína, with 5040 years (7! = 7×6×5×4×3×2×1 years) spent there for each year it would have taken the same soul in life to rid itself of the same impurities. Thus there is no true damnation in Sarthíanism, only choices that lead one further into the wilderness, away from personal Zeyeta.
There are few authoritative claims as to what Neptarlekína looks like. Fínanía supposed it was probably as inconstant as the rest of Tshayelía, and that those within it would only know they had entered Tshayelía proper by the shúessoi (echoes) of other souls and the certainty of having attained true enlightenment. Atsha-Sithéa imagined it as a voizo (labyrinth) wherein the right path only reveals itself as the soul improves; Súa Gleméanivía called it a denelía (writing room) where one sits with Neptarléa herself as a student in conversation. In popular conceptions, the only certainties that everyone agreed upon were that it is interminably boring for all those not ready to accept enlightenment, and that the unwilling may therefore spend an eternity trapped within it, although Sarthía never addressed this possibility directly.
It is occasionally suggested that the process of Neptarlekína is so profound that the final, enlightened being arriving on the other end is unrecognizable, and that even the most enlightened person to ever live has many aeons of improvement in front of her. This was briefly Orthodox doctrine at the start of the Illeran period, but was downplayed and withdrawn after Sarthía's return as it provoked despondence among the laity.
Several goddesses are thought to interact with the dead or the amount of time spent within Neptarlekína:
See also spelling note at arlé.
