End of Empires - N3S III
- Thread starter North King
- Start date
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Yeah, there have been many Exatai over the years that have had hereditary (though I don't think there's a particular preference for primogeniture) control; it's just that the justification is slightly different, the heir to the throne just so happens to be the one with the most exatas, and is also the son of the current ruler. 
Whether or not this is seen as corrupt depends on what kind of Satar you are. Among the Tephrans the tradition of adoptive heirs, started by Taexi and Sianai, has become particularly popular to root out the so-called "corruption of blood" that is common in Acca.
Whether or not this is seen as corrupt depends on what kind of Satar you are. Among the Tephrans the tradition of adoptive heirs, started by Taexi and Sianai, has become particularly popular to root out the so-called "corruption of blood" that is common in Acca.
Ophorian
Holy Britannian Emperor
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2013
- Messages
- 325
Alright, sounds good to me. I'll be reading up on the history of the south, Iralliam, and trading matters from the West to the Center, I guess.
Chains rattled softly as Koman walked down the sandstone and lime pathway to the dais with the pedestal and the man in long robes that brushed the ground wherever he walked. The robes were white, the whitest thing Koman had ever seen, and the man also wore a thick scarlet shawl draped over his shoulders. The shawl was embroidered with gold thread winding up and down its length in short, earnest prayers.
On either side of him, hooded men and women chanted in low voices. Despite the chill outside, it was warm in here, the many sconces and torches burning along the walls and pathway. At the far end of the room, above the dais and the pedestal and the crimson-shawled white-robed man, a large glass circular window cast the light of day across the chamber, the faint beams of the overcast sun illuminating everything grayly.
He stopped walking, for a moment, to appreciate the carvings in the window. They were nonsensical, florid shapes, wrought in crimson and green and blue, and his heart fluttered to look at them. It shouldn’t be the last time he would ever see them, but in a way, it was.
One of the two hooded ones escorting him down the path gave him a light shove in the direction of the dais. “Keep moving,” came a quiet voice. Koman obliged it.
When he stood at the base of the dais, the man at the top began speaking in a loud, clear voice, that echoed through the chamber like the banging of a bell. “O, ye faithful who are gathered here today to bear witness upon the judgment of this poor criminal, join me in a solemn prayer for the purity of his soul.”
A low murmur lifted out of the hooded mass. Koman swiveled his head to look around at the smoke-heavy chamber, crowded full of hooded chanters. Not all of the hooded figures were religious, but they were all pious. No soul could look upon a judgment unhooded; it bore ill to do so, it was an arrogant thing. That was, except for the Oracles, but the sights they were privy to made to behold the taint of a simple thief a wan thing besides.
“We give the gift of death to the corrupted,” sang the Oracle. “For what lives once will live and live again, ‘till it is pure, and the soul may e’er more repent. Death is life.”
“Death is life,” sang the chorus in reply.
“O Taleldil, in thy name and the name of thy avatar, whom we render Zalkephis, bear witness upon this judgment, and through thy vessel cleanse the taint of this soul, that he may pass and pass hereafter; and passing back, become pure, and thus hasten your return. Death is life!”
“Death is life!” sang the chorus again, more loudly.
Koman was nudged again, and he ascended the dais slowly. He stood before the low pedestal, which barely came up to his waist, and upon which was placed a thick stone basin, twisty prayers carved along the rim. The basin was filled three-quarters of the way with water that reflected the light of the surrounding torches like so many tiny orange and yellow stars.
Strong hands grabbed his shoulders on either side, and forced him to his knees. The chains around his wrists clinked.
Unexpectedly, Koman began to weep.
The Oracle looked at him. He had a close-cropped blond beard and a thin bristle of straw hair on top of his head. His nose was long and sharp, and his kindly golden eyes almost seemed to glisten in the smoky light of the chamber.
“Do not be afraid, my child,” whispered the Oracle. “For what dies shall live and live again. Death is life.”
“Death is life,” replied Koman hoarsely.
“Do you have any last words, my child?”
A lump caught in Koman’s throat. “I’m sorry. I want… I want to be pure. But please... have mercy.”
“This is mercy, my child. You will be pure in your next life. Are you afraid, my child?”
“No,” said Koman. “Yes.”
“Don’t be. We will save you. Taleldil will save you, as he will save us all.” The Oracle turned his head to look out upon the huddled, hooded mass. “All ye, bear witness to this judgment. Let the waters of Taleldil cleanse this soul before its passage hereafter. For what dies shall live and live again, and what is corrupted shall be cleansed! Death is life!”
“Death is life!” echoed the chorus again, still more loudly.
The Oracle stepped up to Koman. A strong, firm hand grabbed him by the back of his neck, and forced his head down, and down, until his face was submerged in the waters of the basin. He had barely time to draw a breath as the startling quickness of the Oracle took him by surprise. He let out his air in a gasp of panic, and tried to take in more – but only found the waters of Taleldil.
The Oracle kept speaking over the sounds of his struggling, his voice clanging mightily and pounding furiously against Koman’s ears. “O Taleldil, hear my prayer! May you find and cleanse this soul, and may its purification hasten your return! May you send him back to us pure of spirit, heart filled with virtue and goodness! Death is life!”
“Death is life!” roared the chorus. The water filled Koman’s mouth and nostrils. He tried to rear back, to pull his head out of the basin, but the strong, firm grip of the Oracle held him down. He grew dizzy, his lungs were burning, his throat was splitting. And then darkness took him, and he knew no more.
On either side of him, hooded men and women chanted in low voices. Despite the chill outside, it was warm in here, the many sconces and torches burning along the walls and pathway. At the far end of the room, above the dais and the pedestal and the crimson-shawled white-robed man, a large glass circular window cast the light of day across the chamber, the faint beams of the overcast sun illuminating everything grayly.
He stopped walking, for a moment, to appreciate the carvings in the window. They were nonsensical, florid shapes, wrought in crimson and green and blue, and his heart fluttered to look at them. It shouldn’t be the last time he would ever see them, but in a way, it was.
One of the two hooded ones escorting him down the path gave him a light shove in the direction of the dais. “Keep moving,” came a quiet voice. Koman obliged it.
When he stood at the base of the dais, the man at the top began speaking in a loud, clear voice, that echoed through the chamber like the banging of a bell. “O, ye faithful who are gathered here today to bear witness upon the judgment of this poor criminal, join me in a solemn prayer for the purity of his soul.”
A low murmur lifted out of the hooded mass. Koman swiveled his head to look around at the smoke-heavy chamber, crowded full of hooded chanters. Not all of the hooded figures were religious, but they were all pious. No soul could look upon a judgment unhooded; it bore ill to do so, it was an arrogant thing. That was, except for the Oracles, but the sights they were privy to made to behold the taint of a simple thief a wan thing besides.
“We give the gift of death to the corrupted,” sang the Oracle. “For what lives once will live and live again, ‘till it is pure, and the soul may e’er more repent. Death is life.”
“Death is life,” sang the chorus in reply.
“O Taleldil, in thy name and the name of thy avatar, whom we render Zalkephis, bear witness upon this judgment, and through thy vessel cleanse the taint of this soul, that he may pass and pass hereafter; and passing back, become pure, and thus hasten your return. Death is life!”
“Death is life!” sang the chorus again, more loudly.
Koman was nudged again, and he ascended the dais slowly. He stood before the low pedestal, which barely came up to his waist, and upon which was placed a thick stone basin, twisty prayers carved along the rim. The basin was filled three-quarters of the way with water that reflected the light of the surrounding torches like so many tiny orange and yellow stars.
Strong hands grabbed his shoulders on either side, and forced him to his knees. The chains around his wrists clinked.
Unexpectedly, Koman began to weep.
The Oracle looked at him. He had a close-cropped blond beard and a thin bristle of straw hair on top of his head. His nose was long and sharp, and his kindly golden eyes almost seemed to glisten in the smoky light of the chamber.
“Do not be afraid, my child,” whispered the Oracle. “For what dies shall live and live again. Death is life.”
“Death is life,” replied Koman hoarsely.
“Do you have any last words, my child?”
A lump caught in Koman’s throat. “I’m sorry. I want… I want to be pure. But please... have mercy.”
“This is mercy, my child. You will be pure in your next life. Are you afraid, my child?”
“No,” said Koman. “Yes.”
“Don’t be. We will save you. Taleldil will save you, as he will save us all.” The Oracle turned his head to look out upon the huddled, hooded mass. “All ye, bear witness to this judgment. Let the waters of Taleldil cleanse this soul before its passage hereafter. For what dies shall live and live again, and what is corrupted shall be cleansed! Death is life!”
“Death is life!” echoed the chorus again, still more loudly.
The Oracle stepped up to Koman. A strong, firm hand grabbed him by the back of his neck, and forced his head down, and down, until his face was submerged in the waters of the basin. He had barely time to draw a breath as the startling quickness of the Oracle took him by surprise. He let out his air in a gasp of panic, and tried to take in more – but only found the waters of Taleldil.
The Oracle kept speaking over the sounds of his struggling, his voice clanging mightily and pounding furiously against Koman’s ears. “O Taleldil, hear my prayer! May you find and cleanse this soul, and may its purification hasten your return! May you send him back to us pure of spirit, heart filled with virtue and goodness! Death is life!”
“Death is life!” roared the chorus. The water filled Koman’s mouth and nostrils. He tried to rear back, to pull his head out of the basin, but the strong, firm grip of the Oracle held him down. He grew dizzy, his lungs were burning, his throat was splitting. And then darkness took him, and he knew no more.
Some maps of the Kothari Exatai:
Principalities in 590 SR for comparison
In recent years, the Princes of the Exatai, other than the Prince of the Star, have ceased to be of very great importance, for a variety of reasons. Even in the day of Kartis and Metexares, the Princes were not in command of the army proper, and only in command of the militia in some districts, and tax-collection was even then largely in the hands of bureaucrats. As the bureaucracy has become more centralised over recent times, the powers of the Princes have been further curtailed, and they increasingly function almost as chairmen of the local Satar aristocracy; but, as other groups have come to challenge the aristocracy's exclusive power, even this role is limited in function, and is increasingly ceremonial. Such is the case with the Prince of the Stone. Other factors have also resulted in change: the dwindling to nothing of Ardavani holdouts in the mountains robbed the Princes of the Moon and of the Morning Star of their main function, and the Morning Star was abolished on the petition of its aristocracy when the particular family that held it happened to die out, while the Moon was abolished for any real purposes following an abortive peasant revolt. Likewise, all conquered regions have been assembled under the princely authority of the Star, and new Princes have not been created. The Prince of the Snow's power is but a legal fiction, as all the ceremonial powers he might have held are actually administered by the Council of the Doral. The Prince of the Eagle has never been of much importance compared to the local satraps and the Prince of the Star, especially since the revolt in the area against Kartis. The Princes of the Rock, Tree, and Axe, meanwhile, living in Zyeshar areas, perform ceremonial functions and continue to act as social and political leaders of the local Satar establishment, and are thus of importance as the men to whom the local populations are meant to look to as the source of political authority; in real terms, though, again, bureaucracies and more centralised military authorities exercise the powers that they might have had in ancient times.
This map, perhaps now more of antiquarian interest than anything else, shows the various countries that went into making the Exatai, a little roughly. Outlined in orange is the original area of Hashaskor's settlement. Light green the Hu'ut prior to conquest, medium brown Palmyra, yellow variously settled by Palmyran, Hanakahi, Opulensi and Trilui people; light blue the Hanakahi; dark green the Zyeshu; medium blue Doral; light brown Kilar; indigo Jipha. Dark purple areas were absorbed from the Holy Moti Empire during its decline. Now, the ethnic make-up is, of course, substantially different, with the situation confused on account of the effect of high-ranking local men being granted the status of being Satar, while various populations of Satar have at various times settled here and there, with the fringes of the Kothai mountains, the eastern half of the Hanakar peninsula, and southern Palmyra having particularly large numbers of Satar inhabitants.
Principalities in 590 SR for comparison
In recent years, the Princes of the Exatai, other than the Prince of the Star, have ceased to be of very great importance, for a variety of reasons. Even in the day of Kartis and Metexares, the Princes were not in command of the army proper, and only in command of the militia in some districts, and tax-collection was even then largely in the hands of bureaucrats. As the bureaucracy has become more centralised over recent times, the powers of the Princes have been further curtailed, and they increasingly function almost as chairmen of the local Satar aristocracy; but, as other groups have come to challenge the aristocracy's exclusive power, even this role is limited in function, and is increasingly ceremonial. Such is the case with the Prince of the Stone. Other factors have also resulted in change: the dwindling to nothing of Ardavani holdouts in the mountains robbed the Princes of the Moon and of the Morning Star of their main function, and the Morning Star was abolished on the petition of its aristocracy when the particular family that held it happened to die out, while the Moon was abolished for any real purposes following an abortive peasant revolt. Likewise, all conquered regions have been assembled under the princely authority of the Star, and new Princes have not been created. The Prince of the Snow's power is but a legal fiction, as all the ceremonial powers he might have held are actually administered by the Council of the Doral. The Prince of the Eagle has never been of much importance compared to the local satraps and the Prince of the Star, especially since the revolt in the area against Kartis. The Princes of the Rock, Tree, and Axe, meanwhile, living in Zyeshar areas, perform ceremonial functions and continue to act as social and political leaders of the local Satar establishment, and are thus of importance as the men to whom the local populations are meant to look to as the source of political authority; in real terms, though, again, bureaucracies and more centralised military authorities exercise the powers that they might have had in ancient times.
This map, perhaps now more of antiquarian interest than anything else, shows the various countries that went into making the Exatai, a little roughly. Outlined in orange is the original area of Hashaskor's settlement. Light green the Hu'ut prior to conquest, medium brown Palmyra, yellow variously settled by Palmyran, Hanakahi, Opulensi and Trilui people; light blue the Hanakahi; dark green the Zyeshu; medium blue Doral; light brown Kilar; indigo Jipha. Dark purple areas were absorbed from the Holy Moti Empire during its decline. Now, the ethnic make-up is, of course, substantially different, with the situation confused on account of the effect of high-ranking local men being granted the status of being Satar, while various populations of Satar have at various times settled here and there, with the fringes of the Kothai mountains, the eastern half of the Hanakar peninsula, and southern Palmyra having particularly large numbers of Satar inhabitants.
Attachments
IC:
I, the Ruler of the World, Idrocarsas the Redeemer, son of Zaredoras, Thirty-ninth Redeemer of Man, Ayasi, make the following proclamations, according to my Exatas and the majesty of my ancestors.
Firstly, let it be known that the Ayase of Caroha and the Ayase of Gaci are my allies, and that whosoever attacks them attacks those in allegiance to the Ruler of the World, and whosoever attacks my domains attacks them also.
Secondly, let it be known that, until such a time as I should determine otherwise and he should be returned or return himself to his rightful place, the so-called Shuhar Emperor is considered, as were his fathers before him, to be my subject in rebellion, even if we are not currently at war. Whosoever allies himself with the aforesaid Shuhar Emperor, before such a time as he should be reconciled to his lord, places himself at the peril of my displeasure.
OOC:
Confirmation of alliance by the Carohans, the Roshate, and Gaci would be appreciated.
I, the Ruler of the World, Idrocarsas the Redeemer, son of Zaredoras, Thirty-ninth Redeemer of Man, Ayasi, make the following proclamations, according to my Exatas and the majesty of my ancestors.
Firstly, let it be known that the Ayase of Caroha and the Ayase of Gaci are my allies, and that whosoever attacks them attacks those in allegiance to the Ruler of the World, and whosoever attacks my domains attacks them also.
Secondly, let it be known that, until such a time as I should determine otherwise and he should be returned or return himself to his rightful place, the so-called Shuhar Emperor is considered, as were his fathers before him, to be my subject in rebellion, even if we are not currently at war. Whosoever allies himself with the aforesaid Shuhar Emperor, before such a time as he should be reconciled to his lord, places himself at the peril of my displeasure.
OOC:
Confirmation of alliance by the Carohans, the Roshate, and Gaci would be appreciated.
Perfectionist
Angel of Verdun
I'm incredibly busy until the end of the week, so just know that if I'm not getting back or not contributing it's not because I'm ignoring you.
Oh, and on a completely unrelated subject, to what extent is the dire Zalkephic reputation down to them being illiterate peasants and their enemies writing all the chronicles?
Oh, and on a completely unrelated subject, to what extent is the dire Zalkephic reputation down to them being illiterate peasants and their enemies writing all the chronicles?
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
OOC: Ruler of the whole wide world? Well gooosh. 
And of course the irony of you, spry, of all people, using 'alliance' and 'allegiance' interchangeably just cuts too deep.
I will stop answering for Crezth after this since this is now his purview, but I will say that with the exception of the recent unpleasantness in Cyve, the Zalkephai tend to be extremely violent towards the landed aristocracy and foreign religious leaders who they see as corrupt, not towards the common people. Given that it's mostly rich aristocrats who can read and write, that question probably answers itself.
And of course the irony of you, spry, of all people, using 'alliance' and 'allegiance' interchangeably just cuts too deep.I will stop answering for Crezth after this since this is now his purview, but I will say that with the exception of the recent unpleasantness in Cyve, the Zalkephai tend to be extremely violent towards the landed aristocracy and foreign religious leaders who they see as corrupt, not towards the common people. Given that it's mostly rich aristocrats who can read and write, that question probably answers itself.
OOC: I wouldn't be surprised if, whatever the word is that "allegiance" is the equivalent of, it probably has such entrenched ambiguity by this point that it is almost no longer altogether ambiguous.
I imagine political theorists writing at a later time may say that "allegiance" was a diplomatic concept in itself, occupying a position in between vassalage and freedom, where it is perhaps even institutionally established that either party, at its convenience, can deny that there is a relation of subjection at all. It might, I suggest, be a bit like RL fealty at times, but kind of more indefinite, with the party on top being considered to be more authoritative or less authoritative as the situation demands.
...to answer a flippant comment with a disproportionately non-flippant answer.
I imagine political theorists writing at a later time may say that "allegiance" was a diplomatic concept in itself, occupying a position in between vassalage and freedom, where it is perhaps even institutionally established that either party, at its convenience, can deny that there is a relation of subjection at all. It might, I suggest, be a bit like RL fealty at times, but kind of more indefinite, with the party on top being considered to be more authoritative or less authoritative as the situation demands.
...to answer a flippant comment with a disproportionately non-flippant answer.
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
OOC: Finally someone recognized that my claim that the War of Lies is mainly about mistranslation and misinterpretation of the same ideas is valid!
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
The War of Lies was about the Aitahists lying about not assassinating Talephas, duh.
OOC:
Well, kind of, several centuries ago. As far as I could see, the people who above all liked using the word "allegiance" were the Carohans, in order to blur the distinctions and, by and large, preserve the peace; Metexares was more uncompromising, and simply avoided the word altogether as being a piece of rhetoric that was, at that point, not of profit to him and not within his principles. I see no reason why the Carohan ambiguity, as the Carohans employed it, should not be reused usefully - and, importantly, with rather fossilised ambiguities and implications, as I said above - by another party (Idrocarsas) who wants to enunciate exactly the same legal relationship again as that which the Carohans believed they had with the Ayasi in the run-up to the War of Lies. Which I think is the relationship with Masada wants to have with me - although he may correct me.
Not remotely! That's not what I was saying at all. I don't believe that Talephas/Arteras and Metexares had the slightest misapprehensions about each other's understandings of independence and vassalage. There was a bit of tension between Moti and Satar ideas of what the importance of vassalage was, but the basic fact remains that the dispute was between two parties whose position was inherently completely mutually exclusive (the Kothari position being that they could not be anyone's vassal, and the Karapeshai position being that they had to be a particular someone's vassal). In fact, the whole Karapeshai diplomacy was surely based on the fairly perfect understanding between us and them that there couldn't very well be a compromise on the essential point - and the fact that there couldn't be, exactly because we were agreed on the concepts we were talking about, was surely exactly why the war had to take place.
The War of Lies only happened because we understood each other's ideas perfectly, and they were mutually exclusive.
Then there were very real issues that certainly weren't misunderstandings at all - like the Karapeshai attempt to dominate the Holy Moti Empire and to kick the Kothari out of it, e.g. by besieging Triad, and like the fact that Arteras was determined to attack, more or less regardless of anyone's legal claims, following the assassination of Talephas.
Well, kind of, several centuries ago. As far as I could see, the people who above all liked using the word "allegiance" were the Carohans, in order to blur the distinctions and, by and large, preserve the peace; Metexares was more uncompromising, and simply avoided the word altogether as being a piece of rhetoric that was, at that point, not of profit to him and not within his principles. I see no reason why the Carohan ambiguity, as the Carohans employed it, should not be reused usefully - and, importantly, with rather fossilised ambiguities and implications, as I said above - by another party (Idrocarsas) who wants to enunciate exactly the same legal relationship again as that which the Carohans believed they had with the Ayasi in the run-up to the War of Lies. Which I think is the relationship with Masada wants to have with me - although he may correct me.
Not remotely! That's not what I was saying at all. I don't believe that Talephas/Arteras and Metexares had the slightest misapprehensions about each other's understandings of independence and vassalage. There was a bit of tension between Moti and Satar ideas of what the importance of vassalage was, but the basic fact remains that the dispute was between two parties whose position was inherently completely mutually exclusive (the Kothari position being that they could not be anyone's vassal, and the Karapeshai position being that they had to be a particular someone's vassal). In fact, the whole Karapeshai diplomacy was surely based on the fairly perfect understanding between us and them that there couldn't very well be a compromise on the essential point - and the fact that there couldn't be, exactly because we were agreed on the concepts we were talking about, was surely exactly why the war had to take place.
The War of Lies only happened because we understood each other's ideas perfectly, and they were mutually exclusive.
Then there were very real issues that certainly weren't misunderstandings at all - like the Karapeshai attempt to dominate the Holy Moti Empire and to kick the Kothari out of it, e.g. by besieging Triad, and like the fact that Arteras was determined to attack, more or less regardless of anyone's legal claims, following the assassination of Talephas.
Arriyman Indagahor is a sect of Indagahor that’s almost entirely exclusive to the Rihnit. It follows the entire canon set forth by previous Indagahor Teachers. What sets it apart is that followers of Arriyman Indagahor believe in an additional two texts. The first book Ranatna Yasama “Natural Laws” was written by Arriyman herself and was written so that even her crewmates (who generally had poor literacy skills) would be able to read it. All of its content can be fit onto a single large scroll. Raova Yoaba’s message is the following…
- Katavosavadubae sasona, sasona katavotasavabe, ni katavosavabaema sasona
We can’t understand the supernatural, supernatural we haven’t understood, and can never understand the supernatural - Avokattasavabe ot oskal kak, klar iaka sasona
We can’t know how many gods there are. - Kattasavabe kak osate sasona. Grassasona avokaua ni avoauak.
We do know one thing. The divine are not good or evil. - Savabe sasona jiar Kat Asakan Koka.
Understand divine by observing our world. - Kat Asakan kattasavabe jiar nasta, kane, oton, yahan, kusa, ni yakasn.
Our world can be understood by sight, hearing, smell, kusa, and logic. - Kaduoakun obondra olandii su najarri, yasama, ni hywan.
You use the senses to observe the behavior of people, nature, and animals. - Yahaya ret mtashala ovakans ontao nakta algatra ni sojakat avokansdra.
Faith with skepticism biggest virtue while blindness from arrogance and naiveté biggest vices.
Angst
Rambling and inconsistent
Ereithaler
Salkaresta - Torun totun nes
The White Man (ω:ŋ:ƴ ~ɳ
– not to be confused with a racial category – was a concept of existential ascendancy fundamental to Lobardian philosophy. Following the death of Lobard, the House of Man (the prime scholarly institution of Ereithaler) undersaw hefty debating on the details of the Statuary Ideal, the nature of the Common, and the nature of a more or less ill-defined concept, the Lobardian White Man.
The White Man was often referred to in musings on theology inside The Statuary Ideal, which is the first commonarchic lawbook and a foundation for all political philosophy during the Commonarchy. But The White Man was not identified with any particular religion or morality. While it seemingly borrows heavily from Maninist cosmologies of light and darkness, it is widely articulated as good virtue in general, appreciation of knowledge in general, understanding of all gods and their peoples and sensibility within all arts. Actual examples of whatever these virtues would encompass remain unmentioned. Most of the concepts have accordingly been assumed to be the concepts of knowledge, joy and coherence noted in the chapters on the Common and the structure of the coherent Statuary, but it is often counternoted by more puritan religious interests, especially orthodox Maninists, as there exists no formal connection within the book.
The only true extrapolation of The White Man, however, existed in chapters on the arts and that they encompassed some sort of enlightenment within. Lobard was intrigued by Iralliam prayer, as it spread northwards with Iralliam musicians and artisans following the collapse of the Holy Moti Empire. While Iralliam chants usually utilized suddenly improvised bursts, intentional dissonant sections and purely vocal arrangements, traditional Stetin chants had a Maninist ideal of harmony-as-salvation, incorporating bright, long-winded choral drones, slow build-ups, and instrumentation with a type of woodwhistles called renern (υ:ƴ¿ƴ.
Famously, Lobard befriended Votivedstra, a priest of the Kotthorns who had encompanied one of these assemblies. As disengaged as the previous Court was, it had long been a tradition to have the court assembly’s keynote speaker be presented by a renern fanfare. Through the restructuring of the Court, Lobard arranged it so that the fanfare was lengthened, arranged and vocalized. The musical introduction of the Court was ordained to be a ritual silence where the Commonarchy’s nobles would remain seated, contemplating the immensed power of the nation, moved by the music. For the music did sound massive. The royal palace’s entry hall was expanded to increase the pure size of the arrangement and allow for massive reverbration to echo the size of the music. These new session songs were usually fifteen minutes long, carrying a chorus and a large band of renern players, playing both Iralliam quarter tone chorus and the long dronologic harmonies of traditional Stetin music. After the music had been played, the ritual was over and the nobles would enter the court.
Lobard often refered to music in describing The White Man, as he thought music could enlighten in sheer magnitude of sound and that pure knowledge was expressed in these massive ensembles. Of course, initially the styles of songs played through the Common entry varied greatly in style. What fundamentally defined the style of the massive chorus was the piece Torun totun nes (‘Shall not die’ – ɳ،υ،ƴ ɳ،ɳ،ƴ ƴ:ȷ that was played as a fanfare before Lobard announced that Brunn were to be invaded. Salkaresta, who composed it (and also sang petin ethed (s:ɳ.ƴ :ŋ:ɲ in its first section), became the first in a long range of musicians of Hiuthi descent that would compose for the Ereithaler upper class. The piece became hugely influential simply for being the chant of the war, being the embodiment of Ereithaler power and victory. As such Ereithaler philosophy, regardless of its specific discourses and stances, thought of it as a premise for Lobardian wisdom. It was played not only by nobles in court, but also served to become a communal song for both Maninists and Aelonists in Ereithaler.
Listen to the composition here.
Salkaresta - Torun totun nes
The White Man (ω:ŋ:ƴ ~ɳ
– not to be confused with a racial category – was a concept of existential ascendancy fundamental to Lobardian philosophy. Following the death of Lobard, the House of Man (the prime scholarly institution of Ereithaler) undersaw hefty debating on the details of the Statuary Ideal, the nature of the Common, and the nature of a more or less ill-defined concept, the Lobardian White Man.The White Man was often referred to in musings on theology inside The Statuary Ideal, which is the first commonarchic lawbook and a foundation for all political philosophy during the Commonarchy. But The White Man was not identified with any particular religion or morality. While it seemingly borrows heavily from Maninist cosmologies of light and darkness, it is widely articulated as good virtue in general, appreciation of knowledge in general, understanding of all gods and their peoples and sensibility within all arts. Actual examples of whatever these virtues would encompass remain unmentioned. Most of the concepts have accordingly been assumed to be the concepts of knowledge, joy and coherence noted in the chapters on the Common and the structure of the coherent Statuary, but it is often counternoted by more puritan religious interests, especially orthodox Maninists, as there exists no formal connection within the book.
The only true extrapolation of The White Man, however, existed in chapters on the arts and that they encompassed some sort of enlightenment within. Lobard was intrigued by Iralliam prayer, as it spread northwards with Iralliam musicians and artisans following the collapse of the Holy Moti Empire. While Iralliam chants usually utilized suddenly improvised bursts, intentional dissonant sections and purely vocal arrangements, traditional Stetin chants had a Maninist ideal of harmony-as-salvation, incorporating bright, long-winded choral drones, slow build-ups, and instrumentation with a type of woodwhistles called renern (υ:ƴ¿ƴ
.Famously, Lobard befriended Votivedstra, a priest of the Kotthorns who had encompanied one of these assemblies. As disengaged as the previous Court was, it had long been a tradition to have the court assembly’s keynote speaker be presented by a renern fanfare. Through the restructuring of the Court, Lobard arranged it so that the fanfare was lengthened, arranged and vocalized. The musical introduction of the Court was ordained to be a ritual silence where the Commonarchy’s nobles would remain seated, contemplating the immensed power of the nation, moved by the music. For the music did sound massive. The royal palace’s entry hall was expanded to increase the pure size of the arrangement and allow for massive reverbration to echo the size of the music. These new session songs were usually fifteen minutes long, carrying a chorus and a large band of renern players, playing both Iralliam quarter tone chorus and the long dronologic harmonies of traditional Stetin music. After the music had been played, the ritual was over and the nobles would enter the court.
Lobard often refered to music in describing The White Man, as he thought music could enlighten in sheer magnitude of sound and that pure knowledge was expressed in these massive ensembles. Of course, initially the styles of songs played through the Common entry varied greatly in style. What fundamentally defined the style of the massive chorus was the piece Torun totun nes (‘Shall not die’ – ɳ،υ،ƴ ɳ،ɳ،ƴ ƴ:ȷ
that was played as a fanfare before Lobard announced that Brunn were to be invaded. Salkaresta, who composed it (and also sang petin ethed (s:ɳ.ƴ :ŋ:ɲ in its first section), became the first in a long range of musicians of Hiuthi descent that would compose for the Ereithaler upper class. The piece became hugely influential simply for being the chant of the war, being the embodiment of Ereithaler power and victory. As such Ereithaler philosophy, regardless of its specific discourses and stances, thought of it as a premise for Lobardian wisdom. It was played not only by nobles in court, but also served to become a communal song for both Maninists and Aelonists in Ereithaler.Listen to the composition here.
Jehoshua
Catholic
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2009
- Messages
- 7,248
No objections from me, if you have any questions on matters ecclesiastical feel free to ask.
I also put up a page for the Ecclesiastical State on the wiki back when I was still unsure of whether to switch or not which includes a governmental structure (which you can feel free to change now that you're in the driving seat)
I also put up a page for the Ecclesiastical State on the wiki back when I was still unsure of whether to switch or not which includes a governmental structure (which you can feel free to change now that you're in the driving seat)
