End of Empires - N3S III

I'll apologize for making you feel worthless, though. You're a great storywriter and one of the main contributors, better than me in recent months.

Meanwhile in the Federation, Cicero and I just keep being cool.

:SHADES:

Hi Daft,

Welcome to the NES.

I hate to waste your early excitement, but I don't know that crowdsourcing is the best way to go about this.

I'll give you some information just as soon as I can, but I don't know when that will be. Pretty busy with the vacation. Until then I would just imagine some misty valleys with stunning hillforts and darkly-timbered homes.

>STILL NOT ACTUALLY HERE<

The small village was burning. Vedes coughed, as the smoke from a burning hut blew into his face.

Mandrev reigned his horse in beside him. "This is easy sport," he said, as the cataphracts went about their work.

Vedes shrugged, his armour clinking. "The Zalkephai are not here in force. They still fight the Cyvekt in the north, and the body of their men are here. Perhaps we will meet more than peasant militias soon enough."

"I grow tired of mere raids and ugly peasant women, Vedes. I long for gold, for glory against Zalkephai fanatics, to take their noblewomen and put their palaces and temples to the sword! When do we march against Sartasion? When do we put it to the sword?"

"A wise warrior looks to the task- "

"Oh shut up!" cried Mandrev. "I tire of your proverbs, schoolmaster! You council caution, and yet here opportunity lies before you. Take it! Take it, damn you!"

Vedes was impassive behind the black mask, as always. "We are given an opportunity and yet a risk. The death of the Redeemer forces us to take action before I would like, but that does not mean we must be hasty. Remember, A man who spears the pig-"

"-too early has wasted his thrust, I know, I know," said Mandrev. "But the only loot I have seen thus far is a few gold coins from a reeking peasant. See that we do thrust, Vedes. See that we do thrust."

[19:29] <+Jehoshua> Just do a Q&A which explains the basic beliefs of aitahism, thatit has diverse cults and esoteric teachings and people would be much less confused.
[19:29] <+Jehoshua> So the Q's would be. What are the basic beliefs of Orthodox Aitahism? How is Orthodox Aitahism organised? You mentioned esoteric teachings, what do you mean by that?
...
[19:39] <+Jehoshua> I suppose that's a fourth question, "By what signs are Aitah'sincarnations authoritatively determined?"

Masada was the one who originally postulated the idea of putting a Q&A up just for the record. This being a result of a conversation on chat where he asserted that people keep second-guessing his authority over orthodox Aitahism. Anyways, will be interesting to see the answers.

Thankyou very much guys!

I think I'm up to speed with most things now, but the question of domesticated animals remains. Has this been established previously? Are we just assuming Eurasian fauna with a few tweaks? I'm wondering if I can have my hardy hill cattle () along with some trusty dogs and cats to appear in my stories.

EDIT: also, if I wanted to send some disposable heirs across the sea to Cyve and/or Parthe in order to get some education and character development, how far-fetched would that be???

Proclamation by the Redeemer Idrocarsas

The Grandpatriarch has made Accords with the Redeemer, agreeing on various terms, not least that there will be a Conference at Bysrium in the seventh year of the coming decade, barring unusual events that might prohibit it in the eyes of either the Grandpatriarch or the Redeemer in the meantime. The aim of this Conference is nothing less than to reconcile the differences between the Independent Conclaves and the Orthodox Church and reunite the Faith of Iralliam within the Redeemer's domains, and also outside the Redeemer's domains if those outside also wish to be reconciled to the Orthodox Church. We have invited representatives of the Helsian Conclaves to participate if they should wish to work towards this aim, and if they do not consider it unconscionable or impossible. The representatives chosen by the government of Tsutsomerang, and also whosoever else is a cleric of the Faith nominated by a recognised government and intends no obstruction or hindrance, are equally welcome on the same basis.

Patriarch Bono of Gaci will attend.

OOC: As the keywords in that invitation are 'recognised government', I'd just like to confirm that the Shuhar Empire and Patriarch Jahan III of Parna have no business at the Conference at Bysrium.

OOC: The clerics of the Orthodox Church do not require separate invitations, or for their governments to RSVP for them or to send them; the line in question refers to Conclavist clerics, who will need to be nominated and sent by the relevant government, in the absence of a definite ecclesiastical hierarchy by which the summonses could be issued - hence the reference in particular to Helsia and Tsutsomerang. So the position of the Patriarch of Parna is that he's welcome as far as we're concerned, and whether the Grandpatriarch wants or needs him there is up to the Grandpatriarch.

I imagine the Shuhar Emperor indeed has nothing to transact personally at the Conference anyway, and so the point of whether he could come may not arise unless he particularly wishes to.

If there are any Conclavists in the Shuhar Empire who want to be represented, they, as Conclavists that are, in Kothari law, within the Redeemer's domains, would have the right in the Redeemer's eyes to register to send a similar party of representatives to the party that any parallel group elsewhere in the Redeemer's domains could send. I suppose the number of Conclavists in the Shuhar Empire is not very great, though, and they quite likely do not wish to travel to Bysrium, and so the point is probably of fairly small importance.

ooc: One would think the Patriarchs come under the authority of the Grand-Patriarch anyway (ergo Merciary controls them, along with the Church hierarchy since he is the one who is playing as the Church of Iralliam), rather than the state per se. Either way, you can presume that the Dulama patriarchs (Tiagho, Dula and Ghaon) or representatives of the same would be coming to this conference.

Also just an opinion on matters of orthodox theology (although naturally the outcome is up to Merciary and Spryllino). I would think that for the orthodox Church to go back on its stated position on the authority of the grand-patriarch, or the necessity of the divine revelation held in the Church's doctrine in coming to knowledge of divine truths (ergo the role of the Grand-patriarch as the prophets successor and as the final guarantor of true doctrine, and the sacrosanctity of the prophets revelation, such as the tenets, in knowing truth about divinity) would be reasonably unlikely to happen (the overturning of these things in iralliamite doctrine being what constitutes the essence of the "Helsian Heresy"). This would be so at any rate since to go back on those things would be to undermine the Church's authority and the entire position of the Patriarchal system. Doru o Ierai however would probably be permissible so long as its practitioners accepts those two things and the infallibility of prophetic teaching (since it deals particularly with temporal truths, the uncovering of the workings of divine order in the universe so to speak, a praiseworthy thing which is not strictly within the modus operandi of Church theology. And in terms of religion one could argue that the explication of that which has been revealed is the role of legitimate theology [as compared to overturning it, which would constitute heresy]). I do stress again though, that this is just an opinion of mine, merciary is the final arbiter of what actually happens.

OOC: Not to start a lengthy theoretical discussion - but the principle I'm working on is that it is perfectly possible for the Grandpatriarch to agree to do or not to do certain things (or even as far as to overlook certain types of "heresy", or forswear certain means of enforcement), and at the same time for the Conclaves to agree to the principle of his authority, and for such an agreement to be maintained at least so long as it remains clearly in the interests of the Grandpatriarchy not to insist that its authority overrides the very agreement by which the Conclaves have agreed to that authority.

OOC: As I said, its up to Merciary and yourself what happens not me. But if I was to give my opinion to that I would say that you are correct that it would be reasonable for the Grand-Patriarch to "overlook" certain heterodoxies in certain quarters in the interests of iralliamite unity so long as his authority (and by association that of the patriarchal system) is accepted, and so long as any agreement doesn't require the actual repudiation of doctrine of the kind I mentioned on the part of the Orthodox Church. [EDIT] Ieraita also as I noted is actually a thing I think (personally) the Church could accept within certain parameters as compared to simply overlooking disapproval of it.

Briefing to Lord Tirdren, appointed Governor of Muyan on the occasion of his visit to Tiagho to offer submission to King

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Factions in the Court of Tiagho

Excellency, as you have been advised previously, within the Court in Tiagho subsists several factions vying for the favour of His Majesty and competing with each-other for influence. You would be well advised to cautiously engage with these factions in order to ensure the interests of Muyan are not marginalised.

Key factions we can deduce exist are

a) The Grand-Secretariat; currently the most powerful faction and the heart of the royal bureaucracy. Heavily coterminous with the scholarly classes with strong representation from amongst the nobility. The secretariat is primarily occupied with protected the ascendancy of the scholarly class and the bureaucracy that has emerged under the Kings favour. They appear to be in close political association with the patriarchate in order to marginalise the influence of the noble houses.

b) The Patriarchate of Tiagho; benefits from the Kings piety, primarily interested in ensuring the privileges of the Church are maintained. To this end allies with the secretarial bureacrats to embed the clergy and iralliamite philosophy within the bureacracy. Lacks progressive goals and is very traditionalist.

c) The Faction of Militants; Consists of a good portion of the nobility, including members of the royal family. The King has undertaken efforts recently to appease the interests of this faction who's prestige has advanced significantly with the conquest of Nedama. Concerned about Ashelai regional hegemony, and maintaining the security of the state and is likely the key power behind the Kings decision to ally with Taidhir. Some tensions between them and the bureaucracy/patriarchate alliance, although tampered down due to each group maintaining dominance in separate spheres of national policy

d) The Old Guard; Certain noble houses with some ultra-traditionalist supporters. Heavily suspected of having crypto-pagan sympathies. Marginalised and in disarray after the Kings purges early in his reign although there is some scholars suspected of aligning themselves with their views. Primarily interested in maintaining their own position and avoiding being further marginalised.

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Key Individuals at Court

~ King Fionnach Amatir:
Dangerous, implacable and ruthless. Has consistently worked to strengthen the bureaucratic apparatus through the appointment of scholars who owe their positions solely to him in order to secure his personal command of matters of state, while ameliorating noble concerns through his military endeavours and reforms. Magnanimous so long as his interests are not at stake, but will spare no quarter in crushing dissent against his reign. Known for burning his foes alive, it would be unwise to oppose the King.

~ Prince Tirnach Amatir:
The heir to the throne. Pious and militarily minded like his father, but not nearly as ruthless and stern and lacking his fathers political experience. Is however very ambitious, and may be amenable to approaches from us. Would be well advised to cultivate friendly relationships with him.

~ Prince Lughasaidh Amatir:
The Kings elderly uncle, he's very respected amongst the military establishment for his martial legacy and has a great deal of prestige in court. He is also completely amoral and prone to the finer things in life. Would likely be amenable to serving as a voice in the kings ear for the right price, although his ill-health will likely take him out of the picture before too long.

~ Prince Fhelemaigh Amatir:
The Kings brother, puts on the appearance of detachment from court politics. Don't be fooled though, he is exceedingly perceptive and is almost certainly the kings instrument through and through. Be cautious in his presence.

~ General Deiwenn:
de-facto head of the militarist faction amongst the nobility and a typical military man. He is however inclined to paranoia regarding threats to both his own position at court and to the state in general. Serves as key advocate for foreign campaigns and seems to, with the conquest of Nedama, have the Kings ear.

~ Patriarch Caeldrenn of Tiagho: (age 69)
Very much a philosopher and theologian completely blind to earthly politics, the real mover behind the Churches political activities is of course the Exarch of Muyan, with whom you are familiar. Does have the Kings ear as his chief advisor on matters religious though, and if he could be convinced to give a good word in our interests could be useful to us.

~ Grand Secretary Duacuintl (age 59)
scholar and chief bureaucrat in one, head figure amongst the Tiagho's academic establishment and the prime administrator of day to day affairs. Main intermediary between the ministries and the King, who trusts him implicitly on the basis that he owes his career entirely to the Kings favour. Consequentially is somewhat proud and is easily offended. Is probably the prime architect behind the Church-bureaucrat alliance in court politics.

~ Lord Axacuintan (age 63)
Most prominent of the old guard nobles, extremely cautious but quite cunning. Is slowly from all accounts building up some philosophical and political support for his positions amongst the scholarly class. Sympathisers are however too disorganised to really make him a major powerbroker.

I'm back from vacation. I'll catch up over the next few days. Orders this coming weekend.

I sent you a PM a few weeks ago with questions that I could really use answered, thanks.

Rihniti Clans/Faction Update​

Traditionally their have only been five main Rihnit Clans with those clans being Okumu Yuta, Kitrr Jatko, Nasove Suar, Ngata Ribbatt, Rakanu Aursus. However, with the conquest of the Naharai Provence a new clan had to be formed. This new clan, Maran Arku (Stone Horse) is made up of a mixture of Cooperative Naharai Nobility, Rihnit Educated and Raised Naharai Children, Naharai Indagahor, and the soldiers who participated in the conquest of the province.

Faction and Faction Leaders List

Rihnit Views on Witches and Witchcraft​

Even though the Rihnit shun superstition they also believe in witches and hexing. This doesn't make any sense unless if the full context of Ojasaon's History and Rihnit Society are examined first.

The first people to live in Ojasaon (the land which the Rihnit occupy) were known as the Agiba. The Agiba fled the Savarai Empire because of their belief in hexing and witches. The Agiba practiced witchcraft in the more traditional sense believing that these witches would contact an actual physical presence from another realm. The witches would try seeking out contact with the supernatural to get blessings and place curses. These curses and blessings would be preformed by doing certain ceremonies, mixing and then consuming random substances.

These rituals didn't always have the desired outcomes. However, preforming these ceremonies and rituals correctly required a close attention to detail and observation. This in effect made Agiba Witches the first "scientists" in a sense. One witch, Yidya was especially critical in this sense. She established a school of thought called Raova Yoaba. Raova Yoaba stressed stressed using empiricism over superstition in explaining natural events and occurrences. Her philosophy was and continued to be ignored up until the dawn of the third epic.

At the start of the second epic, witchcraft was starting to disappear from Ojasaon. But around the same time as the reemergence of Yidya's teachings another witch also made an important contribution to contemporary Rihnit Thought. Tali proposed changes to the definitions of witches and witchcraft. His first proposal is that meditation, learning, thinking, using the senses, and experimentation are all forms of witchcraft. The second proposal is that witchcraft is through these means, anybody can become a witch. The third proposal he made is that by preforming what he defines as witchcraft, one is communicating with a spirit. However the spirit being communicated with isn't from some other realm but rather a spirit within the self.

Which (pun intended) leads to the contemporary Rihniti view on witches and witchcraft. The Rihnit use the word "witch" to mean "guru" or an expert on a certain topic or group of topics. Being recognized by the Jagarakaso as a witch is considered to be an honor.

Deathly Oracles

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&#8216;ware! thou art never safe, for our kin lie eternal, waiting&#8217; ~ Words I V

"To the unchanging eternity of the One shall all return, to the silence of the inky blackness of death, all shall find their rest" ~Canticle I, The Abharavastra


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In the shadows, under the purple hued evening sky, as the rain fell on the leaves of the tamarinds, the guardsmen sat silently, waiting. They were here on a rumour of screams and dark happenings in the hope that perhaps it would explain a spate of disappearances. Tiagho was a large city where a man could get lost and never be seen again by civilised men, their life or death being known only by the court of thieves and Chaxtil chewing beggars hungering for the cast-offs from the marketplace who scurried in the dark alleyways and sat in tattered rags under the eaves of the humblest of shops and greatest of temples alike, while a thousand feet passed by indifferent and a thousand eyes looked by to necessity or pleasure or salvation tarrying not on the way to gaze upon the least of men. Yet even though a man might vanish like a gust of wind in the city, the sudden spate of disappearances all at once was foreboding and worrisome and had been noticed, with word reaching upon the whispered pleas of the commons the ears of the palace and some say even of the King.

So it was that Sharaxas found himself in the rain under the tamarind trees. Some of the missing, thought Sharaxas to whom charge of this group had been given were young girls, the same age as his own daughter, who loved to sing by the west canal. Others were old men, old women, soldiers, grocers and young boys who one day were playing with hoops in the street and the next were remembered only by the lamentations of their mothers. Now Tiagho was a large city where a man could get lost and never be seen again by civilised men, their life or death being known only by the court of thieves and beggars who scurried in the dark alleyways and sat in tattered rags under the eaves of shops and temples alike. But even here the sudden spate of disappearances was foreboding and had been noticed. Perhaps this day whatever evil had been creeping through the city would be ended, time would soon tell.

&#8220;Tatzin&#8221;

Sharaxas inclined his head to his subordinate officer in the watch

&#8220;It is time, take a detachment of guardsmen to the rear of the house&#8221;

Tatzin nodded his head, and silently gathered six men who quickly made their way to the rear of a rather nondescript house which an alleged witness had implicated in suspicious agency, lest through some window or doorway any vagrant might escape. It was a shack really, single-roomed and cobbled together of wood, stone and thatch in one of the poorer quarters of the city, away from the roads or the busy central district in the midsts of a grove of trees laid about with nettles and with semiwild-flowers. To Sharaxas it was beautiful in a way, the ruins and the green of the leaves. A reminder of the impermanence of things and the timeless rhythm of father earth. But all caution was prudent as ever, there was no time for contemplation.

Sharaxas gathered the remaining guardsmen once he was sure Tatzin was in position, and together they made their way to the front door and knocked. Once, twice, three times.

&#8220;Open for the guard!&#8221; he cried.

Silence.

He knocked again and called for the door to be opened. Again silence.

Nodding to his men, Sharaxas kicked the door open, the rickety wooden thing broke instantly upon its bronze hinges and splintered into a dozen pieces, clattering on the dusty floor. Sharaxas sword in hand entered into the dim hollow and his men followed behind him. Their eyes adjusted to the change in light taking in the glow of oil lamps hanging on iron chains from the wooden roofbeams. They beheld in the house by the fruit-bearing trees a man, old and gaut, chuckling to no one in particular not even realising the presence of the intruders . Sharaxas smelt the smell of cooking, like that which came from any of the vending stalls lining the royal way. Perhaps the man was cooking?

The illusion, summoned in Sharaxas' mind for an instant out of wishful thinking and optimistic hope lasted for but a brief moment, before the horror of truth unfolded like waves of cacophonous music tumbling from some discordant buskers lyre. For in the old mans hand was a knife of flint with a handle of bone&#8230; stained red with blood which dripped like rain from a blade of grass to the dusty earth. It fell next to yet more blood, blood which Sharaxas soon noticed was pooling at the old mans feet in a fetid pool of sticky mud, mingling with the earthen floor of the old mans shack. His eyes, reluctantly followed the bubbling trickle of red liquid up the black stone of a rough-hewn altar, which was carved with crude glyphs and topped with bones and skulls and other foul things barely comprehensible to the mind of a man, to where in a simple golden bowl lay a human heart, long since bereft of life and spirit severed from the body of the latest unfortunate to go missing. That body was to be found to the side of the single-room hovel, charred and burnt, its head sitting utop a throne of white ash all scorched and blackened in the hovels hearth, while strewn all about it were shards of burnt bone&#8230;

Sharaxes swallowed as he realised that here were the remnants of the young girls and old men, the soldiers, grocers and young boys who had been one by one snared in the darkness by this&#8230; creature by surprise as they obliviously walked the streets of the city to serve his dark purposes in whatever abomination he had wrought in his perfidious rites.

The old man turned towards Sharaxas, only now it seems noticing his guests and smiled from ear to ear. The guardsmen couldn&#8217;t help but notice the rot in the old mans teeth, and his ragged beard reaching to his waist, where his tattered accoutrements were bound together by an old hemp rope.

&#8220;You see it don&#8217;t you&#8221; the old man chuckled &#8220;the devourer hungers, and a man provides! Look at the banquet we have cooked upon our fire that it might turn its eye elsewhere&#8221;

The old man fell to the floor and laughed maniacally, his eyes rolling with mirth as he gestured towards the heap of burnt flesh, ash and bone that piled high upon his hearth.

&#8220;The old one, the old one, the old one&#8221; he swallowed his spittle as he continued &#8220;Older than the stars, older than the earth. it sees all and all will come to see it, It grows hungry and it knows&#8230; oh yes it knows" His eyes flitted from left to right almost pleadingly as he looked at the grimacing faces of the men gathered before that dark altar. "you don&#8217;t know don&#8217;t you, oh but SHE does, the one who withers the land and raises fire from the earth as it hungers restlessly and eternally in the void and oh it never has its fill.&#8221;

Sharaxas pointed his sword at the beast before him, and his guardsman restrained it swiftly bindings its hands and feet in chains and forcing it upon its knees. It made no attempt at resistance as its knife clattered to the ground, its blade falling into the bloody mud which flowed from the heart which it had unerringly cut from the chest of some poor unfortunate soul.

&#8220;What is the beast that you speak of&#8221; Sharaxas asked, his voice cold and expressionless as anger seethed within him, his sword pointed towards the throat of the old man lest he attempt to kill one last time.

&#8220;SHE is the thousand mouths and thousand eyes and thousand hands oh yes she is. For it is death who is annihilation which begets nothing and from which nought but destruction grows, and it HATES your burning god so filled with life, hurts HER eyes you see. But you, oh you know it by another name, yes you do&#8221;

&#8220;Istria&#8221; Sharaxas whispered, reciting a prayer in his mind to ward off evil.

The old man with pallid countenance and the bloody, bloody, knife replied &#8220;Yes, oh yes, yes yes. And it comes for us. It hungers you see, so very hungry, and must be fed, and yet so few provide for the dread ones sustenance. Yet soon all shall be received at the banqueting table in the dark abyss and they, oh they shall be the feast.&#8221;

&#8220;You are mad, the shadow of your dark Lord, he who is death, cannot withstand the Lord of Brightness, the enemy&#8217;s dominion has hold on us no longer. Your appeasement of this evil through your disgusting rites is at an end and with it &#8220;she&#8221; shall go back to the pit where it belongs&#8221;.

&#8220;Oh but you&#8217;re wrong my boy, so very wrong&#8221; the old man laughed again as the guardsmen bound his hands and feet in chains. &#8220;Hearken to the testament of your prophet, for it is written that a creeping foulness that no battlement can withstand and no sword slay shall come amongst you because you could not close the gates of your souls to sin&#8221; The old man smiled &#8221;We know, oh yes we do, for we have seen HER and she has told us so many many things.&#8221;

&#8220;Dabhatzin, summon an exorcist that this place may be purified of the corruption that has been worked here. Shahuinn, send word to the palace of what has been done here&#8221; The two men bowed as they stared with empty eyes at the dark altar of the enemy, and stepped back in the wake of the evil that oozed from it like pus from some putrefying wound, festering and playing host to maggots and black flies.

&#8220;Heed the portents, SHE must be fed souls lest all perish in her endless hunger, only blood shall stay the sickle of the dread harvest. The portents&#8230; the portents&#8230; you must see the portents&#8221;

&#8220;Dabhatzin, make that two exorcists and a funeral priest, the proper dignity must be given to those who this&#8230; thing&#8230; has so violated&#8221;

&#8220;What shall be done with this murderer sir&#8221; Dabhatzin inquired

Sharaxas smiled, a bitter smile filled with sadness as he turned to his man, who was eyes wide with disgust and horror, and was glaring at the tattered and chained creature as it was dragged from its lair by his fellow officers of the city watch.

&#8220;He shall burn&#8221;

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Report of the City Watch

The Priest of the Enemy, whom the commons have taken to calling the "black grandfather" now that his crimes have been exposed and his evil cleansed, continued his ravings throughout his incarceration. He was found unanimously guilty by the magistrate on the basis of his own damning words and was burned on the fourth day of the month of rain, in the year 1748 of the Amure reckoning before the temple of the living god before the people of Tiagho. The shrine to Istria was purified by the exorcists of the patriarchate, and burnt for good measure soon thereafter.

It is the assessment of the watch that the "black grandfather" was rendered mad by the corrupting power of the enemy, who's voiced it seems tormented the old mans mind. Nevertheless his criminal insanity rendered him too dangerous to the common good to be permitted to live. Unfortunately the corrupt words of the man continue to be remembered by the common-folk, in particular the warning (repeated constantly while under our watch) that a "creeping foulness shall come amongst you because you could not close the gates of your heart to sin". The priests of the Patriarchate have endeavoured to assure the people that the lies of the enemy have long been rejected by the Dulama, and that so long as they maintain faith and dutiful devotion to the good god, that its evil cannot overcome them.

~ Aratzas, Commander of the City Watch.