End of Empires - N3S III

[Jehoshua]

Records of the Seventh and Eighth Centuries.

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"Long have you laboured, venerable Ayasi, to with wisdom and truth bring to order the wayward who have in ignorance fallen to wickedness at the great peril of their souls. Yet many still in rebellion and scorn of your authority and ours, persist in darkness to spread evil and error in your lands. Listen then to the words of the sages, who say that we must burn away our impurity that we may be filled with holiness. In the image of this spiritual reality then, in a sign of truth, let all who refuse to repent face the due penalty for their crimes in fire and light, that the evil may be burnt away and your people become pure once more."

~ Letter of Grand-Patriarch Riyaki I to the Ayasi of the Uggor. (655 SR)

note: In the beginning of the reign of Riyaki I in Opios, the Iralliamite realms along with the Farubaida waged a costly war to retake the Sesh valley from the increasingly fractious Karapeshai Exatai. This left the Moti Empire worn, and the Ayasi in heavy debt to the various temples of the Church, and even with the Grand-Patriarchate itself while religious divisions in the form of the Aitahist apostasy and the Ardavani seshites remained.

Despite some successes with reconverting the wayward Uggor and bringing Iralliam to the western Sesh valley. With the ramifications of the Zalkephic prophecy in the north, and with outposts of Aitahism remaining stubbornly persistent amongst the Uggor, the Grand-Patriarchate increasingly used its influence to demand punitive powers be given to the Order of Faith for the protection of the faith from heathen proselytes, and to bring judgement to those Uggor Aitahists who refused to recant their error and return to the Church. With the position of the Ayasi being increasingly tenuous, and with the Church militant forces growing increasingly restless in the ecclesiastical outpost to the south of the Aitahist enclave, the balance of power between Church and State was increasingly being challenged at this time.

"Wolse Haraselui, priest of Trovin, illuminated by the inspiration of Opporia came unto Opios in the reign of Hutet I, imploring the Grand-Patriarch to grant him leave to travel to the east in the service of the mission to the Trilui, his people, started 25 years prior by the Grand-Patriarch Trivein II. In his subsequent work, the radiance of sanctity would be revealed through his words and deeds..."

~ Record of the Mission to the Trilui Lands, The Grand-Patriarchal Archive

note: With the gradual march of conversion continuing in the South and East, and with even the long recalcitrant Zyesh seeing slow inroads from Iralliam. The Patriarchs of the Church increasingly looked abroad in renewed zeal to bring about the conversion of souls to Opporia. This zeal culminated in the year 696 SR upon the election the election of the Exarch of Trovin to the Grand-Patriarchate. Taking the name Trivein II, he would in the year 700SR, call upon the faithful to support a campaign to convert his kinsmen in the east to Iralliam arguing that they had in error been divided into many sects and thus lost their greatness, and that only in the Church, in returning to the faith of Trovin their ancient seat that they would be again united as of old, and in becoming one once again they would become one with all the family of the Faithful and be restored in the greatness of their ancestors.

"Hearken great Redeemer, you seek to wage war against your brothers in the faith. Why raise the banners of war against them, when amongst your own people you permit the practice of the most grievous errors, and when to your north rests a nest of vipers, from which flows as a most impure flood the pestilence of heresy and apostasy even into your own lands, your own subjects, your own kinsmen..."

~ Letter of Patriarch Talkephon of Jahip to the Redeemer of the Kothari Exatai.

note: Throughout the seventh and eighth centuries the territorial ambitions of the redeemer against the Kingdom of Kilar and into historically Moti lands saw tensions emerge between the Redeemer and the Patriarchs in Jahip., who saw such ambitions as harmful to the faithful, and distractions to the urgent task of confronting the evils of heathenry within the Exatai. With factional politics increasingly dividing the Princes as the Patriarchs supported those in favour of their line over those who defended western expansion, ultimately in a bid to heal division between the Patriarchate and the State and rally all sides to a common cause, the Patriarch Talkephon became the first to implore the Redeemer to initiate a Kothari campaign into Helsia, for the righteous ends of eradicating the Helsian heresy and the taint of Aitahism from that land, and bring its people to the Church of Iralliam by book and sword.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Just a note 'Wolse' as a given name is almost unpronounceable for a Triluin- 'Huoluse' or 'Uolosei' would be much more likely.

 

[Jehoshua]

ooc: I literally picked the name from the starting application for the Trilui (in which a set of names was placed). As to the pronunciation, the pronunciation in my mind was "Uolsei" (ergo pronouncing the finial e, and most definitely not a monosyllabic word). If you want it to be conceived of as pronounced Uolosei (depending on dialect) in the vulgar tongue, that's fairly reasonable considering Faronun influences.

 

[North King]

Language has evolved from -1500 SR.

BTW, obviously I did not make the 48 hour turnaround happen this time. Expect it next weekend.

 

[Jehoshua]

Names being the parts of language most resistant to change. The name Julius is very little changed in over 2000 years (Iulius > Julius in English).

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Well, suit yourself.

 

[ChiefDesigner]

Names being the parts of language most resistant to change. The name Julius is very little changed in over 2000 years (Iulius > Julius in English).

...Iago -> James

 

[Perfectionist]

BTW, obviously I did not make the 48 hour turnaround happen this time. Expect it next weekend.

Would have been astonishing if you had. Honestly I'd be a little astonished if you managed it next weekend. Don't rush, certainly; I imagine I speak for all of us when I say I'd rather you gave the ET all the thought and care it deserves, instead of trying to get it the door to appease us impatient players.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Well, it's sort of like a modern English guy being named Hroðgar. Possible, but a wee bit unlikely. Still, if you like it you can keep it. Maybe his parents were part of an Old Triluin restorationist movement that was seeking to re-establish Trilui's ancient culture and norms.

 

[Jehoshua]

Well, it's sort of like a modern English guy being named Hroðgar. Possible, but a wee bit unlikely. Still, if you like it you can keep it. Maybe his parents were part of an Old Triluin restorationist movement that was seeking to re-establish Trilui's ancient culture and norms.

Much more apt would be if a modern Englishman was named Edmund or Edward... These names despite the change in spelling (Ēadmund > Edmund, Ēadweard > Edward) are pronounced almost the same way as their ancient usages. Hrothgar on the other hand is one of those names that became unpopular and fell by the wayside, much like Aethelred, or Gormul (a feminine Scottish gaelic name )

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Actually, Hroðgar is equivalent to Roger. My only point is that the name is archaic, but that really doesn't matter, because it could be justified IC.

 

[Jehoshua]

via the latinisation, which was then later put back in with the Normans In than out than in again via a foreign tongue. At any rate, its not merely relevant as you say.

 

[Thlayli]

I will be posting something from the Questions of Ashelas soon, which is probably one of the last major documents I need to reference.

In the meantime, the lyrics to this song really remind me of Eastern Aitahism.

 

[Jehoshua]

We affirm that all usury, that evil practice of charging interest on loans, is anathema to the faith and contrary to the divine teaching of the Prophet who proclaims that exalted is he who profits from the work of his own hands and is completely forbidden. For it is sinful that a man should charge both for the thing he provides, and its use.

We decree that for an investor in any effort to morally share in the profit of such an endeavour, that he must share the risk. He must jointly share in the enterprise undertaken. For to invest treasure in a cause and expect it to be returned regardless of the success of the venture is to make money simply by having money and not by taking any risk or by doing any work or by any effort or sacrifice at all. This is offensive to the teaching of the prophet.

We decree that it is licit for moneylenders, bankers and merchants to charge for actual services and work undertaken and any material required therein, that they may support themselves and their dependant associates.

We decree, that all who seek temples of the faith, and deposit their riches there that they may be secure from the unscrupulous, are entitled to letters of credit that they may at any other temple receive what is rightly theirs, and that temples are licitly permitted to require fees for the issuing of letters, and for the benefit of religion in accordance with the previous decree.

We decree, for the good of the Church and to ensure due keeping of records. That save for moneys used directly to pay for materials required in the service, that from all donation fees given to a temple in return for letters of credit 20% of moneys given is to be given as tithe to the exarchate responsible for oversight of said temple, 20% tithed to the local patriarch and 10% tithed to the Grand-Patriarchate. The remaining funds shall be entirely subject to the discretion of the governance of any given temple, to be used for the service of religion and for the maintenance of the temple estate.

We decree that any cleric or temple servant who in violation of these decrees commits the offence of usury, or allows the offence to be committed by those under his charge, or who steals from the temple in greed and vanity, or who in any way violates the trust of the faithful in these matters shall be subject to the discipline of the order of faith and punishment by the same.

~ Fifth Decree of the Patriarchal Synod of 665 SR.

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Note: In the era prior to the crises of the seventh century, the Church via its numerous temples was already the most significant moneylender in the cradle. Yet the destruction of cities and the subsequent impacts on trade and commerce, and the resulting debt war imposed on temporal sovereigns often imposed on the Church resulted in an expansion of the ecclesiastical role in the economy of the cradle. To address the prospect of financial malpractice by temple authorities, in the Patriarchal Synod of 665 SR in the reign of Grand Patriarch Gaci I, a decree was issued establishing the boundaries of legitimate financial practice and forbidding absolutely usury as offensive to the prophets teaching.

Said decree likewise established the financial tithe. This system redistributed some of the wealth financial involvement granted to individual temples to higher ecclesiastical authorities, providing much needed funds for the Church's exarchates and patriarchates for the service of religion, and for ongoing evangelisation efforts. It also served to ensure that some of the wealth accumulating in certain notable places could be redistributed to more needy parts of the Iralliamite Church.

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ooc: That song is very apt Thlayli.

 

[spryllino]

I am assuming that the Redeemer may well have joined the Independent Conclaves by this point.

 

[Jehoshua]

How decidedly Catholic of you.

Most religions look down on usury, the Vedas, Quran and the bible all condemn it as does the Buddha. Judaism prohibits it amongst jews, but allows it towards non-believers. Interest was often prohibited from ancient pagan Greece and Rome (Rome eventually allowed charging of interest with strict restrictions) all the way to China long before (and during and after, just look at muslim banking today) the Christian era. The usury prohibition is not something uniquely Catholic, much as its prohibitions on murder, sodomy, theft, and numerous other things aren't exclusively its. Either way, its just lazy of you (and others) to say "Catholic" whenever I do anything. I don't accuse thlayli of inserting Judaeo-christian sentiments into Ardavan with his nigh-mosaic prophet and promise of a future messiah to establish a righteous and pure heavenly Kingdom on (insert planet name here), or our Aitahists of going Hindu by having the Aitah descend in Avatar-like incarnations. If you observe worship and theology as well, its not very Christian at all (care for animal sacrifice on the new year?)

As to Iralliam and usury though, it was established before I picked up the institution, that merchants were (in a Confucian manner) looked down upon, although not totally condemned, with hard work being exalted as not only a blessed manner of living, but the most blessed manner of living. The logical consequence then is that usurious gaining of money, being profiting and becoming wealthy from no actual effort at all is anathema to the prophets teaching on hard work and could not be permitted (without crass hypocrisy). The urgency to address the matter would come from the fact the Church has a large role in the financial sector, as was mentioned at one point iirc (before or just when I started, not quite sure where) which would certainly put it in a bit of a pickle considering the general devastation of the decades long set of wars we had just prior to (and continuing into) the long turn (and subsequent mass debt to the Church and increased presence in the sphere).

 

[Luckymoose]

I'm saying your religion in EoE is pretty much Catholicism pretending to not be Catholicism.

 

[Angst]

On another note, are you aware I wrote a piece as an Iralliam prayer Jehoshua?

EDIT: The thread exploded as I typed this. I just wanted to share.

 

[Jehoshua]

@Luckymoose: , this forum really does need a birthday cat smilie. Either way, there is little point in trading accusations and insults unless one wants to turn the thread venomous so I will judiciously refrain.

@Angst: I probably read it I you posted it on the thread at some point, but if you care to link it to me It'd be good to read it.

 

[Angst]

Here it is, if you want to have a listen.