Many winds have swept across the steppes of Gamorrea. Whether it be the cold, harsh winds that every winter bring a chill to the very bones of foreigners who set foot in this strange land, and to which the people have so long become accustomed to, or be it the warmer, summer winds that bring with them the ideas and trade of the civilized world. But there was one wind which rarely found its way to the plains and mountain peaks of Gamorrea, a wind which seemed to stop at Citadels border as an arrow against a wall of stone. This stone has since eroded to become as effective as a sandcastle in the beaches against the high tide. This new wind, was the wind of change.
Long had Gamorrea lived in its northern wasteland , taking pleasure in engaging its neighbors in unjustified armed conflict. The Gamorrean horse archers had become well known throughout the continent for their ferocity in battle, and its reputation as a tradition based culture was common knowledge. A civil war had been fought to preserve this tradition, to preserve the theocracy and stability that Gamorreans had so valued.
But things had changed. One could ask any peasant, ask any city dweller, about the state of affairs in Gamorrea. One would always receive the same answer. Things were changing. And in that answer, one could find a mixture of contempt and confusion, of anxiety and anticipation. In the south, there was not a town that wasnt inhabited by a New Eldist, or Elts [1] as they were pejoratively called. First they came in small groups, often plying their trade in the more skilled professions and specialties that many native Gamorreans had lacked the knowledge to imitate. Soon, however, many flocked to their religion, with what many in the northern areas and those in Zam Gamorre viewed as nothing more than mass heresy. As these Elts filled the southern cities, and gathered in the bustling trade center and economic capital of Gamorrea, Thula Pax, the Zam [2] could no longer ignore their benefits to Gamor [3] society. Universal religious freedom was enacted in 1640 for the first time in Gamor history, and this formal recognition of the Eltian minority would prove to be a turning point in Gamor development.
It would be this growing Elt minority which would put pressure on the Zam to consider allowing practicing Elts representation in the council. In its long history, the Gamor Zam had never admitted any but the most devout, most orthodox of Gooranists into its ranks. The Elts however, had other avenues of influence. As wealth drives any powerful, modern state, it was beginning to drive Gamor down its newfound path. And Eldists had more than enough wealth.
The Zam traditionally replaced its members as they died in a regional appointment process, but as the southern regions grew so populated with Elts it became increasingly difficult to find adequate candidates amongst the people to staff the Zam entirely. As such, in an unpopular move, the Zam began disproportionately representing the northern regions where Goorists were more than plentiful, and the Elts knew that their time had come.
The Elts may have had little political power, but they still possessed the power of money, and the people of the south grew discontent with this disenfranchisement. As talk of leaving Gamorrea and joining the citadel grew, the Zam began to act. Through what can only be described as luck, or perhaps a blessing from Goora herself, a new high priest had been elected in place of the old Dazra Karatu, and his name was Temuj Azgorra. [4]
Only 42 years old (one of the youngest in recorded Gamorrean history), Temuj was elected with the rhetoric of a pragmatic nationalist (and it is almost without doubt that many prominent Elts, and their money, played a significant role in his election). Recognizing the importance of the Elts on Gamorrean culture, and wanting to preserve the unity of the Gamorrean people and nation, he announced the council of Mursai. Inviting the religious leaders from all throughout Gamorrea, from Elts to Gooranists to Animists from the far north, Temuj began what can only be described as a gargantuan effort to keep his people united.
Records from the meeting are sketchy, as much that occurred has become that of legend, and the members were sworn to secrecy of all but the final results of the gathering. What is certain is that Temuj quickly locked the doors and forced all the participants to listen to a lengthy speech Temuj himself had written, a speech that at first was greeted with jeers and skepticism but soon captivated the participants. Perhaps it was the blaring heat of the Mursaian summer, maybe it was the oratory skills of Temuj himself, but the shock and realization of the potential factionalization of the Gamorrean nation, and the total eroding of its culture, quieted the various traditionalists into hours of intense concentration.
As soon as Temuj finished his speech, silence befell the hall for what would later be described as an eternity. Some claimed that behind Temuj the participants could see the sunlight reflecting off his skin in an almost holy light, a light which left no man untouched by the symbolism and enormity of the situation they now found themselves in. Soon, Temuj broke the silence with one word. Change.
The point of this meeting was finally becoming apparent, and the tired and overheated priests of Gamor (many of whom were nearing the later years of their life, and were actually in a very dangerous state) waited with bated breathe for what Temuj had to say.
All that is known after that point is that Temuj presented to the group a book of New Eldist faith, and some scripture of Goorist faith. Reading aloud excerpts from both faiths, especially those exemplifying the divinity of the one god Eldos and the Godess Goora. This made many within the building stir, and it is said that many Northern Gooranists began vocally decrying this as heresy, only to find themselves berated by the much more skilled, energized, and zealous Temuj to the point of emotional degredation, and few spoke again after the most opposed had themselves been humbled.
It had come the time for formal change. It soon became obvious that many Elts, and many of the more reform minded Gooranists, had come prepared. Almost immediately declaring themselves loyal to a new, syncretic faith, the reformists declared that the church adopt a new name for this faith and immediately adopt it as its state religion.
The opposition was surprisingly quiet. A combination of the heat, the verbal abuse by Temuj, and the sheer number of reformists within the group had limited the strongly opposed to a tiny, yet determined, dozen. They looked on with contempt as the doctrine of New Eldism was integrated with Gooranism, and Goora and Eldos were claimed to be the same and only God. The sex of this God was dismissed as non-important, and the people were quick to adopt a gender neutral article, with very holy connotations, Ket. Ket Gorrah [5], would be the name. Many tenets that had become antiquated, or were just lacked consensus, adopted the New Eldist ideals as a default. It became evident that those Gamorreans of New Eldist faith were also quick to adapt to their native culture, as the peace loving nature of the Citadels faith was downplayed in favor for a more nationalistic, self defense oriented philosophy. It also became apparent that the former quest for knowledge, while still there in name, had almost become a quest for wealth. Perhaps the influence of the Elt financiers, perhaps the result of the Gamoration of New Eldist philosophies.
Days would pass, but finally the tenets of the new faith were decided upon. All that was needed was a name. Legend says that one reformist jokingly suggested the name Gorrahnism, after Azgorra himself, and the name stuck. Azgorrah was initially reluctant to choose that name, as it seemed almost like idolatry, but his ego, and talk amongst the reformers that Temuj was in fact a prophet, dispelled his uneasiness. The meeting was dismissed and deemed a smashing success by Temuj, as all but a dozen religious leaders (including one councilor) left pleased and had adopted this new faith. However, the uneasiness had once again crept into Temujs mind. He knew that it would be no where as easy to convince the people at large to adopt this new syncretic faith, especially in the northern regions where dissenters and heretics were bound to gather. Only time would tell if the peasantry would take to this new faith, and Temuj was certain other reforms would be necessary to garnish their support. He was not going to stop with the faith of Gamorrea, but his ideas would shape the social and political futures of Gamorrea for centuries to come.
The winds of change had come to Gamorrea, and Temuj readied his sails for its impact.
[1] Elt literally meant coward in Gamorrean, due to the pacifism inherent in New Eldian ideas. This word no longer carries the negative connotation it once did, and many New Eldists refer to themselves as Elts.
[2] The Zam is the theocratic council of Gamorrea
[3] I got tired of writing Gamorrean a lot, so Gamor is now an appropriate adjective
[4] Temuj was a common male name among Gooranists, as was the surname Azgaorra, or lit. Bearer of Goora.
[5] ket Gorrah is just literally The One and Only God, Gorrah (another transliteration of Goora), and is accepted as another word for Eldos in the Gamor language.
OOC: Thats about as good as its gonna get from me, as I lack the skills to write character-centric stories. I'll just stick with this historical story deal (which I lack the diligence to proofread for tense and voice). Hopefully I'll only need to write a few more to keep up with you guys...
You declare war on me when 40,000 of my Swordsman are stationed in your territory right now, and 16,000 members of your warrior class are the sons of Swade Soldiers who immigrated after seeing their friends die on the fields their fathers did. 
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