LINESII- Into the Darkness

[Lord_Iggy]

Aawwwww.

 

[erez87]

Hey, don't rush your orders. I didn't say I would update immediately. Or did I?

Anyway, don't rush it. And erez, I said I'd give you double expansion this turn.

I don't realy care much about expansion, only reason I expanded last turn was for resources (mountains and.. well people near the two barbarians tribes lol).. I'm not an expesionist peope, they all live in 1 city anyway... so double bubble expansion doesn't help me in any way :-\

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Transcript from a lecture series on Ancient History and Religion
Lecture 12: Eldism and the Eldranian Fanatics

"...Eldism had much in common with the Veritasian Church of the One. Both shared the belief that the universe was created from the void by one omnipotent god, who also created humanity to inherit it. Both agreed that this God had chosen a particular group of people, which happened to be themselves, for special favor...

This similarity indicates Veritas and Eldrania descended from the same original group or tribe. As the Veritasians seem to have been exiled from the north, this indicates that the Eldranain religous heritage is older and purer. An interesting theory has been proposed: as the Church of the One speaks of a division of peoples, perhaps a still-united tribe came to the valley where Eldrania developed. There, the religion was standardized with the belief that this group was God's chosen, but some kind of division occured, and the proto-Veritasians left or were exiled, changing their mythology to incorporate the exodus mythos. As was common among early peoples, these exiles were ostracized, and their very memory was forgotten by the proto-Eldranians, who, divorced of the memory of other peoples, would naturally have concluded that they were the only ones...

Be that as it may, Eldism persisted in the belief that Eldrania was not only the chosen of Eldos, but the only people. In ancient scriptures that have been recovered on archaeological digs, they refer to themselves as God's People, the Holy Nation, the Chosen People, the Beloved of Eldos, the One Nation...
So pervasive and all-consuming was this belief, fanned to a fever pitch by the theocracy under the Eldans, or high priests, that it could survive even an encounter with reality.

When they first met the Dula-Hathran, rather than taking the logical step and concluding that they were related, the Eldan, for some reason we shall never know, told of a "vision from Eldos" revealing that these creatures were not human, but demons of the Void, all of whom must be destroyed for Eldrania to complete its goal of inheriting the Earth.

The Void itself has a strange role in Eldism. Although the earliest scriptures simply portray it as the background to life, opposed to it but not evil in itself, by c.180 in the Veritasian calender when the Crusade started, it had become sentient and godlike, actively plotting to overthrow the creations of Eldos. This served an important purpose: it provided a reason for the existence of the Chosen People. They now had something to fight--and fight they did, as we'll find out next lecture when we begin the Eldranian Crusade."

Next up: the first part of the Eldranian Crusade, up to the destruction of Dula-Hathran.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Nice story jalapeno!

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Thank you!

Now work on that update!

 

[Disenfrancised]

Orders coming sometime tonight.

 

[Thlayli]

If Veritas knew anything about Eldrania, most of the Assemblum would probably hate them with a passion. Probably for their chaotic ideology.

In about a millennia when we're all settled down and non-barbaric, they'll probably be interested in an alliance.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Eldrania or you? 'Cause Eldrania shows NO signs of calming down.

 

[Thlayli]

True, but neither did those barbaric Gauls, and look at them today.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Yes, but the Gauls weren't religious fanatics. And if you refer to modern France, it's mostly Germanic in ancestry.

 

[Silver Steak]

Oh, I forgot to say: GWS Iggy.

 

[TerrisH]

Lord Emrus first action upon the foundation of Emor, was to have the body of his brother Omrulus carried east, to the sea, where it was berried on a hill overlookign it. a small, but modest tomb was built on topo of him, consicting of a large stone block, upon which Omrulus's action in the war was chissled. eventually, a port city bearring Omrulus's name sprung up around the grave.

His Second Act was to to begin the construction of the House of One, a Massive, Three Story Church Dedicated to the "Church of One". Large Enough to hold a thosand Peopel, it was to serve as a monument to the victory Over the Zibon, and a place of Worship. Murals of various events of the "Church of One" were to be painted on it's walls, and some were to even be carved into it. One Entier wall was to be Dedicated to the victory Over the Zibon. to forever preserve it.

 

[Thlayli]

Uhm...Emrus killed Romulus.

 

[Silver Steak]

The Stone Circle of Ruby

The Stone Circle, founded by the old Priest Viski Lasi is a great monument and of utmost importance for Crystalism. Being the only holy site and formal place of worship, it is the geographic heart of the Church. It also acts as meeting point for the triannal congregations called Clovermoot. Here the Priests from all over the country gather to discuss all from missions to foreign lands to local issues. News and knowledge also travel from one corner of to the other, and helps the far off Priests to keep in touch with Yath.

The Stone Circle was built as an excuse to be lazy. After each divination ceremony, a stone was raised up as a sacrifice to the spirits, and as a gesture of thanks. After a while when Yath began to partly settle, finding rocks became a task of its own, and many had to "import" stones from rockier areas in order to perform divination ceremonies. Thus, Viski Lasi saw it fit to make a huge circle of standing stones to be done with the offerings once and for all. This proved immensely popular, and after a while, the circle also became a natural trading site with all the travellers and pilgrims. After a while, Ruby was not only the heart of Church business, but economic business as well.

The Circle is not much to look at, except from their shape. Resembling jagged teeth rising from the earth below, is symbolizes the inevitable death, and strikes terror in the people's hearts. Only Priests are allowed to enter, and the people are told that anyone else will be swallowed and eaten by the "mouth". Aside from this symbolic shape, they are also all hewn out from around The Cave where Vuori Lasi discovered The Red Lady. Thus, they all bear a few visible veins of reddish or purple crystals that all face inwards to the center of the circle.

On the vernal equinox and the summer and winter solstices, ceremonies are held here where red crystals given to the Father (High Priest, leader, pope) as heirlooms are presented. These are said to be carried out from The Cave by Vuori himself, and are relics of immense value. These ceremonies generally consist of coke, incense and diverse alcoholic beverages, with a spiritual dimension as well. These ceremonies are for Priests only, except for the summer solstice which is the Day of Love (ugh. CLICHÈ of DOOM! Midsummers Night, OK? I ought to make use of my creativity But The Red Lady is goddess of death and love, so I needed to implement it someplace anyway. )

Autumn equinox is the Day of Death, and is considered a good day to die. On this day, the doors to the Netherworld are thrown open, and dead souls are free to roam the living world again for the night. Many use this day to contemplate their lives and mourn over recently lost ones. It is also a day of bravery, facing problems and solving conflicts. Thus, many fight out duels or do perilious things on this day if they have to. Many old and sickly are also carried to the Stone Circles where they can be blessed and ceremoniously decapitated to free the soul that yearns for release. The victim must of course consent to it. It is considered a great blessing to die this way, for The Red Lady personally greets those who come to the Netherworld this day.

 

[Finmaster]

Have I send orders? I have no idea!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

You sent them, but they were rushed.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

 

[Lord_Iggy]

What? Oh, whatever, OK people, send in the orders. The nations that I don't have orders from yet are: Aney Tigot, Gargari, Kalmar, Nkondi, Veritas, Yath al'Shanaal and Zibon.

 

[MjM]

I send orders? I just want to be relocated this update...

 

[Silver Steak]

Hey, I've sent orders! I know I have!

EDIT: I've forwarded and sent them again.