das
Regeneration In Process
Werhold, our capital city, has been built on top of a place called Sargotbak (or Sargotbek). Pretty self-explanatory, I think. 
Varica: In Haeka's Name
- Thread starter Fulton
- Start date
Is there anyone whose capital wasn't built on Sargothi ruins?
Not many. The Nimosans are an exception I believe. The Huroto capital isn't, although Cul's personal stronghold is. The Yumin, Sunta, and Gamar capitals aren't. The old Snerkitta capital and Varica are, as is the Varican city of Juki.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: Agreed, the capital of Validira, Telius, is also built on Sargothi ruins. Our other city is not.
Fuschia
A Little Odd
OOC: Ernica is not built on any ruins, mostly because they're considered sacred by the strong ancestor worship overtones to the normal Haecomus religion in the area.
das
Regeneration In Process
Well, the Sargothi ruins are a pretty obvious place for a city to arise. The Sargothi probably were not too bad at city placement planning; furthermore, those ruins were and are the best source of various raw materials. I think that the assorted tribes gravitated towards those places both because they made for a good defensive position and because Hroth's empire and its vassals had always been oriented towards warfare and so would have many urgent uses for metal - so as urban civilisation would evolve, it would make sense for it to be near the ruins, as that's where the craftsmen and the merchants and with them the warrior nobles as well would logically congregate. Henri Pirenne would approve, in any case.
The Strategos
Thanatos
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2002
- Messages
- 1,175
And it came to pass in those days that the Empire of Varica, which Hroth through many great and glorious deeds had established, laid rent asunder. For each king was better than another in his own eyes, and as snarling wolves, they fought over Varica, not recognizing that Haeka had already chosen Hroth IV to sit on Varicas throne. For just as clouds hide Haekas face from men, so too did Haeka hide the glory of Hroth IV until the cup of the wrath of Haeka had been drained to its dregs.
Now there arose at this time a witch among the Kaldar. The Kaldar were vassals of Werhold, which in former times had been called The Emperors Right Arm. For eleven tribes paid tribute to Werhold and Werhold bended its knee to no one but the Emperor. Seeing then the great power of Werhold, and how its king had honor second to none but the one who sat on Hroths throne, the Witch decided that she would use her arts to seduce the Haecadem, King of Werhold. And so she made contracts with demons, giving them her blood to drink, and the lives of her servants. And some say that she even made Asmodai, who can call upon seventy-two warbands of demons, her lover. And these demons taught her the art of potion making, and divining the future from the life-blood of infants, and all manners of curses. And with these she ensnared Haecadem, King of Werhold, and became his wife.
But after the Empress died in Varica, the Witch cast her envious eyes about, and everything she saw, she desired. And she put an enchantment upon King Haecadem, and his mind became as a fog, and he could think of nothing but warfare. For at night, as he slept, his wife, the Witch invited all manner of demons into their bridal chamber, and they did nothing but speak of slaughters and wars, and all manner of things that should not be named in the ears of the slumbering king. And the King arose, and cast about him, and he marched too and fro across the land, for because of the Witchs sorcery, he could not look upon any living thing but he had the desire to kill it. And thus he warred against many tribes, and many kings, and even his own vassals!
And it came to pass, that he turned his eyes northward, to where the tribe of Hrafn dwelled. Now the Hrafn marched always with the Emperors of Varica, since the time of Hroth. And they established themselves in the northern reaches, after slaughtering the Fulanti who were there before them, and they defended the northern lands of Varica. And thus they were known as the Empires Shield, for from the time of Hroth to the present no enemy had been able to invade from the north, but the Hrafn had defeated them. And during the time of Haecadems father, King Cuphric, when he raided the northern lands, the Hrafn marched with him. And it is at that time it is reported that Cuphric exclaimed If I had but one vassal of Hrafns strength, I could rule the world.
Now when the Witch heard of these words that her Father-in-law had once said, she longed to make the Hrafns warriors hers. And so she cast a spell on the men of Werhold, and they marched north. And Werholds hosts covered the land like a plague of locust, and marched against Hrafn, and prevailed against them, for the majority of Hrafns warriors were still north, guarding the borders as they had done since the time of Hroth. Among those who fell was Lagr, the son of Burrulfr, a prince of Hrafn. And the Hrafn were shut up in the city of Assfell as a bird is shut up in a cage. But then the King of Eir, whose daughter Hlaeja was married to Burrulfr, King of the Hrafn, marched against Werhold. And Haecadem found himself caught between the fierce Hrafn on one side and the host of Eir on the other. And he withdrew.
But Eir did not follow them, for their King desired, not the lands of the Werhold, but the very Throne of Varica. For he had saved Hrafn, not for his daughters sake, who was married to the King of Hrafn, but because he too coveted their warriors, and wished them to march under him against the capital. But Burrulfr refused, for in the long history of the Hrafn, never had they marched except by the Emperors orders. But the King of Eir claimed to order Hrafn as the Emperor of Varica, for Hrafn had not yet acknowledged any Emperor at Varica. And he reminded Hrafn of the blood debt they owed him, for he saved them from the Werhold. And so Burrulfr agreed to march upon Varica under the King of Eir, for the Hrafn never take a debt, but they repay it sevenfold.
And the hosts of Eir marched south, along with the mighty men of Hrafn, among whom were numbered Burrulfr the King and three of his remaining sons, Hestr, who commanded the Raeka in battle, Tveir, who stood amongst the archers, and Adalbrandr. Now though Adalbrandr was but two years old, he marched with the army, for it is the custom of the Hrafn that the line of the King marches with the army, even from the womb. And for five years they fought against tribe and king, until they reached the immortal walls of Varica. But listen, for this is how the Hrafn repay their blood debt! Of the Kings own loins, Hestr and Tveir were both slain. For the Hrafn, among all the host which marched with the Eir, were the greatest warriors, and there was not one battle that the Hrafn did not lead the charge.
And it came to pass, outside the walls of Varica that the King of Eir held a great feast, and all his commanders came to it. Then Burrulfr, son of Blarhar, King of Hrafn, drank from the cup that was given to him. But behold, the cup was poisoned! And Burrulfr became grievously ill, and blood flowed from his mouth like a river, and day and night he cried out with a loud voice. Then on the third day he died. Thus is the fate of all who lift their hand against Haekas anointed.
But Haeka had mercy upon the Hrafn, for they were people that he himself created, when he turned ravens into warriors for Hroth. And so it was that Haeka sent a spirit of divisiveness upon the vassals of the Hrafn, and they turned their hands against their lord. Now Haeka did this for he had already seen that the King of Eir would be slaughtered, and his men with him, and none would escape. Therefore, wishing to preserve the Hrafn, he had their vassals rebel against them, so that they would return north, and not be numbered among the hosts of Eir. And it came to pass just as Haeka saw, for the King of Eir was defeated before the walls of Varica, and fled north. But the King of Werhold, seeing his enemy pass by, ambushed him, together with his entire army, and he slaughtered them until the river ran red with blood. Thus the King of Werhold was avenged for the loss he suffered before the gates of Assfell.
But Werhold did not escape Haekas justice. For how could a nation prosper that was controlled by a witch, one who consorted with demons? So it was that Haeka stirred the heart of Haecadem, King of Werhold, to march against Varica. Haeka did this knowing that he would be defeated by His anointed, and so Werhold would be judged for their sins. And it came to pass, as Werhold advanced against Varica, Haecadem became cut off from his army. And he fell into the hands of Hroth IV, Emperor of Varica by the Will of Haeka. But Hroth IV had mercy upon Werhold, for the sake of the deeds of its fathers, who were loyal unto the throne. And Haecadem repented of his sin in raising his hand against the rightful Emperor, and he was pardoned, he and his men. So Haecadem returned to Werhold.
But farther north, Adalbrandr had assumed the throne of the Hrafn. For when he returned, some wanted Adalbrandrs uncle, the former kings brother, Villieldr to assume the throne. Now Villieldr was a priest of Haeka. But Villieldr refused. For Haeka had granted unto Villieldr, his servant the gift of prophecy and had revealed to Villieldr that he had appointed Adalbrandr to do great things in His name. So Adalbrandr was crowned King of Hrafn by the hand of Villieldr, the priest of Haeka. Now when Adalbrandr was crowned King of Hrafn he was seven and the civil war had been raging for ten years.
Now at this time, Sterkveggr and Gullholt, vassals of Hrafn rebelled, forgetting the oaths that they swore to his father. But the smallest of all of Hrafns vassals was Gnott, and they remembered their oath, for they feared Haeka, who punishes all oath-breakers. And so Hrafn, together with Gnott went out to meet the rebels in battle. And when they saw Hrafns warriors drawn up, and that Adalbrandr was leading them, the warriors of Sterkveggr and Gullholt jeered saying, Wipe away your mothers milk from your mouth before you fight us! And when Adalbrandr stepped forth from his army as was his duty as sovereign, and challenged the leaders of the rebellion to single combat, they jeered all the more. For Adalbrandr carried with him the sword of his fathers, Raven-Feeder. And they cried out How can you kill us when you cant even lift your sword? and Is the sword talking to us, or is there a baby hiding behind the sword? and other words like that.
But little did they know that Haeka chooses not those who find favor in neither the sight of men, nor the strongest, nor the wisest, but those who please him. And the one He chooses, he strengthens, and the one He strengthens, he grants the victory. And so it was that the hosts of Hrafn rose up, and smote the rebels from the rising of the sun to its setting. But behold, so great were the tribes of Sterkveggr and Gullholt that for six years Adalbrandr smote them, and still they were not destroyed. But finally they came to their senses, and remembered their oaths that they had sworn, and bent their knee to their rightful king.
And at this time, Adalbrandr remembered his own obligation as King of Varica, and remembered the oaths that he owed to the Emperor. And Hroth IV still sat on its throne, though many still opposed him. And Adalbrandr feared in his heart, and his knees quaked, for Hrafn had not acknowledged its rightful lord, nor remembered its oaths of loyalty since Hrothiya had died. And he went to Villieldr, the priest of Haeka, and asked if the God would forgive him. And Haeka had mercy upon Adalbrandr, and upon Hrafn, and forgave him, saying Go, give your oaths to Hroth IV, my Chosen One, and fear not, for I am with thee.
And so Adalbrandr sent a messenger to Hroth IV, with many gifts, and swore the oath of his fathers, which the men of Hrafn had always sworn to Hroths line. And Haeka softened the heart of Hroth IV, and he greeted him not as a vassal, but as a wayward son who now returned home.
But of the rest, do not bards even now sing of them? Do they not sing of the Witch, who was punished by Haeka and by man once her sins had been fulfilled? Do they not sing of Adalbrandr, and the mighty deeds he performed in fulfilling his oath of loyalty he gave to the Emperor? Do they not sing of Thanes and Kings and Mighty Men? But if thou wish to learn more of these things, seek them out, for they know better of them than I.
Now there arose at this time a witch among the Kaldar. The Kaldar were vassals of Werhold, which in former times had been called The Emperors Right Arm. For eleven tribes paid tribute to Werhold and Werhold bended its knee to no one but the Emperor. Seeing then the great power of Werhold, and how its king had honor second to none but the one who sat on Hroths throne, the Witch decided that she would use her arts to seduce the Haecadem, King of Werhold. And so she made contracts with demons, giving them her blood to drink, and the lives of her servants. And some say that she even made Asmodai, who can call upon seventy-two warbands of demons, her lover. And these demons taught her the art of potion making, and divining the future from the life-blood of infants, and all manners of curses. And with these she ensnared Haecadem, King of Werhold, and became his wife.
But after the Empress died in Varica, the Witch cast her envious eyes about, and everything she saw, she desired. And she put an enchantment upon King Haecadem, and his mind became as a fog, and he could think of nothing but warfare. For at night, as he slept, his wife, the Witch invited all manner of demons into their bridal chamber, and they did nothing but speak of slaughters and wars, and all manner of things that should not be named in the ears of the slumbering king. And the King arose, and cast about him, and he marched too and fro across the land, for because of the Witchs sorcery, he could not look upon any living thing but he had the desire to kill it. And thus he warred against many tribes, and many kings, and even his own vassals!
And it came to pass, that he turned his eyes northward, to where the tribe of Hrafn dwelled. Now the Hrafn marched always with the Emperors of Varica, since the time of Hroth. And they established themselves in the northern reaches, after slaughtering the Fulanti who were there before them, and they defended the northern lands of Varica. And thus they were known as the Empires Shield, for from the time of Hroth to the present no enemy had been able to invade from the north, but the Hrafn had defeated them. And during the time of Haecadems father, King Cuphric, when he raided the northern lands, the Hrafn marched with him. And it is at that time it is reported that Cuphric exclaimed If I had but one vassal of Hrafns strength, I could rule the world.
Now when the Witch heard of these words that her Father-in-law had once said, she longed to make the Hrafns warriors hers. And so she cast a spell on the men of Werhold, and they marched north. And Werholds hosts covered the land like a plague of locust, and marched against Hrafn, and prevailed against them, for the majority of Hrafns warriors were still north, guarding the borders as they had done since the time of Hroth. Among those who fell was Lagr, the son of Burrulfr, a prince of Hrafn. And the Hrafn were shut up in the city of Assfell as a bird is shut up in a cage. But then the King of Eir, whose daughter Hlaeja was married to Burrulfr, King of the Hrafn, marched against Werhold. And Haecadem found himself caught between the fierce Hrafn on one side and the host of Eir on the other. And he withdrew.
But Eir did not follow them, for their King desired, not the lands of the Werhold, but the very Throne of Varica. For he had saved Hrafn, not for his daughters sake, who was married to the King of Hrafn, but because he too coveted their warriors, and wished them to march under him against the capital. But Burrulfr refused, for in the long history of the Hrafn, never had they marched except by the Emperors orders. But the King of Eir claimed to order Hrafn as the Emperor of Varica, for Hrafn had not yet acknowledged any Emperor at Varica. And he reminded Hrafn of the blood debt they owed him, for he saved them from the Werhold. And so Burrulfr agreed to march upon Varica under the King of Eir, for the Hrafn never take a debt, but they repay it sevenfold.
And the hosts of Eir marched south, along with the mighty men of Hrafn, among whom were numbered Burrulfr the King and three of his remaining sons, Hestr, who commanded the Raeka in battle, Tveir, who stood amongst the archers, and Adalbrandr. Now though Adalbrandr was but two years old, he marched with the army, for it is the custom of the Hrafn that the line of the King marches with the army, even from the womb. And for five years they fought against tribe and king, until they reached the immortal walls of Varica. But listen, for this is how the Hrafn repay their blood debt! Of the Kings own loins, Hestr and Tveir were both slain. For the Hrafn, among all the host which marched with the Eir, were the greatest warriors, and there was not one battle that the Hrafn did not lead the charge.
And it came to pass, outside the walls of Varica that the King of Eir held a great feast, and all his commanders came to it. Then Burrulfr, son of Blarhar, King of Hrafn, drank from the cup that was given to him. But behold, the cup was poisoned! And Burrulfr became grievously ill, and blood flowed from his mouth like a river, and day and night he cried out with a loud voice. Then on the third day he died. Thus is the fate of all who lift their hand against Haekas anointed.
But Haeka had mercy upon the Hrafn, for they were people that he himself created, when he turned ravens into warriors for Hroth. And so it was that Haeka sent a spirit of divisiveness upon the vassals of the Hrafn, and they turned their hands against their lord. Now Haeka did this for he had already seen that the King of Eir would be slaughtered, and his men with him, and none would escape. Therefore, wishing to preserve the Hrafn, he had their vassals rebel against them, so that they would return north, and not be numbered among the hosts of Eir. And it came to pass just as Haeka saw, for the King of Eir was defeated before the walls of Varica, and fled north. But the King of Werhold, seeing his enemy pass by, ambushed him, together with his entire army, and he slaughtered them until the river ran red with blood. Thus the King of Werhold was avenged for the loss he suffered before the gates of Assfell.
But Werhold did not escape Haekas justice. For how could a nation prosper that was controlled by a witch, one who consorted with demons? So it was that Haeka stirred the heart of Haecadem, King of Werhold, to march against Varica. Haeka did this knowing that he would be defeated by His anointed, and so Werhold would be judged for their sins. And it came to pass, as Werhold advanced against Varica, Haecadem became cut off from his army. And he fell into the hands of Hroth IV, Emperor of Varica by the Will of Haeka. But Hroth IV had mercy upon Werhold, for the sake of the deeds of its fathers, who were loyal unto the throne. And Haecadem repented of his sin in raising his hand against the rightful Emperor, and he was pardoned, he and his men. So Haecadem returned to Werhold.
But farther north, Adalbrandr had assumed the throne of the Hrafn. For when he returned, some wanted Adalbrandrs uncle, the former kings brother, Villieldr to assume the throne. Now Villieldr was a priest of Haeka. But Villieldr refused. For Haeka had granted unto Villieldr, his servant the gift of prophecy and had revealed to Villieldr that he had appointed Adalbrandr to do great things in His name. So Adalbrandr was crowned King of Hrafn by the hand of Villieldr, the priest of Haeka. Now when Adalbrandr was crowned King of Hrafn he was seven and the civil war had been raging for ten years.
Now at this time, Sterkveggr and Gullholt, vassals of Hrafn rebelled, forgetting the oaths that they swore to his father. But the smallest of all of Hrafns vassals was Gnott, and they remembered their oath, for they feared Haeka, who punishes all oath-breakers. And so Hrafn, together with Gnott went out to meet the rebels in battle. And when they saw Hrafns warriors drawn up, and that Adalbrandr was leading them, the warriors of Sterkveggr and Gullholt jeered saying, Wipe away your mothers milk from your mouth before you fight us! And when Adalbrandr stepped forth from his army as was his duty as sovereign, and challenged the leaders of the rebellion to single combat, they jeered all the more. For Adalbrandr carried with him the sword of his fathers, Raven-Feeder. And they cried out How can you kill us when you cant even lift your sword? and Is the sword talking to us, or is there a baby hiding behind the sword? and other words like that.
But little did they know that Haeka chooses not those who find favor in neither the sight of men, nor the strongest, nor the wisest, but those who please him. And the one He chooses, he strengthens, and the one He strengthens, he grants the victory. And so it was that the hosts of Hrafn rose up, and smote the rebels from the rising of the sun to its setting. But behold, so great were the tribes of Sterkveggr and Gullholt that for six years Adalbrandr smote them, and still they were not destroyed. But finally they came to their senses, and remembered their oaths that they had sworn, and bent their knee to their rightful king.
And at this time, Adalbrandr remembered his own obligation as King of Varica, and remembered the oaths that he owed to the Emperor. And Hroth IV still sat on its throne, though many still opposed him. And Adalbrandr feared in his heart, and his knees quaked, for Hrafn had not acknowledged its rightful lord, nor remembered its oaths of loyalty since Hrothiya had died. And he went to Villieldr, the priest of Haeka, and asked if the God would forgive him. And Haeka had mercy upon Adalbrandr, and upon Hrafn, and forgave him, saying Go, give your oaths to Hroth IV, my Chosen One, and fear not, for I am with thee.
And so Adalbrandr sent a messenger to Hroth IV, with many gifts, and swore the oath of his fathers, which the men of Hrafn had always sworn to Hroths line. And Haeka softened the heart of Hroth IV, and he greeted him not as a vassal, but as a wayward son who now returned home.
But of the rest, do not bards even now sing of them? Do they not sing of the Witch, who was punished by Haeka and by man once her sins had been fulfilled? Do they not sing of Adalbrandr, and the mighty deeds he performed in fulfilling his oath of loyalty he gave to the Emperor? Do they not sing of Thanes and Kings and Mighty Men? But if thou wish to learn more of these things, seek them out, for they know better of them than I.
Today, I officially begin processing the next update.
I find it appropriate the the last post in the thread for the last week has been Strategos' excellent history. It was the goal of this game to generate inspired writing. Where my 40k game found limited success in that respect, I think that Varica has seen the creation of some really brilliant fiction. Not just the content, but the form it has taken, has impressed me. Strategos' poems, das' chronicle, alex's delusional visions, are just a few examples. I mean, damn, I've yet to see a game out of many I've played or followed across half a dozen different forums that has inspired poetry of all things.
I look forward to creating the rest of the story with you. I don't see myself as modding a game here, I see it as working together with you to create a shared story.
By the way, a few people have pointed out similarities between Varica and the game King of Dragon Pass. I recently acquired a copy. I have to agree with you. On a smaller scale, that is pretty much the atmosphere I'm trying to create (though King of Dragon Pass is a little too high fantasy for my tastes).
This update is going to be a long process as I have to convert the stats to the new trade system. I will mod the other sections of the game first to ensure that we can get rolling more quickly.
I find it appropriate the the last post in the thread for the last week has been Strategos' excellent history. It was the goal of this game to generate inspired writing. Where my 40k game found limited success in that respect, I think that Varica has seen the creation of some really brilliant fiction. Not just the content, but the form it has taken, has impressed me. Strategos' poems, das' chronicle, alex's delusional visions, are just a few examples. I mean, damn, I've yet to see a game out of many I've played or followed across half a dozen different forums that has inspired poetry of all things.
I look forward to creating the rest of the story with you. I don't see myself as modding a game here, I see it as working together with you to create a shared story.
By the way, a few people have pointed out similarities between Varica and the game King of Dragon Pass. I recently acquired a copy. I have to agree with you. On a smaller scale, that is pretty much the atmosphere I'm trying to create (though King of Dragon Pass is a little too high fantasy for my tastes).
This update is going to be a long process as I have to convert the stats to the new trade system. I will mod the other sections of the game first to ensure that we can get rolling more quickly.
Vertinari118
Deity
I am impressed Fulton and look forward to this epic update. Hmm... to think this time I may just dethrone Hroth. That would be a Christmas present and a half!
das
Regeneration In Process
Well, that's wonderful news. I don't recall, Fulton, did I send any orders? And did those orders involve anything to do with the above?
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: I challenge that statement of "delusional visions"
No, you won't. You will fail and we will impale you.
No, you won't. You will fail and we will impale you.
das
Regeneration In Process
You know, all this rebel scum-slaying and north-conquering has whetted our appetite for blood. How about we all get together and massacre the Nakari and their demons until the sands turn red with blood?
Fuschia
A Little Odd
I'm off fighting a war with the Thunes, so I can't help. Sorry, people.
So far I have modded 4 out of 6 battles. That's it.
Granted, two of those battles are the biggest in this games history. Both involving over 6000 soldiers and, in one case, twelve factions. The two remaining battle mods are mercifully much, much shorter. One may not happen due to the results of other battle mods.
Yes das, you sent orders. And yes, some of these battle mods involve you.
Also, I'm working on a religion section to add to the background post. So far all I have left is Haecomus religion. Y'know, the biggest and most important bit...
Granted, two of those battles are the biggest in this games history. Both involving over 6000 soldiers and, in one case, twelve factions. The two remaining battle mods are mercifully much, much shorter. One may not happen due to the results of other battle mods.
Yes das, you sent orders. And yes, some of these battle mods involve you.
Also, I'm working on a religion section to add to the background post. So far all I have left is Haecomus religion. Y'know, the biggest and most important bit...
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: Fulton, is there any chance you could send me a copy of my last turn's orders? 
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: 
I hate double-posting like this, but how is it coming? 
I hate double-posting like this, but how is it coming?
The Strategos
Thanatos
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2002
- Messages
- 1,175
There are two ways: one of light and one of darkness; and the difference between the two ways is great.
The way of light is this: first, you should worship Haeka, who sustains you; secondly, worship Thea, who created you; thirdly Ptolos and Sara, who protected you. And also obey the ones Haeka placed over you, for just as the Sun rules over the day and the Moons rule over the night, so too does the ones over you rule you, for this is Haekas will.
Now the words of this teaching are this: Raise not your hand against your father, nor your mother, nor your brother, nor your sister. And the one who raises their hand against their lord raises their hand against their father, and mother, and brother, and sister. This is an abomination before Haeka! (But the one who raises their hand against him who curses Haeka, or His Annointed, sins not. For how can the same mouth swear by Haeka and curse him? It cannot be so. So if a mouth curses Haeka, then the oaths it swears, though they be before man and god, are nothing. Therefore let each one do what is right in their own eyes, let no one judge them.)
Keep the law the king has given to you. If anyone wrongs you, bring it before the one who judges you. For vengeance is not yours, but the one who rules over you. For is it not said, The one who raises their hand against the subject raises his hand against the king? Therefore, it is not you who were wronged, but your king, let him render judgment. But the one who loses honor shall gain honor back sevenfold, and the one who is wronged shall be avenged sevenfold.
Give to everyone asking you and do not refuse, for Haeka desires to give to everyone from His own gifts. And if a stranger approaches you, give him hospitality, do not withhold the fruits of your labor from them. But the stranger shall not dwell among you more than one day, and if he has a need also another, but if he remains three days, let you do what is right in your own eyes, let none judge you. But if it be one related to you, or one to whom you owe a debt or an oath, let them stay as long as they wish. But if they are able, let them work for their food.
And this is the second commandment of the teaching: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt children; nor practice sexual deviation; you shall not steal; nor practice calling on demons; nor use forbidden sorcery, of which it is not even permitted to speak, you shall not procure an abortion, nor practice infanticide; you shall not covet your neighbors goods.
You shall not accuse someone falsely; you shall not speak evil nor hold a grudge. You shall not be double minded nor double tongued, for the double tongue is the snare of death. Your word shall not be false or empty, but do what you say.
You shall not be covetous or extortionate, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud. You shall not plan evil against your neighbor. This is the Way of Light.
But the Way of Darkness is this: first of all, it is evil and full of curses, lusts, adulteries, murders, thefts, witchcrafts, sorceries which come from demons, robberies, false witnesses, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, fraud, arrogance, boastfulness, jealousies, foul speech, pride, not holding to the good or to the righteous judgment, ignoring the words of the priests of Haeka and the words of His servants, your rulers, haters of truth, lovers of a lie, spending sleepless nights not for good, but for wickedness; far from whom is gentleness and patience, child murderers, turning away the stranger, worship of those whom it is not permitted, stretching out the hand of friendship to demons and those who consort with the same, altogether sinful. May you be delivered, my children, from all of these things!
See that no one misleads you from the pathway of this teaching, since it would be contrary to Haekas will. Do what you are able. But above all, obey the words of the Priests and those who have authority over you. And the light of Haeka will shine on you for now and evermore.
The way of light is this: first, you should worship Haeka, who sustains you; secondly, worship Thea, who created you; thirdly Ptolos and Sara, who protected you. And also obey the ones Haeka placed over you, for just as the Sun rules over the day and the Moons rule over the night, so too does the ones over you rule you, for this is Haekas will.
Now the words of this teaching are this: Raise not your hand against your father, nor your mother, nor your brother, nor your sister. And the one who raises their hand against their lord raises their hand against their father, and mother, and brother, and sister. This is an abomination before Haeka! (But the one who raises their hand against him who curses Haeka, or His Annointed, sins not. For how can the same mouth swear by Haeka and curse him? It cannot be so. So if a mouth curses Haeka, then the oaths it swears, though they be before man and god, are nothing. Therefore let each one do what is right in their own eyes, let no one judge them.)
Keep the law the king has given to you. If anyone wrongs you, bring it before the one who judges you. For vengeance is not yours, but the one who rules over you. For is it not said, The one who raises their hand against the subject raises his hand against the king? Therefore, it is not you who were wronged, but your king, let him render judgment. But the one who loses honor shall gain honor back sevenfold, and the one who is wronged shall be avenged sevenfold.
Give to everyone asking you and do not refuse, for Haeka desires to give to everyone from His own gifts. And if a stranger approaches you, give him hospitality, do not withhold the fruits of your labor from them. But the stranger shall not dwell among you more than one day, and if he has a need also another, but if he remains three days, let you do what is right in your own eyes, let none judge you. But if it be one related to you, or one to whom you owe a debt or an oath, let them stay as long as they wish. But if they are able, let them work for their food.
And this is the second commandment of the teaching: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt children; nor practice sexual deviation; you shall not steal; nor practice calling on demons; nor use forbidden sorcery, of which it is not even permitted to speak, you shall not procure an abortion, nor practice infanticide; you shall not covet your neighbors goods.
You shall not accuse someone falsely; you shall not speak evil nor hold a grudge. You shall not be double minded nor double tongued, for the double tongue is the snare of death. Your word shall not be false or empty, but do what you say.
You shall not be covetous or extortionate, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud. You shall not plan evil against your neighbor. This is the Way of Light.
But the Way of Darkness is this: first of all, it is evil and full of curses, lusts, adulteries, murders, thefts, witchcrafts, sorceries which come from demons, robberies, false witnesses, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, fraud, arrogance, boastfulness, jealousies, foul speech, pride, not holding to the good or to the righteous judgment, ignoring the words of the priests of Haeka and the words of His servants, your rulers, haters of truth, lovers of a lie, spending sleepless nights not for good, but for wickedness; far from whom is gentleness and patience, child murderers, turning away the stranger, worship of those whom it is not permitted, stretching out the hand of friendship to demons and those who consort with the same, altogether sinful. May you be delivered, my children, from all of these things!
See that no one misleads you from the pathway of this teaching, since it would be contrary to Haekas will. Do what you are able. But above all, obey the words of the Priests and those who have authority over you. And the light of Haeka will shine on you for now and evermore.
