Part Two of Worship in the Empire

(Note: Apologies for the vanishing apostraphes, they'll show up in the website version!)

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From Mestanir to Jantalar stretches a devout band of faith for the God King Koar. While all in view of the Everwatch Tower provide the strongest support of the Church outside of Tamzyrr, the forces of Jantalar have done much to spread faith. It is not to say that the Jantalarian expansion was without controversy. Rumors have spread that the Prelate of Jantalar, who had accompanied the Baron Hochstibb in his conquests, had turned to darker arts to assist the baron. Needless to say, it was Koar’s hand, or fist rather, which played a role in the defeat of that province’s forces in Mestanir. Koar’s Fist has since been restored to its position of prominence in that city. Of Koar’s Crown, located not far from Everwatch Tower, the Jantalarian occupation did not affect it. Pilgrims continue to flock to its base, to walk its circumference three times, and to light prayer lanterns that float away into the night.

In the far northwest, the so-called Griffin Sword Wars have led the majority of the populace to condemn any worship of the four gods, Luukos, Ronan, V’tull, and Mularos. For it was their followers who raised armies that scoured the countryside and brought about much death and destruction. Vornavis, in particular, offers no quarter to their worshippers and the baronial guard is active in seeking out and destroying any formation of such sects. It has been a repeated problem that Lornon worshppers are suffered in the district of Solhaven. The district’s lack of regulation has left it a mess in the disapproving eyes of the Empire, and particularly in the eyes of the Church of Koar. Such was the necessity of Vornavis to earn favor with our Church for the failures of the district that its lord of oversight, one certain Paidreg, had to decree the clearing of unused swathes of property out so the Fane of the God-King could be built.

Nay, perhaps the city most lenient to Lornon is that of Nydds. An incorrigible place, where the followers of such dark gods are allowed to participate in the so-called marketplace of faith. As such, it creates a certain friction with the followers of Koar’s son, Voln, when those who submit to Luukos are given allowance to recruit. For Lumnis, Nydds possesses one of the greatest temples in all of Elanthia.

It is called The Rings, and it is something of a mixture of hanging garden and library. It is a strange structure, built of four wide towers about one taller tower. Through clever engineering, streams of water are guided along the exterior walls, convenient to eradicate any danger of fire, as well cast over the sides in splendid waterfalls. The gardens, meanwhile, true to Nydds’ reputation as the city of flowers, are planted with such flora as to blossom in colors corresponding to the sphere of knowledge of which the library within reflects. When the central tower is in full white blossom, it appears to float upon a cloud of white held up by arcs of falling water.

Such open permission pales only to the views of some in the province of Bourth, which has suffered the influence of sylvan thought upon religious matters. There are some who risk blasphemy to proclaim that neither the gods of Liabo or Lornon are divine, but merely powerful beings. That sentiment has managed to infect some within the city of Nydds, as well. But for the protection given that city for the freedom of knowledge, the Church of Koar would have long ago prosecuted and brought such foolish thought to an end.

Thus ends this survey, by no means complete, of the worship practices of the Empire. Praise be to the God King Koar and his Church.


An Addendum on the Matters of Death

While the question of death and funeral rites would seem a simple answer, this survey discovered that there existed some differences in the funeral rites amongst the provinces. First, let us touch upon what awaits us all beyond the Ebon Gate. Beyond the charge of Lorminstra there lies a land of perpetual night and winter. It is a place of cold, for there is no warmth in death, not least for those who have sworn their souls or sought the services of Lornon. These are fallow fields and barren deserts that are shone upon by the light of Koargard. Those who are cursed to wander these forsaken lands must toil always under the light offered by the God King to guide those who worshiped him accordingly.

For those who did not bend knee to the Dark Ones, the light they may follow and make way from the frozen lands to the bridges over the river that encircles the realm of Koargard. For the kingdom of the God King extends over the living and over the dead and the lands of each. It exists simultaneously here and there, but for the bravest and worthiest heroes, can only be reached by passage through the Ebon Gate. The dead must then follow Koar’s Light to the Bridge Over the River and then, and only then, may they enter these lands so long as they have the coin to pay for such crossing. Those of royal blood need not offer payment for they, by their station and birth, have already been proven worthy of entry by the Gods.

In this land of Koar’s Light, before the peak of Koargard, are all the realms of Elanthia. There is food aplenty and many starred skies. There are homes and grassy fields, and along the slopes of Koargard, itself, are palaces for the Emperors and the Empresses who have led our land. Chosen by Koar himself, they are next to Gods, and such are offered the favored status of dwelling at their sides.

For to dwell in these lands beneath Koar’s Light, it is important to arrive with what is needed, and this is done at the time of death. What one is given at death, one can take with them. However, it was once believed that to avoid the burdens of such gifts in the life beyond the Ebon Gate these things must be reduced to air by flame. Great were the funeral pyres of the Emperors and Empresses that burned like mountains of fire which transported they and those befitting luxuries to the Ebon Gate, and then to the Bridge Across the River.

This is no longer the practice. Today, instead, after such investigation and answer from the Gods, it was learned that so long as the dead are buried with those things necessary, they are rewarded with the same in the lands beneath Koar’s Light. Instead of pyres, there are now mausoleums that are built in the city beyond the walls of Tamzyrr, reserved only for the dead. Those of lesser fortune may subsist with lesser tombs, or if such paucity of fortune be with the dead, silver coins in an unmarked grave will do. By this means, every marching soldier of the Empire is gifted with two silver pieces to keep close and protected in case of death in service.

The old ways are still followed in the fringes of the Empire, particularly in those of great forests and mountains. Some by the sea believe that Charl’s Daughter will usher the dead to the safety of the Ebon Gate and ceremonially deposit the deceased into the waves far from shore. For those who must journey through the winter lands, they may be at risk of those cursed and such should either be given some form of weaponry to carry with them as they follow the Koar’s Light, or a protective totem blessed by the clerics of the Light.

By this means does the Empire follow the ways of funeral.

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Happy New Years!


GM Scribes, long and lost.

Huh. This was really scary when I read the heading - thought it would mean a visit to the Retconjurers. Turns out, the Church is pretty much what we sorta thought. I like it.

That said, who thinks the Koarites are going to be forced to become evangelical:

Speaking forcefully to Raelee, Godefroy proclaims "You're going to hell!"


Godefroy's Player
(Back in the saddle)

This seems more Greek to me; the old style seemed more Norse.

Godefroy

>Speaking forcefully to Raelee, Godefroy proclaims "You're going to hell!"

Yeah yeah yeah..

Seriously though. Great read. It does give me a few things to think about.


Signed,
Raelee and her Strings

>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."

It feels, to me, like all of Elanthian Religion feels, a hodgpodge of several. I liked it, and I really like the Human Opine that Koar chooses who leads, and reserves for them a place in Asg.. Koargaurd.

I think our interpretation of life/death in Elanthia is somewhat skewered, but yes, I think SIWAS makes a good observation of afterlife. I was pretty comfortable reading that beyond the Gates a cold wandering abyssmal place.. one we would wish to avoid thru honor, or bequest of Lorminstra... then came the Church's revelation of The Bridge.

Eh, religion is what it is, and we don't live in the capital and for good reason we don't have access to the extremist positions. These are the beliefs of those who follow the Church of Koar, they do not have to influence -your characters'- opinion of Koar Worship, and provide just enough leeway to escape by saying that the further removed from the capital one becomes, the less influence the church presents. You can't get any further away on the mainland than we are in The Landing, so I don't think these observations will interfere with Koar blessing you.

I smiled when I read that even if you require the services of a Lornon Arkati... go ask Koar anyway, he will command them to do it. Heh that's great stuff right there.

and all the rest. Make books put them in all the librarys!

Very nice read. Imperials are afraid of Gosanea ;)


~ Voices

If one is pressed to describe the Warren, one can only call it something wonderful and free; reflecting the spirit of its inhabitants.~Casler

Awesome read, by the way, Scribes, thanks so much!

-Eli behind Mohrgan

Ronan should be Sheru.


I'll addressed Gosaena on Monday morning when I've more time!


GM Scribes

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your patience. We all know, after all, that Human religious beliefs of the Turamzzyrian Empire are always cause for riot. ;)

Now to address the following:

<<Has Gosaena really been so marginalized in the Empire that the idea of Oblivion being past the Gate isn't even mentioned?

Gosaena has not been marginalized, so much as someone said below, she is greatly feared. Humans, by my regard, are the most literal and fervent of religious worshippers in Elanthia. They view the Arkati as Gods, not just Patrons, etc. Now if the Gods, themselves, fear or at least don't talk to or interact with Gosaena, is she one that a measely human would speak or refer to? If you're all powerful is sending you an example, you better follow it.

Likewise, if you recall the documentation on Gosaena:

"When the bridge between life and death is crossed for the final time, and a soul is allowed through the Ebon Gates, Gosaena is there waiting on the other side."

The Turamzzyrians incorporated the idea of a bridge, quite literally!

I can't imagine, at least for the Humans, that Gosaena stands like some great sentinel beside a giant gate ushering in the dead with a broom for all eternity. She is not forgotten, but she exists like an element of nature, like air or water, and unseen and undescribed by the fearful mortals who inhabit the western side of the continent. You can't sail without water, nor can the world of the dead exist without Gosaena.

As per Oblivion, I wouldn't say there's any indication that once you die in Elanthia, that's it. From the documentation, we just know that once you literally cross through the Ebon Gate, there's no coming back to life. However, we do know, that souls or something still exist, as they can cross back into our world on at least one special night.

<<Why, exactly, would anyone in the Empire have any care or concern about the idea of mortal rebirth through Lorminstra when there's a Happy Land of Light and Plenty and Puppies waiting past the Ebon Gate?

We have to remember that for a majority of the inhabitants of the Empire, deeds and resurrection are a lot more rare than for your average adventurer. More so, the Church of Koar promotes a theology that actively works to guide adherence if not to itself, than toward its general sentiments. With that said, the belief offered here is the official one through a member of the Church of Koar. That doesn't mean that a version of it, similiar but not the same, doesn't exist for other humans who have rejected everything there is to the Church of Koar. What is being offered is a main stream belief, but the details, from life beneath or on Koargard to passage over the Bridge, may differ the further away you get from the influence of the Church of Koar. There may not be puppies and plenty on the otherside of the bridge. It may be just a little better than the cold and desolate lands which the "cursed" are doomed to roam.

Ultimately, one of the great handicaps, in my opinion, has been the lack of anything addressing the afterlife in Elanthia. There is no primer to "What is beyond the Ebon Gate" other than we know that souls or something like them exist there. For the half-krolvin, they do believe that once you die, that's it. There's absolutely nothing, because you cease to exist. In fact, your soul is destroyed. For humans, this is what they generally think, with consideration to what I've typed above. For elves? Who knows. It may be that no one yet knows for sure what happens, but this is at least what the humans of the Turamzzyrian Empire believe.



GM Scribes


GM Scribes