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Religion of the Humans of Komadas
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Creation Myth
Before the dawn of existence, there was nothing, save for a pinpoint of light in the middle of a great black void. Over time — if indeed it can be called time at all… for without existence, there is no time — the speck of light grew until it became everything. When the light encompassed everything, and became all of existence, it became known as the dawn of existence. From this point, and over the next ten days, the light began to form objects, both tangible and ethereal, throughout the void. With each passing day, there came to be more detail and more in existence. This light, now known as Sajol, became everything and nothing, the creator and one god, the overseer of all that was, is, and will be.
The heavens and planets and stars came into being. Oheia came into being. The lands and seas, mountains and forests; all were created by Sajol. At the end of the ten days, everything was created, and the last thing created throughout the void was the sentient beings, of which the human race was a part.
It is said that the very first humans were visited by Sajol, in the form of a blinding man, and he told them what he had done, and what was to be. Over time, the human race grew, as did the other races of Oheia. Humans always felt a special connection to Sajol, since they were the only race he visited. Sajol is neither a benevolent god, nor a malevolent one. It is believed that how one acts determines Sajol’s wishes, and the better one acts, the more fortune will be bestowed. Over the millennia and centuries, various virtues began to be associated with Sajol, as behaviors that brought one into favor with him. At different times in history, various men and women would travel Oheia and spread one of the virtues of Sajol. There were fifteen of these men and women throughout time, and they gained the favor of Sajol, and became his prophets. They believed and predicted that if you followed the virtues, when you died, you would become part of the eternal light… part of Sajol, and thus become part of god. When the prophets died, they too became part of Sajol, but are considered distinct, lasting extensions of him.
These prophets have become revered in their own right, although they are not worshipped in and of themselves. Rather, they are prayed to in conjunction with the worship of Sajol. And so, the basic tenets of the religion are formed… Sajol is god, and he has fifteen prophets.
There was one man, about three thousand years ago, who was originally considered to be a prophet. His name was Zsonn, and he argued that darkness, or “the other side” as he put it, was a virtue. After all, he argued, why did the god, who was pure light, allow Oheia to be plunged into darkness every day, if he was not attempting to show the duality of things, and embrace that duality? The virtue, he argued, was for people to fully examine their other sides, in order to improve upon them and become filled with true light.
Hardliners of the religion did not agree. They saw him as preaching against the very tenets of Sajol, and had him banished… cast off in a boat, and never allowed to return. Zsonn was certainly not evil, but perhaps ahead of his time. However, there is always room for misinterpretation, and others began to follow the teachings of Zsonn through their own warped views. They considered Zsonn a dauphet… an anti-prophet. A dauphet is someone that teaches that darkness is a virtue. They took his teachings to mean that man should explore and embrace the other side constantly, and the more they existed within the darkness, the more perfect they would ultimately become. They still worshipped Sajol, and considered him the one true god. However, they felt they were worshipping him in their own way… from the other side, as it were. It is difficult to call the teachings of this worship evil, as they are only ideas. It is not difficult at all to call most practitioners of this other side evil, as their methods are often malicious, dangerous, and harmful to others. Followers of the other side believe that by spending life following the dark, the light will burn even brighter for them after death.
This “other side” worship of Sajol is generally outlawed in civilized areas, more for its negative consequences rather than the worship itself. The city-states would probably ignore it altogether if it did not result in crime and murder.
Over time, there came nine more dauphets after Zsonn, and practitioners of the other side worship Sajol, and pray to his ten dauphets.
Death/Afterlife Beliefs
As mentioned, worshippers of Sajol believe that scrupulously following the virtues, be they good virtues, or those of the other side, will result in their joining the light of Sajol upon death. In this way, they are part of god for all eternity, knowing all, feeling all, and being one with all existence. Devout believers feel that those not following the virtues, and especially those of the opposite side, will fail to join the light upon death, and will instead simply remain a corpse and become part of the soil, rather than the light, and cease to exist. Since many non-religious humans believe this is what happens upon death anyway, there is no real negative fear of a hell.
Death Rituals
Human followers believe that after death you either become part of the light and live as light for all time (If you followed the virtues), or decompose and stay part of the soil for all time. Because of this, normal human custom is to bury their dead. They are wrapped in a white shroud. A cleric is usually on-hand to perform a simple service, and family members often speak as much or more than the clerics. When clerics die, they are soaked in the flammable liquid from Xan and set ablaze in a massive fireball. It is believed that the very holy, since they will become part of the light, can exit the world as part of the light. This practice is occasionally (albeit rarely) done on non-clerics… beloved leaders, generals, etc.
Dauphet funerals are the same, since they too strive to become part of the light, and avoid the soil. The only difference between religious and non-religious funerals is the presence or absence of a cleric and prayers.
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Religion Type
The religion is monotheistic. The religion has no specific name. Followers are simply called Followers of Sajol, One with Sajol, or even just With Sajol. “Are you with Sajol?” might be how an inquiry would be phrased.
Holy Books
The original book is called The Book of Sajol. It is believed that this book was written by the prophet Josek, about four thousand years ago, and it is the cornerstone upon which both branches of the religion was based. The Book of Sajol is mainly in verse, and can be somewhat difficult to follow. While many practitioners read this book, the meaning of many verses has been debated over and again throughout the history of this religion.
There are two interpretations of The Book of Sajol. The mainstream religious movement uses The Light of the Prophets. This book uses parables and stories to interpret the teachings of The Book of Sajol, and it is said that each one of the prophets contributed to the work. Similarly The Way of the Dark interprets the religion through the perspective of the dauphets’ teachings.
Deity Structure
There is only one god, Sajol. There are numerous prophets, which are not gods or demigods, and not worshiped, although they are prayed to, and figure prominently in the teachings. There are also dauphets, which are a sort of anti-prophet.
Holidays
Creation Week – celebrates the ten days of creation
15 prophet holidays… one about every 24 days or so
Birth – celebrates the beginning of life
Death – celebrates the end of life
Redemption – Absolution of wrongdoing. Purging the dark virtues (or light ones, as the case may be.)
Deity Personification
The humans do not personify their deity, although the prophets represent various virtues. The dauphets represent various vices, and what some folks consider to be evils.
In religious art, Sajol is usually depicted as a large spot or beam of pure white or yellow light. He is occasionally given human form, although humans believe he can take human form if he so chooses. Often, Sajol can be recognized because he has a shining ball of light for a head, and a man’s body.
The prophets and dauphets are represented in art as human beings. In paintings, the prophets are often shown limned with a white or yellow light, and the dauphets shown limned with black or dark brown.
Role of Clerics
Each cleric represents one of the prophets, and very advanced clerics may become a direct cleric of Sajol. Dark clerics may represent the dauphets in some way or another. Clerics spread the word of Sajol through the word of their prophets and dauphets, and perform miracles, the human clerical version of spells, by praying and accessing various forces. The human race is not a particularly religiously oriented race, so the clerics spend a lot of their time trying to convince others to actively practice the religion.
Clerics who have, in the past, shown exceptional zeal in preaching and spreading the light (or dark, as the case may be) have become prophets (or dauphets) in the religion. There has not been a living prophet or dauphet in several hundred years, but anything is possible.
It was each prophet who made their virtue a virtue, making it a tenet of their religion. The prophets are all fairly old, and over time they solidified what the virtues were. Just as Zsonn pushed for “the other side” or “opposites” to be a virtue, the prophets became associated with a certain tenet and championed it, and made it an “official” virtue.
Prophets and dauphets are created because they are the patron of a particular virtue. Any holy person or cleric that came after them that preaches a particular virtue or message is simply a follower of that prophet or dauphet. If a person championed a new message successfully, and it became canon, they might become a prophet or dauphet. The prophets Kavel and Linid, and the dauphet Teodek, lived on Komadas, and thus are more recent additions to the religion that the humans brought with them from Ciratha.
Clerical Organization
Clerics do not have a particular hierarchy, although there is a curate of each temple. Temples are usually devoted to all the virtues, although smaller ones do pop up from time to time for one in particular. Clerics are very conscientious of their rank as a cleric, and respect those more advanced. Put simply, the greater the length of service, the higher the rank of the cleric.
Priests may align themselves with a specific temple, or may choose to travel. All priests are welcome at all the temples. Temples are autonomous from one another, and there is only one per town.
Priests of the other side have the exact same structure in all respects. Only their message is different.
Persons interested in becoming priests initially visit the temple, and that is where training takes place. Some clerics’ sole purpose is to train new members.
Effect of Religion in Everyday Life
Religion means very little to a non-practicing human. Those who practice generally utter their god and prophet’s (or dauphet’s) name, and pray for help in various tasks. Most humans are not married in a religious ceremony, although some may choose to be married in the temple. Ceremonies for death may be simple and non-religious, or may involve the religion.
Days of Worship
No particular day of the week is considered a day of worship. Prophet holidays occur every 24 days or so, and these are days that practicing humans actively worship.
Worship Locations
Humans may worship their god anywhere, although most larger human towns have a temple of some sort. The temple in Saotan is fairly large and ornate, as most humans concentrate in that city. The church is not extravagantly wealthy, but it does have plenty of money.
Temple architecture is usually based on right angles, squares and rectangles, although the roofs are often curved, allowing the rainwater to run off. They are constructed of wood, stone, and plaster, and decorated with ornate wooden latticework, brightly colored paint, and often gilt and obsidian accents. Roofs are made of stone tiles, cedar bark or cedar shingles.
Larger temples, like the one in Saotan, often sometimes consist of several buildings enclosed in a walled courtyard. Most main buildings are two to four stories, and often adjoin gardens or pools of water. Statuary is common inside and outside the temple, and large statues represent the prophets or dauphets. Inside, paintings and drawings often depict the lives of the prophets or dauphets, their teachings, and parables based on these teachings. Chimes and gongs are often used in temples, to signal the beginning of service.
State Involvement in Religion
The religion has no involvement in government, although city-states often have a Religion Magistrate who oversees the activities of clerics from an organizational standpoint, in much the same way that there is a Trade Magistrate who oversees the city-state’s trade, but does not play a part in politics.
Clerical Authority
The temples have authority over clerics. As long as clerics do not rise up and attempt to overthrow the government, which they have never tried, the state does not care to have any authority over them.
Religious sacrifice
Worshippers of Sajol do not engage in literal sacrifice. During the Creation Week, actively practicing humans do not spend money or participate in trade, warfare, or hunting. Creation Week is a time of reflection, and participants fast, pray, meditate, travel to the woods, and attend services at the temple. This is in reference to there having been nothing in existence during the time of creation.
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The Prophets and Their Messages
Josek – Prophet of Light
Staying true to the light will result in joining Sajol in the afterlife.
Male
Lived 4000 years ago on Ciratha
Josek was the first prophet, and the first to teach the way of Sajol. According to legend, Josek was a warrior. Around the age of twenty-five, after leaving a battlefield, he was bathed in a blinding ray of light. Supposedly, Josek was frozen in place for an entire day, while the mysterious light engulfed him. The light only disappeared as night came on. Following this, Josek is said to have wandered away from his life, disappearing for several years. He later returned, transformed into a devout, holy man in service to Sajol. He also had with him a book, which he wrote, though he claimed all the words came from Sajol. He called it the Book of Sajol, and within its pages were all the tenets of the message of Sajol, and the path to the Light.
Though Josek lived to preach the holy word for another twenty years, his death is still a matter of some mystery. Some sects believe that Josek was treacherously murdered, and others believe that he died of a broken heart when word came to him that his wife, whom he had abandoned to become a holy man, had died. Still others believe that it was his wife who had been murdered by people who felt threatened by Josek’s teachings, as a warning to Josek to coerce him to stop his holy mission, and that when the news came to Josek, he wandered out into the wilderness and was never heard from again. The most commonly held belief is that before Josek’s fiftieth birthday, he was suddenly bathed in the Light of Sajol (again), and became of pure light himself. After a day of this Light engulfing the spot where Josek had stood he was gone without any trace of him left behind.
Josek is depicted holding a large tome, and portrayed with a long, flowing beard.
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Arktis – Prophet of Love
Love conquers all things.
Female
Lived 3900 years ago on Ciratha
Arktis was Josek’s youngest daughter. History indicates that Josek had four children with his wife during the years he was a warrior. His eldest son followed his original footsteps, and became a warrior, embarrassed by his father’s transformation later in life. His eldest daughter was able to make a prestigious marriage for herself, and also disdained her father’s erratic behavior in order to stay in favor with her husband’s family. His younger son had more peaceful tendencies, and was one of the first devotees of the new faith, but it was Josek’s youngest daughter who truly epitomized the essence of Sajol. Arktis was generally beloved by all, and remains one of the most popular of all Sajol’s prophets.
Arktis is always depicted holding an orchid.
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Olvar – Prophet of Learning
The path to enlightenment leads to the light.
Male
Lived 3500 years ago on Ciratha
It is said that Olvar, a man of intense learning, discovered the first forces on Ciratha, those of air and flame. Being a devout follower of Sajol, he began spreading the word that the forces were a gift from Sajol, and meant to be used for the good of mankind, and the search for the Light. Olvar gathered crowds from all over, and led expeditions in search of new forces. In his lifetime, dozens and dozens of forces were discovered in the name of Sajol, and it was his reasoning that the further one could push oneself intellectually, the greater the glory for Sajol, and the closer to the Light one would become. While he didn’t begin his life as a holy man, he is today respected as one of the pillars of the religion.
Olvar is often depicted holding a glowing orb.
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Kylay – Prophet of Justice
That which is lawful and righteous benefits all.
Female
Lived 3300 years ago on Ciratha
Kylay was a priestess of Sajol, and rose to become the head of the temple of Bellaprae, the capital city of Ciratha. The populace of the city often came to her for advice and answers to problems. Frustrated by the same questions being asked over and over about “understood law,” she began writing standard legal processes, as well as what was considered fair and equitable compensation for violations of the written processes, on huge tablets and posting them in front of the temple. Over time, people began to all follow these “laws” as a unified whole, and they asked for more. Ultimately, Kylay worked with the city magistrates to develop a written series of laws and ramifications for breaking them, and enforcement of these laws. She viewed it all as creating order and harmony for the benefit of Sajol, but it became much more in the grand scheme of things. After her days as head of the temple, she traveled the continent and spoke to people about justice and law in the name of Sajol. That most Cirath follow the letter of the law and justice without acknowledgement to Sajol is somewhat of an irony. Kylay was ultimately made a prophet after her death for the tremendous changes she enacted in the name of Sajol.
She is usually portrayed holding a scale.
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Verina – Prophet of Healing
Healing of others is one of the greatest gifts to share.
Female
Lived 3000 years ago on Ciratha
Verina was a priestess of Olvar and a natural healer. She was also an avid student, and followed closely the tenets of Olvar. Intense exploration and research led to her discovery of the first healing forces on Ciratha. She was able to combine the forces into healing spells, and with this came realm-wide recognition. Rather than profit off her discoveries, she traveled the lands and healed the sick. She continued to preach the way of Sajol, and over time immersed the benefits of healing with the Light. Considered a true prophet for the second half of her lifetime, she lived an exceptionally long life, in human terms – 137 years old, and died peacefully.
Verina is often depicted with both hands in front of her stomach, palms outward.
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Limant – Prophet of Happiness
The spread of happiness leads to the spread of Sajol.
Felay – Prophet of Laughter
Laughter is the purest outward expression of light and joy.
Limant, a male, is the brother of Felay, a female
Lived 2800 years ago on Ciratha
Limant and his sister Felay began their early adult years travelling as entertainers. Limant specialized in physical humor, like juggling, and playing the flute. Felay sang, and often told funny stories, and riddles. They became favorites of local governors, and were in great demand for city-state functions. During a series of wars against barbarians, the siblings traveled to the war front, near the town of Prustoun. They were shocked at the multitudes of wounded and dead, and saddened by the vast number of children left without fathers or both parents. Limant played his flute and spoke kindly to the wounded in an attempt to ease their suffering, and Felay sang and performed puppet shows for the children. During this time, the pair was introduced to Sajol and the Light, and many of the wounded felt that the siblings brought the Light with them. They stayed on the battlefront for the remainder of the conflict, and word of their deeds and nature spread far and wide. After the Barbarian Wars, they traveled the continent spreading happiness and laughter in an effort to spread the Light of Sajol. They were recognized as the epitome of the Light of Sajol, and were considered prophets long before their deaths.
Limant is usually depicted playing the flute, and Felay is always depicted laughing.
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Jarid – Prophet of Mercy
Forgiveness of others is the largest step to personal light.
Male
Lived 2400 years ago on Ciratha
Born in a small village along the coast of eastern Ciratha, Jarid was orphaned and left to die at the age of twelve when a raiding war party of a rival territory came and slaughtered everyone in the town. Jarid himself was pierced through the leg, and survived by feigning death underneath the lifeless bodies of his parents and siblings. Jarid escaped after the raid, and was raised in a neighboring village. As he grew older, he became a fierce warrior, and had a sworn duty to protect those he loved from the brutal raids of the enemy. He eventually moved to a larger city in the territory, gaining honor and rank in the army stationed there.
When Jarid was thirty-eight years old, he and his praetorians were sent into the neighboring territory to put down the raiding rebels once and for all. Jarid led his men into battle, and many raiders were killed. At one point, they came to a village, and his men began killing all the people there, as was commanded by their ruler. Jarid stumbled across a young boy, himself alone in a terrible scene of carnage, and in that moment, Jarid was struck by an awful truth. He pulled the child to him, and realized he had not been part of the answer at all, but was only continuing the never-ending hatred between the two territories. Jarid threw his sword away, and ordered his men to stop the attack. He spared the rest of the villagers, and took his troops back home. He also brought the boy with him, and raised him as his own son – the son he had never had time for in his constant thirst for vengeance.
Jarid was punished and exiled for his betrayal to his government, but the priests and priestesses of Sajol sung praises to Jarid for his heart and compassion, and for his courage in bringing in the Light when all around him was dark. Jarid and his son went to live in this son’s native territory, doing what they could to end the bloodshed and spread the word of mercy and forgiveness.
Jarid is often depicted as a heavily armed man, with one exposed leg, and a spear sticking all the way through it.
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Jonos – Prophet of Peace
The search for peace is the will of Sajol.
Male
Lived 2300 years ago on Ciratha
Jonos gained fame in his early years as a local city-state governor in eastern Ciratha. He was known as a fair and just leader, and settled conflicts via open discussion and negotiation, often putting himself in danger in order to build the trust of the embattled partisans. Jonos was eventually elevated in power and to the joy of some, and dismay of others, converted to the religion of Sajol just after gaining the title of Emperor of all Ciratha. For the first time in the continent’s history, there was a span of time, forty years, with no war or rebellion. Jonos was adored during his life, but was not made a prophet until one hundred years after his death, when his great-grandson put pressure on the leaders of the religion to canonize him. Jonos is celebrated as a spiritual and political leader.
Jonos is usually depicted holding a dove.
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Rina – Prophet of Generosity
Giving to others leads to the improvement of the self.
Female
Lived 2000 years ago on Ciratha
Rina was the daughter of an extremely wealthy landowner in northern Ciratha. She grew up spoiled, rich, and flaunted it. The orations of Pol had a strong influence on her. As is often the case, one thing more powerful than money is love, and Rina found it. She married a man from a neighboring town, and bore two children. She literally worshipped the ground they walked on, and spoiled her children with all the money and things they wanted. Their life was a narrow band of other wealthy friends, and the poor were viewed with a degree of derision. Unfortunately, disaster struck her beloved family: a massive earthquake ripped through her estate, killing her parents, husband, and children. This time, all the money in the world was of no use. She became a hollowed out husk… all the love had been stripped from her life.
During this difficult time, it wasn’t her wealthy friends who comforted her, but the surrounding commoners. They respected her love, even if they couldn’t relate to her wealth. They invited her to dinners, worship services, and kept her company while she worked on rebuilding her home. During this time she had a personal epiphany, and realized that true happiness was getting to share, whether it was love, time, or even money. She used her wealth to improve the local town, to host parties where everyone was invited, and came to directly oppose the teachings of Pol. Convinced she could make Ciratha a better place by sharing her wealth with those less fortunate, Rina journeyed far and wide to give money to the poor and spread the word of Sajol, even though she wasn’t a priestess. The leaders of the religion offered her an honorary priesthood, but she declined, wishing to spread the word as a layperson. Rina is credited with bringing the religion of Sajol to the desolate and poor, to give them a bit of the Light, and was made a prophet after her death.
Rina is usually depicted holding a coin between her index finger and thumb.
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Helena – Prophet of Trust
Faith in others and in Sajol strengthens one’s own spirit.
Female
Lived 1950 years ago on Ciratha
Helena was a devout follower of Sajol, and preached the tenets of Rina especially, since Rina had been instrumental in quelling the growing popularity of Pol’s teachings. Helena continued the strong efforts to bring people back to the Light following Pol’s swift conversions of the previous century. Helena is not known for any one particular deed, but rather for a lifetime of dedicated preaching of faith and trust. She was made a prophet late in her life, and never stopped travelling the land and preaching.
Helena is often depicted with her hand, in a fist, covering her heart.
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Rusek – Prophet of Discretion
The choice between two paths is not always an easy one.
Male
Lived 1780 years ago on Ciratha
Rusek entered the priesthood of Sajol in his early twenties, and was alarmed at how much popularity the messages of the dauphets were gaining. Many of the friends of his youth were caught up in the violence of Vni and Androken, and a complete lack of regard for human life and well-being. Rusek was gifted with strong powers of persuasion, and probably could have been a masterful merchant had he not entered the priesthood. He traveled the continent teaching people how to recognize and choose between right and wrong, good and evil, and happiness and despair. To him, the last of those was the most important, since Bazlo was using his own ends to promote the futility of life. Rusek made it his mission to clean up after Bazlo, and bring the people back to joy. He reasoned that if they were happy, they would make the right choices to be good and do right.
Ironically, it was Bazlo who made Rusek’s message stick. Rusek had followed the old dauphet to a town, but hadn’t anticipated that Bazlo’s lackeys would be waiting for him. He was beaten to death in full view of the town, which was meant to send a message to those not in league with Bazlo. It sent a message all right. Word of the popular Rusek’s death spread like wildfire, and his martyrdom almost single-handedly snuffed Bazlo’s teachings out of existence, save for a few isolated pockets. Rusek was made a prophet very quickly after his death, and his message held fast in Ciratha for two hundred years before any other dauphets dared show their head. Rusek is one of the most beloved of all the prophets.
Rusek is often depicted crushing a small human figure in his hands… the figure of Bazlo.
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Ondrun – Prophet of Courage
Bravery in the face of danger will keep Sajol on one’s side.
Male
Lived 1325 years ago on Ciratha
The reign of oppression in Ciratha had begun to drive many people to rebellion and war, especially in Bellaprae. One of these people was Ondrun, a common woodworker. Ondrun’s own children had witnessed, from a nearby window, a dozen other children brutally murdered by the city guard. When his children asked him if they, too, were to meet the Light in such a way, Ondrun was overcome with sadness. Not just sadness for his children, but for all the children of Ciratha. Not long thereafter, massive riots broke out, and the city guard clashed often with the townspeople. Dead bodies lined the streets, and guards burnt houses and raped women. Rioters began to do the same to the guards and their families. It was an endless cycle.
Ondrun had seen enough, and met with his guild leaders and many other townsfolk. Ondrun proposed a large exodus of those dedicated to peace and the common good, to sail westward into the sea and find a new land to settle. Three ships belonging to well-meaning local merchants were selected for their size and strength. Late one night, hundreds of people stole through the streets to the docks. Men, women, and children, snuck silently past the sleeping guards, and made it to the boats. Ondrun himself supervised the boarding of the ships, and two had set sail when disaster struck. A legion of guards had been awakened, and charged through the city to the docks. Ondrun hurried the passengers boarding the final boat as fast as he could, but the guards were closing fast. Helping his family on the gangplank last, Ondrun was struck with a flying spear. He continued to get his family on the boat, despite the spear through his shoulder. He then pitched burning braziers onto the closed sails of two nearby guard boats, setting them ablaze before guards overran him. His final words urged the gangplank removed and the last boat to flee. It did. The three boats were away, and though he was killed, Ondrun was made a prophet by the priests of the boats later on, and hailed through all time for his courage.
Ondrun is depicted as a man holding a hammer and chisel.
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Kavel – Prophet of Hope
A positive outlook towards the future leads to a positive future.
Male
Lived 1350 years ago on Komadas
Kavel was a priest of Sajol, and one of the first group of humans to land on Komadas. It was a rough time for the small group, but Kavel did his best to keep everyone positive. He was the leader of the first exploration party to discover the aoru, and was instrumental in developing the human/aoru relationship. He was also the first human to master the aoru language, and led humans to embrace the aoru rather than fight them. Throughout his life, he served as the primary missionary to the aoru, and it was from his efforts in getting the aoru to help the humans that the humans were able to survive the first difficult hundred years. Kavel lived to be over 110 years old, and when he passed to the Light, the remaining priests decided unanimously to make him a prophet… the first one granted as such on Komadas. He gave the humans hope in a time when it was needed most, and as a result, they thrived.
Kavel is almost always depicted with his hands joined to those of an aoru.
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Linid – Prophet of Determination
Never stop trying. To fail makes us stronger. To succeed makes us happy.
Female
Lived 1150 years ago on Komadas
Linid was the minister of defense for Saotan, and a devout follower of Sajol when the first of the naktul exploration parties landed on Komadas. When the naktul discovered Saotan, they killed first, and then fled. Linid knew they would be back. By this time it was known that the naktul were not from Komadas, and so Linid began to prepare for what she very much guessed would happen – a naktul invasion. She organized massive plans to help the still very small human population hopefully repel a much larger force. She also pleaded for aid from the aoru for when the invasion took place, and was promised it.
Many months later, the naktul did indeed invade Saotan. A group of humans raced upriver and over the mountains to Piiya to alert the aoru, and in the meantime, Linid’s plans were put to full effect. The humans resisted wave after wave of naktul battering against the northern part of town from the north forest. All the while, Linid tirelessly rallied the troops and people of Saotan to keep fighting, keep resisting, and never give up. When the aoru army arrived, they did as Linid asked, and focused their forces to the back of the invading naktul. The timing was nearly perfect, as the small human defense force was nearly exhausted. The naktul, suddenly sandwiched between two forces, fled east into the swamps. Many were killed in the swamps, and the remainder were captured and brought to Linid. Instead of killing them, she worked hard at understanding them, and learning about them. In time, the captive naktul were released, and sent back to K’Tumal. Though there was much trepidation, an uneasy peace was eventually developed between the cultures. Linid was a major player in the entire process, and when she retired, the priests of Sajol made her a prophet.
Linid is depicted holding a sword in one hand, and a wreath of flowers in the other.
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The Dauphets and Their Messages
Zsonn – Dauphet of Darkness
In order to learn the light, we must learn its antithesis.
Male
Lived 3650 years ago on Ciratha
Zsonn never set out to be evil, and most certainly never considered himself such. In his beginnings, he was a devout priest of Sajol, and a very popular one at that. He was very much a scholar, and studied the teachings of Josek and the Light with infinite detail. Zsonn was always searching for a way to enable followers of Sajol to find the Light more easily, as the path was not necessarily straightforward. He also studied Arktis, and reasoned that perhaps the best way to understand love was to not have it… to be hated, and then be loved, and to see the changes. This led to an idea that would shock all of Ciratha.
It came to Zsonn one night that like love and hate, like peace and war, perhaps the easiest way to understand the Light was to know the Darkness. If one studied the antithesis of what the Light represented, than maybe understanding how to join the Light would be clearer. He put forth the idea very innocently, as an educated scholar might put forth a discovery that all the facts supported. Zsonn began to present the idea of Darkness, not as evil, but as another direction to understand the Light. Unfortunately, two very large groups misunderstood his intentions. The priests of Sajol almost unanimously opposed the idea, saying it would unleash followers of darkness into the world. They were right. The other group was every impressionable or doubtful person who needed an excuse to do evil deeds, treat others badly, or simply act against the wishes of the Light. The followers of the Dark spread rapidly.
Zsonn tried to initiate damage control, but it was too late. He was ostracized as a heretic by followers of the Light, and hailed as a prophet by those who took up his ideas. He wanted neither, and fled the civilized world. It is not known where he went, or what happened to him. Followers of his Dark idea were likewise ostracized, and even many criminals shunned his message, fearing that they would never see the Light. Those who did carry on his teachings practiced their religion in secrecy, and canonized Zsonn as the first Dauphet, or anti-prophet. While the followers of Sajol refuse to recognize dauphets or the religion of the Dark, they remain among the cirath to this day.
Emerettea – Dauphet of War
Conquest leads to power, and the greater the power, the brighter the afterlife with Sajol
Female
Lived 3550 years ago on Ciratha
Emerettea became the governor of Bellaprae, the capital Cirathan city, right about the time that the continent was plunged into both civil and external war. In the public eye, Emerettea was a popular leader, and devout follower of Sajol. In her private life, however, she secretly followed the teachings of Zsonn, and began to fall more and more towards the Dark. Her lust for bloodshed became apparent when she rallied her city to war with a neighboring province. Not at all shy about donning armor and a sword, Emerettea would charge into battle, killing anything that moved.
One night she had a vision, which she believed to be a direct command of Zsonn, that she should scour the land and purge all opposed to her side in the wars. Her charisma and bravery spread far and wide, and people that admired her as a ruler began to admire her as the first female general. She led a great army around the land, and wiped out foes near and far. Eventually though, her penchant for extreme violence began to set her apart. To strike fear into her enemies, she had her troops hang dead foes from tall poles. The land was littered with rotting corpses swaying in the wind. In her warped vision, the more bloodshed and war, the closer she came to understanding the Dark, and thus, getting to the Light. Followers of Zsonn praised her for plunging so deeply into the Darkness, and when she died at the relatively young age of forty, it was estimated that some 500,000 corpses hung on poles by her command. Followers of Zsonn immediately proclaimed her the second dauphet.
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Vni – Dauphet of Destruction
To destroy is to help revert things to the state of creation.
Female
Lived 3500 years ago on Ciratha
Vni was Emeretta's daughter, and succeeded her mother as ruler. She was 18 when she took governorship of Bellaprae, the capital city of Ciratha, and there is much speculation today about the unusual circumstances surrounding Emeretta's death, and the immeasurable size of Vni's twisted ambition.
If Emerettea carried on Zsonn's tradition of recognition and respect for the darker aspects of Sajol, Vni took those traditions and manipulated them, making them darker to defend her own warped actions. Vni was the bloodiest and most unpredictable ruler Ciratha ever knew. Her random acts of violence left even diehard evildoers reeling with fear. Vni eventually lost the support of all the wealthy houses in Bellaprae, due to the fact that she would have their members assassinated every few years. This didn't bother Vni, as she was perfectly happy ruling without counsel of any kind.
Vni is famous for having destroyed many important temples in Ciratha, and having razed entire neighborhoods to the ground on a whim. She burnt many libraries that stocked literature she did not like. In one instance ordered all women in Bellaprae to become celibate, saying the touch of a man would spoil them. She had all pregnant women killed.
Vni’s father was only one in a long string of Emeretta's lovers. It is said he was murdered shortly after Emerettea found out she was pregnant. Vni had an older brother and a younger sister, both of whom died before the age of twelve. There are no written accounts of what caused their deaths. Vni never married, and never had children of her own.
The culminating event of her life was when she reached thirty-five years of age, and went into the deepest forges of Ciratha and harnessed the newly discovered fire force. She wreaked a trail of carnage all the way back to her palace. Once there, she ordered her entire court, along with the heads of the Temple, into the banquet hall, and had her soldiers lock the doors. She built up the force's energy to such a pitch over the course of hours, that when she released it, the entire wing of the palace was blown to smithereens. Not so much as a finger made it through the resulting inferno intact.
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Ena – Dauphet of Ignorance
Know only what is absolutely required. The rest is wasted energy.
Female
Lived 3400 years ago on Ciratha
Ena was a dedicated researcher of forces, extremely bright, and she knew it. She also wanted everyone else to know it. However, she grew up in a time when Ciratha was enchanted with the teachings of Olvar, and aghast at the destructiveness of Vni. She did not get nearly as much attention as she felt she deserved, and so out of spite she totally focused on a combination of forces that would render a person feebleminded. Ena found it, and it was with great glee that she cast it about on other bright people and made them lose their higher thinking skills, and oftentimes their memories.
During the course of her brand of revenge, she backfired the spell on herself, and in effect cursed herself. She lost her own higher thinking abilities, but was left with the memory of what she had done to others and herself. Of course, no one knew this happened to her, and so she instead began to teach a path of ignorance, a path where intelligence meant nothing, and only the basic knowledge to survive and live a simple life mattered. Her message spread, and became a rallying cause for those too lazy to study, or even to think. Eventually, knowledge of her prior assaults on the minds of others became public, and she was punished and thrown in prison. She died there, but soon after was made a dauphet by the followers of the Dark.
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Androken – Dauphet of Vengence
Revenge is a perfect means for payment of a wrong
Male
Lived 2500 years ago on Ciratha
In the most basic sense, Androken was a troublemaker. The well-educated son of a wealthy city minister, he loved to see what he could do to cause chaos, and send “the rabble” into panic. He had a loud, commanding voice, and spoke with a flair that whipped people into a frenzy. No amount of chaos was too small, and he always managed to come out of trouble unscathed.
Eventually, his desire for discord grew too big, and he began inciting people to fight others, because of apparently small reasons. He’d go to one village, and tell them another was preparing to invade them, incite them to a frenzy, and rally them to attack the other village first. That the other village had no idea what was happening did not matter. Androken’s words could convince anyone with a relatively simple mind. His primary method was to tell one group of people to enact vengeance on another group, through whatever means he could convey. Although he did not specifically endorse vengeance as a rule, it would become the trademark that branded him. He went around teaching that revenge was the best way to settle a score. Ultimately, his actions led to a prolonged and bloody war between two neighboring territories, a war that involved future prophet Jarid, and would ultimately end with the future prophet Jonos. Androken was admired by followers of Zsonn for his vengeful nature, and was made a dauphet after his death.
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Pol – Dauphet of Selfishness
One should concern oneself with one’s own improvement and well being at all costs
Male
Lived 2100 years ago on Ciratha
In the time of relative peace created by Jonos, Pol became a popular orator on nearly any subject. He was a very charismatic and handsome man. He was something of a celebrity, invited to dinners with local rulers all around Ciratha, and seducer of many women. The growth of his fame was matched with the growth of his wealth.
As is often the case, it all began to go to his head. His speeches took on an opportunistic slant, and he easily convinced others to believe in his message. He was not evil as such, but extremely persuasive and popular, and his message had strong overtones of “It’s all about the ‘I’”. It led to a movement of selfishness and self-centeredness that swept Ciratha by storm. Because of its subtlety, nobody knew what was hitting them. Before anyone knew it, an aura of egocentricity had taken hold, and the priests of Sajol were nearly powerless to stop it. It wasn’t until Pol’s death that another eloquent person emerged to stem the tide of his movement, and that was the future prophet Rina. After his death, Pol’s closest followers made him a dauphet of Darkness.
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Baszlo – Dauphet of Despair
Giving into the sorrow that life brings lets one become immune to pain.
Male
Lived 1800 years ago on Ciratha
Baszlo was a priest of Sajol who became disenchanted with life after seeing so much pain and suffering across the land. Instead of encouraging those he came across to fight the pain, and trust in Sajol, he began to teach them to give into the suffering to make themselves numb. He kept up this practice until church leaders chastised him for drifting from the way of Sajol. Rather than stop preaching his message, he threw off his priest’s robes and fully embraced the path to the Dark. His newfound courage spurred him on, and he widely to rapidly spread the message of despair and hopelessness. For a continent ravaged by war, his way of numbness seemed like a welcome respite for many who saw it as the only way out, and unwittingly began to follow the path of Zsonn.
Baszlo’s movement grew faster than anyone expected, and probably would have spread even farther were it not for a young priest of Sajol named Rusek. Rusek made it his personal mission to follow Baszlo and undo the sorrow he created. Unfortunately for Baszlo, Rusek was even more charismatic than he was, and Rusek began to slowly bring the populace around to the Light. Baszlo’s close followers murdered Rusek in order to set an example, but instead everyone rallied around Rusek’s cause, and the movement of Baszlo ended. Baszlo ran for his life and disappeared forever. Nevertheless, followers of the Dark made him a dauphet for his deep leanings and massive influence.
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Jurad – Dauphet of Anger
Anger is a pure, natural emotion that brings out one’s strength.
Male
Lived 1550 years ago on Ciratha
Jurad was a popular and studious force wielder, and was admired far and wide for his ability to cast and create spells. Although he personally did not discover any new forces, it was his experimentation with combinations of forces to create new spells that gained him fame. He was credited with developing much of the school that combines elemental forces with animal forces.
Jurad was generally a quiet man who disliked crowds, and very much hated looking foolish. One particular year he spent a lot of time developing a new and difficult spell for a magic users’ conference in Bellaprae. When the time came for his demonstration, another young wizard pulled a practical joke, which caused Jurad’s new spell to backfire, causing him great embarrassment. Although it was a horror to him, the gathered attendees burst into laughter and began to ridicule him.
And then Jurad lost his temper. Boiling with rage, he summoned the forces again. The spell was designed to create a fiery bird of prey, which would swoop down and attack multiple targets with claws and flame. For the demonstration, he had planned to simply make it fly around, but in his rage, summoning it again, he lost control. A massive fiery bird, two-dozen-feet long, blew forth from his hands, hurtling him against the wall. The bird ripped through the crowd, on a fiery path of killing. When Jurad at last regained consciousness, he dismissed the bird, but not before over a hundred people were dead.
Now considered a murderer, Jurad fled into hiding, but learned a valuable lesson… his own extreme anger made his spells more powerful. He traveled the lands teaching young magic users to cast spells in a rage in order to amplify the power. Although this practice worked in many instances, it often led to the death or injury of the casters. Because of Jurad, being angry became popular for magic users and non-spellcasters alike. Ultimately, Jurad’s public appearances became too predictable, and he was finally arrested and thrown in prison, where he died. Those following the path of the Dark immediately made him a dauphet.
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Shontars – Dauphet of Greed
Power comes from wealth, and power serves Sajol.
Male
Lived 1400 years ago on Ciratha
Shontars was a man who inherited massive amounts of money, earned much more, and still coveted any he could get his hands on. It is unknown what led to this fanaticism for gold, but it didn’t help when after many years of working his way up in government ministries, he became governor of Bellaprae. He began to add taxes on top of taxes in attempts to add more and more money to his coffers. Other weak leaders saw and envied his extravagant wealth, and began to emulate his practices. The working classes were squeezed dry all along western Ciratha. Criticism did not affect him, and riots did not bother him. He simply sent his very well trained guards to quell any insurrection.
Shontars became more and more despised, but he did not care. His army enforced his laws and rule, and he swam in piles of gold. He talked boldly of amassing wealth and owning all he could. If he couldn’t take money with him when he died, he certainly would have all he could while living. And have it he did. Eventually, though, no amount of money can keep a man alive forever, and he died of natural causes surrounded by gold and gems, while the city’s poor threw themselves against the palace walls. Followers of Zsonn recognized the deep contributions to the Darkness, even if he did not, and he was made a dauphet after he died. His method of rule continued after his death, and ultimately led to some 800 citizens fleeing by boat, a portion of whom would ultimately land on Komadas.
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Teodek – Dauphet of Shadow
Treading the space between light and dark allows one to slip between existence.
Male
Lived 900 years ago on Komadas
Teodek began as a very positive priest on Komadas, especially teaching the messages of Kavel and Linid. However, he was not a man of overly stout heart, and when various evil denizens of the Komadas’ wilds began marauding human outposts and even attacking Saotan, he and many others began to lose faith. He fought an internal battle to stick to the path to the Light, but was beginning to see some appeal of the Dark. He began forming his own teachings about the middle ground, or shadow. He became known for his nihilistic approach to religion. It wasn’t enough to become an outcast, but it did draw the attention of the other priests of Sajol.
After witnessing the viscous way a human exploration party was killed off while trying to settle the outpost of Deng, near Omatsu, Teodek had the misfortune of being the priest in the next group of settlers to carry on the building of Deng. Eighty-three people traveled to Deng, and suddenly realized that the creatures from Omatsu had plans for them as well. Using his persuasion as a priest, Teodek convinced everyone that the only way to escape the massacre sure to come was to kill themselves and get to the Light quicker. He felt that the entire human population on Komadas was doomed by one means or another, and convinced the rest of his party. He created a poison, and every person in the building party died within a few hours. Unbeknownst to them, a follow-up militia arrived only a few days later to protect them, and were greeted with the horror of so many dead humans, not from the hands of creatures, but their own. Teodek’s “Shadow” path carries on with a small segment of Komadas’s population.
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