Durnalian Religion

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Taliesin
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Durnalian Religion

Post by Taliesin » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:00 pm

Yet another email snippet from Palamon reprinted here for your benefit, dear reader.

Today's topic: magic, religion, and their roles in the culture of Durnalia.

Another thing we need to think of regarding the 'fabric' of society is the role of religion. Open worship of deities / spirits / whatever? What sort of power do they have and grant to those who follow their teachings? What is the popular view regarding religion? I'm partial to a multitheistic world view rather similar to the Seven in GRRM. I am -not- partial to a definite knowledge of the Gods like there was in SR. I also like the idea of religion evolving over time, so there are different eras with different beliefs, etc.

Taliesin
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Pantheism, monotheism, and paladins with a score to settle

Post by Taliesin » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:04 pm

Wherever we go, I'm not down with the 'definite knowledge of the gods' as per SR either. That got out of hand, with everyone and his uncle wielding ridiculous amounts of magic. Contrast that in tone with a setting like MIddle-Earth, where the "gods" are more remote, or even Westeros as you noted for other reasons.

Speaking of Westeros, I don't mind the multitheistic take of GRRM's Andals, though I'd expand it to include the outside views of the non-Andal cultures. The Seven (the gods of the Andals) are nothing new-- just another pantheistic bunch of patron spirits governing the different aspects of daily life. As far as Durnalia is concerned, I'd think a "state religion" of this nature is just about inevitable in any Empire... certain institutions form the foundations of any lasting culture. A common language, a common religion, a common form of government... etc.

Personally, I'd like some monotheists in there for the sake of a few things I'd like to do-- religious zealots, holy orders, warrior-monks etc. It's impossible to be a crusader for one god when you somehow accept that there's six other gods who are his equal. Maybe they're followers of one of the pantheistic deities that took their singular worship so far as to reject the others. Maybe their god is an aspect of one of the pantheistic gods, and they don't know or don't care about the others. Maybe they believe in a different god altogether. There's a lot of room to explore this idea.

In any case, my monotheists won't be in Durnalia proper (except perhaps as a fringe faction) but will be developed in far greater detail in the hinterlands I'm creating in my head....

Palamon
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A Brief History of Durnalian Religion, take 1

Post by Palamon » Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:36 pm

As for Durnalian religion, I think that the religion should reflect Durnalian society and its values, and evolve just as the nation has.

Early City-state years
Every city-state had slightly differing religions, and patron deities. Yet there was a common thread among the Durnalian city-states, and priests were welcome to travel frequently between city-states even as other mundane authority figures were frequently not. So the religion slowly became more and more homogenous between city-states. It is argued that this was one of the causes for the city-states to unite as easily as they did and form into one kingdom.

Age of the First Kingdom
During these years, Durnalians worshipped Romanesque deities much more formally than previously. Chief among these would be the King of the Gods (whose domain would be the sky and the oceans, a link the Durnalians made rather easily due to the water cycle) and his wife the Queen (whose domain would be the earth). The eldest children would be given domain of particular parts of the world, such as the God of the Hills, the Goddess of the River, etc. And then their other children would represent the various aspects of their world: hunting and the forests, farming and growing, war, wealth and trade, wisdom and the pursuit of knowledge, love, etc. Lastly would be the 'Other' gods whose domains were considered Evil, such as death and the dark arts.

Early Imperial Years
As this religion grew and flourished, its many self-contradictions became more and more prominent even as its priests became more and more wealthy and worldly. There were oracles and prophets galore, and they all seemed like quacks. Society became disillusioned with the Gods as little more than a curious relic of ancient life. THe society at this point was fabulously wealthy, having begun its true imperial crusades in earnest. Other societies' religions had gradually been absorbed, and in the more distant areas there were frequent 'holy wars' that the Empire was constantly trying to put down. (go ahead and run with this, Rich) But not so much because they cared so much about their own religion, but more because the members of the -other- religions cared so much about -theirs-, and it became an obstacle to Durnalian authority. Durnalians themselves believed their Emperor was a holy figure, ordained by the Gods. Which Gods didn't particularly matter, but it sure did to the others who they were trying to rule.

Later Imperial Years
Finally came the rule of Itracus the Unholy as he is now known. He began his career as a successful general distantly related to the current emperor. When the previous emperor, Junian the Clean, boiled himself with no heir and no will (sex was unclean to him. Junian was also known as the 'mad' less publicly), Itracus became the 'King', as he refused to be given the holy title of Emperor. Itracus at first was a very good King, and the Holy Wars against the Empire quieted down. Freedom of religion was granted to all subjects of King Itracus... but it all changed.

None are really certain who it was that changed Itracus, or perhaps it was he himself. To fill the vacuum left by his internal refusal of the Durnalian Religion, he sought a more 'pure' wisdom. In his pursuit, he became more and more aware of the powers of the Philosophers (who still need a name), and he became enamored of it in time. For a time, this only reaped benefits for all Durnalian subjects. And Itracus had now reigned as King for sixty years, and showed no signs of aging.

But somehow, Itracus became convinced of a certain truth: the Old Gods were true. And He, Itracus, was the youngest son of them all. In fact, he did seem immortal, and the Durnalian Senate was only too happy to officially bestow upon him the title of Emperor. The clergy of the land agreed.

A hundred years later, the land still prospered, and Itracus still ruled. One fateful day, he came forth with a proclamation: the Old Gods were mostly dead, save the Father and the Mother, and the Evil Gods. Apparently there had been a War, he said, and he was the only surviving deity other than the Mother and Father; he was the only Son. The Evil Gods now had names: (Rich, fill this in. It's going to be your monotheists, if that's cool) And the Holy War of Itracus the Divine began in earnest. Itracus ordered the destruction of shrines and temples to the Old Gods, save the Father and Mother. All others, he said, were already dead or had betrayed the Father and Mother and should be destroyed.

The tale of the Dark War, as it is now known, will be told elsewhere when I finally figure out how it's going to go. I think Itracus will wind up having demonic powers, and the same with some of his generals and many of his priests. But the result is this: and after three hundred years of Itracus' rule, he was killed somehow. As a result, the Empire began to break up, beginning with the loss of Tarindal.

Today's Durnalian Religion
The Dark War ended with Durnalian recession from occupied lands, but Durnalia did not fall altogether. I'll figure out why later. Something to do with the philosophers' society and its permeation through other areas, including secret alliances and such with other secret societies. This is just a history of religion, not a whole history file. So Durnalian society reverted to what it knew: the Old Gods. But which were alive and which were dead? Maybe they were all dead? One thing was certain: Itracus was dead, and all shrines to Itracus and the Gods he worshipped were destroyed.

It has been four hundred years since the fall of Itracus, and Durnalian society today is ruled primarily by a Senate, but legally by a hereditary King, descended from well before Junian the Clean's time. The society has re-established itself with the Old Gods, and the old priests, but their power is strictly limited. The Old Gods are known now as the Father of Light, the Mother of all Wisdom, the True Son (a warrior type), the Virgin Goddess, and the Prodigal Son (who is not openly worshipped and believed to rule the underworld and serve as an impartial judge). Their worldly domains are largely forgotten, save those of the Mother (earth) and Father (sky and ocean).

Other societies during the Imperial time have also established their demigods as spirits of nature whose power is unquestioned but unknown; they are after all a part of another religion.

And lastly, there are the Other Gods: the Lord of Darkness, his concubine the Temptress (who tempted the Prodigal Son, and also Itracus, naturally), and their many and varied less-powerful demonic children.

Most old shrines and temples have been destroyed in Durnalia, and today the temples are to the Holy Family. The Father and Mother are the givers of life, and in fact it is believed that all mankind is their offspring in some manner or other (don't question how!! that's heresy!!). The Dark Gods also exist, and it is their desire for watever reason to overthrow the Good Gods.

For the most part, the Gods do NOT bestow controllable power upon their priests. Those that receive power can not count on it at all times; the wills of the Gods are beyond human comprehension. To date, there have been documented miracles, but as many were done by simple, devout followers as by powerful priests. Religion plays an important role in society, and priests are more powerful as political figures than as mystical ones.

Thus ends my discussion of Durnalian religious history. Please critique! It is not yet set in stone.
Last edited by Palamon on Thu Nov 18, 2004 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

Taliesin
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Boiled himself to death...!

Post by Taliesin » Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:18 pm

I love this Junian the Clean stuff. Completely cracks me up. No time to write much now, but I'll try to get some replies up within the next day or two.

Palamon
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Saint Emilius Ignatius

Post by Palamon » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:15 pm

During the final years of Itracian rule came an influential figure in Durnalian society, Emilius of Montesa. Born the son of a poor farming household, Emilius showed great promise intellectually. He was taken on as a student by a local hermit, known to all as a wise man. The Dark Wars against just about everybody, but Tarindal in particular, had very little affect on the mountainous area of Montesa. As a result, Emilius was largely sheltered from the evils of the Itracian Empire during his education.

Just prior to his coming of age, the Itracian Empire was at the highest point of its "Holy Wars". They had turned from the Old Gods, and to their Emperor who promised them untold power and global dominion. During these times, the focus of Imperial rule was outward, away from the Empire's heart, and at its heart the Empire was crumbling.

Emilius arrived at Editia during a time of civic unrest, and determined that he must do something else the entire Empire would collapse from within. He began by preaching in secret underground caverns beneath the city, and gradually he drew a following of tremendous size. He preached the Old Values, that the Old Gods are not dead, and he gave them all names:

Iusus Omnipotens, Father of Light and King of Sky and Water.
Terra Regina, Mother of Gods, Queen of all the Earth.
Anadelus Iustus, the Trueborn Warrior Son, Patron God of Durnalia.
Diatha Pura, the Virgin Daughter.

and there were evil gods as well, though he named them not:
The Lord of Darkness
The Temptress, held responsible for the fall of Itracus from grace
and their myriad demonic children

and there was one God, the Prodigal Son Tarnus, who was tempted from the true path and can not be trusted.

The Four Good Gods are worshipped collectively, and the emphasis was originally meant to be placed on the Father of Light, but with Anadelus Iustus as the patron of Durnalia, often more emphasis is placed on him.

Emilius never proclaimed himself to be anything other than a giver of the Word of the Gods, and he delivered it to the Durnalian people in written form. (Some still object that this was simply the tome of his old master's, or of some secret society that his old master belonged to during Itracian rule)

Emilius was enormously popular with the people, and after the fall of Itracus Invictus (thanks for the name, Neon! I like it a lot.), now known as Itracus Infernus (first: the Invincible, second: the Infernal) there was a cult movement to have Emilius, now the most popular figure in Editian society, become the next Emperor.

Emilius refused, but proclaimed that the Gods had given him the foresight to name the next -King-. Emilius did indeed crown the King, but it was his last action. Old secret followers of Itracus Invictus caught him and burned him at the stake.

Legend has it that even as they did so, Emilius was taken into the heavens by a holy fiery spirit of purest white light, his body untouched by the fire. Those who burned him, however, burned in the wrath of the spirit's flames.

The Emilian Church, also known as the Lucian Church, was small at first, but its teachings spread quickly. The tenets were already known and accepted (the Old Gods were still held dear in many parts of Durnalia and the former Empire). Its level of acceptance decreases as one's distance from Editia grows, but it has a wide range of influence as the official Royal religion of Durnalia.

The Durnalian Church today traces its roots to Saint Emilius, and is very close in structure to the Roman Catholic Church of the European medieval era. Its symbol is the white fire of purity that took Saint Emilius into the heavens, though it does not worship the fire itself.

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