Theology.Light History

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December 16, 2023, at 11:16 AM by 142.189.119.31 -
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The Light believes that the nature of humans and other sentient races is good, because the Gods of Light will that the created beings exist, and the Gods of Light are good. Thus, it is only a matter of helping us embrace this inherent goodness and resist the corrupting influences of the Darkness.

In general, the Gods of Light are closely aligned in their values and morals and as such are often called the Aligned Gods.
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The Church of Xenos is a strange almost cult-like religion.  Xenos was a prophet who predicted the fall of the Dorian Empire, proclaiming humans successor to the elves.  Actually he really wanted say that humans were equals to the elves, but his successors were all too used to the Dorian caste system to recognize this, and interpreted him to mean that humans would replace the elves atop the system.  He vanished one day, and his followers helped overthrow the Dorian Empire, and formed the isolated theocracy known today as Xenodoria.

In the year 4302 YND arguably the greatest prophet of recorded history was born in the Dorian Empire.  By 4367 YND, the Dorian Empire had collapsed.  Everyone knows about the thirteen prophesies of Xenos, Fabled Prophet of Aeon, that foretold the fall of the Dorian Empire and many subsequent events.  Currently, eight of the thirteen have been fulfilled, and it is believed the last prophesy foretells the end of the world.
What is not so well known is that there are in fact rumours that Xenos in fact made not thirteen, but thirty prophesies, and some say that number is in fact forty.  Alas, the Xenodorian Church suppresses this view as much as possible.  Unfortunately, this leads to the occasional mad man or charlatan claiming to have one of the forbidden prophecies and trying to pawn off a poor fabrication in order to make a buck, or perhaps manipulate foolish people.
The final prophesy of Xenos is widely thought to predict the end of the world, though the circumstances and whether it is avoidable, is subject to open speculation.

'''The Thirteen Official Prophesies of Xenos'''

'''I'''

Twelve years after the fall of the great emperor whose throne is covered in blood, the false son shall cut apart his father’s inheritance with the stroke of a quill.  The false peace shall end in fire, and the parchment shall burn like the sun.  Swords will be crossed, and brethren shall turn against brethren.  Invaders from the north shall rain blood and fire on the crystal city.  Far below, they shall shout the sky is falling.

'''II'''

From burning ashes shall be reborn the magnificent imperial phoenix, and as the spear of wind shall fly above the battlefield, so shall the eternal war commence.  The earth shall shudder and the children of the mountains shall shout in triumphant victory.  The children of the forest shall scatter as leaves from a dying tree.

'''III'''

From out of the countryside shall arise a champion of the people, to fight the silver-tongued oppressor.  A sign from above shall be the glorious knight’s challenge against the false lord and his tower that reaches the sky.  For twenty generations shall the Emperor of Light and the Emperor of Darkness duel.  They shall scar the world’s fields and the dead shall serve once and forever more in battle.

'''IV'''

A false prophet shall lead the people astray.  He will come cloaked in the garb of wealth and power.  From his pocket will come bad luck and foolishness.  With a serpent tongue he shall betray nations and the masses.  From atop the mountain of gold he shall fall, slain by his own foolishness.

'''V'''

The man called the dragon shall slay the king of dragons and steal his crown.  Though a fierce wind shall blast the world for a time the world will be sheltered from its fury.  The dragons shall see no sun on the horizon and search for another.  The man of many names shall build a house in the sand and send many away like fish.

'''VI'''

The third emperor shall call no god his master.  He shall raise an army like none before.  The sky will sound with roar of his might, but his own power will be his ultimate undoing and his successors shall bear him no likeness.  The worshipers of the law shall ascend to the clouds, and an age of war shall begin.

'''VII'''

Amidst a grave indiscretion shall there be a call to arms, and the rumblings of war shall spread to the land of lavender fields.  There shall the blood of the sacrificed saint be soaked.  Tears from the daughter of angels shall decree the land to be sanctuary.  No sword or fire shall touch this land for a time until the daughter of angels is disgraced, and the blasphemy is uttered.  Then shall vengeance be sought, and again the call to arms shall see the lords of the darkest realms shall suffer for their crimes.

'''VIII'''

A king shall be betrayed by his most trusted.  The princess of the fallen king shall seek sanctuary in lavender fields.  Over her, the sounds of great armies shall echo.  A false king shall use pretenses to declare war, and his allies shall have their boots on his neck.  The army of thunder and metal shall claim the world as their own.

'''IX'''

A fool’s gambit shall bring great harm to the world.  A crack in the sky shall appear as sign to clear sighted, and the gate to unspeakable horror opened for a time.  In the wake of legions, war shall call forth madness.  Only those chosen by the angels shall resist the onslaught, and for a time the lords of darkness shall spread.  The lords shall connive and fight amongst themselves, until divine retribution from the four corners.

'''X'''

At the height of their glory shall the greatest empires fall, in the wake of a sign from beyond the bluest sea.  The invincible fortress will shatter against the weight of the world.  Chaos shall flicker among ruined citadels until the champions of the stars bring order once again.  The sky shall fill with fire and metal riding the clouds, until the castle in the sky is found.

'''XI'''

From the ashes of the ziggurat shall rise a new banner.  An empire of darkness shall cover the land with the sound of clashing swords and the thundering of metal horses.  The lord of madness thinks to himself that he shall claim the power of the gods, but instead shall bring their ire.  Those that play with the fire that created the world shall be burned by it.

'''XII'''

Beware the necromancer and his machinations.  Like a thief in the night shall he steal the prodigal daughter, and turn her into darkness.  Only the childhood’s end will prevent disaster.  A child born with the blood of angels shall make a pact with one with the forbidden wisdom beyond words.  Their protector will be untouched by the power of the elements, and shall slay the Lord of the Dragon’s Empire. 

'''XIII'''

A sign from the heavens shall signal the final act.  The four moons shall unite as one in an unholy ritual.  The elements that bring life to the world shall be bound to wall between today and tomorrow.  The prayer to the deaf God shall be heard, and tear open the very fabric of the elements, and the world shall be unraveled and remade.

to:
The Church of Xenos is a strange almost cult-like religion.  Xenos was a prophet who predicted the fall of the Dorian Empire, proclaiming humans successor to the elves.  Actually he really wanted say that humans were equals to the elves, but his successors were all too used to the Dorian caste system to recognize this, and interpreted him to mean that humans would replace the elves atop the system.  He vanished one day, and his followers helped overthrow the Dorian Empire, and formed the isolated theocracy known today as Xenodoria.
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!!The Light

''May the Light guide you to seek greater truths''

''For its gaze will turn aside the Darkness that blinds you''

''And in its purity, you shall see eternity in all its splendor''

''So be forgiven, that you shall bring the brightest eternity tomorrow''

''- 3.7.10 Third Book of Magnus''

The Light is the other side of the Darklight religious war.  The Light shares many of the central beliefs of the Darkness, yet is almost diametrically opposed to the Darkness, which it sees as a corrupt and evil heresy.

Both the Darkness and the Light believe in a form of reincarnation where the individual’s death leads to his being reborn in the same life, with what is essentially another chance to live the same life, perhaps differently this time.  Where the Light differs is that it believes that this is a form of forgiveness granted by the Light, with which the person should try to accomplish the Eternal Mission, which is the Will of the Light, and to achieve the highest potential they can. To the Light, the Cycle of the Temporal is a process by which the person strives to achieve sainthood, and at the End of Time, they shall see Heaven on Earth, while those in the Darkness will perish.

'''Churches'''

''Church of Aeon''

Aeon is the God of Eternity and Fate.  He is a timeless being that has existed since the beginning and is possibly the Creator (the Church seems to think so).  Aeon is considered Omniscient, and by corollary Omnipotent and Omni-benevolent.

Unlike other gods, Aeon is not known to answer prayers directly.  In fact, to pray to Aeon is considered an insult, since Aeon set your fate in motion, and asking for anything that you don’t already have is to insult Aeon’s perfect divine plan.  Nevertheless, Aeon occasionally speaks to and through prophets who carry out His will.

Aeon’s most famous prophet was Xenos.

''Church of Athaeria''

The Church of Athaeria worships the first emperor of Athaeria, Markus Athaerius, who was arguably the most powerful paladin to walk the land.  They believe his eternal spirit mediates with the Gods of Heaven on their behalf.

''Church of Lavender''

“May the blessed sanctuary bring peace to all who seek it.”

Surrounded, yet left alone by the three great empires, the Holy Protectorate of Lavender, also known as the Sanctuary of Lavender, was created by mysterious circumstances.
Legends say that St. Aylia the Peacemaker was killed at the hands of the Obsidian Legion, in a field of lavender flowers during the First Lavender Crusade.  In the ensuing pandemonium that erupted, an entire undead army of the Obsidian Legion and its summoned fiends were completely annihilated, and a mass resurrection occurred that raised every last slain person of the last one hundred years in a ten mile radius.  In addition a powerful field of holy energy saturated the land, such that one attempting to harm another within this area would be unable to complete the task.  Undead cannot enter the hallowed land of Lavender, for one step on the sacred soil turns them to ash.
This event, known as the Awakening, brought an end to the First Lavender Crusade.  Over time, the area affected became known as St. Aylia’s Sanctuary, and later as the legend fell to obscurity, simply the Sanctuary of Lavender.
St. Aylia of Lavender was a devoted follower of Solace throughout her life, and so the church raised in her honour is too.  Though the protectorate of Lavender itself is small, it has many adherents who follow St. Aylia’s words outside of the sanctuary lands.

The Prodigal Child of Lavender is a girl who is found at an early age to show signs of the power of St. Aylia, and is sent to the Cathedral of Lavender to manifest her abilities.  It is said that the child has the power to heal any ailment or wound, even those that normal divine magic cannot.  Unfortunately, it is also said that the child can never leave Lavender or else she will die the moment she touches unsanctified soil.  The child lives only to the age of 30, after which St. Aylia’s blessing becomes a curse.

''Church of Magnus''

Magnus was a prophet of Solace who became so powerful he ascended to the heavens.  During his time in the world, he befriended Markus Athaerius, the paladin emperor of Athaeria, and served him as guide, philosopher, and later advisor.  Magnus believed that the Churches of the world had been corrupted by human meddling, and sought to deconstruct these religions in search of Truth.  The Church of Magnus teaches the Truths he uncovered before his ascension.

Recently the Church has begun calling itself the Magnus Church of Peace to differentiate itself from other more traditional religions.

''Church of Solace''

Solace is the Goddess of Light.  She is believed to be Aeon’s daughter.  Once long ago, she was a physical being, but in a battle with the forces of Darkness, sacrificed her body to remake the sun.  Her soul still rests wherever light shines, and she takes the form of a being of pure light.

The Church of Solace believes that Aeon has lost interest in the world and that Solace now governs it.  Solace is said to answer wise and compassionate prayers.

Solace’s most famous prophet was Magnus.

''Church of Xenos''

The Church of Xenos is a strange almost cult-like religion.  Xenos was a prophet who predicted the fall of the Dorian Empire, proclaiming humans successor to the elves.  Actually he really wanted say that humans were equals to the elves, but his successors were all too used to the Dorian caste system to recognize this, and interpreted him to mean that humans would replace the elves atop the system.  He vanished one day, and his followers helped overthrow the Dorian Empire, and formed the isolated theocracy known today as Xenodoria.

In the year 4302 YND arguably the greatest prophet of recorded history was born in the Dorian Empire.  By 4367 YND, the Dorian Empire had collapsed.  Everyone knows about the thirteen prophesies of Xenos, Fabled Prophet of Aeon, that foretold the fall of the Dorian Empire and many subsequent events.  Currently, eight of the thirteen have been fulfilled, and it is believed the last prophesy foretells the end of the world.
What is not so well known is that there are in fact rumours that Xenos in fact made not thirteen, but thirty prophesies, and some say that number is in fact forty.  Alas, the Xenodorian Church suppresses this view as much as possible.  Unfortunately, this leads to the occasional mad man or charlatan claiming to have one of the forbidden prophecies and trying to pawn off a poor fabrication in order to make a buck, or perhaps manipulate foolish people.
The final prophesy of Xenos is widely thought to predict the end of the world, though the circumstances and whether it is avoidable, is subject to open speculation.

'''The Thirteen Official Prophesies of Xenos'''

'''I'''

Twelve years after the fall of the great emperor whose throne is covered in blood, the false son shall cut apart his father’s inheritance with the stroke of a quill.  The false peace shall end in fire, and the parchment shall burn like the sun.  Swords will be crossed, and brethren shall turn against brethren.  Invaders from the north shall rain blood and fire on the crystal city.  Far below, they shall shout the sky is falling.

'''II'''

From burning ashes shall be reborn the magnificent imperial phoenix, and as the spear of wind shall fly above the battlefield, so shall the eternal war commence.  The earth shall shudder and the children of the mountains shall shout in triumphant victory.  The children of the forest shall scatter as leaves from a dying tree.

'''III'''

From out of the countryside shall arise a champion of the people, to fight the silver-tongued oppressor.  A sign from above shall be the glorious knight’s challenge against the false lord and his tower that reaches the sky.  For twenty generations shall the Emperor of Light and the Emperor of Darkness duel.  They shall scar the world’s fields and the dead shall serve once and forever more in battle.

'''IV'''

A false prophet shall lead the people astray.  He will come cloaked in the garb of wealth and power.  From his pocket will come bad luck and foolishness.  With a serpent tongue he shall betray nations and the masses.  From atop the mountain of gold he shall fall, slain by his own foolishness.

'''V'''

The man called the dragon shall slay the king of dragons and steal his crown.  Though a fierce wind shall blast the world for a time the world will be sheltered from its fury.  The dragons shall see no sun on the horizon and search for another.  The man of many names shall build a house in the sand and send many away like fish.

'''VI'''

The third emperor shall call no god his master.  He shall raise an army like none before.  The sky will sound with roar of his might, but his own power will be his ultimate undoing and his successors shall bear him no likeness.  The worshipers of the law shall ascend to the clouds, and an age of war shall begin.

'''VII'''

Amidst a grave indiscretion shall there be a call to arms, and the rumblings of war shall spread to the land of lavender fields.  There shall the blood of the sacrificed saint be soaked.  Tears from the daughter of angels shall decree the land to be sanctuary.  No sword or fire shall touch this land for a time until the daughter of angels is disgraced, and the blasphemy is uttered.  Then shall vengeance be sought, and again the call to arms shall see the lords of the darkest realms shall suffer for their crimes.

'''VIII'''

A king shall be betrayed by his most trusted.  The princess of the fallen king shall seek sanctuary in lavender fields.  Over her, the sounds of great armies shall echo.  A false king shall use pretenses to declare war, and his allies shall have their boots on his neck.  The army of thunder and metal shall claim the world as their own.

'''IX'''

A fool’s gambit shall bring great harm to the world.  A crack in the sky shall appear as sign to clear sighted, and the gate to unspeakable horror opened for a time.  In the wake of legions, war shall call forth madness.  Only those chosen by the angels shall resist the onslaught, and for a time the lords of darkness shall spread.  The lords shall connive and fight amongst themselves, until divine retribution from the four corners.

'''X'''

At the height of their glory shall the greatest empires fall, in the wake of a sign from beyond the bluest sea.  The invincible fortress will shatter against the weight of the world.  Chaos shall flicker among ruined citadels until the champions of the stars bring order once again.  The sky shall fill with fire and metal riding the clouds, until the castle in the sky is found.

'''XI'''

From the ashes of the ziggurat shall rise a new banner.  An empire of darkness shall cover the land with the sound of clashing swords and the thundering of metal horses.  The lord of madness thinks to himself that he shall claim the power of the gods, but instead shall bring their ire.  Those that play with the fire that created the world shall be burned by it.

'''XII'''

Beware the necromancer and his machinations.  Like a thief in the night shall he steal the prodigal daughter, and turn her into darkness.  Only the childhood’s end will prevent disaster.  A child born with the blood of angels shall make a pact with one with the forbidden wisdom beyond words.  Their protector will be untouched by the power of the elements, and shall slay the Lord of the Dragon’s Empire. 

'''XIII'''

A sign from the heavens shall signal the final act.  The four moons shall unite as one in an unholy ritual.  The elements that bring life to the world shall be bound to wall between today and tomorrow.  The prayer to the deaf God shall be heard, and tear open the very fabric of the elements, and the world shall be unraveled and remade.

Page last modified on December 16, 2023, at 11:16 AM
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