View source for Collected Writings on Ishtarian and Tunarian Beliefs

[[Category:Gaera Main Theology]]
 Origin stories of various theologies of Gaera Main--
 origins of races, religions, gods, scientific and 
 magical phenomena, worlds, and existence itself.

== Excerpts from the Holy Texts of Ishtar ==

=== THE STORY OF THE THREE CREATIONS (language adapted for primary study) ===

==== THE CREATION OF STRUCTURED CHAOS ====

"At one time, all was Pure Chaos. Then, from and by the Nature of Pure Chaos, was born Structured Chaos, otherwise known to some as Existence. The birth of Structured Chaos was the Beginning of It All.

"The first to emerge from Structured Chaos came to be called Ishtar, the Mother of All. From her Chaotic Birth she inherited half of the known Knowledge of Chaos.

"The second Being to emerge from Structured Chaos was Primaer, the Father of All. He inherited the remaining half of the legacy of Chaotic Knowledge.

"Pure Chaos might have reabsorbed Structured Chaos, if not for this. When the Mother of All and the Father of All combined their knowledge, their power became equal and balancing to that of Pure Chaos. In this manner did the First Two, Guardians of Structured Chaos, secure their Immortality.

==== THE CREATION OF THE LESSER GODS ====

"For an unknown amount of time, Ishtar and Primaer spent their Existence simply enjoying Existence. It then occurred to Ishtar to Share Existence with Others, in the same way that she and Primaer Shared Knowledge with Each Other. Pleased with this idea, Primaer agreed, and the two combined their Knowledge to create the Lesser Gods.

"The first step to making the Lesser Gods was to create Matter and Energy. And so, Primaer made Matter; with a wave of his hand, water, earth, and air came into being. Ishtar, meanwhile, created Energy, which included fire, light, and shadow.

"Primaer then took his Matter, and Ishtar took her Energy, and together they molded these materials, and then Ishtar breathed life into the Molds. The Molds, once animated, became the Lesser Gods.

==== THE CREATION OF MORTALS ====

"Yet these Lesser Gods, in time, began to show their Chaotic Nature. They were riddled with flaws, and as they grew ancient, proved to be static in their faults. Because of these faults, some of the Lesser Gods even came to be reclaimed by Pure Chaos. Thus came to Exist Death.

"It then occurred to Primaer to create another breed of Beings to balance the flaws of the Lesser Gods. Pleased with this idea, Ishtar agreed, and the two once again combined their Knowledge.

"The first step to creating Mortals was creating a place for them to live. For this, Primaer took some of his Matter, which was unstructured and without form, much Pure Chaos. Ishtar then took some of her Energy, and bound the Matter together. This is how Gaera was made. Next, Primaer took smaller bits of Matter and Ishtar breathed life into them. The bits, once animated, became what we know as Mortals.

"These new creatures received a special Gift from each the Mother and the Father of All. Incorporating the newest Knowledge he came to possess, Primaer's gift to the Mortals was Death. Ishtar's gift, meanwhile, was the ability to create other Mortals.

"Through Primaer's Gift of Death, a myriad of new Knowledges came to be known, including the Knowledge of Time, Compromise, Change, and Growth. The Gods themselves learned from these lessons.

"Through Ishtar's Gift of Life, the existence of Mortals was stabilized in a way that the Lesser Gods' was not. It was through the medium of and example by these Mortals that the Existence of the Lesser Gods was stabilized; the Mortals' existence, however, needed to rely on no outside beings to be stabilized."

=== THE THREAT OF NOTHING (language adapted for primary study) ===

"Everything is born of the Purest form of Chaos, which in itself is beyond the Comprehension of Mortals; the opposite of all Chaos is Nothingness.

"From Pure Chaos were born many things, most of which have since returned to Pure Chaos. There were and are only two things which emerged from Chaos that continue to Be, separate from Pure Chaos. They are Structured Chaos and the force known as Entropy.

"Entropy wishes to bring all to Nothingness. Should It ever succeed, Nothing will Be, and all of Pure and Structured Chaos will cease Being. Once achieved, Nothing will never allow for there to be Chaos again. Nothing and only Nothing will ever Be from then on."

-- [[User:Pdrydia|Pdrydia]]

=== THE STORY OF THE GODS' WAR (language adapted for primary study) ===

"After the balancing of the Lesser Gods by the creation of Mortals, All was well and peaceful for a time. However, each of the Lesser Gods had soon developed a different Plan for the best way to care for Gaera and to guide its Mortals. No Agreement could be reached amongst them All, and for this Reason, Rivalry amongst the Lesser Gods grew, until at one point, there was a War.

"Each God brought under their Name flights of Dragons, in numbers Gaera shall never see again. Large moutains of the World were used as a Hatching Ground for these Dragons, who were bred and raised for the mere purpose of waging the Gods' War.

"The War was pointless yet long. Many of the Dragons and many of other Mortal races died, returning forever to Pure Chaos. Yet even the Mortal Dragons, made by the Lesser Gods to serve their Purposes, would only Live with this Injustice for so long, for they Feared Death, and yearned for Life.

"Some Dragons shed their scales, by Ishtar's Magic, and took on the first Human form. These new Creatures fled into the mountains' forests and hid.

"Still Others lost their wings and buried themselves deeply into the earth and stone of the mountains.

"The Others who stayed behind decided to work with Each Other. Fighting side-by-side, the remaining Dragons fought the Will of the Lesser Gods with Valiant Effort never before seen.

"Some of the Lesser Gods, seeing what the Mortals accomplished, decided to band together as well, however, they had no Time to try. At this time, Ishtar saw what her sons and daughters were doing, and she Wept. Primaer then saw the results of the War, and grew Angry. Together they ended the war, once and for All.

"There has been no War since, as at that Time did Primaer make a Declaration. If ever again the Gods should wage War upon each other, he would return all of the World, Energy, Matter, Mortals, and all of the Gods themselves, to Pure Chaos once again. And therefore, when the Option of War thusly taken away, the Lesser Gods were forced to apply the Knowledge of Compromise.

-- [[User:Choark|Choark]] Edited by: [[User:Pdrydia|Pdrydia]]

== Excerpts from the essays of Kangae, Ishtarian theologian, c. 914 ==

=== A DISCOURSE ON GOOD AND EVIL ===

"...and while many things came from pure chaos, only two of them could exist without being reclaimed. These are, according to the Story of the Threat of Nothing, structured chaos and entropy. To understand why these are the only two things which can exist separate of pure chaos, one could think of them in terms of perfection; structured chaos is perfect good, and entropy is perfect evil.

"Specifically, Ishtar and Primaer are the perfect good. As children of perfect good, it is our duty to oppose the force of entropy in any way that we can. This is our purpose in life..."

=== A DISCOURSE ON THE NATURE OF MORTALITY ===

"...It can be interpreted to mean, therefore, that life and death are but mere reflections of the cycle of energy rising from structured chaos and then falling back to pure chaos.

"However, the question remains as to what is it to be mortal.

"To the vast majority of the uneducated populace, mortality is defined as the simple ability to die. However, there is the convincing argument, in the story of the three creations, that death came even before mortals. The prevailing opinion amongst theologians, mages, and other scholars is that gods can indeed die. Obviously, then, a new and different definition of mortality is needed.

"In response to this, some philosophers have offered the explanation that to be mortal is to face the inevitability of death. Yet think on this; if gods can die, and they exist forever, and given the infinite span of possibilities of chaos, doesn't it make sense that each and every god will eventually fall back into pure chaos? Is it not the nature of chaos to eventually experience all things possible -- even death? To avoid any one thing, even death, is perverting chaos into something else entirely.

"Having discarded the two most prevalent definitions, we are still without a definition of mortality. Therefore, I wish to tentatively propose a new one of my own creation...

"The lesser gods were the first creation of Ishtar and Primaer and thusly (and arguably) the most imperfect. The knowledge gained from the creation and existence of the lesser gods was used by the Mother and Father of All in the creation of mortals. It follows, then, that more knowledge was put into the creation of mortals than that of the lesser gods. If it were not generally considered blasphemous to say so, it would have been suggested many years before that one way to view mortality is to consider it the more perfect form of existence out of the two. It could even be said that mortality is third type and form of godhood.

"Why is it considered blasphemous to say that mortals are more perfect than the lesser gods? It is because it implies, by association, that they are more perfect than Ishtar and Primaer themselves. We tend to think of the three on an hierarchy of decreasing perfection that corresponds with their creation; the less time the beings have been in existence, the more imperfect. It is commonly accepted that Ishtar and Primaer are the most perfect beings possible, and many belief systems are based on this. Therefore, to suggest that humans are not the least perfect beings is to suggest, to many, that they are the most perfect beings, and that Ishtar and Primaer are in fact the least. And, naturally, to say this is to challenge the founding beliefs of religions across all of Gaera.

"I am not arguing, however, that we mortals are more perfect than the First Two. I believe that they are the most perfect beings possible -- only through this were they spared the reduction into pure chaos to which we others are fated. However, does this necessitate that the lesser gods are the second most perfect beings possible? I personally believe that the answer is no. And here, the language of the story of creation is misleading.

"We tend to think of the three on an hierarchy of perfection that corresponds with their order of creation. It is not fair to think of it in this way, however, because Ishtar and Primaer were not truly created. Creation implies a sentient agent; however, pure chaos is but a mere force, and not an thinking being. Of the trio in question, only the lesser gods and the mortals were created by beings. Therefore, it does make sense and it does not challenge fundamental beliefs to consider Ishtar and Primaer as the most perfect, followed by the mortals, and then the lesser gods..."

=== A COMPARISON OF ISHTARIAN AND TUNARIAN BELIEFS ON CREATION ===

"While there are myriad stories of creation, the most commonly accepted are the Istharian and Tunarian stories. These two share many similarities, however there are still many significant differences between the two. These differences are cause for much heated debate amongst scholars of each respective school of belief, each convinced of their own right. An examination of the two reveals some fascinating similarities and differences.

"While both Ishtarians and Tunarians generally agree that Isthar and Primaer were the ones to create the lesser gods, they differ on the question of who made mortals. Indeed, it is from this difference that the two respective schools of thought derive their common name; Ishtarians claim that Ishtar created all mortals, while Tunarians maintain that Tunare was the one to do so. Tunarians further claim that Ishtar and Primaer leave the world to its own affairs, and that Tunare is the one to watch after and occassionally guide mortals, while Istharians say that the First Two are still very active in world affairs.

"Support for Tunarian belief hinges on many things; however, most of the stronger arguments rely on the words of the Tunarian scriptures, which have only gone through one major translation. The Ishtarian texts, meanwhile, have gone through at least two, therefore supposedly leaving more room for error. This argument, however, might not be very convincing, when it is taken into account that the single translation of the Tunarian Book of Ishtar was performed and recorded by an elven scholar at a time of particularly intense conflict with the drow. This can be seen, perhaps, in the fact that Tunarian philosophy maintains a low level of importance for chaos -- an element revered by drow."

== Excerpts from the essays of Aenrune Willowbranch, Tunarian theologian, c. the late 1200s ==

=== UNTITLED (translated into Common) ===

"...All has come from Nothing, and to Nothing must All once return. In time All will be Nothing, as was Fated in the beginning at the Beginning of It All. To fear the coming of Nothing is to fear the inevitable. To try to impede it is futile. Nothing is our Fate as Mortals. This we must accept..." 

-- [[User:Pdrydia|Pdrydia]]

== Excerpts from the personal diaries of Aenrune Willowbranch, Tunarian theologian, c. the late 1200s ==

=== UNTITLED (translated into Common) ===

"...it has been many Phases since I have written, hunted by my fellow brother for my differing beliefs. My following is small, but unfortunately, the masses do not realize that we are not a cult, but rather, an enlightened group. I have been ostracized for the belief of the return of Tunare in her final form -- one of anti- Creation. From the beginning we were designed to believe All would end, completing the Cycle, but many have strayed. It makes no difference. Someday, the Lúrë will come, and Nothing will begin. Then it will all be undenyable. No longer will the people refute my claims -- and no longer shall I care, as we shall have returned to Nothing. The truth will shine.

"I fear not my own death, for I have realized the cycle of life and death is unstoppable, and do not wish to try. Were it possible, I would disregard the possibility, the possibility itself being a violation of the laws of Creation. My death will not be an end, but the first of many, for as I lie bleeding, expunged as a heretic, or my feet swing in the gallows, I will be praised on high in an existence more glorious than our own. I will cease to exist. I will be as God."

== Excerpts from the writings of Lambë Heru, c. 1293 ==

=== SOME NOTES ON THE TRANSLATION OF AENRUNE'S WRITINGS ===

"...it is often said Aenrune was as chaotic as his writings depict, but further evidence of such can be divined from reading his writings in their original form. Aenrune's hasty notes are barely coherant, even to the most fluent speakers, and many of his ideas are either too poetic to translate literally or have no translation whatsoever which fits in any context.

"An example exists in Aenrune's usages of the word hroa, literally translating to body, although it can be used in other contexts as a general substitute for the concept of 'physical matter.' Aenrune describes, in some cases, his concept of the perfect being as being 'without body,' but, according to contextual details, his allusions are more towards the ultimate form of existence as being nonexistence--which, when read in elvish, is a terribly paradoxical statement, even moreso than in the common tongue. Elvish etymology indicates a lack of a word truly describing 'nonexistence,' so Aenrune chooses to insert poetic notes, sometimes referring to it as pendë, or 'slope, depression,' and occasionally as yáwë, or 'cleft, ravine.'

"Lastly is Aenrune's usage of the word lúrë, a word describing 'dark weather.' His usage of it as a proper noun renders it untranslatable within context, but outside of my linguistic knowledge, I am forced to ponder: is it a reference to the end of creation?"

-- [[User:Archmage|Archmage]]

== Excerpts from a study of religion by Bridget Mondieu, religious scholar, c. 1282 ==

=== AN INTRODUCTION ===

"...Certainly, Aenrune's beliefs are not typical of Tunarian philosophers of any time perioud. Most Tunarians agree with Ishtarians that Nothing is something we can and should work together to avoid. Aenrune himself, on the other hand, has a rather fatalistic and pessimistic view of Nothing. Perhaps this is a result of the influence of the recent fall of Britiana.

"Of course, we cannot dismiss the value of Aenrune's writings purely based on the fact that we may not like the possibilities his thoughts suggest. Returning briefly to a previous discussion, remember that Kangae himself was poisoned by a colleague -- murdered for advocating what were, in his time, unconventional beliefs. We often forget this today when reading his works, forgetting that the reason why Kangae's beliefs appear unoriginal at first glance is because he set a standard for theological thought and analysis for years to come.

"Of course, just because Kangae's views are widely accepted does not mean that Aenrune's might one day become such. Rather, the importance of Aenrune's musings lie not in their wide following, but rather in the influence of their small following. While Aenrune has since passed on today, his original followers continue to exert a noticeable influence on Kalshanan politics today, despite their small numbers..."

-- [[User:Pdrydia|Pdrydia]]

== Excerpts from a study of religion by Bridget Mondieu, religious scholar, c. 1281 ==

=== COMMON PRAYERS ===

Prayer of Ashura:

Oh Holy Ashura, holder of heaven, hear my prayer.
Give us today what we need and love! Our breath, our food, our friendships!
Rule on Gaera as you do in the heavens! With sovereignty and mercy!
Redeem us for our wrongdoing, as we ask redemption for wrongdoers!
For yours is all our world, and those who dwell in it!
So let it be!

-- [[User:KingOfDoma|KingOfDoma]]

== Excerpts from a study of religion by Bridget Mondieu, religious scholar, c. 1282 ==

=== NOTES ON VARIOUS DEITIES ===

[[Gaera Main Deities]]

=== NOTES ON THE ELEMENTAL LORDS ===

"All of the Elemental Lords share certain qualities: They can all be benevolent or malevolent at a whim, and they usually distance themselves from the activities of mortals, though they pay a good deal of attention to their worshippers.

"--Elemental Lord of Earth, Mekk--

"Mekk is a patient and wise Deity, slow to act and anger. He refuses to become involved in the petty squabbling of his siblings, content to concentrate all his attention on his portfolio and his worshippers.

"Usually portrayed as a broad shouldered, well muscled, bearded man made of earth, Mekk rarely has occasion to take on mortal form. When he does so it is usually the pre-mentioned form or that of a male or female with a certain earthy quality to their flesh tones.

"Mekk’s High Temple is on the continent of Igala, hidden deep in the Shumans.

"Mekk’s Followers

"Karl Damantz, Paladin of Earth -– Mekk’s champion on Gaera, a human warrior who also possesses a keen mind and the patience and wisdom to be a talented mediator. Karl spends his days wandering, exploring, and adventuring. He wields the elemental mace Tremor.

"The High Temple Guard –- A group of warrior priests who wield pickaxes to deadly effect.

"--Elemental Lord of Air, Wistaire--

"Wistaire is a whimsical and carefree Deity.

"He is typically portrayed as a tall, wisp of a man, with skin and hair of in light tones of blue, though Wistaire takes on many forms, depending on his whim.

"Wistaire’s Followers

"Lucia Ferrena, Paladin of Air -– Wistaire’s champion is an elven girl, the equivalent of 12 years old, who has light blue tints to her skin and hair. Lucia was marked as the Paladin of Air from birth. She wields the elemental shortbow Breeze.

"--Elemental Lord of Fire, Freneth--

"The Mistress of Flame is the most temperamental of the elemental lords. She has a longstanding hatred of both her brother Wistaire and her sister Sarahane.

"She is usually portrayed as a beautiful woman with fiery hair, and this is the form she takes most often.

"Freneth’s Followers

"Laena Carnn, Paladin of Fire -– The champion of Freneth, a part usagijin sorceress, looks very much like her deity’s physical form, other than her ears and tail -– she is beautiful and she knows it, wearing dresses that show off her curves and as much flesh as she can get away with. She wields the elemental axe Inferno.

"The Brotherhood of the Flame -– This sorcerous brotherhood is diverse, but all members share two things in common -– a fascination with fire, and the desire to share the flame’s majesty with others. Naturally, interpretations of “sharing the flame’s majesty” are as diverse as the members themselves...

"--Elemental Lord of Water, Sarahane--

"Sarahane’s wisdom rivals that of Mekk, but she is much quicker to act and anger than her brother.

"Water’s Lady is most often portrayed as a turquoise skinned female with long, flowing, green hair.

"Sarahanes’ Followers

"Amarno Steale, Paladin of Water -– The Paladin of Water is a middle aged human male who spends most of his days on his ship, Sea Daughter. He wields the elemental blade Wave. His ship, his crew, and himself are near legendary among the seafaring community -- A lot of ships have attacked Sea Daughter, most never get as far as the ship, being swallowed by freak waves. The crew of those that do soon fall prey to Wave and Steale's highly trained and very loyal crew. Other exploits of his include passing through the Shattered Sea, both ways, with his ship and his entire crew unscathed. 

-- Lord McBastard, Ash Fanrico, [[User:Spleen|Spleen]], Blaze Yamato Spirit

== Excerpts from the writings of Deinar Russet, c. 1310 ==

=== DEINAR RUSSET ON THE WARDEN (an extract) ===

"The Warden is not a widely known deity. Indeed, scholars of the widely practised religions will no doubt be accusing me of making him up in their minds as they read this work. Let me assure you he exists - enough people recognise his existence and believe in the causes he advocates for his continued existence. This work is not intended to see the light of day...though I imagine when I die it will find it’s way into the dark recesses of some library or other, or perhaps into a collection.
<br><br>
"But I digress. The topic on hand is the Warden, a deity whom I follow - not as a worshipper, you understand. The relationship between the Lost God and his wardens is more of an employer-employee relationship.
<br><br>
"This unassuming deity wants nor needs any worshippers - the fewer that know his existence, the better. His few followers, known as wardens, don’t worship him - he treats them more or less as equals, never ordering them to do anything - he has never had to, as the wardens, know that any task asked of them is important and just, and thus a worthy cause.
<br><br>
"The Warden’s original portfolio became redundant many hundreds of years ago, and since then he has been quietly observing Gaera. Only now is he making his presence truly felt - the majority of his wardens have been recruited within the last few generations.
<br><br>
"Wardens are recruited from all walks of life, but nevertheless posses three things in common - a kind heart, a sense of justice, and the strength of will to do what is right and just. They currently number just over a hundred members worldwide. Usually, another of their number with the Warden’s permission swears in each warden (though the Warden himself tattoos them), and they must learn and swear to adhere to, as best they can, the warden’s code, which is as follows:
<ul>
*Never hesitate to do the right thing.
*Always be willing to sacrifice for a cause that you believe in.
*Never abandon a worthy cause.
*Recognise the difference between righting a wrong and committing yet more injustice, and be able to act on this knowledge.
*Put the lives of innocents above your own.
*Never compromise your adherence to the code for personal gain.
*Be prepared to take on the causes of others, even when you have your own to see through.
*Treat others with the same respect you expect from them, even if that respect isn’t returned.
*Always judge in a wise and just manner.
*Never lose faith in the code, the world and the people around you, and most importantly, yourself.</ul>
<br><br>
"There are two types of warden: I term them active wardens, who tend to have martial and/or diplomatic skills, and actively work to fulfil their duties, and inactive wardens, who fulfil their duties as and when situations come up, rather than going to look for causes to pursue. May inactive wardens have jobs that require them to stay in one place.
<br><br>
"Wardens work alone, for the most part. Occasionally a group will get together, but it doesn’t happen frequently - because few wardens fulfil their duty in the same areas, more than anything else. When wardens do meet they recognise each other by way of the wardens’ tattoo and the warden’s salute.
<br><br>
"The tattoo takes the form of a tiny black image on the fleshy part between index finger and thumb. There are three, two for active wardens, and one for wardens that are inactive.
<br><br>
''Active wardens’ tattoos:''
<ul>
* a hawk superimposed over a rose.
* a mongoose shaking a snake’s tail with one paw (this tattoo was recently introduced after the angel [[Enlil]]’s recruitment into the ranks. From that point on, all wardens who rely on diplomatic abilities wore this tattoo).</ul>
<br><br>
''Inactive warden’s tattoo:'' a dragon curled around an egg. 
<br><br>
"Should a warden’s role ever change, his or her tattoo should change to reflect their new role.
<br><br>
"The tattoos have another purpose - to alert the warden to the fact that either another warden or the Warden himself requires their aid.
<br><br>
"The warden will be alerted to the fact that he should check his tattoo by a warmth spreading through him with the tattoo as its point of origin. This same warmth is felt when the tattoo is originally placed on the warden, and it is a feeling not soon forgotten.
<br><br>
"If the tattoo is glowing white, the Warden has need of them, and they should do their best to reach his location.
<br><br>
"It the tattoo has been replaced by an arrow, there is a warden, somewhere in the direction that the arrow is pointing, that requires assistance, either generally, or specifically from a certain warden. The clearer the arrow, the closer the warden.
<br><br>
"If the arrow is red, the warden seeking aid is in a life or death situation. In all truth, this is rarely helpful - few wardens possess the ability to reach their comrade in time to make any real difference. By the time they reach the area, the warden who called them will either be dead or not. On the other hand, wardens have been returned to safety after being near critically injured because they had the sense of mind to call for aid. At the very least, it allows other wardens to recover their body for an honourable burial (or cremation, etc., depending on the warden’s preference).
<br><br>
"A warden activates this call by pressing a thumb to the tattoo. Doing the same again revokes it. If the warden who activates the call does before revoking it, the summons remains active until their body is recovered or the Warden himself revokes it.
<br><br>
"The warden’s salute is a method by which a warden can make himself to known to an individual he or she suspects is also a warden, when for some reason their tattoo is concealed.
<br><br>
"The warden places his or her tattooed hand to their opposite breast, palm down, fingers splayed, to allow a clear view of their tattoo, then presses a thumb to the tattoo while thinking of the suspected warden - thusly invoking the call. If they are indeed a warden, by now they will know they are in good company and will reveal their own tattoo.
<br><br>
-- Blaze Yamato Spirit