Letters between the faithful

[X-Haelyn's Aegis/RK (Andy)]

This short string isn't a story as such, its a series of letters between my Marshal of doctrine and various others regarding points of the faith, etc that explain how I see a church of Haelyn operating in a Pantheonic world.  I've used the 'Lords of light' as a catch-all term for the good/neutral gods for want of a better term to hand.  I've also tried to think of how the church would have interpreted the Battle of Mount Deismaar, and came down on them considering canon a heresy...

[X-Haelyn's Aegis/RK (Andy)]

On matters of purity of the faith regarding a pantheon in service to most Holy Haelyn

Marshal Loeren Maricoere, chief savant of Doctrine for the Aegis, scowled as she read the reports of the faithful, yet again!  Druids of Aerik beaten in Cwlddon as they prayed for rain – at the request of their local Marshal no less.  A factor in Tenarion threatened for paying tithe to both the Aegis and his local chapel of Sera – which of course itself answered to the Aegis.  On and on a litany of excessive testosterone and youthful idiocy that seemed to grow resurgent every time the inquisition turned away.

Did these fools truly believe that the church of Haelyn had no room for other faiths?  That sister chapels should not merely look to the Aegis for guidance and direction, but also shun entirely their own patron?

The last missive was particularly worrying, tales of ‘corrected’ prayers for harvest, recovery and solace that carefully excised mention of the lesser Lords of Light.  Taking up her quill Loeren swiftly penned her response, it would be sent unsealed – and the gossips of the order would swiftly ensure that the message was heard across the Aegis.


To Captain Brosen, regarding the Dhalsiel Book of Laws

The inquisition has become aware of a new translation of the Book of Laws from ancient Andu into modern Anuirean, while we welcome study of The Book, we are concerned that the translation fails to recognise the role of all the Gods in His plans for His realm.  I speak, as you are no doubt already aware, of the growing intolerance within our order for those who swear their faith to one of His vassals rather than directly to He, Himself.

I recognise the fervor of these templars, and given proper guidance would welcome it.  But it is misdirected here.  Purity they say, undivided strength in a unified faith.  They rail against our affiliated chapters and those churches welcoming the junior clergy.  What rubbish!  What folly! This seductive demagogue’s rhetoric shows nothing but utter disdain for the teachings of most Holy Haelyn Himself. He is no mere god of warriors, or tempest, or honour. No!  He is far more; font of all nobility, source of all law, paragon of all justice, master of reason, King of the gods of light!

Pray tell me, if He scorns not the service of his wife and son, the service of the courtiers most luminous, why should we ignore his example and scorn their followers?  All the lords of light are welcome in his court, and each granted pomp and position that they might aid his faithful as he directs – and so must be in his church.

Welcome does not of course mean that we, as in lesser misguided faiths, should ever tolerate the junior clergy as equals or masters.  Just as bright Avani kneels before her King, so must her faithful answer our call and follow our guidance.  Just as faithful Erik tends his King’s garden and directs its growth, so must his druids guide the planting and harvesting of the land as suit the needs of the people.

These fools, who consider themselves purest and highest amongst our number seek by their actions not merely to prove themselves and their intolerant creed better than those of us who follow the true tenets of the faith, no, far worse, they seek to prove themselves better than most Holy Haelyn himself who welcomes the services of the lords of light as his vassals and courtiers.  To talk of demanding that our junior chapters and clergy forswear their oaths and pledge to most Holy Haelyn alone or face punitive retribution is thus to talk heresy and risk embracing apostasy; and the devouring dark of the Shadow World waits for those who do not recant and seek penance.

Pray remind your brethren about the purpose of the feudal order, and praise Him for proving exemplar of same, and His wisdom in the choice of his vassals.  Pray ensure that the discourse of Saint Adaere and prelate Saebra of the Orthodox Imperial temple on this very matter is taught – and preferably also the subject of your sermons this coming Godsday that they understand the centrality of His way to our order.

Marshal Loeren Maricoere

[X-Haelyn's Aegis/RK (Andy)]

Marshal Maricoere smiled at the nun who brought her the morning missives and idly stirred her tea, Red Aelir from Ariya, one must allow oneself a few luxuries to remind the soul to soar in the temporal realms as much as the spiritual.  The hot tea soothed her and she absently reminded herself to pen a note to the novices and nuns studying in the temple on the folly of mixing milk with tea, they will be adding honey like peasants next thought Loeren, culture is wasted on my brethren I fear, but mayhap with guidance they will learn wisdom.  The third missive she read took away much of her good mood however.  The Aegis had been torn between its militant and doctrinal arms for centuries, the strife was generally vocal, but every few years the martial wing became less restrained.

Sister Haelaene, convent of St. Paeghan.

I grieve at your words my sister, no one blessed with grace should ever have cause to feel fear whilst in the lands of the faithful, much less suffer threats and blandishments from those within our blessed order.  I shall pray that our more boisterous colleagues gain the grace necessary to balance their exuberance, and issue guidance on their training to encourage the gaining of such wisdom.

What these foolish boys – and inevitably it will be young men at the core of the trouble – fail to understand is the role of the Aegis.  Long ago at our founding we were indeed an order of Paladins and Templars sent hither and yon at the command of the Pontiff to defend the faithful in the barbarous provinces of the land – Talinie, Coeranys and Elenie at first, and later Mhoried and Hjalsone.  This was a righteous role and a proud one, but it is a role that we have long since grown beyond.

There is far more needed of a knight of the Aegis today than a strong arm, keen eye, or courageous heart.  For centuries now we have not merely guarded, the faithful of the borderlands, but guided them in the right path in the temporal world and spiritual world both.  We are champions now not merely of men’s bodies, but also of their souls – and the latter is a more vital task by far.

So fear not, indeed rejoice.  Your efforts to bring order and justice to your parish are not, as your detractors suggest, without purpose, or honour, not wasted effort or distraction from our purpose; rather they are our true calling, our heart, and the purpose for all their martial training and posturing.  If our metal-shod brothers find themselves so weighed down by their heavy helms that they fail to understanding such obvious truths, then we must be forbearing – but unyielding.  For all that Morcosoer requires the gifts they prize highest, our heartlands require our skills more.  In time, with the wit championed by every law priest and the courage that is the passion of every templar, a trait we share in fullest measure, we will be victorious and our brothers accept their role and ours both.

May Haelyn’s peace be upon you and his justice light your path.

Marshal Loeren Maricoere.

[X-Haelyn's Aegis/RK (Andy)]

Marshal Loeren chewed the nib of her quill concerned about the problem she faced.  Approach after approach she had considered and discarded – arguments after argument had failed to win understanding.  Her militant brethren supported her from duty but failed to truly understand the urgency of the issue from the Inquisition's point of view.  No, it was time to write to the one person with the wisdom to understand the situation and the knowledge of the arguments she would need to deploy to win her case.


To Maester Anduvael Geren, on a matter of doctrinal purity.

Whilst debate on theology is normally a matter of joy, and exhilaration, a pastime that clarifies the mind and exalts the spirits, from time to time one of the flock develops a flawed yet stubborn interpretation that requires correction.  Mostly these errors are corrected readily by guidance and patience, but as you know every now and again, in even the most faithful, the error is persistent.

One must then decide whether to enforce doctrine, and risk injuring those good at heart if generally unburdened by the cares of wisdom, or to tolerate the flawed understanding and seek to contain it until it wither harmlessly through the effluxion of time, or turn it to triviality or esoteric wondering that others will shun.  These decisions are however fraught with risk, for as you know full well, mishandled misunderstanding may become heresy and threaten the faith in ways no less dangerous for their being words and thoughts rather than arms and deeds, and so I would seek a measure of guidance from your most learned self on how to proceed.

The matter on which I am forced to write seeking guidance, regards the transubstantiation and ascendance of Haelyn and the lesser Lords of Light at the Battle of Mount Deismaar at the conclusion of the War of the Shadow (yes, I know, how often must we contend with misunderstanding on this ancient yet eternally vital issue?!)

Specifically, when Holy Anduiras vanquished the Shadow and banished it from Aebrynis, did he lay his mantle on Haelyn as heir and then pass beyond in sad yet necessary penance for deicide, and the rending of the world attendant on such, or did Anduiras and his vassals pass beyond, and most Holy Haelyn and his vassals then ascend as their most worthy heirs?

You will see at course the danger in the arguments, that these misguided templars see as mere abstract curiosity and speculation.  But to lay out, for purpose of clarity in my mind if nothing else; the heresies that they appear to risk falling into are as follows:

The Heresy of the Black Prince
Ambition consumes many men, and the greater the prize perceived, the more readily greed leads to black ambition that overpowers reason and Haelyn’s laws.  If one can inherit godhood by virtue of command and followers; then that ‘ultimate prize’ risks spurring in turn the ultimate betrayals in order to gather the power necessary to achieve it.  Thus is the fabric of the faith, and indeed society, torn asunder and consumed in the quest for godhood through the domination of ones fellows.

The Heresy of the Sidhe
The gods are mightier than any nation, more glorious than any poet’s prose, more magnificent than the finest song, more complex than the finest scholar can know.  Yet some still claim that these luminous beings can die, that they can indeed be killed.  The Shadow was cast into the void between worlds, never to return so long as men hold their faith, the old gods passed beyond and granted their mantle to their heirs, to claim otherwise is to reduce the gods from immaculate immortality to frail mortality, and so declare them no more than mighty heroes – and so undermine the very basis of all faith.

The Heresy of the Diabolyk
If the gods claimed their mantle by absorbing the power of the old gods, and became more than mortal, then such a thing could re-occur if a scion was to usurp sufficient numbers of scions.  And so the path of the awnsheghlien becomes seen as the path of wisdom and thus embraced.

The Heresy of the Vos
While the truth that the gods of the Light were granted their mantle by their predecessors that man continue be guided and protected is well known, the secret of the dark twins stole their power is hidden from the flock – with of course good reason.  The Heresy of the Vos claims that these twisted demons hold the power of true gods, such lies lead men to embrace demonology and corruption of their flesh and damns their souls to the devouring dark.

The Heresy of the Forsaken
Lastly, the Heresy of the Sidhe as twisted by the despairing forsaken.  If the gods were slain, and the new gods simply claimed their mantle fifteen centuries ago, then why have none ascended since?  As the chain of logics descends in ever decreasing spirals into despair the faithful lose all faith entirely, and become convinced that there are no gods, that the miracles we see every day are merely the whims of fate, spirits of nature, or sorcery.  Bereft utterly of hope and despairing of any afterlife this Heresy leads inevitably to madness and ruin.


So far none of the flock have strayed into considering the heresies noted, nor any of the lesser heresies.  However I fear to use the rhetorics of Liemen of Avani or Faelen of Nesirie, or the overwhelming arguments so ably put forth by Prelate Mourde.  My fear is simple, by teaching of these truths, one inevitably must teach of the lies that these worthies dispelled – and the lies are seductive whilst the counter arguments require strong faith and reason to truly take root in the soul.  I have tried to use Sister Raenae’s discourse on the Book of Laws, however they yet ponder.

So I ask, have you other arguments that I might try?  Have you suggestions on how to proceed if not through gentle reason?   Are there other heresies from which they must be steered?  Any guidance you might provide would be welcome; for the folk concerned are good souls if clearly a little slow.  I had considered having them sent to separate missions into Morocosoer – but is there a risk that I will simply multiply the issue?

In hope that you may answer this conundrum

Marshal Loeren Maricoere