STORY LINE

Strangers who entered the realm of Eriduah [in the west of the world], were quickly noted for being different. Immigrants were referred to by the residing people as the worldly, goat-like, wayward, the unknowns; but those who became citizens of the realm were called The Remembered of The Gathering. If a citizen refused to continue in the religious system they would be scorned, and shunned for being “Apostates”, betrayers of the faith. To be a citizen one had gone to the city of Mithar [the Remembered] and stand before the King to publicly request salvation. Of one’s own free willingness they had to attend the Houses of Learning, built at the base of the Lighthouse called Varlendur [Tower of Strong Friends].

Only having ascended through the Watchtower’s Four Houses could a person earn the possibility of eternal salvation from the Doom to come. The diamond tattoo on the left hand denoted the completion of the four degrees, which declared Eru’s favor upon their merits. Only through this divinely ordained system were new immigrants taught: the language of Sinquinto, the history, and religion of Mithar, basic trade skills, and tutors to teach them to others. Of these servants, those who were serious about obtaining passage through the end of the world to come accepted the Rings of Fellowship. To the uninitiated, the rings were mere symbols of devotion, but from that class were the spiritual leaders chosen. These were the Anointed Candidates of the higher calling. They first began as Scribes, who would meticulously reproduce copies of the oldest documents, these in turn would be known as Holy Text.

The Holy Texts were all of the original documents and letters of the Founding Fathers. They wrote and spoke of creating a new people after the end of The Great War, and the mass exile of the ancient elves. Later these, along with oral traditions and celebrations were mandatorily gathered and re-edited; in what came to be known as The Great Purge. These heavily standardized copies were represented as especially bounded Seven Volumes of Truth. These were gifted from the King’s Priest to the seven largest cities of the realm of Eriduah, those being: Mithar, Elosh, Mishvek, Uruk, Sinjar, Kathos, and Lindol. It was the second King, Legandriel who commissioned a Meeting Hall to be constructed in each one of the seven cities. The Halls were to be exact duplicates of The Great Hall in Mithar. They housed the sacred library, where everyone in the city or realm could come read, study, and discuss the works openly for themselves.

Under the reign of the fourth King, Koral came what was to be called The Second Purge or The Organization of the Order of the Brotherhood. It began with replacing the seven ancient volumes with a single tome. It also came with a new structure of leadership which was greatly diminished to just a few men, as women were to be submissive with no teaching role. Women could only be Scribe, and in their youth only. The ritualistic tattoo markings were done away with, yet the Rings of Fellowship were retained. Few of the old, the anointed class were reappointed into the new organization. The Order had Ministerial servants, who answered to the Council of Elders, who answered to Guardian Overseers, who reported to the High Overseer, who was the second to his Lordship High Priest. The Lord High Priest was the spiritual advisor to the King, Eru’s hand upon the land.

Every three years the Order of the Brotherhood held their Great Assemblage within the city of Mithar. Other cities desired to hold these mass gatherings, yet none could house the whole of the seven Halls. Uruk could have but its Lord, Katamel-hada sought plans of his own rulership, but that is lore for another telling.

The time of the Assemblage became more than continuing to retain or appoint new members of the Elder’s Council and Overseers but making changes called doctrines and New Light. Only in the Meeting Halls did the local people gather, but during the great Assemblages, everyone was thrilled to meet others in the Truth of Varlendur. Songs were sung, and over time these and the special talks delivered by Silas, the Master Quill, were heard and recorded. The detailed clarifications that Silas espoused as a new light, in view of recent understandings and events were like exciting news for the people to share. These, Pages of Silas, were later produced and added to the Sacred Tome. They greatly encouraged the study of Varlendur’s own growing history and re-interpretations of ancient lore. The God Eru slowly shared with Men, through His sole Channel of communication called, The Mouthpiece of Eru a progressive and developing view of his grand plan. But the vile influences of the Dark Lord had stained the hearts of men much like the lands had been desolated in war. A final cleansing by Eru himself was coming and only the faithful would be saved from his wrath, with the guidance and leadership of his Mouthpiece! Such is the Mitharian truth.