Temples of Azrai / Belinik / Kriesha

[Magian]

I found a write up on the wiki on the Temple of Azrai. I was wondering if anyone else has done some writing on these temples or even just had some notes on some ideas not yet worked out that they'd like to share.

I am working on some back story ideas that deal with a different cosmological viewpoint as seen from the "dark" side. I have come up with ideas for Azrai and Belinik as protagonists mostly, although Avani and Cuiraecen have fallen into a particular place within that scheme. Anduiras and Haelyn are the heroes of the "Age of Kings" and are in waning. This last concept I am considering for my personal campaign arc, which will incorporate most of the rest of my ideas that I am trying out in the game I currently am playing.

I am including the old gods names above, because I am dealing with telling some of the overview story of what happened before Deismaar and how there is some correlation between them and the new gods. I hope that clears up any confusion that may arise.

Also, I am going for a feel that is like what is presented in the Atlas of the original campaign setting where we are reading the works of an Anuirean scholar. However, I want it to be more like the oral presentation of the original Conan film told by a Vos wizard who serves his king. Not sure if I want to go from a future perspective looking back or as a current era perspective of the lost secrets of the Vos as told by Azrai himself. Secrets that only Belinik and his followers keep and protect to this day. The very secrets that Azrai learned long ago the day he awakened the essence of the shadow in his pursuit of knowledge and like a pandora's box unleashed it upon the world. Azrai's sin of pride thinking he could awaken things long left sleeping as viewed by the other gods is what caused the corruption of Azrai and the rise of the shadow. But there is another side to this story. The one that doesn't equate Azrai and the shadow as one. A story that reveals much more than any Anuirean scholar could tell.

I don't know it is probably too ambitious of a goal for me. I am so slow to develop ideas. It may even likely unravel the fabric of Aebrynis that has been woven by the Developing authors and players who've played in the setting over the years. That or its just bantha poo doo.

Anyway, your ideas on any such subjects are welcome.

[Sorontar]

I found a write up on the wiki on the Temple of Azrai. I was wondering if anyone else has done some writing on these temples or even just had some notes on some ideas not yet worked out that they'd like to share.

Which domain are you talking about?

Fingers of Azrai (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=Fingers_of_Azrai) ?

The church of the Hand of Azrai (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=The_Hand_of_Azrai) ?

Sorontar

[Magian]

This link below goes into the temple of Azrai on Aduria. It gives an alternate view of things, albeit over simplified by reusing the word evil over and over to describe what most of us would call good.

http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=User:Raesene_True_history_of_Az rai

[AndrewTall]

My view is that I would expect any "one true history" maintained secretly by worshippers to be "true, from a certain point of view" at best.

My personal preference is to remove all concept of a single "truth". I stretch the view of the mutability of the shadow world to include not merely space, and the rate of passage of time, but also include the past - like in Feng Shui the past can change and "always have been this way" even when yesterday it had "always been another way".

So which of the mutually incompatible "one true histories" espoused by various parties is true? All of them and none of them and each of them alone.

Any concept of fixed past and thus progression towards a future only occurs after Cerilia was created from the Shadow world which is <why> Cerilia was created and <why> Azrai was so keen to break the veil in my interpretation. I've been meaning to write something on the origin of the sidhe with that view in mind for some time.

Under that view Azrai wanting to "undo the damage" of Cerilia being separated from the spirit world can be truly be seen as rightful (in one past he was the king of the gods and they rebelled against him, he's allowing the lowly to rise when its "their turn" rather than be trapped in perpetual lowliness, etc) and the "good" gods are merely enforcing a status quo which (unfairly) keeps their people strong and powerful instead of progressing through a natural cycle of rise and fall - or even perverting a natural order where Azrai's side were "normally" strong by unnaturally prolonging a brief moment when the "good gods" were powerful.

That allows the "classic" evil in Azrai's followers, but also allows in the unlucky, the downtrodden, the alien, the deluded messiah's, etc which breaks up the normal "monolith of black-hearts" that can exist. I like to think of dark knights with honour codes in grim but necessary alliance with shadow-wraiths both seeking to restore the "prisoners of the flesh" to the cycle of rebirth in the spiritworld - for their own good you understand.