Post by aspenivan on Jun 4, 2017 22:03:01 GMT
RELIGION
Faith has remained one of the great drivers of politics over millenia. Some may consider it more a tool of the powerful, others their genuine core and purpose, but more often it is both. The earnest faithful find themselves molding it to their personal ends, while even cynics are inevitably shaped by its stories and expectations.
Every realm in this age has a State Religion. Whether or not this is the predominant faith of those they rule, this religion offers both benefits and constraints, adding to the capabilities of the state as well as its expectations. These are the state religion's Base effects. Some rulers may go even further, actively molding their state structure along religious lines. Such Piety offers further benefits, but also imposes further expectations.
In order to be considered Pious Piety, a state must gain 3 Points by meeting any of the following conditions:
Religions and their effects are as follows (more may be added over time):
Aedak Group
ORTHODOX AEDAK
The monotheistic religion brought from the South during the Great Conquest, emphasizing social order and the Three Principles (Duty, Mastery, Dignity). It is administered by a formal hierarchy of clergy officially led by the Messarom Vaekir. All magically-inclined subjects in the Orthodox world are legally wards of the Vaekirate, trained as the famed Tovenaar, but the Vaekirate may see fit to delegate their services to particularly trustworthy local rulers.
- Base: +1 Order, cannot build mage schools or take magical integration doctrine. Rulers are expected to obey dire calls from the Vaekirate such as excommunications, Holy Wars or Missions.
- Piety: Gain access to Tovenaar agent from any Tovenaar College in realm; if no Tovenaar College in realm, may petition Vaekirate to delegate a Tovenaar agent to the realm. Rulers are expected to go out of their way to assist the Vaekirate when asked, including donations and contributing to projects.
LOUL-AEDAK
A version of Aedak that developed in Elon long before the Great Conquest, after a missionary's journey to the North. It accepts the holy texts but does not see them as the ultimate spiritual authority, instead relying on an ancient moral philosophy of justice. One of Loul-Aedak's most noteworthy features is its system of monastic orders.
- Base: May build Hachaim Monastery as infrastructure with the following effects: +1 Gold/turn, +1 Food/turn. Rulers are expected to refrain from war unless there is a Just Cause (approved by moderator) and the war is perpetrated honorably (cannot execute or torture prisoners, cannot raze or pillage enemy holdings).
- Piety: High Priest agents become Komari Clan agents, which can take two High Priest actions every turn. Rulers are expected to actively take and defend just and honorable causes, even and especially when it jeopardizes the interests of the state (for example, defending weak realms against powerful aggressors, insisting on equitable trades despite ruler's leverage, etc).
ORCISH AEDAK
A particular Orcish interpretation of Aedak, colored by old customs and remnants of the more violent Orcish Polytheism. It emphasizes the martial Duty of the state, and particularly its top leader, as Protector of the Faithful.
- Base: Bonus to morale of Irregulars. Rulers are expected to personally lead battles and wage war against their enemies.
- Piety: Gain 3 free Regiments of Renown which, if destroyed, are replaced 2 turns later. Rulers must never lose in war and personal combat.
SOUZEN-AEDAK
Souzen was an animistic religion in which spirits and minor gods are omnipresent. Now incorporated into the broader Aedak family, these “gods” and spirits are seen as “aspects of Aed.” The core of the faith, however, is a rigorous code of martial values and personal honor.
- Base: All agents are trained in combat, bonus to military retinues' combat ability. Rulers are expected to keep their word, treat enemies with respect, and honor quests.
- Piety: Morale and cohesion boost to professional units. Rulers are expected to demand honorable conduct from their subordinates and always to engage enemies in the open -not through skullduggery.
ALMURIC AEDAK
The religion of those Almur who believe they have found the identity of He-Who-Forged-The-World in Aed. Their practice remains firmly rooted in old Almur customs and religious traditions, which focus strongly on hospitality and duty within one's community, as the ancestral Kithanimals once acted themselves.
- Base: +1 Commodity Slot for every 3 from constructs (round up). Rulers are expected to avoid unnecessary risks to soldiers and retainers, and to compensate families for heavy battlefield losses (1 Gold per agent lost or brigade below 50% strength).
- Piety: Gain access to Artificer Tovenaar agent from any Tovenaar College in realm; if no Tovenaar College in realm, may petition the Artificers to send one of their number to serve the realm. If any soldiers or agents are in danger and ruler is in position to help, must do so even if it risks ruler's safety and/or interrupts other tasks.
DALAM-AEDAK
The tradition brought to the West by the early Tovenaar Gyo Dalamu. Her gospel was of a time when Aedak was seen primarily as a force of social liberation, before any association with the intricate bureaucracy the Vaekirate would later develop; this is still visible as a staunch opposition to slavery and oppression. Yet, Dalam-Aedak has cemented into a social order of its own, in which mages constitute a class of Lord Protectors ruling and guarding the faithful.
- Base: Ruler can (and must) be one or more of the following agent types: Mage, Field Mage, Battle Mage. Rulers are expected to reject slavery and avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with other rulers that permit slavery in their realms.
- Piety: For every 20 pop, gain a Field Mage or Battle Mage. Rulers are expected to actively oppose slavery in their region.
Dydorist Group
ORTHODOX DYDORISM
A monotheistic religion that believes in a single divine soul named Dydor, from which lesser beings split off and return to after death. As magic is believed to erode the soul which ought to return whole to Dydor, those who possess it are considered “tainted” and forced to serve as an under-caste. Furthermore, orcs and sylphs and giants are considered “devil races,” whose warped souls are destroyed rather than returning to Dydor. Orthodox Dydorism is loosely united under the Great Council, whose Inquisition is tasked with suppressing unlawful magic.
- Base: +1 Mage per province. Cannot choose Enchantment as a school, build Mage College infrastructure, or take Magical Integration Doctrine. Ruler is expected to avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with “devil races” (orcs, goblins, sylphs, giants).
- Piety: +3 Inquisitor Agents (Inquisitor and inquisitorial staff; when assigned to a force of up to 10 units in a single flank, these units are resistant to magical attacks, including the effects of enchanted equipment). Ruler is expected to oppose realms ruled by devil races, as well as those where mages participate in politics (has any Mage Schools or Magical Integration Doctrine).
RADIANT DYDORISM
A liberal variant of Dydorism, the “Radiant Path” rejects the so-called “Darkening,” which entrenched a more brutal regime of controlling mages and expelling “devil races.” The Radiant Path technically follows the codes of the Great Council, but its legally “enslaved” mages enjoy privileged and even salaried positions as high bureaucrats and elite soldiers. Devil races, while still believed to have warped souls, are not necessarily seen as evil while they remain in this world. Needless to say, the Radiant Path co-exists uneasily with other forms of Dydorism, the former disturbed by the latter's brutality while the latter is sapped of talented mages fleeing for better conditions.
- Base: Gain Magical Integration as an extra starting doctrine. Trade routes with Orthodox Dydorists and Craithan generate -1 Order in BOTH realms. Ruler is expected to avoid treaties OTHER THAN trade with “devil races” (orcs, goblins, sylphs, giants).
- Piety: Administration Districts also function as Mage Colleges, but associated agents cannot be Field-Mages or Battle-Mages. Trade routes with Orthodox Dydorists and Craithan generate -2 Order in BOTH realms. Ruler is expected to make every effort to convert other Dydorists rulers to the Radiant path, and to take action to oppose excesses committed against mages and “devil races.”
CRAITHAN
The polar opposite of the Radiant Path, Craithan sees itself as the consistent, logical application of Dydorist principles. The taint of magic, however useful, must be wiped out by force. The devil races, not only the four “invaders” but all non-humans, cannot be suffered to live alongside humans. Oddly, however, Craithan's focus has historically tended towards purification within the realm, permitting even alliances with devil realms as long as their kind remain outside. Yet, so far the religion has existed more as clerical pressure on the state than a fully-embraced state religion: A truly pious Craithan ruler would not settle for internal purity alone. While not banned from the Great Council, Craithan considers the Orthodox inquisition corrupt; its own parallel Inquisition takes a more “efficient” approach to suppressing magic.
- Base: +2 Order. Ruler is expected to rid their realm of non-humans and mages, and to prevent any of these undesirables from entering.
- Piety: In addition to High Priests, Cathedrals provide +2 Inquisitorial Musketeer Agents (Lord Inquisitor and 500 Jezail Musketeers; Range 200m / Excellent Morale / Excellent Cohesion / Very Accurate / Slow Reload / Resistant to Magic / Bonus to locating and eliminating mages). Ruler is expected to avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with non-humans, and to work towards purging their entire region of “devil races” and mages.
Pagan Group
ESHARAN PAGANISM
A syncretistic religion that accepts many gods and worships them through a formal system of temples and priests. It was the most influential religion of the North before the Great Conquest. Its two primary imperatives are Enlightenment, a philosophical commitment to individual knowledge and understanding, and the Pantheon, the commitment to expanding collective knowledge and understanding by bringing new gods into common worship.
- Base: Cathedral becomes Pantheon (A designated place for gods of all stripes to commune together. For every trading route with a pagan faction, gain +1 Splendor and +1 automatically-filled Professional Army Slot). Rulers are expected to be educated and enlightened, and not behave ignorantly (e.g. allowing preventable negative Order, budget deficits, and/or starvation).
- Piety: +1 Civic Doctrine point. Ruler is expected to seek out relations with pagan realms and to preserve their gods/pantheons from foreign threats.
IAOCISM
Iaocism centers on the belief that the dark gods must be appeased with sacrifices in order to forestall the destruction of the world. While animal sacrifices may technically meet this condition, zealous Iaocists know Gatyx requires the blood and suffering of self-aware victims: sentient people, properly captured and ritually prepared.
- Base: When Ruler is commanding troops at the beginning of a battle, can designate up to 5 units to receive Fanatic special rule. Ruler is expected to sacrifice animals every year (1 Food per turn).
- Piety: Irregular home morale bonus applies when invading other nations. Ruler is expected to sacrifice 3,000 soldiers or 1 Agent every year.
THE CAUDERRIAN FEAST
A religion based on gratitude for the miracle of farming, “The Feast” assigns divinity to food, which is the source of life. To be grateful for this gift is to indulge, making the faith's central imperative that of Abundance. Its foremost religious leaders are those mages who make food grow more quickly and plentifully, and thorough devotees of the Feast will ensure that such powers are taught to all who can learn them.
- Base: Nature mages may opt, instead of converting Food to Luxuries, to make the province where they are stationed produce +1 additional Food per population. Ruler is expected to ensure the realm always enjoys a Food reserve of at least 20 Food.
- Piety: All non-Nature mages (including Field-Mages and Battle-Mages) gain Nature as an additional school. Ruler is expected to ensure a Food surplus every turn, even if Food storage is at maximum capacity.
ZUNZHONG
The syncretic faith of the Western Orcs, influenced both by old Wasteland tradition and by Western popular religion. Zunzhong emphasizes the enduring spiritual influence of ancestors, whose favor can be won through their vindication, by completing important tasks they could not in their own lives. As with most Western religions, Zunzhong also holds a special place for mages, whose powers are seen as ancestors acting through them.
- Base: All Agents may spend a full turn to Consult Ancestors, cancelling all activity for the turn but granting them a bonus to all rolls for 2 turns after. Rulers are expected to respect the general wishes of their ancestors, engaging in similar pursuits, keeping the same friends, and opposing the same enemies.
- Piety: When Piety is achieved, declare a single Ancestral Edict, a major quest to complete on behalf of a particularly notable Ancestor or the people's Ancestors in general. Moderator will send a PM to quantify bonuses towards this goal, rewards and timeframe for completing it, and penalties for failing it. In general, easier quests will reap smaller rewards but risk smaller penalties, while harder quests offer greater risk and reward. Must set a new Edict within a year (2 Turns) of completing or failing the last.
Other
KALMARI SEARCH
The teachings of the Almur Far-Seer Kalmar, handed down to non-Almur followers in the Far West. This variant of the Almuric Search rests on the conclusion that He-Who-Forged-the-World is less of an artisan and more of a gardener, and that the world is a dying flower that the gardener has abandoned. However, the Kalmari Search is still a commitment to find the Face of God: If He left this world, he must be among the stars, and it is there that Kalmar's followers search, using the great Observatories the Far-Seer founded. Kalmar also impressed on his followers a social hierarchy: With the Almur as leading spiritual guides, the rest of society was divided under them into Warriors, Artisans, and Workers. A pious Kalmari ruler will ensure that these castes remain separate in their roles.
- Base: Gain Kalmari Observatory as starting infrastructure in capital province with the following effects: +10 Splendor, counts as Great Work. Ruler is expected to keep the Observatory running by keeping at least one Agent in it at all times; Agents assigned to the Observatory cannot take actions or grant their usual benefits.
- Piety: For every 5 standing levies or professional slots from constructs, gain +1. Ruler is expected never to conscript population except under dire circumstances.
BAHISM
A formally polytheist religion whose theology centers more on cultivating virtues and doing good than on the gods themselves. The unique central concepts of Bahism are Karma, a spiritual calculus of good and evil, and Kamchu, a state of equilibrium in Karma. In the practical day-to-day, Bahism is expressed mostly through the works of its monks. They are charged with guiding others along the path to Kamchu, but their particular functions vary from preserving knowledge to assisting administrators.
- Base: +1 High Priest agent. Ruler is expected to support the monastic orders by paying 1 Gold/turn per High Priest agent in the state's service.
- Piety: Order Ranks 3 and 5 grant production boosts equivalent to the -3 and -5 maluses. Ruler is expected to maintain Kamchu in policy: Every peaceful move balanced by a show of strength, every element of international opening balanced by an element of isolation, every concession to domestic opposition balanced by repression.
Faith has remained one of the great drivers of politics over millenia. Some may consider it more a tool of the powerful, others their genuine core and purpose, but more often it is both. The earnest faithful find themselves molding it to their personal ends, while even cynics are inevitably shaped by its stories and expectations.
Every realm in this age has a State Religion. Whether or not this is the predominant faith of those they rule, this religion offers both benefits and constraints, adding to the capabilities of the state as well as its expectations. These are the state religion's Base effects. Some rulers may go even further, actively molding their state structure along religious lines. Such Piety offers further benefits, but also imposes further expectations.
In order to be considered Pious Piety, a state must gain 3 Points by meeting any of the following conditions:
- +1 Point per Cathedral
- +1 Point for having a Chief Priest Agent
- +1 Point for having the Faith civic doctrine
Religions and their effects are as follows (more may be added over time):
Aedak Group
ORTHODOX AEDAK
The monotheistic religion brought from the South during the Great Conquest, emphasizing social order and the Three Principles (Duty, Mastery, Dignity). It is administered by a formal hierarchy of clergy officially led by the Messarom Vaekir. All magically-inclined subjects in the Orthodox world are legally wards of the Vaekirate, trained as the famed Tovenaar, but the Vaekirate may see fit to delegate their services to particularly trustworthy local rulers.
- Base: +1 Order, cannot build mage schools or take magical integration doctrine. Rulers are expected to obey dire calls from the Vaekirate such as excommunications, Holy Wars or Missions.
- Piety: Gain access to Tovenaar agent from any Tovenaar College in realm; if no Tovenaar College in realm, may petition Vaekirate to delegate a Tovenaar agent to the realm. Rulers are expected to go out of their way to assist the Vaekirate when asked, including donations and contributing to projects.
LOUL-AEDAK
A version of Aedak that developed in Elon long before the Great Conquest, after a missionary's journey to the North. It accepts the holy texts but does not see them as the ultimate spiritual authority, instead relying on an ancient moral philosophy of justice. One of Loul-Aedak's most noteworthy features is its system of monastic orders.
- Base: May build Hachaim Monastery as infrastructure with the following effects: +1 Gold/turn, +1 Food/turn. Rulers are expected to refrain from war unless there is a Just Cause (approved by moderator) and the war is perpetrated honorably (cannot execute or torture prisoners, cannot raze or pillage enemy holdings).
- Piety: High Priest agents become Komari Clan agents, which can take two High Priest actions every turn. Rulers are expected to actively take and defend just and honorable causes, even and especially when it jeopardizes the interests of the state (for example, defending weak realms against powerful aggressors, insisting on equitable trades despite ruler's leverage, etc).
ORCISH AEDAK
A particular Orcish interpretation of Aedak, colored by old customs and remnants of the more violent Orcish Polytheism. It emphasizes the martial Duty of the state, and particularly its top leader, as Protector of the Faithful.
- Base: Bonus to morale of Irregulars. Rulers are expected to personally lead battles and wage war against their enemies.
- Piety: Gain 3 free Regiments of Renown which, if destroyed, are replaced 2 turns later. Rulers must never lose in war and personal combat.
SOUZEN-AEDAK
Souzen was an animistic religion in which spirits and minor gods are omnipresent. Now incorporated into the broader Aedak family, these “gods” and spirits are seen as “aspects of Aed.” The core of the faith, however, is a rigorous code of martial values and personal honor.
- Base: All agents are trained in combat, bonus to military retinues' combat ability. Rulers are expected to keep their word, treat enemies with respect, and honor quests.
- Piety: Morale and cohesion boost to professional units. Rulers are expected to demand honorable conduct from their subordinates and always to engage enemies in the open -not through skullduggery.
ALMURIC AEDAK
The religion of those Almur who believe they have found the identity of He-Who-Forged-The-World in Aed. Their practice remains firmly rooted in old Almur customs and religious traditions, which focus strongly on hospitality and duty within one's community, as the ancestral Kithanimals once acted themselves.
- Base: +1 Commodity Slot for every 3 from constructs (round up). Rulers are expected to avoid unnecessary risks to soldiers and retainers, and to compensate families for heavy battlefield losses (1 Gold per agent lost or brigade below 50% strength).
- Piety: Gain access to Artificer Tovenaar agent from any Tovenaar College in realm; if no Tovenaar College in realm, may petition the Artificers to send one of their number to serve the realm. If any soldiers or agents are in danger and ruler is in position to help, must do so even if it risks ruler's safety and/or interrupts other tasks.
DALAM-AEDAK
The tradition brought to the West by the early Tovenaar Gyo Dalamu. Her gospel was of a time when Aedak was seen primarily as a force of social liberation, before any association with the intricate bureaucracy the Vaekirate would later develop; this is still visible as a staunch opposition to slavery and oppression. Yet, Dalam-Aedak has cemented into a social order of its own, in which mages constitute a class of Lord Protectors ruling and guarding the faithful.
- Base: Ruler can (and must) be one or more of the following agent types: Mage, Field Mage, Battle Mage. Rulers are expected to reject slavery and avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with other rulers that permit slavery in their realms.
- Piety: For every 20 pop, gain a Field Mage or Battle Mage. Rulers are expected to actively oppose slavery in their region.
Dydorist Group
ORTHODOX DYDORISM
A monotheistic religion that believes in a single divine soul named Dydor, from which lesser beings split off and return to after death. As magic is believed to erode the soul which ought to return whole to Dydor, those who possess it are considered “tainted” and forced to serve as an under-caste. Furthermore, orcs and sylphs and giants are considered “devil races,” whose warped souls are destroyed rather than returning to Dydor. Orthodox Dydorism is loosely united under the Great Council, whose Inquisition is tasked with suppressing unlawful magic.
- Base: +1 Mage per province. Cannot choose Enchantment as a school, build Mage College infrastructure, or take Magical Integration Doctrine. Ruler is expected to avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with “devil races” (orcs, goblins, sylphs, giants).
- Piety: +3 Inquisitor Agents (Inquisitor and inquisitorial staff; when assigned to a force of up to 10 units in a single flank, these units are resistant to magical attacks, including the effects of enchanted equipment). Ruler is expected to oppose realms ruled by devil races, as well as those where mages participate in politics (has any Mage Schools or Magical Integration Doctrine).
RADIANT DYDORISM
A liberal variant of Dydorism, the “Radiant Path” rejects the so-called “Darkening,” which entrenched a more brutal regime of controlling mages and expelling “devil races.” The Radiant Path technically follows the codes of the Great Council, but its legally “enslaved” mages enjoy privileged and even salaried positions as high bureaucrats and elite soldiers. Devil races, while still believed to have warped souls, are not necessarily seen as evil while they remain in this world. Needless to say, the Radiant Path co-exists uneasily with other forms of Dydorism, the former disturbed by the latter's brutality while the latter is sapped of talented mages fleeing for better conditions.
- Base: Gain Magical Integration as an extra starting doctrine. Trade routes with Orthodox Dydorists and Craithan generate -1 Order in BOTH realms. Ruler is expected to avoid treaties OTHER THAN trade with “devil races” (orcs, goblins, sylphs, giants).
- Piety: Administration Districts also function as Mage Colleges, but associated agents cannot be Field-Mages or Battle-Mages. Trade routes with Orthodox Dydorists and Craithan generate -2 Order in BOTH realms. Ruler is expected to make every effort to convert other Dydorists rulers to the Radiant path, and to take action to oppose excesses committed against mages and “devil races.”
CRAITHAN
The polar opposite of the Radiant Path, Craithan sees itself as the consistent, logical application of Dydorist principles. The taint of magic, however useful, must be wiped out by force. The devil races, not only the four “invaders” but all non-humans, cannot be suffered to live alongside humans. Oddly, however, Craithan's focus has historically tended towards purification within the realm, permitting even alliances with devil realms as long as their kind remain outside. Yet, so far the religion has existed more as clerical pressure on the state than a fully-embraced state religion: A truly pious Craithan ruler would not settle for internal purity alone. While not banned from the Great Council, Craithan considers the Orthodox inquisition corrupt; its own parallel Inquisition takes a more “efficient” approach to suppressing magic.
- Base: +2 Order. Ruler is expected to rid their realm of non-humans and mages, and to prevent any of these undesirables from entering.
- Piety: In addition to High Priests, Cathedrals provide +2 Inquisitorial Musketeer Agents (Lord Inquisitor and 500 Jezail Musketeers; Range 200m / Excellent Morale / Excellent Cohesion / Very Accurate / Slow Reload / Resistant to Magic / Bonus to locating and eliminating mages). Ruler is expected to avoid entangling treaties (alliances, colonial concessions, etc) with non-humans, and to work towards purging their entire region of “devil races” and mages.
Pagan Group
ESHARAN PAGANISM
A syncretistic religion that accepts many gods and worships them through a formal system of temples and priests. It was the most influential religion of the North before the Great Conquest. Its two primary imperatives are Enlightenment, a philosophical commitment to individual knowledge and understanding, and the Pantheon, the commitment to expanding collective knowledge and understanding by bringing new gods into common worship.
- Base: Cathedral becomes Pantheon (A designated place for gods of all stripes to commune together. For every trading route with a pagan faction, gain +1 Splendor and +1 automatically-filled Professional Army Slot). Rulers are expected to be educated and enlightened, and not behave ignorantly (e.g. allowing preventable negative Order, budget deficits, and/or starvation).
- Piety: +1 Civic Doctrine point. Ruler is expected to seek out relations with pagan realms and to preserve their gods/pantheons from foreign threats.
IAOCISM
Iaocism centers on the belief that the dark gods must be appeased with sacrifices in order to forestall the destruction of the world. While animal sacrifices may technically meet this condition, zealous Iaocists know Gatyx requires the blood and suffering of self-aware victims: sentient people, properly captured and ritually prepared.
- Base: When Ruler is commanding troops at the beginning of a battle, can designate up to 5 units to receive Fanatic special rule. Ruler is expected to sacrifice animals every year (1 Food per turn).
- Piety: Irregular home morale bonus applies when invading other nations. Ruler is expected to sacrifice 3,000 soldiers or 1 Agent every year.
THE CAUDERRIAN FEAST
A religion based on gratitude for the miracle of farming, “The Feast” assigns divinity to food, which is the source of life. To be grateful for this gift is to indulge, making the faith's central imperative that of Abundance. Its foremost religious leaders are those mages who make food grow more quickly and plentifully, and thorough devotees of the Feast will ensure that such powers are taught to all who can learn them.
- Base: Nature mages may opt, instead of converting Food to Luxuries, to make the province where they are stationed produce +1 additional Food per population. Ruler is expected to ensure the realm always enjoys a Food reserve of at least 20 Food.
- Piety: All non-Nature mages (including Field-Mages and Battle-Mages) gain Nature as an additional school. Ruler is expected to ensure a Food surplus every turn, even if Food storage is at maximum capacity.
ZUNZHONG
The syncretic faith of the Western Orcs, influenced both by old Wasteland tradition and by Western popular religion. Zunzhong emphasizes the enduring spiritual influence of ancestors, whose favor can be won through their vindication, by completing important tasks they could not in their own lives. As with most Western religions, Zunzhong also holds a special place for mages, whose powers are seen as ancestors acting through them.
- Base: All Agents may spend a full turn to Consult Ancestors, cancelling all activity for the turn but granting them a bonus to all rolls for 2 turns after. Rulers are expected to respect the general wishes of their ancestors, engaging in similar pursuits, keeping the same friends, and opposing the same enemies.
- Piety: When Piety is achieved, declare a single Ancestral Edict, a major quest to complete on behalf of a particularly notable Ancestor or the people's Ancestors in general. Moderator will send a PM to quantify bonuses towards this goal, rewards and timeframe for completing it, and penalties for failing it. In general, easier quests will reap smaller rewards but risk smaller penalties, while harder quests offer greater risk and reward. Must set a new Edict within a year (2 Turns) of completing or failing the last.
Other
KALMARI SEARCH
The teachings of the Almur Far-Seer Kalmar, handed down to non-Almur followers in the Far West. This variant of the Almuric Search rests on the conclusion that He-Who-Forged-the-World is less of an artisan and more of a gardener, and that the world is a dying flower that the gardener has abandoned. However, the Kalmari Search is still a commitment to find the Face of God: If He left this world, he must be among the stars, and it is there that Kalmar's followers search, using the great Observatories the Far-Seer founded. Kalmar also impressed on his followers a social hierarchy: With the Almur as leading spiritual guides, the rest of society was divided under them into Warriors, Artisans, and Workers. A pious Kalmari ruler will ensure that these castes remain separate in their roles.
- Base: Gain Kalmari Observatory as starting infrastructure in capital province with the following effects: +10 Splendor, counts as Great Work. Ruler is expected to keep the Observatory running by keeping at least one Agent in it at all times; Agents assigned to the Observatory cannot take actions or grant their usual benefits.
- Piety: For every 5 standing levies or professional slots from constructs, gain +1. Ruler is expected never to conscript population except under dire circumstances.
BAHISM
A formally polytheist religion whose theology centers more on cultivating virtues and doing good than on the gods themselves. The unique central concepts of Bahism are Karma, a spiritual calculus of good and evil, and Kamchu, a state of equilibrium in Karma. In the practical day-to-day, Bahism is expressed mostly through the works of its monks. They are charged with guiding others along the path to Kamchu, but their particular functions vary from preserving knowledge to assisting administrators.
- Base: +1 High Priest agent. Ruler is expected to support the monastic orders by paying 1 Gold/turn per High Priest agent in the state's service.
- Piety: Order Ranks 3 and 5 grant production boosts equivalent to the -3 and -5 maluses. Ruler is expected to maintain Kamchu in policy: Every peaceful move balanced by a show of strength, every element of international opening balanced by an element of isolation, every concession to domestic opposition balanced by repression.
