((This accounting of history is from the perspective of a character named Fevren who was not alive during the ancient events. There may be some discrepancies between this accounting and the sim lore because of bias and a lack of IC text to draw from. The sim lore is canon, but Fevren will try and spin some of it as incorrect and embellished as the sim lore was written by a Jade Lotus citizen and not a citizen of Helheim.)) Historical Overview of the Basilica and Accounting of the First Law
A treatise on the importance of discontinuing the frivolous overuse of magic. From the desk of Fevren of the Basilica, Chief of Clergy, in the year 2145 In the time before the Cataclysm the people of Sincadere… human down to the last infant… worshipped freely and without guidance. There was no need to protect the Faith because the Four were the only Gods and the humans the only worshippers. It was not until our hubris resulted in the Cataclysm that the interlopers arrived in our realm and brought with them their false idols. These religions tainted our purity and confused the average citizen, drawing many away from the faith. That is when the Basilica was formed, to protect the legacy of The Four. In the beginning, before recorded time, the Four lived together in a formless void. It was Dormia, the Architect, who decided to create Sincadere. It was beautiful, but lifeless. Each mountain and valley, tree and creature, was meticulously crafted by Dormia but it was not until Aidos the Creator breathed life into the world that the rivers began to flow, the wind began to blow and the creatures began to move and breathe. We humans were created as caretakers of Sincadere and were taught to craft by Dormia the Architect, and how to care for the world by Aidos the Creator. But it was Junten the Learned who taught us magic and created the Leylines from which we draw power. Junten never intended for us to take his lessons and go as far as we did. Along with Magic we were given The First Law which stated: Do not misuse this gift that we share with you, use it with a clear mind and a pure heart. A selfish mind and dark heart will destroy you. The world became an easier place with magic replacing much of the tasks left to humans. For the most part people saw this as a benefit… surely it was a good thing to have a stove that did not require fuel as that meant we did not have to chop down trees or mine coal and so harm the environment. But there was another group, often referred to in history as the Puritans, who actively fought against the overuse of magic, citing the First Law. It was the belief of the Puritans that excessive use of magic would bring about the destruction promised in the First Law. They saw the use of magic as harmful to the realm, extrapolating on the First Law with an idea of magic pollution. While we avoided the chopping down of precious trees or the run-off contamination involved in coal mining, we polluted the magic essence of the world. This contamination built up over time and eroded the stability of the very fabric of our world. The Puritans did what they could within the Senate of the Human Empire to stop the overuse of magic but the others in power scoffed at their warnings. And so it came to pass one crisp morning in 1520 the world was shattered and forever changed. Millions died as entire cities collapsed, some even sinking wholly beneath the surface of Sincadere. Even Helheim proper was not spared the mass destruction, though it withstood more than most. Its tattered remains became a destination for the few survivors of the other cities within the Empire. This event became known as the Cataclysm. It resulted from the overuse of magic. The Puritans were proven right in the most devastating of ways. The majority of the remaining population saw the error of their ways and turned to the Four, seeking solace in renewed worship. With the Senate destroyed, leadership fell to the royal line and to the newly formed representatives of the Gods: the Basilica. For nearly 600 years the Basilica guided the humans of Helheim in their faith. But in 2115, during the reign of Halthor Spurius, an event took place that shattered the relationship between the royals and the clergy. I was much younger then and not privy to the details, but the result was the expulsion of the Basilica from Helheim proper. We retreated to a commune in the wilderness where those few faithful who wished to lead a pious life joined us. Worship of the Four fell out of favour in Helheim and many forgot the Basilica even existed. I am pleased to record that after my ascension to head of the Basilica, I have returned to Helheim to confer with her current King, Tyr Spurius. While tension still remains, and I suspect the king harbours resentment over the sudden departure of the Basilica in his youth, progress is being made. King Tyr funded an expedition to the mysterious new islands that appeared off the coast of Helheim and during this event ancient texts were discovered. I diligently translated them into what I believe is a Prophecy of old, foretelling a second Cataclysm, as the First Law continues to be flouted by our ignorant population. Comments are closed.
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