Tag: Erisaya

#Lore24 – Entry #316 – Fantasy Month IV #11 – The Heroes of Vindinium and the Journey to the Ruins

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

As it happened, I was back in Vindinium when the heroes returned, sampling some of the local cooking and chatting with one of the town’s hunters about the geography around the town when the call came from one of the watchtowers that the adventuring party had been spotted coming along the road.  I hastily finished my lunch and the conversation and headed toward the westward gate which connected to the road leading deeper into the Wildlands to await their arrival.  I hoped that I wasn’t fidgeting too much, for the cage, plug, piercings had been particularly active today, and my changed anatomy was particularly sensitive and engorged inside its tiny enclosure.  How Lady Armenia expected me to perform in my expected role in surveying these ruins with these distractions remained a mystery.

The party rode through the gates without much in the way of fanfare, rather a series of friendly greetings and waves from friendly villagers and the handful of soldiers on watch duty.  They made their way quickly toward the town’s tavern, the Drunken Hog, without even pausing to clear off the dust from the road.  They had the look of seasoned adventurers about them, their gear worn but well-cared for, sporting a handful of scrapes and bruises that hadn’t yet been healed by their healer, friendly banter between themselves, that sort of thing.  I decided to give them a little time to settled down from their trip before I introduced myself.

After about half an hour, I made my way into the tavern, drawing their eyes immediately as I came inside.  The drakonae with them leaned in, whispering something to the dusk elf arcanist, who nodded affirmatively and whispered something back, and made some quick movements with his fingers, to which the purple-haired dawn elf nodded, flashing a rather hungry grin by way.  As I would come to learn, the drakonae was their scout, going by the name Shassk Darkscale, certainly an apt name given his pitch black scales.  The arcanist was Ellisar Chaeynor, dressed in common explorer’s clothes, his stark white hair tied back in a short tail, bore several charms about his person, along with a pair of wands upon his belt, as well as his staff, which, to my chagrin, was a Staff of Many Bindings.  The dawn elf, a remarkably beautiful man, whom I very nearly assumed a woman at first, had long purple hair, a lascivious smirk, and wore pants so tight that could only marvel at how he fit into them at all given the roundness of his rear and wideness of his hips (a most remarkable feature of his, I must admit); I knew at once he could be trouble, for he was not shy about his attraction toward me.  This was Korvalis Nightrunner.

The two women amongst the party were no less remarkable.  The first had given me a start when I’d first witnessed her riding into town, for she was very nearly the exact opposite of Lady Armenia.  She was a mazoku, named Gresilda Nazaria and bearing the holy symbol of Erisaya, her skin a deep blue color, hair of gold, her horns curling around the sides of her head, her eyes bright amber shade, and upon seeing her out of her armor, she tended to wear white and other brighter colors, if not so fine as what Lady Armenia wore.  The other woman came in a moment later, nearly having to duck to enter from the rear entrance from the stables, for she was well over six-feet tall and possessed of a huge, muscular build and a wild mane of fiery red hair, her tattoos indicating that she was of the barbaric tribes that roamed the northern reaches on the edges of the Empire, though she bore herself as much more civilized than her initial appearance would indicate, her speech decidedly that of a lifelong citizen of the Empire.  This was Risai Morningstar.

I introduced myself and began telling them of my reason for approaching, and they bid me to sit at their table, and we spoke for some time while they enjoyed drink and food, though I did not press them too hard on the details of the ruins they had found.  That we would save for that evening, after they had had time to rest and recover, for they had been invited to dine with Commander Asselin and Lady Armenia to discuss the coming exploration.  They seemed a little suspicious of me, understandably so, for I was indeed an outside among them, but friendly enough, though Shassk and Risai weren’t the most conversational amongst us.

I would have plenty of time to get to know them better on our journey to the ruins.  Following our discussions at dinner that night, they would resupply the following day and set out in the early morning the day after, with myself traveling with them this time.  Thankfully the night before we set out, Lady Armenia removed the accursed plug from me, even if she didn’t remove the other pieces of my “protection”.  She did give me the dildo I had both practiced my oral abilities upon and had used upon me, though, “just in case food is scarce” she said.  I was no less frustrated than I had been, of course, and would be greatly more so once I had experienced riding on horseback with my new anatomy; how men manage to do this at all is beyond me.

With my gear and equipment ready, I joined the party and we set off; the journey to the ruins would take about four days, assuming we didn’t run into any trouble.  In spite of their work so far, there were still plenty of tribals out there looking for blood, as well as a multitude of bandit groups who were still out roaming out there, many disaffected former citizens of the Empire, some supposedly former soldiers who had once fought in the Res’Taringal rebellion and went into exile, others from the elvish-held lands beyond the Wildlands and beyond.  I would learn that there were signs of cult activity in the area as well, for they had encountered at least one instance of a ritual sacrifice in the wilderness, and several people had gone missing from Vindinium.  Worse, perhaps, there was at least one party of adventurers who had come into the region and turned bandit and may be interested in the ruins as well.  No shortage of dangers to be wary of, certainly.

We would encounter a perhaps two dozen orcs, an armed raiding party, during our travels, which, thanks to Shassk’s expertise, we were able to ambush, leaving only the three or four who ran off alive.  There were other dangers along the way as well, for we encountered a pack of rather ravenous wolves, came dangerously close to some giant spiders that had found their way out of a section of woods to hunt, and even a rare fire-breathing drake that had attacked us from the skies, looking for food.  I held my own during these encounters, and though I was hardly as attuned to the surroundings as the rest of the party, I would quickly learn their ways and work with them as we went. 

A severe thunderstorm struck late on the third day, delaying our travel by a day while we waited for it to pass, but soon enough we would arrive at the site of the ruins, and my work would begin.

#Lore24 – Entry #273 – Fantasy Month III #30 – The Path of Truth

As Told by Larissa no Synstralia de’Cordova, Confessor of Yurisaya

“I spent some time in personal contemplation of this particular case after my last interview, before I compiled my notes regarding the whole affair.  I won’t deny that previous meditations on the matter had given me some insights into the nature of the conspiracy which these women have become a part of, and that those insights were leading me to the exact things which were suggested by Eri and Hatae.  The Dark Lady is urging me to join them, to root out those who would seek to do harm to her faithful and perhaps even the Church itself.  There is undoubtedly a greater threat in the shadows, and the only way to combat those of the dark is to take that darkness away with a greater light.

I have been contemplating the makeup of this party, and though there are undoubtedly some in the city council who would disagree vehemently with my decision, I have placed my faith above my duties to the city, and will be accepting the invitation to join forces with them, so that the greater conspiracy may be revealed.  As it stands, we will have three faithful to Yurisaya, or close enough in the case of the mercenary, one who remains more or less neutral in her reverence to nature, and two faithful to Erisaya, or close enough regarding the bard.  I am not too proud to admit that I am quite curious as to her true nature; another mystery which I must uncover.

So, with that in mind, I do indeed know of an arcanist whom I think will be rather fitting for the party.  Though his talents are of the arcane, he was trained in the enchanter’s school here in Arcavarlon and is a devoted to Erisaya.  I have worked with Tsukasa Matsubara before on several investigations relating to city affairs, and he has proved quite capable of capturing our targets alive.  We make a good pair, he capturing them through enchantment or magical bonds, and I handling the interrogations once they have been further secured.  His personality should be a good addition to the group dynamic, I think, bringing us into something of a harmonious balance. 

Or at least, I can hope; I have no doubts there will be a period of adjustment to our presence, and no small amount of disagreements, but such is the nature of adventuring parties, as I understand them.  Even though our faiths are aligned and set upon a common goal, we are our own people, after all, and our personalities will undoubtedly clash.  I find myself growing unusually excited by the prospect of another adventure after the last few years working at the behest of the city, whatever challenges we may face.  I daresay we will stand a greater than average chance of seeing this through, for our faith is strong, and I can sense the resolve of both Eri and Hatae in this matter.  I know not where our path will take us, but I am certain that we will get to the truth of the matter, however long it takes, and however many enemies we must face. 

In the names of Yurisaya and Erisaya, we will root out the conspirators and see them brought to justice, and I will oversee their divine punishments with a most zealous vigor.  Thus, I am resolved.”

 

SPECIAL NOTE:  The Path of Corrections

So, along about the middle of June, I got my entry numbers out of whack, classic off by 1 error (on the Wrathful Spirits entry as it turns out…Wrathful Spirits of organization, perhaps…).  Soooo…instead of going back and correcting months worth of entries through the WordPress interface, which would be tediously time consuming since I’d have to edit not just the page title, but the title in the text area too, I’m making a note here that I’m not short an entry, the numbers are just off.  SO, starting on October 1st, the CORRECT entry number is 275 for the start of the next month.  You didn’t miss one, I did!  Maybe one of these days I’ll correct it, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. 

#Lore24 – Entry #272 – Fantasy Month III #29 – Guidance of the Gods

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Though we must use our own judgement, of course we must look to the guidance from our goddesses too.  When I visited Yursiaya’s temple, it was the first time that I’d experienced her voice so clearly.  Though I am not of the clergy, I cannot deny what it was that I felt, and I’m certain it’s a sign from not only her, but Erisaya as well, that all of us have been brought together as we have been.  Though they are not as strongly faithful as Eri and myself, I have no doubt that Siduri and Teelsa show their respects in their own ways.  Kazumi is a bit of a, well, wildcard, but where she comes from, kerryns aren’t supposed to worship gods, and she’s had a hard time coming to terms with that, I think.  Not that she really speaks of it much…regardless, her heart is in the right place. 

There is something bigger looming that we’ve simply not uncovered yet.  You see it too, I’m sure of it!  You’ve spent time praying to Yurisaya since this whole interrogation began, right?  Don’t you get the impression that there’s something threatening her faithful, and those of Erisaya?  Eri and I spoke about it briefly following our visits to the temples, and I think she would agree.  We don’t know who else is involved beyond the two factions we’ve encountered thus far, but I’m sure there’s someone, or something, else just waiting to be discovered there, behind it all!  Maybe it’s another demon?  Maybe it’s the forces of another god?  Maybe its something else entirely?

All I know for sure is that we aren’t getting anywhere wasting time stuck in here!  Though they haven’t attacked us here yet, they’re no doubt looking for the perfect opportunity to strike!  If we can but complete our task for Lochlan, then we can return to Lady Jade and dive into this conspiracy fully, and begin rooting out the truth of the matter!  Though I’m not only voice in the party, certainly, I would hope that you would be agreeable to joining our cause, sister Confessor!  I’m sure there would be some complaints, but you can feel it too, can’t you?  Surely you do!  That looming sense of dread beneath it all?

And of course, to see to it that those you work for within Arcavarlon’s government are properly convinced, you’d be there to see to it that we are kept in line, especially Eri and myself!  I’ve been thinking about the situation and have to ask…do you perhaps know a talented arcanist who would be willing to work with us?  Perhaps one you know personally and can trust?  Not that I’d be plotting against a fellow Yurisayan, but it would be another friendly set of eyes for you and the city, and the Dark Lady knows that we’re severely lacking on the arcane talents amongst us!  Teelsa’s illusions are helpful, but we need someone to help with defeating the scrying that’s been vexing us throughout this whole affair.

Think it over, at least, please?  I’d certainly appreciate it, Confessor.  And I’m sure the others will too, even if they don’t know it immediately.  Right now, we need all the help we can get, and I’m not too proud to seek it from people I’m willing to trust.”

#Lore24 – Entry #264 – Fantasy Month III #21 – Visiting the Temple of Erisaya

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“Of course we wasted no time in visiting the temples since we had to wait before we met with Lady Jade’s associate.  Neither Hatae nor myself have been to Arcavarlon before, and we’ve wanted to visit their grand temples for quite some time now.  There’s no official doctrine or anything that says one of the faithful has to make a pilgrimage, but that’s kind of what it felt like in a way.  It probably wasn’t the best idea for us to split up, but we felt little danger in the temple district, could feel the reassurance from our goddesses as we neared that all would be well.  Teelsa came with me, Siduri went with Hatae, and Kazumi went wherever she pleased.  I lost sight of her when she changed into a cat, but she’d assured us we’d know if she spotted any of our hunters nearing.

I’m certain the Ladies wanted us to see them too; I’ve never felt closer to Erisaya than I did when I entered her temple here, much more intensely than any other I’d visited before.  It was…almost like coming home, I guess you could say, especially with how I was greeted by several of the priests and priestesses.  They knew I would be coming, and made me feel so welcome… It had been some time since I’d last spent time in prayer and given that I am one of the Rose’s Thorns, that seemed like an oversight I’d better correct.

You can relate, I’m sure.  The ways of Yurisaya are different, but not entirely unalike.  Confessors aren’t entirely unlike a Thorn; we both seek truth in our own ways, defend the faith and the faithful with our power, though our methods are quite different…  I can only imagine what it’s like to be able to visit the temples as often as you, living here and all.  I thought they’d be closer to one another, though.  Anyway…

Thank you for understanding; I appreciate that you’re not pressing me to know more of my time within the temple.  Nothing that went on there is relevant to what you’re wanting to know, I promise.

It was evening by the time we met back up and headed toward our meeting.  Sure enough, Kazumi found us on the way out of the temple district, just suddenly appeared walking alongside us, munching on some roast mutton.  I swear she can be as stealthy as Hatae when she wants to be.  She hadn’t spotted anyone she could recognize as having attacked us before, but admittedly she wasn’t accustomed to just how many people there were around the city, so she admitted she could have simply missed them in the crowd.  We remained vigilant but were unmolested on our way.  The real trouble wouldn’t start until the following day.”

#Lore24 – Entry #244 – Fantasy Month III #1 – The Long Journey to Caerlon

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“Why did I come to Caerlon?  To rest, relax, and enjoy the local flavor, of course, just like everyone else.  It’s known as one of the best cities in the land for that kind of thing outside of Arcavarlon itself, right?  What?  Not good enough for you?  Well, I guess you could say there’s more to it than that, yeah… You really want the whole story?  You sure about that?  Well, alright, I guess.  I’ve got nothing but time right now anyway…

So, it all started back when I was abandoned by my family, whoever they were, into the arms of the loving sisters at one of Erisaya’s holy whorehouses.  I had only my given name, but that was more than enough for the sisters, given what it is; not every day a redheaded child is delivered to you out of the blue that shares your goddess’s namesake, am I right?  They saw me as good luck, sharing a little bit of the goddess’s own name and all.  Some of them made a real big deal out of that, tried to make it a lot more than what it was, I think.  Anyway, I was adopted by the Erisayans, raised by the church, and eventually took on the name of my adoptive mother, Kitami, one of the few elvish holy whores.

Life was good for a while when I was growing up.  Got to see life outside the elvish kingdoms for what it was, mixed in with so many short-lived races.  Really gives you a different kind of perspective on things, you know?  I was all set to join in on the church as another of the sisters when I was old enough, just seemed the obvious choice, you know? 

Well, some things went down that I don’t like to talk about…suffice to say that happy life came crashing to a halt when someone decided to summon up a demon and use my home as the sacrifice.  There was…a lot of blood…a lot of suffering… I was meant to be the crowning sacrifice, you know.  Meant to be the vessel for that demon… Well, Erisaya wasn’t going to have that, and she got good and angry about the whole affair.  Channeled her holiness right through me once she got wind of what had happened and sent that demon packing, all those in the cult that had come to town along with it. 

Ever hear of the Rose’s Thorns?  Nah, figured you hadn’t; they’re pretty rare, even amongst the Erisayan faith.  We’re usually a pretty easy-going lot, not prone to stirring up trouble, but woe be to you if you get the Lady angry enough to call out a Thorn against you.  I was too green to be a proper Thorn then, but Erisaya saw to that, guiding me towards someone who taught me how to fight, and others who were friendly to the faith, and so it was I got set on a quest to root out every last member of that demon-loving death cult.  Took us damn near fifty years of traveling all over this side of the world, but we saw it through to the end, sent every one of them straight to their master in whatever festering hole it dwelt within.

So, after all that, with most of my friends too old to keep up the adventuring life, we went our own ways.  I decided it was time for a little rest of my own, but had good memories of Caerlon, so that’s why I wound up there again.  Yeah, that’s right.  This is where I was raised, and that story about the whorehouse massacre?  Yeah, that was one of Erisaya’s temples, the one I was raised in.  It’s not there anymore; got burned down by the cult during the chaos when the Lady got angry, and most around here don’t remember it, having been so long ago. 

What?!  Now that’s just stupid.  Why would what happened back then have any bearing on what happened at the Bronze Unicorn?  Hey, you asked me to start at the beginning, and when you ask that to an elf, you better be prepared for a long conversation; I’d rather not have drudged up those memories, just so you know. 

Look here, it wasn’t our fault, alright?  Just ask any of my companions, they’ll tell you the same!  Fine, you do that, then!  Well, go on, I’m tired of looking at you, too!”

#Lore24 – Entry #179 – Wild West Month #28 – Gods of the Peoples Who Are Not Our Own

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

There are many gods that exist alongside our Great Mother Saressh.  I have spoken of Lashana and her followers before, of how we sometimes have our disagreements, but do not seek conflict if it can be avoided.  This is not often the case with those of other gods, for not all gods are good, and not all gods are just.  As with the Many Peoples, there are many reasons that the gods do what they do, and why they guide their followers as they do.  Always be wary when dealing with those of the other gods; you may not know their intentions, but you can keep some things in mind.

Amongst the Gods of the Peoples Who Are Not Our Own is one that you should be very cautious of, the evil god known as Malvaxor.  His ways are deceptive, preaching of healing the sick and the mad, only to make those who fall for his treatments worse, often hidden within the new Fortresses of Stone and Metal.  There have been times terrible abominations of flesh have been created by his followers, and great plagues have spread because of his “healers”.  Though the followers of Malvaxor do not recognize the Many Spirits, they are doing the work of the Reaper Spirit without question. 

The followers of Goldeneyes, the Seekers of Knowledge, may seem trustworthy, but be cautious what you may reveal to them.  They seek to know all, even that which should remain sacred and amongst only the Kerra-Kerra.  Though they say they record this knowledge to preserve it, who is to say what others may use this knowledge for?  Always guard our secrets, especially around the followers of Goldeneyes. 

Though the God of Death, Mausolus, and his followers, do not often work with the Reaper Spirit in mind, for he is a vain and prideful god, and his ways are only of benefit to him.  Those seeking the death of a specific person will often ask for his favor, the bounty killers and assassins of those with great power Beyond the Great Walls, usually, but his influence is spreading into the Bitter Frontier.

If life in upon the Bitter Frontier has taught us anything, it is that chaos is firmly in control, and this is pleasing to Old Man Entropy.  Some say he knows not what he does, for he is mad, but this is not so; mortals simply cannot fathom the true nature of his ways.  Understand that all tries to return to chaos, and this is the ultimate goal of Old Man Entropy.  It is said that he sometimes will reveal himself upon the great buttes and mesas on nights of the full moon, appearing as a great steed composed of starlight twinkling in shadow, a great horn upon its head.  Be ever cautious of such a strange vision, for it is a sign to contemplate and consider well what may come.

Chief among the gods of the Orc People of the north is Mantok Badaxe, a great warrior god who seeks to guide his people beyond the ways of the raider and barbarian.  His people upon the Bitter Frontier do not listen often to him and may have even forsaken his teachings altogether.  A rare few, however, still seek to follow his ancient ways, and it is these orcs who are often reaching out to live amongst other peoples, to learn their ways and live “civilized” lives.  If that is the path they have chosen, then so be it; be wary of them as you would be for any outside the Kerra-Kerra, but if their intentions are true, they will find their own rewards with Mantok.

It is often difficult to say where you will find followers of the goddesses Erisaya and Yurisaya, for they are as two halves of the same being, one standing in light, the other in shadow, sometimes in a temple, sometimes in the Houses of Whores and Fire Water.  Generally, they are goodly, bringing healing and their chosen forms of “love and compassion” to the world, but this often brings with it stirred passions and its own form of chaos as the hearts and minds can be swayed by their ways.  Always be careful around them, for they know well the ways of the flesh, and can say sweet words that will twist the mind as surely as any dark sorcery to sway those to their ways of thinking. 

#Lore24 – Entry #90 – Fantasy Month #30 – Yurisayan Religious Practices

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I am convinced there are only two possibilities given Mother’s recent choice of topics.  Either she is going through an extended phase of infatuation with topics that are deeply erotic or could be considered very nearly so, or we are due to receive a delegation from the Yurisayan church at some point during the near future, and they will be practicing some of their rituals at the Great Library, with me as the volunteer.  Of course, a couple of weeks of topics is hardly a blink in the eye of someone Felaria’s age, but for myself, it seems quite long indeed.

Regardless I shall approach today’s choice as I always have.  Though often seen as quite secretive, Yurisaya’s faithful are perhaps the most open of the major religions, requiring the curious to simply inquire within their shrines and temples and to be willing to explore their own limits.  Rumors abound of forced inductions into the clergy, of painful rituals and years of physical torments, but I have yet to find concrete evidence of such things.  Likely such rumors are started by those who simply do not understand Yurisaya’s ways, and are fearful of the darker, carnal nature of her domain, especially when compared to the far gentler nature of her sister Erisaya.  Or, just as likely, they are confusing the actions of various cults with that of the Yurisayan clergy, for there have been many, many cases of evil cults practicing similar rituals against the will of captured victims.

The topic itself is broad, so I shall have to focus upon the details of such religious practices that I am most familiar with, having spoken to directly to several priests and priestesses personally, as well as some who tried to join up only to find that their faith was not as strong as they had first thought.  Firstly, as Yurisaya is the darker of the Lovely Sisters, her clergy tends to wear black as their primary color, though additional favored colors include purples and reds, and they tend toward more revealing attire, either tightly fitting, diaphanous, or both, with certain more extreme exceptions in the case of their newest acolytes and most dedicated clergy.

Specifically, I am referring to their insistence upon strict chastity, enforced by custom-fitted metal and leather chastity gear, for both males and females.  Any who are inducted into the church officially must undergo a period of enforced chastity and denial, with their training specifically meant to enhance the desires they cannot act upon.  “Teasing and edging are commonplace…constant and unrelenting, for one must be at the peak of desire and desirability while being absolutely and utterly denied to truly find the goddess’s favor,” as I have been told.  Either one will presumably be driven mad, or, in due course, they will find their faith solidified and be inducted fully into the clergy as proper priests and priestesses.  At this point, during their ordination, the gear is removed and they are finally allowed to experience a long-awaited release.  Orgies are not uncommon during such events, I’m told.  Later in one’s life as a devoted of Yurisaya, they may then seek to further enhance their dedication by undergoing greater tests, once again donning their sacred chastity gear and entering into a period of intense desires and denials, perhaps lasting through the rest of their lives, though I am told they find fulfillment through other means than simple intercourse.

And I suppose that will be an excellent segway into the more extreme and oft-considered ‘darker” of Yurisaya’s practices, those focusing on heavy bondage, strict discipline, and harsh punishments.  Keeping in mind that the faithful do all this to themselves, often quite gleefully, and that only in specific circumstances such things are visited upon those not of the faith.  Most, if not all, of Yurisaya’s rituals and common practices involve some form of bondage; the aforementioned chastity gear is locked on, of course, and the acolytes are usually made to wear some form of bondage during their daily tasks, to heighten their struggles in performing their daily tasks, add to their frustrations, and improve their focus.  The larger rituals and ceremonies tend to involve various members of the clergy in various states of restraint, or, during the public celebrations, of those of the attendees who volunteer to take part. 

Much of Yurisaya’s perceived “vileness”, as it is described by some, comes from the higher level rituals which delve into the extremely painful, basically torture, that they inflict upon themselves.  And yes, it is torture, every bit as extreme as what any Imperial torturer would inflict upon a captured enemy, though performed with absolute consent and willingness of the “victim”.  The goddess’s grace will either see those who successfully complete such rituals healed completely once finished, or possessing scars that are seen as marks of honor left by the goddess herself; even the most heavily scarred of Yurisaya’s faithful are still considered to be quite beautiful by most, their scars usually forming something akin to divinely inspired art upon their bodies.

Of course, the Yurisayan clergy do have something of a deserved reputation that instills fear into the common man, as since the Empire has grown, the clergy have been entwined with it, as have other deities, of course, but usually in a less glorious light than the faithful would perhaps like to admit.  The Emperor has historically been quite fond of the Yurisayan torture methods, and has made it a requirement to have his most talented inquisitors and torturers to spend time training with the Yurisayans, if not outright employing members of the clergy into these positions.  Individuals who employ their pain-giving arts in such ways are known as Confessors and are typically described as having the most kind and caring personalities one could imagine, which is retained during even the darkest of interrogations.  Some accounts have stated that “they’ll make you scream for days, but whether that’s pain, pleasure, or some strange mix of both, who can really say?”  It is results that the Emperor desires, and the Yurisayans are more than capable of getting those results.

I feel as though I could go on for pages about Yurisaya’s practices, but my daily duties must be tended.  As much as I’m sure Mother would enjoy testing my knowledge further, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

 

#Lore24 – Entry #89 – Fantasy Month #29 – Cult of the Unified Sisterhood

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

Apparently a rapidly growing movement, the Cult of the Unified Sisterhood, as it is known, seeks to unify the churches of Erisaya and Yurisaya, or at least, to promote the worship of both goddesses equally and simultaneously, rather than favoring one over the other.

Historically speaking, the goddesses and their associated worshippers have always been allied, but distinctly separate, groups.  The holy symbols associated with the goddesses of course reflect this, each one half of the same mask, the white half with the rose attributed to Erisaya, and the black half with the rose’s thorns to her sister Yurisaya.  Their practices are very similar to one another in general, though each has their own private rituals that are much more specialized and more closely linked to their specific beliefs. 

Each of the sisters emphasizes different aspects of love and passion in their beliefs and practices, Erisaya focusing more on innocent, pure love, while Yurisaya favors the more darkly erotic and carnal love.  It is this distinction between the goddesses primarily that separates them and their worshipers, and their churches have evolved in separate but often parallel ways because of it.

The Cult of the Unified Sisterhood seeks to reconcile these differences and merge the practices of both goddesses together into a singular church, supposedly with the intention to worship each goddess equally and simultaneously.  Speaking from an outside perspective, this seems logical and perhaps even natural, but thinking more deeply upon the goals of the cult, and having spoken to followers of each goddess regarding them, I can very much understand their concerns.  Is not worshipping each goddess equally and together simply trying to combine the two into a singular being?  Is this cult seeking to undermine the very foundations of each of the churches to form a new one, and while promoting equality of worship, ultimately diminishing the essence of each goddess?  Are their goals, rather than good natured, actually subversive and dangerous?  Worship of multiple deities is not uncommon, of course, but the individual usually picks one with whom their beliefs are most closely aligned as their true patron; what does worshipping both goddesses at once say about that?  What are the implications in the afterlife, when one must go to the realm of their god for their rewards?  Will they be welcomed by both, shunned by both, fought over, or will their very souls be torn in twain? 

Truly one, when taking time to think over the nature of religion and a cult of this nature, can begin to understand the reason the faithful of both Erisaya or Yurisaya approach the Cult of the Unified Sisterhood with some amount of concern and in some cases, outright hostility.  Any organized religion is built upon its faith, and to disturb the foundations of it can certainly have far-reaching consequences.  Is it possible that the two faiths will begin fighting one another over this cult?  Who can say for certain?

There are rumors of efforts to create a unified temple in the great city of Arcavarlon across the great Brineda Ocean, so the cult is not unique to the lands of the Empire, either.  Perhaps this is a schism that has been developing for some time and is just now gaining the prominence required for the average person to notice.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to compare this situation to a volcano?  The pressure is building, there are ever increasing rumblings, but currently we cannot know if there will be a violent explosion or if it will simply calm down and go dormant once again.