Well... it's been a week or two since it's been really busy over at the World Building site, but I've had this Lilithian History kicking around for a little while. I thought I'd post it here to get everyone's opinion before I tried to figure out where to post it on the wiki. There's quite a few non-specifics because I still haven't figured out where the Lilithans are generally located and how they fit in with the rest of culture. This history is solely Lilithian history, and is only relative to how the races split up, with an insight to their religion... nothing about interactions with other races or anything.
So, yeah, comments and criticism greatly appreciated. HELP is welcome, too. Yeah. Help. PLEASE. I realize that a lot of this is choppy and needs work, but treat it as notes, and if you could help with smoothing it out, that would be amazing as well.
Here it is: General Lilithan History. Beware: it is long. My little comments are italisized, however you spell that idiotic word.
The Lilithians were once one race, ruled by a lineage of queens whose title translated into English roughly translates as "Highest Lady". After many years of growth (where and when?), the Lilithians reached a Dark Age when Highest Lady Fanna Kali took the throne. Now it is believed that she might have been insane, but at the time her ideals of making religion the most important part of society appealed to the Lilithians (why?). The Lilithian priests, called Interpreters of the Word, were given far more power than they had had in the past. Before, they had simply acted as priests, but now they were given power to govern. The religious system grew in size and power drastically. After only forty years there was noticeable widespread corruption among the Interpreters, as each began to believe that their way, and their way alone was right.
Before Highest Lady Fanna Kali gave power to the Interpreters, the theology behind Enlightenment was quite simple: Follow Lilith's path, and you would become Enlightened. (Insert original Enlightenment process here.) Enlightenment had been viewed as a kind of heavenly state--reach Enlightenment and you have reached paradise. However, when Fanna Kali gave so much power to the Interpreters, each wanted the religion to follow them and their ideals, not the other Interpreters and their ideals. This was the beginning of the Great Struggle of the Interpreters. (Sucky title, I know.) Not content with the power they had held as simple Interpreters of the Word, many began preaching Interpretations that focused on a single aspect of Lilith's path, proclaiming it to be the only true road to Enlightenment.
The theological battles were fierce. At first it was simply a war of words, with followers debating in the streets, and Interpreters sending each other nasty letters and debating publicly. However, as certain Interpreters began to gain more followers, riots would occasionally erupt between the followers of one Interpreter and the followers of another. Most Lilithians chose an Interpreter who spoke to their talents and ideals and followed their teachings faithfully, but there were some who completely disagreed with the New Way of focusing on one path when the Old Way emphasized following all aspects of Lilith's Path equally. Instead of choosing one Interpreter over another, these Lilithians who followed the Old Way retreated from the fray of Lilithian society to live on the edges, watching and following the teachings of the select few Interpreters who had refused the power Fanna Kali had offered them and longed for truth over power.
Highest Lady Fanna Kali died fifty years after giving power to the Interpreters and it was hoped by some that the disquiet would alleviate with the succession of Fanna Kali's daughter, Marala Sai, as Highest Lady.
This was not the case.
Calling it, "freedom to choose your path," Highest Lady Marala Sai supported the Interpreters to such an extent that the disquiet grew into chaos.
Interpreters began building their own armies comprised of devout followers who staged hit-and-run terrorist attacks against other sects, but never truly escalating the conflict beyond terrorism and riots. Even so, it was silently considered the War of Enlightenment, where each sect believed that their way, and their way alone, was right.
Highest Lady Marala Sai's reign lasted twenty-nine years, and when she died, her daughter Bria Lan took the throne at age twenty-one. Highest Lady Bria Lan approved of the freedom to choose one's faith, but not of the fighting that had stemmed from that freedom. However, at this point, the violence had escalated to the point where it was a common occurrence for the followers of Interpreter Zherren Ai ("The only true path to Enlightenment is by the reading of Ancient Texts") to throw large, heavy scrolls on which nothing was written at the heads of followers of other sects. This was to signify the knowledge of the past that the other sects lacked.
Other violent acts included Interpreter L'heari Rin's followers throwing bricks (Literally, "you must build your own path to Enlightenment"), Interpreter Caven Or's followers burning down buildings ("find Enlightenment through the light"), and Interpreter Wirra Pai's followers consistently getting extremely drunk on Lilithian wine and committing acts of rape ("enjoy the pleasures of this world while you can, for Enlightenment comes only through utter joy, and with Enlightenment comes the end of the world!").
These were only a few of the hundred and thirty or so sects that were battling at the time. Many more came and went, and soon, alliances were being built between sects of similar beliefs until there were four main groups: The Makers, The Waiters, The Learners, and The Naturals (if there's a better synonym for "simple", please tell me).
All the while, Highest Lady Bria Lan made patient attempts to bring the leaders of the sects together for a peace conference. They would have none of it. After almost three years of Bria Lan's pleas, she finally grew frustrated and threatened to strip all the Interpreters of their power and banish them from the realm if they refused to cooperate. With that furious statement, Bria Lan had the Interpreters' attention.
On a cloudy, wet day in spring, Interpreter Mirlu Fai of the Learners, Interpreter Fren Ro of the Waiters, Interpreter Diava Ern of the Makers, Interpreter Airan Nur of the Naturals, and Rehanna Tev of those who had distanced themselves from the fray at the beginning and were now commonly referred to as the Outcasts all gathered. Bria Lan allowed each of these five to bring two Lilithians with them, whether they were followers or Interpreters, but no more. The council numbered eighteen in all, including the Highest Lady herself, her scribe, and her bodyguard.
After three hours of arguments about whose Path was right (which included hurling insults and small objects across the room--It is common legend between the Lilithians that at one point, a follower was thrown bodily across the room, but whose follower it was, who threw him or her, and at which Lilithian he or she was thrown varies according to legend--However, no record of this incident exists in the scribe's official transcript), Bria Lan finally devised a system by which no one was allowed to speak unless she specifically bade them do so.
At first, this method worked very well, but soon enough the Interpreters had returned to outburst, yelling, and throwing small objects. Rehanna Tev of the Outcasts famously suggested that if everyone kept interrupting, "perhaps it would be more prudent to tie their mouths shut." To the utter shock of all present, the Highest Lady agreed, and revised her method so that everyone's mouths were gagged, and when she bade someone speak, her bodyguard would remove the gag to allow them to speak.
This method was highly effective, once everyone had resigned themselves to it, and, after four hours in this fashion, the Interpreters all agreed to refrain from interrupting again as long as the gags were removed from their mouths. Bria Lan agreed, and finally, the council got down to business.
After eight days of debates, rebuttals, speeches, suggestions, and compromises, a decision was finally reached: the Great Lilithian Nation would split, becoming five separate Lilithian tribes, each under the leadership of someone chosen from the tribe. Highest Lady Bria Lan refused to join any particular clan for fear of showing favoritism and starting the violence all over again, but instead chose to stand aside to govern all the tribes from a distance, giving up most of her duties as Highest Lady in favor of making sure that each tribe developed separately and remained apart from each other tribe. She also promised to be an unbiased judge should any conflicts between the tribes arose during the delicate stage of separation.
And so it was. The Makers departed and became the Sun Lilithians, developing their magic to create, becoming masters of craft, including weaponry and using that weaponry in their own defense.
The Waiters departed to the northern ice lands and became the Ice Lilithians, letting their magic evolve on its own until it became such that they could see time in the ice.
The Learners departed and became the Grand Lilithians, called such by the races they encountered, and setting up libraries and universities and other such repositories of knowledge. They became deeply involved in the teaching of others, and the learning of everything they could about every subject they could find.
The Naturals departed and became the Wood Lilithians, going to the forests and attempting to shuck all complicated aspects of life so that they could live as simply as possible. Their magic developed into manipulation of the forest and communion with animals.
The Outcasts, who had technically already departed, removed themselves further and became the Shadow Lilithians, hiding themselves from all to follow the Old Ways without interruption or criticism and disappearing from the world.
And thus the Lilithian Nation became the five tribes known today. There is still a Highest Lady, and she still offers advice and an unbiased opinion on matters both large and small, but the Lilithian Nation is no more.
So, yeah, comments and criticism greatly appreciated. HELP is welcome, too. Yeah. Help. PLEASE. I realize that a lot of this is choppy and needs work, but treat it as notes, and if you could help with smoothing it out, that would be amazing as well.
Here it is: General Lilithan History. Beware: it is long. My little comments are italisized, however you spell that idiotic word.
The Lilithians were once one race, ruled by a lineage of queens whose title translated into English roughly translates as "Highest Lady". After many years of growth (where and when?), the Lilithians reached a Dark Age when Highest Lady Fanna Kali took the throne. Now it is believed that she might have been insane, but at the time her ideals of making religion the most important part of society appealed to the Lilithians (why?). The Lilithian priests, called Interpreters of the Word, were given far more power than they had had in the past. Before, they had simply acted as priests, but now they were given power to govern. The religious system grew in size and power drastically. After only forty years there was noticeable widespread corruption among the Interpreters, as each began to believe that their way, and their way alone was right.
Before Highest Lady Fanna Kali gave power to the Interpreters, the theology behind Enlightenment was quite simple: Follow Lilith's path, and you would become Enlightened. (Insert original Enlightenment process here.) Enlightenment had been viewed as a kind of heavenly state--reach Enlightenment and you have reached paradise. However, when Fanna Kali gave so much power to the Interpreters, each wanted the religion to follow them and their ideals, not the other Interpreters and their ideals. This was the beginning of the Great Struggle of the Interpreters. (Sucky title, I know.) Not content with the power they had held as simple Interpreters of the Word, many began preaching Interpretations that focused on a single aspect of Lilith's path, proclaiming it to be the only true road to Enlightenment.
The theological battles were fierce. At first it was simply a war of words, with followers debating in the streets, and Interpreters sending each other nasty letters and debating publicly. However, as certain Interpreters began to gain more followers, riots would occasionally erupt between the followers of one Interpreter and the followers of another. Most Lilithians chose an Interpreter who spoke to their talents and ideals and followed their teachings faithfully, but there were some who completely disagreed with the New Way of focusing on one path when the Old Way emphasized following all aspects of Lilith's Path equally. Instead of choosing one Interpreter over another, these Lilithians who followed the Old Way retreated from the fray of Lilithian society to live on the edges, watching and following the teachings of the select few Interpreters who had refused the power Fanna Kali had offered them and longed for truth over power.
Highest Lady Fanna Kali died fifty years after giving power to the Interpreters and it was hoped by some that the disquiet would alleviate with the succession of Fanna Kali's daughter, Marala Sai, as Highest Lady.
This was not the case.
Calling it, "freedom to choose your path," Highest Lady Marala Sai supported the Interpreters to such an extent that the disquiet grew into chaos.
Interpreters began building their own armies comprised of devout followers who staged hit-and-run terrorist attacks against other sects, but never truly escalating the conflict beyond terrorism and riots. Even so, it was silently considered the War of Enlightenment, where each sect believed that their way, and their way alone, was right.
Highest Lady Marala Sai's reign lasted twenty-nine years, and when she died, her daughter Bria Lan took the throne at age twenty-one. Highest Lady Bria Lan approved of the freedom to choose one's faith, but not of the fighting that had stemmed from that freedom. However, at this point, the violence had escalated to the point where it was a common occurrence for the followers of Interpreter Zherren Ai ("The only true path to Enlightenment is by the reading of Ancient Texts") to throw large, heavy scrolls on which nothing was written at the heads of followers of other sects. This was to signify the knowledge of the past that the other sects lacked.
Other violent acts included Interpreter L'heari Rin's followers throwing bricks (Literally, "you must build your own path to Enlightenment"), Interpreter Caven Or's followers burning down buildings ("find Enlightenment through the light"), and Interpreter Wirra Pai's followers consistently getting extremely drunk on Lilithian wine and committing acts of rape ("enjoy the pleasures of this world while you can, for Enlightenment comes only through utter joy, and with Enlightenment comes the end of the world!").
These were only a few of the hundred and thirty or so sects that were battling at the time. Many more came and went, and soon, alliances were being built between sects of similar beliefs until there were four main groups: The Makers, The Waiters, The Learners, and The Naturals (if there's a better synonym for "simple", please tell me).
All the while, Highest Lady Bria Lan made patient attempts to bring the leaders of the sects together for a peace conference. They would have none of it. After almost three years of Bria Lan's pleas, she finally grew frustrated and threatened to strip all the Interpreters of their power and banish them from the realm if they refused to cooperate. With that furious statement, Bria Lan had the Interpreters' attention.
On a cloudy, wet day in spring, Interpreter Mirlu Fai of the Learners, Interpreter Fren Ro of the Waiters, Interpreter Diava Ern of the Makers, Interpreter Airan Nur of the Naturals, and Rehanna Tev of those who had distanced themselves from the fray at the beginning and were now commonly referred to as the Outcasts all gathered. Bria Lan allowed each of these five to bring two Lilithians with them, whether they were followers or Interpreters, but no more. The council numbered eighteen in all, including the Highest Lady herself, her scribe, and her bodyguard.
After three hours of arguments about whose Path was right (which included hurling insults and small objects across the room--It is common legend between the Lilithians that at one point, a follower was thrown bodily across the room, but whose follower it was, who threw him or her, and at which Lilithian he or she was thrown varies according to legend--However, no record of this incident exists in the scribe's official transcript), Bria Lan finally devised a system by which no one was allowed to speak unless she specifically bade them do so.
At first, this method worked very well, but soon enough the Interpreters had returned to outburst, yelling, and throwing small objects. Rehanna Tev of the Outcasts famously suggested that if everyone kept interrupting, "perhaps it would be more prudent to tie their mouths shut." To the utter shock of all present, the Highest Lady agreed, and revised her method so that everyone's mouths were gagged, and when she bade someone speak, her bodyguard would remove the gag to allow them to speak.
This method was highly effective, once everyone had resigned themselves to it, and, after four hours in this fashion, the Interpreters all agreed to refrain from interrupting again as long as the gags were removed from their mouths. Bria Lan agreed, and finally, the council got down to business.
After eight days of debates, rebuttals, speeches, suggestions, and compromises, a decision was finally reached: the Great Lilithian Nation would split, becoming five separate Lilithian tribes, each under the leadership of someone chosen from the tribe. Highest Lady Bria Lan refused to join any particular clan for fear of showing favoritism and starting the violence all over again, but instead chose to stand aside to govern all the tribes from a distance, giving up most of her duties as Highest Lady in favor of making sure that each tribe developed separately and remained apart from each other tribe. She also promised to be an unbiased judge should any conflicts between the tribes arose during the delicate stage of separation.
And so it was. The Makers departed and became the Sun Lilithians, developing their magic to create, becoming masters of craft, including weaponry and using that weaponry in their own defense.
The Waiters departed to the northern ice lands and became the Ice Lilithians, letting their magic evolve on its own until it became such that they could see time in the ice.
The Learners departed and became the Grand Lilithians, called such by the races they encountered, and setting up libraries and universities and other such repositories of knowledge. They became deeply involved in the teaching of others, and the learning of everything they could about every subject they could find.
The Naturals departed and became the Wood Lilithians, going to the forests and attempting to shuck all complicated aspects of life so that they could live as simply as possible. Their magic developed into manipulation of the forest and communion with animals.
The Outcasts, who had technically already departed, removed themselves further and became the Shadow Lilithians, hiding themselves from all to follow the Old Ways without interruption or criticism and disappearing from the world.
And thus the Lilithian Nation became the five tribes known today. There is still a Highest Lady, and she still offers advice and an unbiased opinion on matters both large and small, but the Lilithian Nation is no more.
