Holy Books of the Ophidians
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Holy Books of the Ophidians
Author:
Our Sacred Books will reveal to thee what thou must know to live the life of a true Orphidian. Respect the books for they were written with the pain, the blood, and the hopes of thine ancestors. Read our books to know thyself.
Thou shalt be clean when touching the books. Thou shalt ve pure when reading the books. Thou shalt read the books aloud. Thou shalt not say with thy tongue that which thou wouldst not make good whit thine actions.. Now, thou mayest proceed.
Herein lies the tale of the Ophidians. The Ophidians are the inhabitants of this continent. In the First Age, the world was divided into four continents. There was no magic in the land, and two Kings ruled in peace.
This was before the Enlightenment came to us. Then came a great war, and the four lands were sundered from one another. Then, we were alone. The destruction was great. One kingdom fell when its liege died while abraod. Madness too the King of the White Dragon. Then the Great Earth Serpeant spoke to us! Our people built beautiful cities in safe places under the ground. Six temples were built, and three special shrines.. The serpeants lived among us. This was our world.
This was the time after the defeat of Mondain, when our spiritual leader the Great Hierophant of The Ophidians explained the changes in the universe through our ethical philosophy of Balance, and its twin properties of Order and Chaos. The Serpeant spoke to us through him.
The Great Hierophant was the only one who could open the Wall of Lights. The Wall of Lights is the entrance into the Void. He entered the Void to speak with the Serpeants.
Our temples and shrines were organized in the following manner:
-The Three Grand Shrines
-The Chaos Temples
-The Order Temples
The total number being nine.
The Three Grand Shrines were divided into Balance, Chaos and Order. The Chaos Temples were divided into the Temple of Emotion, the Temple of Enthusiasm, the Temple of Tolerance.
The Order Temples were divided into the Temple of Ethicality, The Temple of Discipline, the Temple of Logic.
The six temples had sub-leaders: the Master of Ethicality, the Master of Discipline, the Master of Logic, the Master of Emotion, the Master of Enthusiasm, and the Master of Tolerance.
During ceremonies, the Great Hierophant was assisted by the Order Hierophant and the Chaos Hierophant. Rich jewelry and shining armour were worn at that time.
Throughout the years we had different successors in charge of those functions. The deceased Great Hierophants were buried on the Isle of Crypts. Then came disaster. The Great Earth Serpeant was taken from the Void, no longer able to communicate with us! We became obsessed with the struggle between Order and Chaos. No more Balance!
The Great Hierophant was murdered and his sacred artifacts were plundered by zealots of Chaos. Rivalry corrupted the hearts and minds of our people. The reigns of belligerent factions began.
War broke out. Armies marched, cities were laid waste, and lava flowed from the deep. The Chaos people were defeated. This is when the Chaos Serpeant was brought from the Void and split into three forces. Lest they should wander the world, they were imprisoned at the three Temples of Order.
The scourges of war, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions with their lava flows and destruction reduced the isle to a desolate land. Thereupon, the Order people left the land of their ancestors known as Serpeant Isle in search of a better place.
This is a foolish quest. I alone, a servant of Balance am left. I soon will die. All is death, and the land forsaken.