Ijtalirate

## Introduction

The Ijtalirate, also called the Temple Core, the Holy Family, and lots of other stuff with 'holy' in it, is the longest lasting political organization on Pohm, spanning around three thousand or five thousand years, depending on definition, and holding the Crown of Honour(not a literal crown) for pretty much the entire period. The Ijtalirate is driven by the Ijtal, the pureblood descendants of the original prophets Kalen and Estira, who were created by the Angel to protect the world. Their family was strong for a long time, but their genetic pool deteriorated significantly after a long lifespan and several population-reducing civil wars. Due to their wish to maintain their abilities as Hands of God, they exclusively interbred with themselves as a utterly strict religious code. Any suspicion of a child being born of an outsider would immediately disqualify them from breeding back into the core pool. For the last fifteen hundred years of their existence, however, the family has been in steady decline, often deformed or enormously imbalanced in abilities, always with bleached features and susceptibility to sunlight.

### The Beginning

The prophets Kalen and Estira were far from bleached. They were of people under the sun, in Hetta, where the old pharoahs reigned. They lived around 800 years after the fall of Auanduana (also known as Cyphchyrea) and a thousand years after the coming of the Baal who overthrew their ancient metropolises. After a rough childhood, and lots of youthful adventures, they led a massive rebellion in the heart of Hetta, overthrowing and becoming the pharoahs. Their dynasty and kingdom lasted for a thousand years, until the coming of the demonmen (who were the third Korbaal invasion, with the second taking place on the opposite continent) whom they defeated, but ultimately led to their kingdom's collapse.

### The Ancient Times

Over the following millenium, the family survived and maintained its position as occult aristocrats ruling over a series of small domains. During this period they mostly did not attempt to expand too much, preferring instead to maintain a stable and safe position amongst their neighbours. Over time however, more and more of them dissappeared, either through being defeated by outsiders, or destroyed by their cousins for breeding with outsiders. As well as this, the fourth Korbaal invasion was coming, and while it would likely occur on the other continent, it could very likely pose of threat to theirs. The remaining pockets of Ijtals coordinated over several generations to build political power in their regions, and in the end conquered their neighbours and formed a large, bureaucratic, hereditary theocracy. Their following interactions with the refugees from the other continent, along with the following silence, steeled the religious foundations of their new state.

### The Common Time

The following centuries were a golden age for the Ijtalirate, massively expanding its power and influence to a height never before seen, its people developing new methods never seen before, its enemies crumbling before them. A thousand years of prosperity was followed by more than a thousand years of being constantly on the backfoot in the defense against the demons who'd colonized the other continent. After several centuries the invasions faded in intensity, but the Ijtalirate struggled politically regardless, owing to the beginning of their genetic decline. Two and a half thousand years after the Ijtalirate theocracy was founded, the Angel became very vocal, and worried.

### The Modern Time

The Angel contacted and sponsored a different faction. A group of innovative northern kingdoms were formed into the Eular Union, with a dynasty half-bred of Ijtal ruling over a more democratic society, far healthier than the core Ijtal population. The Union was granted knowledge and blessings, and in doing so was able to adapt and learn enough to be ready for when the gunmen came. Thus the Crown of Honour was passed to the Eular Union after nearly five thousand years.

## The Time After the Fall Auanduana

### The War

The great Chyrene civilization of Aunduana, grown in perfect harmony in the bosom of the Aera, was brought down in less than two hundred years by a horde of strangers, serving the gods of Korbaal. They were huge, and beautiful, and monstrous. Noble in face and body, but savage cannibals in action, they ripped their way through human lands, the peaceful locals completely unable to defend themselves from being murdered and eaten in the night. What started as simple murder cases, and savage border skirmishes, soon turned to large scale raids into the major Chyrene kingdoms, and destruction of entire human armies. A massive growth in their population was attributed to them simply eating everything and everyone, but they were likely also supplied with some sort of basic fuel from their origins.

Then came of the gods of Korbaal incarnate. For the sake of entertainment, they transferred parts of their minds to bodies grown for them on Pohm, typically with several backups. Commanding each their own armies, growing into hordes of hundreds of thousands, they made full scale invasion of Chyrene lands, showing unusual cruelty even for their kind as their tore through the kingdoms. They sacked, raped, tortured, and of course consumed everything in their path, defeating army and army through sheer strength and numbers. Soon they entered the imperial territory of Auanduana.

A final alliance had bound together armies from all over their world, over 800,000 Chyrene men and women met at the Nine Gates, ready to die fighting to save their children, and their hope for a future. Four hundred kilometres to the south was the capital city of Cyphalisia, where four million people lived. When the enemy came, they held them back for weeks. The Nine Gates were narrow, and the cliffs around steep. There the kings of men fought the gods of Korbaal, but they could not do so forever.

Soon reports came of enemy parties behind the lines. The armies of humanity saw the smoke rising from the ravaged homes behind them. Those whose homes were already gone stayed, and were focused on the Gates, but those who still had families to defend could not stand idly by. Entire units deserted to go defend their homes, and the weakening kept the pressure up. Soon the great army, reduced to half its number, was being attacked from behind by the enemy savages, and darkness fell.

The line shattered, and the enemy poured through. Officers of the imperial guard had foreseen the catastrophe, and had long begun preparations for a defense in the far west, beyond where civilization was. Walls were being built, huge walls that spanned a narrow isthmus. As the enemy poured into the imperial country, the units of the Imperial Guard maneuvered to protect the royal family, however they were in large part too late. The enemy surrounded the city. The City guard closed the gates on refugees from the suburbs, as a siege was expected. This meant over a million civilians were slaughtered in under a week, and the enemy feasted. Only a smaller contingent of the royal family, mostly younger and impressionable princes and princesses, were secured by the remaining free military, and retreat behind the new walls followed.

This meant a journey into extremely sparse areas, through wilderness and areas without roads, and to settle in a harsh region, where half the population were tribal barbarians, and the other half prideful military men. News from the city was nonexistent, but it was likely a brutal siege, with no hope to begin with.

### The Royal Struggle

The royal family and their army, however, lived on behind the wall. Over the following decades they would have to establish some sort of permanent command, lest the walls go unguarded due to disorganization. A power struggled would ensue between the experienced military officers and the young royal family, which would result in the royal family becoming closed-off and worshipped as god-kings by the ignorant barbarians and fanatical legions in their newly established kingdom.

Even once behind the new walls, the danger was not over. In order for the fortifications to protect what remained of humanity, they needed to be manned. If the remaining authorities could not retain order and control over their military, and the subjects which supported it, then the walls would become just another cliff for the enemy to climb. The region was, however, very dry at the time, and despite its relative proximity to the capital of the now-dead empire, remained sparsely populated and explored. Those that did live there were primarily barbarous desert dwellers, or simple farmers around the rare water. The issue of food arose, as while the Imperial Guard was a highly loyal force of thousands, they could not fight if they did not eat. The immediate solution of the military was to simply take it from the locals. This, policy however would lead to a new internal struggle between the royalty and the military officers, in which the royalty insisted upon establishing peaceful long term relations with local barbarian groups.

# Old

The following stuff is old and not necessarily cannon. I'm just keeping it as a reference.

## Introduction

The Ijtalirate, commonly known as the nation Ijtala, is a large country on the south-west coast of Bitu known for its legacy as the former Chyrtal, the fifth Chyrene Realm, as well as remaining the traditional centre for the Haeris faith and birthplace of modern culture. First formed in year 932 when Kalen and Estina, known together as the Talijtal, or First Ij, reformed the Cult of Ijtal into a much larger and more efficient organization designed to govern rather than sabotage. This organization played a primary role in the Great Rebellion, and over the following centuries would become the dominating power of Chyrea, earning the legacy as Fifth Chyrtal.

Today, the nation maintains its rule by the Ijtali Dynasty, descendants of Kalen and Estina. Strictly adhering to a form of pharoanic dynastism, they have retained the unique, otherworldly abilities granted to them by their genetic line, created by the Haera. Not only have these abilities meant mostly stable and effective rule for over two millennia, but they continue to serve as biological reminders of their religious importance to this day.

## The Cult of Ijtal

The Cult of Ijtal is the oldest and most important structure within the broader Ijtalirate complex. Forming the foundation of all religious offshoots, the Cult of Ijtal is not actually dedicated to any single religious idea, but rather presents itself as uniquely opposite to other faiths, as a mostly secular, humanist institution. They state that regardless of gods, all people generally want the same things, and by working together and following great leaders, greater cooperation can be achieved. This remains a component of the philosophical North-South schism, as in the north, especially in the highly secular Kingdom of Ro, the worship of ground-dwelling idols is viewed as folly and medieval. For this reason the Cult of Ijtal is not popular in many regions despite the Haeris faith of the locals.

### Conception

The word *ijtal* came from Ecrean "iji" meaning "potential" or "bursting", and "tal" meaning "greatest". It was applied in such a way that reflects the Ecrean philosophy and cosmology regarding the Devil, which greatly influenced early Ijtal practices. "Ijtal" was originally an Ecrean grouping used to refer to a variety of different clans, gangs, and social movements that arose in Hetta in the ninth century as part of a reaction to the strict Ecrean social laws that had been imposed. They were named so because of their association with demonic practices. Over time, however, the name was adopted by the groups and began becoming associated with opposition specifically to Ecrean religion, creating a feedback loop of hatred and violence between the Imperial government and the underground movement, initially culminating in the Rebellions of 904.

The religious canon of the Ecreans, who occupied Hetta at the time of the Ijtal movement's birth, followed the common Chyrene format of social bodies embodying spirits and gods. In their belief, the Empire of Ecrea is the singular true and final vessel of God, and God is by far the mightiest of the spirits, representing the higher, fundamental truth of strength in unity, peace, and order. Other spirits, embodied in other peoples, states, and religions, may not have been intentionally evil by themselves, but ultimately they were chaotic, and chipped away at the *Realm of Peace*. It was thus the role of the *Cyphalis* to pacify the natural chaos of the world, and bring more into the fold.

   Initially, the groups that were labelled "ijtal" by Ecrean authorities were those that had become non-exclusive to any particular religious or cultural group. These more diverse groups, centred on their hatred for Ecrea, could not be played against each other as easily as others. Hetta had always had an extremely diverse population, and the leveraging of this had been a primary tactic used by the Ecreans to seize and hold authority. They presented themselves as they viewed themselves: the reasonable higher authority, there to settle disputes and make peace in God's name. However this image was undermined by the ability of many peoples to simply set aside their differences without a higher authority, and maintain their "barbarian" ways in doing so. Not only did they present a physical threat to their authority, but a religious one as well. In their scripture, that which was an amalgamation of many things was an abomination, and that which was directly against their God was Sardonic (which was a broader category they used to describe a variety of groups). That which was both, such as an ijtal, was a demon, and truly evil. Yet the more they cracked down upon the movement, the more they appeared to fear it, and the stronger it grew. Soon Ijtal groups popped up even within the imperial west, and troops were withdrawn to secure the capital lands. This withdrawal of military presence led to the Rebellions of 904, which saw temporary independence for Hetta.

Essentially, due to the fact that most of the religions at the time worked on the same fundamental paradigm of patron spirits, the nature of ijtal groups seemed outright satanic to the superstitious eyes of the Ecrean upper class, and their fear of it caused the ijtal to play into it, confirming fears and heightening tensions.

##### Rebellions of 904

The Rebellions of 904, also known as the First Rebellion, saw the temporary ending of Ecrean military presence from Hetta, and the rise of the short-lived First League. It occurred following the retreat of large portions of the imperial army in order to deal with civil unrest and unsecured borders in the west. This was after they'd imposed years of social and economic oppression, along with unjust and ineffective treatment of widespread piracy and banditry. With the withdrawal of troops, anarchy spread throughout the country, and the many cities and organizations had to deal it with mostly on their own. Those that maintained control quickly threw off their Ecrean governors, and many cities became independent through these revolutions. The countryside became a mess of warbands, but it became especially dangerous for anything Ecrean, as civilians and Along with a massive increase in the intensity of guerilla fighting against their patrols and logistics by the many Sardonic groups, which included the ijtal, all this forced the imperial administration to retreat entirely by the end of the year, marking independence.

By this time the ijtal were no longer simply diverse groups, but groups with the specific theme of being impure. Due to the fact that the majority of Hetta was still dominated by ethnic and religious tensions, the ijtal were popular only in counterculture circles, associated with filth, desperation, and viciousness.

After the First Rebellion, a power vacuum opened up and a treaty was made to form the First League, an alliance of cities that would work to restore order to the country. This goal faded quickly however as each state took what it could get. Eventually, the King Tanl of the great city of Yedasha would begin a campaign of unification, claiming to represent the true inhabitants of Hetta, and shattering the League.

### Cult Beginnings

The First Cult of Ijtal was formed in 906 by a group of niche spiritualists, and was initially viewed as a pathetic and disingenuous appropriation of the word, having no warriors among them, and having only vaguely similar ideas. The founders were a group of young scholars in the city of Brossa who believed in a form of hoministic high divinity. That is to say they believed that personal divinity and a strive for greatest was more sacred and powerful than worship in any god or spirit, and that more would be achieved without traditional religion. However, given that the established ijtal values were acceptance of all religion, rather than rejection, the public perception of the cult was, for a time, very negative. They were seen as a bunch of soft young city folk telling preaching arrogance and abandonment of ones gods.

This infamy spread however, and soon the Cult gained followers because of it. Many had seen those who believed in peaceful gods commit acts of violence, and those who believed in mighty gods be slain, and so many began to take to their message.

believing in a form of sacred personal-divinity, stating that it is the actions of individuals rather than the collective will of cultural icons which determines what happens in the world. This was largely inspired by the wave of neo-animistic and ancestor worshipping beliefs that became popular around the First Rebellions as counter to the growth of mainstream Ecrean culture. These more polytheistic beliefs were popular before the rapid growth of Ecrean influence, and continued exist in the open alongside the God of Peace, until the centralizing reforms of the late 800's which ultimately contributed to the Rebellions. The Cult of Ijtal failed to gain popularity early-on however due to many of the newer beliefs they professed.

Where as the vast majority of religious beliefs in Hetta tended to worship character-gods, ancestor-spirits, or aspects of nature or societal constructs, the early Cult of Ijtal instead worshipped a messiah that was yet to come. This belief drove many away from the faith, as trusting the strength of something which doesn't exist yet was relatively incompatible with the worldview of the time. Many also dismissed the group as having little to do with true Ijtal, who were viewed as adaptable, dirty, and about the belief that "a million ants can kill a man". The Cult of Ijtal was thus viewed as a weak-willed inner-city organization of individuals wanting freedom in life without devotion to anything living or solid. Simply put, the Cult was made up of people who took credit from others, while refusing to place their loyalty in anything real and insisting on their own freedom.

.....

The Cult of Ijtal was originally formed in 906 out of a group of niche spiritualists who believed that humans, not gods or traditions, were the true power in the world. They were largely inspired by the older, less official religions of Bitu which primarily worshipped ancestors and character-gods, rather than the spirits of nations. The Cult believed that at some point a unifying messiah would appear to lead the people to freedom from religious tyranny. Initially, the title Ijtal was simply used by the fringe organization to associate themselves with the popular anti-heroes of their late culture. With only a few dozen members, the Cult remained tiny for several years. However the over the course of a few years their name began to bring in numbers of ideological Ijtals, with the next few years seeing a melding of ideas. Soon the Cult turned into less of a religious body, and more of a partisan network with a central legal hub, masquerading as a temple. They sought to function as a unifying presence in Hetta, but still did not achieve popularity for another decade.

The Hettan people generally viewed a central authority as being counter to the ideas of the rebellions, and the Hettan League Movement was also gaining popularity at the time, encouraging a decentralized alliance of cities to form. The perception of "being Ijtal" at the time was one of being outcast from society, gaining victory through individual quality, mutual cooperation, and willingness to abandon one's dignity. It was both a title held with pride by many who scorned a city-borne centralized organization, and one associated with extremism and barbarism, lumped in with fanatical groups such as the Acroricans. The Cult was also suppressed by much of the remaining Ecrean influence, as while the military had left for the time being, many Ecrean people and businesses remained in Hetta and typically perceived the Ijtal as a threat to them personally.

In 925, an Ecrean army entered Hetta for the first time since the Rebellions, invited in by the eastern cities to defend the border against the Corehean warbands. As a result the Cult saw an uptick in membership, and all of Hetta was put on edge. In 928, something changed. A pair of new leaders took management of one of the Cults many, but thin, branches, and were quickly promoted through the ranks, taking the reigns the following year.

Over the next six years, as cities began to invite Ecreans in to battle other cities, and foriegn domination began to return, the Cult of Ijtal exploded in popularity. The new leadership instituted widesweeping reforms, gave strict moral lessons, and showed absolute mastery of war and administration. They even became suspected, and eventually confirmed, to be of possessing magical ability. They said that they would reveal their identities after the Revolution. The pair were of immense beauty, strength, and intellect. It was suspected they were somehow together the messiah that was prophesized.