First Shrine

The First Shrine was the location known as the first place on Tal where there was confirmed human worship of Knowledge and certainly in the aspect of Celer.

The First Shrine was a location where the power of Divinia could be be tangibly felt by those who have the senses attuned to power. Clerics, Praetors, Paladins and immortals of Knowledge have manifested greater power here than presumed possible elsewhere.

It was the repository of several artifacts of great power.

## History

Pre 1500BE: The First Shrine was founded as what is claimed the first location of Knowledge worship on Tal. Due to this an elven settlement rose up in the area around the Shrine. The elven archives, later to become known as The Tome were built in this era also and are made of the same mysterious rock as the First Shrine itself. Elves trained humans in Divinia and Arcania.

1500BE: The first reliable written records were from this date and suggested that the First Shrine was already built at this date. At this time the shrine was still in an elven city not a human one. Supposedly the Avatar of Knowledge in his guise as Celer the tradesman founded the town of this date that would later become Tor Celer.

1500BE-800BE: The Shrine was a locus of power and brought a concentration of great power. Throughout the centuries it was fought over and desired by people of power. During these centuries the human inhabitants overpowered the elven ones and became the power holders in the growing town surrounding the Shrine. The elves however were still able to live in the area and keep a significant presence in the Shrine and in the neighboring archives.

800BE: Under the leadership of a human Praetor of Knowledge Everknown the settlement, now called Tor Celer, became the capital of its own city state. This grows to be a powerful nation known as Vale Celer . The Everknown and his cohorts founded the official church of Celer here upon the **First Shrine**, which wrested control of it from the elves.

795BE: The humans of Vale Celer now incontrol of the First Shrine take the elven archives and oust the elves who they claimed were hiding the most powerful knowledge from them. A civil war ensues resulting in a racial divide.

750BE: Tor Celer and the First Shrine were now completely in human hands.

560BE: Vale Celer fought off an invasion from Tor Zeric. Crucially during the attack a Praetor of Knowledge called Philosopholes was given powers in the First Shrine. Then he led the clerics and templar from the Shrine to defeating the invasion and leading the clerics and Templar to victory.

371-364: The group of heroes called the Golden Force recieve the blessing of the First Shrine and were later to resolve the danger caused to the Shrine by the Clash of the Cabals.

4BE: Vale Celer joins the Aurian Monetary Union when the union officially adopts the Cellan as their common currency instead of the Mark. The First Shrine became the holiest point in the Empire and the church centred on it became the official religion.

0BE: Aurian Empire announced by Jomark. Tor Celer the location of the First Shrine was officially made centre of religion, and research into the divine in the new empire.

4PE: Templar, trained in Tor Celer, descendants of the Golden Force and precursors to the Cellan Guard and the Golden Knights provided support to Auria's Tor Kalash trained armies. These Templar all have to be individually dedicated and annointed at the First Shrine.

39PE: The cleric hero Jerome Faithful has a vision in the First Shrine in which he saw that Lorn Hunter would open new doors in the world.

44PE: The assault on the elven fastness of Weatherdark resulted in some powerful elven artifacts being recovered when Weatherdark was taken. These were taken to Tor Celer and most were interred in the First Shrine.

160PE: The Great Convocation. All clerics of Celer and even unaligned clerics of Knowledge are summoned to Tor Celer to the First Shrine. For the first time the Church of Celer officially proposed that it represented the faith of the Avatar of Knowledge for all of Karandia and indeed the world. A huge debate is had on scripture, doctrine and dogma. At the end several questions are resolved by vote and one by declaration. A new position, that of Cardinal, was created and the previous favourite James Garrin was passed over (possibly due to his supposed failure to out-class Whitefire to become Imperial Vizier). Instead the Praetor of Knowledge once known as Pug declares that Simon Midaeus will lead the renewed church. He was ordained and set apart in the chapel that then existed at the location of the First Shrine.

325-329PE: Emperor Garath attempts to take the great woodland of Quintox. The clerics again stand apart from the killing as much as possible. Garath limits the Templar order saying that if the church won't fight for the Empire it will not be allowed to fight at all. A Imperial Military garrison was stationed in Tor Celer within sight of the First Shrine. It looked as if they would potentially try to occupy the Shrine itself but the Templar stood shoulder to shoulder in what later was called the Line of Blood. It was said each cut himself and dripped the blood at his feet as a warning that they would all die rather than suffer the soldiers to profane their most holy site.

345-347PE: The failed invasion of Alkan. A very unpopular war with Tor Celer once again they stand apart. Garath complained and attempted to force clerical involvement as he became increasingly desperate for success. There were some clerics who were imprisoned and even martyred in these years. Many of the most prestigious religious leaders fled to claim sanctuary in the First Shrine and remembering the Line of Blood Garath did not violate this.

376-385PE: The Theonist Mark Hillary was made Imperial Vizier. He was extremely influential in expanding the church's influence and in renewing the Templar order, which had been neglected since the reign of Garath. The Ro'Tier begins to fill with increasing numbers of clerics.

502-504PE: In another attempt to equalise the clerics and the wizards Aluap the Organiser officially reorganised the Templar order of the First Shrine as an adjunct to the military in a parallel to the Sarrifs. He clarified the roles of the clerics as though reorganisation and negotiation, rather than making demands and threatening them as some previous Emperors had tried. The Cardinal (Celestial III) and the Emperor Aluap had an interesting relationship that has a lot of mutual wary respect to it.

505-507PE: Wargak Invasion is turned back by Aurian Forces. The Sapphire Wizards' Guild in combination with the legions and the first full battle mobilisation of the church helps turn the tide. It is a golden moment for the Empire under a powerful but wise leader. As a reward Aluap organises the planning of the Blue Crystal Palace as a fitting guild house for the guild and organises the creation of the Cellestine Cathedral on the location of the First Shrine in Tor Celer to balance it.

512-530PE: Reign of Peter I covers several successful wars. Tor Celer grows greatly and all focus is on the building of the new Cathedral. Peter chooses one of the Theonists, North Gant, as his Imperial Visier strengthening the hand of the church in Imperial decision making.

515PE: The organisation of the legions into the modern Protectorans was completed. A single Templar Order was assigned to assist each Legion though numbers are not formalised as they are with the Sarrifs. This retention of independence was often put down to the influence of the Vizier North Gant.

522PE: North Gant is renamed Truest and ordained Cardinal to replace Celestial III. It is rumoured this was to force him to abandon the position of Imperial Vizier. However if that planned to reduce his effectiveness at influencing Imperial policy it failed. Peter chose yet another cleric as his next Vizier and the Cardinal was a frequent visitor to the Imperial Palace.

550PE: The completion of the Cellestine Cathedral. Truest dedicates it himself and begins the order of the Golden Knights. This creation of a militarised group outside of the Protectorans is not officially contested by the Senate or the Emperor.

650PE: The Protectoran Mutiny in Tor Celer was put down ruthlessly by church loyalists and the Golden Knights, the most influential Templar Order.

662PE: Peter II publishes his life's memoirs and though this act sponsors the three Great Libraries one of which is The Tome at Tor Celer. The building was now made part of a hugely extended cathedral complex. This infusion of money, staff allowed the contents to be significantly added to, reorganised and enhanced.

763-781PE: Reign of Renis the Pious. The Imperial Vizier 'chosen' by Renis was a powerful cleric of Knowledge one of the Theonists of Tor Celer working at the Cellestine Cathedral. With pressure from his council, the Senate and a powerful Cardinal Simon VIII the Emperor allows the creation of the Vormach. This is an independent state within Auria run by the Cardinal. The church now can have its own official military the Cellan Guard independent of the Protectorans. Though the First Shrine remained the holiest location the church's centre of power moved away from the Shrine and to the Vormach.

1486-1491PE: Tor Celer resolutely stands against the War of Vengeance. Some clerics were pressed into service despite their objections. Many clerics fled to the First Shrine but most eventually fled to the Vormach where they could not be pressed into the Aurian war machine. It was a time of great tension and for a while it is thought that Auria might invade the Vormach. If it tried, it was not officially recorded. Nor was there an 'official' violation of the First Shrine.