The Timeless Orders of Lore and Fate

## Brief History and Ethos

In the days before the coming of the comet there were the old magics of the Skagriagaard and the Zoranethi, the Giant Kin and the Angelus. When the comet came it bought with it the first of the changes, the new magic, the source of magic; source magic. From source magic through the belief of others the three Gods of old were born: The first was Kalarin a goddess founded in the forges of War, battle goddess: The light of the Heavens. The next was Malice the made being created of spite and sin wickedness founded of one man's ambitions to rule the lands: The Dark One. The last was the balance, weaver of order and bringer of the peace, founded by need and necessity and a call for common ground: Tremalian the Grey. As they rose to the heavens so they gave Focus to the power of the Source. Focus Magic was created and so, powered by the belief of their followers and a pact made with Fae of Eidelos they prospered.

For many hundreds of years they ruled the heavens and the stories of their followers, the Angels and Archangels and indeed even the Gods themselves are many. Epic Legends when all powers strode the lands and did battle, causing so much devastation that the great Tharinos’ was called in which all powers were as equal and the Gods could be called to answer for their actions. Eventually however the eyes of Malice, inspired by the will of the Torakaylin family line, turned to the control of the lands of the Basin and beyond and it called upon its General Gabrak to lay waste to the other great churches in its name. It was in these great Pantheonic Wars that the Gods of this time were destroyed and the Gods that we know and venerate today were born.

Power and belief of that time are mysterious forces to the modern day Priest; the fall and rise of Gods and Goddesses, that seems so alien to us now, was a real threat to the followers of the faith in that day and age. It is almost impossible for us to imagine seeing the raw power of our God overshadowing a city and being cut to pieces by the power of Daemons and enemy casters. Yet this is how the deities of the past were ended but it was not the end of the belief nor the power and portfolios that they represented. It was almost as if the Gods had prepared for the final days of their mortality and had chosen new vessels for their powers but rather than the simplicity of the three deities their power was extended to meet the demands of a larger, growing base of Priests. Seemingly normal folk were raised up and became the new powers of Gods and Goddesses beyond the boundaries of Soul Anchor.

One of these Gods is called Bethylak; representing the not only the balance but also the need to understand and manipulate the matter and fabric of the universe. During life a powerful Mantacist, Bethylaks thirst for knowledge and the powers that he had already mastered made him the ideal candidate to take over the role of master of Time, fate and Knowledge. In fact so great was his mastery of Time that many believed him to have died many years before his rising and to have continued his body in some form of temporal Undeath! However Bethylak was not the only acolyte of Tremalian that had hoped to fill the power left in the void of his death,  many others found that they  had been manipulated by Bethylak, used and then left behind as he ascended. In the wake of those actions and in the early days of the church there were many schisms that formed throughout the basin as various bastions of knowledge declared themselves the High Priests of their own orders. It took many years for the church to defractionalise itself and become the unified power that it is today.

The Church finally achieved that end in 245 PPW when the church came under the tuition of Leaona Belvane, a Zumatakan who had worked hard to discredit and destroy anyone who had opposed her. It was also around this time that a young Warrior Priest from the Frozen North joined the Church; his name was Dazak and he would change the face of the Bethylakian faith in the years to come. In these days of unification the Church made strong alliances with the Churches of Yarrianne, Notelexus and Terref, forcing through the initial ideas that would bring together a synod that would later become known as the Clergy. This role would be one has kept the Church in the centre of activities both religious and generally magical/political for the next two thousand years. In the earlier years the majority of the Churches of Bethylak were built in the heart of the political power bases; texts, manuscripts and knowledge was swiftly transferred to these great temples from the libraries, schools and smaller shrines that had been forced to house them in the burgeoning days after the end of the chaos of the Pantheonic Wars. The change was swift and absolute; the Church of Bethylak had arrived.

The Timeless Order consolidated its powerbase by effectively becoming the keepers of Lores, secrets and histories. They made it their concern and business to keep track of and record knowledge be it bureaucratic, family or political all things were filed away within the confines of the Church. Over the centuries it has become very apparent that the Church has strong political aspirations and indeed it was Dazak North who became the first Emperor from a wholly religious background who could have threatened to bring the entire control of the Royal Basin into a Theocracy had not the College of Controlling Power intervened.  After he stepped down Dazak stepped back into his role of Duke of the Bitter Vale, took up the mantle of High Priest of the Church and constructed the Grey Keep, which is still the heart of Bethylakian worship to this day. As the power of the Church rose so too did the power of Bethylak himself; after the Pantheonic wars the story went that the three Gods broke their power into four giving three pieces each to one they could entrust and creating with the final piece an over power that would keep the Gods in the heavens punishing any that trod the world once more. This lie was believed by seven of the Gods and observed but ignored by Bethylak and undoubtedly the Devourer.

The Lord of fate spent long years in the world of mortals until the Divine Law was penned in 2006ppw and he was forced to take a more sedentary role. During this time it is know that he meddled with the fate lines of many great and powerful individuals, family lines and powers of prominence, it is also likely that he meddled with the fates of "lesser" folk as well. He certainly produced offspring and seeded them among the general populace in appropriate places to further the ends of his clergy in days to come before any of the other deities realised what he was about. In the end it was him passing on information to the other Gods through their own faiths that bought them to the same end as he, all save Ekimelahw who still bears him a great deal of Malice to this day for that action. As the Children of the Gods rose to power so too did Bethylak begin to take a greater position in the heavens gaining enough strength to raise more angels and demi powers then had been laid down in the first synods of the Gods. This was a tradition that was to continue in the heavens that has lasted until the days of now where Bethylak seems to speak at the Tharinos as though he is the voice for all powers.

Under Dazaks guidance the Church shifted Focus, remaining still politically active but steered more in the direction of invention and the extension of the artificing laboratories and alchemical experimentation that had been woefully neglected for several centuries: The Church leapt forward in its understanding of all things magical and mechanical. The Grey Keep and the surrounding City of Shriekspire have become synonymous with the development of Dirigible artifice and is the heart of the Basins Sky Navy. Firearms, explosives, experimental potions and research and development artifice have become a defining factor of the faithful with adventuring Priests became more and more prevalent and a clerical exploratory wing was created at the Grey Keep. The Church prospered in wealth and reputation, gaining much notoriety with the nobility, merchant houses and the Guilds. Sadly the attitude of the Church has never been one that has leant itself towards the smallfolk; the relationship of the clergy with the Church of Naed is a little restrictive but there has been no ill will as yet.

As the years have passed the Churches have developed new outlooks as they strive to meet the demands of the people that they serve. It has been a mainstream struggle between the old guard and the new thinkers and in recent years the new thinkers have won through. Whilst many would point to the actions of the old "Dark" Churches that brought us together it is clear that the new order of the Clergy: The Churches of Dawn, Day and Dusk would not have become prevalent had it not been for the Holy Order. The Dawn Churches, Yarrianne, Naed and Tiberius represent the dawn of life when we are fresh and full of life, naivety and energy. The Day; Bethylak, Terref and Ekimelahw, represents the middle of our lives when we have become wise and wealthy and live more ordered lives. The Dusk shows us as we approach the end of our lives, when our burdens have weighed heavily upon us, we are wearied and tired and death is but a corner away on our journey. This aspect of our faith is represented by the Churches of the Kraken, Notelexus and Rayvahn. Thus the coming together of the faiths has occurred and we hope that this unity will be reflected inwardly to all faiths that have shared a schism such as ours and that it will one day be for the best of us.

In recent days the Church took bold steps, or at least their patron did: After the last cataclysm the power of the old Gods seemed to return; both Kalarin and Malice, albeit under the name of Krannix, stepped back into the heavens. Their power dwarfed that of the other deities, none would ally with Krannix and Kalarins extreme dogma meant that only Tiberius would ally with her. Bethylak set himself up as an over god that would protect the others and maintain the balance. A bold move and one that ultimately gave him control for almost a year before the Tharinos of 2010 when the power of Kalarin and Krannix was revealed to be a hoax and one that Bethylak must have known about. He stepped down from his role but there was some damage to the reputation of the Church itself. That damage was restored in 2012 when, after daemonic invasion of the Rice Empire threatened the security of the Royal Basin a now aged Duke Dazak North re-entered the fray.

Our Lord Dazak North had led the Church for over two thousand years and had enjoyed many great exploits, however his hatred of Daemons was well known by all. When the Daemons threatened the land that he had called home for so long he was not found wanting. Those that were at the Tharinos that year speak of his words with a rising lump of emotion in their throats and a misting of their eyes. The Hammer of the North called on those gathered to join him for he had claimed from the legendary sage of the Cold Mountain a blade whose purpose was to return Hope to the Rice Empire, Hope whose parents were Chindit and Shisa (see the story of Chindit and Shisa). Together they went with the power of Bethylak to guide them to the very throne room of the Golden Emperor and there Dazak sacrificed all the years of his life, all his knowledge, all his invention and finally the last of his breath that those assembled might drive that blade deep into the ground with the pelts of the great Lions fluttering like a Gonfalon in the breeze. The reputation of the Church was whole again and the clergy lost one of its greatest members.

The Clergy have long been the ruling body and government of the faiths of the Royal Basin. At times it has been severely understaffed, particularly in the periods when the Churches of the Devourer, Notelexus and Rayvahn were left awash in the wilderness. In recent years the Clergy has been in constant debate and argument but in 2014 the decision was made to appoint a full head and re-establish the Azure Table to sit with the Golden Table of the Royal Basin. Initially the vote seemed likely to be in favour of Sebastian Blackthorn to rule the table in the name of the Church of Rayvahn but it was Yarrianne's Mirelle Silverlight who won the majority vote and became the new leader of the Azure Table. Now the Azure Table/Clergy begin a time of rebuilding and unity that will bring a new and prosperous time for all faiths and a togetherness that we hope will endure a thousand years of Basanic life.

All of these things aside the Bethylakian Church has proved loyal to the Royal Basin time and again and have earned a place of power and prestige. The Clergy is populated by them and their wisdom is generally sought after by others, even among the other faiths. The powers over mastery of time, presentience and skills and lores make them an invaluable aid to any number of adventurers, politicians and solicitors alike! Although they remain effectively leaderless at this time the Church is still a great and potent power and its destiny remains, clearly, at the helm of Basanic Society and Politics.

### Code of the Clergy and the Azure Table

* The Clergy stands above the individual churches with regards to the following issues:
* Ratification of any new Church Policy
* Ratification of any change in Church Dogma
* Ratification of any policy that crosses the Golden Table
* Expenditure of Azure Table Resources
* Identification and direction of Divine Law
* Interpretation of the words of the Gods at Tharinos

#### The Clergy expects

* Full respect to all other faiths that stand within the pantheon of Dawn, Day and Dusk
* The adherence to both Divine and Mortal Law
* To show adequate respect to the laws of the Clergy and the members of the Azure Table that uphold them.

#### Code of the Timeless Orders of Lore and Fate

* The order are the words of wisdom, the innovators, the makers and the recorders of knowledge. It is our duty to preserve these things that others may benefit from them.
* In all things keep records of your work and activities that others may continue your work in the light of your demise.
* Work to perfect your skills and hone your abilities, only through diligence and attention to detail can your labours come to fruition.
* Practice experimentation and innovation in the making of tools and implementation of processes and encourage these virtues in others through direct aid, sponsorship and diplomatic support.
* Strive to make craftsmen think of new tools, improved ways of crafting, new ways to use old gear and new ways of doing old things.
* Form forums to discuss your ideas and the ideas of others so that all may benefit from the divine light that is Bethylak.

## The God Bethylak

**Deity:** Bethylak, Lord of Time, Wisdoms End, The Wonder Smith

**Aliases:** *Tzi Tzain*: Don, *Zumatakan*: Roaren Kapish, *Lairdan-Gan*: Lianen, *Yuirfarvallen*: Betholor, *Iron Blood*: Borok, *Rock Hand*:  Wise Topor, *Granite Heart*: Kanor, *Gnomish*: Tomorian, *Orcish*: Ilish Nor, *Fae*: Takintor.

**Divine Seat:** The Twilight College

**Afterlives:** The Empty Hell, Fates Rest, The Ineffable Loop, The Undiscovered Country.

**Foes:** Sarkith (now Thaddeus of the Kaytaar), The Yama Lords, Niraka Po, Kazosh of the Zoranethi, Orbolom; Daemon Lord of Deceit, The Lords of the Copper Citadel.

**Symbol:** An Hour Glass

### Portfolios:

**Major:** Wisdom, Time, Fate, Knowledge, Words and Artificery.

**Minor:** Invention, Reason, Politics, Discipline, Navigation and Exploration

Bethylak is recognised as an extremely powerful being, possibly more fearsome then Notelexus himself, as the God of Time and Fate. Bethylak holds the strings of a person’s fate in his hand and governs the entry of ideas and invented things into the world. It is said that all Priests of Bethylak act as conduits for his knowledge; all things that they see and hear are shared with their God and nothing is hidden from him. His work as an artificer and his devotion to discipline has made him a patron to woodworkers, smiths, inventors and engineers alike and Bethylak is always making new things and planning new creations.

Bethylak is a meddler, it has long been noted that he cannot help but dabble in mortal affairs and although he is part of the Grey Pantheon it has to be said that he leans towards the side of light. His impressive list of enemies clearly indicate the actions that he has taken in the past which include directly battling the Yama Lords, assisting the Duke Jarmak against his arch foe the Daemon Lord Orbolom (although this was achieved through one of Bethylaks followers, The Zemyok Imravin) and barring Kazosh’s ascendance to the heavens. He is generally speaking a kind and benevolent deity that cares deeply for his flock. However his vengeance is a fearsome thing to behold, effectively he can erase the wisdom of a person's mind or, by altering the web of fate, end someone’s time prematurely.

When visiting Vaklam The Lord of Time has appeared in many forms; sometimes he is a young and eager smith, scarred by the forge and bold of action and of word. On other occasions he manifests as a huge, glowing tome that hovers high in the air and grants advice and knowledge to his followers or to those that have offered him a prayer. Occasionally he appears as a stern and ancient schoolmaster peering out from behind half-moon glasses at his audience. Bethylaks Clergy is made up predominately of Professors, who have foresworn the use of arms over the power of faith, however a number of Doctors have learned the skill at arms and don armour to carry his word out into the land. Finally the Lore Keepers are the chosen of Bethylak and carry his blessings as well as his words across the lands.

## Dogma

Knowledge is the most powerful thing that any person can own, knowledge is formed of ideas and ideas are dangerous. An idea can kill a man, though it has no edge, it can topple buildings though it has no weight, it has no mass but can sweep aside kingdoms and one idea can dominate an empire. Most important of all an idea cannot be seen though it can be heard and even if it is killed it can be rekindled and returned to life once more. Knowledge is the most powerful thing that any person can own but before anything can exist the idea must exist.

Knowledge must be applied, without its application knowledge is a redundant tool that becomes a hollow and unfulfilled object. The application of knowledge must be tempered by wisdom and forethought, careful planning and experimentation is a useful if not essential part of the application process. Creation, invention and new writings are the final products of the application of knowledge. These are things that must be carefully examined, archived and prepared before they are shared. The sharing of knowledge is the only way that others can learn and begin the process again for themselves.

### **(The bit between Sarkithian Daemon entries regarding wingspan and a note about ham and radish omelettes)**

*“Time is not a static thing, but rather something liquid that stretches deep into the past, resides in the present and wanders into the distant future. Events in the past cause events in the present, which have consequences that last far beyond the lifetimes of their progenitors. There is no need to worry about the choices that one makes in life, for all actions are determined and your fate is set based upon those choices. Presentience is useful only as a moral balm to allow realisation and acceptance of one’s place in the stream of life.”*

“*The accumulation of knowledge is the purpose of existence. What cannot be learned from others can be learned from the perusal of books and when books fail the truly studious will turn to experimentation. A day of study is a day well spent. Allowing emotion to cloud your judgement risks danger. The ignorant and the inexperienced should be educated*.”

## Archangels and Angels of Power:

**Urik-Ta:** Archangel of Time: Dealing with the ebb and flow of Time, its cessation and happenings throughout history. A Priest that has called upon Urik-Ta to be their patron is responsible for the responsible use of temporal magics and the martialing of temporal law. Equally they are responsible for keeping and passing on the histories of the Royal Basin to their flock.

**CarisEn-Ta:** Archangel of Wisdom: Dealing with the application of Knowledge to any situation. A Priest that has called upon CarisEn-Ta to be their patron has offered their service in the pursuit of wisdom and its application to a situation. They are responsible for teaching their flock how to best use what they know to survive in day to life and act according to the guidance and sense of the Lord Bethylak.

**Shelak – Ta:** Archangel of Words: Dealing with the power of ancient words, current language and harnessing strength of unity through the understanding of unknown tongues.  A Priest of Shelak - Ta acts as an inetrpreter and linguist in attempts to meld the unity of nations together. Equally they seek ancient words of power to pass these magics onto their Deity.

**Korith-Ta:** Archangel of Fate: Dealing with the outcome of actions, the purpose of individuals and objects and the fulfilment of destinies. A Priest that has called upon Koirth-Ta to be their patron is now responsible for directing their flock to the fate that Bethylak has chosen for them. In many circumstances the Priest may learn of the time of their death and have to prepare them to face it or to introduce them to the idea of new things in their future.

**Polton-Ta:** Archangel of Knowledge: Dealing with the gleaning of factual information through study and experimentation and the furthering of one's mind. A Priest that has called upon Polton Ta has dedicated their lives to becoming a receptacle for information and dedicated to the furtherment of their own knowledge. This knowledge is then to be spread through the auspice of their flock.

**Galidos-Ta:** Angel of Artificery: Dealing with the creation of wondrous devices and items through the application of knowledge and skill. A Priest that has called upon Galidos Ta makes it their duty to dedicate their lives to the creation of new and wondrous objects in the name of progress and their God. Their flock are trained and given skills that allow them to venerate the God through their own abilities in creation.

**Iprin-Gol** Angel of Invention: Dealing with the dreaming up of new spells, devices, artefacts and so forth through the investigation of current knowledge and experimentation of older principals. A Priest that has called upon Iprin Gol represents Bethylaks inspiration of others as they strive to better the world around them through his guidance.

**ChokEth-Gol**: Angel of Reason: Dealing with the ability to understand and overcome problems through intellectual process. A Priest that has called upon ChokEth-Gol to champion them have dedicated themselves to intellectualism. Their duties are to teach their flock to overcome their problems through using deductive reasoning and mental process.

**Torshin-Gol:** Angel of Politics: Dealing with the governing of civilised process through diplomatic and controlled means. A Priest of Torshin-Gol acts as an intermediary between

**Tanton-Gol:** Angel of Discipline: Dealing with one’s application to a field of expertise or problem at hand. A Priest that has called upon Tanton-Gol has learnt to completely Focus the mind to a task or purpose. Those that follow this priest are more like disciples following a difficult way or Tao.

**Quorin-Gol:** Angel of Exploration and Navigation: Dealing with the basic need to explore in order to expand one’s intellectual horizons and to navigate in wilderness areas via scientific or magical means. A Priest that has called upon Quorin-Gol plays an important role in the Church, focussing on the need of the Church and its flock to expand beyond the physical horizons of the land that we know and to navigate their people home safely when the return.

## Servants:

Bethylak is served by a number of Lesser Powers that can also be worshipped by Priests and Ley Followers, these powers  have fallen under the remit of Wisdoms End over the years and given their power to increase the strength of The Wonder Smith.

### The God: The Ghul King

**Known Powers** – Psionic Learning, Guardianship of Power, Secrets, The Opera, Ghuls

**Allied Powers** – Bethylak, Satirak, Lorith, Oltar and Kyranry

*“Many things have been left in the world that should be kept out of the hands of the unlearned and the foolish. They were built for all sorts of purposes and only those of us that have dedicated their time, their lives even their unlives to their understanding should be handling them. Oh and Ghuls, Ghuls are ok, stop harassing them. Someone write an Opera about it!"*

Too many guildsman wander into ancient tombs or laboratories that once belonged to  irresponsible necromancers or unthinking Daemonologists or, if they are really unlucky, were the homes to beings like the Kaytaar or the Maltel Tekrom. Frequently these same guildsmen leave such locations with items of power that they believe will help them in their careers supporting their fellows. However, quite often, these items are in fact objects of great power that could, if used incorrectly, wipe out all life on a continent, cause an Ice Age or, worse, eradicate Opera from our plane of existence. During his long life the Ghul King spent much of his time collecting and collating such objects.

The Ghul King was one of the many thousands of Ghuls that populated the Royal Basin before they were made legal in 2010. He was a powerful Psionicist and ruled a huge colony of Ghuls below the Barrowbroke Hills to the South of Rhygahrea. An amiable fellow he spent much of his time enjoying and writing Opera whilst his Ghul Lords and their followers scoured the lands for objects of power that could cause harm to the general populace. For long years he spent his time guarding the knowledge that would be instrumental in the winning of the great Cataclysmic Wars. For his heroic action, not to mention his undoubted power he was granted a place among the powers of Bethylak and now the Ghuls, psionicists and guardians of power have a power to follow.

Effectively the Ghul King has only been in power since 2011ppw and as such has gathered only a small percentage of the faith of Bethylak to him. The Ghul population however have taken to him and his teachings quite rapidly and his rise to strength has been swift. He teaches that the powers of the land need to be carefully investigated, through Psionics for preference and with a report in opera form afterwards, before any action is taken regarding of them. That some information is best not revealed and the most dangerous of items be locked away in the confines of the Bethylakian Church lest a darkness befall those that utilise them.

The followers of The Ghul King wear the symbol of Opera Glasses.

### The God Satirak

**Known Powers** – Divination, Runes and Signs, Portents

**Allied Powers** – Bethylak, The Ghul King, Lorith, Oltar and Kyranry
*“There are many ways to understand the future and Bethylak provides that power to us through the art of divination. This divination often comes from signs and portents that it is our duty to interpret for the Church that they may show their flock the way forward. However to interpret these futures one must look to one's past and the experiences that have led us this far along the path."*
There have been ages in which the power of prophecy was the only form of magic and diviners and soothsayers were the strength in the land, the religion that led us. There have been Gods and Spirits that have risen speaking the word of portents and futures to their people to guide them into a golden age. There have been folk that have risen to greater things and snatched power from the might using the power of Augury and there have equally been those that have been lain low by their lack of understanding of such matters to such an extent that now great civilisations lie in tatters.
Satirak is said to have been one of Bethylaks mortal followers when he was a Mantacist. He is supposedly someone that Bethylak greatly relied upon to foresee the actions that would bring the truth of the future into his grasp. Prophecy or portent Satirak was able to interpret whatever powers were lain before him although some such knowledge took him many years to decipher. Satirak took his duties seriously realising that the power of his master and later his God hinged on his understanding of his future and how he would affect the future of those around him on all levels. When he arose to the power of the heavens it is believed that he left behind a selection of scrolls and power that would lead others to the same greatness that Bethylak now enjoys

Followers of Satirak are expected to be experts in linguistics, enigmas and most importantly the interpretation of sign and runes. His priests work in conjunction with each other discussing at length the potential of the portents that they are finding. Their duties are taken very seriously as they direct the actions of the Church who in turn direct the followers of their faith who in turn..... The touch of fate is found across the life lines of hundreds of folk and one slight change can destroy or create the fortunes of many.
The followers of Satirak wear the symbol of a scroll covered in prophetic text.

### The Goddess Lorith

**Known Powers** – Patience, Serenity, Serendipity

**Allied Powers** – Bethylak, Satirak, The Ghul King, Oltar and Kyranry
*“Contemplation, meditation and the application of what has been learnt can there be any greater purpose to the following of knowledge. One minute of patience can bring ten years of peace whilst a little impatience spoils great plans. Through the teachings and philosophies of Bethylak you will find that everything you need will come to you at the perfect time."*
The Church of Bethylak is a place of learning, a place of knowledge and a place of lore and legend. All of the information that you will take with you from this place will, if mastered correctly enhance your understanding of the universe in which you live. Only through contemplation of that knowledge, through meditation, calm serenity and fundamental understanding of the application of that assembled wisdom will we reach our moments of serendipity. The teachings of Lorith and her calm will give you the wisdom to step beyond the mortal and transcend to reach the same divine conclusions as the Gods that you revere.
In life Lorith was the senior scribe to Harrith of Darekar to whom were entrusted some of the most sacred scrolls of the wisdom of all the ancient clergies. Whilst the scrolls were filled with knowledge it took the skills of Lorith to unravel their actual mysteries and bring their enlightenment to those that cared for them. During the days of his ascension Bethylak travelled far to the mountain temple in which she dwelled and found her prepared and waiting for him to bring her to her own enlightenment in the heavens with him. Since then she has answered the prayers of those that can find the path to her through patience and serenity; the path to Serendipity.
The priests of Lorith have little in the way of teachings and responsibilities. They tend to wander the land with the thoughts of enlightenment running through their heads. They are full of singular pearls of wisdom, guidance and understanding that seem designed to give the people of the land a deeper understanding of their own potential and the brilliance of their own futures.

The followers of The Lorith wear the symbol of a triangle with a line through it

### The God Oltar

**Known Powers** – Destiny, the future, paths and choices

**Allied Powers** – Bethylak, Satirak, The Ghul King, Lorith and Kyranry

*“The future, the undiscovered country, the path that we walk in eternity. It is a power that is always within your grasp: The path of the future is designated by the choices that you make but only with both understanding and foresight can that path be yours and not directed by the machinations of others who are better informed and therefore better armed.*

The future is your future. Destiny is your destiny. The path that leads you there is driven by the choices that you make. This is the basic mantra of the followers of Oltar. However there are greater things in this world than the destiny that you make yourself and often it is difficult to identify with this. Your destiny could have been carved onto the bedrock of Vaklam by a powerful being, your future decided by your or another's God and they may have interfered with the web of fate to ensure it. It is the way of Oltar to identify with THAT future and manoeuvre the path of the individual that they may be presented with the choices that they may otherwise have missed.

Many believe that Oltar was formed of the power of Bethylak, that he or rather it, is a representation of the many choices that Bethylak himself made on his path from mortal to Divine being. His business is to observe the fate lines of the world, of all living beings, how they interact with each other and how one single choice in that web can change the dynamic of a thousand people's futures. Oltars responsibilities within the Pantheon is to report this knowledge directly to Bethylak who is said to have a greater responsibility to ensure that the other deities also have enlightenment in these matters and can guide their followers. In a way Oltar is ultimately responsible for the fate of each faith and through that action the shepherding of all of the followers of each of the Gods.

The priests of Oltar are often called upon to the earliest parts of an individual's life. Whilst they are certainly responsible for calling upon Bethylak to reveal the fates and destiny of an individual (often seen in the shape of an hourglass hanging over the head of a strongly fated individual) they are seen with great reverence by the majority of folk. They are called to births or to naming day ceremonies to prevail over the destinies and the futures of the children of the Royal Basin.

The followers of Oltar wear the symbol of a moon over the sun.

### The God Kyranry

**Known Powers** – Sourcerous Magics, Artifice, Knowledge of the Comet and The Colleges

**Allied Powers** – Bethylak, Satirak, The Ghul King, Lorith and Oltar

*“All magic needs to be governed and controlled, it is the belief that the Colleges are equipped to represent the strength of Sourcerous powers upon the world but they are wrong. Governance comes from belief and that belief will give Sourcery and those that utilise it proper direction and order. I am that power, I am that strength I am the governor, the lord and the majesty."*

Sourcery is a form of magical power from which all others grew, it has dictated the state of play for the magics that we now use for many milliner and is likely to continue to hold a place of power there. However it is the power of Focus, the power of belief that all people hold in their hearts that is the true power of the land and of all that dwell in the Royal Basin and beyond. Sourcery is given rules and direction by the mortal folk of the world who have no right nor place to be in a position to dictate such a raw and universal potential. It is for the Divine who have been given the right to make such decisions by their followers to dictate such policies; powers like Kyranry.

Kyranry was the brother of Ithyarn, which are both now wings of Morrigun College, the oldest of the Colleges of Sourcery and with good reason. It is history that both Ithyarn and Kyranry were among the earliest of humanity to master the arts of the newly arrived Source comet. They and the legendary Kurt Nagerson.  Kyranry vanished long after dispensing his teachings to the world and long after the death of his brother on a pilgrimage deep into the city of Maryat. He was recovered late in the year 2008ppw and returned to a semblance of life. In that time he had been badly damaged and bore an artefact limb in the shape of his right leg and a forearm and partially artificed head. His ideas regarding the running of the College, with him at the helm, were met with hostility by Quinn Shadowreaver and in desperation he sought an escape to the heavens where he was welcomed by Bethylak in the Tharinos of 2012. He has ruled the realms of Source Magic ever since.

The priests of Kyranry are still very few and far between, instead he is mainly worshipped by Sourcerers who consider him to be the true essence of their magic. Until such time as this changes his priests have little in the form of duty to provide.
The followers of Kyranry wear the symbol of Kyranry.

### Day to Day Activities

Followers of Bethylak tend to fall into two categories: Those that spend their time within the confines of the Churches and those that wander the realms of Vaklam. The first of the two are usually engaged in direct research and creation for the furthering of the tenets of Bethylak, following the guidance of the high priests of their order and, in their spare time, pursuing their own agenda. The copying of texts, maps and diagrams are among the more mundane tasks that they have to undertake and the Church makes a sufficient income doing so for other guilds and independent individuals. As well as this scroll scribing, potion brewing and Artificing produce regular monies for the individual and for the church.

The latter are those that roam the lands of Vaklam. They tend to be armed to face the dangers of the roads ahead and have read through the basic manuals on martial combat and seen some instruction from the various more experienced members of the clergy. They are the eyes and ears of the Church, carefully recording their experiences and investigations preparing them for the three monthly report that they are required to present to the Church of Bethylak. They are also tasked with updating current texts and maps and trading information and navigational information from peoples that have travelled beyond the borders accessible by the current clergy means.

### Holy Days and Important Ceremonies

The clergy of Bethylak follow two specific ceremonies each day, and without them find it difficult to function as Priests. The first ritual is conducted within the first hour after waking and is called the Rite of Reason. This ritual clears the mind of the evenings dreaming and sharpens it for the day ahead. At the end of the day the Priest performs the Rite of Wisdom where the knowledge of the day is passed onto Bethylak and any new findings are recorded for posterity.

### Major Centres of Worship

Wisdoms Eye: The Great temple to Bethylak is built alongside the Grey Keep, which is all that remains of Shriekspire, and is a mighty edifice that peers out over the surrounding area. The knowledge held within the Great Keep is formidable indeed and is said to be the collected work of all Bethylakians since the inception of the God of Knowledge hundreds of years ago. It is here in Wisdoms Eye that Priests of Bethylak come to stare into the carved marble eye, from which the temple gains its name, that Bethylak is said to have touched. The eye reveals to the most faithful of Priests one moment of their future lives that Bethylak believes will aid them the most.

### Priestly Vestments

The Church of Bethylak carries no direct vestments for day to day use, practicality is usually their main concern. A Bethylakian finds it useful to carry all manner of objects that can be used in their trade: Notebooks, compasses, maps, geometric tools, pencils, weights and scales, engineering kit and so on and so forth. For specific religious occasions they garb themselves in the Deep Crimson and Brilliant whites of their order.

### Church Leaders

#### Background

Galak Unverth is a relatively newcomer to the Church of Bethylak and a surprising choice for the commander in chief of Bethylakian forces. He was born in 1993 making him 25 in the year 2018 when the new Primuses were elected. He is an in house birth with his parents being Stephen Unverth, deceased during the Shadow War aged just 48 and Katie Unverth (nee Braxton) who passed the day that Abraham Wingates and Aden of Naed died aged 46. Both of them were guardians of the Sacred Archives of Bethylak and holders of forbidden and secret knowledge  that comes from the Days of Wrath and the like.

Galak was brought into the world with only his family and a Priest and according to rumour he them spoke to them in the words of the language of the archivists. That language is the last language spoken and written, according to legend, in the world before its destruction, a language from the future and a power known only to a few. Rumour further states that the words were written down and in accordance to the protocols of the Church they were placed in scroll tubes and put away in the archives.

The boy grew quickly and made his way through the ranks of the church as a Professor, as he grew he began to exhibit certain powers that manifested through his Lycan heritage that allowed him glimpses of the past and the future, sometimes the many pasts and futures. These moments and glimpses brought on the Lycan change much earlier than usual in heritaged creatures and he soon learnt to control the partial change and had access to all of the usual range of abilities by the age of ten. He also seemed to gain the powers to speak to beasts and other lycans as time went by which were skills usually outside the remit of such creatures.

Galak trained well and showed aptitude and enterprise in all areas however his main area of skill was experimentation and artifice. Throughout his early teens he was designing and redesigning new power cores for the various dirigibles that were attributed to the Timeless Order of Lore and Fates. In fact he was the head of one of the develoment teams who in late 2015 was preparing to outfit the Grey Keep with new engines and weaponry systems in the refit just before the Shadow War kicked off. This happened because Dazak North kept his eyes on the prize and kept tabs on the developing star of the Bethylakian Academy, starting to pay him visits and help to guide his work. He also took the time to introduce him to a number of people that he knew would stand by him and help him develop as a person.

Trant Adrian and his Sister Mya were trainees of the same age who were on the path and eventually became Doctors of Bethylak. Hailing from the City of Strabain and suffering from an acute case of upper class and wealthy the pair represented adventure and privilege, something that he had been lacking during his time stuck within the confines of the Church for his entire life. From their perspective he was a strange child who represented with unusual abilities having an incredible gift from the Deity itself and clearly a path to an incredible future. Between them they inspired and fired their imaginations, pushing each other and striving for better things and a shared sense of glory. Trant would go on to venerate Quorin-Gol and Mya gravitated towards a following Polton Ta they were not alone.

The final pair that were introduced to the group were both a year younger than Galak and his friends but both seemed mature beyond their years. Hamish Velt was training to and became a Lore Keeper dedicated to Korith Ta whilst Emily Bravo was a Professor of the Arch Angel ChokEth-Gol. Hamish was born on the Winter estate in the Ferns and served the first 8 years of his life as a dogsbody to the family before demonstrating his power. The Winter family saw to his tutelage and watched his progress with interest. Emily meanwhile was an orphan that had been taken by slavers from the City of Blood Tears, she was enslaved for two years under the name Hoards Wife before she was rescued by Dazak North himself and brought back to the Grey Keep.

Between the four of them a friendship developed and they came to love and trust each other, driving each other on. Even Emily began to overcome her reservations of people and began to fall in love with Trant Adrian although sadly he has never reciprocated such feelings. Galak emerged, clearly as their leader and from him they drew strength and guidance becoming a powerful force for the Church as they emerged from the leadership crisis when Dazak North died in the year 2011 despite being only around 17 years of age. They entered the Church fully and openly in 2012 and began to rise through the ranks coming to the attention of Quinn Shadowreaver who recruited them from the leaderless Church for "Special Duties" in 2013. The records of what they did have been kept strictly off the files of the Colleges and the Churches and many thought them lost. Emily returned stronger and keener than before.

However in 2014 Dazak North was returned to the world and soon reclaimed them from Quinn Shadowreaver. Galak had matured into a true leader and when Dazak was made King he instructed the Church to follow the orders of this group as though they were his own. Many believed that the orders were coming from the High Council of Bethylakians and Galak and his own council decided not to appear in the courts of the Clergy to keep their position secret and safe. Then the Shadow War came and the God changed and his power grew stronger Dazak decided that his old Church needed more open leadership and began to prepare the way for the appointment of Galak and his companions however there was much work to do and so he began to spend time with the group, personally training them and making them ready for what was to come.

The Church of Bethylak is now led by the a choir of Five - Galak, Trant, Emily, Hamish and Mya despite their age are now the defacto leaders.

### Articles of Faith

As a Bethylakian there are some clear guidelines that are to be followed; as a Holy Warrior or Lore Keeper you should follow the code below. This code is the guidance by which you set examples to the world that you strive to protect, a Lore Keeper is the shining example of the faith, one who is given great power by the God and to break their tenets would be to break favour with the deity and lose not only the power that he has gifted but more, the very purity of their souls. Following these tenets are a guideline to how piety works and how, as a follower of the faith, your piety can be increased and decreased at the whim of the Gods.

#### Tenets of the Lorekeepers.

* You will preserve the Church of Bethylak and his tenets, bowing to those Pure of Faith and obeying his enlightened in all things.

* You will guard the fragile balance of Time. None shall interfere with the ebb and flow of time any who attempt to must be stopped. If persons have travelled the ebb and flow of time they must be pursued and their works undone.

* You will preserve the fate of the world. The time of this worlds end is far from the time of your birth. You must move with every breath of your body to preserve the fate of the world, ensuring that those that would undo its fate are fought and destroyed.

* You will protect the bearers of knowledge and wisdom and shall never rise a blade to them unless in self defence. Nor shall you stand by whilst one is harmed, this includes storytellers, masters and the like.

* You will spread knowledge wherever it is prudent to do so and halt the flow of knowledge that would be used without reason or wisdom. Keep no secrets for their own sake.

* You will move to curb and deny falsehood, rumour and deceitful accounts and histories whenever you encounter them. Destroy such falsehoods if they are written accounts.

* You will sponsor and assist any Bards, Scribes, record keepers and the like whenever you encounter them and perceive a need.

* Spread the knowledge of the written word to those who ask for it, so long as there is time available, and ask no fee for your time.

* Never deliver a message falsely or incompletely but always just as you receive it

* Ensure that all artifice that you discover reaches its fated owner and does not fall into misuse, disrepair, or redundancy.