Taijitu

Taijitu World Building => Planning Room => Topic started by: Omsarim on March 24, 2015, 04:16:05 PM

Title: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on March 24, 2015, 04:16:05 PM
So, as people may or may not know/remember from the chat, I am planning for Omsarim to have a sort of dual religious identity, with a foreign religion fusing with traditional religious beliefs.    This religion I entitled Ulari Vanataism, with "Vanataism" referring to the traditional worship of the sun god, traditionally the chief god of the Omsari, and "Ulari" being an Omsari adaptation of one of the previously established international religions of this game.   

So, in order to decide exactly which religion Ularism would be an off-shoot of, I had the idea of having a roleplay set about the time of that religion's arrival in what would later become Omsarim, around 500 BC.   Basically I would play an interested Omsari noble, and other people could be foreign missionaries.

What you would need to know to participate:
The details of whatever religion your country's missionaries would be advocating, in its form in 500 BC.
Since I haven't decided exactly where to put Omsarim on the map, a rough estimation of the furthest possible distance missionaries could travel.

I would provide all relevant information about Omsari culture and traditional religion in the thread itself.   Your missionaries could be assumed to have learned the language, but they don't need to know anything else.   Your missionaries don't need to be successful to participate.

Does this sound interesting?   Ideas of how to improve it?   If there's sufficient interest (really anyone willing to do so), I'll post the IC thread later today.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on March 24, 2015, 04:54:58 PM
This sounds very interesting and I would love to write about ancient traders speaking of The Khemist Path of Truth and the Way (http://wiki.taijitu.org/wiki/The_Path_of_Truth), trading in our exotic wares of the time and exploring a new nation. We would be trading all across the Cefnor basin, the inner part of the circular continent has allot of open land and is a great spot for such.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on March 24, 2015, 05:40:00 PM
IC Thread: http://forum.taijitu.org/pre-modern/a-new-religion-in-omsarim-502-bce/

Anyone can be the first foreigner he talks to.   Please post in this thread just how far your religion's missionaries could have traveled.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on March 25, 2015, 06:11:51 PM
So basically since Ularu will talk to everyone I will just break chronological order and have him talk to both groups in the same RL time.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Myroria on March 25, 2015, 06:26:20 PM
Okay! :)
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on March 27, 2015, 01:40:21 AM
Our current ideas about the region in 500 BC as created by Eluvatar:        *note: work in progress.

(http://i.imgur.com/aynDmCB.jpg)

also this timeline (http://imgur.com/mZSzwXI,euWBbNy,kUMoEDH,aVezbpu,xgCQ5NK#3).
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on March 27, 2015, 03:58:07 AM
I figure, like most ancient empires, none of those were super centralized, especially since they are maritime based, and the Omsari city-states probably pay nominal tribute to some great leader across the sea who they mostly ignore whenever that leader remembers to send some powerful military forces to encourage them.

Who weren't the Haradrim?
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Eluvatar on March 31, 2015, 11:13:54 PM
The Haradrim are a NPC country we've used from time to time. We decided to get rid of them as we were using them too much as an easy bad guy.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 02, 2015, 02:25:00 AM
Thank you for the people who participated so far, now I might post some stuff on my own and then I'll notify anyone who I think should/could respond.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 02, 2015, 03:50:41 AM
Thank you for the opportunity to explore this idea and more ancient ways. Looking forward to reading more of the story :)
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 09, 2015, 06:18:53 AM
"Alkemi" is the Omsari way of saying "The Khem people".   I guess this is the first appearance of the renamed Haradrim as the Ardharin, though they are only mentioned.

Khem, I was thinking that Ulara might travel to somewhere in your country to try to learn more about Gaea.   I wonder if he could learn the Ozian version as well.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 09, 2015, 06:37:58 AM
That would be incredibly interesting as a journey. The currents are in favor of sailing in that direction around Cefnor. Would he go to a large city like Carcossa or perhaps to the Hanging Gardens in Kannabarus or to the Ankesh Tablets in Azuth or seeing natural wonders such as the Kelali Reefs, Hyades Rainforest or Gentu Lightning (http://wiki.taijitu.org/wiki/Gentu_Lightning)? The journey to Ozia after would be most interesting and formative I would say.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 09, 2015, 04:45:20 PM
That would be incredibly interesting as a journey. The currents are in favor of sailing in that direction around Cefnor. Would he go to a large city like Carcossa or perhaps to the Hanging Gardens in Kannabarus or to the Ankesh Tablets in Azuth or seeing natural wonders such as the Kelali Reefs, Hyades Rainforest or Gentu Lightning (http://wiki.taijitu.org/wiki/Gentu_Lightning)? The journey to Ozia after would be most interesting and formative I would say.
Ulara would probably go to whichever city had the best reputation as being a place of great learning and religious faith.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 09, 2015, 05:18:07 PM
In the center of each Khemish city is an immense library where state and religion are doled out to the masses. In many cities there are a variety of philosophical practices and theological views. During this era many are questioning the meaning of life and the life of meaning. Then there are the animist Al'Ta tribes in the rainforest. The natural wonders all draw pilgrims. The goal of learning and religiosity is suffuse through the entirety of the isles as they are the heart of such within the empire. I suppose the Great Library of Carcossa would be like the center of all this but mostly in a state capacity.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 09, 2015, 08:24:31 PM
In the center of each Khemish city is an immense library where state and religion are doled out to the masses. In many cities there are a variety of philosophical practices and theological views. During this era many are questioning the meaning of life and the life of meaning. Then there are the animist Al'Ta tribes in the rainforest. The natural wonders all draw pilgrims. The goal of learning and religiosity is suffuse through the entirety of the isles as they are the heart of such within the empire. I suppose the Great Library of Carcossa would be like the center of all this but mostly in a state capacity.
Chances are that Ulara would also be given the duty to negotiate a new trade agreement for Tyros, as they are throwing off the old agreements made when they are still subject to Ardharim.   So Carcossa seems like the place he'd go for that.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 09, 2015, 08:27:30 PM
Say, what is the state of the Khemish Empire anyways?   That map provided shows it still extant and huge in 500 BCE, but then gone by 400 BCE, just like the Empire of the Ardharin.    Now, for the Ardhari Empire I've been considering them an increasingly declining power whose control over all that territory is lessening, but I don't know what the situation in Khem is.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 09, 2015, 08:58:47 PM
It is at its height at this point, slave revolts and military losses lead to its fall in a spectacular series of things going poorly for them. Prior to the fall they are at their zenith culturally and economically. A bit of an Icarus tale.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 10, 2015, 12:29:36 AM
It is at its height at this point, slave revolts and military losses lead to its fall in a spectacular series of things going poorly for them. Prior to the fall they are at their zenith culturally and economically. A bit of an Icarus tale.
Hm, looks like quite the power vacuum is developing in the Southern Cefnor region in the Fifth Century BCE...
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 10, 2015, 01:12:53 AM
well a breaking of hegemony at the very least.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Omsarim on April 20, 2015, 03:47:13 AM
Khem, I posted the document to the group you shared.  I don't know the island, and I can't provide a description as they come in.
Title: Re: Choosing a religion (500 BC)
Post by: Khem on April 20, 2015, 05:43:15 AM
I'll be responding soon, holiday celebrations and such in the meantime :D