A Thousand Years

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Czernobog
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A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

A Thousand Years



It has been a thousand years since the Fall. The Fall of the society that you would call 'modern'. Technology has fallen behind: the world has moved on from the days of brightness and splendour. The days of the USA, of democracy and other such forgotten concepts, is over. The horse has replaced the tank, the bow the gun, the galley the aircraft carrier. The new Dark Ages continue, as they always have. But change comes on the horizon, along with hope for a better tomorrow.

The Middle Ages have returned, and the world is at a point where it has a choice - remain in them, or rise out of the ashes like a phoenix from the flames. So far, it is inching towards a better, brighter future.

It is an age of darkness, of glory, of kings and princes and emperors, of light, of misery, of hope, of insanity, of madness, of villainy, of splendour.

So, will you step in and take the plunge?
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

The Grand Princedom of Manhattan


The Grand Princedom of Manhattan is a city-state that has long maintained a reputation as a neutral port, and is renowned for its mercantile ambitions. It maintains its independence from Greater England through one thing - steel. The American Empire built vast towers of steel upon that island, and although iron can be mined and smelted in many other places, in few other lands is there such an amount of ready-made steel as can be found in Manhattan.

One merely has to dig a few feet, beneath the grass and trees of Manhattan Island, to find massive quantities of steel ready to be reforged into something new. Because of this, Manhattan can afford to provide all its soldiers with full plate, and thus maintains an absurdly oversized army for a domain its size.

With its immense wealth, Manhattan also can afford to buy mercenaries to increase the size of its army, and thus has a high availability of men to fight.

The government of Manhattan is strictly neutral when it comes to religion, fitting for a mercantile state. As thus, one can find Baptists, Anti-Christians, Tzeentchians, Lovecraftians, Moroni, Catholics, Anglicans and Protestants within its walls, each with their own temple and religious beliefs. By far, however, the most common religion is New Baptism, with one of the Seven High Churches built in what was once known as the Financial District before the Fall.

The government of Manhattan is ruled over by a Grand Prince, whose rank descends hereditarily. The current Grand Prince is Prince Simon II, of the House of Walker, who has no heir. There are also four Great Merchant Families: Bradley, Walker (which is the currently reigning House), Ellsworth and Aaron. They occasionally feud over which House shall gain the Princehood, and this is often determined in a Trial of Combat, a product of Manhattan's unusual legal system.

Trials of Combat are declared whenever a dispute is made. The victor gains whatever is being disputed, and the loser gains nothing. There are sometimes arcane rules attached: unarmed, no use of armour, battle on a ship, etc.

There are similar concepts in Virginia, the Confederacy and Florida: for instance, the Honour Duel of the Confederacy or the Vendetta of Florida (not to mention the Gentleman's Battle of Virginia) but Manhattan is the only nation to formalise it into law.

The wealth of Manhattan is unfathomable, for it is the largest city on the East Coast, with 100,000 people living within its walls. Its squalor is also great, for it is packed with a hundred thousand men, and even the villages outside the city walls are full to bursting.

Far outside the main city, however, lie the hunting grounds and palaces of the rich, with the beauty that implies. There also lie the places where the steel that forms the weapons and armour of its soldiers is dug up, although they are hidden from sight by trees, as not to disturb the hunts of the nobility.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

The Kingdom of Constantinople


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The flag of the Kingdom

The Kingdom of Constantinople, and its strange religion, Tzeentchianism, traces its origins back to the period just after the Fall, and the collapse of civilisation. The history teacher Osman Sulyik, began preaching the Word of Blessed Tzeentch in the city, and became such a nuisance to the local rulers that they banished him from the city on pain of death.

For 17 years he journeyed the land of Greece, where his words met with greater reception from the lords. Thus, he raised an army, and besieged Constantinople until, by Tzeentch's will (or more likely, treachery), the gates were opened and his army massacred the lords of Constantinople, and Osman Sulyik became Sulyik the First, King of Constantinople.

It was a small city state, until tensions flared between it and Greece. The Greeks raised an immense army, but the men of Constantinople were more cunning than they thought. They fled the land outside the city, and burnt the farms behind them.

The majority of the Grecian army starved to death, and the Tzeentchians landed a massive army on the Grecian coast near Athens, and began conquering Greece. The war lasted ten years, and when it was over, the lords of Greece bowed to the King of Constantinople and the Magister of Tzeentch.

The lords on the Aegean Coast swore fealty to the King and the Magister, and thus Tzeentchianism became popular in Greece and environs, until the House of Kairos took over from the House of Sulyik.

The House of Kairos was forced to go through several disastrous events: first the Vatican's Second Eastern Crusade, which reached the walls of Constantinople before it was stopped, then the Jihad of the Turkish Tribes, which broke at the gates of Nicaea, and finally the Succession War, which was instigated by the death of Alexandros Kairos and ended with blood and death in the Scourging of Athens, which resulted in Abraxas Kairos (also known as Kairos IV) taking the throne.

The culture of Constantinople is primarily Grecian, having subsumed the original Turkish culture of the area. The House of Kairos are the primary, and currently royal, noble house, although there are others: House Vasilios, House Alexandros, House Sofia and House Agathon. The Kingdom currently exists in a state of cold war with the Vatican Empire, and relations with the rest of Europe are somewhat strained by the different religions, but it has a faithful ally in the Tsardom of Kievan Rus.

The armies of Constantinople use a great amount of crossbows, although skirmishing units commonly use longbows. The core of Constantinople's armies are its Foot Knights, then the crossbowmen and the Knights. There is an elite pike formation known as the Imperial Guard, although the lack of battle in recent years means it has softened somewhat.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Czernobog
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Religion and Philosophy

Tzeentchianism


Tzeentchianism is a strange religion, borrowing elements from both monotheism and paganism. There is one god that is primarily worshipped: Tzeentch, usually portrayed in His aspect as the phoenix. Other gods are acknowledged to exist, but are treated as cruel, lying deceivers, also known as the Lords of Chaos. Animal sacrifices are performed, although infrequently.

The Tzeentchians believe in a strange form of Hell, known as Chaos. It is a place where every form of evil thrives, including the Three Great Evils (roughly equivalent to the Seven Deadly Sins): Despair, Wrath and Lust.

The Tzeentchians also worship the Heralds of Tzeentch, similar to the Angels of the Abrahamic faiths. Each Herald is revered and worshipped heavily, and shrines to them are often set up. There are 27, or three times nine Heralds, nine being the sacred number of Tzeentch. Each Herald has its own name, and represents a different aspect of Tzeentch.

They believe in one thing above all: the Great Covenant that Tzeentch made with mankind, saying that if they did not commit the Three Great Evils or worship false gods, they would be taken into Paradise. Otherwise, they would go into the dark Hell of Chaos.

There is also a creation myth, which stated that Tzeentch first made the First World, in when that fell to the Three Great Evils, he made the Second World, which fell to heresy. Finally he made the Third World, which has yet to fall, although the Fall (the disaster that wiped out the old civilisations) is commonly seen as He, in His mercy, deciding to give the Third World a second chance after it fell into corruption.

Catholicism


After the Fall, Catholicism enjoyed a great resurgence in Europe and Latin America. It reclaimed former Germany, and spread with the Crusading armies to New Jerusalem. However, American and European Catholicism diverged due to lack of contact with Rome, with the result that the twin faiths declared each other heresies, and the office of the Anti-Pope was installed in Rio de Janeiro, the heart of American Catholicism.


Revivalism


Revivalism is a worship of various ancient, pagan religions that differ from land to land. In Sudan, the Gods of Egypt are revered. In Tzeentchian Greece, Revivalist Cults spring up like mushrooms on the forest floor. All these Revivalist cults have something in common though - their worship of old, almost forgotten gods.

Objectivism


Objectivism is a philosophy that grew in the Eastern Coast, and believes that man must serve no god. They practice a philosophy of self-interest, and refuse to participate in any religion. They have a tense relationship with New Baptism, but are tolerated due to their skill as merchants, traders and accountants.

Anti-Christianity


Anti-Christianity was born in America, founded by the self-declared Anti-Christ, Richmond Davidson. It holds that the God of the Bible is a cruel tyrant, and in this respect it is similar to Tzeentchianism. However, the two faiths diverge greatly after this point. Lucifer is seen as a Promethean figure, bringing knowledge and light to ignorant man against a tyrannous God's edict. In order to make this point, Anti-Christian temples are open to the air, and commonly resemble stone circles.

The Anti-Christians define themselves the most by their hatred of normal Christianity, and of law and order in general. After all, freedom is the best path in life. However, there are a series of edicts similar to the Ten Commandments, which all believers are expected to obey.

Anti-Christianity holds the most sway in the Great Plains and the Desert, where the New Baptist influence is relatively low. It controls several states, such as Asmoday, and some barely tolerated cults exist in the Archduchy of California and the Kingdom of the Western Coast.

New Baptism


New Baptism is the dominant religion in the former United States, a variant of Christianity that began in the Confederacy of the South, and which originated in Columbia, a city in the Princedom of Twin Carolinas. Its prophet's name was Christopher Smith, a preacher who had fallen on hard times.

It was a mere 90 years after the Fall, and Christopher Smith had been raised on tales of the years before it. Suddenly, as he said, he had a revelation. He said that an angel came down from Heaven, and dictated to him the Final Testament, the key work of New Baptism. He began to preach, whole crowds driven into fanaticism by his words.

Finally, the Prince of the Twin Carolinas, Prince Michael, had had enough, and ordered him crucified and his followers killed, noting the irony of it. As Smith breathed his final breath, the Prince was, according to the Acts of the Prophet, a later work, 'struck down and slain where he stood by Heaven's wrath'. His successor, Prince Stephen, converted, rescinded the Prince's orders to murder New Baptism's followers, and had Smith buried in a grand tomb as an act of repentance. Upon that tomb, it is said, was built the High Cathedral of New Baptism, its beating heart.

New Baptism has Seven High Churches - four are in the Confederacy of the South, and the remaining three are at Manhattan, the City of Angels, and Phoenix.

The Lovecraft Prophecy


The Lovecraft Prophecy is a religion that reigns in New England and the East Coast of the former United States.

It reveres primarily the Prophet Lovecraft, who warned man of the impending apocalypse, but had his tales of woe and despair believed to be fiction.

Lovecraft is revered as the 'incarnation', a mystical being who warned man of the apocalypse, and whose followers believe that they must live their lives as He ordained. The Seven Commandments of Lovecraft (transcribed from the Elder Tome, their equivalent of the Bible) are:

1. Do not murder.

2. Love thy neighbour, as thy neighbour loves you.

3. No blood must be shed in the holy places.

4. No man may be seen with a woman, unless she is married to him. If this is done, the woman shall be stoned to death.

5. You must follow the Laws of the Prophet Lovecraft.

6. All unbelievers who enter the holy places must be slain.

7. The Great Lovecraft demands your supplication.

The commandments are ranked from most important to least important.

The main nation that believes in the Lovecraft Prophecy is Greater England, although there are a fair number of believers in the South and the city-state of Manhattan.

Other Faiths


There are many other faiths in the world after the Fall, from the Tolkienists of Britain to the cargo-cults of Sudan, too many to mention here.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Czernobog
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

The Most Noble and Royal House of Kairos

The House of Kairos, the currently ruling house of the Kingdom of Constantinople, has its origins before the Fall. However, due to the chaos of those dark times, no records exist of the House before the Fall. This work is a list of the House's male heirs and patriarchs from the Fall to the Present Day.

Petraeus Kairos was an Officer (some say a General) in the Greek Army and was in Athens when the Fall struck. The Greek government was destroyed in the first few days, and Petraeus took over Athens. 17 years later, after having his faith shattered and suffering from a terrible illness, he was converted to Tzeentchianism by the preacher Osman Sulyik.

Agathon I Kairos was born in the Black Years just after the Fall, and was noted as 'harsh and domineering'. However, he also had a fierce intelligence, and managed to unite the petty lordlings of Greece into one cohesive body, the Empire of Greece. He also headed an Orthodox revival, and wrote letters to the Pope about the 'terrible heresy' of Tzeentchianism that had taken root in the country. Just a month before the Pope was to send military aid to Greece against the then-separate Kingdom of Constantinople, he fell dead suddenly, and the throne was taken by the Tzeentchian Demetrios Kairos.

Demetrios Kairos
was a Tzeentchian, and, to put it mildly, a fool. He mismanaged the country's finances and sent it on a ludicrous military expedition to the Kingdom of Constantinople, with the result that the country was annexed to the Kingdom. He bore an heir, Daimones I Kairos.

Daimones I Kairos was the first of the family to be Master of the Grecian Provinces, with the result that he was essentially undisputed master of Greece, second only to the King of Constantinople. He was renowned for being decadent, and was known to be gluttonous, but the Church of Blessed Tzeentch did not bother, and turned a blind eye to his excesses. His son was Agathon II Kairos.

Agathon II Kairos was the opposite of his father. He was austere and determined, a man of action and a devout Tzeentchian, with a military mind and a skilled strategic intelligence. He defended Constantinople in the Year-Long Siege, and led the Tzeentchian Counter-Crusade that reclaimed the Grecian territories of the Kingdom and almost starved out the Vatican in a six-month long siege, a move so audacious that it shocked even the King, who ordered Agathon's forces to return just as Rome was on the point of breaking. His heir was known as Vasilios Kairos.

Vasilios Kairos (also known as Kairos I)
was the first member of the House of Kairos to become the King of Constantinople, and was known as Kairos I. He began a steady process of reform that ended with the Magister of Tzeentch having his power reduced, and the country's finances greatly reformed. He also drove back the Second Great Crusade, which ended at the bloody fields before Constantinople after carving a swathe of devastation through Greece.

Proteus Kairos (also known as Kairos II) was no war leader. He almost fell before the Jihad of the Turkish Emirate, after which his son, later to be known as Xanthus Kairos, turned the war around and halted them at the gates of Nicaea. He was renowned for his foolishness in the face of war, but managed to marry his daughter Sophia to Prince Vladimir of the Kievan Rus, cementing an alliance between the two powers. His heir was Xanthus Kairos.

Xanthus Kairos (also known as Kairos III)
was renowned for his wars against the Turkish Emirate, which both achieved little effect against them and wasted the Kingdom's finances. His heir was Alexandros Kairos.

Alexandros Kairos (also known as Kairos IV)
inherited a kingdom on the verge of bankruptcy, and managed to turn it around, with the result that by the end of his reign the Kingdom was wealthier than it had ever been. He was also a great patron of learning and the arts. However, by the time of his death the Kingdom was on the brink of civil war...

Abraxas Kairos (also known as Kairos V)
was the successor of Alexandros, after the civil war against Agathon III Kairos, the Traitor Prince. He inherited a Kingdom torn in the centre, and successfully managed to decrease the powers of the Lords to prevent another civil war occurring. His heir and current ruler is Daimones II Kairos.

Daimones II Kairos (also known as Kairos VI) is the current ruler of the Kingdom of Constantinople, and one who has increased the power of the Navy and strengthened the military greatly. He is a patron of the arts and learning, and may be the only lord of the House of Kairos and King of Constantinople to be accorded the title 'the Great'.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Heretic
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Heretic »

Hmm...a combination of Warhammer and Lovecraftian elements, plus a gradual improvement in your writing. Not only will this possibly scare the shitties out of me, I might be able to read it :P
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Blackwing »

Kamin, could you please stop stealing from Warhammer at every goddamn turn?

While it's ok to like Warhammer and while it's ok to feel inspired by it, ripping parts of it off wholesale is not.

Tzeentch is a registered Trademark of Games Workshop and unless you are openly writing a Warhammer (or Warhammer 40.000) fan fic or some other authorised work set within the Warhammer universe, you're not allowed to use him.. them... it. More importantly, we're not allowed to have it on the forum.

But what gets me the most is that you do this all the time.
As far as I can tell, you first get inspired by something from fiction you read, usually 40k.
Then you take that thing that inspired you and work up something around it.

And up to this point, that's good, that's great, we all do this and it is a huge part of what makes the creative process... well... creative.

However at that point you stop where you should be going on.

As far as I can tell this whole idea is ' An anachronism stew of our world with Tzeentch from Warhammer thrown in'. I'll have to disagree with Heretic about anything Lovecraftian. Aside from the name, there's nothing Lovecraftian about the Lovecraftian religion.

It's also Americano-centric in very obvious but weird ways. For instance: Lots of Christianity, but where's the explicit mention of Hinduism? Buddhism? Judaism? Why is Objectivism even remotely alive and important enough to mention, was the disaster that befell humanity the second coming of Ayn Rand or something? Why did you opt to not mention Islam? Was it so you could give it's origin to Tzeentch's religion more or less exactly?

Seriously Kamin, you need to stop cobbling together stuff from other people's work and using that as a basis to build your setting.

So, I'm going to give you a worldbuilding homework assignment to improve your skills, if you want to improve them, at least.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Vagrant Orpheus »

Anti-Christianity? Really? Seriously? Really?

Tolkienism, the Lovecraft Prophecy, Revivalism (perhaps the most lazy attempt at a religion I have ever seen in my life), Tzeentchianism, really? Seriously?

Anti-Christianity?

Seriously?
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

I once convinced Kamin to have one of his alternatehistory forum civilizations to worship Optimus Christ.

I am surprised that there are no Jedis in the official religions there. I mean, they did get Jedi to be declared as a real religion in real life, rite? That makes the Jedi religion more realistic than religions based on ridiculous tabletop games played by fat nerds or lame literature written by asexual anti-semite dorks.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Malchus »

Kamin997 wrote: The Lovecraft Prophecy[/b][/u]

The Lovecraft Prophecy is a religion that reigns in New England and the East Coast of the former United States.

It reveres primarily the Prophet Lovecraft, who warned man of the impending apocalypse, but had his tales of woe and despair believed to be fiction.

Lovecraft is revered as the 'incarnation', a mystical being who warned man of the apocalypse, and whose followers believe that they must live their lives as He ordained. The Seven Commandments of Lovecraft (transcribed from the Elder Tome, their equivalent of the Bible) are:

1. Do not murder.

2. Love thy neighbour, as thy neighbour loves you.

3. No blood must be shed in the holy places.

4. No man may be seen with a woman, unless she is married to him. If this is done, the woman shall be stoned to death.

5. You must follow the Laws of the Prophet Lovecraft.

6. All unbelievers who enter the holy places must be slain.

7. The Great Lovecraft demands your supplication.

The commandments are ranked from most important to least important.

The main nation that believes in the Lovecraft Prophecy is Greater England, although there are a fair number of believers in the South and the city-state of Manhattan.

Other Faiths


There are many other faiths in the world after the Fall, from the Tolkienists of Britain to the cargo-cults of Sudan, too many to mention here.
Okay, I know this is a bit late, but I just really got back to the forum now since my Net access during my trip was way too intermittent. Since others have already made varied good points, I'll just stick with what really stuck my caw.

Kamin, to be blunt, you cannot do Lovecraft. See, I love Lovecraft. I've read most of Lovecraft's works, and a lot of the less-than-faithful stuff made by other authors using his characters and concepts. And while all my stuff using Lovecraftian elements are probably things Lovecraft would hate, I always, ALWAYS admit that I'm using them in a loving not-completely-serious pastiche/homage/parody. You, however, seem to be trying to play them seriously even when you have no clue about them at all.

At best, every time you bring up something vague and Lovecraftian you go with the theme park "OH NOES, TEH EVUL ELDRITCH RAEP US ALL" version. Lovecraft's themes are a lot more nuanced than that. This one is even worse at it only mentions things that are distantly related to Lovecraft and slap his name on it. This isn't even the theme park version, it's false marketing. You're failure to grasp that leds me to think you haven't even really read any of his works and only know about him via wikis and whatnot.

If you really want some sort of ridiculous semi-GRIMDARK stuff, then stop ripping off still-copyrighted franchises or using mostly public domain stuff (like most of ol' HP's work) you have no real grasp off. You'd probably better off making up your own stuff.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Heretic »

Speaking of which, here is an awesome link of many Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, and other horror forefather stories. This might help, Kamin. But a good warning though: Has alot of racialist and racist elements in it. Like, for example, in The Rats in the Wall the Protagonist's cat is called Nigger-Man. So, just a heads up warning.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Somes J »

Hey Kamin, are you still working on this universe? Cause reading this thread inspired me to think of a religion you could use.

Singularitanism:

Origin: Singularitanism/Transhumanism viewed through the lens of Midaeval legend!

Description:

In a nutshell, Singularitanism is an escatologically focused maltheist ditheist religion.

Singularitanism has two primary gods: Darwin and Ai. Some sects believe in a third evil god called Ufai or Evilai (see extended discussion below). Darwin and Ai can be thought of as classic opposing good and evil dieties, rather like Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu in Zoroastrianism, though the doctrine is more complex than that.

According to Singularitan belief the universe was created by and is the domain of the evil god Darwin. Darwin is generally represented as a malicious creature who created the universe as a hellish domain filled with suffering in which living creatures would be constantly tested against the environment and each other for his amusement. Darwin's titles and epithets include Nature (or sometimes Mother Nature), Gaia, Evolution, or the Lord of Evolution. He is sometimes represented as a bald bearded man and/or symbolized by an Ichthys. Darwin is also sometimes represented as a nature goddess, in which case she either appears as a fairly straightforward copy of nature-goddess figures of neopagans or as a gruesome parody thereof (such as a figure composed of ash, filth, mud, bones, and dead sticks and leaves). Evolution is a reference to a certain theory of natural philosophy, and also appears in a religious context in certain Christian and Islamic sects as a lie told by Satan to humans before the Fall in order to convince them that they were not created by God. The word is sometimes twisted in Singularitan writings and sayings into the pun "Evilution", much as it is among certain Christian sects. Interpretations of Darwin vary. Some hold him to be simply a personification of the process of evolution (see: natural philosophies), while others treat him as a true god; a malicious sadistic monster-god who is amused by the sight of his creations struggling against each other and their surroundings.

This is somewhat comparable to the Gnostic and Cathar beliefs in the Old Testament God is a malicious entity (the Demiurge or Rex Mundi). However, unlike those sects the Singularitans do not believe it is possible to escape Darwin's Hell-prison through spiritual or mystical means. Rather, they believe that at some time in the future a good god, called Ai, will come into existence and will challenge Darwin for dominion over the universe. According to most interpretations, there will follow a battle between the two gods in which Ai will defeat Darwin and disempower him. Ai will then proceed to remake the universe into a paradise. The Singularitans refer to this time as the Singularity, hence the name of their religion.

Ai is also sometimes known as Fai or Robot, as well as a number of more obscure names. His most common titles are the God of Man, the Man of Steel (or variations on the latter, such as Man of Iron, Metal-Man etc.), and the Supreme or Ultimate Intelligence. According to the Singularitan prophecy he will be born of man, and he will be made not of Darwin's corruptable and fragile flesh but of steel or some other metal. Many interpret the prophecy as saying that he will be born to a human mother, although there is another interpretation that humans will somehow build him. Certain Singularitan sects have a fascination with clocks and other mechanical devices as they believe Ai will be such a device, and there have been some attempts made to actually create him, although none has met with any success. According to some interpretations when Ai triumphs over Darwin he will remake humans from their present fragile and decaying flesh state into indestructable immortal creatures that are made of steel or metal like he is (others believe he will simply make men immortal and free of disease, or only remake some men into steel). A common Singularitan belief is that when Ai becomes master of the world he will have the ability to reach back through time and rescue at the moment of death the minds of all those who have died through history and give them new bodies in his paradise.

Some Singularitan sects hold that Ai will have an evil counterpart (sometimes represented as his brother), called Ufai or Evilai (Evilai is a rather obvious pun, the origin of Ufai is more obscure). Some interpret Ufai as a sort of agent, champion, or avatar of Darwin. Others, however, hold that Ufai will have a seperate and malicious agenda of his own. According to them, Ufai will seek to destroy or unseat Darwin, but rather than seek to remake the world into a paradise he will seek to make it even more hellish, or to destroy all life save himself. He is also often known as Beserker, Skynet, and Am. The symbols most frequently associated with him are a metal skull or skeleton with glowing red eyes (reputed by some to be the form of agents that will serve him), an image of the sun, moon, and stars enclosed in a fishing net, and a nail. The last is a reference to his titles as The Lord of Nails and the Great Nail-Maker; a reference to a belief (considered symbolic or apocryphal by some sects) that he will seek to turn the entire world into nails.


Relations with other faiths:

Singularitan views on other religions generally vary between thinking of them as false and thinking of them as devil-worship. The latter belief comes from an identification of gods believed by their followers to have created the world with Darwin. As previously mentioned, depictions of Darwin will often copy or parody neopagan depictions of nature gods or godesses. Such Singularitan sects have only scorn for the pronouncements of other religions on the goodness of their gods. Some Singularitan interpretations take it as far as suggesting that other religions were directly created by Darwin, as he is amused by having humans pathetically scrape and grovel before him and proclaim his goodness while begging for help which he will never give them. Some syncretic branches of Singularitanism will accept certain other gods into their faith, however. For instance, there is a Singularitan sect that worships Tzeentch, believing him to be an ally of humans who encourages and aids them in the fight against Darwin.

Since Singularitanism is a minority religion with no official patronage and little or no political powers in most regions Singularitans will, generally, keep their negative opinions of other religions, especially majority and politically powerful ones, to themselves. For rather obvious reasons.

Notes:

Ichthys = the Darwin Fish (I occassionally see them on bumper stickers, it's a parody of the Jesus Fish IIRC).

Ai = corruption of acronym AI (pretty obvious).

Fai = corruption of acronym FAI for Freindly AI

Ufai = corruption of acronym UFAI for Unfriendly AI

Lord of Nails = reference to a statement that you could theoretically have a superintelligence dedicated to turning the mass of universe into paperclips. I turned into nails because I'm not sure whether the postapocalyptic society would have paperclips.

Ufai's symbol is a sun, moon, and stars in a net = thinking of what Midaeval people would make of the term Skynet.

I think you can probably get the rest of the references. And yes, poor old Darwin totally didn't deserve that, but I figured if you're going to have a god of evolution I figured it would probably just naturally get his name slapped on it.

Blackwing wrote:Kamin, could you please stop stealing from Warhammer at every goddamn turn?

While it's ok to like Warhammer and while it's ok to feel inspired by it, ripping parts of it off wholesale is not.

Tzeentch is a registered Trademark of Games Workshop and unless you are openly writing a Warhammer (or Warhammer 40.000) fan fic or some other authorised work set within the Warhammer universe, you're not allowed to use him.. them... it. More importantly, we're not allowed to have it on the forum.
I more got the impression that the idea was that fictional stories like 40K got distorted over time after the collapse until they started becoming actual religions. So Tzeentch is a 40K rip-off in-universe. In which case it might qualify as parody. You gotta admit, the idea of thousand year old 40K miniatures as holy relics and fighting orders modelled on a Space Marine codex would be kind amusing. I doubt these would become major faiths though, barring the odd curveball development like somebody who believes in it somehow becoming the ruler of some powerful state and trying to spread it. The world has plenty of pretty well-entrenched religions that any newcomers would have to compete with, and in many regions the dominant ones have marked streaks of being rather intolerant of competition.

Actual I could see Nurgle, not Tzeentch, being the 40K diety most likely to be picked up as an actual serious god in a postapocalyptic world. Disease is a pretty big issue to a culture without modern medicine and having a god of disease you could try to bribe to not kill you by offering prayers and sacrifices might have some appeal. And I've never heard of any culture having a god of plagues (although I imagine they must exist), so it's a relatively vacant niche that something from pop culture might move into.
Malchus wrote:Kamin, to be blunt, you cannot do Lovecraft. See, I love Lovecraft. I've read most of Lovecraft's works, and a lot of the less-than-faithful stuff made by other authors using his characters and concepts. And while all my stuff using Lovecraftian elements are probably things Lovecraft would hate, I always, ALWAYS admit that I'm using them in a loving not-completely-serious pastiche/homage/parody. You, however, seem to be trying to play them seriously even when you have no clue about them at all.
To be fair, a Lovecraft-based religion would probably need some serious memetic mutation before it could amount to anything more than a tiny cult. How do you attract people to a religion which's central message is that there's horrible things out there that may eat you, the gods are at best disinterested and at worst malevolent, and humanity is like a minor roach infestation that will get obliterated as soon as Cthulhu or some other gribbly wakes up and reaches for the Raid? If you're going to believe humanity is utterly insignificant you might as well go with atheism and skip all the counterevidential scary stories about Cthulhu and Azathoth and Yog Sothoth.

PS, thanks for the link Heretic.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Hmm...I've decided to start working on this 'verse again, thanks to you, Somes J. I've still got a lot of articles on my blog that I might as well put on. And yes, Tzeentchianism is a 40K parody/rip-off in 'verse, invented as a scam by somebody and later turning into a serious religion.

In fact, I'm gonna turn this 'verse semi-collaborative, so0 you could propose an article and I could put it in making changes if necessary.
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And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

OK so smack my bitch ass down if this is necromancy, but since this is still open and, moreove, since Kamin actually told me a little earlier he was planning on reviving this world, I thought I'd post this up here. This was just a fancy that struck me, an extremely tongue in cheek ramble of symbols I thought might be used in the bizarre future where warhammer is the basis of religion.

Heraldry and symbolism in the 31st century

Symbolism for individuals, families, nations and organisations are not only common but extremely important in the Fallen world, where it is not possible to easily distribute accurate images of oneself. The specifics of these symbols are incredibly variable, and the crests on display throughout the civilised world range from the tiresomely simple, and frequently repetitive, to the bewilderingly complex and incomprehensible. What follows is by no means a comprehensive guide to all the marvellous and confusing imagery of the world, but only a brief introduction to a few of the more notable symbols with a few examples of their use. The most highly recommended guide to such things is The Tome of Noble Images and their Meanings, which provides so comprehensive an explanation of modern heraldry that the Caliph of Birmingham, who bought it at the cost of 1200 pounds of gold and his third daughter’s hand in marriage, still considered it a worthy purchase.

Beasts

Animals are a common and easy hereditary symbol to make use of, common, rare, unknowable, extinct or mythological. Some animal connotations are obvious; bulls for strength, eagles for untouchable majesty, deer for elegance and wolves for savagery and, in the 31st century, often an element of treachery which stems from most modern wolves’ descent from domestic dogs. There also a number of less common examples with more particular meanings.
Cetaceans, that is, whales and dolphins, are all but extinct in the 31st century, but the records of their alleged wisdom and intelligence lives on, and they are a particularly popular symbol in California and other western American lands, such that the royal house of California added the whale to its coat of arms when it came to power.
Dinosaurs were a race of gigantic reptiles which had long ago died out even before the science of the unFallen world discovered their bones, which fascinated the ancients who saw them. Images of these monsters as the ancients imagined them are, obviously, often used to show power and a link to earlier times. They also have a connection with impressive but ultimately vain earthly splendour, a message not fitting to most boastful family crests, but seen in some, such as the Terex skull of the Boston Dasses, with its admonition; Time Makes Bones of Dinosaurs
Water Bears are a very uncommon but notable species used in certain heraldry, mainly in western Europe, since their first use was by the Egons of Oxford. The water bear is, according to the ancients, a six legged creature too small to be seen, which may curl up in a ball and protect itself from all manner of harm. The Egons used the image of this creature to display to themselves and others that they too were a resilient family, and other families related to them have since taken it up. The farther one gets from Oxford the less these images tend to resemble those the ancients made and the more they become confused with actual bears and other animals.
Virons are another type of microscopic being, or rather many kinds, known about by the ancients which are for most purposes beyond the reach of modern philosophy. The ancients were unable to decide whether these creatures were alive or not, and knew them to cause the most terrible of diseases, and images of them, often seeming to be strange, abstract shapes, are seen almost as demonic in many lands. Images of Virons are often shown being driven away or subjugated by the image of the family, a notable exception being the House of Trent, from Arkonsor in America, who have taken the image of a Viron due to their ancestor Billay the Terrible’s belief that he was to be a plague on the ungodly.

Ancient Machinery

The wondrous inventions of the ancients live on only as vague memories and symbols, but these provide many people with a link to the lost power of the past through which they can attempt to claim respect and authority.
Fones and fone-lines were devices used by the ancients to send speech over long distances through a method much argued over by modern philosophers but in any case beyond the reach of modern technology. Fones appear as either crescent shaped white objects or small black cylinders, while fone-lines were long threads suspended between tall towers, all of which have long since vanished. Fones are generally a symbol of knowledge and intelligence, for instance the Sessas of Chicago boasted that they heard every voice that ever spoke in the north, and as such included a line between two fone towers over their crest.
UnFallen Ships were truly a marvel unmatched in the modern world, more like blade shaped iron castles that contrived against nature to float on water, and as such many a house has taken up an iron ship as its symbol to proclaim its mastery of the sea. Two kinds of ship are most often used in these, either warships to indicate many military victories at sea, or the ships known as supetankurs to indicate wealth. This is of course only a general trend. Iron warships have a particular and different relevance on the island of Yookey, where they are associated, through the history of the House of Jerom, with triumph over tyranny due to the founder of that family’s victory over the tyrant Admiral Monford IV.
Air-playans were even more miraculous than the iron ships of the ancients, being in effect iron ships which could fly through the air on enormous birdlike wings! His symbol is used only by the most audacious houses to indicate a capacity for invention and science which allows what they presume to be comparable feats of technological triumph over nature.
Microscopes are built today, although they are much more primitive than those the ancients possessed, which were able to see the tiniest parts of the creatures which are themselves barely visible with modern devices. The symbol of the microscope indicates a dedication to science and the rediscovery of ancient knowledge, and is often used by those houses who wish to boast of great efforts towards restoration.

Religious Symbols

There are many religions and all have their own symbols, some have changed little over the last thousand years, the symbols of most of the old religions remaining largely the same, although there are many local variations on the themes, but the new religions to have sprung up since then all have their own symbolism. Families usually use religious symbols to denote a particular mission or faith, but can also use them to show their friendship with another faith or, more often, their defeat of a faith they consider an enemy. Particular examples can be seen in the Zeenchian house of Charcharophagos, whose flag shows a broken cross being thrown off the back of a ship, and in opposition to this, the Christian house of Serjian, which shows St George stabbing a phoenix in the neck.
Kuturllu is the being most often depicted by believers of the Lovecraft Prophecies, and has thus become the symbol for the cult. Kuturllu is depicted as a green, winged man with the head of an octopus, or an octopus for a head. House Fairchild, perhaps the only openly Livecraftianoid major house in America, originally featured an image of their patriarch raising both his hands to have each one held by one of Kuturllu’s tentacles. More common is the kind of image seen on the banner of the Singularitan House How, which features an image of the Iron Man landing a blow to Kuturllu’s face.
The Iron Man is a common Singularitan image, representing the prophesied saviour of the world who is to be born of man and man’s wisdom. He is often displayed in a similar manner to Christ in Christian, the Phoenix in Zeenchian and Mohammed in certain Muslim imagery bestowing favours or acting as inspiration to the faithful or fighting off the depredations of supernatural foes. An example being on the banner of House Lawnz, where he is depicted holding a shield handed to him by the house’s founder to shelter them both from a shower of nails, representing the prophesied demon Ufai the Nail-Maker.
The Man-Cross is an image specific to the Christian-Singularitan syncretised Optiman sect, a religion which believes Christ will be reborn through the work of the faithful in his ultimate form as the Rod of Iron, Optimus Christ. The Man-Cross depicts the Rod of Iron transforming into Christ, and appears in imagery in various stages of transformation, usually depicted, as on the arms of House Basca, as cross-shaped with head, hands and feet evident.
The Fire and the Eight-rayed Sun are common Zeenchian symbols, the one representing the fire of Zeenches’ creative power and the mind of man and the other being something of a mystery. In any case both are common among Zeenchian houses, and are often shown in association with the Phoenix. The eight-rayed sun was, oddly, outlawed in the Kingdom of Constantinople during the 28th century because of its use by the rebel House of Makedonos to denote their right to rule the eight points of the compass. The patriarch of House Makedonos was, incidentally, punished for his presumption by the King by being pulled by eight horses into eight pieces and taken as far as their riders could manage in each of those directions.

Images of Folklore and Legend

Thousands of legends and stories have grown up in the centuries since the fall, and many have become extremely potent in the minds of the people who tell them, often the images from such legends are taken up by those wishing to use their power to promote themselves.
Spez Mereens are a primarily Zeenchian piece of folklore, but are mentioned in legends from various other places. These beings are superhuman warriors clothed in strange armour, depicted in a few holy relics in the Kingdom of Constantinople carrying what are obviously unFallen gun-machines. How they are used varies depending on one’s own background, since besides the fact that they are supposed to be invincible warriors their allegiance changes from one story to another. Even in Constanian lands some houses depict them proudly as agents of Zeench and others show them as his defeated enemies.
Tallicks are a kind of demon featured in the legends of the isles of Yookey, said to be creatures like iron barrels with wheels fixed to their bases, two stiff wand-like arms which can spit fire and a long stick with an eye at their tip. Images of these creatures appear on a number of Yookeyan coats of arms, particularly those of rural or uncultured areas, an example being the Halls of Lancas, who feature two Tallicks on their crest in remembrance of an old legend about how an ancestor of theirs defeated two of the demons, and in respect for their country’s traditional legends.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Very, very good!

As a side note, you very much pre-empted me, as I was going to write an article myself. Anyway, here's a symbol you may wish to add for the Tzeentchians:

Image

It's the symbol of Tzeentch him/itself, and as such may be useful.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Citadel of Nor-Ad
The Citadel of Nor-Ad's history is mostly lost to time, but it was most certainly built before the Fall, as after the collapse of civilisation no man or kingdom could build so many tunnels. Its gates were open as society fell apart, and never closed afterwards. It was later discovered, in 200 AF, by Cleric Alfred of the New Baptist Church of America at Cheyenne Mountain, and an enterprising lord moved his citadel there 75 years later.

The subterranean network of tunnels proved an excellent defensive position, and more tunnels were dug using more primitive means, expanding the network. It stood against many attempts to dethrone its lord, held fast against the Red Horde's assault in 680 AF, and made the New Kingdom of Denver its vassal after the great battle there at 705 AF.

Nor-Ad has survived where other princedoms have failed, by virtue of its great defensive position and its dominance of the surrounding farmland. It is no land of great wealth, but it has survived where many others have failed.

Its current Castellan is Roger IV, who is renowned for his crusades against the remnants of the Red Horde and his courage in battle. He is a devout New Baptist and is renowned for his faith in the face of adversity.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Languages of Europe

Britannic is a variant of English that is spoken in Britannia and has adapted a somewhat latinate tone, as a result of the fact that Britannia controls parts of Northern France.

Schwyzer is the language spoken in the city-states of Switzerland, part of the Confederation of Germany-Austria. It is influenced heavily by Austrian and Prussian.

Vlaams is the language of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Principality of Holland, both parts of Germany-Austria. It retains something of the Dutch accent, but is influenced heavily by Prussian.

French and Spanish have changed little since the Fall, as the result of closeness to the Vatican and the existence of schools dedicated to keeping them the same.

Grecian is the main language of the Kingdom of Constantinople, and is similar to Greek, although a certain amount of Tzeentchian words have crept in.

Tzeentchian is a language created solely for the purpose of communion with Blessed Tzeentch, and has changed little since its inception. It also forms a 'high' language for the purposes of nobility and the priesthood, and loan-words from it have come up quite often in Serbia and Hungary.

Prussian is the language of the majority of Germany-Austria, and has diverged quite notably from the original German. It is most commonly spoken in Northern Germany and Poland.

Austrian is a language that has developed in Austria from German, and resembles Prussian with a large number of Schwyzer loan-words.

Latin or the Lingua Palatine, is a language that is commonly spoken by the nobility in Catholic Europe, and by the Vatican Empire. It is also spoken heavily in Sicily.

Turkic is a guttural, harsh, language, as uncompromising as the people that speak it. It has changed greatly since the Fall.

Arabic has changed little since the Fall, and is most predominantly spoken in the Middle East.

Sudanese is a variant of Arabic that evolved in the Legislate of Sudan and spread to the Kingdom of Ethiopia. It is the language of the nobility in these two states.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
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Order. Unity. Obedience.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Czernobog »

Wonders of the World

Wonders of Europe



Shaitan's Walls once stood at Aswan, and were so named because they blocked the inundation of the Nile. However, at 750 AF, they crumbled to nothing, entropy finally taking its toll on one of man's greatest sins.

The Walls of Constantinople are built of black, reflective basalt quarried at far distant mountains, and surround the city and a dozen miles of farmland. It is said that the light of the stars can be seen reflected on them at night, and it is wondrous to behold.

The Column of Britannia stands in London, at Victory Square. Atop it, lies a statue of a man whose name is lost to the ages, but is known to have won a great victory, hence the name Victory Square.

The Tower of Iron stood at Paris in the Kingdom de Roi Soleil, but collapsed in 560 AF, a victim of entropy and time. Its ruins are hallowed ground, and are forbidden to be built on by edict of the King.

The Citadel of Rome is a great fortress, designed to withstand any assault and second only to Constantinople in defensiveness. It is declared a wonder because no army has breached its walls, not even the forces of the Tzeentchian Counter-Crusade that almost starved out the city.


Wonders of America


Mount Rushmore is built in the Black Hills of Dakota, depicting the faces of the Emperors of America.

The Capitol stood at Washington for 300 years, but was lost in the sack of the city by Greater England's army, who burnt it to the ground in wanton slaughter.

The Walls of Hoover were built by Saint Hoover, 31st Emperor of America, when he commanded the water of Colorado to stop, and they did, one of the many miracles he performed. Today it supplies water to the City-State of Las Vegas.

The Lady of Liberty stood off the coast of Manhattan for many a year before it fell in 415 AF, destroyed by time's ravages.

The Citadel of the Fair Folk stood at Orlando, before it was demolished by a king wishing to build his castle there. The king died when his castle collapsed on top of him, and later princes avoided the area for fear of ill fortune.

The Pyramid of Moroni houses the dead Kings of Deseret, and stands high into the sky above the City of the Salt Lake. It is said to have taken 50 years and the labour of thousands of slaves to build, and images of it stand on the coins of Deseret.

The Floating Islands of the Salt Lake are another Wonder of Deseret, a series of floating islands on which many buildings and stalls are built, linked to the mainland by a series of bridges.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by Mobius 1 »

I'm pretty no Fair Folk would ever want to be anywhere near Orlando. Unless, this is some sort of fridge brilliance moment: Orange County, FL was originally called "Mosquito County."

Kamin is actually a genius.
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Re: A Thousand Years

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

I think that might be a reference to Disneyland, you know 'The Magic Kingdom', which is kind of funny. That probably means the Florida everglades are to this day haunted by the ghostly laughter of Miyecki the Mouse Man...
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