Irrishite

The Irrishites are an loosely organized religion whose roots is found among the irillians. Its basic tenets include that all life upon this world sprung from the blood of Irrish or Casis that was spilled as they warred. The Irrishites are led by the Magistri who are those humans, traditionally of Irillian descent, that have awakened the blood and can call upon the power of Irrish.

Unlike many religions the Irrishites relationship with both the Sha’rek’ta and Magistri is as teacher to student. All who hold the blood of Irrish seek to join with her and thus quicken her return to this world. Her return marks the beginning of the Elisium (Time of Paradise) where she will reign for ten thousand years before Casis is reborn, thus beginning the cycle anew.

The Irrishites are those humans who have awakened to the blood of Irrish that runs through their body. They have accepted the Sha’rek’ta as their teachers and are guided along the path by the Magistri. Unlike the priests of the temple_of_light, Irrishites gather not in large temples but in simply outdoor gatherings. These societas (Fellowships) welcome all who seek the truth whether they have awakened or not.

The Magistri are the teachers and leaders within the societas. They not only have a deeper mastery of their own power, but are recognized by the people of the societas as their teachers. It is among the members of the societas to select whom among the concitata will be recognized as a magister (Master). There is no formal number of magistri to concitata although common practice in the larger societas is that a tenth of the concitata are recognized as magistri.

The magistri then select one of their number to become the Maximus Magister (Grand Master) who is the teacher of teachers. The Maximus Magister leads the societas and is responsible for attending any nearby colligendo as well as the every decade Magna Collecti (Great Gathering).

These are those within the societas that have awakened the power within them, but have not yet been recognized as a Magistri.

Any Maximus Magister can call for a colligendo, which is a gathering of nearby Maximus Magister. These are traditionally used to handle claims of heresy, pass judgement upon any of the magistri, or pass newly gained information.

Each decade all of the societas hold a Magna Collecti where each societa must send their Maximus Magister to a single location for their gathering. During this gathering the Sha’rek’ta appear before the gathering and bestow great wisdom upon the collective.

The Irrishites are loosely gathered into smaller societas that are formed around the magistri. It is quite possible for two or more societas to be in the same area even if that area is just a small town. This most often occurs when there is a splinter within an existing societa that drives some members away. This not only happens frequently, but is in fact encouraged and in most cases the two groups reform within a few years. This was not always the case and in fact only came out after the maxima corrigenda (Primal Correction) when the Irrishites cleansed themselves of the corruption caused by the Prima Cognoscens (First Inquisitor).

A fallen title that was only used during the Holy Irillian Empire from 1231 - 1951 AE. The translation is Embodiment of God and was invoked to lift the Maximus Magister above all others. The Corpus Domini transcended their name and other worldly titles, becoming the voice and agent of Irrish. After the near destruction by the elves and the rising reformation of the new Irrishites this title no longer carries any meaning.

The Irrishites believe in the “Wheel of Life” upon which everything in existence turns. Outside of the wheel is only the Void or “nothingness”. As the wheel spins so does time pass and everything that has happened will happen again. The closer you are to the center of the wheel the more the passage of time become meaningless and the more you understand.

At the center of the wheel lies Irrish who was born when existence sprang from the nothingness. She understands all things and exists during all times. Each Irrishite seeks to understand the power of Irrish that is inside all of them and therefore gain mastery over that power. Only humans and the Sha’rek’ta may achieve the perfection of return to Irrish for only they came from her.

This is a rite that happens after a Irrishite first gains mastery of the power of Irrish within them. Traditionally this occurs when they have mastered their first magical spell. For those who already have awakened to the power within them this rite is done to welcome them into the fellowship.

Upon this world the Great Serpent Irrish battled the Casis, lord of the underworld. It was a titanic struggle that finally ended when Irrish drove Casis back into the underworld where she slew Casis. However, it was a pyhrric victory as Irrish's blood covered the world and she was near death. Irrish, tired from battle, consumed the body of Casis and would stay in the underworld until her wounds healed.

Upon the world new came new life. Where her blood mixed with the earth rose a race calling themselves the Sha’rek’ta. Filled with the blood of Irrish they could speak the words of power and command the elements and beasts of this world. The Sha’rek’ta built great cities upon this world to honor Irrish as they worked to rebuild the land devastated by Casis. Inside these cities they constructed great machines to control the power of this world for their own benefit.

As Irrish begot the Sha’rek’ta, so to did the Sha’rek’ta beget children. Using their power, they gave life to the many beasts that wandered the world. These races became known as the kithkin, jundari, goblins, hashan, orcs, trolls and many others. To watch over their creations, they opened a gateway into the Shadow Realms and called forth the elves, dwarves, hippogriffs, and merfolk. They entrusted these faerie races with caring and teaching of their children.

As the blood of Irrish gave birth to the Sha’rek’ta so to did the blood of Casis gave birth to a new race called daemon. Being born of Casis these daemoniorum were twisted, corrupt, and fed on the death of others. Like those whose blood flowed through them, the Sha’rek’ta and Daemoniorum fought each other with all the power. Many of the races created by the Sha’rek’ta fought alongside them, although some like the orcs, goblins, and trolls were corrupted and fought beside the Daemoniorum. The fae returned to their enchanted lands and drove out any seeking refuge.

For a thousand years the Sha’rek’ta and Daemoniorum fought and the world burned. The great cities of the Sha’rek’ta crumbled and the great machines they built within them were destroyed. In time as Irrish had destroyed Casis so to did the Sha’rek’ta destroy the Daemoniorum. The few Daemoniorum still living fled from this world into the endless sea of darkness (see Infernal Realms). The few remaining Sha’rek’ta looked over the world in despair and the world they created to honor Irrish was nearly destroyed and violent chaotic storms (see magestorms) raked the land that remained.

To heal the land, Mortis used what blood remained in his body to open a door into the underworld. Using this door Draconis, the most powerful of the Sha’rek’ta, brought earth from the underworld that had been soaked in the blood of Irrish. He fashioned this earth into a pleasing form and breathed life into it, he called this new race humans and declared them the true progeny of Irrish.

Magnus took some of the humans and with his help they consumed the magestorms and calmed the land. When Draconis saw this he decreed that these magi would lead and teach their brethren. The Sha’rek’ta had grown distrustful of the fae as they still hid in their lands while the other races struggled to survive. The Sha’rek’ta looked down upon the magi and were pleased.

The Daemoniorum may have been defeated but some of them still lived upon the world, hidden among the first races created by the Sha’rek’ta. The first races had been left to themselves since the end of the war and were easy prey for the powerful daemoniorum. These “Dark Gods” led the uprising of the first races against the humans who have become the favored of the Sha’rek’ta.

Some of the races sided with the Sha’rek’ta against the demons, while other sided with the demons. This war, and the vast power used, eventually drew the attention of the gods from the Divine Realms. The gods arrived upon the world and helped the Sha’rek’ta drive the demons back into the underworld. Not all of the gods supported the Sha’rek’ta, some of them (called Dark Gods) believed the demons were stronger and more worthy of their attention.

Battles were fought not only across the world, but between the realms and eventually between small moments of time. The land was torn asunder as the natural laws were turned upon their head by the power as the gods, demons, and Sha’rek’ta struggled for control. In the end, that much destructive power was too much for the world to bear and soon chaotic magestorms were destroying the few parts of the world not already destroyed by the gods or demons. All would have been lost had the demons not kept the gate open into the underworld. Seeing her world on the brink of destruction, Irrish used what power remained in her to attack both gods and demons.

With almost methodical precision the world itself attacked the various factions. The gods were hurled back into the heavens and a great barrier erected that would keep them from manifesting as a full being of power on this world. The demons were drawn back into the underworld and the gate fashioned from the gods that sided with the demons holding them. Finally the Irrishians were stripped of their bloodright and the power it gave them — forever left to wander the world with no memory of the truth.

For unknown centuries the children of Irrish hid from the other races that had claimed the world when they fell. They called forth power from their own gods and as darkness fell on the scattered remains of the Irrishians, the younger races rose to power. But as with all nights, there must come a time when the sun again rises. This time occurred among a tribe of humans called Irillians, which means Blood of Dragons in the ancient tongue. In this tribe a young warrior named Appiulus heard the words of Irrish calling to him.

With those words on his lips he gathered in those around him and set about to reclaim their heritage. With the elves abandoning the land after their bloody war with the orcs, the Irillians expanded their lands to the northern shores of the Inner Sea. With each generation their control of the land grew until there was little chance of the elves or another human tribe taking their gains from them.

Those that have experienced the “awakening” are known as Irrishites. Now, the Irrishites seek to reclaim what was taken from them — but not squander the power away as their ancestors did. The final battle fast approaches and the Irrishites must be prepared. To this end all Irrishites will seek out any methods possible to reawaken the blood of their birthrite within them — for while the world could hide their heritage it could not remove it. This process may take several mortal lifetimes, but that is of no consequence as those with Irrish's blood in their veins do not pass into the afterlife, but are continuously reborn into the world — for they are of this world and not the twilight lands. Those that rekindle even a small portion of their birthrite are called the “Awakened.” Those Awakened who reclaim their full heritage are said to be “Exaulted” and no longer bound by any mortal form.

While Irrish was mortally wounded in the final battle against Casis, her power is such that she can never die. Deep in the heart of the world she awaits her moment of rebirth. Upon that day she will destroy the underworld setting all of the demons free before rising into the heavens to do battle once more. This time the Irrishites will fight beside Irrish and the gods. Together they will destroy the demons utterly; although less that a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of the Irrishites will survive the battle. Those that live will inherit the world and rule the new paradise.

A dark time not only for the Western Realms, but for many Irrishites as well. It started after a Magna Collecti when the Maximus Magistri returned with word that several inquisitoribus (Inquisitors) had been named, led by Gabrielus Prima Cognoscensa (Inquisitor Prime). The daemoniorum had returned and the world must once again go to war, led by the Irrishites. To prepare the people to withstand the daemoniorum, the Irrishites must hone themselves to a keen edge free from any blemish. The Inquisitors would visit each of the societas and ensure that the corruption of the daemoniorum had not yet reached them.

The members of this high council was drawn from the ranks of the Maximum Magistri that demonstrated their dedication to rooting out corruption within the Irrishites. This council, led by Gabrielus, wrote the new laws and saw that they were strictly enforced. No longer could the Irillians accept the petty corruption that was a part of daily life within the Irrilian Kingdom.

The castitate (purity) were the laws that Apex Consilium drew up to ensure that the Irillian people could remain pure in both body and thought. These laws were very different from the laws of the regnum (kingdom) and transferred much of the Rex's power to the Prima Cognoscensa, eventually relegating the Rex to nothing more than a figurehead.

The Invicto Praesidio (Guard of the Unconquered) was the elite guard of the Irrishites and trained specifically to stand against the daemoniorum. Numbering nearly 10,000 fighting men at its peak, the guard was rarely fielded as a complete unit. Instead each of ten cohorts (nine infantry, 1 cavalry) were divided into 3 acies (3 infantry cohorts) and the cavalry was retained as the personal guard of the Apex Consilium. Each of the acies served throughout the wars that followed until it reformed when the elven army attacked. The guard stood on the line against the elves, only retreating when absolutely necessary and always after the regular maniples left the field of battle. By the time the elves slew the entire Apex Consilium the guard was down to less than 10% of its strength.

Main Article: Irrish

Main Article: Casis

Main Article: Draconis

Main Article: Mortis

Main Article: Magnus