The Enclave Of Harmony

[Sawses 58]

The Enclave of Harmony

The Enclave of Harmony is a small religious community based around the idea of universal balance. They believe that being either too 'good' or too 'evil' is the true evil, and that to stray too far from perfect balance is to be punished eternally in the afterlife. In order for you to maintain this balance, every good deed must be balanced with an evil deed of equal worth, and vice-versa. If you are to take a life for any reason, you must save another life to balance it out, or if you save a life, you must take one later to restore the balance in your soul. They believe the universe itself will judge you according to how well you kept the balance in your own life, while the 'priests' of Harmony, their unique term for balance, will be judged on how well they were able to keep the balance in the universe as a whole. This is an overview of the religion; now, let's take a look at the finer points of the Enclave. Before we begin, please keep in mind that there are two 'groups' of people that follow this religion: the actual priest and the 'Harmonist'. The Harmonist just believes in the balance, and tries to keep it in their own lives. The priests concern themselves with the universal balance, as well as their own personal balance.

History

The Enclave was founded in Aegis by a group of five lost souls who were seeking a purpose in life. For months, they met in various places all over Aegis, combing the world for signs of a true universal purpose in life. After great thought was put into the matter, one of the five noticed a unique pattern in the universe. Balance. Everything had it. There was balance between night and day, between life and death, between the very seasons themselves! There was also a balance between good and evil. After two days of near-constant discussion, the five decided that the balance was the truly important factor in the universe. After all, if the world only had night, the world would wither and die from the lack of light, while in an eternal day, the very world itself would perish in fire.

Likewise, the five discovered that good and evil were needed in equal quantities to maintain the universe. It seemed to be man's true purpose in life. For some reason, the universe itself ordained mankind to be both good and evil, and that a great catastrophe would befall the universe if this balance was shifted too far in one direction. As a result, they each took an oath to preserve the balance, so that the world might not perish.

These 'priests of Harmony,' as they called themselves, would travel the land to look for ways to keep the balance between good and evil as close to equal as possible, while at the same time recruiting others to their cause. For around thirty years, they did just that. Unfortunately, very few were willing to believe in the necessity for balance, thanks to their preconceptions of morality.

The priests had very little regard for traditional morality, often helping others only at a price. This was not for selfish reasons at all, as they would be required by their beliefs to harm another person in a roughly equal manner in which they helped the first person if they did not charge some sort of fee. This is not to say the priests were cruel, as they truly did not enjoy doing evil as a whole, though some did. Just as many preferred doing good.

Throughout the thirty years of the Enclave's history, their numbers had grown only slightly. After the original five had sworn the oath, there were a total of fifteen converts over thirty years. For the majority of this time, little opportunity presented itself for the Enclave to act in favor of their beliefs. Then the Undead attacks began. Despite their strong conviction that balance was necessary, the Enclave was forced to merely watch the world die, their lack of influence in the world meaning that they could do nothing. After years of vehemently stating that the balance was falling apart, their prophecy came true. Evil reigned. Iblees crushed Aegis, forcing the twenty priests to escape to the Verge with the rest of the population. Upon reaching Asulon, they were separated, and some left the faith, while others continue to preach it to this day. They believe that the end of Aegis is proof of their beliefs. If they do not preserve the balance in Asulon, the same will happen once again.

Theology

As stated before, the Harmonists believe that the universe is not meant to be either good or evil, but an equal mix between the two. They feel that it is entirely acceptable to do any act for any reason, but that it must be repaid in kind by a reverse action of equal worth. For instance, giving a child ten minas would warrant stealing a loaf of bread or the like when you were hungry. This leads most Harmonists to charge some sort of fee for doing good, so that the balance can be maintained. For instance, in the previous example, the Harmonist might offer to give the boy ten minas for running some sort of errand. This would keep the balance in check, while at the same time helping someone else.

There are two main measurements of balance in the religion; universal and personal balance. Personal balance is measured by actions a person does, and is not affected by what others do. If the balance is kept properly, the person will simply cease to exist upon death, entering into a blissful state of nonexistence. On the other hand, being either too good or too evil will lead you to an eternity of torture for undermining the universe's very existence.

Universal balance is the total amount of good and evil in the world, and is affected by every action every person does. If the world becomes either too good or too evil, it will end in either fire or eternal darkness, much in the way a person will when he dies. The priests make it their duty to steer the world into a more perfect balance to prevent the end of Asulon, as Aegis suffered before it.

They worship their god, Harmony, in a very unique way. They do not worship it as they would a traditional god, as the priests do not see it as an actual being. The universe itself is a non-sentient manifestation of balance, and the priests feel that in order for it to remain in existence, they must keep the balance between good and evil mostly even.

Unlike many religions, they take the middle ground when it comes to recruitment. They do not attempt to kill anyone who refuses to convert, nor do they simply take whoever asks them of their religion. They will treat those who do not follow the Enclave's teachings with coolness at best, and downright dislike as a norm. Most priests will be respectful to those who reject their beliefs in the hope that they will one day agree with them, while Harmonists range widely in their attitudes toward non-believers, with some even seeming completely ambivalent towards another person's disbelief. Both groups may bring up their beliefs with varying frequency, though almost all will mention it at least once early on when meeting a person. They may or may not insist on using the ritual greetings whenever they speak to someone, though this is far more frequent with priests than with regular Harmonists.

A few of the more extremist Enclave members may try to coerce or downright force others into complying with their beliefs. These actions are unacknowledged by the priests, though when asked about it, they do not offer any negative opinions on the subject. Some even rumor that the priests themselves assist in the 'conversions'.

They do perform rituals on occasion, but these are guided mostly by emotions, feelings, and desires, and do not possess any real power. They are merely tools to provide a sense of mysticism to the religion. In some cases, a magically-inclined priest will combine magic with a ritual to perform an actual act, but the ritual is merely a cover for the magic taking place. The priests openly admit this, as they do not believe Harmony, or the universe, bothers to tamper with the affairs of men.

The priests will spend fifteen to twenty minutes a day meditating, often using this time to contemplate their plans, ideas, or otherwise decide how to best preserve balance. This is not mandatory, but then, very few of the rituals are. The priests are very reliant on tradition and habit, using it as a constant reminder of their purpose for existing.

Among the Enclave, the religious practices vary widely, as does morality and ability in a trade. There is to be no discrimination among the priests, as they accept each other as tools of balance, and they understand that there can be no good without evil, and no evil without good. As such, if they were to snub any particular practice or idea, they would have to snub the converse of it, as well. The priests each do what feels right to them, as long as it is in the name of preserving balance.

Rituals

The Enclave boasts of a large array of rituals that the priests or normal followers will either perform regularly or on certain special occasions. They vary between individuals and new ones may be added or omitted, though they are generally fairly simple affairs with symbolic meanings and formal chants or the like. Sometimes candles, symbols, special clothing, or other such things may be used. Very rarely will the acts performed affect an individual's balance, so most rituals will not involve evil or good things. This means that human sacrifice and any sort of generosity are out of the question, though a Harmonist who needs to balance their good and evil may turn it into a form of ritual.

((Think of it like pagan worship. The specifics vary widely, though they all focus on a single idea. Like this, the Harmonists may do different ceremonies, but they all focus on balance. Try to incorporate that when performing any sort of ritual. They also know that these rituals do nothing at all physically, but they focus the mind and help them better serve the purpose of balance, or so they believe.))

The Enclave can build temples to serve as places for Harmonists to easily contact the priests for rituals of any sort, and participants who join in a ritual at a temple usually wear uniform robes. These robes are usually a dark-gray with no markings on them. They serve to remove some of the distinctions between the races and the genders. This is not so much a rule as it is a symbol, and it is common courtesy for Harmonists to wear them when they plan to involve themselves in a ritual. It is expected that all priests wear a robe in the temple at all times, though it serves a more practical purpose for them. The robes a priest wear will have a small ring of embroidery about the hem, composed of a half-ring of white on one side and a half-ring of black on the other.

Contemplation period. The priests as a whole, as well as many Harmonists, observe a time of meditation and contemplation each day. Though it is not required, the priests and any who are truly devoted to Harmony are encouraged to practice it. In this ritual, the main goal is to reach a state of peace, much like traditional meditation, though in this peace one will focus on seeking the balance in their own life. The priests believe it is a way to gauge which side of the balance they are closest to, and as such, it is one of their most important rituals despite its simplicity.

At its simplest, this ritual can be performed by sitting on the floor in a quiet room and pondering the deeds one has done recently, while more complicated preparations can be made to give the ritual more significance in the mind of the Harmonist, thus allowing him to reach the best meditative state possible. These preparations include candles, incense, symbols, or even special substances inhaled or taken into the body that can relax it enough to permit one to both focus and still maintain a clear mind.

Despite the importance of this ritual, there is no real name for it. It is simply something most who follow the way of Harmony do, and that is that. The procedure itself is fairly simple, though it takes some time to master the art and become capable of entering a deep meditative state within minutes. First, one must clear one's mind of thought entirely and still remain alert. Once this has been mastered, usually taking a few weeks of daily practice to become proficient, the Harmonist must learn to contemplate events in their life from a purely objective stance without losing their concentration. This is the hardest part, taking around two months to manage properly. After this, it becomes a matter of judging exactly how good or evil certain actions are, and adding them together to decide how much good or evil one must do to maintain or regain balance.

The Joining. Perhaps the most complicated of all the Enclave's rituals is the Joining. Akin to a normal wedding ceremony, the Joining's purpose is to both create a sense of commitment in the participants and to merge their balances together into one. This can be done for two purposes; because of a desire to be married, as is common, or in an attempt to average the balances of both participants. Usually there is a mixture of both of these intentions in a Joining, as a Harmonist who enjoys doing evil might Join with a Harmonist who finds good deeds more desirable in order for both to do what they enjoy most.

This ritual is usually performed in a temple, thus those to be Joined wear their robes, as do the priests. First, the priest prepares the ceremonial room by lighting incense prepared from various herbs, usually a combination of the favorite scents of the two Joined, as well as a mind relaxing herb that will promote ease of mind as well as focus. After this, candles are lit in aesthetic places, often they are only black or white candles and there are always an equal number of each color, though multiple colors can be used if desired.

Once the atmosphere in the temple has been properly set, the priest and the ones to be Joined will don their robes, while any who wish to attend the ceremony will stand out of the way, preferably also wearing robes. Each person who is come to witness the Joining will take a small black or white candle and stand on one side of the room with others holding the same color candle. Once each guest has taken position, the two who are meant to be Joined will approach from the side doors of the ceremonial room and meet facing one another in front of the priest. They will each carry a long, thin candle made of swirls of white and black wax, each identical to the other. After a short speech by the priest, the newly Joined will have their candles lit by a guest of their choosing, with either a white candle to symbolize their preference for good or a black to show their desire for evil.

The Enclave frowns on Joining those of the same gender, as they feel it breaks the symbolism of balance, though a priest may consent to performing the ceremony if the two are particularly devoted to the cause. Often, if two priests are Joined, they will do nearly everything together and will often be considered nearly the same person by fellow priests and Harmonists.

The Prelude and the Epilogue. Of all the rituals performed by the Enclave, these are by far the most standardized, as they are only practiced once every two Elven weeks, and only four people ever do them. The four heads of the Enclave come together to discuss the current events surrounding the world and their effects on the Enclave, and any priests or Harmonists are welcome to attend most Gatherings, as the meetings are called. The meeting will only take place inside the Gathering Hall, a small room designed for the purpose with a dais built in the far end of the room and seating for those who wish to attend the Gatherings.

To begin the meeting, the Hand of Harmony stands on a dais with the three Elders standing at the foot of it, facing the crowd. The Hand and the Elders will each recite a formal phrase or two, and sit in chairs arranged around the dais, still facing the observers. They will then discuss the most obvious and urgent business at hand without any of those watching being given a chance to interject; once this is done, they will ask if anyone has anything to contribute to the previous subjects or if they with to offer other topics up for discussion.

Once this has been completed, the three Elders will stand, reciting a dismissal speech in predetermined parts, often suggesting that the priests and Harmonists confer together in the other areas of the temple to decide the best courses of action while the Hand and Elders discuss other things privately. It is at this time that any who wish to have a private moment with one of the heads may speak up and gain an audience. The other members will exit with only those wishing for an audience to remain, as well as the Hand and the Elders.

Ritual Greetings. The followers of Harmony will frequently greet each other and strangers with a formal phrase, expecting the corresponding one to be said in return. This serves as a way to identify whether or not the person one is speaking to is a Harmonist or priest. Besides this, it has the second purpose of allowing the Harmonists to indirectly interest people in their beliefs. Many will ask what the greetings mean, and this gives one the chance to share the Enclave's ideals with those who have had no exposure to them.

The greeting will vary between persons, but the name of Harmony will always be included. The most common greeting involves the one who initiates it saying, "Harmony's blessings," with the normal response being, "Keep Harmony, brother." or "Keep Harmony, sister." Some Harmonists will use these and other phrases as forms of farewell, as well. Many Enclave members will use Harmony's name as an expletive in place of Aerial's or Iblees' names, recognizing it as the highest power.

Beyond the rituals listed here, there are others that only the priests know and perform, though few others may have seen them at one point or another. These rituals may be performed by priests in any location, though a temple is preferred.

Hierarchy

The leadership system of the Enclave of Harmony is simple, just like the rest of the religion. It is based not only on how much one has done for the furtherance of balance and Harmony, but on how useful a person would be in a given position. In the Enclave, there are four 'ranks', though they are very vague: the Harmonist, the priest, the Elder, and Harmony's Hand.

The Harmonists are classified as anyone who accepts the Enclave's beliefs and works to keep the balance of good and evil in their own lives. They need no formal induction nor do they possess any power in the decision-making of the Enclave. They, like any other person, can contribute ideas in the bi-weekly Gatherings, though. Harmonists are encouraged, though not required, to wear their robes in the temple whenever they wish to actively take part in the rituals there. These robes can be obtained free of charge simply by speaking to one of the priests.

Priests of Harmony are considered to be knowledgeable and experienced in the beliefs and rituals of the Enclave. Before becoming a priest, another priest or Elder, perhaps even the Hand himself, must instruct the individual on the intricacies of Enclave theology and their rituals. Once this is done, a Harmonist may dedicate their life to Harmony and become a full priest. Priests are expected to wear their robes inside the temple at all times, though they may dress and do as they wish outside of it. Priests are judged by their actions and their wisdom, and may be considered greater or lesser than another priest by reputation, though no official recognition of their superiority is given. They are still treated with respect if respect is due, however. Frequently, priests will refer to one another as 'brother' and 'sister', as they believe they have each dedicated their lives to the same goal, and are kindred spirits in Harmony.

The Elders are the three wisest, most experienced priests of Harmony. The number of Elders may grow with the size of the Enclave's following, though it will always be a small number compared to the total number of followers. They are treated equal to any other priest outside of the Gatherings, and are to be referred to as 'brother' and 'sister', just as any other priest would be. During the Gatherings, it is proper to address the Elders by their titles. Though they are in theory of equal authority to the other priests, the Elders usually command more respect from the main body of the priests and Harmonists to give them practical leadership positions in the Enclave. The Elders, along with Harmony's Hand, decide how they should advise the Enclave to act. They get the chance to discuss events with the Hand while the rest of the Enclave looks on, though the main body may speak after the four are finished.

Harmony's Hand is the leader of the Enclave, and is considered to be the single most devout servant of Harmony. Usually this perception of a person is formed with decades of hard work to preserve the balance in one's own life and in the universe. As with the Elders, the Hand is considered equal among the priests when the Gathering has not been called, but is addressed by title and his authority is recognized during the Gathering. Much like the Elders, he is treated as a leader whether or not the Gathering is in session, though it is not full recognition that he has, but merely a position of authority. The Hand is the 'first among equals', so to speak, of the Enclave. He gets the first say in the Gathering, with the Elders coming immediately afterwards.

OOC Reasoning

This is entirely OOC. I feel that this religion and the followers it would gain would stir up a good bit of roleplay in the server, as they have a moral code unlike the traditional good/evil ones that one can see normally. A priest or Harmonist could morally do things that would otherwise be entirely evil, but at the same time be required to be altruistic if they did do something evil. Likewise, they would need to offer a price for any assistance they give, thus allowing for entertaining roleplay. In general, the priests would not do things that would be considered atrocities, as they would throw the balance for that person entirely out of line, and they would fear for their souls. I was hoping for this religion to create a unique sort of character who was neither a good nor evil person, yet did not constantly argue for peace. In fact, they believe the opposite. They feel that war is a necessary part of existence, as much as peace is. Finally, I think it will actually be a religion people might be willing to join, since the whole Aegis incident gives credence to their beliefs. They can point out that Aegis was destroyed because the balance was broken. Even if this is incorrect, there is only a small jump from, 'Aegis was destroyed by Iblees,' to 'Iblees is actually the embodiment of imbalance, and was created by the universe to destroy Aegis.' After all, there's no common proof to the contrary. If anyone has any ideas or opinions on this, feel free to post here.

[PtahWithin 1320]

Its....

Beautiful.

Well done. Well done.

I support this without pause nor hesitation.

[Apareon 1]

I like the idea. It would be fun to meet someone in this order. Good job. ^.^

[no longer active 734]

Good job, I think you should make a guild of it.

[Volutional 935]

That's a lot of lore, well done for the hard work provided

[Ergent Seth 141]

Awesome lore, and I especially like that well fleshed out theology section. Seems that Lorethos would immediately dive bomb this pot o gold.

[Acornlad 206]

Simon and his goons are gonna come after you! Run!

[RenownedWolfman 2]

Really nice Sawses, Your lore is always well wrote.

[Sawses 58]

Guys, I plan to revive this idea with the character I am making in the near future, so I'm making revisions to the lore and expanding greatly on it. Keep on the lookout. :3

[Sand Viper 10]

Me interesa.

[Isembert 2]

It is nice and adds a whole new theology/philosophy/culture. My character, however, would absolutely detest this.

[TheRoyalOnion(Aris) 101]

Good work very interesting policy.

[Aislin 4354]

I think this is a truly fantastic idea. Hell, it could even serve as a common enemy of Asulon if done right.

[Samson Option 9652]

Throw a Poll up, thy LoreMaster demands it!

[Sawses 58]

Throw a Poll up, thy LoreMaster demands it!

Hah, apologies, Gaius. I wrote this before the poll thing...Before loremasters, too, I believe. :3 I'll correct that ASAP.