Religion

Since Samsara was created from so much diversity, people are often surprised that religion has become so divisive an element here. There is a reason, and it all ties back to the Plague of the Smiling Death.

The Smiling Death wrecked havoc on Samsara twenty years ago. It spread fast and especially favored children. As parents cremated their offspring, there was at first solidarity and failies gathered together to comfort and aid each other in their time of need. But as some families remained untouched by the plague, it was perhaps understandable that some parents felt anger that some families still had their children while they had lost theirs.

The general philosophy that was dominant at that time preached acceptance of all circumstances - fortunate and unfortunate as part of life. Some people could not accept it. They sought succor with preachers who had more radical views. The Lawgivers were all monotheistic, and believed that unfortunate things happen only when people veer from the way of the one true God and what He willed of his people. For years they had existed as one of the three hundred types of faiths in Samsara, except for one vital caveat- you had to "convert" into their faith, and you were born into others.

To be fair, the Lawgivers never preached violence, or that their members carry out justice in Rudra's name. However, some of their more "radical" preachers did not toe the line. They preached of the great evil that had been brought on this land because of the acceptance of other false faiths, and encouraged their flock to seek out and slaughter the worshippers of false Gods. The Lawgivers excommunicated these Priests, but it was too late. Many people were struck with a combination of grief, envy and anger, and were rallied into blood thirsty mobs. The excommunicated Priests thumbed their nose at the Lawgivers and named themselves the Pavitra- (The Pure) and remain to this day a radical organization which uses violence to achieve their aim of a world that worships Rudra and Rudra alone.

But the mob was energized and they clashed in the streets. Thousands more were killed. The King was fearful of intervention as it was impossible to tell who was protector and who was killer. Lawgivers advocated protection through subterfuge. They opened their temples to anyone seeking protection and shielded them from attackers. But the Mitraa- a secular coalition of faiths dedicated to protecting people from religious persecution did not agree. They insisted that only direct intervention could save the most innocent- the children. Defying the will of the people, and the King, they went out to rescue children, and shed blood- innocent and blighted alike. Though they saved many lives, the fact that they caused so many to fall earned them disrepute. They returned to a hostile kingdom that demanded that they go into exile.

The Mitraa released the children to their families or surviving relatives and the official word was that they disbanded entirely. But unknown to all, some of the few prominant members of the Mitraa remained in their Ashrama stronghold. There they sought out permission from some parents so that they may train a few children whom they had discovered had exceptional talents. Given the Asharam system, many parents agreed, and these children, about 35 in number trained under the legendary Guru Durvasa and his powerful fellows.

Then, slightly more than a decade ago, the Ashrama was attacked by a band of young men bearing the banner of the Pavitra. They were easily defeated, but worried about the safety of the children, the Mitraa entrusted each of their children to a guardian best suited to them and asked the guardians to split and scatter throughout the land. They were entrusted with three responsibilities- to protect the children with their lives, to train them to be the best warriors they could be, and to bring them back to a safe location when the year of Ekagriti dawned.

Around this time, three things happened that changed the religious landscape. The King lost his only child and heir and the kigndom quickly sobered. He then converted to the Lawgiver philosophy which settled many of the aggreieved who believed the King would never understand their faith, and lastly, the Lawgivers gained vast power and were able to quell the Pavitra.

Lawgivers are now the most powerful religion in the land and try their best to quell what they believe are false faiths. Fortunately, the Lawgivers do this by diplomacy and spreading the ideals of their faith instead of violence. Large pockets of other faiths remain throughout the northern and central provinces, but the Eastern provinces are almost entirely of the Lawgiver faith. The southern and Western provinces, smaller provinces are not strong Lawgiver strongholds. Expect resistance in these areas if you choose to become a Lawgiver, and strong support in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Expect the exact opposite if you choose to be a Mitraa. And if you go neutral, expect many to think a tad less of you as someone with no conviction.

Mitraa now no longer refers to the Secular army alone. People of other faiths often refer to themselves as the Mitraa to indicate that they are secular and they will fight for the right to maintain their own faith and for the freedom for other people to do the same.

The key differences between the two. Mitraa is basically the ultimate expression fo secular faith. They believe your actions are more critical than your beliefs, and that all faiths- even the most craven and horrifying must be accepted as long as they don't cause direct harm to others. The Lawgivers are monotheistic. They believe that unless there is codified behavior, people will fall into sin. So, they have more rules and laws to ensure people lead righteous lives. Their followers tend to be pious and law abiding, and rarely cause any trouble. They are also slightly concerned about the fates of those who have not discovered Rudra as they genuinely believe they have no chance of Salvation without him.

Both believe that the human soul is eternal and is reborn unless it has mastered the lessons of life. If it attains mastery, it attains Salvation and becomes one with the Great Spirit (or Rudra) and never needs to be reborn. If it does not, it is reborn and given another chance. The key difference here is that Lawgivers believe that all that is needed for mastery is a life that is led with strict adherence to what Rudra recommends for all mankind. The Mitraa tends to believe that everyone has their own individual will and path and will not be judged on their beliefs or on the basis of common ground.

The Mitraa belives of "God" as a formless, genderless entity they refer to as the "Great Spirit". It is beyond all dualities of Good and Evil and everything emanates from It. This reflects in their philosophies where life is a balance between elements of Satvik, Rajasic and Tamasic and all people are equal in the eyes of their creator. The Lawgivers envision the "Tawny Skinned, Matted haired Rudra" a specific male God who is terrible in His Wrath and merciful if you are obedient and submit to His Will. Thus, they see life as a struggle between the dualities of all that is good (Satvik) and that which is evil (Tamasic) and action takes man to one end or the other.

Both believe that the Great Spirit or Rudra intervenes in the lives of man through directly appearing to chosen mortals or appearing as a mortal Itself/Himself to help mankind.

How does this apply to you? Your playing style of course! If you are the sort who believes there is only one way, or playing such a character excites you, Lawgivers will excite you. Easy going egalitarians are better suited for Mitraa philosophers in the sense it will feel more natural to play them.

These do not have any effect on lawful/evil etc. Paladins need not fear being Mitraa and evil sorts needn't fear the Lawgivers because it is a philosophy. The deeds that you commit in their name will mark you in terms of the alignments I mentioned earlier, and it is pretty simple to spot the evil and good options. However, this does mean that you cannot play as a neutral character. Neutrality is simply a concept that will not gel in this setting and you will find that for neutral characters this game may seem like it is forcing them to go one way or another and it won't be as satisfying.

Thanks for reading. I'll post updates in my next blog.