Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Aenilic Bloodlines
Priest Dren,
I have a few theological questions for you...
First: It seems to me that those who fall in battle are dying valiant deaths, which might well purge and cleanse their souls, and allow them to be taken up by the Aenil of Valour and Courage. Does this strike a chord with you as well?
Second: Nobles are greater than peasants, and such is certainly due to our blood. Our recuperative powers, for instance, immediately set us apart. And those peasants who seem brighter or stronger than the norm can usually trace a noble parent somewhere in their bloodlines. What I have wondered is whether our relationship to the Aenil is the cause of this...In other words, if nobles are superior to peasants because we have more Aenilic blood. Or...A better way to phrase it would be that the blood of the Aenil runs more truly through our veins. After all, there are noted twists of fate where those with two noble parents have been discovered to have less-than-noble blood, and commoners who have proven that they do have true noble blood. Thoughts?
Third: If nobles have Aenilic blood...Then there is no reason to think it would only be the blood of righteous and honourable Aenil, yes? And one of our worldly duties would be to root out the descendants of the foul and evil Aenil among our number, yes? I understand such would be difficult, since such are often cunning, but I think that bad blood will out eventually.
And...This would also explain a number of matters regarding the Aenil. They intervene to aid their descendants (or to harm the descendants of their foes), and are far more powerful because of the strength of their blood. But we do have influence over their domain, since we have some of said blood, and those whose blood runs most true have the greatest influence, both in our world and theirs.
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
Your Majesty,
This is a most fascinating line of thought that you pursue. I will endeavour to provide as much of a reasoned response as I can, although it will take some time to explore the more distant connotations of your suggestion.
On your first point, however, I must offer muted disagreement. While there are a variety of theories regarding the afterlife, there has yet to be one that has been met with widespread support. The concept of a just war can certainly be envisaged; our conflict with Sartania can be called such, and Arcaea's battles against Greater Aenilia in the defence of various peoples is no less than heroic; the more that Orphen's power can be reduced, the better. Keffer is indisputably malevolent - I have known that for a long time - and while the total destruction of Ethiala is initially repugnant to me, it can be justified by the prevention of a later unjust conflict.
This does not mean that death in battle is equal to the cleansing of the soul. We know not whereto we go beyond the vale of darkness, but the death of a nobleman in battle is nothing to be cheered, in and of itself. I would argue that it is striving in service of a worthy cause that purifies and purges the soul; death is frequently the ultimate sacrifice that can be made in the fulfilment of duty. The Aenil vary in their personal preferences; it is possible that some among them consider giving your life in battle to be the greatest act. What this might mean with regards to their assistance in the afterlife, I cannot say.
I find your theory on our man's origin from the Aenil extremely exciting. The Archangella Arella herself, although Orphen has condemned many of her teachings, believed that she was descended from the Aenil. While her mental state was... erratic (due to the influence of Dark Aenil, I believe), your proposal would be much in line with what she (in her saner moments) may have deduced from the Book of Promises.
The difference between Dark and Good Aenil has always been difficult to explain; and yet, undoubtedly, there is a sharp divide between those that favour humanity, and those that do not. Your theory would explain this elegantly. I would suppose that most of humanity (peasants included) would have at least a trace of Aenilic blood, given that some nobles have been careless of where there seed landed, as it were. A man born to commoners might be Noble when his parents have both had unusually large traces of Noble blood. As for the Common offspring of two Nobles, my theory would be that there are several broad Aenilic bloodlines running through our blood; perhaps two of these cannot mix properly, resulting in a Common child.
As for the duties arising from this, it would seem that they are dependent upon the exact nature of Dark Aenil, relating to Aenilic human bloodlines. It could be possible, extrapolating from your suggestion, that a few (perhaps even just a single) Aenil was in disagreement with others that mingled their bloodlines with our race. This would create traces of Dark Aenil blood, that might occasionally become dominant, in a Noble. They would be more susceptible to hatred of other humans, and might work against us. An alternative explanation would be that all humanity is descended from Good Aenil; some humans are merely twisted and used by the Dark Aenil.
More research will be necessary; I shall go directly to it. After I have exhausted Remton's library, I will travel to Lantzas' House of Records, and then on to Talex. If it proves necessary, I shall afterwards visit the holy city of Idapur.
Many thanks for your insights, King Jenred.
Yours,
Dren Kandurell (Priest of Magna Aenilia Ecclesia)
A report addressed to the King of Arcaea, and sealed with a wax Kandurell longship seal.
His Royal Highness King Jenred of Arcaea,
Your majesty, in accordance with our previous communications I have attempted to delve into the subject of Aenilic descent. In particular I have hunted down any dispatches from Taith Aenil. Although my previous searches have been relatively fruitless, I am happy to report that the archivist of the Royal Library managed to find a chest of such letters buried beneath an unorganised collection of books from the period of Greater Aenilia's founding. Although I am still sifting it for relevant material, the following report details my findings thus far.
Firstly, your majesty may have heard of the Vandaenil; an ancient guild destroyed by Orphen when he founded Magna Aenilia Ecclesia. Here follows Arella's statement upon founding the guild:
"...Finally, it is on this day that I announce the grand opening of the Vandaenil Guild. It will be many things to many people. To some, a temple. To others, a library with a wealth of knowledge inside. To still others, it will be a gathering grounds for discussion and debate. I wish the Vandaenil to forever be known as the premiere location for philosophical research and study. Our primary focus will remain on the supernatural. My personal interests reside in of course, the Angels, but also a growing number of SpellCasters rising up in our midst. My historians have been collecting tomes and scrolls on this matter and we wish today to open our lands to SpellCasters as a sanctuary from those who may wish them harm..."
'Angel' was, of course, the archaic term for 'Aenil', favoured particularly by Arella. In any case, the guild's study of the Aenil makes it of interest with regards to your proposal. I hunted through the records in Remton's library for any references to the Vandaenil; nothing of relevance could be found. I can only assume that this is a sign of the thoroughness with which Orphen destroyed them. Fortunately I had more luck with Lantzas' House of Records - apparently it used to be used as an informal meeting house by the Vandaenil. Here follows a scrap of a debate, taken down by one of the healers:
"... and the discussion did turn to Archangella Arella's descent from the glorious Aenil. On the one side, Phillipe d'Ahael put forwards the argument that the stories laid down in an ancient book known as the 'S of T' (these being the only letters legible in the title) were compelling evidence as to the veracity of the Arella's ancestry. In response, Sir Gren Berute questioned where the tome was now. Sir Phillipe had no reply to this, for the book had been lost..."
Clearly this 'S... of T...' would be a great find, and I have sought any news of it that I could find. Apparently it contained a multitude of stories of the Aenil - it would perhaps be almost as important to our faith as the Book of Promises, if only we could find it. From one of the more ancient elders of the House I heard a rumour that it was last seen in the possession of one 'Tenebrae', leaving the continent. While the book may be out of our grasp, I will continue inquiring into the details of any stories found in it.
Finally, I have found reference to a group known as 'Rhamiel's Children'. This is fascinating indeed, since I have previously come across the name Rhamiel - a powerful and ancient Aenil. Another report will follow when I have the contents to fill it.
In service of the Aenil,
Dren Kandurell (Priest of Magna Aenilia Ecclesia)
What a strange and fascinating artifact this monolith was. He had seen it in the distance many, many times while travelling between Remton and Talex, but this was the first chance he had had to inspect it up close. The monument was clearly ancient, and had been built with some obscure purpose in mind, most likely the veneration of some pagan gods.
Although such might be deemed heresy by some puritans, Dren had taken an interest in the ancient religious practices of the area, many of which were now only preserved by small communities of peasants, or not at all. You did not have to look far to see the old ways' influences upon the worship of the Aenil - take, for example, Osaido's three values which were present in MAE wedding ceremonies. It only made sense - the Aenil had clearly always been around, and some had previously attempted to make sense of their presence.
But who had built this monolith? The tribes that resided here before civilisation was brought (on the point of a sword) by the Noca, most probably. Who might they have worshipped? What might...?
The priest's own thoughts shocked him out of his meditative thought. He glanced around at the smaller standing stones that surrounded the monolith. They approximated a circle, he thought, and any deviation could be explained by the passage of time. So, once these stones had stood in a circle around the central monolith. A thought struck him - a circle with a point in the center. Where else was that sigil prevalent? It was the symbol of Osaido. The local pagan religions had been influenced by Osaido, yes, but they were markedly different in practice, and bore little resemblance to the monastic traditions that had flourished in Ossaet. What a fascinating discovery.
Dren sat down beside one of the smaller stones - this one had fallen over. He examined its surface carefully, and thought he could trace the pattern of a design. It was probably just the wear of ages that had given it its appearance, but that sign just might be an ancient symbol. His knowledge of the ancient runes was vague, at best (there was only an incomplete knowledge of the old languages), but might it be the word 'red'? Conjecture. Guesswork. And yet, it bore an interesting resemblance to his latest research.
A report addressed to King Jenred, sealed by a wax Kandurell longship.
Your Royal Highness,
I pursued more knowledge of Rhamiel's Children until I came across a very old proclamation recorded in Talex. The state of the library there has been, until recently, extremely poor (in the great famine many peasants resorted to eating some of the books), so unfortunately only a fragment was preserved. It does, however, shine a fascinating light upon this group and its relevance to the Aenilic bloodlines. The following extract is from an announcement by the Arcangella.
"...wisdom, and empathy amongst the Aenil. Now they have emparted these same qualities to you. May you ever strive to uphold these virtues. Rhamiel is the Aenil who best embodies these values, and he has agreed to personally guide you. Thus, you will now be known as Rhamiel's Children. You will be the healers of the world. ...missing fragment... Red is exemplary of passion, protection, energy, victory. ...missing fragment... advantage, and learn to harness such great abilities that the Aenil now grant to you. You will be the protectors of the world and will be lead by Ambriel. Behold- the Hand of Ambriel!"
It would appear that Rhamiel and Ambriel sponsored groups of nobles as their particular champions. I would hypothesise that this is because Rhamiel and Amriel are two of our ancestral Aenil, and they each favoured those who especially exemplified their blood. This is a fascinating line of thought that I must continue to pursue - there are surely other ancestor Aenil.
I have also been examining the monolith in Arempos. It is a fascinating construct, but two things have particularly interested me - its resemblance to the sign of Osaido, when complete with its surrounding standing stones, and the existence of the symbol for 'red' (perhaps representing Amriel?) on one of those stones. I shall continue my research.
Yours,
