Ryou Gu Tykou/Beliefs & Gods

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Our Beliefs

The Highest Teaching of the Ryou is "Adherence to Principles". Many initiates find this to be a difficult concept. Most religions focus on Worship of Dieties, Ceremony, Sacrifice, and Tradition. These are fairly absent in the Ryou.

What is "Principle"? It means thinking ahead, choosing the action that most fits your intentions, and keeping to that intention in all that you do, to the best of your ability. In the Nation of Giblot "Goodness" is considered the highest Principle. That Nation has been Blessed by achieving their foremost goals through Perseverance and Personal Sacrifice by the Leaders and Nobility in general. Other nations have achieved their own goals by working in unison on their own chosen Principle even though they may have never heard of the "Ryou".

"Principles" are the forces that drive the universe. The stars, the clouds, rivers and mountains and creatures around us disclose how Principles drive their actions. Principles drive even the gods, since they are subject to the way things work out, depending on their persistence in Principle.

Within the Ryou Gu Tykou there are three historic "gods", Korojima, Mizuki and Takanobou. They show how their own chosen Principles work out in life. There is one Principle they all adhere to - "Rightness". Similar to Goodness, this also means working to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.

The Gods

The "gods" had once been humans who used to fight and quarrel about whose morals were better. When all their fighting was finally finished they came to an agreement that each of them had an admirable quality, "Adherence to Principle", even though each was trying to show that their own Principle was the greatest.

They found a way to "Unify" and "Work Together" by "Acceptance" of the like-minded Principles shown by others.

And so they formed the Ryou Gu Tykou to show the rest of mankind a way to True Greatness. Men and Nations had been driven by the 'problem of the day'. They would act without thinking ahead, doing whatever their untrained emotions drove them to at the moment. They may have gotten what they wanted that day (or not) and the next day the 'prize' from earlier became a new problem.

The "Ryou" would teach men to control their destinies by working together, considering their actions, and "Sticking to Principles" in thier lives.

"Each of a man's actions has a consequence. Many similar actions will have a greater influence. Many men practicing the same actions can break a mountain open."

By now you may have noticed that you are being introduced to some of the Principles, as they are shown in quotes and capitals.

He is the Administrator, the champion of "Honour" and "Justice". He was the Leader of his hometown and achieved his goals by Motivating the people, sometimes taking extreme measures. He insisted that his town must become legendary by becoming the Most Honourable. Criminals were punished severely, but only after an investigation in open Court. Attackers were repelled by "Unified Action" of the townsfolk, quickly building strong walls to take an advantage in the battle. However, the populace could hardly leave the walls due the warriors often waiting outside.

She is the Warrior, the champion of "Perseverance" and "Preparation". Men laughed at her for being a woman wanting to fight. She proved them wrong! Whenever there was a fight, she won. Whenever there was a battle, she won. Her opponents were simply "Sloppy". So she became the General of the town's Army and many former enemies came to serve under her direction. "You must carry your banner and rush to war with pride. You must not give mercy, Never!" This was her credo. Still, the army had to be fed, clothed, and rewarded. Asking for that at town council, she was rejected. Her warriors were former criminals, men with no "Honour", and Mizuki's words were coarse. This angered the Administrator and so she was sent away. And so the army was driven to more acts against "Honour", taking crops from the fields and storehouses, often more than needed for the week. They took housing among the farmers and hunters outside the walls of town, cramping the families and setting a poor example for the youngsters. Still, these were their relatives. When foreign armies came to ravage the lands and treasures, it was Mizuki who drove them away with her "Trained" warriors.

He is the Scholar, the champion of "Learning" and "Teaching". He had been considered a fool as a youngster, so he soon applied himself to "Reading", thinking this would overcome his awkwardness. He missed out on childhood games and others thought he was a Loner. He was often the target of pranks, theft, and threats. And so Takanobou came to believe that "Violence" is abhorable. He did not have the "Strength" to reply in kind to his taunters, so he devised various devices and movements to defeat their intentions, leaving them looking the Fool. Before he was fifteen years old the teasing was finished. The townsfolk would then come to him with problems since he had read and "Understood" all the books everywhere. He came to regret his situation, safely locked behind a town wall, but unable to travel to other centers of learning. His clothes were ragged and his food bland. His books told him of finer things elsewhere. How could he go to find such things? In a dream he saw his town with high towers and silvery street paving. All the great men and women sat at the gate to work out problems in "Cooperation", with "Mutual Respect". So he stood in the town square and spoke of this dream every day. Korojima heard him out, but how far would this go just within the town walls? When Mizuki came to the gates to demand goods for her soldiers, Takanobou came outside in only a loincloth. He shared his dream and asked Mizuki to act with "Patience" and "Humility", showing that a greater reward might lie ahead that way. Thus the three 'gods' of that ancient town (thought to be somewhere in Ammersfield) finally came together and started to work out their problems together.

The Rule

Korojima, Mizuki and Takanobou came together for the purpose of showing others what good it brings to come together and admire and enjoy our differences instead of bring hate to them. The Ryou Gu Tykou has one rule. That is "Acceptance".

Acceptance can be defined in any ways and can be applied to many situations. This explanation aims to show what the Ryou Gu Tykou mean excactly by acceptance. The Ryou Gu Tykou do not wish to let this rule apply to every single daily situation. Such as your scribe forgetting to send a message you spend ages creating. The Ryou Gu Tykou's definition aims more at.

"Accepting Differences"

A war or any quarell based on someone who is physically different from them is disgusting. A war or quarell based on a claim for a region is completely legal on religious terms. A situation like thatw ould be completely ignored by the gods. The Ryou Gu Tykou want people to be at peace with different types of cultures and such but also take pride in their own. One is completely free to do whatever he feels except scrutinize someone else's culture or looks.

For people that are willing to defy this rule and tell the Ryou Gu Tykou that they are wrong in their practices. A Religious Army is Reserved.