A Primer of Agrikan Beliefs
As Taught by the Master of the Low Discipline,
Temple of the Order of the Octagonal Pit, Golotha, 710 TR
Where did the world come from?
Our world was born of strife. From the Nothingness of the Empty Void in the Time Before Time came the First Gods, each of whom strove against the others, seeking to dominate Kelestia, the cosmic 'All'. The strength of these Immutable Ones was great, yet none could dominate the rest. The First Gods thus created servants, the so-called 'Lesser Gods', to aid them in their struggle for supremacy.
As these divinities warred against each other, the powers unleashed were immense. Kelestia itself trembled from the forces wielded. The First Gods, realizing that the destruction of the 'All' meant their own destruction, effected a truce amongst themselves. They agreed to withdraw from this cosmic conflict, leaving it to the Lesser Gods who, though mighty, lacked the strength to undo Kelestia altogether. There was, however, one among the First Gods who refused the truce; this was Manrasusha, the Pure Primal Fire that Cleanses and Destroys. With Manrasusha unwilling, the war among the Immutable Ones could not end.
It was then that our Lord Agrik came to Manrasusha and spoke:
“I, the Immortal Warlord of Balgashang, speak to you, Cleanser and Destroyer. I am the greatest of all the Lesser Gods; among my kind, there are none stronger, none braver, none more determined. Were you and the other Immutable Ones to withdraw from the fighting, I would soon slay all the other Lesser Gods who refused to kneel before me. This idea pleases me greatly, Destroyer. If you will withdraw from the conflict, allowing me to rule over Kelestia, I give to you this pledge— that my strength will be as your strength, that wheresoever I and my servants go, we shall carry with us your Fiery Essence. We shall open up Gates of Flame on the worlds of Kelestia, remaking them in your image and spreading your Flames Imperishable. If the idea of dominating Kelestia rather than destroying it pleases you, then agree to this truce. I shall then acquire you the dominion over the All that you seek.”
Impressed with our Lord's pledge, Manarasusha consented to withdraw from the conflict. Since that day, Agrik has fulfilled his promise, steadily increasing his own dominion of Kelestia, thereby appeasing Manrasusha and preserving Kelestia from destruction.
Where did I come from?
After the First Gods withdrew from conflict, the Lesser Gods then strove against each other for dominion over the cosmic 'All.' And like the First Gods before them, they created divine and mortal servants to aid them. You are one of these mortals.
Why am I here?
You are here to serve Agrik. The nature of the cosmos is that the strong rule the weak and that the weak serve the strong. As Agrik is the most powerful of all the deities (the First Gods excepted), all other beings, yourself included, are his rightful servants. As such, your main duties are to extend his dominion; to persuade others to submit to his lordship; to make examples out of those who make war against him; to honor him and his divine servants through combat, torture, and sacrifice; and to obey those in the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame whom, by virtue of their natural strength, Agrik has placed above you.
What happens after we die?
You will be judged by how well you have fulfilled your duties and treated accordingly. Those who have demonstrated the strength necessary to further our Lord's goals will be given positions of power; those who have not displayed this strength will be the servants and slaves of those who have. Keep in mind always that mere obedience is not enough. Agrik will not judge you on the basis of whether you have tried to do what he has commanded, but on whether you have suceeded. If you do not have the strength to fulfill the tasks assigned to you in this world, you will certainly receive no reward in the next.
What of the other Gods? Tell me the Truth about…
Halea
Small-minded and petty, the Whore of Heaven pursues luxury and pleasure the way beggars and merchants grasp at coins. Such base concerns are beneath the interest of our Lord and merit our scorn. They are not, however, the worst of Halea's faults. With temptations of wealth and delight, she and her followers bewitch the minds of the mighty, seeking to turn them into the slaves of those over whom they should rule. Do not be fooled by their tawdry promises! True strength comes not from honeyed words or sensual delight; it comes from blood and fire, from sinew and steel, from will and courage. Neither Halea nor her effeminate followers can understand the pleasure that comes from the exercize of this true strength, for they possess it not. Our Warlord will show these sybarites their proper place in good time, but there are more nuisancesome enemies to be crushed first.
Ilvir
Ilvir is rightly known as the Craven Lord. A spineless worm, he hides away in the pits of Araka-Kalai, too weak to stand against a true deity like the Warlord of Balgashang. Agrik would have destroyed The Worm long ago were it not for the usefulness of his art. At our Lord's command, the Craven One created the V'hir, just as he still creates monsters to be slain for the glory of Agrik's servant Pameshlu in our arenas. Though Ilvir's loyalty is lukewarm, it is a small matter; he lacks the strength of body and will to disobey our Lord or to refuse his commands. So long as his devotees continue serve us by providing sacrifices for the Arena, they too can be tolerated… but should they begin to shirk their duties, do not hesitate to teach them a brutal and painful lesson.
Larani
The Bitch of Dolithor tries to thwart our Warlord at every turn. This is reason enough for our hate, but our abhorrence goes much further. Her ideas of 'justice' and 'chivalry' are thinly-veiled attempts to subvert the natural order of existence: the domination of the weak by the strong. She tells the strong that they should use their strength only when they must, that they should not take pleasure in their own superiority, and that they should help the weak as well as rule over them. Such absurdities, laughable though they are, have caused too many warriors to deny their due to Agrik. They must be fought at every opportunity, by whatever means necessary. It is only a matter of time before our Warlord teaches the Bitch of Dolithor the consequences of opposing him, and the torments she will suffer before her ultimate destruction will serve as an lesson that none shall be able to ignore. It is proper that we, in turn, make examples out of her followers in this world, but remember: Our Warlord rejoices when the servants of Larani are put to death, but rejoices even more when they are persuaded, either by word or deed, to renounce her and acknowledge Him instead.
Morgath
Long ago, unable to defeat the alliance of deities who opposed him, the Wreaker of Chaos seized Bukrai, the Orb that Cannot Be Viewed. Using its power to destroy his foes, he imagined himself to be strong, but the strength was not his. The Orb that Cannot Be Viewed was mightier than Morgath and, far from becoming Bukrai's 'Master', he has become its slave. Had Morgath not been so weak in the first place, he might have been able to master Bukrai, but that is like saying that if sheep were swift, strong, and fierce, then they might eat wolves rather than being eaten by them. The inevitable fact is that the weak become slaves, if not to one master, then to another. Though he does not yet bow to our Lord, the Slave of Bukrai has proven himself a willing ally on more than one occasion: it was he, remember, who sent Dhivu to help defend Balgashing from Ahnu. So long as Morgath's followers show the same willingness to aid us, we can work with them, at least until our common enemies are defeated…
Naveh
A weakling and a coward, Naveh skulks in the shadows, hoping to accomplish there what he lacks the strength and courage to do openly. With secrecy and deception, he and his followers hope to escape their inevitable fate as slaves of our Warlord. Their hopes are in vain; shadows offer concealment only for so long, and when the bright fires of our rage burn them away, Naveh and his ilk will be as easily crushed as insects hiding under a rock. Flush these weaklings from their hiding places and do not hestitate to turn their methods against them. The strong may use the tactics of the weak when it suits them, so long as they do not forget the nature of true strength.
Peoni
Peoni is a foolish old woman. Once strong, she has pledged herself to weakness. In this regard, her folly knows no bounds. She not only chooses her followers from among the weakest and most useless wretches of humanity, but also fritters away her personal might in futile attempts to aid them. Idiotic though she is, it may safely be said that Peoni does no harm; she and her followers can be safely ignored in favor of real enemies. Nonetheless, it is good sport, every now and then, to remind those who worship the Guardian of the Meek of just how lowly they are.
Sarajin
A worthy warrior, the Wielder of the Bloody Axe would merit pride of place among the ranks of our Warlord's chief lieutenants. To his own misfortune, however, this barbarian upstart refuses to take his rightful place at our Lord's side: a decision that he will one day come to regret. Unlike Larani, Sarajin is at least wise enough not to actively oppose Agrik— and this may spare him from the most viscious blows of our Lord's wrath. The followers of the Gray Slayer share their master's ignorance. Like all barbarians, they stubbornly cling to their old customs, including that absurd code of 'honor' they call the 'Ljarl'. An increasing number of Ivinians are nonetheless coming to acknowledge the Warlord of Balgashang as their true Lord and Master, so our efforts to wean them from savagery are not wholly wasted.
Save-K'nor
Allegedly wise, Save-K'nor wastes his time gathering useless facts and pondering worthless lore. If this is how he chooses to squander his energies, so be it— it neither avails him nor troubles our Lord. While the Divine Arbiter treats Agrik with respect, it is most remarkable that, for all of his so-called 'wisdom', he is unable to recognize the natural order of Kelestia and Agrik's rightful place as its ruler. In the end, it matters naught; our Warlord's dominion will be achieved by fire, blood, and steel— powers that Save-K'nor and his bookish followers neither possess nor comprehend. Like the followers of Peoni, those who serve the Sage of Heaven are so irrelevant that they may be safely ignored— so long as they show proper deference to our Lord.
Siem
Once consequential, Siem is in his twilight years. He lacks the stomach to oppose Agrik's true Lordship, just as he lacked the courage to seize Bukrai from Morgath when he had the chance so long ago. No longer able to act meaningfully, Siem has retired to a Dream Realm, where he and his superannuated followers reminisce about times long since passed. At length, The Warlord of Balgashang will give these dreamers the rude awakening they deserve, making slaves of those who may still be useful, and putting the rest out of their misery. There is no hurry in this, however; real enemies, like Larani, are more deserving of attention.
(Note: For a write-up of how the priests of the Fuming Gate view the various deities, click here.)
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Religion Team
Page last updated on July 29, 2002 by Jim Chokey.