Empassa: Governed by Gods

12th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Dusk

'We had followed the Tear inland a full days march when the hills became more and more level. Finally we could see her, dominating the perfectly flat plains below. Empassa was a mighty city to behold, a last bastion of difference to a backdrop of the perfect sameness of the Divine Garden, which seemed to stretch infinitely towards the west. 

The districts were clearly visible in the afternoon light, like spokes, radiating from the Four Great Temples on the Isles of the True Rulers. Each of the districts is perfectly distributed, divided by channels fed by the Tear, and protected by walls, each build as solid as if it were the outer defense. Such symmetry and order can only stand as physical proof of the divine insight that governs its construction.

But the most impressive was seeing the Eternal Expansion in action. As the theologians of Empassa uncover more and more of the lost Gods, the City grows to house its pantheon. Surely one day, it will cover all the lands, and everyone will live in divine perfection; in heavenly bliss and pious ritual. 

As Their loyal servant I can hardly contain the excitement I feel about witnessing it all first hand. Surely, it will have been worth the journey." 

13th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Dusk

'May the Gods punish me for my absolute stupidity. I am an arrogant fool and I showed it. Never, could I have imaged the severity of my ignorance. Of course, I expected to learn the ways of many of the Gods, even those often forgotten in other places. If anyone was aware that my knowledge was insufficient, it is me. But seeing the look on the guard's face as I completely failed to honor the right Gods before entering the city, Their city; it filled me with the horrible shame Espath must have felt before she learned the proper way to bleed. 

As always, when we enter, we honor Zjadesh the welcoming one, even the most heretic places do that much. That we should also have honored Ylfred, the God of oaks, for lending the Gate its strength, Baxta, the God of iron, for keeping the Gate together, Madrin, the Saint of woodwork, Ketel, the Saint of smelting, Jurian, the Saint of smithing and Morbag the God of compensation to for paying the fee to enter the city, it makes me dread the amount of Gods I will surely have offended in my live up until now. The fact that the Gods saw fit to allow me to still enter their beautiful house after that embarrassment is the true sign of their benevolence.

Had we known the proper ways to honor the entering of the City, we would probably have been able to reach one of the Four Great Temples by now. Unfortunately we are forced to spend the night close to the gate, in the Feast-day Inn. Upon reaching the inn our imbecility was displayed to me again. Every inn I have visited requires the sacred ritual of adding to the hearth before being allowed to stay, an offering to Daya, offspring of Zjadesh. That a separte offering to Zjadesh itself was the proper way to go about things had never even occurred to me, yet after it was explained to me it made perfect sense. My road to enlightenment will be long and hard indeed.'

14th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, After the breaking of the fast

'Made a fool of myself again. Writing this down so I won't forget:

Honor Wiridia for the new day by flipping a silver coin

Honor Ypsuron for the meal by leaving some to rot on the compost

Honor Zjadesh for safety by cleaning the door of your room

Honor Xidia for ridding me of my temptations by offering a drop of blood

We are going to visit the four great temples today and see the well known rituals done due justice. I really hope I won't make a fool of myself.'

Midday

 'We are currently in line for the temple of Poridu, so we are allowed to pass her bridge in good fortune. On the other side of the bridge is the shrine of Thibea where we need to make the necessary sacrifice, so we are allowed to bring a lamb to the gate that provides entrance to the Justice district. There is supposed to be a large festival going on at the temple of Xidia today, which we hope to attend. Sitting here, observing my surroundings, one really feels a guest of the Gods while in this mighty city. As inns, markets and living quarters are build between the various temples and shrines dedicated to a multitude of Gods that require dedication in day to day life, which greatly outnumber our mortal structures.' 

Dusk

'It seems the patience of the Gods knows its limits. Our lamb peed on the streets, and because we had not paid respect to Oria prior to setting out, we had to offer the beast to her as compensation. Without adequate tribute we could not enter the Justice district, so we will have to try again tomorrow.'

15th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Dusk

'Our plans ran aground once more. We procured the lamb and paid our respects to Oria, but upon reaching the gate we were told that the lamb was np longer the correct sacrifice, as it was only proper to sacrifice a lamb on the day of the festival. Trying to get rid of the now unwanted lamb turned out to be a trial in itself, requiring honors, respects and offerings to a whole myriad of Gods. 

I am trying, let Xithia smite me if it isn't the truth, but I just can't keep track of it all. Tomorrow during breakfast I'll inquire with my compatriots whether they remember what the proper way of disposing of a sacrificial lamb was again. 

16th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Dusk

'Still no progress in seeing any of the great temples today. We set our sights on the temple of Wiridia today, seeing how tonight is a full moon, but something isn't right. I am pretty sure we had to perform rituals of honesty and purity, but to gain access to those rites, we had to sacrifice menstrual blood of a virgin wildebeest, which we did not have access to because we hadn't performed the rituals of honesty and purity, which are required to enter the district that sells the mentsrual blood we need to peform that very ritual. 

Clearly, I must have missed something because that cannot be right. Tomorrow, I'll make sure to look into the matter.

17th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Midnight

Only just a minute ago did I notice that he day is lost to me, and I am no closer to understanding what went wrong yesterday. I will see if I can get a priest of Xithia to consult me on the matter in the morrow. I hope sleep brings relief to this wretched day soon. Terrors have come to me in the night these last few days, surely to tempt me into heretic beliefs. I will hold strong.

18th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Dusk

It cost me a sinner's arm and a chicken's leg and all it got me was a meeting with the sacred tea-pourer of the priests of Xithia. All they could promise me was that, for a price, they would bring my offer to the lower priest which they are allowed to speak to. The tea-poarer assured me that any inconsistency must be the result of my own imperfection. Even if it is indead impossible to perform the propper rights, it is not up to us to understand the Gods, just to do as they say.

If it truly is not up to us to understand the will of the Gods it might explain the dreadful shiveres I have had the last two days. Only piety will bring reprise from this madness.

14th day of the Moon of Dancing, Eleventh Year of the Blue Hog, Midday

There is no way around it. Either the temples lie or the Gods are cruel and senseless. I am not alone. They say it wasn't always like this. That if I give myself wholly to Eridec, Xithia's scribe in the divine court, that I will be granted a transcript of the truth. We are meeting in the sewers, away from the prying eyes of the clouded ones. Finally, I will be initiated in the ways of the Gods.

Excerpts from the diary of Lucia the Mad, former member of the Cult of Clarity, describing her fall into heresy. 

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