A Consideration of the Life of Saint Daralena, Introduction

INTRODUCTION
In this book, I have attempted to compile in brief the total sum of all knowledge regarding the life of the Most Holy Saint Daralena.
Saint Daralena is almost universally revered amongst the followers of the faiths broadly known as Polyarchism. She is thought to have been a slave in Amalor at the time of the fall of the Empire. She is most often described as a handmaid to a noblewoman, perhaps, as it is held by the Ancient Voyage of Bi'tsng'ot Delta, servant to the wife of the Harbourmaster in the docks of Amalor (the ruins of which remain in Vekirai to this day). The various theories regarding her early life are discussed further in Chapter 1.
She is consistently painted as having a key role in the fall of the ancient Amalorian Empire. Most retellings of the story have her visited by God. Here lies the greatest controversy of her life story. A number of ancient codices have been found, written in Vulgar Amalorian, describing her rise to prominence in the slave rebellion movement. The controversy centres on the exact translation of fragments of the ancient texts which say something along the lines of "Lo, the Handmaid was visited by a God who was multifarious/multitudinous/polynomial/of many faces/etc. and who spoke secrets unto her and imparted unto her the courage to defy her imperial overlords". The particular issue is exactly how the nature of God is described, i.e. did God appear as many people or as one person in many forms or did multiple gods appear? The exact translation is fought about fiercely and underlies to a great extent the theological division between the Schismist and Aschismist factions. It is worth noting that there exists a small sect of so-called 'monotheists', a relatively modern group who hold that there is only one unified and indivisible god who appeared to the Handmaiden and whose glory was so immense she simple could not fully comprehend it. The importance of this issue to Polyarchist theology cannot be understated and it is discussed further in Chapter 2.
The details of the slave rebellion itself are extremely murky. Archaeological evidence has recently revealed widespread unrest and likely looting at the time of the fall of the Amalorian Empire. Saint Daralena is thought to have led a group of slaves to a temple of great importance to the Amalorian Imperium in a city called Barastagar which was to be found not far from the modern city of Vaitaret (although no ruins have been rediscovered there at present). The fall of this temple at Barastagar appears to have precipitated the considerable unrest which spread across the rest of the Empire and ultimately led to its fall. Chapter 3 discusses the fall of the temple at Barastagar and Chapter 4 considers in more detail the archaeological evidence regarding the wider revolts which occurred around that time.
The later years of the Handmaiden's life are more uncertain in character, even than the earlier. It is clear that Saint Daralena travelled widely to share stories of her experience and to proselytise about the words of God which she heard. Many stories about this period hold that she remained in contact with God and learnt a great many more things from them. She is sometimes called the Handmaid of God for this reason. It is suggested in this book that she travelled as far east as Ostadun, as far south of Ifram Oleion and as far west as Okredek. More details and stories regarding these journeys are considered in Chapters 5 and 6.
In Chapter 7, I consider the more far-fetched tales of the later years of the Saint's life. In some traditions, their are legends of Saint Daralena's journey deep into the mountains where she travelled through caves to the heart of the world. Other stories suggest that she travelled to the distant icy land to the north across the sea or that she proselytised to demons at the bottom of the ocean.
On her journeys, Saint Daralena accumulated a large following of disciples, the most important of whom are discussed in Chapter 8 along with some of their later journeys.
In Chapter 9, I examine the legend of Saint Daralena's death and explain why I am most confident that Daralena was killed in Okredek: ritualistically sacrificed by the lingering worshippers of Ancient Amalorian gods.

An extract from 'A Consideration of the Life of Saint Daralena' by Ba't'en Imasamol, a religious scholar in Bi'tsng'ot Delta (133 - present)

Type

Manuscript, Religious