The Tower
"The Tower has stood as one of the most ancient of the faiths, persisting through calamity and peace alike. Though there are few proselytizers among the faith, the religion has seen a slow, steady growth over the centuries, as one might expect from its primary deity, Voxus. A reserved and often detached god, Voxus is devoted to the ‘long game’, slowly moving in deliberate fashion to counter their rival Nastil.
While not as flashy as the Highlord, or as relatable as Kemis, The Tower provides a sort of existential certainty that some find extremely comforting. The knowledge that evil shall be defeated, perhaps not in this lifetime, but inevitably, brings solace to those scarred by a world in turmoil.
Indeed, some of the most faithful adherents of The Tower are exceptionally long lived: those who have seen the passage of time unfold, and therefore bear witness to Voxus’ plans, even if only in part."
Description
The primary deity of The Tower is known as Voxus Thousand-Eye, and this enigmatic deity is difficult to pin down, as they tend not to express their will directly, nor do so often. Many an adherent goes years if not decades with nary a direct contact from the deity or its messengers, only one day to receive a letter or visit from a simulacrum requiring some task, and, upon its completion to be left in the dark once again.
However, the collective action exerted by the deity, through its followers, is undeniable: reports from distant lands return news that a crucial turn of events ended favorably, if but for a sudden shift in circumstances. When these fortuitous events transpire, look closely, and you will find a quiet adherent of The Tower doing their deity's will.
It’s a common refrain among the more devout adherents that the contest of wills between Voxus and Nastil is more one of the philosophical differences than violence, but the opposition between the two can become quite stark when it comes to matters of the mortal realms.
Voxus is an uncompromising champion of their people, and is unafraid of exerting overt influence when necessary: the Defense of Aegomin being a prime example, where an avatar of Voxus was witnessed shielding the entire city from a demonic onslaught for three days, before the invading swarm was put down by mortal forces.
Aligned as often with the arcane magics as the divine, Voxus’ adherents tend to be from the southern ends of Solum: Elyra, Vedea, southern Edos, and Copoa. Recently, Voxus’ worship has extended to Qairus, presumably due to the influx of Elyrans and Vedeans there.
Notable Locations & Historical Events
The Oracle of Valune
While the Tower’s monasteries have typically relegated themselves to lonely mountain sides and isolated desert oases the Temple of the Oracle is an exception in its centralized location in Valune, one of Vedea’s most populous cities. An exceptionally popular pilgrimage location for members of the Tower, little is known of the origins of the Temple itself.
In modernity its walls lay somewhere behind a thick curtain of Threads of Fate and Destiny Knots that tumble from the ceiling and across the floors creating densely packed rope catacombs.
At the center of the Temple lies the Chamber of the Fate, a wholly mysterious cloister that houses the Oracle - one chosen of Voxus who is bound by their Manacles of Fate to the miles of rope that canvases the temple. On three such occasions the ropes of the Temple of the Oracle have turned to gold and the entire city of Valune hushed by the divine aura of Voxus: their word passed through the weave of destiny into the heart of the Oracle, given life through their breath.
The Omen of Elyra
The last of the iced veins have begun to thaw.
Their slumber ends - the failure-corpse stirs.
It is not long for recognition.
Betrayal, a taste it knows.
Its rebirth, like its death:
The earth will recoil,
Contort, and convulse
And then at last
it will open,
and death
roars.
The Savior of Aegomin
Inward, children march from desolate sands.
Teeth gnaw and claws drip with agony.
An aura of darkness will seize
the home of soulless faces.
Suffer, scream, and huddle
from their macabre march.
Three days - endure!
Salvation
must take
time.
The Prophecy of 520
At last, a gate to the glades once thought lost.
Tunnels breach through hard stone and old ward
to the corpse of kin departed.
but in death comes life, feeding,
consuming and growing.
Lash at the lamb, still
the shepherd sleeps.
Not long now.
They will
wake.
Structure
The Tower has few formalized structures to guide its hand, instead it is overseen primarily by local communities, traveling sages (Guides) and a number of monasteries. Formally the Shaper, a monk of considerable rank that oversees the Temple of the Oracle is the “leader” of the religion, though their influence remains largely over the more strict worship communities.
Most worshippers try their best to follow the word of the Auctoritas Divina, a holy text authored by an Avatar of Voxus some time during the age of the Elyran Empire. The text outlines the basic tenets of The Tower as well as descriptions of “The Weave of Creation”, a concept unique to the Tower in their belief that Voxus is the only deity capable of understanding the web of fate and leading the people of Arcanorum to a safe future.
While the text makes some level of reference to all of the deities it places Voxus and Nastil at the center, personifying them as opposing forces that are necessary for creation. On one side sits Voxus weaving the threads of fate, and on the other Nastil unraveling the tapestry.
Voxus is seen as a stern parent that promotes the usage of information to better all and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Nasitl, on the other hand is seen as the rebellious sibling of the mortals: promoting the selfish usage of information to better oneself before others, that the “destiny of one” is more important than the fate of all.
History
The Siege of Aegomin
A conflict exploded when a horde of Nastil’s demons seemingly erupted out of the Titan Desert and laid siege to the city of Aegomin, a thick layer of agonizing divine energy causing the entire town to be debilitated. An enigmatic and unnamed savior emerged from the wretched masses.
Their eyes aglow with a fierce white light, their body seemingly dissolving into aether and encapsulating the town in a shielding aura, allowing the legions of Vedea to rally and assault the incoming army. After three days of fighting the army of Nastil was routed, their avatar forced back into the desert and has remained unseen since. The identity of the Avatar of Voxus remains unknown and is simply referred to as the “Martyr of Aegomin.”
Tenets of Faith
- Commitment: Caring deeply about a person, a goal or a belief. Willingness to give our all and keep our promises.
- Cooperation: Working together for a common goal, calling on the different gifts each of us has to offer.
- Resilience: The strength of spirit to recover from adversity. Overcoming obstacles by tapping into a deep well of faith and endurance.
- Moderation: Engage fully with life, but avoid temptations of the body, mind, and spirit that would undermine your works and virtues.
- Tact: Telling the truth kindly. Thinking before we speak, aware of how deeply our words affect others. Discerning what to say, when it is timely to say it, and what is better left unsaid.
Worship
The Weave of Creation
Officially speaking the Weave of Creation is entirely a philosophical concept - one that describes the many intricacies of the interactions between mortals and divine beings. The Tower traditionally struggled to engage uneducated populaces with hypotheticals and metaphor, and eventually turned the “Weave of Creation” into a communal symbol of worship by giving it physical form.
One (or more) thick ropes are loosely tied between two objects, typically trees, and are usually devoid of embellishments save for light decorations or rope colorings. This centralized rope is referred to as the “Thread of Fate,” though typically the entire location is just referred to as a “Tower Shrine.”
Destiny Knots
From the centralized Thread of Fate worshippers of The Tower begin their own “Destiny Knots”, long strands of cordage anchored onto the Thread of Fate that are periodically adorned with beads, prayer scrolls, or intricate knots to symbolize noteworthy moments of their life. Many communities upkeep their own shrine with numerous knots, often interwoven and separated on important occasions such as marriage, departure, or death.
Destiny Knots are typically only adjusted or added to for major occasions, most followers only visiting their local shrine once a month, often just to examine the advancement of the weave. For especially momentous occasions some may wait for a Guide to oversee and bless their knot, typically represented by a golden bead.
The Tether of Voxus
Most worshippers of The Tower carry their own personal “destiny knot” known as the Tether: typically a short length of two or more ropes bound to a belt or backpack that are used during meditative practices. “The Tether of Voxus” is the act of slowly completing the knot strand until it can no longer be added to - for some this is as simple as repetitive square knots creating a sinnet, but others may opt for spirals, or more intensive patterns.
The Unraveling of Nastil
When a Tether is completed it must be undone and its physicality is returned to the beauty of creation - an unbound rope free to be rewoven into destiny anew. This is commonly referred to as the “Unraveling of Nastil,” the act of accepting that destiny must lead to an end for new beginnings and that the intricate knots and weavings of life are impermanent ones.
Manacles of Fate
Only worn by the especially devout, the Manacles of Fate are intricately woven bracelets worn on each wrist. These bracelets signify the wearer has fully placed their fate in the hands of Voxus to be used as a tool in the machinations of their will.
Fraying (The Frayed)
A more recent practice that emerged from Elyra, thought to be a signifier of “raging” against the schemes of Voxus and following in the anarchical self-serving nature of Nastil. Those who have abandoned the ways of Voxus, or worse seek to undermine their efforts, take their tethers or destiny knots and intentionally fray them into unusability - signifying that their destiny cannot be woven by another.
The Festival of Honey
The Tower found its second major transmission hurdle at the borders of Thetlin, its people generally willing to accept the Tower for what it was but remaining wholly devoted to the hearth fire of the Ember Light. In an effort of goodwill (and particularly clever marketing, all things considered) the Guides of the Tower began the Festival of Honey to entice Thetlin worshippers.
Formally the Festival of Honey is to preach the word of the Tower using the guiding hands of apiarists and the gift of honey as a metaphor for the guiding hand of Voxus and the gift of destiny. In typical Thetlin fashion it has more so become a Tower hearth-festival for enjoying oneself and tasting honey, mead, and sweet breads. Unsurprisingly this has made its way back into Vedea and Copoa as an increasingly popular holiday.
Priesthood
- Idris Orr - Formerly a Guide, was elevated to the Shaper after his witnessing of the Prophecy of 520.
- The Oracle of Valune
- The Martyr of Aegomin
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
~ Dylan Thomas