The Imperial Cult
The Imperial Cult is the official religion of three of the four dwarven territories: the Imperial Remnant, the Holdfast Plateau, and the Commonwealth. While Victor Magnus is respected in the mountainous realms of the Delve-Kings, they still adhere to the older ways of the Great Elemental Temples. Despite the fall of the expansive and powerful Dwarven Empire of the Grand Conqueror, there still exist large minority populations of who practice their faith in places where the empire existed including, but not limited to, the Free Realms, parts of the Lakelands, parts of the Steppelands, and the former gnomish homelands. Signs of the dwarven influence on much of the civilized world is everywhere: statues in quaint squares; temples in every town and city; and shrines at crossroads, cave entrances and a distance markers along imperial highways and aqueducts are the most common and well-known. Less evident are the orders and monasteries devoted to one of the three aspects of the Grand Conqueror, these exist in every dwarven population.
The Imperial Cult existed to reflect the great overarching purpose of the Emperor's conquests. In taking up arms, even against ostensibly peaceful people, he believed that he would end up saving lives in the long view. The notion that we must take up arms now to prevent greater evils from even taking root was a compelling impetus for conquest amongst the hill dwarves, though it was far more contentious to the mountain dwarves of the ancient delves and especially amongst the non-dwarven peoples within and beside the dwarven sphere of influence. The Cult would expand with the Empire, and Victor Magnus proved to be like no other in the entire world -- at least, some say, none that still lived.
The Imperial Cult and its adherents have a grudge against those who hold to the Old Faith, as it was the last of their demigod Sages -- Riga the White -- who called down Yhera's Tears that annihilated the Western Seat of the Empire and the dwarven and gnomish peoples who inhabited those lands. Both for destroying the mortal shell of the Grand Conqueror and for the needless destruction of so much land and the death of so many people, the Imperial Cult teaches that the Old Faith is far too wild and anarchic. The Cult has very little influence and standing outside the dwarven territories, but the tenets of that faith are respected by anyone who cares to watch what dwarves and other believers do, not just what they say.
Public Agenda
While the Imperial Cult is nominally Lawful-Neutral, it is very much actively opposed to Evil. In order to establish a safe and stable world, it becomes necessary to combat the ills and evils of the world. It does not limit itself to a soft touch, however, in the pursuit of the just society. Life in the Old Empire of the Dwarves was stratified, but just; it was harsh, but not cruel; and it was immensely difficult for folks to move out of their lot in life if they had made mistakes. All in all, though, the idea of the Empire and the lessons learned from the voice and hand of the God-Emperor serve the greater good.
Mythology & Lore
The Imperial Cult holds to a mythology devoted to the story of the Grand Conqueror, or Victor Magnus as he is known in the dwarven tongue. Victor Magnus was once a prince of an influential clan upon the Holdfast Plateau, the cradle of the dwarven civilization. His life was one of education, training, duty and devotion to family. He was not the elder brother, however, and the elder brother proved to be a villainous individual, hungry for power and possessed of a great capacity for cruelty. The story of his victory over his elder brother is the beginning of the myth of
Once he took control of his clan, the Grand Conqueror was able to organize a stout defense of the Plateau from the predations of the hobgoblins and their armies of slaves. That campaign significantly increased the respect, renown and resources available to Victor Magnus and his holdings. We went from battle to battle and victory to victory, his capacity for strategic and tactical genius attracted a wide following of lesser clans and their devoted warriors. By the end of the second campaign, the entire plateau had been secured from goblinoid assault. From there, the Grand Conqueror was acclaimed as the first High King of the ancestral home of all dwarves. It was at this time that those veterans and nobles who witnessed the capabilities and achievements of Victor Magnus would start to whisper of the divine nature of the Grand Conqueror. The Grand Conqueror moved next into the hilly and low-lying lands immediately to the South of the Plateau. There, he embarked on a long and bloody war against the arcane magicians who ruled petty kingdoms across the entire civilized world. In this, the Grand Conqueror was very successful. Leveraging the despair wrought by these despotic mages on the mundane populace, the advance of the dwarven warriors slowly turned into the march of dwarven legions and innumerable human and half-blooded auxiliaries as well. Wherever the banners of the Grand Conqueror were raised, the quality of life that the common folk enjoyed increased significantly and stayed that way. By the time that the arcane despots were washed away from the Lakelands, the Shield Lands (what is now the Free Realms), and what we now call the dwarven territories, Victor Magnus has shifted his focus from conquest to establishing a just and prosperous multi-national society for his burgeoning Empire. It was near the end of this stage of building the infrastructure and establishing the institutions of law and order that the Grand Conqueror was subject to more than respect and obedience, he was (perhaps rightly) worshipped as a Saviour to all the peoples of the civilized world as it was his hand that washed away the Blood and Fire of the arcane despots and his guidance that improved agriculture, shipping, trade and law throughout all the lands that the golden Imperial Dragon icons were raised.The First Victory of The Grand Conqueror
Once, Victor Magnus was a youth. He had a wicked elder brother who beat him and blamed the faults of his own doings on the young Victor Magnus. The young Conqueror suffered many injustices in the face of his elder brother's greed and malice. As the years passed, Victor Magnus' elder brother was sent to be a soldier in the army of his father's master. Victor Magnus was free of his wicked brother. He used the years free of his brother's tyranny to become a strong, wise and brave warrior. Such was his bravery that he never once declined a challenge put before him. So single-minded was his pursuit of success that Victor Magnus one spent three days wrestling an ogre into submission. His time spent in training was good, but it was not to last.
His father grew old, fell ill, and passed into the misty lands of death. His elder brother returned from the battlefield a truly magnificent warrior: skilled, powerful, and hardened. Now the patriarch of the clan, Victor Magnus' elder brother was as he was born, a tyrant with no equal in combat. Two years, Victor Magnus endured the constant goading of his elder brother to challenge him in combat. His brother's purpose was clear, once Victor Magnus fell in combat, leadership would no longer be in doubt. Victor Magnus always refused, saying that he did not want to kill his elder brother, no matter how wicked. This enraged his elder brother and the goading turned to obsessive pursuit of single combat.
So focused on combat was Victor Magnus' elder brother that he turned his blade on their mother. His wicked tyrant of a brother did murder their mother, and Victor finally drew his blade to face his brother. His brother squealed in glee as he turned to face Victor Magnus, who promptly ran away. Down into the catacombs the Grand Conqueror was pursued by his battle-crazy brother, through corridors and cells, caverns and vaults, he was chased. He was cornered in an old and vast vault of riches, emptied by the greed and decadence of his elder brother. With no other option, the Grand Conqueror turned and face his brother.
"Finally!" exclaimed the eldest, "Your cowardice surprises even me! Only when you run out of space to run do you turn to face me like an honourable warrior!"
"Yes," Victor Magnus replied calmly as he circled around his brother. "Had you returned here earlier, I might have drawn my blade the first time you insulted my honour."
"But you did not," his brother hissed angrily, yet with some confusion. The eldest looked upon Victor Magnus as he circled, "You are as calm as any blooded veteran, brother. Why would you feign cowardice only to face me honourably now? I do not understand."
"Nor would you," Victor Magnus replied as he sheathed his sword and backed out of the vault. "I could not have defeated you in single combat when we were but young lackbeards. Had you appeared only a year ago, I would have lept at the chance to test my skill. But now..." Young Victor began to push the great steel door of the vault shut, "Now I have the wisdom to seize victory as I see fit. You have taught me a valuable lesson, brother, one I shall never forget."
The eldest let out a cry of hatred and terror as the door was shut and locked before he could reach it. As his elder brother pounded on the vault door in vain, Victor Magnus turned and began to walk back to the manor above, "For that, and only for that, dear brother, I thank you."
Tenets of Faith
Victor Magnus is Lawful-Neutral.
The Imperial Cult is clear in its faith in the value of laws above rulers. Whether it be natural law or a law of civilization, there are clear rules that establish a safe, stable and just environment. It is in this enriched environment that subjects under the law and society may seek to live their lives in productive and virtuous ways. Anything that may disrupt the enriched environment is seen as a threat to the health and well-being of the empire and its peoples.
Leaders of the Imperial Cult seek to teach three lessons to its adherents:
The second lesson is seen as a higher level of attainment. Once an individual has adopted an outlook, established habits and cultivated behaviour that brooks no ill words and deeds, he or she may then focus on doing good things for their own benefit, and the benefits of those around them. From keeping disciplined in personal activity to raising a family in a virtuous manner, there is plenty of detailed and important work to be done at this level.
The third lesson is the final level of virtuous teachings, it is the need to stop evil things from happening. Not many people are trusted to carry it out. Having established a life of good, beyond not doing evil, one must now turn to doing those things necessary to stop evil things from happening. This is complicated, and it is difficult to do. Most of the public stories outline that it is just as easy to do as much or more harm to oneself, others and society as a whole, if the third lesson is not carried out well.
- Do no evil.
- Do good.
- Stop evil.
The second lesson is seen as a higher level of attainment. Once an individual has adopted an outlook, established habits and cultivated behaviour that brooks no ill words and deeds, he or she may then focus on doing good things for their own benefit, and the benefits of those around them. From keeping disciplined in personal activity to raising a family in a virtuous manner, there is plenty of detailed and important work to be done at this level.
The third lesson is the final level of virtuous teachings, it is the need to stop evil things from happening. Not many people are trusted to carry it out. Having established a life of good, beyond not doing evil, one must now turn to doing those things necessary to stop evil things from happening. This is complicated, and it is difficult to do. Most of the public stories outline that it is just as easy to do as much or more harm to oneself, others and society as a whole, if the third lesson is not carried out well.
Ethics
Victor Magnus is known for three main bodies of work, one written at each of the three stages of his life:
- Waging A Just War, a codex outlining the basis for empire and necessity of justified warfare in its establishment.
- The Imperial Analects, a series of volumes on virtues for rulers and governors, guidelines for bureaucratic procedure, and primers on various realms and peoples.
- The Meditations, a philosophical treatise outlining the personal outlook on life, purpose and death. (Hint: It's stoicism.)
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Alternative Names
Cult of the Grand Conqueror
Demonym
Cultist
Leader Title
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