Circle of Oads
The Circle of Oads is an ancient organisation under which the Oads gather.
It is widely considered to be the oldest organisation in the Aman, though it was disbanded in the fourth millenia BE and reformed one and a half thousand years later, in the 25th century BE.
The Circle gathers in Penchester Comnaidele surrounding the ancient structure Carredin which lies on Credalbenn Mountain.
In its long and winded history, the Circle has taken on many different forms and accepted various duties, strongly influencing Tightish culture as it is known today and the political structures surrounding it.
It is widely considered to be the oldest organisation in the Aman, though it was disbanded in the fourth millenia BE and reformed one and a half thousand years later, in the 25th century BE.
The Circle gathers in Penchester Comnaidele surrounding the ancient structure Carredin which lies on Credalbenn Mountain.
In its long and winded history, the Circle has taken on many different forms and accepted various duties, strongly influencing Tightish culture as it is known today and the political structures surrounding it.
Structure
The Circle does not contain a formal hierarchy, though it is generally understood that there are four types of Oad:
A popular example of this 'rigidity' and consideration towards the past comes in the forms of Marrer Owendolyn and Gumarrer Brighseach.
Marrer Owendolyn is known to be the first marrer ever to have existed, being granted the title in honour of her services to counter the plague known as Mortlaid.
Later in time, the documentation of her wisdom lead to the construction of the Penchester Necropolis and guided the descisions of the Circle in matters of health and disease.
In contrast the legacy of Gumarrer Brighseach, who encouraged the training of mercenary Oads known as Laechs, was renounced, resulting in the dogmatic rejection of violence from the Circle.
- Fledgling Oads are inexperienced or young Oads, who are in the process of being trained.
- Regular Oads serve in Comnaideles and contribute to the Circle.
- Silent Oads are often specialised in the practice of specific rituals or duties, such as performing the Rite of Servitude or acting as accountants.
- Wise Oads are the oldest and weakest of the Oads and serve by providing wisdom and knowledge from the comfort of Carredin.
A popular example of this 'rigidity' and consideration towards the past comes in the forms of Marrer Owendolyn and Gumarrer Brighseach.
Marrer Owendolyn is known to be the first marrer ever to have existed, being granted the title in honour of her services to counter the plague known as Mortlaid.
Later in time, the documentation of her wisdom lead to the construction of the Penchester Necropolis and guided the descisions of the Circle in matters of health and disease.
In contrast the legacy of Gumarrer Brighseach, who encouraged the training of mercenary Oads known as Laechs, was renounced, resulting in the dogmatic rejection of violence from the Circle.
Public Agenda
Since the earliest of times the Circle acted with the intention to support mankind according to the will of the gods Beth and Bri.
The first Circle, it is told, took it upon themselves to 'guard the Heol-Bri in their minds', a task which apparently contained passing on knowledge and leading the construction of wonders and landmarks.
Their people certainly benefitted from their actions, but it is told that there was dissident among the members of the Circle which lead to the loss of the Heol-Bri and thus ancient civilisation.
The newer incarnation of the Circle no longer has a Heol-Bri to guard, at least not so far as is known, so they aim to further humanity by following the example of marrers, by giving the people what they need to unleash their full potential and become a contributing member to mankind.
This support comes in the form of deeds ranging from community tasks to spiritual needs to mental and medicinal care.
In the past, the Circle has also aided in matters of war, providing support on the battlefield and in matters of strategy.
During the Gilberthur Wars the Circle even began to train a mercenary force of their own with the intention to aid the war effort and gather payment to aid those in need, but these ambitions became twisted and only increased suffering, for which reason Gumarrer Brighseach, the initiator of this idea, was marbed after the wars.
The first Circle, it is told, took it upon themselves to 'guard the Heol-Bri in their minds', a task which apparently contained passing on knowledge and leading the construction of wonders and landmarks.
Their people certainly benefitted from their actions, but it is told that there was dissident among the members of the Circle which lead to the loss of the Heol-Bri and thus ancient civilisation.
The newer incarnation of the Circle no longer has a Heol-Bri to guard, at least not so far as is known, so they aim to further humanity by following the example of marrers, by giving the people what they need to unleash their full potential and become a contributing member to mankind.
This support comes in the form of deeds ranging from community tasks to spiritual needs to mental and medicinal care.
In the past, the Circle has also aided in matters of war, providing support on the battlefield and in matters of strategy.
During the Gilberthur Wars the Circle even began to train a mercenary force of their own with the intention to aid the war effort and gather payment to aid those in need, but these ambitions became twisted and only increased suffering, for which reason Gumarrer Brighseach, the initiator of this idea, was marbed after the wars.
Assets
Although the Circle of Oads' members live humbly, the organisation itself has considerable wealth due to the reforms brought about by Gumarrer Brighseach.
Large swaths of fertile land as well as many large and ancient structures are owned by the Circle, providing a steady income of useful resources from healing herbs and grains to quality stone and metal.
These resources are used by the Circle on its many fronts to maintain its structures and help those in need, and what cannot be used is sold on the market. These earnings, together with the liquid assets gained during the Gilberthur Wars remain safely hidden in various locations around the island.
Although these assets are used frequently, they continue to grow at a steady place, leading to much discussion in the Circle concerning what to do with it.
Much of the more expensive services and endeavors have been taken over by the Crown, the largest amount going to the Traveler's Lodge to compensate for pilgrims, but even that expenditure is now beginning to shrink.
Some members argue that to split it between the people equally would be the right choice, but others believe that to cause a grave imbalance in the economy due to its sheer amount, and that they may pass by a needy sould by accident, causing them a grave injustice.
Others believe it should be saved for rainy days, and yet others believe they should share the suffering of the people should such a time come.
All in all, there is no end in sight to the dispute, and their wealth is likely to grow until the next marrer is born.
Large swaths of fertile land as well as many large and ancient structures are owned by the Circle, providing a steady income of useful resources from healing herbs and grains to quality stone and metal.
These resources are used by the Circle on its many fronts to maintain its structures and help those in need, and what cannot be used is sold on the market. These earnings, together with the liquid assets gained during the Gilberthur Wars remain safely hidden in various locations around the island.
Although these assets are used frequently, they continue to grow at a steady place, leading to much discussion in the Circle concerning what to do with it.
Much of the more expensive services and endeavors have been taken over by the Crown, the largest amount going to the Traveler's Lodge to compensate for pilgrims, but even that expenditure is now beginning to shrink.
Some members argue that to split it between the people equally would be the right choice, but others believe that to cause a grave imbalance in the economy due to its sheer amount, and that they may pass by a needy sould by accident, causing them a grave injustice.
Others believe it should be saved for rainy days, and yet others believe they should share the suffering of the people should such a time come.
All in all, there is no end in sight to the dispute, and their wealth is likely to grow until the next marrer is born.
History
For an overview of the most important events, see the timeline at the bottom of the page.By all estimates, the Circle is the oldest formal grouping of humans in the Aman, dating to the beginning of the Heol-Bri Cycle around the fifth millenium downsides.
During this era described in the Cycle, mankind is gifted with the Heol-Bri, an undetermined gift of some kind that allowed incredulous feats not achievable even through modern technology.
In this time the Circle was founded to protect the Heol-Bri and construct landmarks, and perhaps also smaller objects, using its powers.
It is believed that all humanity lived on the island, and thus as one ethnicity, sharing in this age of mundane wonders.
However, there came a time where members of the Circle began to misuse the Heol-Bri for personal gain, which lead to multiple factors causing the downfall of civilasation as it was then known.
It is said that members of the Circle then took their friends and extended family, and whoever else would follow them, away from the island to escape from the other members, and it is believed that they became the other peoples of the Aman, with which we now share rich and diverse relations.
The fact that they do not believe in this history, however, questions the matter.
After the exodus of the island, few Oads remained.
They spread themselves thin throughout the island and the Circle ceased to exist.
Many of the oads remaining became hermits, and continued the tradition of passing on history by telling their tales to whoever may cross their path and painting the walls of caves.
In the 34th century BE a plague known as Mortlaid swept across the lands and brought death and bad harvests.
It is in this time that a woman, who would later be known as Marrer Owendolyn, moved to Carredin and discovered a means of healing and preventing the plague.
Word of her miracles spread far and wide, and soon the streets of Penchester were once again trembling with life.
Many Oads heard of these deeds, and once the plague was ended she was brought out to a distant place of the island, and a new Gladden ceremony was created: The forring of Marrers. A large, flattened stone was found, and Marrer Owendolyn placed her head upon it.
A sickle was then layed upon her neck to cut the surface of the skin, which insinuates a worker's beheading.
In this moment the person speaks out a new name and rise, and from then on they are considered a new, higher being in the form of a human.
This stone was named the Stone of Aithgain, and, although it remained secret for very long, was thereafter used for every forring.
A thousand years thereafter, mankind has recovered from the plague, and new technologies such as the wheel and primitive food preservation make traveling the island significantly easier.
Such the Oads begin to meet regularly again, and through coordinated efforts increase the number of Oads as well as constructing the Penchester Comnaidele, which would become the Circle's center of operations up to the present day.
With the continuous growth of Penchester, which had remained the largest settlement on the island since Marrer Owendolyn, hygeine and illness began to concern the Circle.
They decided to create an isolated, subteranian burial ground to prevent the spread of disease through corpses, which lead to the construction of the first section of Penchester Necropolis.
In the time since the first Marrer, more marrers were reborn, each bringing their own revolutionary contribution to mankind.
Some of them, with time, began to harm others through their actions, and these were then marbied and became Gumarrers, considered to be evil higher beings.
In 248 BE, the Gilberthur Wars, a series of succession wars, come upon the Kingdoms of Tightland.
Upon the suggestion of Gumarrer Brighseach, a seperate grouping of the Circle is created with the express purpose of training battle-Oads.
These mercenaries, known as Laechs, were intended to bring the wars to a quick end, but these plans did not come to fruition, instead dragging out the wars for a further two hundred years with numerous stalemates and a continuous supply of fresh blood.
The wars become an unquestioned way of life and loses its perspective, until in 12 BE the Circle renounces the needless violence and the Circle of Laech is dissolved.
This rapid and unexpected changed leads the populace to question the wars and cripples the supply of warriors, causing the wars to end within a decade.
The Circle supports King Edward in forming his vision of the Tightish Empire, titling him the 'Guardian of the Faith' when he refuses to become a Marrer.
After his death, the Circle begins to lose influence in Tightish society, but retains its supportive and ceremonial functions to the present day.
Bachlumail Comrain (meaning unknown)
Founding Date
25th century BE
Type
Religious, Druidic Circle
Alternative Names
Fisidecht-Lub
Demonym
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Professions
Controlled Territories
Related Items
Related Myths
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