Order of Lyahki
Lyahki, a Cherisher numen from the Nourish dimension, settled in Endeavor (the dimension of humans) and, over time, gained a significant number of followers devoted to her principles. They eventually gathered together and formed the Order of Lyahki. Soon after, they received (anonymous) funding to build the Motherhouse on Metis.
As common with humans, they formed a hierarchy which they roughly divided between stewards (administrators), clerics, and mystics. The stewards organized into four ranks: Hierarch (their leader aka Prime Steward), Consul, Curator, and Steward. The clerics also organized into four ranks: Exarch (their leader aka Prime Cleric), Vicar, Deacon, and Cleric. The mystics, however, only have two ranks: Auspex (their leader, aka Prime Mystic) and Mystic, but have a number of special positions: Herald, Matron, Chaperone. The Hierarch is the leader of the entire Order.
Only women, usually young, are accepted as mystics. As a mystic ages, they often lose their mystical abilities (there are many speculations on why) and will either retire (usually remaining as a devoted lay leader), move into a hybrid steward/mystic function (e.g., Chaperone or Matron), or fade away and die (this has become way too common over the last few decades).
Most clerics are men. And stewards may be either, but a bit more men than women.
Motherhouse is the Order’s home base — housing their leaders (Hierarch, Exarch, and Auspex), a good communication center, an extraordinary library, and their most sacred place — the Holy Sanctum. The Order has sacred places in locations throughout the Grand Society. There are four types of sacred places: Daughterhouses, chapels, hostels, and shrines, although some in the Order insist that the hostels are not inherently sacred.
Compared to other religions in Ruartei, the Order is small, but reasonably well-known in the Grand Society. The Order has been slowly and strategically spreading, especially since the current Hierarch took over. He knows that — with a little help from “important” people — the Order could amass a significant following and quietly establish itself as a force for good works.
The Order prizes peace, serenity, charity, and good works. Its Inner Mysteries, while not secret, are not publicly displayed and their most important one — soothsayer — is rarely used.
Charity is defined as generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering.
Although soothsaying abilities would more likely come from the Seers than the Cherishers.
Cherishers are: solid, instant, concept, purpose, entanglement, theory.
Lyahki is: planar, instant, knowing, purpose, ideal, design.
So their soothsayers are less predictors and more instinctual analysis (“knowing”).
The Augurs and Seers foresaw that the Order would some day play a key role in Ruartei. They both decided to send some of their own associates to join the Order. But Lyahki favored the Seers’ associates and refused to allow any of the Augurs’ associates to join.
This angered the Augurs, and they began to subvert the Order whenever possible — while the Seers would try to counter their attempts. This was considered a minor skirmish in the struggle between them so these actions and events were infrequent and mild.
Somehow, the Li’ich-device came into the Augurs’ possession/attention. And they decided to use it to disrupt the Order. They managed to subvert (via flattery, ego, etc) a few of the top administrators and convinced them that the Li’ich-device was an ancient relic that contained the essence of the Anointed One, a revered/venerable avatar of Lyahki. Their timing was perfect. They managed to present Li’ich-device as a Holy Relic when the Prime Mystic was young and gullible and the leadership were greedy and ostentatious.
Li’ich-device found it could communicate with some of the mystics — and it systematically began contaminating the communication between Lyahki and the clerics and mystics. Rather quickly, the Anointed One became the central focus of the Order’s leadership. Two factions developed — one that was true to Lyahki and one that followed Li’ich. The teachings of Lyahki were still what the public saw and the devoted and attendees followed. But rather than a wide network of shrines, chapels, and hostels, the Order established Daughterhouses which were more formal and politically oriented. Since Daughterhouses require more time and resources, they were fewer — and this limited the spread of the good benefits of the Order, especially among the common folks.
The position of Herald changed several decades ago. Originally, it was a person who consciously communicated with Lyahki and spoke for her. This person needed specific and rare numinous capabilities so the position was often not filled. Then later, the Augurs managed to sabotage the Auspex and convince the Hierarch and Exarch that the spirit of one of the greatest Heralds had returned via the Holy Relic. Before this, the Order had no holy symbols although they wear various signet clothing pins to denote their membership and position in the Order. They had sacred places. And Dreamtime was sacred time.
Lyahki spoke to people during Dreamtime — usually in their dreams, but rarely during waking hours. But even these people needed some numinous capabilities.
The early versions of the replicas had cases, but these were simply decorative boxes. The latest version, designed by Tatiana, had special containers that acted in a similar manner to the Holy Relic’s containment box.
The smart ones realized that those who did what the Anointed One wished lived healthier lives than those who did not. Li’ich had become strong enough that it no longer devoured any life energy around it and chose its victims strategically.
The replicas are often used as badges of office, at shrined, Daughterhouses, etc. Each chapel or Daughterhouse has one. The shrines and hostels do not. During an ordination ceremony the replica is activated and connects with the Holy Relic, allowing Li’ich to use it in its network.
The Order is about to start assigning replicas to the shrines — which will further entrench Li’ich as the focus of the Order and extend its network. The Lyahki faithful are fighting this since the shrines and hostels are their last safe places.
There is a Daughterhouse on University. This is why Tatiana asks Li’ich “which girl?” because she assumes it means the local mystic and what it says doesn’t make sense.
Oswald does not wear the Holy Relic. His predecessor did (sometimes). But Oswald has observed what happens to others. Also, Oswald has some sort of natural immunity so Li’ich has to make suggestions via others.
The mystics and the clerics (at least, most of them) attend to the Light of Lyahki — atlhough Li’ich has supplanted this with the tending of the Holy Relic.
Any dimensionally aware person (with the correct attitude) can “find” see the lights of Lyahki. And they can accept one of the lights within them.
For non-dimensionally aware, they can sense Lyahki’s being whenever they’re near one of the lights. Prime mystics are often semi-hosts or sensitives who are devout. Lyahki’s power waxes and wanes according to the number of people who carry her lights.
Most of the current mystics carry a light of Lyahki. Sofiya has a light which has homed in her — which is why Li’ich can’t possess Sofiya.
Li’ich finds the light annoying.
Notes: subject to change, especially the terminology.
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