Framer Eliasen

The blood we spilled gives me grief. So much wasted potential in that blood. Hands that drew arms against us could still be building to this day. Who knows what innovations were lost in the chaos of violence. Those lives, even though they ended as our enemy, I mourn the same as I do for our fallen allies. Human lives can't be wasted in this manor.
This expansion into the east can't continue these practices. Peacefully changing the hearts and minds of the lost is difficult work, certainly more difficult than holding them to edge of a blade, but I believe that is the task the Wrights have engendered us with. Find the words the words to bind them to our cause. Find the words that I could not.

Framer Eliasen, the day before he passed away.

Though the seeds of the religion were planted well before his birth, Framer Eliasen is still considered a forefather of the present-day Structuralist Church. For decades the religion was prohibited under the rule of the Honoroe dynasty, but it was under Framer Eliasen's influence that the church expanded until ultimately usurping the royal family seated in the city of Goroma. The monarchy was replaced with a theocracy in which the Structuralist doctrine, The Articulation, and its interpretation by the clergy assumed ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the laity.
The transition from Honoroe family rule to Structuralist would have been more difficult had it not been for Framer Eliasen, who seemed to be the best of the Framers at communicating with the common folk and lighting their bellies with the fire of inspiration. In one of his earliest and most memorable species, Framer Eliasen called to the people of Goroma to take over the Honoroe family tomb, and "give it the purpose it deserves." What resulted was The Honoroe Den a bar and whorehouse. While this re-purposing is widely considered to be the will of the people, others point to the speech and Eliasen's influence as evidence of his vindictive streak.

View on the Eastward Expansion

After the Church settled into its role as civil authority, talk soon turned to extending its influence beyond the territorial border of the White Rose River. While cultures on the other side of the river were cordial to the new governing body, many in the church felt that the expansion of the religion was inevitable conflict would follow. Framer Eliasen was torn on the issue. He of course had a role in a major coup but the fight left him wary of more battles abroad. Eliasen was also fighting off an illness that left him exhausted and bedridden, and many felt his days as a major influence in the church were over.
One of his last requests was for his fellow clergymen and clergywomen to avoid more death in their quest for Eastward Expansion. After his passing, the members of the Church heeded his words by sending out missionaries to teach foreign communities about Structuralism and The Articulation. Foreign powers saw this as a transgression against their sovereignty; a subversive method of turning their own people against them. When missionaries began dying, Framer Eliasen's words became a distant memory and war became a reality.

Death

Cause of Framer Eliasen's death has never been disclosed to the public. He was 46 when he passed, which has created suspicion among the public as to the nature of his sudden illness. Some think it was a sexually transmitted disease, as Eliasen was rumored to be very active in this regard. Others believe it to be an conspiracy within the Church, who felt his position on certain matters were holding Structuralism back from reaching its full potential. The Church's refusal to detail Eliasen's death, out of "respect to his memory", has perhaps only made the speculation and rumors surrounding his death even worse.

Legacy

Eliasen was rather egalitarian and rejected notions of superiority as a result of gender, color, or financial standing. "Work is work" was a favorite saying of his in response to questions like ones about women's place in the societal hierarchy. It was his shorthand method for telling people that if you do the work, whether mentally or physically, you are a valuable member of society. People still use this expression today and his attitude behind the slogan is widely upheld.
While the Honoroe family had more prudish views on sexual activity, Eliasen felt that the act, unmotivated by procreation, should not be treated as anything to be ashamed of. On the subject he was quoted as saying:

It's a gift of the Wrights. Our bodies are an absolute marvel. We can reason out problems that plague us. With our hands we can construct shelter from the elements. And at the end of a hard day we can even pleasure ourselves. How efficient we are!

Unfortunately this perspective has slowly eroded over time, as some current members of the clergy believe sex can become a distraction from productivity. But the sentiment of Framer Eliasen is still shared among lay people and the term "efficient" he used has developed into a vulgar slang for sexual proclivity.
Eliasen's worldview is not without complications however. He still found Nature to be perverse and chaotic, as this is clear in The Articulation. With this in mind, Eliasen felt that The Structuralist Fraternity of Levelers, the doctor class in a Structuralist society, should administer care through man-made technology and without reliance on remedies derived from nature. The result was a bloody and torturous period in healthcare, in which doctors were likened to butchers.
Sobriety was also important to Framer Eliasen who felt that spirits and ales were poisons of Nature that turned humans into base animals. Society is a more split on this issue, with some agreeing with the Framer, and others feeling that a good ale after a hard day is no different than eating a warm peach pie.