Baqluni Religion

The Baqluni name the Godhead is-Toos, and refer to it as a goddess, calling Her by such titles as Lady of Our Fate, the Heavenly Mother, and the Colorless All-Colored One. In their system, fate and destiny are supreme and the Future is called by the same word as Paradise. Accordingly, is-Toos is said to rule and embody these things, a domain that extends to dominion over divination and honesty, as well.

The Lady of Our Fate is often depicted as a Baqluni woman of any age or stature, always carrying her mystical gold spindle with which she creates the strands of fate and occasionally alongside a cloudlike being named only as the Prince of Time in Baqluni liturgy and texts. She is said to often be a bit aloof from the doings of her worshipers, concerned as she is with the fate of this word, all other worlds, and all of their inhabitants. For this reason, the Baqluni say that you must work to come into communion with the Colorless All-Colored One, in opposition to many of the other religions they meet, in which communion is assumed as a birthright of all thinking beings.

According to Baqluni myth, before this world was inhabited the first man, is-Qadam, existed in an eternal and pre-material existence with is-Toos. As time passed, the Lady of Our Fate decreed that fate, laying out a plan through which all beings could find salvation through a test. Part of this plan was that people would be given agency or will, the ability to exert some force upon the strands she spun for them and determine for themselves the course their life would take. Based on their exercise of this will or agency, they would then be able to achieve that profound state known as exaltation. One of his angels, known as Issha Tan, learned of this plan and his heart went out to the as-yet-unborn people who would be subject to this test. In his reasoning, this quality of agency or will not only allowed for but ensured that some would fail the test, would be unable to achieve exaltation. Thus, out of compassion, he sought to overthrow is-Toos and instate a plan which would not involve this quality of agency or will. This plan, he argued, would allow all people to return to the glory of the Godhead in the fullness of time. It must be remembered in order to understand the Baqluni that Issha Tan acted out of compassion, that he was and is a virtuous, if wrong, being. Is-Qadam, the first man, heard of this revolt before it occurred and saw, rightly, that his assassination was an integral part of the rebels' plan. Upon discovering this, he was struck by a cowardly fear which drove him to flee from that pre-material existence to our world, where he fathered all the races that walk its surface.

In addition, the Baqluni believe in four different modes or aspects of the One God, as perceived by the believer, rather than the distinct persons in God Himself described by the other religions. They name these four modes or aspects is-Toos is-Geshta, is-Toos is-Qoram, is-Toos is-Muqol, and is-Toos Issha Ñe. These aspects are usually termed “faces” or “masks” by the Baqluni. A Baqluni in a theological debate with members of another religion is usually quick to point out that the only number applied to the Godhead in scripture is “One” and that there is no inherent multiplicity ascribed to the Godhead in scripture. In fact, their point is correct; any scripture inarguably ascribing a multiplicity to the Godhead was either written after the various schisms occurred or has a controversial provenance.

This belief in the faces of the One God is believed to have originated in ideas preached by the heretical theologian Sablic slightly more than a millennium before is-Baqlun far Gash began his own preaching. These teachings are said to have come to Sablic himself from the earlier theologians Noti and Pragsic. Hippli of the Forgotten City (as he is now known), the most important theologian of the time, knew Sablic personally and mentioned him in his writing; though he knew Sablic disliked Trinitarian theology, he referred to his teachings as the heresy of Noti. Patriarch Metr is known to have written letters to the Sulir's new trading partners at the time of Sablic's teachings (these being the tribal ancestors of the Baqluni) arguing against said teachings, indicating that they had already begun to take root among the tribes. Modern Baqluni, however, differ from the teachings of Sablic in that he taught that God the Mother (known to the Sulir as Wejas) was the only true existence of the Godhead, and that God the Son and God the Spirit (Kord and Lendor, respectively) were “exhibitions and developments which the divine Being has made of Herself to Her creatures.”

Is-Toos is-Geshta is called the Daughter of the Oasis, and is the mask of is-Toos sought by the desperate, by the thirsty, by the prisoner in the oubliette, and by the traveler lost in the desert with an empty waterskin. She is fate intervening to save that which is lost. She is depicted as a young Baqluni woman standing in a pool of water, often holding a clay water jug. Her pet fish, is-Gumu, summons water creatures to fill her. When she is not primary in the depiction or where the artist has a lack of space or tools, she is often represented simply by a stylized waterspout. Her temperate is moderate, and she treats all with care and patience.

Often called the husband of is-Toos, is-Toos is-Qoram is the very foundation of all things Baqluni. He is the mask that appears when a Baqluni looks backward, to the past, and is thus revered for both his inestimable wisdom and his uncompromising devotion to tradition. This mask has also gained a seemingly odd association with geometry; this came about as philosophers turned to diagrams and pictures to explain the importance of is-Toos is-Qoram in finding the Future, even though he seems to turn his back on it.

The Merchant, is-Toos is-Muqol is the mask of is-Toos who receives the most prayers, for where is-Toos is-Geshta appears out of the interface of need and the Godhead, is-Toos is-Muqol appears out of the interface between desire and the Godhead. Among the Baqluni, desire isn't considered evil or wrong; in fact, it is often celebrated and revered. Even the desire for wealth, it is said among them, is sister to the passionate yearning that leads to communion with is-Toos. Thus, while is-Toos is-Geshta might be the archetype of the beloved (and thus ultimately with is-Toos Herself), is-Toos is-Muqol governs love and all prayer, as well as the more mundane aspects of trade, negotiation, ventures, appraisal, and reciprocity. It is important to remember that one of is-Toos's purviews is honesty. Nonetheless, is-Toos is-Muqol rules over the art of negotiation, for hard bargaining is near to a sacrament for the Baqluni. It is said that while most of is-Toos Herself was battling against Issha Tan before the world was inhabited, is-Toos is-Muqol aided both sides of the struggle, for both were compelled to action by strong (and virtuous) desires. Other tales describe is-Toos's travels among djinn-kind as the travels of is-Toos is-Muqol, focusing on his skill at bargaining with even these most difficult clients. In these stories, the Merchant's greatest gifts are the ability to discern the true desire of his customers, and the talent of finding and delivering the rarest of treasures to their predestined owners. He can be referenced visually by a simple, sometimes even crude, depiction of a set of scales and weights.

It is said that is-Toos Issha Ñe, the Lady of Perfection, is no face of is-Toos at all, but is rather Her shadow.  Often depicted by means of a black lotus blossom, this mask of is-Toos uses stealth and mental power and the protection of twilit places to maintain harmony and balance in the world, working against the extremes of both good and evil and both order and chaos. Perhaps surprisingly, worship of is-Toos Issha Ñe is the only aspect of Baqluni culture to have spread beyond the Baqluni themselves and their djinn and merfolk allies; Issha Ñe has become incorporated into various cults and new religious movements across Flanea and tiny mosques dedicated to her are scattered in hidden places across the land. Whereas the other masks of is-Toos will often lend their help in matters of dispute or argument, it is said, is-Toos Issha Ñe has no patience for petty rivalries and will only manifest herself to a group in perfect harmony. She is often depicted as a Baqluni and, though the age or sex of the depiction might vary wildly, she is always slender and graceful, wielding a pair of magic falchions that, in the stories, can shrink to the size of table knives.

From the Baqluni Holy Writ

“Between everything and every other stretches invisible strands. The spirits of time push and pull upon these strands. Thou art a spirit of time, but these strands, pulling, can pull thee as well, and thou canst not escape. Look hard and look long, and thou wilt understand the forces upon this web. Look hard and look long, and thou wilt see Paradise. Serve thyself by knowing and submitting to what is-Toos has woven for thee. Struggle against the pull of the strands and thou wilt tear apart the web of the Colorless All-Colored One.”

“Blessed be the tranquil with fortitude, for only the extremes of actions will disrupt their meditations for more than the space of a sand-grain's breath. Blessed be the tranquil with strength, for they will turn disruptive force back upon its source. In this, they shall be like the stone that breaks the surface of a lake only to be covered and lost. Water, like tranquility, is hard to find but necessary to vitality. Water is more precious than gold, for a thirsty man gets no sustenance from his wealth.”

“If thou dost not risk, thou canst not gain. Satisfy both necessity and desire in each bargain. The wise know the worth of a thing as well as its cost. If the wealthiest among thee wouldst wish to be a debtor and a beggar made, greed shall be their maker, for all life is a matter of exchange.”

“Three columns upon which the sand-cloth of this world is draped: the Universal Mind is one, the Perpetual Harmony another, and finally Internal Peace. All that does not rest on these three columns is illusion and not real. The Universal Mind of is-Toos for which we all long creates and maintains the world in each moment; without it, what could exist? Look upon the glory of is-Toos's plan: all life is balanced and all things live in symmetry. Seek a similar state and thou wilt find the object of thy longing draws close, for truly does is-Toos love this world in its entirety. Master thy body and master thy mind and thou shalt find that thou art drawn closer to the object of thy longing, for truly do we love is-Toos. Banish flamboyance from thy life, waste no energy, and thou wilt find a place with the Heavenly Mother. Seek out all extremes and temper them with harmony.”

Clergy

Mosques dot the Baqluni lands. In addition, the bazaar, or marketplace, is holy ground. Some markets in the larger cities are set up around actual mosque-buildings, but most simply contain a tent-covered altar or shrine. There is no standard tithe, but a variable set of fees is levied on the traders who utilize the bazaar. These monies are used to cover various local religious expenses, but any excess is dedicated to charitable works, for the accumulation of large amounts of wealth (not the desire, but the actual accumulation) is foreign to Baqluni values.

Priests are actually quite common among the Baqluni, perhaps moreso than among the other cultures. Baqluni religious concepts also show up in djinn and merfolk cultures. Many of these priests have seen the extremes of fate, from innocents dying horrible deaths and sadists controlling kingdoms to children recovering from mortal illness and despots felled by simple accidents. Because of this, many may be cynical or stoic, but some kinder individuals are called to this path because they feel they were rewarded by fate.

Priests of is-Toos are often called upon to make predictions and divinations for important personages all over the world, serving as their personal advisors and viziers; they also often serve as legal counsels, judges, and civil administrators, using their powers to deter theft, fraud, and magical deception. They also often act as guardians of valuable waters, whether lakes, streams, oases, or hidden wells, making sure that they are available to all and not claimed or destroyed by any one group of people. They patrol parched areas of land where travelers often become lost and guide them to safety and water. Some explore the length of a river or stream, learning the unique traits of the entire flow. They will often see out those who use destructive magic upon natural reserves of water, as well as those who would harm people by contaminating water with disease or poison. They are sometimes called Moralists, for it can be their duty to watch over their neighbors and see that no evil influences are allowed to rise unchecked. Many will choose a particular knowledge or lore in which to become immensely knowledgeable and become Sage-Priests. Others work as appraisers of common goods, with certain members specializing in more exotic items. Most travel during at least part of their career, particularly as part of merchant caravans. In all things, however, priests of is-Toos are agents of harmony and discipline. They seek out radical factions, organizations, and politics and bend them toward balance. They train others in the simple arts of war, hone the minds of those open to mental challenges, scour the world to find evidence of the Universal Mind, and seek gurus of advanced physical and mental abilities for knowledge of self-elevation. They are not passive beings, but actively seek change to ensure the stability of the universe.

During ritual, Baqluni priests wear richly brocaded abas of yellow silk, with keffiyeh of pure white. Agal are worn intertwined with chains of gold or silver. Ritual prayers are said each morning, prior to opening for business or beginning the day's travel, and more ritual prayers are said at dusk.

Holidays

An entire month in the Baqluni calendar is dedicated to remembering is-Qadam's cowardly flight from Issha Tan's attack against is-Toos. The celebration lasts 26 days, the amount of time legend says it took is-Qadam to arrive at our world.

Game Mechanics

Those priests who attempt communion with is-Toos must have a neutral component to to their alignment (and high scores in Virtues such as Calm, Conservative, Honorable, Spiritual, and Stubborn) and are able to draw upon one of the following domains: Celerity (Complete Divine), Chaos, Destiny (Races of Destiny), Knowledge, Law, Luck, Mind (Complete Divine), and Oracle (Complete Divine). Their other domain may be chosen from among either this list or that of any of the four masks of is-Toos. Furthermore, they can take a full-round action at any time to make a Will roll (DC ???) to change their domain selections. At least one selection must always be from the list of is-Toos; the other may be from that list or that of any of the four masks of is-Toos (this second selection must come from a different list than had the previous choice). The priest may do this as often as they like during the day, but only once during any period of downtime, travel, or otherwise “offscreen” activity. Finally, this ability only applies to their original two domain selections; any additional domains to which they acquire access remain fixed.

The Daughter of the Oasis, is-Geshta grants access to the following domains: Plant, Travel, Water, and Weather (Complete Divine). The bedrock upon which Baqluni culture is built, is-Qoram gives magic to his people in a different way, one that can be accessed at all times. The Merchant, is-Muqol, grants access to the following domains: Knowledge, Pact (Complete Divine), Travel, and Trickery. The Lady of Perfection, is-Toos Issha Ñe, grants access to the following domains: Knowledge, Mind (Complete Divine), Trickery, and War.

Priests of is-Toos treat the net, symbolic of the web of fate spun by is-Toos, as their favored weapon, usually channel their spells through a blessed golden spindle, and can summon a +1 distance net with their weapon of the deity spell. However, this can change as the priest works with different masks of is-Toos. If a priest has as a current domain selection one from the list of is-Toos is-Geshta, they may choose to treat the spear, an unusual weapon used only rarely among the Baqluni to catch oasis fish and occasionally small reptiles, as their favored weapon and summon a +1 frost spear with weapon of the deity, whereas a domain choice from the list of is-Toos is-Muqol would allow them (if they chose) to treat the more civilized weapons of the dagger or light crossbow as their favored weapon and summon a +1 defending dagger. A selection from amongst the domains of is-Toos Issha Ñe, on the other hand, allows the priest to choose to treat the falchion or any monk weapon as a favored weapon and summon a +1 defending falchion with eir weapon of the deity spell.

Among the priests of is-Toos, one can find training in Ceremony, Knowledge (any–Baqluni, any–djinn), Listen, Perform (oratory), Read/Write Language (several), Search, and Speak Language (several). By taking the feat Initiate of is-Toos, one can gain access to the following spirits: admonish, compel respect, detect foreigner, thunder of is-Toos is-Qoram (improve oratory), and second sight. By taking the feat Acolyte of is-Toos (prerequisite: Initiate of is-Toos), one can gain access to the following ceremonies: avoid fate, command audience, command subjects, command worshipers, force, require truth, shield, undetectable to humans, undetectable to djinn, and weaponmight. All of these are the gifts of is-Toos is-Qoram.