MP: Chronicles_EA: Second-pass Signup and Discussion

[Ylvali]

- Hugo! Hugo! there´s beer in the fountain down at Hefners!

Hugo took another puff of his pipe while waiting for his nephew to catch his breath.

- Are you gone mad boy? there´s always beer in the fountain. Never cleans up proper I say. Thats what I said last town meeting, true as I sit here! Now sit here and I´ll tell ya...

- No no, you don´t get it! You gotta come and see!

Whats wrong with the young uns these days? Hugo thought as he stood up. (It took some effort, ten meals a day) And rumbled after his nephew...

The Hoburgs were always a peaceful people, concerned with little exept well cooked meals and good tobacco, but the day the sacred beer began pourin from the old fountain everything changed. Those who drank it were aroused to holy awareness of the sorry state of the world. First of them were Hugo Bremt, who raised his head thoughtully after having his first pint and spoke his prophecy:

- All those sorry big uns out there, striving and quarreling and going on about magic and adventures and such... It ain´t decent it ain´t. Can´t get a pint worth its name outside of Hoburgdorf these days, not to speak of tobacco. Ain´t civilized and decent like us. Someone ought to do something...

They called it Bierqell Brunnen, and bottled it up for their crusade, to remind the lads of home, to encourage and bless them in battle. It became their god and religion, to spread the good life to every corner of the world.

Looking forward to this...

[Otherling]

Since the time of the old Pantokrator's reign, a line of kings has ruled over Machaka. In name, at least. In truth, it is the priests of the old faith who hold power, and most day-to-day affairs are handled by the tribal chiefs. With one exception.

Deep in the heart of the sacred forest lies the lonely peak of God Mountain, where dwell the sorcerors who claim descent from Machaka's ancient god. They do not interfere with the affairs of the kingdom. However, whenever a new king is crowned, or whenever a new chief takes power in a tribe, he must make a journey to God Mountain. There, the sorcerors lead him through the caverns to the heart of the mountain where lies the Chamber of Silence. The tomb of the Dead God. Here each new chief spends a day in recognition of Machaka's ancient deity, cast down long ago by the Pantokrator. This contemplation in the still and the darkness gives him the strength to lead his people wisely.

A year ago, a young man named Matojo became chief of the Mhakala tribe upon the death of his elder brother. Many thought him too young, and would have placed his uncle in power instead. To still their protests, he made the long trek to God Mountain. The sorcerors led him down into the darkness, and left him to contemplate the death of a god. He sat for a long time, in that chamber where light and sound are forbidden. And then he heard a Voice...

[Vanslime]

An excerpt of The History and Teachings of the Church of Saint Joachim, by Martin Callard, Inquisitor and Master Theologian of Marignon

According to our most trusted records, Saint Joachim first came to our land two centuries ago, a time where many living on the outskirts of the Ermorian Empire were growing wary of the burgeoning Death Cult of the heartlands. At the time, Our Lord was seen as a simple mage and philosopher. He would travel from village to village, awing the populace through magical cantrips and intriguing the educated through his wisdom. In these dark times, his promises of salvation and redemption enraptured many, but the complacent Ermorian authorities would usually turn a blind eye to his actions, concerned with other matters. And whenever a governor attempted to put a stop to his preaching, he would disappear without a trace.

As decades passed, Joachim's followers would spread his teachings, raise a new generation of believers, and pass away, but Our Lord himself never aged, not a single sign of the passage of time would tarnish his visage. As news spread of his apparent immortality, more and more would become convinced that he was the bearer of a divine mission or heritage. Even today, no one knows for certain whether Saint Joachim is a simple human granted eternal life until his Holy Mission is complete, an angel of the Celestial Choir descended to guide us, or something else entirely. Our Lord never enlightened us on this subject, and though we cannot fathom his reasons, we shall not question his wisdom, for to do so is to blaspheme.

And so it came to pass that, throughout the land that would come to be known as Marignon, belief in Saint Joachim spread, and that, when the time came, his followers were numerous and prepared.