Book III: Heretic

Deochs 17 – 19

As Deoch 17 began the Fiosachd Fellowship had reached its peak. The masses of the Fellowship attracted hundreds and often there was a full mass occurring nearly every sun. The temple was always filled with many worshipers and priests at any given time. Meanwhile the friction between Ramanayan and the High Priestesses Fenna and Felicity continued to grow. The core issue of board burnings still had not been resolved nor had the situation with the geas been improved.

Early in Deoch 17 Ramanayan developed a new idea for governing the Fiosachd Fellowship. Formally it was called the Great Council of the Fiosachd Fellowship but was often just referred to as the Great Council or the Council. The Great Council would be made of up nine members – three acolytes, three priests, and three members of the upper clergy. The members would eventually be chosen by those in their particular degrees.

Fenna and Felicity opposed the Great Council from the very start. Fenna even attempted to evoke authority she did have when she stated she would not “ban the council” yet.

Ramanayan’s mass each double attracted dozens of worshippers. Just before one mass the same feeling that told him to become a priest and join the Fiosachd Fellowship overwhelmed him again. Ramanayan knew he must act at this mass against the High Priestesses. In the Fall of Deoch 17 at his mass Ramanayan proclaimed a “Crusade” against the High Priestessess Fenna and Felicity. At the same time he promoted the Great Council and formally announced its existence.

It should be noted that during this time the “Crusade’s” primary goal was to simply reform the Fiosachd Fellowship. Never did Ramanayan or the Great Council advocate removal of the High Priestesses, violence, or anything other then peaceful dialogue.

Ramanayan confronted Fenna in person following the mass and then the two went off to make preparations for what looked like an eventual showdown. The first members of the Great Council were IceAngel, Mercurlus, and Paetheon. Ramanayan was declared the Council’s President. Azov decided to remain neutral for the time being and attempted to act as a mediator between the two parties.

Initially the Great Council had the High Priestesses on the defensive. Felicity was seen the temple muttering phases such as “No one wants us anymore”. However the High Priestesses quickly regained the initiative thanks to ardent supporters such as Solon and Felicity’s husband Xibalba. The Great Council gradually had to begin to defend itself as the Deoch wore on.

The High Priestesses went on the offensive in late Deoch 17. A group of their supporters, lead by the rogue Bahadir, managed to declare Ramanayan a heretic and drive him from the temple. The Great Council was caught by surprise and the remaining members fled in terror. It seemed as if the High Priestesses had successfully killed off the “Crusade”.

The Crusade however had now turned from what was peaceful, albeit hostile, discourse into open civil war. Ramanayan threw his enemies off balance by appearing to align with the Deoch Fellowship. The Great Council stayed together in hiding preparing for its next move. Shortly after Ramanayan’s defeat in the temple the Fiosachd priest Heiler pledged his loyalty to the Great Council – and quickly became Ramanayan’s right hand man.

The Great Council gradually began building up a power base of supporters and new members. The council was finally complete with nine members with the additions of Geran, Myral, Cleante, and Ganedorf during Deoch 18. As the council was building up the Fiosachd priest Wuhao held a peace conference between Ramanayan, Fenna, and Felicity. However the High Priestesses arrogance won out and nothing was accomplished.

Ramanayan’s own power greatly increased in Deoch 18 when his “Forgotten War” history was recognized and he became a Piet Kingdom Historian. With the clout gained from recognition he took office as a guard and almost immediately thereafter began a political battle with then captain Stormbow over a Loures Signet Ring that Stormbow was said to have stolen. The case received some publicity and in the end simply faded away but it showed that Ramanayan didn’t easily back down in politics.

In early Deoch 19 the neutral Azov offered to hold peacetalks between the Council, Solon, and other priests hoping to end the conflict. The High Priestesses choose not to attend. After two sessions a peace agreement was reached and it seemed the war was over – still however the High Priestesses had not appeared. Ramanayan fully rejoined the Fiosachd Fellowship shortly after the peace talks had been concluded and hoped to move the Fellowship forward again.

The peace was not to last as Fenna then reappeared and personally excommunicated Ramanayan. Ramanayan later admitted that it was this direct assault by Fenna that truly “enraged” him. The Great Council then prepared an all out assault against Fenna, Felicity, and Xibalba. A strike force lead by Heiler and Ramanayan’s brother Ramana took down Fenna as a heretic and threw her from the temple.

When Fenna was declared a heretic shockwaves were sent throughout Temuair. More supporters flocked to the Great Council in awe over the fall of Fenna. Heiler drew up the plans for the second assault. A strike force would remove Xibalba and then almost certainly Felicity would surrender after the fall of her husband.

No second strike force was needed as Fenna herself sued for peace shortly after she was declared a heretic. Peace negotiations took place in secret in the Piet Sewers. Ramanayan and Heiler represented the Council; Fenna and Solon represented the High Priestesses supporters. Several other priests, including Azov, were present as well. In the end a peace treaty was signed with the following points:

1) The Great Council will exist as a governing body for those who wish to be a part of its system.

2) It is recognized that the High Priestesses have no more power then what is granted to them by the mundanes.

3) All heresies, excommunications, etc as a result of the war would be forgiven.

Basically the peace treaty brought a “forgive and forget” type of peace. The fellowship returned back to the status quo of around Deoch 15. Ironically the original causes of the war – board control, geas, and governance were barely addressed in the treaty. However, they did not become problems again. Effectively the war had broken the powers of the high priestesses. Sadly the Fiosachd Fellowship never regained the prestige it once had in Deoch 17. It’s slow decline, along with the other faiths of Temuair, can be traced to after the Fiosachd War.

The Crusade is also sometimes referred to as the “Fiosachd Wars”, “Fiosachd Civil War”, and the “Fiosachd Rebellion”.

With the end of the Fiosachd Wars Ramanayan continued his studies as a priest and began to advance in insight. He also continued down the path of a guard taking his second term as a guard in Deoch 19. Finally he submitted his latest work, this time a philosophy, “Grimlok & Goblins: Society, Social Structures, and Lore”.

The Great Council had much to do and to start hey began planning the second Fiosachd Fair, though it would later turn into the Mileth Crypt Tour held later that deoch. However, it was felt that perhaps the work of the Council should be continued on a wider scale. Thus Ramanayan and Heiler planned to found a new motley. They recruited the historian Cronus Gainsborough and fellow Fiosachd priest Topkyle and founded the motley Imperium at the close of Deoch 19. Ramanayan become motley leader and Heiler Imperium’s first Prime Minister, or second in command. A new era had begun.