Kindling for the Spheres – The Roiling as a Holy Site
What is The Roiling?
In the Summer of 222, the then Senator of Mukarrem, Captain Johannes El’Westwind, sold part of the Priado Expanse to the magi of the Idrian Cabal. They separated the land from the Spheres, creating the cursed Lost Plane. In Summer 224 I, Daud El’Priado Del’Anarch Al’Sabre, carried a relic of Anarch to the Plane and destroyed it in fire, the Spheres were returned and a churning ball of fire and lighting remained.
The Roiling is a miracle and a blessing of the Spheres. Yet to acknowledge it as Holy we must adhere to doctrine. In Spring 225 I nominated this miracle for the Council of Six to raise as a Holy Site. Therefore, I present the matters of precedence, followed by my argument. As a servant of the Church and the realm, I lay forth my faith in Anarch for you to judge. In the Sphere’s light we pray.
Aspects of Nomination
Miraculous
To produce or be the locus of Spheric magic, a blessing or infusion. To be miraculous is to change the Mortal Sphere with the Sphere’s blessings. In the doctrine of Anarch this is change for the better.
The Lost Plane was so removed from the Spheres that the Sun and Moon, the two faces on Andash, would not look upon the carnivorous crystal grass and dark wasteland wrought by the Idrian Magi. The Roiling destroyed their research, cleansed the land and brought the light and Spheres back, the sins of the old Senator were swept away and the Treaty of the Al’Mai was upheld as the Plane was destroyed, as if by the Linkbreaker’s sword and hammer.
My body was burnt and my soul forever changed. I possess no magi art yet now I may channel The Crucible itself to cast its fire from my singed hands.
In Autumn 225, The Headmaster of the School of Gifts, Azime Rais cast a ceremony to observe my soul and found it contained part of the Crucible.
The Roiling has created life. In Spring 225 the Children of the Academy encountered fire sprites born from the Roiling. Their expedition was a success and the children of the Concord Learnt more of the Spheres.
Glorious
The Spheres are life and to inspire it is divine. To be glorious is to inspire one to act in faith of the Spheres, certain of their blessing on the eventual journey.
The birth of the Roiling was witnessed by the Archmage Zarja Tal'Darev Del Stalia and the Janissary company Al’Sabre. The air shone with every colour, calling stars from earth to shatter a darkened sky. The glass blades of the Plane twinkled and reflected light and flame and hope and lightning. The ground itself sundered apart and glowed from within. The world was torn apart in fantastic light and repaired. Blessed by the Firebrand and followed by the Shard Gatherer, swirling colours of Anarch’s light repaired the land.
The glory of Anarch’s fire continues in the Roiling itself, a spontaneously igniting and extinguishing ball of fire and lighting, spewing spells and the stuff of Anarch. One can imagine the Star Sailor within this maelstrom.
Infused
The use of divine ceremonies and expenditure of divine artifacts or powers gifted by Heralds leave behind traces of divine energy. In this case, the Crucible’s Ember.
After separating from the Artebazzani Church in Winter 221, the Concordian Church of the Spheres was visited by the Firebrand in Summer 221. Pleased to see ties cut and our Concordian Church born, an artifact was given to the faithful, which was passed to me by the Andashi Champion Raul El-Obregon in Spring 224. This was the Crucible’s Ember, which created this miracle. I carried it to the Plane where it ignited when I reached apex of the Idrian’s heresy. This journey is akin to the Wanderer, as the Ember traversed many years and hands before coming to its eventual use.
Observatory
In this world, there are locations where we, unworthy of the Spheres may perceive them beyond our mortal plane. This occurred in the formation of the Roiling.
When I carried the Crucible’s Ember to the Lost Plane, the Archmage Zarja Tal'Darev Del Stalia and the Janissary company Al’Sabre witnessed my body and soul vanish from the mortal sphere. In Autmn 225, a ceremony by the Headmaster Azime Rais allowed me to recall my memory of that vanishing. It was a world of fire, with no world at all. Within a churning maelstrom of swirling forge-fire, I knew myself to be in contact with the Crucible and it knew me. It has no physical form, no voice, no spells or action, only a presence and an unbearable heat unknown to me since. Should I prove myself worthy, I may be graced by its presence again if the Herald of Grace carries my soul in the journey.
Chosen
Heralds may visit the mortal sphere in service of the Spheres, repeated appearances in one location would indicate some importance. The presence of an Eternal has never been recorded. Until now.
The locus for this miracle was the Crucible’s Ember, given to the faithful by a Herald. The Firebrand appeared directly to the church and gifted a relic as blessing for the creation of the Concordian Church of the Divine Spheres.
When the Crucible’s Ember was ignited, I was brought to The Crucible itself as it blessed the land with the Roiling. We know that I was seen to vanish from the Lost Plane and that I reappeared within the vast firestorm that consumed the land. Whether the explosion of colour and flame lighting that followed was the direct presence of the Crucible, or a powerful force sent to represent it I leave for you to judge. Like the Shard Gatherer we gather meaning from what has occurred to better our understanding of the Spheres actions.
Graven
The resting place of a Paragon is in turn infused with their latent divinity. In time the worship of them will channel the divinity of the Spheres.
The Concordian Church and the Roiling are each young, our two Paragons died far away and before the Roiling was created, thus we cannot judge it for this quality.
While I believe any future Paragon of Anarch would be honoured by burial at this site, especially if Exalted as Holy, this is beyond our criteria at present, although the thought remains as the Falling Pebble may herald the coming change.
Faithful
Our role in worship of the Spheres is paramount, a Holy Site of note will draw the faithful to demonstrate its divinity.
The Roiling is a new miracle and has not attracted direct worship yet.
However, it has the interest of the faithful. The Church passed the motion ‘Solid Lightning Sacred Ground’ in Autumn 225 declaring the Roiling a blessed location of Anarch and worthy of Conviction.
Similarly, the motion to Consider this nomination passed the greater majority voting requirements. At the very least, over half the Concordian faithful believe it is worthy of consideration to be named a Holy Site.
The nature of the Fire Sprites encountered by the Academy in Spring 225 is to be considered. As beings created directly by the Sphere of Anarch, are they among the faithful? Do they worship the Roiling which birthed them? These answers require investigation before judgement but are worthy of consideration for the future of the site.
The Argument
By our criteria The Roiling meets five, if not six, requirements to be declared a Holy Site. But to represent Anarch it must have produced and promise positive change. And what questions does this miracle pose to our understanding of the faith?
I argue that beyond the factual criteria we must assure of Holy sites, that of Miraculous, Glorious, Infused, Chosen, Observatory, Graven and Faithful, The Roiling also represents the Anarch tenet of growth through change.
Its creation burnt away the Lost Plane, cleansed the wasteland and brought the Spheres back. The Idrian’s research was destroyed, preventing further heresy and replacing it with a Spheric miracle. The damage of the Senator who sold the Land was repaired by the new one who cleansed it. All of this met the pleas of the Al’Mai, their secession was a result of the heresy and it’s undoing was key in their reconciliation. The war against Aprivano in Mukarrem continues to be supported by Al’Mai scouts who remember this action. Where now there is uncontrolled change in the Roiling’s Chaos, we have the chance to direct it to something that benefits us. I was not martyred in its creation and empowered by its fire I now seek to improve our understanding of the Spheres through this study. This blessing legitimises the Concord’s capacity for miracles, the worthiness of our Concordian Church of the Divine Spheres.
Declaring the Roiling a Holy Site is not the end of this discussion, it is the beginning of the next. To continue down this path would be to investigate and consecrate the site, choosing to make positive change by learning from The Roiling rather than letting it burn without purpose. Regardless of what stance we take today, The Roiling will exist tomorrow and will continue to do so regardless of whatever inaction we take.
To deny The Roiling as a Holy Site is to deny that fire which warms the blind will still cast light.
This leads us to the future of The Roiling and some considerations should we declare it a Holy Site.
It can be traced back to splitting from the Church of Artebazzan An Eternal was perceived on its creation It has created life.
The Tenets of our Church are still based on the Church of Artebazzan and the miracles and relics within, including Nicolo’s Window. The Council of Six has declared its intention in splitting from the Church, that being its association with the Artebazzani Empire and the schism being blessed by visiting Heralds. We should acknowledge that the direct intervention of The Firebrand as a result of this schism lead to this miracle and the observation of an Eternal in Mukarrem. For the creation of our Church to have been a positive change from Artebazzani Doctrine, we must establish our own canon and faith based on Concordian miracles. Perhaps this is our own mirror to mirror the mirror in Artebazzan? Without further investigation we cannot be sure, but declaring the Roiling a Holy Site is not the end of this discussion, it is the beginning of the next.
And of the creation of the Fire Sprites. This is a miracle of life. What does this mean for our knowledge of the Spheres and our souls? Are they Spheric beings like the Dead Reckoner? Do they have souls? Can we be reborn as one? Perhaps a form of Grace? Are they creations of the Spheres that exist elsewhere in the Mortal Sphere or is the Concord chosen? The nature of humanity has been challenged by their existence and I urge the Council of Six, the Concordian Church and the faithful to explore this possibility and of the continued establishment of the Concordian Faith.
The Roiling is. Its future is ours to decide.
Anarch willing, see our change and forgive our blights and failings.
Daud El’Priado Del’Anarch Al’Sabre Priest of Anarch, Janissary of Priado Reborn in fire