Posts From a Long Winded Gamer

Dungeons and Dragons 5e, GURPS, Solo Gaming, Solo RPG, D&D

The Eternal Mandate-Faith of an Empire

The Eternal Mandate: The Faith of the Eastern Men

(A religion of order, divine rule, and cosmic duty, rooted in the same creation myth but with vastly different interpretations.)

I. Who Do They Worship?

The Eternal Mandate holds that the Gods are not simply beings to be revered, but the architects of cosmic order. Unlike the faith of the Northern and Western Men, the Eastern Men do not see the Gods as distant rulers or warrior-kings, but rather as manifestations of the world’s natural laws—keepers of harmony and balance. The Emperor, ruling by divine right, is seen as their earthly vessel.

The Four Pillars of Divinity

  • The Celestial Emperor (Auron-Kai) – God of Kingship, Order, and the Eternal Mandate.
    • The supreme force of law, justice, and stability. He represents the unbroken line of rulers who guide civilization.
    • The Emperor himself is seen as his earthly avatar, making rule an act of divine will.
  • The Earth-Mother (Sira-Nai) – Goddess of Fertility, Prosperity, and the Land.
    • The embodiment of agriculture, family, and the cycle of life.
    • Farmers, merchants, and laborers invoke her name for bountiful harvests and prosperity.
  • The Iron Guardian (Maru-Van) – God of War, Discipline, and Unyielding Will.
    • The patron of soldiers, generals, and those who uphold law through steel.
    • Unlike the warrior-deities of the North, he values duty over personal glory—to fight is not for self, but for empire.
  • The Silent Watcher (Yshen-Tor) – God of Death, Judgment, and the Afterlife.
    • Keeper of the Celestial Bureaucracy, where souls are judged and assigned their fate.
    • Unlike the Western belief in direct ascension to the stars, Eastern Men believe souls are reincarnated according to their deeds, moving up or down the cosmic hierarchy.

Additionally, there are hundreds of saints, ascended emperors, and divine spirits, all acting as intermediaries between mortals and the gods.

II. What Are Their Tenets?

The Eternal Mandate is built on five sacred laws, dictating the roles of all living things in the cosmos.

  1. The World is a Hierarchy. The Gods placed all beings in a structured order—Emperors rule, soldiers fight, farmers labor, and each must fulfill their role.
  2. Honor the Mandate. The Emperor, as the chosen of Auron-Kai, rules with divine authority. To oppose him is to oppose the Gods.
  3. Discipline is the Path to Enlightenment. A life of strict order, self-restraint, and devotion leads to ascension in the next life.
  4. The Soul is Reforged, Not Lost. Good lives are reborn into higher forms, while dishonor brings degradation. The ultimate goal is transcendence beyond reincarnation.
  5. The Empire is the World. The Eastern Empire is the center of civilization; all outside it are lost or corrupted.

This belief system reinforces feudal hierarchy, absolute obedience, and the Emperor’s divine right to rule.

III. How Do They Worship?

  • Worship is ritualistic and highly structured, performed by priests, officials, and scholars.
  • Public devotion takes place in temples and state ceremonies, reinforcing loyalty to both faith and empire.
  • Offerings of incense, rice, and silver are made at shrines, symbolizing purity and devotion.
  • Meditation, recitation of prayers, and calligraphy are forms of daily worship.
  • Ancestor veneration is essential—departed family members are believed to influence the world and help guide their descendants.
  • The Emperor himself leads the holiest rituals, his rule a direct manifestation of divine will.

Unlike the boisterous rites of the North or the solemn masses of the West, the Eastern faith is ceremonial, structured, and highly intellectual, focusing on law, order, and duty.

IV. Who Is Their Leader?

  • The Emperor is the highest religious figure, seen as the living vessel of Auron-Kai.
  • Beneath him, the Celestial Bureaucracy manages religious affairs, composed of Grand Hierophants, Temple-Scribes, and Ritual Overseers.
  • Local temples are led by Mandated Priests, who are trained from childhood in sacred doctrine.
  • Unlike the decentralized Northern faith, the Church and State are one, with priestly scholars overseeing law, education, and governance.

V. Where Do They Worship?

  • The Grand Temple of the Celestial Emperor, a massive palace-shrine at the heart of the capital, where the Emperor communes with the Gods.
  • Regional Temples, vast halls of stone and bronze, where sacred texts are read aloud daily.
  • Ancestor Shrines in every household, where families burn incense and leave offerings to their departed kin.
  • Military Bastions double as holy sites, where soldiers swear oaths under the gaze of Maru-Van.
  • Mountaintop Monasteries house the most devout scholars, who seek enlightenment through study.

Unlike the warrior shrines of the North or the grand cathedrals of the West, Eastern temples are vast bureaucratic centers, where prayer, law, and governance intertwine.

VI. What Holy Days Do They Celebrate?

Shared Empire-Wide Holy Days

  • The Emperor’s Coronation – A once-in-a-lifetime sacred event, reaffirming the Mandate’s divine legitimacy.
  • The Festival of the Mandate – Celebrates the unity of the empire with processions, feasts, and public displays of devotion.
  • The Day of Ancestral Reckoning – A solemn time where families seek the guidance of their ancestors and make offerings.

Regional and Caste-Based Holy Days

  • The Warrior’s Oath – A sacred day where soldiers and knights swear loyalty before the altars of Maru-Van.
  • The High Harvest – A festival of Sira-Nai, celebrating fertility and prosperity.
  • The Cycle of Souls – A day when monks and scholars contemplate the nature of reincarnation, guiding lost spirits to their next life.

Unlike the battle-feasts of the North or the chivalric masses of the West, Eastern holy days are tied to the empire’s structure, ensuring harmony and duty.

VII. What Makes Them Unique?

  1. The Emperor is Divine. Unlike Northern and Western Men, who see rulers as chosen by the Gods, the Eastern Men see their Emperor as a living manifestation of divinity.
  2. The Faith and the Empire are One. There is no distinction between state and religion; all law is sacred law.
  3. Souls Are Reborn, Not Rewarded. Instead of a final judgment, Eastern Men believe in reincarnation, where good lives lead to ascension and sinful lives to rebirth as lowly creatures.
  4. Worship is a Duty, Not a Choice. Unlike the Northern warrior-priests or the Western knight-monks, religious practice is mandatory, ingrained in daily life.
  5. Ancestor Veneration is Paramount. The spirits of the dead are active forces in the world, requiring honor and offerings to ensure prosperity.