Ksarul

Ksarul is the Tsolyani god of secrets, mysteries and magic. Like all Tsolyani deities his religion is a complex business with 62 different recognised aspects (plus a few local ones), a close relation ship with his 'cohort' Gruganu and his 27 aspects.

Ksarul goes by numerous epithets; the most common is 'The Doomed Prince of the Blue Room', alluding to his aeons long imprisonment in a room hung with deep blue curtains, permnanently asleep, surrounded by ten impregnable magical walls. Even in this comatose state Ksarul is a mighty god.

Philosophy

The keynote of the religion is mystery. Believers accept that the 'Outer Doctrines' as taught to lay members are essentially false, and that as a priest rises within the temple more and more of the true 'Inner Doctrines' are revealed to him. What consitutes real promotion in the temple is complicated by the presence of three major mutally mistrustful sects and the presence of the secret 'Inner Sphere', the membership of which is unknown and which directs the actions of the temple through secret meetings and subtle pressures.

The Temple of Ksarul operates on a paradox - everyone is expected to behave with utter faith and sincerity, doing what their higher ups tell them is the will of the Doomed Prince at all times and without question, while at the same time making it perfectly clear members of it's clergy are not only expected to tell lies to those below them in the hierarchy, it is their religious duty to do so.

This is Zen Stalinism, deliberate belief in a dictatorship that you know is lying to you, in order to gain sufficient knoweldge and power to become a liar yourself. Add to that the fact that there are several different interpretations of what the will of the Doomed Prince actually is, and that it is difficult to know precisely who your superiors are when the most important ones - the Inner Sphere - lurk within the temple as spies on their own people.

Never, ever question whether a superior is telling you the truth. He is probably lying and certainly keeping various salient facts from you, possibly for your own good, possibly not, but never come right out and say it to their face, or even subtly imply that you do not trust the smilling goon as far as you can throw him/her. However Ksarulites are not gullible, far from it, the religion values intelligence (as opposed to wisdom, the domain of Thumis). And thus it is common practice among Ksarulites to steal from each other, use spying and blackmail and any number of underhand tricks to ensure they are as fully informed as they can be and are on any conspiratorial cabal pissing out, rather than being one of the duped.

Of course all temples are like this to some extent (even those snivelling Thumis wimps) but with the Ksarulites it is tacitly accepted, and a follower caught in the act of any number of petty treacheries and misdemeanours will get off comparatively lightly - and might even be marked for promotion as being a person with a bit of flair and ambition and a suitably change deity attitude to stuffy stablity-favoured things like precedent and hierarchy.

Ksarulite Worship

Ksarul is very much a deity of night and darkness; his daily worship begins with The Ceremony of the Opening of the Dark which occurs at sunset. Processionals and the sounding of Tunkul-gongs announce the onset of Ksarul's Dominion of the Night.

Once full dark has occurred, The Awakening in Azure is observed.

At midnight, Victory of the Master of the Planets celebrates the full victory of Lord Ksarul over the whole universe, which will occur at the End of Time

Just before dawn, The End of the Rule of Night announces the temporary retreat before the light of Lord Hnalla, but also affirms the inevitable return of Ksarul's might, just as night follows day.

(See Mitlanyal Vol 2)

The result is that most of the temple staff are effectively nocturnal; only a shift of temple guards and those priests responsible for teaching lay members' children are awake during much of the day.

Priests of Ksarul wear black robes with silver masks depicting the balndly smiling and freindly face of their deity, and sqaure mortarboard like head-dresses, female priests have black wooden masks of the same kind. This kit is stiflingly hot, and unless they are attending a ceremony most priests will just wear the hat with a black and deep blue collar and a black kilt with a silver belt. Unlike priests of other religions Ksarulites do not wear insignia depicitng their Circle rank; you often have no idea if you are talking to a junior clerk or a temple commandant, and given the vagaries of the Inner Sphere system the junior clerk may in fact have more authority.

Sects of Ksarul

There are three major sects within the temple; the reasonably open Society of the Blue Light, the ultra secretive Refulgent Blue Curtain Society which dominates in Tumissa and the Chakan provinces and the feared Ndalu society which conspires to gain greater political power for the temple. (See the Temple of Ksarul netbook and Mitlanyal Vol 2 for furtehr details.)

There are numerous lesser sects, two of which are detailed below.

Cartographers of the Luminous Pylon

Stalkers of the Indigo Night