Edict of Treiur

Introduction
The Edict of Treiur was a law passed in the Kingdom of Theios-Essukdal by Ningal MisticCrafter Audalad on March 27th, which legalized the Red Cult religion. The basis for the legalization was the official viewing of the Red Cult as "Trieur Worship", or in other words worship of the Patron Angel Trieur within Theiosism. The view persuaded the government of Theios-Essukdal to officialize itself and was popularized after the publication of the essay "On Trieur and The Red Cult" which was written by the theologian and Domestikos of Theios-Essukdal Harbardr.

A view of the Edict of Trieur signed by Ningal Mistic Audalad:

On Treiur and The Red Cult Essay
The history of the Red Cult is one shrouded in mystery and secrecy, even to those present for the founding of Urnu-Arrak on the remains of the ancient geshemi settlement. While much is lost to history, and much of what remains is apocryphal, some key events can be said with certainty: that the ancient Geshemi engaged in some kind of Sun Worship, and that they were converted to the worship of the blood god by Nabiin after he found “Liber Sanguinis,” and that the series of beliefs and rituals the followers of Nabiin engaged in would become known as “The Red Cult.”

While many of the Red Cult’s rituals and practices would be considered immoral or heretical to the faithful of today, The Blood God is a true divine being, though he is not a “god.” By studying the ancient texts of both Theiosism and The Red Cult, it can be said with certainty that The Blood God is none other than the archangel of Theios, Treiur.

The History of the Geshemi

The Geshemi are known as the natives of Alteniquia, but their history goes much further back. According to their own account, they were once known as the Gesei, and lived in the mesa of Ardat Mosul, but when their leader assassinated the young Caliph of Ardat Mosul, they were banished and wandered Rathnir as a nomadic people. Once in exile, the last of their royal line dies, and power falls to a council of elders. Then, after 400 years of wandering, they settled by the Sea of Pearls and founded the city of Hasril. By this time, they were now known as Geshemi.

The council at this time took two important actions: they established the constitution of the Geshemi, and they abolished the worship of Ardatism, their ancestral religion. They began to worship a god known as Solyrean. Scholars have been unable to find another attestation of a god by that name, or any details about his lore or how he was worshiped. However, through etymological analysis, it is more than likely a version of the god Solaris. The Geshemi would have had contact with the Imperium Soleanna at that time and likely adopted their worship of the Solaris and syncretised it to their practices and beliefs of Astar Mor, a solar god of Ardatism.

One of the families serving on the council was the House of Reus. They were a noble clan, but after years of war with Ardat, a great civil war known as the White War, and a great plague that wiped out 80% of their number, there was only one surviving member of the House of Reus, Nabiin. Nabiin found the book known as “Liber Sanguinis” which prompted him to abandon the worship of Solyrean in favor of a new god, The Blood God. Some Geshemi accounts equate The Blood God with Astar Mor, but this claim cannot be substantiated.

It soon comes to pass that the followers of the Red Cult gain immense power within the Geshemi nation and the worship of Solyrean is all but wiped out. Examination of the contents of the Liber Sanguinis shows that the writer had immense contempt for the sun god of the Geshemi, and wished to supplant his complacent and merciful nature with a culture of self interest and supremacy of the elite. Geshemi lore holds that after “2,000 sacrifices '' were made to The Blood God, Nabiin of Reus became immortal, though scholars believe that the name Nabiin became a title that was passed down to his descendants, thus creating the appearance of immortality in the Geshemi king list.

Some have also postulated that the word “immortality” was meant as the figurative immortality of The Blood God blessing Nabiin’s nearly extinct family with the continuation of his line. It is recorded that Nabiin changed his family name to Bois after he killed the king and the remainder of the royal family, though this has also lead some scholars to suggest that the house of Reus actually did completely disappear during the great plague, and a man of the unknown house of Bois claimed to be a descendant of Reus, though none of this can be said for certain. The lore tells us that Nabiin, or a descendant, was killed 900 years later at the hands of the Caliph of Ardat Mosul.

The Implications of the Red Cult’s Existence

If we look at the events that unfolded in the lands of the Geshemi through a Theiosist perspective we are left with a number of questions. The most striking question is, “why would Theios allow the demise of the Solyrean cult if it were analogous to his worship?” It could seem mysterious to some. After all, Theios guided His worshipers to Eccumenical union with Sakrelism because He showed them that Theios and Sakrelith are two names for the same almighty God. He has even shown those of the ancient Yimmu-Audalad religion of the Holy Sea Bird that their god was not a god but a prophet of The Creator. So we know that Theios is not dismayed when you worship Him by another name, for names are creations of men, not the Almighty.

With this in mind, though we know so little about Solyrean and his cult in the lands of the ancient Geshemi, we can be certain that Solyrean wasn’t another name for The Creator. This is to be expected, however, as what little we can know tells us that Solyrean was some mixture of ancient Ardatism, a theology who regards the sun as a demon and worships the night, and Soleannen. It most certainly would not have pleased our Almighty God.

How does Theios deal with things that are displeasing to Him? We know He does not look kindly on those who disgrace Him with false worship. How would He feel about not only a cult of false worship, but a cult claiming to represent His most holy of symbols: the light and life giving sun? The history shows the answer clear as the luminous day, He destroyed their cult of false worship, and with ruthless efficiency. Just as it says in Ataron 6: “Those who turn their backs on the words of the creator shall have the same done towards them.”

With a careful study of the details of history, the exact nature of his plan is revealed. Theios sent His mighty Archangel Treiur to cleanse the lands that He holds dear of false gods. Liber Sanguinis has this to say about the Geshemi false sun god: “Open your eyes that you may see, Oh men of mildewed minds! For I stand forth to challenge the wisdom of the Sun God, a being whom you called ‘holy.’' Those who followed the false god Solyrean were destroyed because they turned their back on the Creator. Their empire fell and a new rule was established for 900 years.

Nabiin and his descendants ruled for 900 years, if The Blood God were just a false god would Nabiin have been blessed with a great kingdom and many heirs? The worship of the Red God continued after Nabiin’s death, and many of his followers were blessed with kingdoms and wealth. How is this possible? We know that The Creator wants you to worship Him, but He does not care under what name you do so. It is only reasonable that would also extend to His Angels, extensions of His will.

Treiur, the Archangel, is the patron of soldiers and warriors, and he is depicted with a chalice filled with blood. He is a mighty angel who hates all those who disgrace Theios and brings victory to those who fight for righteousness against His enemies. It seems that the only explanation for the success and divine mercy shown to Nabiin was that he was fighting in the name of Treiur, and therefore, the name of The Creator.

It is important to note that Nabiin was not a follower of The Creator, but that the blame lies not with him. The Geshemi had only ever followed false gods and never heard the word of mighty Theios. When he discovered the inspired word of Treiur the Archangel, his soul cried out in relief; for the first time in his life he read the word of a Living God, and he mistakenly attributed divine supremacy to the only aspect of true divinity he had ever experienced.

We must seek humility in this life, for we are not the Creator and we do not know all things as He does. The work of the Red Cult in dispelling the false god of the Geshemi and replacing it with true divinity, misunderstood and incomplete as it was, made the lands of the former Yimmu-Audalad empire fertile ground in which to plant the seed of truth, the word of the True God, Theios the Creator. Though it may confuse us the way in which the Almighty works, we only have a mortal perspective, and we must trust in his plan that He will do what is best for His faithful servants.

The Red Sun (A Vision on the Road to Gebel)

A holy event in the lore of The Red Cult is the day of Red Sun. Legends tell that one day Nabiin awoke to find the sun had been dyed blood red, and saw this as a sign to bring his worship out of the shadows and into the daylight of the city. Keeping in mind what is discussed in this essay, it is interesting that the red of the Blood God mixed with the Sun, a holy symbol of our Creator. One would imagine that, if the blood god were a false god, or a god truly against the sun as the Ardatian god is, he would have darkened the sun and made daytime night, if false gods are even capable of such things. If the Blood God hated the sun so much, why did he merge with it and shine his red light down on his followers?

It was upon this thought that I pondered as I made the long journey from my home in Urnu-Arrak to the library of Gebel. In the desert north-west of Zir-Qalman, after a long day of travel, I laid down in the warm, soft sands to rest. As I drifted off into sleep, a vision appeared to me! This is what I saw:

''I stood alone in a city of low huts made of sandstone. I looked to my left and saw what I knew to be the Estate of House Bois. It was then I knew I was in Urnu-Arrak, but none of her many distinct features were there. There were no walls, no great towering buildings, nothing of the city that I know. I must be seeing a vision of the city as it had been in the past, before my kinsmen and I fled Jagdas and came to this place. I faced the north, to the Sea of Pearls, and then the landscape became enveloped in crimson red light. I turned around and saw the Red Temple, a building that would not be built for hundreds of years. At the top of the temple’s great tower a blinding red light appeared, and began to rise into the sky. Soon, my eyes adjusted, and I could make out a terrifying figure wreathed in light. In one hand he held a great golden sword and in the other a chalice that overflowed with blood. It was Treiur himself! As he rose into the sky, he flew into the sun, turning the great heavenly light blood red. It was then a great and powerful voice rang out across the city saying, “"I am one with the true God, the creator of the Sun!"''

It was then that I awoke. With this vision given to me, it leaves no doubt in my mind that The Blood God is indeed a misunderstanding of Treiur the Archangel. As it says in the book of The Epiphany: “The many gods that I once worshiped are but aspects of his Divine Will. They are His true forms and angelic servants.” If we as the faithful worship true aspects of our creator, he will not destroy us. No, in His mercy, he will show us the Truth, that what we once called “gods '' are mere aspects of the one True God, they are forms of His divinity.

What is clear to me is that Nabiin read the Liber Sanguinis and came to understand an aspect of the Creator. Often, what people read and then know in their heart of the divine is a reflection of their heart, not the heart of our creator. We must therefore reject those things that Nabiin said that do not accord with His divine will, and embrace those that do, for he did not hear the word of Theios himself, only the inspired word of Treiur in the Liber Sanguinis.

Conclusion

In The Book of Truth, our Creator says that, "I have graced the Emperors of Alteniquia. They are the temporal rulers of my earthly kingdom, Sun Emperors. Each Emperor is granted this blessing," History shows that this is the Truth. The former Empire of Yimmu-Audal reigned long and with great wealth and power for decades. In fact, it is only when they crowned a worshiper of Ardat Lili to the throne that they were destroyed in bloody conflict. Certainly it can be said that the worship of the night, and the denouncement of the sun caused a great nation to fall, but not the worship of The Blood God. If the Blood god were not a true, but imperfect, representation of our Almighty Creator, then He would not have blessed Yimmu-Audal, or the Geshemi before him, the way that he has.

So we must not shun those who once embraced the Red God, but who now see that he is a reflection of the Creator. We must not pass judgement on those who have not yet heard the word of the Prophets. For in Ataron 3-4, it is written, “For we were lost, but He has lit the path of salvation, for His mercy embraces all. And who despairs from the mercy of The Creator, except those who are astray?”