"On the Continued Worship of The Vestiges in the Land of Ezo"

Purpose

A detailed account of the various lifestyles, practices, and historical relevance of Ezo, its society, and culture in the contemporary world.

Document Structure

Clauses

Each volume of the piece explains a different piece of Ezo and Yamato culture. Volumes exists for history, the local pantheon worshiping The Vestiges, warfare throughout the years, culture throughout past and present, with the final section regarding personal views of the author on his time living in Ezo.

References

The author frequently cites the Kojiki, an ancient Ezo text that dates back to the Second Age.

Publication Status

This document is publicly available and widely distributed throughout the Orient, being a best-seller in places where it is allowed for sale. Although it is generally seen as distasteful in The Confederation, it is also still available - although less so - both as an important historical document of the region, while also used as a source for anti-Ezo propaganda by the government of The Confederation.

Historical Details

History

The Occident and the Orient are two very different spaces, now separated by the Zahren, a massive inland sea of blood that divides the continent, and isolates the small nation of Bastion, a consequence of the end of the Fifth Age. While travel across the massive landmass of the Kohlm continent was difficult before the end of the Fifth Age, it was certainly easier than present day, where ventures would require the tribulations of the dangerous travel through many distant political lands, then across the horrors of the blood sea, and then once again overland to the opposite end of the continent. Furthermore, as travel across the true ocean is incredibly dangerous due to its massive size and horrific beasts within its depths, ventures which might be more efficient are otherwise abandoned as foolish. As such, the venture is rarely taken, resulting in communication from the most distant ends of the continent being extremely rare, with information traveling very slowly over this space.
This document's value stems from its creation by a scholar of the Occident having traveled across the world to the Orient via airship, the safest means of travel. Serving alongside envoys from the west, he left his position within the royal courts to live and travel around the Orient, documenting its culture and travels from an Occidental perspective in a way that rarely left the region.

Public Reaction

The public, particularly in the Occident, reacted to this publication very favourable. Rarely was such a detailed account of distant lands presented, especially without the requirement for translation, and one that goes into as much depth and analysis as this.
In the Orient, the text was received extremely well by those in Ezo and Formosa, as the explorations of the history of the region detail both of their cultures at great length in ways only their own historians had done. Seeing their own cultures from an outside perspective allowed them to view themselves as if through a mirror, and they praised the educative experience, hoping to encourage more travel and communication with their Occidental counterparts.
The Confederation, however, finds this piece incredibly distasteful, as it supports a worldview that their government fundamentally disagrees with, as they vow for manifest destiny upon the eastern seaboard of the Orient. Opalesce also has previously questioned the publication, largely due to what they believe are inaccuracies that stem from a misunderstanding of history, although many cite that Opalesce is producing their own national bias from their cultural heritage that dates back to the Fifth Age.

Read the Document

"On the Continued Worship of The Vestiges in the Land of Ezo"

When people travel out to the west, they are undoubtedly and without inquiry going to learn of the strange, indigenous worship of strange beings known of The Vestiges. Much has been elucidated on both the worship of these celestial beings, the practices and rituals that come with the religion, as well as the unique circumstances that give rise to this belief structure in its unique capacity. Alas, much of this literature has been lost to the wild throes of time.
Moreover, in our modern age - as our entire civilization reconsiders the nuances of religious beings that exist throughout this wide universe - a renewed interest has been made to study our aboriginal circumstances as a collective society. But because the research was so often ostracized by prior academic communities, treated as frivolous or with general disdain - or even worse yet, denounced and destroyed by societies which did not approve of the proliferation of this ancient knowledge for sake of mere political capital - much of this ancient knowledge has been lost to the untold annals of oral history in distinct local communities, many of which may no longer exist.
However, however faint the existence might seem in the wider world, in the distant lands of Ezo, an excess of this knowledge not only exists in recording historical texts, as well as in oral traditions passed on from nearly 8000 years ago, but also in actual practice and teaching. While Ezo can seem quite isolating, on the far eastern seaboard of the Orient, this land of ancient people and ancient teachings is an intriguing world for intellectuals and academics who wish to study deeply in the methods and ways of our universe's heritage. [...] Ezo rises eternally as a land that seems to extend beyond time. Records show that Ezo's culture dates back to the Second Age, while many scholars argue that it would be impossible for this society not to extend back into the First Age. It would be improper to suggest that the current state of Ezo is as it has always been. As time has changed and shaped the world around us, so has Ezo been molded by it. But the malleable nature of Ezo results in its culture's resilience, and its dedication to acceptance, contemplation, and preservation means that its legacies are better protected than that of many other cultures.
Although the actual beginnings of Ezo are mere hypotheses that are hotly debated, it is generally agreed that the distinct culture formed in the kingdom of Yamato, where the denizens of modern-day Ezo take their name. Forming the greater mass of the eastern seaboard of the Orient, the Kingdom of Yamato was said to have founded on the peninsula of Honshu. This society was said to be greatly benefited both by the advent of rice farming techniques brought by merchant settlers of the west, but also by the lush oceans that bordered their nation. Through this, the Yamato Kingdom was formed, whereupon the rulers would absorb smaller clans - separated by various rivers, mountains, and other generally inaccessible areas of the Orient - into their fold. This ability to convincing enemies to join, rather than forcing them to join through conquer, has seemed to always been an inalienable trait of Ezo.
The Yamato Kingdom remained for a time that is difficult to decipher, but many suggest it lasted until the end of the Third Age or Fourth Age, during a time of great upheavel. Research into this period shows a great conflict that resulted in the fading of The Vestiges as active powers within the realm. This is at least what western research shows! In ancient Yamato lands, it is said that The Vestiges never left this realm, instead retreating to safety. Even here, written and oral tradition of the Yamato fail us, as it is unclear why The Vestiges left the world behind, and many arguments stem between factions within the shrines that worship The Vestiges as to whether this decision was wise for the original gods to proceed with.
Correlating this period with that of Occidental philosophy, it is noted that this is a time when many religious factions begin pronouncing that of the Eternia Pantheon and its coming of age. Whether the rising of the Eternia and the falling of The Vestiges are correlated events, it's clear that this was never the case in Yamato. While the Kingdom of Yamato seemed to accept the influence of the Eternia Pantheon upon Rakuen, ancient tales of The Vestiges remained a firm and prominent part of Yamato culture and religious teaching, remaining distinctly separate from the larger practices and worship throughout the space.
Documents show a similar outreach and exploration of pre-historical religions and gods began around this same period throughout world societies at large. But for reasons that cannot be explained, these ancient cosmologies were treated in many different ways. Many of these ancient cosmologies were discarded by their own societies with the passage of time; others were regarded merely as folklore or ancient legends, and assigned to their place in history; yet others were seen as outdated views that did not reflect the contemporary sphere, and simply remained as their own cultural vestige; still others were seen as problematic and outdated, and were viciously destroyed. Then still, Iryanian societies have fully adopted their prehistoric cosmologies, most notable being that of the Caliphate of Lahaf, which fully worships and believes their own pantheons, with much less influence from the outside world; furthermore can be seen with the various pantheons and interior cosmologies that exist within the Iryanian heartlands.
But while Lahaf's pantheons are well documented in their own way, The Vestiges are still actively practiced with the same rituals, presentation, and language as they always have been, a truly remarkable feat when compared to the rest of civilization.
Yamato's falling as a kingdom led Ezo into existence. Their opening of culture and blending of ideas led to more notoriety of the strange habits that only existed along the eastern seaboard, things only traders and travelers would have ever heard about prior. Even then, the lack of faith in this post-religious society meant that those still faithful to The Vestiges could now worship in peace, without interference from a government that was tolerant of their odd habits due to the cultural heritage the religion offered. It was seen as meek, almost quaint, and a reminder of the longevity of Ezo.
In our modern era, The Vestiges are still worshiped. The patient tradition of worship for The Vestiges seems to transcend time itself, and although these celestial beings seem to have little influence upon our modern world, their legacies live on through the stern, quiet practitioners of the east.

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Type

Manuscript, Historical

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

1592

Location

Ezo

Signatories (Characters)

• Princess Aiko

Signatories (Organizations)

• The Chrysanthemum Seat of the Ezo Empire