Hallowed Writ

This is the holy book of The Iron Creed . It was written by the hero Veler himself, telling of his experiences and learning of the two Gods, Ethos and Ydall, and the truth of what the Burn is. Following that are his values, and how to live well. It was, in this rudimentary form, taken by the founders of the Creed who adapted it with many creative liberties and expanded the work over the following centuries in small incremental changes. New stories were added, and translations occurred as language changed.

Prominent Commandments

• You shall worship no false Gods
• Remember the Rest of Veler and hold his sacrifice in your heart
• Thou shalt not murder
• Thou shalt not steal from holy men
• Thou shalt not let others fall to sin (greed, lust, etc)
• Thou shall follow the House of Glore
• You shall thank the Burn when storm rages
• Only in holy marriage may children come forth
• Nothing can reach the heaven without Ethos' blessing unless it reaches down to Hell
• When you wish someone farewell, you say 'God be with you' (goodbye)

BOOKS OF THE HALLOWED WRIT

The Hallowed Writ (Hallow) is divided up into several books of varying kinds, ranging from Gospels, Acts, Letters, General Epistles, and Revelations. These are detailed below with some excerpts of each. There are eleven books in total in the newly created Ivory Edition of the Hallow. The Holy number of Veler and the Iron Creed.

Books of Law - Lexis

Emergence

The Law of the physical world through a history of the creation of Vaskeer and the Ivory Wall. Tells the tale of the warring brothers of Life and Death, Ydall and Ethos, and the destruction of the world. Written by Veler himself before his Rest. Below is an excerpt from Emergence.

"In the beginning, the world was balanced. Life and Death waxed like Sun and Moon¹. Peoples thrived. Nature boomed. All was well. But Ydall, God of Life created too much. Consumed by His own greed, the God sought to constantly best his past creations. He was not content with mankind, and with beasts and plants. He sought the creation of the ultimate lifeform in His own image. His horrible creations were of Evil. They are of pure wrath, bent on complete destruction. They are sin incarnate. Jealousy, lust, greed. Ethos, God of Death, created the Ivory Wall to protect the people of Vaskeer from the wrath of his brother, Ydall. Within the Wall, Ethos saved the physical world, with mountains and rivers, forests and deserts, and all manner of creatures to inhabit them.
Ethos loved Ydall's greatest creation: man. He sacrificed his Holy self to give them light in their darkest hour. The Burn. A final chance to reclaim the land lost. Ydall, in his mindless greed, was more powerful than Ethos. So Ethos entrusted the future to mankind. Ethos left his brother, and Ydall was consumed by his own children. His creations ripped him into millions of pieces and consumed his flesh, gaining his power of life and multiplying to overrun the world. All that remains in Vaskeer. Beneath Ethos' hopeful light mankind turned against each other. In their lust for power and dominion, they spilled blood and committed atrocities with their own hands against one another.
And so, Ethos saw that the land he had saved was stained with the blood of the innocent, and he wept. He took the souls of the dead into his embrace, and gave them a new purpose, so that they could no longer be killed by the hands of others. They would instead bring salvation.
And, through the Soul Logic², Ethos spoke to the people of Vaskeer, saying, 'Behold, the souls of the dead have been given new life, and they shall dwell forever within the Burn. It is unclean to kill with your own hands, for it is the greatest of sins. Let the souls of the dead bear witness to this truth, and let it be known throughout the land.'"

1. The Sun and the Moon are names of strange circles in the sky that can no longer be seen from Vaskeer. All that remains known of these two Gods is that one represented day, and one night and the darkness it brought. The philosophers of the Iron Kingdom during the Triumvirate Era put together that this 'Sun' of light is what shone brightly behind the Burn during the day, providing yellow light that washed the Burn into a dark red. Nothing is known about this 'Moon'. 2. The Soul Logic is Ethos' will manifest. When one dies, their soul rises toward the Burn to join in His Holy purpose, but if they were slain by bloody hands they are absorbed into the killer, to torture them from within.

Ferrum Lexis - Exodus and Leviticus -

The laws of Ethos imposed on His followers that are told to Veler. also written by Veler.

1. "In the beginning, there was only death. The darkness roamed free, and the monsters that dwell within it threatened to consume all that is good and pure."
2. "And Ydall, God of Life, in his madness, created the beasts that ravaged the world. But Ethos, in his mercy, created the Burn to purify the land."
3. "And the people cried out to Ethos, God of Death, for salvation. And Ethos answered, raising the Ivory Wall to protect them from the horrors beyond. And in doing so, he sacrificed himself to save us all."
4. "And Ydall, the god of life, saw the wickedness of his creations and was filled with sorrow. And so he unleashed his fury upon the world, causing a great cataclysm that threatened to destroy all that they had built.
5. "But in Ethos' absence, Ydall, the God of Life, was consumed by the monsters that now roam the land outside the Wall. It is only through the power of the Burn, fueled by the souls of the righteous, that we may one day defeat these monsters and reclaim our world."
6. "In the beginning, there was only darkness and chaos, and the land was barren and desolate. But then came Ethos, the god of death, who brought order to the world and raised the Ivory Wall to protect his children from the horrors beyond."
7. "And Ethos said, 'Let there be light,' and the Burn appeared in the sky, shining like a beacon of hope for all who would follow him. And so it was that the Burn became the gateway to paradise, the path to salvation."
8. "And in this world of darkness and despair, there is one beacon of hope: Veler, the Tempest, who wrote this book and saved us all. He spoke to Ethos himself and was granted the knowledge to guide us through these troubled times."
9. "Let us look to the Burn as a symbol of hope and a reminder of our ultimate goal: to join our souls with those of the righteous and ascend to the heavens, where we may dwell in eternal peace and glory."
10. "As it is written in the Book of Veler: 'Blessed are the faithful, for they shall inherit the Burn. Blessed are the righteous, for they shall be rewarded with eternal life. And cursed are the monsters, for they shall be cast out into the darkness forevermore.'"
11. "Blessed are the followers of the Iron Creed, for they shall inherit the kingdom of Ethos. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see the Burn. Blessed are the meek, for they shall be raised up by the Tempest."
12. "And Veler, the Tempest, spoke to Ethos, saying, 'Lord, how can we defeat the monsters that threaten our world?' And Ethos replied, 'I will give you the power to raise the Burn to its full potential, so that it may smite our enemies and purify the land.'"
13. "As it is written in the Book of Veler, 'Do not fear the darkness, for it is only the absence of light. And where there is light, there is always hope. So let us follow Ethos, the god of death, and trust in his plan for our salvation.'"
14. "And Veler said to the people, 'Behold the Burn, for it is the light of Ethos and the source of our strength. Let us honor it and follow its guidance, so that we may be saved from the darkness forevermore.'"
15. "And Veler, the Tempest, walked with Ethos and communed with him. And Ethos spoke to him, revealing the secrets of the Burn and the Ivory Wall."
16. "And Veler wrote the Hallowed Writ, spreading the word of Ethos and the truth of the world beyond the Wall. And the people of the Iron Empire were saved by their faith in Ethos and the Burn."
17. "And the followers of the Iron Creed looked upon the Burn and saw their salvation. And they knew that, in death, they would ascend to the Burn and be cleansed of all sin."
18. "And Veler spoke to the people, saying: 'Believe in the Burn, and you shall be saved. Trust in Ethos, and you shall have eternal life.'"
19. "And the Ivory Wall stood tall, a monument to the power of Ethos and the faith of his followers. And the Burn shone bright, a beacon of hope for all who looked upon it."
20. "And the monsters outside the Wall trembled in fear, knowing that the power of Ethos and the Burn would one day come for them. And they knew that their time was running out."

Novus Imperialis -

A relatively new addition to the Holy Tome, added at the end of the Burning War by the Last King to account for Holy Laws for the newly forged Empire. Within Novus Imperialis are the differences between Ironers, Highlanders, and Emberlings. Laws of Necrosects and consistent prayer, and more.

Books of History

Ludovicus

A tale from the first 100 years of Vaskeer during the Blood Age following Ludovicus.

Casonius

A tale from the second 100 years of Vaskeer during the Blood Age following Casonius.

Veler - The Yellow Campaign

A personal Book of Veler, the Tempest, himself. His conversations with Ethos and experiences in the Yellow Campaign, fighting Ydall's creations. 'Blessed are the faithful, for they shall inherit the Burn. Blessed are the righteous, for they shall be rewarded with eternal life. And cursed are the monsters, for they shall be cast out into the darkness forevermore.'

Glorius

A diary-style book written by Glorius, detailing his rule. It details the creation of the original Iron Kingdom and all Glorius hoped it would one day become, a single power ruling over all of Vaskeer, ensuring peace and prosperity to all loyal followers. It also tales the raising of, and migration to, Old Iron.

The Hallowed House

A series of tales of the Kings and Emperors of House Glore from the end of the Triumvirate Era, beginning with King Paramonus, the Settler all the way to the most recent Emperor Leocius, the Ivory (in the recent Ivory edition). Tells tales of woe and strife, alongside life lessons through this historical figures.

Books of Song

1. Song of Ethos
2. Song of Aethelrin
3. Words of the Soul - channeled through the writer Witness Marchelus, who later founds House Walmar.

Item type

Book / Document

Creation Date

1 Ethosian 211AW

Owning Organization

The Iron Creed