The Voice of Kelaksha

'Stand beneath the moons and stars. Feel the spirit of the great serpent. Feel its rage at the world's follies. Feel the actions of the Great Plan' - Voice of Kelaksha

The great wyrm, Kelaksha was the 'First One' or so their name says. Myth and legend tell the Lizard Queen birthed the great Kelaksha, a demi-god of incredible power, who obliterated their enemies and cared for the Lizard Queen's descendants before perishing in the great war against the outsiders in the Age of Desolation.

The power of this great wyrm is legendary and it is seen as a protector and leader of the Kylithotal Empire, serving as their deity. With the creature's death one was chosen to follow as caretaker and leader of the great empire and their denizens. However, it was blasphemy for any to usurp the position of their deity as none could truly replace its magnificence, so those that followed simply became 'The Voice of Kelaksha', speaking the words of the great wyrm and communing with its spirit to understand its 'Great Plan'.

Appointment

Every 11 years the Wyrm Comet enters the sky, its trail spiralling behind it like that of the great Kaleksha. On this day the veil between their world and the realm of their god's spirit is thinner and it is able to influence small events in the material world during that time. This period of time, which lasts a week, is when a new Voice is chosen to represent it. The ceremony begins upon the great temple of Yinx on day 1 of the comet and all the High Priests of the temple, Commanders of the Army, Emperor and current Voice embark upon an expedition to reach the source of the Coilfang River within the Spine of Kelak. A sacred place for their people. They must reach the temple before the 7th and last day of the comet's coming.

Here they enter the temple without their guards and procession and stand around the star chamber at the temple's heart. The light from the comet filters down and the great spirit of Kelak shifts the beam of light towards the high priest that is to be chosen as the next Voice, or towards the current voice to continue their reign if they have pleased Kelak thus far. The procession then leaves the temple and returns to Yinx along the Coilfang River, announcing the new of the new Voice on their journey.

Duties

The duties of the Voice are varied and are usually carried out in private before being communicated to the believers and citizens beyond. On the religious holidays, they perform public rites to the citizenry and any can attend their great festivals. The general duties involved:

• Communing with Kelak and understanding the vision for his Great Plan.
• Establishing steps for the Great Plan and conferring with the Emperor to see them carried out.
• Ministering to the saurians of the Empire on yearly tours.
• Seeing to the maintenance of the holy city of Teotithan.
• Performing public rites on the great holidays.
• Protect the souls of the populace from interference and corruption.
• Managing the high priests and followers within the temple.
• Displaying and maintaining mastery of magics.

Most Voices of Kelaksha spend little time in public as their duties keep them busy, and when it is the Emperor he must find a way to combine his management of the kingdom with Kelak's vision of the 'Great Plan'.

Power

The Voice is held in the highest esteem by the loyal of Kelak. They command their own guards, disciples, spellcasters and have complete authority within the temples and upon holy periods in the calendar. The power they wield is one of the reasons why the Emperor has held this title for many millennia, as a Voice not in line with the Emperor's policies can cause a schism in the power structure of the saurians. This can lead to split factions with opposing views and a fractured society.

It is rare, but not unheard of for the leaders of the army or heroes to be chosen as the Voice of Kelak. This is usually the case when military might is needed and special campaigns are underway. This 'Voice' usually spends their time on the front lines of battles and stirs the hearts and minds of all those fighting with magical auras beyond understanding. It also inspires many of the believers to join the campaigns and takes the Kylithotal Empire in a very miliitaristic direction for the duration of their appointment.

A Tale of Venya

Learn more about the world, its history and the factions here.

The Tale of the Lizard Queen

The myth of the Lizard Queen is known across Lenwir, though within the Kylithotal Empire it is not a tale, but a matter of history. It tells the tale of the birth of their race and that of the great serpent Kelaksha. In the myth the Lizard Queen escapes the oppressive life of the Szenth, a kingdom of snake beings, and flees with the clutch of her eggs, journeying across the world to find a home for her new race, only to be shunned by other races. Eventually, she arrives at the magical falls of Yinx and births her first child, Kelaksha, who brings destruction to the Szenth.

Xieyin Island