A Look Into The Mercuvian Army
Written by Kalith Jartuk, of Tyranoth. No date was mentioned, but as Kalith was born in 541AR, entered the church in 562AR, and died in 568AR, we assume that it was penned sometime between 563 and 568AR.
An interesting note is that, unlike the rest of the religions, the faith of Mercu does not contain a holy book (followers of Thanatos also have no set book, but as they have access to the knowledge of Thanatos himself, their holy book is everything ever written).
P. Nairn, University of Tyranoth.
We are the enforcers of Mercu's will. We are the flames that burn the wickedness away before him. Through our might and conviction shall the world see the light of the King of the Inferno. We are his children. We are his followers. We are the Zealots of Mercu.
Kalith Jartuk, steadfast sword in the service of the Fire God, Mercu.
Walking Through Fire:
As the fire struggles for supremacy and dominance over the other elements, we, the Zealots of Mercu, struggle for supremacy and dominance of ourselves and our world around us. We are often called "religious extremists", and, as it has been said, "take things too far." But they do not know the brilliance of our inner flames which consume us, driving us forward in the name of Mercu.
We garb ourselves with sharpened steel at all times, ready to surge forth into the heat of battle at any moment. Our lives are meaningless if we do not arm ourselves with conviction. We follow a path that is lit by the blazing pyres of the unfaithful, of those who cannot withstand the mighty heat of Mercu.
The first commandment of our faith is unswerving DISCIPLINE. Without discipline, the fire that burns within and without will consume us with no mercy. Without discipline, we are nothing but mere beasts, an affront to our Lord. Through harsh preparation of the mind and the body, we attain and maintain discipline, so that our thoughts and our reactions be as quick as flames through a forest.
PASSION is the inner fire that is our core, our centre of being. To act in any manner without passion is to deny the conflagration that is our gift from Mercu. Passion is how we show our love, and how we express our devotion, to Lord Mercu.
As fire purifies, so too must we, the Zealots of Mercu, at all times maintain PURITY. To be impure is to be less in the eyes of Mercu. We purify ourselves, and we purify that which surrounds us. To purify ourselves, we strip away all things that keep us chained to the sin of impurity. The physical is destroyed in cleansing fire. The mental is destroyed by the searing strength of our discipline.
It is said that we, the Zealots of Mercu, destroy unnecessarily. This is not so. To destroy the old is to make way for the new. Through flame and sacrifice, we purify Fou Lu, and from the ashes are things reborn to pave the way to tomorrow.
To STRUGGLE is to live. To struggle is to know that our fire burns yet. To keep our flame burning, and let it idle and die, we fight, or we practice our fighting, so that we remain focused, and with direction.
As the province of war rests within the dominion of our Lord, we must remain armed at all times while upon temple grounds. To tread on holy land without a weapon is to blaspheme against Mercu, and sinners will be dealt with accordingly by the holy flame. Also, as war is the realm of men, so shall men be the voices of Mercu. Women shall not lead the congregations of the faithful, but be participants under the eyes of man.
Praise Be to the Flame!:
During the Summer Solstice, we, the Zealots of Mercu, come together to worship Mercu within full sight of Helios, his child. During this time, we feast upon the fruits of Fou Lu. Hymns and poems are read to praise Mercu, while contests of arms are held before those who feast, the combatants giving their all to show their devotion to Mercu. The finale of the festival involves us cutting our hands and letting our blood mingle within a crucible, and from within shall rise a creature of fire to our call, to feast on our combined blood and carry the warmth within back to Mercu.
In the House of Our Lord:
Color, products of the holy light of Mercu, shall be used to explain the place where we, the Zealots of Mercu, worship.
Purple: The bridge which grants entry to the House of Mercu. Known as the Cleansing Walk, the bridge is situated over perpetually burning coals.
Dark Blue: The Furnace, this is the hall where we, the faithful, gather and give praise unto Mercu.
Light Blue/Red: The Arena, where battle takes place to show our strength of arms to Mercu. The red lining the room are pits of blazing coal, where the loser of the encounter is cast into in order to feel Mercu's displeasure, but it also serves to encourage the loser to burn brighter then before.
Light Green: The Dungeon, where sinners are cast into to repent for their sins. Depending on the sin, mere reflection will be added to by physical torture. Pain shall purify the wicked.
Yellow/Dark Red: The holiest place of the temple, this is the Pyre, where burns flames lit by Mercu's own hand. This fire is the centre of the temple, and should it ever burn out, the temple is forsaken, and listed as a place of wickedness.
Black: The Sanctuary, where stands the statue of Mercu in all his blazing glory.
Dark Green: The schoolroom of the temple, where the brothers that are attached to the temple learn the ways of fire, purification, and warfare, so that they may go forth and teach these things unto others. We also are taught the art of the flame, as flame is as beauty as it is deadly.
Grey: The living quarters of the brothers of the temple.
