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@claire-h

Hmm. Melodos… do I detect a certain tinge of Tolkien / Psalmic inspiration? (Tolkien’s creation story for Middle Earth – the First and Second Music…)

Old Testament! 😀 A bold place to go. No seriously, that’s a hearty undertaking, but a very interesting place to dwell for a fantasy story – a place and time when the world was mysterious and humans were not so brazen as to say there were no gods.

I really, really, really like the sorts of questions you’re asking for your setting and the religion. So many layers to dig into!

So, if the “true faith” is in the minority, what is the broader kingdom of Faran? Is it more representative of the “chosen people” or is it like Persia under Darius? Is there a “chosen people” or does the true faith come from afar? Is it a tolerated minority, are they treated as second-class, or are they openly persecuted?

If you go with it being more like the Kingdom of Israel, you could potentially make some very interesting connections between the mistreatment of the “true faith” in your world / the OT and the way that orthodox Christianity can be quite unpopular in modern ‘chic’ circles. Perhaps even allusions between the multiplicity of pagan gods and the ways that humanity these days still worships material entities, even if we don’t necessarily call them gods.

(I love playing around with cosmic concepts and world-building – I’d be plenty happy to shoot the wind with you on this if you like).

Song Warden Powers:

You could let their powers be variable depending on their calling. A prophetic wizard-bard – some have the music of healing, others the lyrics of battle and courage, others the dirge of doom and wrath, maybe? Maybe the Book of Judges could yield some inspiration for different Song Wardens? After all, the Judges were basically God’s chosen men for leading the Jewish people between the time of Joshua and Samuel, and some of them accomplished some pretty incredible things.

The Cult:

Hmm. I would think the wicked cult ought to be quite seductive.  And yet power must always have a price… Perhaps the demons are not so picky about who gives up their eyes, as long as they get someone’s?

I am actually in a similar pickle regarding the magic / cosmology of Rest for the Wicked. Sorcerers are born with the power to see the spiritual world – hence why they can read minds – but anything beyond reading thoughts and making mental suggestions requires a supernatural level of power. Most sorcerers take the easy route of consorting with demons, carrying out corruptive acts and serving as a demonic vessel in exchange for power, prestige, and prosperity. A few sorcerers turn to God to put their talents to work for His glory, but His path is not a popular one; “Birds have nests and foxes have dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Moreover, God’s plan does not always see empowering sorcerers as the best way to advance His Will. Serving Him well requires a great deal of humility – something that most sorcerers struggle with, given their powers.

But what exactly the cost of consorting with demons is, beyond eternal condemnation – I don’t know. 😐

 

Religion in Rest for the Wicked:

Well, it’s set in early 15th century Europe, in the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern Czech Republic), during the Hussite Wars. The gist of that: Jan Hus was an early church reformer who insisted that communion must be administered in two kinds – that is, the laity must receive both the bread and the wine. Common Catholic practice at the time was for the priest to receive the wine, but the laity would receive only the bread. For this, he was burned at the stake in 1415, outraging his many followers in Bohemia, called the Hussites.

So, the religion is Roman Catholicism (Christianity) versus Hussitic Christianity, their primary points of difference being 1) Communion, 2) Clerical Poverty, 3) Freedom of Preaching (no more priest burnings), 4) legal punishment for mortal sins (Hussites wanted to go OT on incorrigible thieves, prostitutes, adulterers, blasphemers, etc.)

So in one sense I get a pass on creating a new religion, but on the other hand I now have an extra obligation to be accurate and truthful in the interpretation of our real world faith, so… 😛

The Countess is nominally Catholic, being “loyal” to the Holy Roman Empire, King Sigismund II of Hungary, and the papacy (Pope Martin V at the time). However, she is also tolerant of Hussitism, mainly because she’s just trying to stay in power and not get invaded by either side.

Myrrha was raised by Hussites, after a fashion – suffice to say, her mom and dad were not normal people, and neither was the community she grew up in.

 

😀 I’m honored!
I’ll put the link to the story below for you, and any and all who wish to read it.

Hearts and Minds

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aVKViV2lesGGNSYi5S5UQkjBg4Naxha-3f80Y0zP5z0/edit?usp=sharing