Humble Beginnings

  The monotheistic main religion, Belthos was founded in the year, A now-nameless man who served with Lilith the Champion during the Ishker War vowed to ensure her sacrifice was remembered by all and took it upon himself to transcribe her pre-battle speeches. However, the first Voelgre Fever outbreak struck, and he died of the sickness.   A militaristic named Mattias Raeneir, who had left the Order after the Cataclysm, stumbled upon the discarded notes and gathered a small following. This group constructed the Weorthwryts [Writs of Worth] that become the basis for virtue and excellence in life as the Fifteen Tenets. In addition, they took the speeches that Lilith made and composed them into hymns and legends, but with a religious twist.  

The Tenets of Blood

• "We who weep for light need only open our eyes for guidance."

• "Upon the earth must your blood be shed before you shed the blood of others."

• "One man's unjust act leads all into bewildering mists."

• "When blood be drawn unjustly, stem the flow with justice."

• "He who sheds his blood in defense of others shall blaze with eternal glory."

 

The Tenets of Mists

• "Return no wrong done by the father unto the son."

• "Untruth billows bewildering mist; truth shines guiding light."

• "Blood over honor and honor to blood."

• "Mists and darkness await a man who betrays a woman's honor."

• "Any who take upon themselves another's property shall find only mists."

 

The Tenets of Judgement

• "Only the light of Beloerd shall lead the lost from darkening mists."

• "Those who shield their eyes from darkness shall see naught but mists when judged."

• "We only see the sun burn away the mist if we open our eyes to Beloerd's guiding light."

• "Those who seek Beloerd's light not spread night upon us all."

• "Bring light to those who live ind arkness, les they wander eternally in mist."

  Lilith the Champion was also made a Scion of Beloerd, marking her as a divine entity who had been selected by the One God to work his will. Eventually, Mattias would also be labeled a Scion to secure his place as Praemarch of Belthos.  

The Belthite War

As the Voelgre Fever began to fade in the year 3 D.A., Mattias and his following traveled from town to town. Declaring the plague a disaster brought on by the One God's wrath, they torched infected villages and gathered more and more faithful to their ranks. However, once they had bolstered their ranks considerably, the plague was winding down as the Great Freeze began to take hold.   Desperate to retain control of his masses, Mattias directed their fervor toward the Strathi and Otari people, who were less affected to the plague due to their more extreme climates. Calling it witchcraft and heresy brought on by their demon gods, he led his armies in a campaign to wipe each ethnicity away. With hate and the promise of riches to empower them, the Belthite army waged a grueling and cruel campaign for nearly a decade, further gaining popularity and establishing their beliefs as the guiding doctrine in Kendaira.  

Salvation and Peace

During the Second Continental War, the Belthites realized that the easiest way to gain greater power was to become a unifying force via peaceful cooperation. Rather than fuel the flames of war, the Praemarch at the time, Gaim Mecaenin, directed his followers to provide charity and support to those in need. His efforts culminated in the end of the Great Famine in 420 D.A., as he hoped this would inspire an end to the hostilities.   Blame continued to be spread regarding the efforts of each kingdom to help their neighbors during the crisis, and the war continued. As Filardos prepared to fight both Hinsali and Ardonai at the same time in 424 D.A., Mecaenin took the opportunity to march his Belthites between two armies at the Ruana Lake, where the armies would inevitably need to pass through. Each army stood down when they realized that to do battle, they would need to go through their spiritual leader.   With the battle averted, Mecaenin commanded that each kingdom's leader meet with him to discuss a peace accord. The council met upon the first day of the year 425 D.A., and after four months of diplomatic discussions The Ruana Compact was signed by all of them. Mecaenin, by now aged sixty-seven, was selected as the first High King of Kendaira. The expectation was that he would die shortly after, but his rule would guide the seven kingdoms through the first years of the tentative peace.  

Founding Caer Ruana

Realizing that his health was declining, Mecaenin focused his efforts on ensuring the peace would be a lasting arrangement. For the next High King to have any power, they would need a seat of power from which to reign, and no space was more suitable than the site of the Ruana Compact to remind everyone what they agreed to... and the stakes for failing to maintain the peace. His goal was to erect a grand and mighty city upon the banks of the Ruana Lake and Maerli River, spanning the length of the mountain pass to ensure that this place of power would forever divide the neighboring nations and be central to all the lands.   The initial city was little more than mud huts, but architects were brought in and workers from each kingdom to work on a grand castle carved from the mountains themselves. It took approximately 13 years to carve out the initial castle, and shortly thereafter Mecaenin's health gave out and he died. Barely was his body cold when the Belthites declared him a Scion of Beloerd for his heroic action securing peace and increasing Belthos' impact on the lives of everyone in Kendaira.