The Eshanic Mandate and Kasteries

The terms of the Eshanic Mandate have previously been enumerated and shall not here be enumerated again. What I desire to speak about here is a measure about the consummation of that treaty between deities, for no mere tribunals nor courts can withstand the perils that the Eshanic Mandate was designed to curtail. Acolitus desired something more permanent as a means to bind his children to some sense of order. This was one of the few conditions that he assisted upon against the will of the Alor’eshan.
 
  His design was clever, for it relied upon a domain of reality which the Eshan were rather unfamiliar- Ackesh and the realm of Kasteries. The whole of this is complicated and thus the whole I shall not give. In short, Kasteries is the realm of the Esseythu, a place where the consciousness, emotion, and soul once lived before Vussalas and Esha came into being. It is the same place that any being with Esseythu visits when they dream, whether they are aware of it or not- whether they are capable of manipulating things within that space or not. Ackesh is the power most completely mastered by Acolitus which deals with the manipulation of the Esseythu, reason, and one’s emotions. It is absolutely necessary for influencing conditions in Kasteries, for either you control your mind there or it controls you. Acolitus desired to entrap the Esseythu (and Eshanic power) of the Eshan into that realm of Kasteries so that they could NOT escape punishment if they violated the Eshanic Mandate, even if they were physically distant from anyone else. No dynasties nor schemes could provide protection against such an impersonal and omnipotent force. It was a tag for the rest of one’s life.
 
  Acolitus took governorship of this process. He bid that each of the Eshan who desired peace in this war should come to him in their dreams, or better to say, they should dream and he shall find them. The loyal and wise among the Eshan did this promptly. They were convened in a location which Acolitus had created for himself eons ago- it was named Kastulos, marrying Kasteries and the ancient Ollulos that the Eshan built for themselves as dwellings before Esha was created. Vibrant lights of many colors from many sources decorated the place. Indeed, the boundless qualities of dreams allowed him to express anything so desired- swirling, multi-colored textures on marbled walls, flame that curled into the shape of furniture, droplets of honey that dripped in the air like rain to make the smell sweet. Strange things for an olundi mind, perhaps, but nonetheless small hints of Acolitus’ exotic tastes. He invited his children to take seats upon comfortable cushions woven with thin moonlight fibers. Here, he explained, was the connection between the Esseythu and Kasteries to be established, such that the Eshan had come to his home of their own free will in peace. They could just as easily now leave in peace, but a part of them would remain here forever.
 
  This strand of their Esseythu- ever living whether awake or in dreams, would remain here with Acolitus in Kasteries. Think of this as a vein of blood in their mind, just as olundi have blood running through their heads. This “vein” of Eshanic blood could be damaged at any time, causing serious injury to the associated Eshan. It was a wound caused in the ESSEYTHU but manifesting as a wound in the BODY and thus appearing in the world. This power wouldn’t simply be diffused in Kasteries, but bleed out from them wherever they were physically located. Any power that was lost this way would not be completely diffused, for that would spread the power freely among whatever and whoever was in the area. Other Eshan in violation of the Mandates or otherwise enemies of Acolitus stood to benefit and therefore a more precise system was required to disperse that energy. This is the role of a place named Misladur and an Eshan named Idorun.
 
  The whole details and biography are written elsewhere, but certain elements are recounted here to tie everything together with Kasteries. Swiftly speaking, Idorun was a servant of Acolitus throughout the First Feud and possessed the trust of the Creator. He fought against Aebaster and his allies and desired nothing of the new division of the world. When everything was done he was cast into the chaos of Voryndal and left to wallow.
 
  Acolitus recalled him from this misery and bid he do a job for him- it was two-fold. One, that Idorun should construct and guard a conduit through which Eshanic power could be sent and dispersed. This was of course speaking about the Eshanic power bleeding out from wounds should any Eshan violate the Eshanic Mandates. Idorun agreed and was honored to be given such a task- he undertook this labor with the assistance of a loyal dynasty of Eshan aligned with Acolitus outside the sight and attention of the common masses. Second, that he administer to the flow of power through Misladur that it would not, as a river in a flood, ever overflow its banks. The purpose was to dispose of Eshanic power in a controlled manner, thus a careful hand was required at all times. This became the new regime in Esha and Vussalas- the Mandates and Misladur to govern the Eshan.
 
  Not all the Eshan consented to binding themselves to Kasteries. Freedom was more important to a vocal minority than an unjust peace. This number of Eshan went into hiding in Esha and Vussalas, keeping a low profile among the growing creations of their siblings. They became the Nith’eshan- those outside the Mandate, who are so reviled by Acolitus, feared by olundi, yet so famous in many of the stories of the world. Acolitus responded to this lesser rebellion by offering rewards to Eshan who slew them, powers to olundi who revealed them, and even amnesty to Nith’eshan to destroy their own Nith’eshanic compatriots. It has been his obsession and battle ever since the First Feud to hunt down and obliterate the Nith’eshan.