The Darjiki Grand Council met 5 times a year. These meetings were timed by an ancient lunar measurement. The 3 largest moons around their home world would come into alignment 5 times a year. This ritual of having meetings timed to this event pervaded all levels of society. It was an pre-Khardish ritualistic anachronism. The Darjiki empire had long ago become a secular empire, albeit with strong religious undertones. Khardish influence was everywhere, one felt like you were walking through a museum.
This museum-like environment was in stark contrast to how Khardish was prevalent in other cultures. Barabrum, Barsif, and other systems Khardish was the way of life, it was the government, it was the home. There was no separation. The Darjiki viewed themselves and the inheritors of the role of evangelists of Khardish to the world (by whatever means necessary). And, of course, this was the main point of contention between the old powers and the Darjiki. The Barsifi in particular preached against the secularism of the Darjiki empire as a corruption of Ramesh’s teachings.
The Grand Council consisted of the Emperor, otherwise known as Raja and the elected Waziri from the various tribes and communities. There were 20 members of the Grand Council (replicating the revelation to Ramesh of the Pantheon of 20), and the Emperor’s quasi-cabinet was selected from them to head the four ministries: The Armada, Interior Ministry, Infrastructure and Religion. This separation of Religion into its own ministry subservient to the temporal power of the Raja was the signal point of disgust that other Khardish peoples railed against. The argument was that God is not the equal of armed forces, interior discipline, and the implements of human life. They all, including the Raja, were subservient to it.
That being said, the Darjiki rulers considered that the effectiveness of the empire in the wake of the Barsifi decline was proof enough that they had the proper mixture and that they understood how to take God’s will and make it manifest on earth. The Grand Council was meeting for the 4th time this year and on the agenda for this meeting was their current détente with the Barsifi empire and what cooperation with them would mean for their struggle against the Raslavon empire for control of Naerius. They also had to discuss their odd trade relationship with the Albion empire, now in control of Barabrum.
The Raja opened the meeting by leading the full council in prayer. They got down in a prostrate position. They all pointed themselves in the direction of a moving orb along the wall which was covered by a map of space in this quadrant painted on it. This orb was a holograph that projected the position of Naerius relative to the current position of Darjik.
The Raja began to chant, “Ramesh guides his people home”
Antiphonally, the Religious Wazir responded, “we wait for our joyful return”
Now the right side of the assembly in unison with the Raja chanted, “The universe will be purified by the third of three.”
And the response, “And we shall be glorified”
And then a gong was struck. Everyone rose slowly and took their place at the table. The Raja now addressed the assembly: “My friends, our study of Raslavon movement and their communications tells us that they deplete certain sectors in order to fortify the Palo Systems. This is counterintuitive since their ultimate goal is to move on Naerius. I consider this a bluff. I believe they will strike at Naerius.”
The Armada Wazir, addressed this issue, “Your greatness, our forces are spread thin right now with the difficulties that the Albion are causing us. I think there is a common movement here, an attempt to catch us in their pincers, and while they hit us left and right, they’ll strike out and attempt to take Naerius.”
The Raja pondered this. “Emperor Philip is a brilliant leader. He makes no hasty moves. My study of him would be that he wants to pick off one system at a time and eventually surround Naerius. Either he believes that he is of the prophecy, which would be a gross misreading of it, or he is buying time for something or someone else.”
The Raja had deeply ambivalent feelings about Philip. They had met before several times as they were growing up. These were during diplomatic missions and treaty negotiation of both their fathers. During these negotiations Philip even as a teenager was at his father’s side giving advice in the presence of the great powers of the galaxy. As young boys they played in the Raslavon castle while their father’s hammered out a 10 year cessation of hostilities.
In Darjiki there is no word for comprimise. There was a word for cessation, which was the concept that we fight no more today to allow us to grieve for our dead. Albion scholars often point this out as to why they were able to take up the Khardish cause and spread in the wake of the Barsifi retreat.
During those ten years, the Rajamin (the little Raja) and the Crown Prince saw each other several times each growing into the leader they were today. Philip, analytical and brave, excelled at games requiring strategy and sacrifice. The Raja, strong and charismatic, would often lead a team in sporting competition. There was respect between them even to this day for the qualities that they each lacked that manifested themselves in the other.
Respect was one thing. Competition was another. Darjiki reading of the prophetic words given to Ramesh and their contact with the Dolist culture of Raslavon and Albion led them to believe that these prophecies were allegory and a dangerous allegory at that. The Darjiki interpretation was that Ramesh was prophesying about himself and not some future trio of leaders. On the other hand, the Dol prophecies were so littered with descriptions of beasts and strange happenings that they could only be the work of a deranged religious fanatic.
Naerius, the seeming pivot around which both of these prophecies centered, was not a significant planet to the Darjiki on its own. Even within its own system, it was not a particularly hospitable planet. It had only one major resource, metals for building space vessels, but this was not a differentiator since these metals were found spread throughout the galaxy. Its people were not special except in their gift of gab and a certain pluck that allowed them to survive these many eons. Strategically it was important as a system only to the extent that it was the deepest penetration into Raslavon space, almost like a sore thumb....
The Darjiki Grand Council met 5 times a year. These meetings were timed by an ancient lunar measurement. The 3 largest moons around their home world would come into alignment 5 times a year. This ritual of having meetings timed to this event pervaded all levels of society. It was an pre-Khardish ritualistic anachronism. The Darjiki empire had long ago become a secular empire, albeit with strong religious undertones. Khardish influence was everywhere, one felt like you were walking through a museum.
This museum-like environment was in stark contrast to how Khardish was prevalent in other cultures. Barabrum, Barsif, and other systems Khardish was the way of life, it was the government, it was the home. There was no separation. The Darjiki viewed themselves and the inheritors of the role of evangelists of Khardish to the world (by whatever means necessary). And, of course, this was the main point of contention between the old powers and the Darjiki. The Barsifi in particular preached against the secularism of the Darjiki empire as a corruption of Ramesh’s teachings.
The Grand Council consisted of the Emperor, otherwise known as Raja and the elected Waziri from the various tribes and communities. There were 20 members of the Grand Council (replicating the revelation to Ramesh of the Pantheon of 20), and the Emperor’s quasi-cabinet was selected from them to head the four ministries: The Armada, Interior Ministry, Infrastructure and Religion. This separation of Religion into its own ministry subservient to the temporal power of the Raja was the signal point of disgust that other Khardish peoples railed against. The argument was that God is not the equal of armed forces, interior discipline, and the implements of human life. They all, including the Raja, were subservient to it.
That being said, the Darjiki rulers considered that the effectiveness of the empire in the wake of the Barsifi decline was proof enough that they had the proper mixture and that they understood how to take God’s will and make it manifest on earth. The Grand Council was meeting for the 4th time this year and on the agenda for this meeting was their current détente with the Barsifi empire and what cooperation with them would mean for their struggle against the Raslavon empire for control of Naerius. They also had to discuss their odd trade relationship with the Albion empire, now in control of Barabrum.
The Raja opened the meeting by leading the full council in prayer. They got down in a prostrate position. They all pointed themselves in the direction of a moving orb along the wall which was covered by a map of space in this quadrant painted on it. This orb was a holograph that projected the position of Naerius relative to the current position of Darjik.
The Raja began to chant, “Ramesh guides his people home”
Antiphonally, the Religious Wazir responded, “we wait for our joyful return”
Now the right side of the assembly in unison with the Raja chanted, “The universe will be purified by the third of three.”
And the response, “And we shall be glorified”
And then a gong was struck. Everyone rose slowly and took their place at the table. The Raja now addressed the assembly: “My friends, our study of Raslavon movement and their communications tells us that they deplete certain sectors in order to fortify the Palo Systems. This is counterintuitive since their ultimate goal is to move on Naerius. I consider this a bluff. I believe they will strike at Naerius.”
The Armada Wazir, addressed this issue, “Your greatness, our forces are spread thin right now with the difficulties that the Albion are causing us. I think there is a common movement here, an attempt to catch us in their pincers, and while they hit us left and right, they’ll strike out and attempt to take Naerius.”
The Raja pondered this. “Emperor Philip is a brilliant leader. He makes no hasty moves. My study of him would be that he wants to pick off one system at a time and eventually surround Naerius. Either he believes that he is of the prophecy, which would be a gross misreading of it, or he is buying time for something or someone else.”
The Raja had deeply ambivalent feelings about Philip. They had met before several times as they were growing up. These were during diplomatic missions and treaty negotiation of both their fathers. During these negotiations Philip even as a teenager was at his father’s side giving advice in the presence of the great powers of the galaxy. As young boys they played in the Raslavon castle while their father’s hammered out a 10 year cessation of hostilities.
In Darjiki there is no word for comprimise. There was a word for cessation, which was the concept that we fight no more today to allow us to grieve for our dead. Albion scholars often point this out as to why they were able to take up the Khardish cause and spread in the wake of the Barsifi retreat.
During those ten years, the Rajamin (the little Raja) and the Crown Prince saw each other several times each growing into the leader they were today. Philip, analytical and brave, excelled at games requiring strategy and sacrifice. The Raja, strong and charismatic, would often lead a team in sporting competition. There was respect between them even to this day for the qualities that they each lacked that manifested themselves in the other.
Respect was one thing. Competition was another. Darjiki reading of the prophetic words given to Ramesh and their contact with the Dolist culture of Raslavon and Albion led them to believe that these prophecies were allegory and a dangerous allegory at that. The Darjiki interpretation was that Ramesh was prophesying about himself and not some future trio of leaders. On the other hand, the Dol prophecies were so littered with descriptions of beasts and strange happenings that they could only be the work of a deranged religious fanatic.
Naerius, the seeming pivot around which both of these prophecies centered, was not a significant planet to the Darjiki on its own. Even within its own system, it was not a particularly hospitable planet. It had only one major resource, metals for building space vessels, but this was not a differentiator since these metals were found spread throughout the galaxy. Its people were not special except in their gift of gab and a certain pluck that allowed them to survive these many eons. Strategically it was important as a system only to the extent that it was the deepest penetration into Raslavon space, almost like a sore thumb....