Circle of Illumination; Collatia expedition 1312
The expedition of The Circle of Illumination to Collatia
In 1312 The renowned Church of Decus Circle of Illumination, a community of philosophers and scholars of Decusian Faith, sent an expedition to Collatia in order to establish a library and a base of operations there.
Not a year passed when the world was struck by the blood and chaos of Torment, loss of organization and communication between the West and East.
The Circle's expedition in Collatia decided it would be safest for themselves and their books to remain in the West Provinces, for they could not afford risking it all by traveling back. They would have to find a safe place there in the Western Provinces.
The establishment of new headquarters, Circle's fort in the Godspine mountains
From the locals, the Illuminated found that an abandoned fort was possibly still standing in the Godspine mountains. The group traveled there with all the supplies they could carry, as well with a few locals that wanted to stay close to them, and indwelled there. Soon the fort was restored a little, with doors re-installed, windows barricaded. Intricate solutions had to be taken to provide supplies to the people inside, such as highly successful hunting tactics, even a garden in the middle of the fort's courtyard, where miraculously some crops growed despite the harsh snowy environment around the fort. The community was safe there.
While restoring the fort and the library, the Circle of the Illumination had found a cache of ancient scrolls written. Together with the help of other books they had and the help of their literate Collatian friends, they managed to decode them and inside found a wealth of ancient knowledge, as well as knowledge of an ancient lost magic power in the form of powerful written word combinations.
The new magic power was taken very seriously and carefully by the Circle of Illumination there, and they hadn't used it for several years and even disputed burning them altogether. However, cooler heads prevailed and it was decided not to touch them.
In a few years, however, curious minds in the fort studied the scrolls to greater extent and actually started practicing the magical mantras. This had led to a short duration of divergence among the group, but after a while, everyone accepted the kind of magic as a good tool, for it did not appear to show any signs of maliciousness.
The group began studying the newly found magic words and experimenting with it some more and soon the fort became a home of powerful wizards, who were however careful not to misuse their powers, since they were wise from following the Eight Virtues of the Decusian Faith and were humble enough not to use it for their personal gains.
The Circle's stratagem and power in securing the area around the Godspine mountains and aiding the Decusian armies
Initially, the group had thought to hide their magic powers from the rest of the population in fear of paranoia and retribution. However, events ocured in the nearby province of Drolund, where the legion and church armies were fighting a massive Torment infestation and losing badly. The Circle of Illumination decided their duty to the Republic and the Church of Decus is above the safety of their own reputation and even lives and sent a group of some of their best archmages down the mountain passes to assist the Decusian armies. The assistance the group of archmages provided was so devastating towards the afflicted hordes, that the leaders of the Decusian armies thought angels themselves fell from the mountains to help them in their righteous struggle.
Time and time again the archmages helped the Church and Republic in key battles around the provinces near the Godspine mountains and had earned a reputation among them of being a group of saints. The Circle of Illumination, however, did not dare venture too far from their mountains, and in time, as the territories near them became virtually Torment-free, they had decided to provided assistance elsewhere. Being a community of just around 60 men and women and children, they couldn't afford sending a group of their own far away, hence they decided to send just one of their own, to help the Church in its struggles.
They decided to send a reclusive even among their own group, one they called Angiras Dakshatreya. Not the best of them, but a perspective young student of a seemingly pure heart, but also of a clever mind. Both a dove and a fox in one person. They decided to send him, to what they thought, would be the "Battle for Tor's reclamation". With him volunteering, he was given some basic supplies and set off towards the First Province, where his legacy would unfold.
Overview of philosophical and theological evolution of the remnants of The Circle of Illumination.
There should also be some clarifications made towards The Circle of Illumination in Godspine mountains, for they were no longer as they were tens of years before when they set off towards Collatia.
Today, the Circle is much different philosophically, than they were before. After all, a full generation had passed after they left their home in the Citadel.
The Circle is still very much Decusian in their philosophy, however, they had been greatly influenced by Collatian thought, as well as the ancient scriptures they had uncovered.
Thus, the new Circle of Illumination and their members currently believe in a more ezoteric interpretation of the Decusian Faith:
They state, that worship, love and respect towards Decus should be internalized. When Decus died, he clearly left a part of his spirit with humanity. This part can be accessed by anyone who practices the Eight Virtues of the Decus. In essence, the philosophy says, that the goal of a Decusian is to realize the Decus in him and outwardly. "Act as Decus would act."
The philosophy was highly influenced by the Western thought and ancient scriptures into the Circle of Illumination deigning that a Decusians goal is transcending the limited, mortal and animal human self. The "ego", as called in the ancient scriptures, is like a wall that separates man from the divine world and hence from heavenly Decus. A devout man should stop desiring altogether and become impersonal and in a theurgic, mystical way, let a part of Decus spirit incarnate and shine inside one's heart.
This strong internalization of the Decusian Faith led the members of the Circle of Illumination to become auspicious and virtuous towards the extreme. They even believe that Torment, the Ill, the Resolve and any demon can be dispelled by freeing the inner Decus and his virtues in one's heart.
The message of the Circle of Illumination to the world is that only by overcoming vices and their lower human emotions, desires and thoughts can man let Decus win, and not so by outside struggle.
Their representative Angiras Dakshatreya is supposed to attempt to gently try to send this message of internalized Decusian Faith if the population would be receiving, but was ordered not to be forceful in his ways and outwardly only work against the enemies of mankind.