The Yasg Empire

[LordVreeg]

No feeling quite like getting a positive, immersed response from the PCs.

[blockquote=Mr T]Just in case (hopefully) dragons should want to rest and clean themselves there. Sacrifices of animal flesh and blood deliberately send scents of cooking meat over the city at ritual times to be enticing.

The Aristocracy of Yasg ride only ornithomimus drawn chariots or dragonnels. Horses are considered rather lower class and disgusting animals, fit only for mercenaries and peddlers. (or barbarians who don't know any better) [/blockquote]  Hut non dragons have been seen in centuries here,correct?
By the way, consider the blood and cooked meat scents stolen.  I have to use this for the Temple of the Wild Hunt (Geryon)...it will fit right into the running battles between the them and the rival Temple of the Wilderness (Verbren) across the street...
I can somehow see the literature of the YASgs as being greatly varied.  This is a culture based on slow ease and careful deliberation...so I am imagining a huge amount of written works, and of forms going in and out of popularity.

I'm having trouble with the worshipm of Ishtar amongst the dragon-folk of Yasg.  I understand that most empires assimilate a lot, but with a whole culture based on based on Dragonkind, I have trouble seeing the Tiamat priesthood needing to put up with it...but I am sure you will make it clear.

Love the Secret Societies of the DragonMind.  I can see the Dragonheirs having a very different view of the world, with the appearance of dragons in New Edom...

[Tybalt]

The Yasg Empire is not all "Yasg". There are a number of subject states--whether feudal kingdoms or city states--that are subservient but not necessarily assimilated entirely. Furthermore there are Yasgs who are a little tired of the constant pose of being "draconic". So worship of gods like Ishtar is a form of defiance in a way. Correctly you assume that the Temple of Tiamat would frown on this, and you are right. Unfortunately officially the Empire doesn't forbid any religious worship that doesn't outright defy Imperial authority. The relationship between the two temples is...tense.

This makes Mereka's dealings with the Yasgs rather interesting.

Incidentally yes, no dragons have been seen in Yasg in quite a while, though there are rumors of them in wilder parts, for instance deepest jungles or deserts. However searches have revealed little.

One thing being featured in my game at present is the pcs being encouraged to go on a quest on the behalf of one of the factions vying for recognition as heir to the throne. Apparently a group of rebels have captured an important relic from a holy city in the desert. And apparently the rebels have something they claim is a dragon that is their champion.  

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Tybalt]The Yasg Empire is not all "Yasg". There are a number of subject states--whether feudal kingdoms or city states--that are subservient but not necessarily assimilated entirely. Furthermore there are Yasgs who are a little tired of the constant pose of being "draconic". So worship of gods like Ishtar is a form of defiance in a way. Correctly you assume that the Temple of Tiamat would frown on this, and you are right. Unfortunately officially the Empire doesn't forbid any religious worship that doesn't outright defy Imperial authority. The relationship between the two temples is...tense.

This makes Mereka's dealings with the Yasgs rather interesting.[/blockquote]

That's the stuff!!!  Yay, factions!!!

What are some of the differences between the Yasgian church of Tiamat and other parishes?  And the same question should be asked about Ishtar's worship...local saints?  Heroes?  Differences in organization or ritual?

[Tybalt]

The Temple of Tiamat Primogenitrix is totally different in intentions, rites and liturgy et al from say the Secret Temple of Tiamat in eastern Goblinland or the Temple of the Five in Celtica.

While the Secret Temple has been formed with the political aim of aligning with the draconic in order to unite goblinland, and the Temple of the Five exists to purify and dominate Celtica the Temple of Tiamat Primogenitrix exists out of genuine reverence. The Yasg priests laugh quietly and politely and out of sight of the other two factions of the Temple, believing it foolish to try to bargain with a force of primal power. Instead they worship and admire and seek to understand the qualities that created dragons in the first place. While it is a powerful and extraordinary and intelligent force, what mortal could comprehend such might? Witness how the Temple of the Five has not managed to do anything more than create another faction in Celtica--chaos! How the Secret Temple has managed little more than to create a stronger tribe of Hobgoblins among many--chaos! And thus does the Primogenitrix render all helpless before her!

Of course there is the matter of the En family of gods.

If any one being might be the key to understanding Tiamat, it would be Ishtar. Ishtar who stole godly gifts from her own divine father through seduction.

Ishtar is worshipped in a frankly more extravagant fashion in Yasg than in New Edom. In New Edom she is the patron of arts that the Yasgs were masters of millenia ago. Therefore the main things they are fascinated by are her wisdom, her seductive powers and as a consort to kings. It is in fact some of the subject kings who have invited her temples into their cities and seek through the orgiastic rites to somehow gain the strength to at least measure greater in power than before in the eyes of the Empire.

[LordVreeg]

Xusus Tydult-Eieui Gum~uxt.
(White OMwo~ for Work sucks and then you die, roughly translated)

Now, onto more important things.
[blockquote=Tybalt Unquenchable]Ishtar is worshipped in a frankly more extravagant fashion in Yasg than in New Edom. In New Edom she is the patron of arts that the Yasgs were masters of millenia ago. Therefore the main things they are fascinated by are her wisdom, her seductive powers and as a consort to kings. It is in fact some of the subject kings who have invited her temples into their cities and seek through the orgiastic rites to somehow gain the strength to at least measure greater in power than before in the eyes of the Empire[/blockquote]
Somehow, I feel like the Yasg's are more extravagant about almost everything...
This, as I know you know, is just great.  The human orientation, and misunderstanding, of deity worship is so important for the versimilatude.  How does Mereka feel about this?  Does she feel like the Yasgs are debasing the relationship or is it a learning experience?  Are you leading her in any way?  And has she met any helpful priests of Tiamat yet?

Now, the chaos worshippers are interesting.  Somehwow, I always feel liek those who sow chaos have the easist jobs...  

[Tybalt]

Mereka is a little confused--she expected to find fellow worshippers and instead found a distortion of worship beyond the mere ignorance that she's already encountered in New Edom. Both she and Kallyn were disconcerted by the level of decadence associated with Ishtar's worship as well--love and sensuality are one thing (for instance Hierodule Priestesses are one thing--they embody the goddess herself) orgies are another altogether.

On the other hand Mereka is optimistic par excellence--nothing phases her for long, even if the thing trying to phase her ultimately ends up being smashed up by her mace or dismissed back to the nether plane it came from.