Elysium's Gate¶
"Glory. Elysium's reward and greater honors await those who die in service to the Sancturi." — the seventh Guiding Principle (S321)
Elysium's Gate is the holy text of the Sancturi faith: a copy of part of the Sanctoric Cartus, the scripture the first emperor dictated to his scribes. Its Seven Guiding Principles are the creed of the Sancturi religion and the constitution of the empire, and its later sections set out the rights of each caste and the duties of the empire's governors. When Sanctorum fell, the text was carried north in the Unholy Flight to the lands that became the Divine Alliance.
Also called: the Sanctoric Cartus, for the original and for the text as a whole (S078).
The Sanctoric Cartus¶
"The holy text of the Sancturi, dictated by the first emperor to scribes, known as the Sanctoric Cartus. This original document is held in the Emperor's city. From this document a subset known as Elysium's Gate was copied" (S321). Elysium's Gate "is broken into sections and chapters" (S321). The faith it records is described under the Sancturi Pantheon and the Sancturi Clergy.
The Seven Guiding Principles¶
The first section has seven chapters on "the seven guiding principles of the Sancturi religion. These principles are used as a basis/constitution for the empire" (S321):
- Tribulation. "Eliminating pain and suffering is counter productive and deprives individuals of the opportunity to become strong."
- Sacrifice. "The acquisition of power should always be associated to risk and loss. One must always be prepared to make great sacrifices for power and gain. To gain easily is to not understand or appreciate the gifts received."
- Honor. "Every individual is responsible for their own destiny. Failures belong to the individual and honor is an individual's most prized possession."
- Unity. "Success and prosperity come from the community. The success of the community is more important than the success of the individual. Service to the community is service to the Sancturi."
- Strength. "Righteousness and might go hand in hand. The Sancturi consecrate the victories of the righteous and condemn the weakness of the faithless."
- Obedience. "Great rewards come to those that are obedient to the will of the Gods and serve with true faith. Trust in leadership must be absolute. If your leaders err, they are responsible for the failure and will be punished by the Sancturi. If you disobey, the error is yours."
- Glory. "Elysium's reward and greater honors await those who die in service to the Sancturi."
The Principles of Righteousness¶
The second section "goes over rights, responsibilities and citizenship, and is known as the principles of righteousness" (S321). Its chapters, numbered on from the first section, are:
- Sanctity: the clergy judge their own, and holy sites are forbidden to all "under penalty of Desecration at best, Blasphemy at worst".
- Blasphemy: "The ultimate crime with no defense. Those convicted of Blasphemy have the same rights as slaves."
- Eminent Rights: citizens' rights to property, safety, life and privacy, and freemen's the same "except land", so far as they do not infringe the community's.
- Citizenship: "able to be earned by the faithful through honor and sacrifice", by a freeman sponsored by a house who pays a fee and serves the empire four years without blemish.
- Property: the property rights of citizens and houses.
- Mord'ivarus: "In a contest between the faithful, the gods will reward the most honorable with victory."
- Taxes, and Slavery & Grey (Unclean), named without text.
Mord'ivarus in practice is "basically trial by combat, but also encompasses duelling for honor", a right of citizens and the religious caste only (S323). Imperial law as it was administered is described under Law.
The Principles of Governance¶
A third section "lays out the duties of the Warlords" and "of the High Warlord" (S321). Its text is not given.
The Unholy Flight¶
"In the last days of the Sancturi Empire, when the empress had been slain and the great city of Sanctorum overrun", two High Precepts of the Houses of Sidcarnon and Barahd and the Principate of the Sages "organized an exodus, taking the Sanctoric Cartus / Elysium's Gate (their sacred text) with them to keep it safe" (S078). They fought their way north, some of the fighting against Sancturi "who saw them as deserters who should ascend to Elysium with the Empress", and founded the kingdoms of the Divine Alliance (S078). The story is told under the Divine Period.
Gap
No source says whether the refugees carried the original Cartus or a copy of Elysium's Gate, where the text is kept in the Divine Alliance, or what became of the original in Sanctorum. The Principles of Governance, Taxes and Slavery chapters are named but not given.