Grobnak steps up to the pulpate, adjusting the small makou powered microphone. Then, producing a small tome from his robes, he begins to speak...
Throughout many conversations, I have had to defend my personal beliefs as an assault against the Priesthood I serve- also called The Jihad. Today, I would like to clarify a few points, and to set the record straight as to what beliefs are those of Jihad, and what are mine. First, I will defend my own- and the affiliations which seem to bring Jihad into constant question.
I am what is called a Talosian. This means I am a member of the Church of Destruction- commonly known to be an evil clan. Though this will sound like a lie, I myself am not evil. I joined the Talosians that I might be able to Save more people from the Judgement to come. If anyone cares to debate the validity of this with me, I will do so. But I tire of my beliefs being confused with those of the Priesthood I serve. I will not try to justify to you how Jihad and my own beliefs reconcile with you when used as an assault on Jihad.
And now, the affiliation issue set aside, I would like to present a bit of history as seen by the Priesthood.
Long ago, The Apprentice created the Great Realms. He had been apprenticed to the Elder God Ao. Under his tutelage, the Apprentice quickly came to realize Ao's evil nature. So, trying to destroy the evil, he battled Ao. He lost. In his final moments, he cursed Ao, that when next Ao tried to utilize the evil destruction sequence of a planet, he would return to reclaim his land, and destroy Ao's evil regime. In so doing, he invested a small portion of his Elder godhood into the RoK, turning the meteor into a new god. Ao, in turn, cursed the Great Realms by sealing it off from the rest of Toril. Thus was The Prophecy created.
Now, some will argue that the RoK is not a god. To a point, they are correct. The RoK is more of a god-like force than a god. It is like the water, or the earth, or even fire- powerful, but unaware of itself. In order for The Apprentice to return on the day of Judgement, we must worship the RoK and preserve the spark of life retained therein. Some will argue that the RoK is what brings destruction, and therefore, so does the Apprentice. Keep in mind the RoK itself is not sentient, but controlled by Ao- and guided by Sephiroth. That said, back to the history books...
Ao has sent the RoK many times before. He sends the RoK forth, controlled by Sephiroth, to destroy The Apprentice while he is still weak from his reawakening. With the Rebirth of The Apprentice, so too will the Realms be Reborn. The RoK is the fire which will bring the Realms back from its own ashes- as a Phoenix reborn; The Balance restored. Sephiroth is a servant of The Apprentice, unbeknownst to Ao. It is Ao's callousness which reveals his evil nature- his disregard for the loss of mortal life to his hatred. It is a well known fact that if something is endlessly persistent, eventually whatever resists it will give way and be overcome. It is for this reason that we follow The Apprentice and The RoK- to embrace the inevitable, which offers Salvation for doing so, is a viable option for survival. The function of the Priesthood is much like that of Pax Faerunis- to save as many as we can. We simply hope to do it on a more long-term basis.
On the day of Judgement, The Apprentice will reawaken, Saving his Faithful and destroying Ao. He will then remake the world as it was, restoring The Balance.
In closing, I'd like to state that the Priesthood is a neutral entity. While our cause is certainly not a popular one, we do tire of being called evil nihilists and delusional fanatics. We invite you to check the history books for yourselves to verify the accuracy of these facts. May you learn from this, Children, and grow closer to The RoK. In His wisdom, let us go now... peacefully, praising for the Rebirth.
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