Staff of the High Priest/Priestess
From FiranMUX
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Overview
The Staff of the High Priest or Priestess of the Firan Realms is a relic of unknown magical power, but significant political power and historical value. Traditionally, the holder of this staff becomes the Honorary Clan Council Leader as well as the leader of the Religious Council.
Requirements
The staff must be held by a Clan Leader who is a priest of a Firan religion. Recently, this notion was challenged in the aftermath of Clan Leader Inaya Elikista's resignation in 39 A.U. when Prince Zaridos called to a vote whether or not the staff could be held by someone other than a Clan Leader, or if the religious significance could be separated out from its ministerial duties on the Clan Council. By unanimous vote, tradition was upheld. The staff was given to Clan Leader Fidelia Ista Aldrik of the Bear Clan.
History
Corista
The earliest known holder of the staff was Clan Leader Corista of the Griffon Clan, a Priest of Uf.
During the Gold Dragon-Griffon Wars previous to the Shamibelian invasion, Clan Leader Firgalas of the Gold Dragon Clan demanded the staff as a term of surrender. It was delivered to him by the young sister of Corista, then Lady Tazi, who was pregnant. (It is said that during Lady Tazi's visit, she gave birth, and was assisted by the son of her conqueror, Lord Judano. She named the baby Judanarius, and many say the famed love affair between the two started during this power exchange, with Uf's instigation, in revenge.)
Firgalas
Firgalas used the staff for broad, sweeping changes in the Firan Realms. Using his power, he evangelized a new religion throughout the land, in which the people were compelled to worship only Zutiv the Sun God. He was joined in his religious fervor, by Clan Leader Belik of the Hydra Clan. It was the religious conflicts brewing between monotheism and polytheism that, in part, prevented Firan Unification in 15 B.U.
Sabine
When Firgalas was assassinated in the year of Unification (0 A.U.), he lived long enough to hand over his medallion to his son Judano and the staff to his daughter-in-law, Clan Leader Sabine Ista Aldrik of the Bear Clan. This was a stunning move, because Sabine was of the old polytheistic faith.
Under Sabine's influence, the Republic held fast to a multi-denominational approach to religion in which people were allowed to be monotheists or polytheists, depending on the laws of their particular clan. Her influence was at its nadir when Clan Leader Judano Firgalik of the Gold Dragons died without an acknowledged heir.
When Judano's unacknowledged son, Jalil, emerged as a possible heir to the medallion, Sabine used her authority as the holder of the staff to pronounce that he was the legitimate son of Judano and Tazi from a secret marriage performed long ago. After a civil war between Jalil and her own son, Prince Solgarik Elianik proved Jalil the victor, Sabine graciously agreed to perform his coronation ceremony. When two monotheist priests objected to her authority when it came to the Gold Dragon Clan, with the authority of the staff, she had them defrocked.
When Sabine left the Firan Realms for a mission to Vreland, she left her staff and her medallion in the care of her Ista Aldrik heirs.
Junia
Lady Junia Ista Aldrik is not traditionally spoken of as actually having been the High Priestess of the Firan Realms, because she was not, in fact, a priestess of any temple. As Sabine's proxy, she was the temporary custodian of the staff whilst Sabine was away. This was not originally thought to be controversial, because Sabine was only supposed to be gone for a few months.
When months turned into years, however, and it seemed that Sabine would not return, political tension about the staff began to mount.
Eliana
There was a period of chaos when the Constitution expired, and Lady Eliana Elianik became Queen. As such, she claimed the authority to wield the staff on Sabine's behalf, without actually having the staff in her possession. But the legality of this move was highly questioned, since Eliana also was not a religious authority. Many of the actions Eliana took as Queen and with the staff are said to have led directly to the Alliance War which ultimately led to the staff being given over by Lady Junia with the Bear Clan's surrender.
Inaya
When the Bear Clan disintegrated during the Alliance War, the staff was given, as a term of surrender, to Sabine's granddaughter, Clan Leader Inaya Elikista of the Chimera Clan. Her time with the staff was marked with some chaos. Many felt she wielded it without sufficient authority or influence. Others felt that she brought the right amount of neutrality to the role, and she rarely confronted the monotheistic priests.
Inaya resigned in 39 A.U. in the aftermath of the Antonian Apostasy scandal. Her son Torianos Elikista inherited her medallion, but he was not yet a fully initiated priest. Thus, the only candidates for holders of the staff were Clan Leader Fidelia Ista Aldrik of the Bear Clan or Clan Leader Amenik Istabelik of the Hydra Clan, a monotheist.
Not only were the Clan Leaders leery of giving the staff to a monotheist, but Clan Leader Amenik happened to be out of town at the time the decision was made.
Thus, in the end, it was a victory for the older religion, and the staff was given to Clan Leader Fidelia Ista Aldrik. It was said to be a temporary custody, to be discussed again at a later time, but some fear that with all the Bear Clan Army might behind Fidelia's staff arm, it could be difficult for another transfer to take place in the future.
Fidelia
Fidelia started out her time with the staff initiating organizational reforms, and running more efficient meetings. Her religious influence remains yet to be seen, but during the birth of Taria Oshta's eleventh child, she was in attendance, and it is said that she created some magical blessing upon the child with the staff in the name of her god, Unot.
