Libri Septorum

The Libri Septorum (Book of the Seven) is the sacred text upon which worship of The Seven is based. For the legal document, see the Lex Libri.

Introduction

The copy of the Libri Septorum owned by King Gerbaut of Kalder

The Libri Septorum contains passages of divine revelation, exposing the thoughts of the Seven as well as their publicly-revealed answers to human-posed questions. It was compiled in 2036 and updated in 2148. The book is found in every church and holy place, and is studied by all clerics and religious students.

The revelations were made at a gathering called the First Conclave of Clerics. The Conclave was convened in 2035 in Muhjan, the ancient capital of the Shaikar, located on the southern shore of Lake Janee.

Many hundreds of Shaikar clergy met and held discussions for several months. They compiled a list of 49 questions, covering a wide range of aspects about life that were foremost and compelling. All the clerics then gathered outside the Old All-Gods Temple to pray to the Seven in unison, in an extended public ritual attended by thousands. The questions were asked and the spoken answers from the Seven were collated, and written up, thus creating the Libri Septorum. Ever since, this book has guided the religious thought of mankind.

The Libri was updated in a remarkable event in 2148, when Arawn manifested to the Aranites. They were taught a special prayer, Arawn’s Eternal Rest and were tasked with destroying all undead. For several centuries, this task was the central work of the Aranites. Today, it is taught to even the lowest of Aranites and is now central to all funerary services. By the blessings of the Seven, the risen dead are no threat.

Selected passages

The Libri Septorum opens with

"Before the waters were being strewn and the sands poured, there was and there was not, the Seven Gods.

thus establishing the fundamental truth of reality and existence.

The Libri then goes on to explain that on an old day, the Gods made the planes of being, the spaces within which things can exist. The Divine Plane is the home of the Gods. The Plane of Afterlife houses the deceased. The Plane of Life houses those who are still to be born. Together, these make up the outer planes. There are also the inner planes: there is the Prime Material Plane which is where our lives are woven together, completing the journey from life to death. Travelling between the planes can be accomplished along the Astral Plane, while travelling across the Prime Material can be done via the Ethereal Plane. Finally there is the Elemental Plane, which is the reservoir of elemental powers. These seven planes make up the totally of existence.

Other famous passages, well known to many, are:

"The paths to the Seven is through internal spirituality and connection, not through external rules and laws."

"Everything that passes unattempted is impossible."

"One must have strength in order to judge the weakness of others."

"It is the duty of the living to make meaningful the sacrifices of the dead."
 
"We carry treasures and wonder inside us, yet we insist on searching for them outside."

"May the shade of the Seven’s good fortune shine upon you!"

The Path of the Followers

The Path is an aspirational and educational guide to living the good life.

Don’t confront when you can walk away.
Don’t restrain when confrontation will do.
Don’t hurt when restraint is enough.
Don’t wound when hurting will do.
Don’t cripple when wounding is enough.
Don’t kill when crippling will do.
And do not destroy when killing will do.

Sealing of the Oath

The Sealing of the Oath is a gesture performed to indicate solemnity, to underscore the verity of a statement, or to seal an oath. The oath taker brings their hands together, fingers spread and thumbs pointing up to the heavens, interlacing the fingers and then curling them closed, and then bringing the thumbs together. Notice that between the fingers of each hand are three gaps, when the hands are brought together, these six gaps are closed, and when the thumbs touch in unison, the seventh gap is closed, sealing the oath.

Oath of the Seven

“I, [oath taker’s name], do, in the presence of the Seven, promise, vow and undertake, as far as lawfully I may, with my Life, Power and Estate, to [state details of actions].”

perform the Sealing of the Oath while saying

“This I shall do in all just and honourable ways.“

Ancient religious texts

Scholars of religion define “ancient religions texts” as those dating from before The Burning. These works are of great interest to scholars, and are almost always controversial. Contrary to popular belief, the Libri Septorum is thus not an ancient text, as defined by scholars. While it does discuss events before The Burning, the Book itself was compiled later.

In the Vaults of Ashildur, a heavily-guarded repository somewhere in Malanthea, there exists a curious volume, The Book of Krimilvin the Bloodmonger. This decorative tome describes the life and adventures of Krimilvin, an adventuring mage from the days of King Gerbaut. Written by an unnamed bard, the book includes an appendix of maps and copies of various texts. One of the reproductions, the author claims, is from the rumoured First Book of the Janee, which Krimilvin recounts having found in the possession of a dead adventurer. A copy of this book is kept in the Annals of Forgotten Ages in Akarat. Note that all clerical authorities state that the First Book never existed, and that the writings contain instead very early pre-historical Janee mythology. A very old collection of such pre-historical myths, the Written Collection of Lies, is also held in the Annals of Forgotten Ages.

See also

• Church history
• Myths and legends