The following writings are found on scrolls of woven kelp fibers and they have been carefully stored in salty water within the Holy Archives of Zzyathis. The holy symbol of the Faith, Lizardom, and Zelphia can be found intricately knit onto each scroll:
Scroll of History
The Holy Land of Zzyathis is located on the very spot where our Holy Ancestors witnessed the miracle promised in prophecies given by Zelphia to her servants, the Priests. The prophecies revealed that where the sacred avatar of Zelphia, a dolphin, leaped into the air to snap a flying fish out of the air above the waters would be where the children of Zelphia would prosper forever. In honor of Zelphia for this miracle, our ancestors erected a holy statue of Zelphia, which still stands today. The holy statue gave birth to a shrine and then to the Holy Temple of Zzyathis where it resides now in the most holy inner sanctum of the Temple. It is a powerful holy relic that is said to have the potency to cleanse the most polluted of beings. Our Holy Ancestors first settled on the Holy Land of Zzyathis in response to the witnessed miracle, and it became the greatest center of Lizardom on the island Gobaith where the holy rites kept pollution at bay. Zzyathis has always been and will always be the holiest of lizard dwellings on Gobaith because it is where Zelphia promised our people would be blessed forever.
Scroll of Society
The Holy Land of Zzyathis is ruled by no aristocrat, king, queen, chieftain, council, or mob leader. No one rules Zzyathis except Zelphia alone. By the grace of Zelphia alone, the multitude of all life is sustained, and to she alone is all the power and all the glory.
Since the dawn of time, the Priests by the divine guidance of Zelphia have interpreted the will of Zelphia through prophecies and miracles. The Priests embody the will of Zelphia, and thus their commandments are holy. The greatest Priest of all time is Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, who first brought us the truth of Zelphia to enlighten us and the Holy Laws to guide us. Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, is the model for Priests of all time.
If the Priests are the mind of Zelphia, then the Temple Guards are her muscles. The Temple Guards carry out the will of Zelphia with force if necessary to maintain purity and destroy pollution in this imperfect world. The ultimate honor of a Temple Guard is to protect the Priests, the Temples, and all Lizardom. The Temple Guards submit to the will of Zelphia, embodied by the Priests, alone.
The Crafters are like the hands of Zelphia. Like Zelphia, with skill and wisdom, they create beauty and excellence wherever their hands touch. One of the greatest honors of a Crafter is to equip the Temple Guards, and do their part in the eternal battle against pollution.
The society of our people has since time immemorial exhibited three states while retaining one essence like water, which may exist as ice, vapor, or liquid. Correspondingly, the three states our society exhibits include the state of the Priest, the state of the Temple Guard, and the state of the Crafter.
“Zelphia is Water”, so it is written in the ancient, sacred scrolls. Indeed, our society being modeled after water is a model after the Great Sustainer, Zelphia. Being modeled after the Great Sustainer, our society harmoniously sustains all that live within it, giving each one purity and joy.
The three castes together form the holy body of Zelphia with the Priests comprising Zelphia’s mind, the Temple Guards Zelphia’s muscles, and the Crafters Zelphia’s hands. All three rely on each other, cooperating to achieve the same goal of glory for Zelphia. Harm to one harms the body as a whole, and benefit to one benefits the whole body.
Here is a diagram that illustrates the tripartite nature of our holy caste system.
Scroll of Saints
Each person here is one that has been proven to be guided by Zelphia through contributions to our understanding of the Faith, the construction of Lizardom, and the worship of Zelphia. They lived model lives that were pure and worthy of Zelphia. Each one is a great hero of our people to be honored for all time. The lizard saints are ordered chronologically with the ones that lived the earliest coming first and the ones that lived most recently coming last.
Ushak-Sskath: The first and greatest Prophet of all time, pure are his ways, who first brought enlightenment with the Holy Truths. The Holy Laws he first established brought order, and the Holy Purifications brought purity. Legends say that he lives still after so many ages have come and gone in the deepest part of the oceans helping Zelphia purify the waters of the world and leading the High Priests with his inspiring wisdom and power. The legendary Temple-City of Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, is the most holy of Temple-Cities, and it is said to be located to the East. Thus, East is the direction in which all children of Zelphia face to pray. There are many holy stories about Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, and some of them say that if a Priest is unrighteous, selfish or evil, he will one day see the sign of Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, over his sleeping place, and if he still does not change simply vanishes one day. Mothers also often tell their younglings, that if they don't obey, Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, will hunt them in their dreams. Many pilgrims go in search of Ushak-Sskath, but none that may have found him have ever returned to report it.
Bror: Although he started as a humble lizard servant to a high priest, he came to perform many great deeds in the service of Zelphia. He rescued the holy statue of Zelphia with the help of other lizardfriends like Damien, Olorin, and Neonfire from fire elementals, and restored the holy statue to a safe haven where a shrine was built up. Bror is said to have led a pure and devout life always honoring Zelphia with sacrifices at the proper occasions. He maintained the ancient traditions when Lizardom was in disarray from the onslaught of foreign settlers on the island Gobaith.
Darzog: Beginning as a novice of Zelphia, he helped rescue a maiden that had been turned into stone with the holy power of Zelphia. Darzog collected funds to raise up a Holy Temple for the glory of Zelphia. He fought against the Drunk Mage Dipstick who had in his evil declared a war on Zelphia.
Esyptheus: This patriarch established a clan for lizards early on when foreign settlement of the island Gobaith threatened the very family structure of lizards itself. The clan known as the Esyklan provided a physical and spiritual home for every lizard.
Shukk Shaah Shenosss: She was a mighty Temple Guard that served Zelphia by crushing polluting evil wherever it was to be found. Temple Guard Shukk renewed the Holy Temple of Zelphia with new blood like the Temple Guards Azato Menta and Saurin Talon. The heroic deeds of Temple Guard Shukk include smiting the evil Lord Darlok of Northerot. She guarded the Northern castle ruins of Northerot for a time, and led the mighty Temple Guards of the Holy Temple.
Xerake: He was well-known for his high level of mastery of our people’s secret combat techniques. Significantly, Xerake compiled the first dictionary of our people’s sacred language Haslus with translations into Common. This famous dictionary, the first of its kind on the island Gobaith, is separated into three parts, and it is still used today to teach young lizards proper grammar.
Salathe Kankas: He was a noted Crafter who served Zelphia with his skilled hands. Salathe forged many fine works of the highest quality that brought much glory to Zelphia. Salathe made famous the lizard game of Onion Ball to the delight of athletes of many races on the island Gobaith. He was also a strong fighter that opened a School of Combat.
Zeshyrr: Known as “Zesh” to his friends, Zeshyrr was a brilliant fighter who traveled the countryside of the island Gobaith seeking new opponents. He was a warrior monk who could easily be identified by his signatory weapon of a spear-staff. Zeshyrr taught his students to fight in the Water Style, which favors flowing, rounded movements that turn an opponent’s power back onto him or herself. He was one of the heroes that brought an end to the longest drought the island has ever known by traveling to another plane. Zeshyrr was a devout follower of Zelphia who often meditated to seek enlightenment. It’s said that the last thing seen of Zeshyrr was a holy shine in his eyes before he wandered off as an “Enlightened One”.
Selisidour: He organized an attempt to build up a Temple-City on the Holy Land of Zzyathis. Selisidour was a valiant lizard that fought and lived as a Temple Guard defending the cause of Zelphia. He exerted himself admirably in trying to gather all the lizards of Gobaith together so that they united could better serve Zelphia. Selisidour proposed economic and military reforms for the betterment of Lizardom on Gobaith.
Scroll of Language
Important Sacred Terminology and Usage
Zelphia: Pronounced
Zshel-pheey-ar, it can be roughly described as meaning the "Mother of All Living Things". Zelphia is an ancient, holy name for the Great Sustainer that first appears in written form in the Sacred Scroll of Purity, the first of the Sacred Scrolls. In the Sacred Scroll of Purity, the holy name Zelphia occurs exactly 3333 times. The holy name of Zelphia encompasses a wealth of deep meanings from the concept of an all Sustaining Life Force that gave birth to the Universe and all life to a personal Heavenly Mother that answers prayers. The holy name Zelphia is used as a proper noun to refer to a concept or being. For example, you may say, “Praise be to Zelphia, the Compassionate and Merciful!”.
Lizardom: This is the totality of all the people, land, water, and buildings that are within the pure realm where the Holy Truths first given to Ushak-Sskath, pure are his ways, by Zelphia are recognized, where the Holy Laws are faithfully adhered to, and where the Holy Purifications are ritually practiced. Lizardom can be roughly described as meaning the “House of Zelphia”, but it also carries the meaning of “Home of Lizards”. All the areas where the wise and just jurisdiction of the servants of Zelphia, the Priests or Zelpirh, hold sway is defined as Lizardom. The sacred term Lizardom is a proper noun that refers to a place. For example, you may say, “All Lizardom rejoices at the Purity of Zelphia!”.
Zelpirh: Pronounced
Zshel-peer-rah, this holy name signifies the whole Priest caste and may also denote an individual member of the Priest caste as a holy title. Zelpirh can be roughly described as meaning “Zelphia’s Aide” or “Servant of Zelphia”. Wisdom, virtue, and justice are connotated by the holy term Zelpirh, and are concepts that are strongly linked to it. Zelpirh have traditionally expounded on the Holy Truths, interpreted the Holy Laws, and orchestrated the Holy Purifications. Metaphorically, they have been compared to the Mind of Zelphia. Zelpirh are often identified while they are still unhatched eggs by experienced, wise Zelpirh who then take them to be raised in the Temple surrounded by Purity. Zelpirh is a holy term that is a proper noun, for example, you may say, “The Zelpirh are indeed wise and knowledgeable”. As a title for an individual member of the Zelpirh, you place it after the person’s name. For example, you may say, “Zedikess Zelpirh, I seek your guidance on this matter.”.
Zelphian: Pronounced
Zshel-pheey-an, may be literally translated as either "one who seeks Purity", "disciple of the Path of Purity", or "follower of Zelphia". Religiously speaking, within the Zelphian faith, the term Zelphian means "one who has faith" or "one who is pious". Most Zelphians accept anyone as a Zelphian who recognizes the Holy Truths, abides by the Holy Laws, and has undergone the Rite of Purification. The term Zelphian is a proper noun and an adjective. For example, you may say, "That upright person is of Zelphian character, is he a Zelphian?"
This section teaches about how to form proper, orthodox lizard names:
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warh ... efault.htm
The following section is a copy of Xerake's Haslus, lizard language, Grammar book:
http://illarion.org/community/forums/vi ... ght=haslus
