The Order of the Eight Demons

An Overview

by James Chokey

 

Eight Demons badge

Introduction

The Order of the Eight Demons is an all female-clerical order of the Hierarchy of the Eternal Flame. It sponsors the all-male fighting order, the Cohorts of Gashang.

The Order of the Eight Demons is limited to western Hârn. It is active in both the Thardic Republic and the Kingdom of Rethem, but its main power base is in Tharda. The order's headquarters is in Shiran (Tharda). The order also operates temples in Coranan (Tharda), Geshtei (Tharda), Themeson (on the contested Tharda-Rethem border), and Golotha (Rethem). It also maintains a number of small chapels and shrines in and around Themeson.

The Senesharil of the order is Merele of Kantar, who is considered extremely sadistic, cruel, and ruthless even by other Agrikans. She is also the Viriahn of the order's Shiran temple. The order's Markitha is Karel of Delvanau. She resides at Gerdel, near Themeson and oversees the Rethemi branch of the order.

 


History of the Eight Demons

The Order of the Eight Demons is the youngest of all the Hârnic Agrikan orders. It and its fighting order, the Cohorts of Gashang, were both created in 714 TR as the result of a schism within the orders of Herpa the Mace and the Red Shadows of Herpa. The reasons for the schism were many, involving matters of theology, orderial politics, national politics, differing views of gender roles within the clergy, and several other items.

Internal conflict had simmered for years, but matters came to a head in 714, when most of the of female clergy of Herpa the Mace broke off to form their own organization.Yhe Herpa/Eight Demons split that year seems to have mirrored political boundaries. MostThardic temples of Herpa the Mace went over to the schismatics (as did Themeson keep along the border), while the Rethemi temples remained firmly in the hands of Herpa the Mace. (The Golotha temple of the Eight Demons was erected later, in 718, on the site of the former temple of the Order of the Pillar of Fire.)

Since its founding, the Eight Demons has acquired a fearsome reputation in western Hârn for its ritual use of sexual torture. It has had limited success at acquiring lay followers, although its fusion of sex and violence, combined with an all-female priesthood, has enabled it to attract the interest of a number of Haleans with a sadistic bent.

 


Myth, Theology, and Ritual Practice

Eight Demons theology derives from a rather original (some say 'heretical') interpretation of a central story in Agrikan mythology— the creation of the eight V'hir. Most Agrikans believe that the V'hir sprang from the drops of blood that were shed after one of Agrik's claws were severed by the goddess Larani. The central point of this tale, the priestesses of the order contend, is that Agrik's strongest and most loyal followers, the V'hir, were created from the agony and blood of their father. They were brought into the world through the pain of their father, much as mortal children are brought into the world through the childbirth pains of their mother. From this point , Eight Demons theology contends that the infliction of pain and suffering 'gives birth' to the qualities of strength, anger, and loyalty that Agrik and his followers value.

The priestesses of the Eight Demons pursue the ends of 'giving birth' to these qualities through ceremonial torture. The genital torture of male victims is especially important. In such ceremonies, the male victim generally represents Agrik himself, and the torture of his organs of generation represents the 'fertile injury' that the god suffered during his battle with Larani. The priestesses paradoxically see themselves as both the 'midwives of the pain that births strength and anger' and the beneficiaries of the process.

A substantial degree of mysticism pervades Eight Demons theology: a vestige of the traditions of its parent order, Herpa the Mace. Eight Demons priestesses view pain as an ecstatic state wherein one's soul comes into direct contact with Agrik's divine essence. Most in the order believe there to be an essential connection between the ecstasies of pain, sexual pleasure, and intoxication. For this reason, ritual practices sometimes include self-inflicted pain, the rape of sacrifical victims, and the ingestion of ordeal drugs on the part of the priestesses.

As might be expected, the order of the Eight Demons most often reveres Agrik in his aspect as 'Master of the V'hir'. (The order's priestesses are extremely knowledgeable in matters of demonology). Because of the Eight Demons' heavy use of ritual torture, they also frequently call upon his aspects as 'Tyrant of the Foul Chamber' and 'He Who Knows the Ten Thousand Ways'.

 


Politics

The order of the Eight Demons is on reasonably polite terms with all other Agrikan clerical orders, except for its parent order, Herpa the Mace. In Coranan and Golotha, cities where both orders maintain temples, a subtle 'war of assassins' is ongoing. (The threat of a crackdown by the Red Guard in Coranan and by the primate in Golotha keeps more overt violence from taking place among them.) In truth, most Eight Demons priestesses have no particular hatred of their parent order— but so long as Herpa the Mace continues its attacks on them, they see no reason not to retaliate in kind. The Hârnic Apalankh and the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame have both accepted the indenpedence of the Eight Demons, but do little to intervene in the conflict between the two orders.

The Eight Demons is intimately involved in the complicated world of Thardic politics. The Order's Senesharil, Merele of Kantar, is a ruthless intriguer and skilled at negotiating the informal, 'backroom' nature of senatorial influence. She was bitterly disappointed when the Senate appointed Serenima Dethale, a Halean, as magistrate of Shiran Province in 716 TR, in spite of her efforts to get an Agrikan appointed to the ofice. This has been a source of great frustration to Merele, who has since developed a bitter feeling for both Serenima and the Halean primate (who also dwells in Shiran).

The order's involvement in Rethemi politics is rather ambigiuous, largely due to its limited presence in the kingdom. Neither it nor its fighting order, the Cohorts of Gashang, have officially sworn fealty to King Chafin III. The king is more concerned with the upcoming conflict with the Earl of Tormau than he is with securing the loyalty of these two orders, neither of whom he regards as particularly reliable and whose occupation of Themeson Castle continues to be a sticking point in Rethem-Tharda relations. Later on, Chafin believes, it will be possible to return the castle to the Tharda in exchange for an alliance against their mutual enemy, the kingdom of Kanday. But that will have to wait until he settles things with the Earl of Tormau. In the meantime, representatives of the Eight Demons and the Cohorts of Gashang have been conducting their own negotiations with the Thardic Senate.


Land and Wealth

The Order of the Eight Demons possesses a substantial amount of land along the Rethem-Tharda border. It holds fifteen manors and villas itself, while its fighting order, the Cohorts of Gashang, controls Themeson keep and six nearby manors.

On the Rethemi side of the 'border' (a messy distinction, considering the contested nature of the region), the Order of the Eight Demons holds twelve manors: Boreth, Culsonn, Duny, Gerdel, Hentath, Indral, Koselt, Kovind, Lymory, Nafid, Ormaune, and Shena. All of these manors are located in Gerdel hundred. Karel of Delvanau, the Eight Demons Markithra for Rethem, resides at Gerdel. The Eight Demons also receives a small tithe from Themeson and the six manors controlled by the Cohorts of Gashang. Royal law is weak in Rethem, and since neither the Eight Demons nor the Cohorts of Gashang offer fealty to King Chafin III, Gerdel hundred is effectively an independent 'theocracy' run by the two orders.

Just across the 'border' in Tharda, the Order of the Eight Demons owns three villas. These villas, located in the Geshtei district of Gerium Province, are adjacent to the order's holdings in Rethem.

In addition to being valuable simply as arable land, it should be noted that the lands controlled by the Eight Demons and the Cohorts of Gashang are of particular strategic importance. In addition to being located on the disputed border between Rethem and Tharda, Themeson and the other lands also border the Kingdom of Kanday to the south. The Gomisen river flows into the Thard along side the order's holdings, and a number of valuable mines (tin, lead, and iron) are located in the nearby hills.


This page is part of the Hârn Religion Team HRT logo

Page last updated on July 29, 2002 by Jim Chokey