Jenolites

  

Scriptural narrative

Main articles: Zoragra and Nolian texts

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Nolian scriptures and texts
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Zoragra (Jenolite) Eternals Levitations Bargains Malisons Gúlijalah Dirges Hammers Elect Late Teachings Contentions Propriety Jatom Quroqulah Jasjurdo First Meluoyah Second Meluoyah
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Mialoqan (Histories)
Isiqati (Sayings)
Other scriptures

Matriarchal Era

Main articles: Matriarchal age and Book of Levitations

In the scriptural narrative, the Jenolites trace their origins to a series of cultural heroes, the first of which being the matriarch Mothúdul. After proving herself by solving a puzzle (presented either on a seeing stone or from a shadag), Mothúdul established a sacred well in the Pass of Hands and debated the Lord of Clouds, traditionally held to be an Oratian magistrate. Because of her intervention, there broke out a Battle of Twelve Kings, resulting in Mothúdul’s first cousin, Goul, leading a tribe from Orat into the mountains. Having completed this task, he turned into a rock pillar after meditating in the sea for 22 days. Mothúdul became miraculously pregnant, and gave birth to the patriarch Zurduli after twelve months of gestation. The narrative associates each of the descendants of Zurduli as becoming progenitors of the tribes of the continent, who gradually replaced the indigenous inhabitants, of the land and defeated their divine patrons the Ijorunn. The sons of Zurduli competed to earn his blessing, by collectively conquering 13 cities and performing miraculous feats. However, his daughter Qordul performed the greatest feat by flying to heaven, causing Zurduli to bless her line as being eternal priests. The story of Zurduli ends with a vision on his deathbed of a future great revealing.

Qordul leads a great multitude of tribes into the Land of Stargalon where she meets the god Jana’ah and receives several prophecies. The tribes construct a temple in Jana’s Grove, after which two Heaveners appear, who guard its entrance with flaming swords. The tribes disperse, losing knowledge of the location of the Grove (or alternatively the Grove leaves the human realm). Qordul anoints a young warrior named Panonpalo, and tasks him with uniting the land in the name of Jana, before descending into a cave and disappearing. Under Panonpalo, the people do battle with the Oratians, who are stopped in battle by the sound of Mothúdul’s Horn. After forty years, Panonpalo conquers a kingdom stretching across all of Stargalon and conquers the holy city of Zor, which is called Zorqojanyahol (“the mound of the most high god”). An election selects Joreh as the first Regent of god, after which Panonpalo dies of his wounds after wrestling an orca named Shaviouth.

Arjalah cycle

Main article: Book of Bargains

An archetypal seeing stone associated with the Jenolite culture of c. 2800–1000 AA.

The Book of Levitations ends with the death of Panonpalo, but the Janist scriptural narrative picks up with the Book of Bargains, also known as the "Jenolite Book of Kings". Arjalah inherited the lands of Panonpalo, establishing a centralized government across the entire Stargalon Valley. He created a magnificent court in the city of Kara, which consisted of dozens of distinguished princes and warriors from across all "thirteen cities of the Jenolites". Arjalah's "Court of Kara" is the focus of many epic traditions, several of which are recorded in the Book of Bargains, but also supplemented by local folklore. Among their adventures includes the slaying of many fire giants (Ijorunn), and in one case the hunting of a mountain-sized boar, the Gennasha. The main focus of the Janist scriptures is to establish a continuity from Panonpalo to Arjalah, and from there the rest of the Zurjuli dynasty down to the Oratian conquest. The most prominent member of this court is Ambinian, the legendary military leader and progenitor of the patrons of the prophet Gúlijalah, whose life and exploits are further detailed in the Book of Gúlijalah.

Arjalah was succeeded as king by his son Carvo "the Wise", who relocated the capital from Kara to his own city of Zarpatulr. Carvo had a vast imagination and insatiable curiosity, and he desired to expand his knowledge and wisdom by testing every physical and magical phenomenon on Earth. So he constructed a vast network of underground chambers, extending for thirty fathoms beneath the city of Zarpatulr. These chambers would contain hundreds of unique objects or experiments, ranging from the mundane to otherworldly in nature. For example, one chamber was designed to measure the maximum length a cricket can jump, while another contained a Seeing Stone linked to a world of evil spirits. Still other chambers had various monsters imprisoned, such as men with the heads of dogs or bulls. Carvo is often depicted as rather callous if not irresponsible for the lives of those in charge of conducting these experiments, some of whom would never see the light of the Sun ever again. But he believed that the revelation of new knowledge and wisdom was worth the risk, which the Janist scriptures depicts as an admirable virtue.

Bargains 29

Upon throne stolen, dais of the wise,

Sat Galodin, when into the great hall
stormed Chelajal fair, rightful heir.
So said the queen-that-was-meant:
"Unseat at once from thy theft-horde
Wicked aunt, face me as a woman or
I shall cast thou upon the floor
As a dog who lurches up to the table
Trying for morsels warm but unearned."

So cast Galodin a crooked smile, and hark:
"Such petty speech affects me not, for
In rulership does one come to see that
That trifles abound the world over and
All the time one wills upon the smallest
Is more time than ever need be spent."
The queen-of-stolen-throne, usurper-of-niece
Waved her hand high above her head, calling
Forth a figure as of yet shrouded in shadow:

"Cybo! My love! At once here I have returned
A flame of true passion within me beckoned
In the vile cells of Galodin, the thief-queen,
My thoughts of thee like lightning piercing
Through darkest and foulest of tempests!"
So exclaimed the brave daughter of Carvo,
Yet her eyes grew wider at the sight of love
First in shock that tumbled down like rock
On mountain-cliff into burning madness.

"Foul and vile thief-queen! What sorcery
Hast thou rendered upon the fair Prince
That he appears as such shambling and
Trembling before thee! For no man I loved
Would blindly bind self in bondage thus to
A wretched witch of wielded word!" And laughed
Galodin heartily; to see such fury from a
girl, thus barely a woman, amused the queen
For her own heart held no such youthful passion.

So she spake, cooly, smile curling: "Gaze
Upon thy 'love' and see, the power of Galodin!"
So the queen-of-stolen-throne reared her head,
Towards sky-portal she her eyes drew heavily,
Her tongue moving now of its own accord, she
Spake in no word mortal woman might utter free
Of doubts of committing grevious sin; and so
Covered her hears did Cheljal but Wetul, moving
Forward now, returned his own enchantment.

Louder and louder, a first a mutter, but now
Thunder rang out across the queenly hall as
Sorceress upon sorcerer added word of power
And word of pain to the air that languished
In the hot light of summer day, until, with
Shriek aloud, did Galodin so exclaim, aghast:
"Impudent wizard! You dare challenge Galodin,
Mighty Queen of Own Right, with the very magics
Devised of her own power?" So the wizard laughed.

"Hark and see, the one whose words so devised!"
So did Galodin see as Wetul lowered his hood
And a great whiteness overcame the thief-queen
Who so spake: "Wetul! Deviant! Breaker-of-oath!
Indeed did thy enchantment impress upon mine own
Stronger together forged bond between us, mentor
Once but menace now! Alas, I shall not perish to
One who once served me as thee!" And so let out
Thief-queen a great roar, as winter wind on plain.

Backwards flew Wetul, thrown against pillar as
The sea throws itself upon rocks in midst of storm,
So to Cheljal he spake: "Now! Defeat her while she
Has spent her power thus, upon me and not thee!"
And so rushed forward did the brave queen-to-be
Gallantly stride across queenly hall to do battle
Against the sorceress-queen Galodin, seeress,
Once wise and respected, but now bent upon power
And wanton for secrets unearned by mortal ears.

When Carvo died, he willed the kingdom to his only daughter, Cheljal. Cheljal was described as a fierce and brave warrior, a cut above her peers in terms of agility and proficiency with weapons. She was betrothed to marry Cybo the son of Ambinian, and by the time of Carvo's death they had grown steadily fond of each other. However, Carvo's sister Galodin immediately seized the throne in a coup, placing Cheljal under arrest. Galodin transformed the chambers of Zarpatulr from a house of learning into a prison, re-arranging the corridors to become a labyrinth of confusing passageways, and there she locked up Cheljal and all her political supporters in the deepest part of the maze. As for the handsome Prince Cybo, Cheljal planned to forcefully take his hand in marriage in Cheljal's absence. But Cheljal allied with an imprisoned sorcerer named Wetul, and together the two of them managed to escape the maze after overcoming many trials and tribulations.

In a rather colorful and dramatic passage, Cheljal managed to defeat Queen Galodin and rescue her true love. However, it was at this point that Wetul revealed his true intentions, and using a magic spell he banished both Cheljal and Galodin back into the labyrinth, taking control of the kingdom for himself. After putting aside their differences, the two women worked together to escape the maze once again, and confront the evil sorcerer in a final battle. Cheljal used a Seeing Stone to banish Wetul to the dark side of the Moon, finally putting the conflict to an end. Cheljal was then crowned as Queen of Stargalon, with Cybo as her faithful consort. She relocated the capital back to the city of Zor, and before long the city of Zarpatulr had become totally abandoned and forgotten.

Cheljal proved to be a great military leader in her own right, further centralizing the kingdom back to the capital. But she is also noted for balancing this trait with her great piety, as she sponsored further expansion of the Zorist priesthood and erected a monument to Lady Biomi. She ultimately predeceased her husband, Cybo, uniting the houses of Arjalah and Ambinian into a single dynasty. After the death of Cybo, there was a period of civil war in which Stargalon was divided between three courts: Skeniraqa ruling at Leoni, Ononduaga ruling at Kara, and the rulership of Yotungilah. When this conflict was concluded, Yotungilah reunited the three courts into a single nation. Yortungilah's death was foretold by the prophesies of Gúlijalah, so he willed that the kingship after him should pass to the House of Joreh, namely Morqulayah and his descendants.

Book of Malisons

Main article: Book of Malisons

High priestess Lanonsyoni turning two "prophets of accursed Melash" into serpents, from a 16th century engraving.

Arjalah falls in battle against Gennasha's mother, 20th century illustration

The subsequent Book of Malisons abruptly transitions to a setting in which "the ancient laws and obligations were most often forgotten", and Stargalon is divided into multiple regencies and tribes, further disturbed by the arrival of "Travelers from the Sea". The story retells the previous election of Joreh, revealed as Jana's Regent after solving the "Mystery of the Eleven Birds". It is then recounted how a curse was placed on the line of Arjalah, because "he claimed the title of most high". The rest of the book is divided into six individual stories, each focusing on a different hero or leader.

In the first story, the high priestess Lanonsyoni is asked by Arjalah to cede the treasures of Zor to him, so that he might melt them down to create a spear capable of slaying the Gennasha. Instead, Lanonsyoni grants him a feather, stating that faith through Jana would make the feather as powerful as a spear. Arjalah kills the Gennasha (just as in the Book of Bargains), but feels emboldened with the power of the feather to seek out more fame and glory. He hunts down "the Gennasha's mother" on the "Island of Dagen" and attacks it as well, but is mortally wounded in the battle; Lanonsyoni remarks that the forces of Jana cannot be misused for evil intents. In the second story, a "chief of Kara" angered by the death of Arjalah named Tuunosha requests that Carvo the Wise (also known as Carvoquabosh) join an alliance against Lanonsyoni for "selling defective amulets". Carvo instead decrees that Lanonsyoni receive a chance to defend herself. An army descends on Zor, and a contingent of 700 priests and seers challenges the high priestess to a duel. Lanonsyoni performs a series of miracles, including walking on water while the 700 priests drown in their attempt. Convinced of the power of Jana, Tuunosha performs a sacrifice and declares he will repay Lanonsyoni for his insults. Angered by the killing of the 700 priests, a priestess of the Crooked Finger tribe, called the Juqonishi ("Ambivalent One"), shapeshifts into Tuunosha's form, but is discovered as she does not wear one of the defective amulets. The Kara chiefs slaughter the Crooked Finger army; Tuunosha is mortally wounded in the fighting but dies satisfied his life repays the debt for his family. Carvo gives praise to the amulets, which are called more useful than previously imagined, and donates Tuunosha's as an offering to the city of Zor.

The third story describes the Return of Joreh. A highly poetic section, the Return of Joreh is often read as a metaphor for the turning of seasons, the cycle of life, or as an etiology for the phenomenon of nostalgia. Joreh's exit for which he is returning is never explained – although he is praised for traveling to "a state of contemplation" – and now an old man he comments on the things he no longer recognizes. After a grand parade, Joreh learns that he has predeceased his son, Neporquel. He visits his grandson, Herongisda and delivers a prophecy:

Hark! Thine own hour will beset the next sons, yet
I saw a speck of life outside such griefs,
whence hands hardly find a tear, inasmuch pain passes,
fathers don't grow old, fires never turn to ashes,
suns don't set, tire not for the day not relent,
passionate peace awaits, I dreamt

— Malisons 4:16

Qenangida going into the custody of Ambinian in the presence of two shadags, in a carving from the 3rd century AA.

The story concludes with Joreh falling asleep under a willow tree, becoming one with the roots. In the fourth story, the widow of Arjalah, Dagihasi remains bitter at the priests of Zor for the death of her husband. Stealing items from the Chambers of Zarpatulr, she creates stilts that make her as large as a giant. She gains a following of widows, wounded soldiers, orphans, and urban poor in Zarpatulr and takes this army to a hill outside the city. Founding her own throne, the Dagihasites collect the wounded and the dead from the battlefields of Stargalon for many years and create a powerful fortress. The city of Kara languishes without its common people, so Carvo dispatches Ambinian to make peace. Ambinian travels to the court of Dagihasi, who declares she will relent if Ambinian enacts vengeance on Lanonsyoni. However, when Ambinian travels to Zor he learns that Lanonsyoni is no where to be seen; her daughter Qenangida relays that she has turned into a great lake, and asks, "must you take vengeance on the water despite the plight of the fish?" Ambinian takes Qenangida captive instead. Dagihasi allows people back to the cities and the field but keeps her fortress intact, and soon after there is famine and plague in the lands around Kara. Qenangida while in captivity meditates and enters Carvo's dreams, during which she duels the prophets of Kara and defeats them. Moved by this dream, Carvo travels to the court of Dagihasi and tearfully reconnects with his mother. Thus is made the Dagihasi Promise that charity shall always be extended to the poor, and Qenangida is released with a promise that Stargalon will always keep and respect the priestesses in Zor.

The fifth story begins after the death of Cybo, and a description of how the court of Kara languished and fought amongst itself due to the influence of the foreign attendants of Biomi. Several sons of the late ruler do battle with each other, including Skeniraqa, Ononduaga, and Yotungilah, who each go their separate ways and lead separate tribes. During this time arises the Great Prophet (later identified as Gúlijalah), who sings songs of the future adventures of the Cyboites and prophesizes the fall of Kara. The youngest son, Yotungilah, deciphers a Seeing Stone's riddle using the words of Gúlijalah, learning that the artifacts of Jana have not been properly venerated based on the deciphered instructions. He undertakes several labors and recovers these artifacts, laying them to rest in a Sarcophagus of Ancients. Carrying the Sarcophagus into battle, Yotungilah defeats his brothers and seizes the remnants of the kingdom, although several chiefs rebuke him. Ordered to repay his victories by depositing the Sarcophagus at Zor, Yotungilah does so, but steals a ring from the Sarcophagus before doing so. He builds a new palace in the city, then begins a series of conquests lasting forty years. The tribes of Stargalon meanwhile pay upkeep to the temple at Zor.

The final story begins in the reign of Herongisda's son Morqulayah, who slowly unites the tribes of Stargalon in a new alliance. In one instance, he destroys a tribe worshipping Biomi'ah with Mothúdul’s Horn. He seeks to sail to the Island of Dagen, but finds the island is gone and the seas too fierce to continue; his ship wrecks and he loses the horn in the process. Nonetheless he slays a Stoneman named Asneviramnah on the coast, causing the Great Prophet to summon him to Zor. There it is again prophesized the end of Kara, most especially after they are cursed for the theft of Jana's Ring. Morqulayah attempts to relay this information to Yotungilah, but the old king finds the weight of the ring weighs him down from fleeing. The Smiting of Kara occurs, when a great blast ascends from the sky and levels the city; Morqulayah flees with the last of Arjalah's house. The Great Prophet gathers the many tribes, who swear the Peace Oath. They promise to follow the ancient laws, to support and protect the independent priests of Zor, to rule kindly by one another, and to "never relent to a king". The "Mothers of Stargalon" come together in a council, and 11,870 men volunteer to serve the priests of Zor (later nicknamed "Jana's Elect").

Book of Gúlijalah

The Book of Gúlijalah serves as both the hagiography of the Prophet Gúlijalah, and also a compilation of works attributed to him, including his hymns, oracles, and legislations. Gúlijalah is the most venerated figure of Jenolite literature, and the Smiting of Kara during his lifetime is the climax of the Jenolite scriptures.

The book begins with a description of the life of Ambinian, and the epic wars he fought against Oratian invaders. When Ambinian was facing off against overwhelming numbers, he humbled himself to the city of Zor, and sponsored sacrifices being carried out by Joreh the Regent of God. Joreh was impressed by Ambinian's piety, and allowed him to borrow a "piece of Jana" to use against the invaders. With enough prayers and acts of humility, Ambinian was able to use the artifact to channel the power of Jana, summoning an army of spirits to decimate the Oratian army. Although he was tempted by the unlimited power of this weapon, Ambinian fulfilled his promise and gifted the artifact to Zor.

The narrative skips forward in time, introducing the Nativity of Gúlijalah during the reign of Ambinian's son, Cybo. On the day of the Prophet's birth, many birds come to bow before the infant, and a new star appears in the night sky directly over the Stargalon Valley. According to tradition, the Prophet was a descendant of the reigning high priestess and either the son or nephew of Morqulayah, representing a unification of the regency line and the priestess line, and both dynasty's powers. The child's parents take him to the temple at Zor eight days later, and ask the High Priestess to elucidate from the Seeing Stones what future the child holds. Heongisda, who was regent at the time, said that he will be blessed with the sight to see into people's hearts and minds, and to see across time and space. And so he was named Gúlijalah, meaning "sight of God". Unfortunately, this name turned out to be quite an oxymoron, as it soon became apparent that Gúlijalah was born fully blind. Disgusted by this turn of events, the Prophet's parents forced him out of the house, although he was only two years old. But then a group of Heaveners came to his side, and led the child into the great temple of Zor, where he remained for the next ten years. Birds would come to bring him food, so that he never needed to beg for sustenance. As soon as he became twelve years old, the High Priestess suggested that it would be indecent for a man beyond maturity to live in the temple. So they arranged for Gúlijalah to be married to the priestess Saraquya, and by this contract he was compelled to relocate from the holy place.

Many years later, after Cybo's death the Kingdom of Kara fell into a civil war between his three sons: Skeniraqa, Ononduaga, and Yotungilah. Ononduaga was by far the strongest contender, and it wasn't long before he killed Skeniraqa and forced Yotungilah into exile. But as soon as Ononduaga solidified his control over the state, his ambitions turned towards the holy city of Zor. For the House of Arjalah had a long-standing rivalry against the priesthood at Zor and the allied House of Joreh, which remained the only things standing in their way of controlling the entire Land of Stargalon. So Ononduaga sent a vast army to quickly occupy the city, and he looted the temple of all its precious relics, monetary wealth, and other fineries. Zendaqaryoni, the daughter of Qenangida, was numbered among the martyrs who defied Ononduaga's reign. But the Prophet Gúlijalah boldly spoke out against this tyranny, and he uttered many prophesies that this transgression against God will spell doom for the Kingdom of Kara. He said "I may not be able to see your eyes, but I can see the heavy stone of guilt that weighs on your heart, chained to the anchor of your sins link by link". Ononduaga gave orders to have the Prophet captured, but a flock of birds picked up Gúlijalah and carried him far into the wilderness, where he survived miraculously for forty days and forty nights.

It came to pass at this time that Yotungilah grew sick, and his remaining followers were worried that his fight against Ononduaga would die with him. But instead of accepting the aid of any doctor, Yotungilah insisted on seeking out the help of the Prophet Gúlijalah, to ask him to intercede with Jana. So Gúlijalah came to Yotungilah and blessed him, and his illness was miraculously cleansed. Then Gúlijalah offered to help the prince's fight for the throne of Kara, but only if he promised to return all of the holy relics and treasures to Zor. So Yotungilah gave a solemn oath before Jana and Mothúdul that he would. So the armies of Yotungilah and Ononduaga prepared to do battle against one another, although the incumbent king had far greater numbers. But Gúlijalah stood at a high mountain, and stretched his hands over the battlefield, and at that moment a great cloud of darkness fell over the land, blocking out the Sun and Moon. Then bolts of lightning fell from heaven against Ononduaga's army, along with fiery hail larger than a man's fist. After Ononduaga was killed and his army surrendered, the plagues immediately dissipated, and Yotungilah was proclaimed the rightful king of Kara.

Shortly after these things took place, Yotungilah sent mercenaries all across the kingdom of Kara, and he meticulously tracked down every single relic and treasure, including that which Ononduaga had stolen from the city of Zor. Then he gathered all of these things into a great box suspended on two poles, which was called the Sarcophagus of the Ancients. And the King of Kara discovered that whenever he carried this box into battle, all of his enemies fell helplessly to his will, with the same miracles that Gúlijalah performed against his brother. So Yotungilah tried to go back against his word to the Prophet, in order to keep this unlimited power to himself. He argued that with these powers he could obtain great wealth for the people of the kingdom, was was prescribed in accordance with the Dagihasi Promise. But Gúlijalah rebuked this notion, saying "you have all the nobles and merchants in your land who you can tax, this is wealth that belongs to the poor. But you may not violate any part of the sacred property of the priesthood, for this belongs to Jana". So King Yotungilah relented, and he relinquished the Sarcophagus of the Ancients over to the priests of Zor. But a ring of Jana, the smallest piece of the treasures therein, he secretly kept for himself.

Gúlijalah 36:4

Treachery does not stain the skin as berries do fingers

It blackens the heart, hardens beyond measure;
A coal-hearted king cannot rule a kingdom-god-given.
Such as I have seen, wrath shall come upon all who bow
Thoughtless and selfish, to a throne corrupt;
So shall become lest ill deed is undone

Gúlijalah 37:18

"Complacency hath bred complicity, for ye

Who hear not the divine word, wrath deserve!
At once, all the sins of the king will rain thus
Upon his people, for a king is no king without subject;
So to subject that sees evil in their home and shirks

At the doer–beware the burning brand of heaven's fury!"

But Gúlijalah's eyes were not deceived, and he could see right through all of the king's secret intentions. So the Prophet relayed to Morqulayah the Regent of God all the terrifying visions he has received, indicating that Kara would be imminently destroyed for their insolence against Jana. So Morqulayah went to Kara and told all these things to King Yotungilah, explaining that all he needed to do was relinquish the ring, and the people of Kara would be spared. But the king had become so thoroughly intoxicated with the lust of power, that he was no longer able to part ways with such a precious object, even at the cost of his own kingdom. So Yotungilah attempted to flee from the city before the smiting could happen, but he suddenly found that the ring had miraculously become incredibly heavy, so that he could not move it off the floor. And so, the king of Kara died still clutching the precious treasure that he had staked his life on. Nonetheless, Morqulayah spent some time preaching throughout the city of the imminent day of judgement, and that all those who followed the instructions of Gúlijalah would be spared. The sky rolled back like a scroll, and a gigantic ball of fire descended from heaven on the city. Every tree caught fire and every stone melted, such that the entire region was bathed in molten rock. Only Morqulayah and all those who listened to his preaching had escaped the city in time. These survivors became organized as a new tribe that slowly rebuilt a "new city", ruled over by Yotungilah's daughter, Talullah. After the death of Morqulayah, Gúlijalah oversaw the election of his successor, Awinita. Awinita was a great ruler, most famous for defending the Jenolites multiple times from the Northonans of Orat, who threatened their very existence. These wars are further detailed in other Jenolite books.

This narrative comprises about one third of the Book of Gúlijalah. The next section of text includes various hymns composed by the Prophet, which is among the foremost works of poetry in the ancient world (along with the Hymns of Haten and the Kallean Book of Hymns). The next section includes various oracles and judgements against neighboring tribes and nations, including the states of Kara, Paquldoron, Orat, the Skypriots, and beasts from the Island of Dagen. Many of these tribes called out disappeared sometime before the Venerable Era, and in some cases the Book of Gúlijalah is the only source for their existence at all. The last part of the text includes various laws and legislations, namely the Great Oath of Peace that formalized the confederacy of tribes around Zor, affirming the domination of the high priestesses. The book concludes with commentaries, traditionally attributed to Nesoliah. Among these writings is the decree that the pious will never again inhabit such a place as Kara, for which Jana removed from the earth forever as a warning for rebellion against the eternal laws.

Book of Dirges

Dirges 2

How bright shone stars, twinkling in mirk

At His birth. A chorus of bird song
Sweetly rang valley across
and in melodious harmony sang
"Welcome," they, creatures of sky;
An infant, prophet-of-doom-to-come!

Glorious heaven opened gates aloft
So succoured Stargalon, verdant-spring rain,
Yet like tears upon cheek in time of great joy
None knew yet the power of His sight
Although vision of mortal Earth eluded him
So clear to Him was the light of god.

Alas, now has come to pass
Prophet, so wise, from this life
None can escape the end-tribute;
No-ever how wise the sage
Can break even the tend'rest of
bundles; Jana alone gives life.

As the clouds drift at night
Scraping the stars, dancing wisps
Around moon aloft, how they end
Like the life of man, at once
Beautiful, at next, foreboding
A portent of spring; death unto life.

We look upon the dead with tears
Welled in our eyes, and we wonder
What one morrow more may have brought;
Why now, we utter alone, What deservéd
Now the suffering of mine own self?
But tears, like rain, bring life anew.

Cleansed, as Kara-magnificent though
It was–cannot escape the will of god.
For no day passes where death alone
Occurs without absence of new birth
And greatest memory holds those thoughts
Which stir most disquietously the heart.

So let us mourn, but let us also give thanks
To life spent serving no nobler purpose than His.
Blessed be the doomseer-of-Kara, He that saw
Beyond the feigned magnificence of kings
To gaze upon the glory that god gave alone
To no man but to all that is upon mortal earth.

The Book of Dirges acts as an anthology of 114 songs and poems, divided into six books of 19, and concludes the principal section of the Jenolite scripture. The majority of the poems have been traditionally attributed to Gúlijalah, Nesoliah, or the later poet-seer Asnumorah. Overall, Dirges speaks of the time at the end of Gúlijalah's ministry and the time after, especially commenting on the Smiting of Kara, which serves an important theological purpose as a grave reminder of violation of the eternal laws. Other key subjects are Yotungilah's daughter, the heroine Talullah, as well as the famed conqueror Panonpalo. A large portion of the dirges also speak to mythological stories of the matriarchal period or before, while about 20 are absent any commentary on mythological or historical events. Dirge 114, also called the "Song of Zurduli" invokes eschatological imagery of the last revealing.

Book of Hammers

Main article: Book of Hammers

The Oratian–Jenolite War, as depicted in a 19th century engraving after the original painting by Qoruoah Sanatris (1855).

The Book of Hammers is an anthology consisting of several historical and dynastic narratives, set in the time period after the life of Gúlijalah and up to the Oratian conquest in 970 AA. The book can be roughly divided into the following sections:

• The Elder Passages
  • Hammers 1–12: Chronicles of the Naamasah tribe and the city of Jasur
  • Hammers 13–20: Saga of Talullah and her daughters
  • Hammers 21–24: Night journey of Nesoliah into the Dreamworld; Vision of the Final Days
  • Hammers 25–30: Concerning the Search for the Sacred Well
  • Hammers 31–34: The Blinding of Ajerqorah and the fate of his house
  • Hammers 35–39: The Oratian–Goulite War and the Warning of Fúthonoah
• The Younger Passages
  • Hammers 40–49: Chronicles of the Tasunusa tribe from the time of Saguqonoah
  • Hammers 50–58: Chronicles of the Qanasi tribe and the Lesser Arjalahites
  • Hammers 58–61: Concerning the Annual Festivals of Songs and Ordeni the Bard
  • Hammers 62–72: Chronicles of the House of Jomri to the Siege of Jasur; Discovery of Gúlijalah's Testament
  • Hammers 73–79: Jarotha's Great Alliance; Summoning of the Ghosts of Barbgolo
  • Hammers 80–90: Apex of the Oratian War; the Preservation of the Temple; Curse of the Nations

Awinita cycle

In the days after the kingship was lost from Kara, Awinita the son of Maqeda became ruler of Jasur. He did good in the eyes of Jana, and he swore to protect the priests of Zor from outside threats all his days. And in turn, the High Priestess affirmed God's blessing on the House of Awinita, and anointed him king at the city of Zor. In those days, the King of the Northonans sent a mighty army on horseback into the Stargalon region. They are described as having a towering height and equally bulked in muscle, making war against their neighboring lands as often as one might go for a jog. Assuming this invasion to be another tributary raid from Orat, the King of Jasur levied his standard defenses at the gates of the city, anticipating the slow, methodical movements that are typical of Oratian tactics. But the Northonans, who fought entirely on horseback, swiftly surrounded the armies of Jasur, and thereafter captured the city itself. This battle happened so quickly, that news of the invasion had not even reached Awinita until after the city had fallen. The Northonans proceeded to sack the Naamasahites, until every man over three cubits in height were cut down by the sword.

Panic had struck the other cities of the Naamasahites, and many people immediately fled to the hills and highlands in the east, mostly taking refuge in the city of Zor. This proved to be an effective tactic against the Northonans, who found it much harder to maintain a tactical advantage while traveling through mountains. But as winter began to set in, the King of the Northonans coordinated his army to push directly for the city of Zor, crossing over a lake that had frozen over. It was on this lake that Awinita brought to bear the entire army of Jasur to fight back against the invaders. But as the heat of battle intensified, the ice beneath their feet began to buckle and crack. Awinita had anticipated this scenario from the start, and pulled back the Naamasahite army to a safer position. As for the Northonans, the incredible weight of their stature proved to be their undoing, as the ice shattered beneath their feet, swallowing all of the king's horses and all of the king's men.

So Awinita made well on his promise to protect the priests of Zor with every ounce of his strength. So the Regent of God came to the court of Jasur, and declared that his descendants shall reign to the third generation. Soon news of Awinita's valor spread across the Stargalon region, and many other tribes near the city of Zor began flocking to his banner, hoping to likewise receive the protection of his army and the blessings of Jana. But Awinita made it clear that he intended not to repeat the mistakes of the kings of Kara, who boasted of their strength in defiance of the ordinances of God. Instead, the king of Jasur respected the sovereignty of Zor, and he humbled himself to do the bidding of Jana's will as delivered from the Regent of God and the High Priestess.

Now Awinita had a daughter named Wenunah, who he loved more than all the treasures of the world. So just as he would with any treasure, the king of Jasur gave strict orders to have her safely confined to the palace while he was away at war. But Wenunah was determined to experience the outside world, so she quietly escaped the palace to mingle among the common people of Jasur. Disguising herself in common clothes, Wenunah spent the next week living among the farmers and peasants in and around the city. At that time, she became friends with an Oratian merchant named Arnoquah. Arnoquah was very obtuse about his family and background, and this aura of mystery further excited Wenunah's interest, until the two of them had fallen in love. But at the end of seven days, Arnoquah suddenly left early in the morning, leaving only a shoe behind. And as Wenunah followed him, she discovered that Arnoquah was actually a prince of Oratian royalty, who was on a mission to spy on the Jenolites under the guiese of a merchant caravan, but they refused to let her any closer as they believed her to be a simple peasant. Wenunah was extremely frustrated by this turn of events, and wondered why Arnoquah never had the resolve to reveal his true identity. That is, until she realized that she also did not reveal her identity to him, making the situation equal.

Awinita eventually died of old age, and Wenunah became anointed as Regent of the Naamasahites. But prior to his death, Awinita had sent an embassy to extend an alliance with the King of Orat, seeking their aid to defend from future attacks by the Northonans. So dozens of Oratian princes and eligible Kurakas came to visit the court of Jasur, from which Wenunah would pick her husband. But the queen surprised everyone when she insisted that she would only marry a man who could fit this shoe, which she had been keeping hidden all these years. Arnoquah, the prince from Zoan, came forward to claim ownership of the shoe, but he explained that he would not accept the love of any woman except for the peasant who he met those years ago. So Queen Wenunah revealed herself to be that same woman, and the two of them became united as husband and wife.

Wenunah did what was right in the eyes of Jana, even better than her father Awinita had done. She led the armies of the Naamasahites to expand the borders of Jasur, and she ceded various lands and estates to the priests of Zor. She consecrated the city of Jasur in Jana's name, and in her days drunkenness and immodesty were strictly forbidden. To that end, Wenunah banished the perverted people from the land, and broke down the alters and shrines of any god other than Jana. After taking the borders of Jasur to their largest extent, a third of the Stargalon region, Wenunah appointed lords and magistrates to administrate the new territory, granting them lands that their descendants could rule after them. Late in her reign, it came to pass that the merchants of Jasur mounted a revolt against these magistrates. They captured the village of Jetta outside of Jasur, where they broke down the walls of the lord's house and seized his estate. So Wenunah wasted no time to these merchants as traitors, saying "why do you raise arms against the people who Jana has appointed over you? You have not only thrown away your lives, but also your souls". So Wenunah quickly captured the city of Jetta, and all the merchants who did not capitulate were cut down with the sword.

At that time, Wenunah inquired the prophets if her reign would be known as the greatest of the Jenolite history, because of her faithfulness to Jana. The prophets responded that indeed her reign has been blessed more than any other ruler so far, but there is yet another ruler after her which will be even greater, and will be known as the greatest of any ruler in the world.

Wenunah and Arnoquah were succeeded by their son, Luoquliah. Luoquliah did what was evil in the eyes of Jana, and he allowed the city of Jasur to become lax in its morality, until it had turned into a wretched hive of scum and villainy. He spent the treasury of his ancestors on opulent parties filled with the most perverse delights, and the magistrates under him imitated this same behavior. While Luoquliah did continue to pay homage to the priests of Zor, and fulfill the other rituals in service of Jana, all of these things were a veil of hypocrisy meant to dissuade attention from his evil deeds. But Ahijalah the seer rebuked the House of Awinita, and he said to Luoquliah "because of the sins you have committed, all of the people under you will likewise suffer. And if you do not repent, then you will likewise lose the throne that God gave you". In those days, the King of Orat invaded Stargalon and defeated Luoquliah in battle, and afterwards sacked the city of Naonila. And the King of Orat compelled Luoquliah to pay a large amount of silver, gold and slaves as tribute. The next year, Luoquliah was deposed as king by Jomri the son of Jenún, who was leader of Jasur's military.

Talullah

Sections 13–20 of the text detail the life of the heroine Talullah, a figure also featured briefly in the Book of Gúlijalah as well as in a number of Dirges. It is briefly recalled how when Talullah was born a ghost named Shamog'quran visited Kara and imprinted a mark onto the baby's neck. Not knowing the meaning of this, the mother Isoqudul asked several prophets and seers, who came to three contradictory prophecies. The priestess of Biomi said Talullah would conquer a great empire, would construct a temple in Kara, and would raise a statue of a man with wings. The twin mages of the Juqonishi stated that the girl would despair, that her horse would be shot by arrows, that her tears would spawn a famine, and her sons would grow hungry. Lastly, the prophet of Jana stated that the House of Arjalah would perish but that Talullah would survive its destruction, that she would redeem the past transgressions despite never being queen, and that she would become wise like Lanonsyoni. Annoyed that the last prophecy "comforted the lady's heart", months later the followers of Biomi attempted to assassinate the Janist prophet with a snake. The infant Talullah, learning to walk early, came upon the snake first and trampled it. Many years later, when Talullah was an adolescent, a shadag appeared in Kara and showed her to a secret tunnel beneath the keep. Unable to enter himself, he directed her down into the passage, where it's said she learned "the true origins and secrets befalling the House of Arjalah". There also she finds the tombs of 20 men marked with swords on their graves, and stacks of ancient coins with unknown faces. In Kara, Talullah participates in the quests to find the missing pieces of Jana, and personally delivers a golden rib to the Sarcophagus of the Ancients. When Morqulayah warns of the destruction of Kara that the Prophet Gúlijalah foretold, Talullah recalls she dreamed of such an event. She flees with his contingent and leads a number of survivors just before the Smiting of Kara.

Becoming separated in the night after Kara's fall, Talullah wanders in the wilderness with a small number of survivors. Feeling that she has been led astray from the path to Zor due to her impurity, she builds a purification lodge. The people take turns in the purification lodge lasting hours, while Talullah miraculously stays for 10 days and nights. When she emerges she discovers her camp has grown into a small town, because herogs have emerged from the forests and have constructed markets. Flown into a rage that the people are constructing a new city, Talullah gives a prophetic speech on the nature of their curse and their future. She then smashes the market stalls and razes the makeshift temple the people have constructed. Some of the people flee in terror and join with the herogs in the woods, selecting a man named Jaqutsi as their champion. Angered by Talullah's actions, these forces decide to attack Talullah's smaller contingent, and they harass her group as they travel through the woods for many days. One night Talullah descides to make a stand, performs a sacrifice to Jana'ah, and then does battle with Jaqutsi's army. They have a great battle lasting until sunrise, in which Jaqutsi's army is routed, and the champion has his horse shot out from under him while fleeing, crushing his leg.

After many weeks Talullah reaches the city of Zor with a band of followers, now only numbering 220. However, she declares she is not worthy to enter the sanctuary without a gift worthy of Jana and proportional to her family's sin. As such she goes back into the wilderness, and tracks down an animal sacrifice. First she finds a magical butterfly, but after a brief battle the butterfly is snatched up by a bird. She battles against the bird, but after the bird is snatched up by a dog. She battles the dog, but again the dog is snatched up by a lion. After another long battle this time the lion is subdued, at which point it opens its mouth and whispers a word of thanks; a spirit exits the lion's nostrils and drifts toward the heavens. Taking the carcass to Zor, Talullah is let into the city. Over the course of many years, Talullah studies "the first seven scrolls" and becomes an apprentice priestess. She seeks entrance into the inner layer of the city to see the great prophet Gúlijalah and learn his wisdom, but the prophet declares, "I know who you are, yet you do not; because you stand before me with four legs and a heart of the eternal realm of Barbgolo". Convinced she has not achieved the requisite wisdom, Talullah goes into self-exile. After many months of wandering she encounters an elderly man in the forests who gives many riddles. Seeking to learn from the man, Talullah agrees to fetch him a cup of water from the tallest mountain in Stargalon, Mount Qora, to rejuvenate his memory.

Talullah begins a long trek into the lands of the mountains, during which time she has several encounters. First she finds a hidden city underneath a waterfall, and decides the winner of a contest of poets. Impressed by her judgement, one of the poets Etowoyah asks for her hand in marriage, but she declines. A second, Yethqoam, challenges her to a duel for the right to wed her, but loses. A third, Teyethogoah, kidnaps her in her sleep with bag made of blessed orca skin. When Talullah awakes she is in a cell and bound with chains until a marriage ceremony can take place; the marriage officiator warns that their union will be cursed. Teyethogoah's domain is then assaulted by an army led by the one-legged champion Jaqutsi, seeking revenge on Talullah and mistaking the land as willingly co-ruled by her. Escaping from bondage by the destruction of the prison walls, Talullah traps Teyethogoah in his magical orca-skin bag and leaves him. Jaqutsi pillages the land for many days and becomes its ruler, turning the locals against Talullah as the source of their misery.

Finally reaching the summit of Qora, Talullah fills a cup with water, and begins to descend while holding the cup upright in one hand. During the descent she performs several feats, including the hunting of a deer with her other hand, a wrestling match with a man named Eaomoah, and the building of a cottage for an elderly couple near the town of Nagratistli. After traveling for some time, with the cup still held up, she discovers that Jaqutsi has raised a great army of a thousand horsemen, ten thousand spears, and a number of giant falcons. Their army ravages across Stargalon and lays siege to the wise old man's tower in the forest. Upon arriving to see her destination blocked, she challenges Jaqutsi to a one-on-one duel noting that they both lack an appendage (as she must fight one-handed). There they do battle and Talullah manages to keep the water from spilling, and Jaqutsi is greatly injured when his sword hand is cut off. Before he can be slain, the falcons drag Jaqutsi to safety; the army retreats after them. Giving the water to the old man, it is revealed that he is Qesha, a second son of the old regent Joreh, who achieved an enormous lifespan but was still cursed to receive the pain of aging. Qesha delivers a sermon revealing many ancient laws and pieces of wisdom, and trains Talullah for a year. Among his speeches is a message to be fruitful and have many descendants, for he foresees a great lineage for Talullah.

Therefore, she next searches for a husband. After many adventures which attracted several companions to her side, Talullah came across the city of Musgistli and impressed its council with a speech on divine knowledge. After challenging a masked prince to a board game and reaching a draw, Talullah is impressed and asks to marry the prince. However, this angers the regentess consort, Pequanan, who fears Talullah will usurp the position of her daughter, Staqualah. Pequanan first tries to get rid of Talullah by challenging her to an impossible task: to traverse the cursed land beyond Kara where no man walks in and lives.

She enters this land and sees a great vision "unseeable for any mortal eyes", in which there are monsters blotting out the sun and ghosts which prowl the land, however, the ghosts miraculously do not harm her. Coming upon labyrinthine ruins, she finds they lead to the place that Jana "touched" and tore the earth asunder. From a seeing stone, she learned that she is possessed with the spirit of Shamog'quran from many years ago, which is what allowed her to pass into the realm of ghosts. There arises the skeleton of the great chief himself, revealing he brought Talullah here to reclaim both his spirit and her mortal body. The undead remains of Shamog'quran and Talullah do battle which wounds her greatly. She invokes the knowledge from the crypts below Kara and calls upon the 20 dead kings to rise and assist her, allowing Shamog'quran to be defeated, his spirit removed from Talullah. The ghosts reveal they are the Ghosts of Barbgalo, who speak that the great fortune of Kara set aside in the crypts has paid for these services, but now Talullah must leave the ghostly plane. The high king prophecies that the ghostly realm will be sealed once they have completed their last quest, taking the land with them from the mortal world. Returning to Musgistli with a "black stone" from the ghosts, this success infuriates Pequanan further. Pequanan pays a Son of Wetul with the black stone to kill "the one who desires the throne", however, rather than killing Talullah the mage's curse kills Staqualah.

The section concludes with several brief mentions of Talullah's primary daughters, often called the Talullids, which include Gaqotha who traveled to the moon, Jasnunah, and many other rulers and heroines. Over the course of Talullah's adventures she is said to have raised seven seeing stones, delivered 12 people's babies, judged 33 contests of skill, performed 60 reburial feasts, blessed a thousand children, and gave 9,000 sheep to the poor. Later in life, having cured herself of the ghost's touch and finally worthy of entering the inner sanctum of Zor, Talullah met Gúlijalah and received a great number of secret sayings of his. She then receives the honor of being one of the nine legendary witnesses who watched as he ascended from the mortal realm, thus ending the time of the prophet on earth.

House of Jomri

Hammers 62–72 tells the rise and fall of the House of Jomri, beginning with the titular character in the court of Jasur. As a young man, Jomri took part in the Battle of the Whips in support of his oathed-brother Segeliah of Nour, albeit they lost, owing to Jomri's faithlessness in Jana. Recovering from his wounds, Jomri joined a mercenary company which made its way to Morqinsarti, and impressed by Jomri's skills the city's people named him captain of the guard. It is in the service of that city that Jomri encounters a warlock in the forests who tells the man of his destiny and his secret lineage from the regents of old. Inspired by this, Jomri returns to Jasur and he joins a rebellion over the taxes raised to pay the Oratians. Furthermore, Luoquliah melts down a statue raised for Jana, and gives the gold to the invaders in a great sacrilege. After Luoquliah is chased from Jasur, Jomri is elected regent after catching Luoquliah's pet sparrow with an arrow, and being declared "the one that Jana chose". Collectively Jomri rules for about 30 years, although his reign faces many challenges. It is said that after failing to restore the proper rites after the fall of Luoquliah that Jomri was expelled by his own people, and he spent many years as a nomad rebuilding his strength and performing penance. Among his crimes were the fact he took an Oratian for a second wife, and failed to make pilgrimage to Zor. On another occasion, the goading of his son to take part in a steer wrestle results in his son's death.

Three sons of Luoquliah come to take the throne of Jasur for a time, but Jomri raises an army of exiles and raids the land, before killing the sons in battle with the help of Targútheti the Wanderer. On the throne for the second time, Jomri clashes with the priests who criticize his many improprieties. Nonetheless, Jomri expands Jasur's borders many times over, uniting seven of the twenty tribes. He presses a claim to the Tasunusa regency, who led a confederacy of five other tribes, but ultimately is repulsed. Later in life when his son and heir Neqemaah fall ill, Jomri repents and performs a sacrifice to Jana to save the son's life. The prophets warn, the son will survive but will not immediately succeed, for Jana's will is expressed by the joguinsawi and their right to choose. When Jomri is on his deathbed, he swears a promise on behalf of his house to follow the laws. Neqemaah later seeks out to prove his worthiness and recollect the tribes, as tribes are known to disunite upon the death of a regent. However, for the remainder of the text the many rulers of the cities fail to unite the tribes and continue to fight amongst themselves, until Jarotha's Great Alliance in the wake of the Oratian war, and the final summoning of the Ghosts of Barbgolo.

Neqemaah worked hard to subjugate the cities of Stargalon, but his advancement was quickly checked by the coastal city of Seibe. The armies of Seibe were slightly more powerful than Jasur, and the narrow geography of Stargalon would prevent Jasur from making any significant expansion as long as Seibe still stood. So after Naqemaah failed in three battles against Seibe, he asked the high priestess why he has been so unsuccessful in this regard. So the priestess explained that the city of Seibe has found greater favor from Jana than the House of Jomri, because their ruler was a righteous man who did not commit the acts of immorality that Jomri had done. Neqemaah was disgusted that the favor of Jana would be so fickle in this way, in his heart his desire for power over Stargalon exceeded his devotion to God. So Neqemaah began devoting himself to the gods of the Nurmic people, to see if their favor would be more satisfactory than Jana's. He set up altars and pillars to Dul under every green tree, and gave burnt offerings to the old gods of Stargalon.

Then Neqemaah inquired of the priests of Dul, asking how to obtain the ultimate power from the Nurmic gods. So the apostate priests told him that if he sets up a monument of Biomi in the sanctuary of the temple of Zor, then he will obtain the power to wipe out all his enemies. Therefore Neqemaah reached out his hand against the priests of Jana, seizing the lands that were given to them by Queen Wenunah. He suppressed the autonomy of the city of Zor, and began to build a monument of Biomi in the sanctuary. But Uwetjana the Prophet said to Neqemaah, "you do not know what you are asking for, or what you are unleashing by doing this evil deed. No power ever comes without a cost, and the cost you relinquish to these false gods will be worth more than your own life". But Neqemaah did not listen to the prophet, but went through with his apostasy in order to achieve ultimate power.

Sure enough, the evil spirits posing as the Nurmic gods endowed Neqemaah with phenomenal power, such that he wiped out the armies of Seibe. But the consequences of these actions took a great toll on Neqemaah's life. His eyes became blood red, and his skin became sickly pale. He was no longer satiated by bread or water, but instead hungered for the blood of human beings. So Neqemaah sacrificed many of his own people as burnt offerings to false gods, and drained their blood for him to feast on. Then Uwetjana and all the prophets unilaterally condemned Neqemaah's actions, and demanded that he should put an end to this apostasy and turn his heart back to Jana. Uwetjana said to him, "thus says Lord Jana, 'if you do not take seriously the words of my statues and my prophets, and follow after other gods in this way, then my wrath shall be poured out against all of the children of Goul, for which there will be no mercy. And I will send my instrument of justice against the House of Jomri and the city of Jasur, and the religion that you did not take to heart will be taken away from you entirely'".

But Neqemaah's heart had already become hardened, and he proceeded to persecute the prophets and drove them out of the city of Jasur. So Uwetjana began to despair, and he cried out to Jana asking what happened to the promises given to Mothúdul and her children, now that Jasur has fallen into sin. Then Jana sent a Heavener to comfort Uwetjana, and guided him to find a seeing stone hidden deep within the mountains. On this stone was etched the entire life and oracles of the Prophet Gúlijalah, revealing that all of these things that happened in Jasur had been foretold from ages past. So Uwetjana wrote down all of these words, and instructed them to his disciples who took them all to memory, among them being Nesoliah the great prophet.

At that time, Neqemaah made war against Segeliah the king of Nour, the very same person who made an oath of peace with Jomri. So Segeliah beseeched the Prophet Uwetjana for an intervention. The prophet came to the city and said to him, "I don't do this for merely your own sake, but so that all people will see that the power of Jana supersedes that of these false gods". So Uwetjana prayed over the battle, and the armies of Nour defeated Neqemaah and drove him back to the city of Seibe. Seeing as the spirit of Jana had deserted the regent, Uwetjana supported the election of Neqemaah's kinsman, Temassah. Urged to subdue Neqemaah in battle, Temassah instead remained patient that Neqemaah would fall if it was Jana's will. This patience is tested when a group of deserters flock to Neqemaah's banner, but Temassah remains resolute. He continues to be tested when a third claimant, Semoshelah, son of Qarshoah (also from the tribe of Naamasah), declares himself regent and sets out to capture Neqemaah himself. However, while these two fight, the Qusites reemerge from the sea, and they retake their city of Seibe. In his hubris, Semoshelah rides hurriedly back to Seibe through the night, and his horse is startled by a lightning bolt and bucks, causing him to fall to his death. The fate of Neqemaah meanwhile is relayed differently at various points in the text, with Hammers 67:15 stating he saw the errors of his ways and repented, before dying of a sickness brought on by his unnatural studies and consumption of human flesh.

Having outlived the other claimants, Temassah brought his armies to bear against those who continued to resist, but otherwise offered clemency to all those who repented, and led a campaign to crush the priests of Biomi patronized by his predecessor. A great number of priests are killed, and the statue of Biomi which they intended to carry into Zor and place in the sanctuary is instead captured and cut into five pieces, each buried in one of the five corners of Stargalon.

Qaquoah performs an ordeal by fire to prove himself to the tribe of Naamasah, from a 19th century illustration.

Described as an excellent ruler by the text for his religious commitment, it is briefly mentioned that Temassah did not command the same number of tribes as Jomri. However, he also heeds the Warning of Fúthonoah (Hammers 39) and pledges to fortify the mountain passes, and to subjugate the mountain people who aid the Oratians. Over many years, he seeks to destroy a tribe called the Derothusa (“people born of the darkness”), who are aided by a council of herogs who enslave those they capture in the mines. Temassah builds several stone towers on the mountaintops, to warn the people of Stargalon should the invaders pass the mountains. Most importantly, Temassah has the testament of Gúlijalah which Uwetjana discovered codified as new law, finding that the land has for many years been operating unknowingly in a state of impropriety. He therefore gives a proper sacrifice at Zor and donates the spoils of war taken from Neqemaah and Semoshelah, whose armies the regent looted. It is briefly mentioned that Temassah also paid homage to a mausoleum created for the great heroine Talullah, whose death is briefly recalled as occurring previously after a deep bout of meditation. He prepares an elixir made from oil poured over the sarcophagus for protection of his spirit.

After five years, Temassah dies of food poisoning and several claimants seek out the regency. A man named Qaquoah appears in Jasur claiming to be the son of Neqemaah, and to prove his lineage, the repentance of his family, and his worthiness as leader, he undergoes a trial by fire. Convinced by this action, he is embraced by the clan mother Jaqoroth, who elects they follow him. Many others in the Naamasah tribe (three out of five clans) elect Temassah’s son Zejaralah as regent, and the two form an uneasy peace. Two minor tribes, the Saresi and Megirotha, elect a man named Nurumah who rejects the high taxes of the Jomrites and their building projects, instead focusing solely on adherence to the laws. The rest of the tribes once united by Jomri disperse, with one of them, the Qorasah, joining the Qanasi–Suoasqua alliance formed against Temassah, which by this time has turned into a confederacy under the First Beloved Jasiturah, who defeated the Qusites in the Pass of Hands. Thus the chronicle of the Jasurites concludes with the city at its nadir, before a resurgence during the Oratian War, when Jarotha performed labors to unite all the tribes, including those of Jasur.

War with Orat

Chapters 35-39 of the Book of Hammers details the events of the Goulite-Oratian War. Reman the King of Orat brought his armies to invade the Stargalon region, primarily to attack the Goulites. His reputation as a military genius beyond the typical autocrats of Orat was already well-known, after he had crushed and enslaved the Skypriots who lived to the south. One part of the passage also claims that Reman's ancestor, named Mardou, was present when Goul first left the Kingdom of Orat, and now he has returned to enact his vengeance and reclaim the Goulites under the empire. Reman first sent an ultimatum ahead of his army to the Goulites, demanding that they should submit authority to an appointed Kuraka from Orat, and that they should pay the Miqta tax and the child tax, and abandon their local gods to worship the gods of Orat.

When news of the Oratians coming came to Serahallah the King of the Goulites, he became petrified with fright, so he called together all of his advisors and seers to give him advice. The advisors said that Serahallah should take courage, and muster his forces from among his people and among his allies to stop the Oratian advancement at the valley of Jerokoam. The seers of Dul concurred with this advice, and said that the gods of Stargalon and Nurma will prove stronger than the gods of Orat. But one seer of Jana, named Futhonoah, was not as optimistic. Futhonoah said that this is not a battle the Goulites can win, and standing up against the Oratians will only sacrifice the lives of his people for nothing. For Reman has been called to be Jana's instrument of justice, because the land has been tainted by the sins of Neqeemah and the House of Jomri, and has instigated the Lord's wrath. The only thing that Serahallah can do at this point is flee the Goulite capital city of Ero, and retreat to the mountains near the city of Zor. So Serahallah listened to the seers of Dul, and he ordered that all people who suggest they should surrender are cowards and traitors. So Futhonoah was arrested on that spot, and locked in a dungeon deep in Ero.

Then Serahallah the king of the Goulites raised all the troops that he could reasonably conscript, and prepared to fight the Oratians at the valley of Jerokoam. Now the Goulites are spread out across many cities, and are typically divided between seven major clans and dozens of minor clans. But hearing the news of Reman's approach, the clans put aside their differences to assemble a united army, one of the largest armies Stargalon had ever seen. Then Serahallah sent letters all across the Stargalon region, both friend and foe, asking anyone to contribute military for this endeavor. But the other kings of Stargalon did not respond, because they did not believe that a single Oratian army could pose as much threat as Serahallah claimed. Rather, they saw the massive army of the Goulites as the real threat, and they suspected this call to arms was a ruse to let the other Stargalon cities lower their defenses. And even if the Oratians were a legitimate threat, so they reasoned, then this would only serve to weaken a potential rival.

After the other people of Stargalon refused to help the Goulites, an entire chapter of the Book of Hammers is dedicated to describing the Goulite order of battle, in painstaking detail. Each of the seven Goulite clans contributed an excess of 7,000 men, resulting in a ludicrous total of 49,158 troops. These are arranged into three flanks, in addition to multiple rows of reserve troops behind them. The same chapter also details the types of soldiers involved, including various classes of archers, foot soldiers, slingers, chariots and dragoons. But when Reman brought his army to the Jerokoam valley, the Book of Hammers describes this forces as "stretching from horizon to horizon". When the Oratians let fly a barrage of arrows at first, the sheer number of projectiles briefly turned the valley from day to night. Reman himself did not lead the army from the front lines, but stood upon a rock situated on a nearby cliff face, accompanied only by his servants and a few Douist philosophers.

Many Goulite solders in the center flank panicked at this sight, causing several regiments to start routing even before the Oratians had fully closed the gap. But Serahallah was determined not to give up so easily, and he decided to use the weakening of his center to his advantage. As the Oratians pressed further against the center flank, the king of the Goulites called the left and right flanks to close in from two sides, hoping to have Reman's army surrounded. But surprisingly, the king of Orat had anticipated this ploy. The reserve forces of Orat joined into the battle, and quickly spread out like a crescent moon around the two flanks of the Goulites. Now it was the Goulites being attacked on two sides, one force within the circle and one from without. In desperation, Serahallah decided to lead a strike force of 50 men (including archers and footmen) to sneak up against Reman's position on the cliff, hoping that he may decapitate the beast. And Serahallah said to himself "what kind of coward would refuse to lead his armies in person?" But when the archers let fly their arrows against the king of Orat, in a flash Reman drew his sword and deflected the arrows out of the air. Then, in a continuous fluid motion he sliced through several of the assassins around him, until the rest fled back from the mountain in terror. Then Reman said to them, "I do not watch from afar out of cowardice, but because this is not a battle at all, but merely a sport".

Thus the Goulites lost the battle of Jerokoam, and Serahallah fled back to Ero with only a fraction of his surviving army. As soon as news of the battle reached Ero, the slaves and merchants of the city rallied around a man named Adnan, who said "resisting against the Oratians is surely madness. Let us instead prove we are friends of Reman and enemies of Serahallah, so that they will show us mercy". As soon as the king of Goulites arrived at the palace, Adnan launched his coup d'état that seized control of the city, and had Serahallah killed on the spot. Then Adnan threw open the gates of the city, and allowed Reman's army to occupy it without a struggle. When Reman found that Futhonoah was locked in prison, and that he originally advised the king to surrender to Orat, Reman ordered him to be released at once, and allowed him to leave the city unscathed. Then Reman abolished all the armies and nobility of the Goulites, and he appointed a Kuraka from Orat to rule over them instead. He tore down both the shrines to Dul and the altars to Jana, abolishing the priesthood and exiling the priests.

Then he built a large alter in Ero, and said to them, "today is the first Day of Undesirables in your nation. It is the most sacred day of the year among the people of Orat, and you will learn to joyously embrace it as well. For today is the beginning of your service to the gods of Orat". So Reman gathered together all the people who supported Serahallah: the priests and seers of Dul, the royal household of Goul, and the military officers of the Goulite clans. And one by one, all of them were ceremoniously executed on the alter, until the streets were paved in blood. Among those who died included everyone who had followed in the sins of the House of Jomri, and had imitated the offenses of Neqeemah of Jasur. But Adnan, who had betrayed the city in favor of the king of Orat, was granted the high honor of holding Reman's sandals for the rest of his campaign. Then Reman constructed new shrines in the city, dedicated to his ancestors and to Dou the god of Orat.

Historical Jenolites

Main articles: History of ancient Stargalon and Origins of Nolism

Origins

The exact origins for the Jenolites are unknown, with various theories having been proposed. Traditionally, the Jenolites were linked to a migration out of Ancient Orat. The story of Mothúdul, traditionally dated to 1300 AA, may speak to a cultural memory of migration out of the Oratian region into Stargalon, with the story of the Twelve Kings being related to the civil wars that transpired during the fall of the Middle Kingdom. It has also been proposed that the Jenolite narrative drew inspiration from the Kalleanite Exodus. However, most historians reject a migratory conquest model as there is no widespread evidence of a separate people group migrating into Stargalon from Orat in settlement remains. Instead it is proposed that the Jenolites began as a branch of the indigenous Stargalonians who gradually differentiated themselves through their religion centered around the worship of Jana. The Jenolites may have also been the descendants of peoples settled in the region after the establishment of the New Kingdom in Orat, based on inscriptions of Miktal the Restorer, which allude to pushing back “the Split Mountain Host” and subjugating several tribes of the east. Due to the later emergence of an anti-monarchical tradition in Jenolite culture, it has also been proposed that the Jenolites were descended from those who broke away from the hierarchical city states of the Bronze Age, and intermarried with pastoralists and migratory groups, some of which could have been Oratian.

The earliest reference to the name "Jenol" as a distinct people group in the historical record emerged in c. 1071, in the form of the Kalamis Stele, raised in the early Iron Age by Oratian ruler Kalamis the Swift to commemorate a successful campaign against the Jenolites and other groups of the region. Awinita is the first leader of the Jenolites whose name appears as the patron of certain Seeing Stones, thereby making him the oldest Jenolite ruler attested by extrascriptural sources. He is also identified as "Onida" at the Kedah obelisk, which lists out various people groups who paid tribute to the Northonan King Kalamis "the Swift". The dating of this obelisk is somewhat in dispute, as Kalamis was known to claim some of the acts of his father (Shada Shethu) as his own. These were the most powerful Northonan kings in recorded history, who subjugated the northern half of Orat in the wake of the Kalleanite Exodus. The Northonans are generally believed to have originated out of the Skypriot plains south of Stargalon, but to what extent they exerted influence over the Jenolites, if at all, is unclear.

Many historians have attempted to connect the events of the Jenolite scriptures with the destructive civil conflict that occurred in the Middle Kingdom of Orat, called the War of Five Kings (1282-1265 AA). This is slightly later than the traditional date from the Jenolite Calendar, but according to Poth's revised chronology this can be reconciled by reinterpreting a few chronological references in the Book of Bargains. While there isn't any contemporary evidence for Goul's exodus, there are many examples of mass emigrations of foreign tribes in the last years of the Middle Kingdom, and at least one source implies that a similar event happened at some point in the past. While this theory has a strong following, especially adherents of Poth's revised chronology, it is not the leading view of most academics.

Based on archaeological evidence, the majority of modern scholars consider the story of the matriarchs to be national myth narratives constructed centuries later. The oldest historically-confirmed monarchs in the Jenolite scriptures are several generations removed from Mothúdul, although the stories of the earlier matriarchs may preserve some historical reality. The historical matriarchs are believed to have likely worshiped the Stargalonian god Dul’uh, which is preserved in the names of the matriarchs and key locations containing linguistic reference to “dul”, such as in Mothúdul and Qordul. In Jenolite scripture, the word “dul” is also used as a generic term meaning “lord” in several passages, before the use of the name Jana after Levitations 11:3. Scholars have proposed that this text is likely a composite of two separate sources, one preserving the story of Dul worship, which incorporates more spiritual traditions associated with his cult, and a story of the Janist tradition, in which Jana is anthropomorphized as speaking to Qordul.

Archaeology confirms the thirteen principal cities of the Stargalon Valley date back to at least the 13th century AA, and were built on top of older settlements that are Neolithic in origin. Relatively early on, Zor emerged as an important religious site, whose leaders commanded respect among the Jenolites on account of their accumulation of religious artifacts. However, the archaeology suggests that these cities operated as completely independent polities, and at no time were part of a unified kingdom. It is often suggested that the "Court of Kara" and similar conferences in the Book of Bargains alludes to a loose confederacy of states, of which Zor may have been hegemon. Despite a high degree of later romanticization, no archaeological evidence has been found to confirm the existence of the "Labyrinth of Zarpatulr" or the city of Kara, leading some scholars to propose that both sites should be understood to be metaphorical, similar to the mystical "Island of Dagen". Alternatively, Kara may have been a nomadic tent city, with the story in the text preserving a memory of Jenolite pastoral roots. Although not corresponding to urban remains, several palace complexes destroyed during the time period have been linked to the "Smiting of Kara", which are key to the chronology of the semi-legendary era. The bronze age complex that once stood at Qoj Kara was destroyed in some natural disaster before the emergence of a nearby iron age site at Naonila. No consensus has been reached on the exact nature of this catastrophe, but events similar to it have been identified in other regions of North Methona around the same time. For example, the natural upheavals associated with the End of the Middle Kingdom of Orat, which are also described in the Kallean scriptures, share several features in common. The plagues called down by Gúlijalah himself may also be remnants of this same event. If correct, this places the events of the Book of Gúlijalah roughly between 1110–1100 AA.

Archaic period

Historians generally agree that the archetypal Jenolite configuration consisted of several autonomous polities or "tribes" – at their height numbering about 20 – which had begun to emerge by the 11th century AA. At the conclusion of the late Nurmic period (1500–1000 AA), there was a gradual transition from semi-nomadic and agropastoralist life to settled agriculture, which contributed to a greater consolidation of smaller village complexes into urban centers. Additionally, many tribes seem to have formed confederations to these major tribes, either willingly or through subjugation, creating a complex network of tribal and clan affiliations, which over time became subsumed as urban identities. In most cases these tribes disavowed the title of "king", preferring the use of "regent" (quos or qoos; sometimes also translated as "high chief") as a replacement, or in the case of intertribal alliances or major confederations, the title "First Beloved" ("[palo]yati"), a term also used for transregional legendary figures such as Panonpalo. However, the majority of tribes replaced or augmented executive power with an assembly of "chiefs" (joguin, pl. joguinsawi; or ilyema, pl. ilyemiqan), usually assembled from influential members of each clan and elected by the tribal mothers. If a regent was present, he/she was usually affirmed by this council, although many tribes had hereditary regents, making them effectively monarchs in all but name. The tribal mothers were influential in their own right, as the head of the constituent clans of any given tribe, and possibly as members of chieftain councils themselves, or even as simultaneous regents (e.g. Quos Poroquah, Mother of the Nunahasi clan, led the Tasunusa from c. 744 to 702 AA). Sometimes the head of the tribal mothers, also known as the Othna'oth ("mother of mothers"), was considered the leading figure and became the de facto "queen" of a given tribe.

Early on during the urbanization of Stargalon, the city of Zorqojanyahol emerged as an important trade city, which imported cultic objects to become a transregional religious center appealing to a large number of religious groups. The city was governed by a matriarchal high priesthood which according to legend was descended from the prophet Qordul, also known as the Qaqurmite dynasty, and which may have originated as one of the several tribes, or as an elite group which branched off from a major Jenolite tribe, such as the Naamasah. In scripture, Zor is described as commanding a neutral position in the affairs of the whole region, and being collectively respected by all secular rulers. However, there is considerable archaeological and textual evidence to suggest that Zor was initially joined by a plethora of other temple sites, placing the supposed Zorist centrality as a later invention. The temple site at Qojdul (literally meaning "House of God") was at least as important in the archaic period, based on excavation of its large campus. The site is described in the Book of Bargains as being a home to the patriarch Zurduli, but in the Book of Gúlijalah the site is castigated as an affront to Jana, including for its apparently indecent renovations by a chieftain named Ajerqorah. This suggests a later revision to show the inferiority of their rival by the Zorist scriptural compilers. Over time the Zorist rites diffused into the region, namely the prescriptions against weapons and blood-spilling in the city, and the annual pilgrimages and regional festivals. Yet there is also evidence of conflict in the archaeological layers below the present site, showing this ideal was initially not always reached.

Key urbanized tribes included the Veranseyah tribe centered around cities such as Duroquela and Qoj Muri, the Usuroah tribe of Ishtangti, the Tasunusa tribe centered around Musgistli, and the Qurowah tribe centered around Nour. Although evidently not a major force at the start of the archaic period, the Naamasah tribe later became among the most powerful confederations in Stargalon, and appears to have sponsored a special connection to the high priestesses of Zor. This tribe appears to have created a symbiotic relationship with the temple city, offering protection in exchange for divine assurance and prestige, or possibly Zor was initially an off-shoot of the Naamasahites. Additionally, the Zorist priesthood provided a divine support for the central government of Jasur, enabling the nobility appointed by the hereditary monarchy to subvert power of local clan leaders and migratory merchants. Alternatively, Naamasah ascended to a premiere position and retrojectively asserted a special relationship with Zor, given their undeniable success. In either case, by the time of the Zorist redaction of the Jenolite scriptures, Naamasah from its principal city of Jasur was given preeminence. In the Book of Bargains, the tribal patriarch Joreh is called the "first" Regent of God, being directly elected by Panonpalo. This serves to imply the House of Joreh's claim as the rightful rulers of all Stargalon, juxtaposed with the rival House of Arjalah, which fails to achieve Zor's blessing. The inability to conclusively find evidence for the early Arjalahites has led some scholars to assert the dynasty was constructed to serve a theological function as opponents of Joreh. However, the story of the dynasty almost certainly speaks to a historical reality of multiple dynasties fighting between each other. There is also evidence of multiple tribal leaders connecting their dynasties to the Arjalahites, usually through the famed king Yotungilah, implying either a historical connection to a real dynasty, or that the legendary dynasty did not initially have a negative connotation as the Zorists sources imply. Notably, both the Tasunusa and the Suoasqua claimed descent from Yotungilah's daughter, the heroine Talullah, while the Qanasi claimed descent from a brother of Carvoquabosh ("Carvo the Wise"). Importantly, the historically attested prophet Nesoliah was said to have lived in Jasur.

Jasur is also notable as its chief Awinita is the first historically attested leader outside the Jenolite scripture, being mentioned on surviving Seeing Stones from the 11th century, and also referenced in the Restoration Stele. This monument raised by Miktal the Restorer of Orat mentions the subjugation of the "House of Awenat" and a sack of Naonila in 1027, an event also mentioned in Jenolite sources. Similarly, the Jerush Stele (c. 1010s) mentions several important details about the "House of Jomri" and its usurpation of the throne of Jasur, an event described in the Book of Dirges and elsewhere as taking place during the reign of Awinita's grandson. The Oratian sources indicate that the House of Awenat and other Jenolite tribes aligned themselves with the Sixth Dynasty of Orat ruling from Xios, which were opposed to the Northonans ruling in Dhiss. This makes it likely that Awinita did arrange a marriage with an Oratian noble as mentioned in the Book of Hammers.

Scriptural analysis

Traditionally, the Jenolite scripture was assumed to be contemporary with the events it described, and was attributed directly to important prophets and leaders, such as Gúlijalah. However, beginning in the 19th century, inconsistencies in the modern text, as well as the discovery and analysis of contradictory literary traditions present among the historical Jenolites, led scholars to propose a compilation or Multitextual Theory to explain the creation of the Jenolite scripture. The vast majority of the modern scripture is believed to have been written between 700 and 300 AA, partially in response to the introduction of Douism and Oratian rulership, centuries after the events they claim to describe. The writings or compilation work of this period would have been conducted by a priestly class centered around the city of Zor, who sought to codify Zorist religious practice and authority as central to traditional religion, retroactively asserting themselves into older forms of the stories. Several hypothetical sources have been proposed, with the Book of Levitations for example typically being subdivided into Janist and Dulist currents, which were then interwoven into one text, leading to several possible inconsistencies and doublets.

The traditions associated with the city of Zor and its religious order within the Jenolite scripture is commonly attributed to an independent "Hieratic Source", estimated to have arisen after the 8th century AA. According to the Multitextual Theory, earlier sources for the books of Bargains and Levitations were compiled by a priestly class established in or centered around the city. Levitations would have been edited and augmented with the addition of about a third of its modern content by these priests, mostly to retroactively justify the existence of the subsequent priestly order by rooting it in ancient foundational myths. While several textual clues persist pointing to an original form of the story, which may potentially speak to authentic religious beliefs of the 13th century AA, the text has been shaped to reflect later practice. Notably, the later half of Levitations features Qordul establishing a priestly line that's given supreme sovereignty. There is also several doublets regarding Mothúdul, such as alternate versions of the carrying of the altars. Likewise, the Book of Bargains contains several framing devices meant to imply a great curse upon the House or Arjalah for claiming the title of king, leading scholars to believe the text is an editing of a foreign dynastic mythology to conform to a pro-Zorist religious understanding.

A fourth possible source is the Gúlijalist source, associated with the titular prophetic figure and the ethical teachings he may have espoused. The Prophet Gúlijalah is a semi-legendary figure, regarded as the most important codifier of the Janist religion, who lived sometime around the late 12th century AA. While there is no contemporary documentation of his life, he is described in the Jenolite scriptures as being contemporary with Awinita the son of Morqulayah, who is the oldest Jenolite ruler for which there is extrascriptural evidence for his existence. Most of the hymns in the Book of Gúlijalah are theorized to go back to a historical prophet, deviating heavily from the fundamental marks of either the Hieratic or the monarchist schools. It is therefore generally accepted that these were penned by Gúlijalah himself, or alternatively a disciple or school following in his tradition. The rest of the Book of Gúlijalah, however, overlaps with the Hieratic school. The Panonpalo Cycle is linguistically and conceptually linked to the later Book of Gúlijalah, which likely represents a national myth of the Gúlijalist school meant to retroactively justify the unification of Stargalon, as it proposes the tribes had a common origin centuries prior despite a lack of evidence for such a unified state. In the process of compiling the Jenolite scriptures, it is possible that the Panonpalo Cycle formed as a hybrid of multiple local legends throughout the Stargalon Valley, where the local heroes of each city were synthesized into one person. Ambinian and Arjalah of Kara are two possible prototypes for this epic. While the Book of Bargains distinguishes Arjalah and Panonpalo as two separate individuals, other sources such as the Songs of Jatom seem to use their names interchangeably, leading some scholars to refer to Arjalah as "Panonpalo II Arjalah".

There is a jarring contradiction between the setting of Bargains and Malisons: the former implies the land was unified under a monarch, in which several rival cities and peoples have been annihilated (e.g. Jasur, Paquldoron, Musgistli, Nour) while the latter picks up with these peoples coexisting with Jenolites and no unified monarchy to speak of. Similarly, archeological excavations of early iron age settlements indicate no evidence of a violent conquest around the time of a historical Arjalah; Paquldoron notably was uninhabited from about 1800 to 1000 AA (the exception is Musgustli, for which there is definitive evidence of a great fire around the year 1250 AA, the city's foundations being built over). The Book of Malisons is mostly attributed to the Hieratic School, especially concerning its anti-monarchical, pro-Zorist themes, which seek to establish the supremacy of a transregional priestly city state centered at Zor. Although all the stories of the text follow this narrative goal, it is likely that the six stories featured in the text were originally different regional traditions and heroic narratives, which were later adapted into a shared mythology. This is most evidenced by the apparently parallel dynasties of Joreh and Arjalah, which are effectively two separate monarchies that have become coexistent and intertwined.

The Book of Malisons and the Book of Gúlijalah both revolve around a running theme of religious responsibility for the health of the population, uniquely linking moral and ethical codes of conduct with legal prescriptions. Among Gúlijalist themes are a focus on caring for the needy, as exemplified by the Dagihasi Promise, and the supremacy of the religious authorities, through the Great Peace Oath. If Jenolite scripture was taken at face value, secular society was completely subservient to religious authority, despite fragmentation into multiple independent polities. Alternatively, it has also been theorized that the secular prescriptions preserved in the text were written in response to Douist philosophy, as Konnu the Wise wrote that the secular state should be responsible for the welfare of the people and supplant the need for religion. The argument between Gúlijalah and Yotungilah seem to be framed as a Doutang debate. This lends more weight to the Hieratic source being written after the tenth century AA, when Douism was introduced to the region.

The fifth book of the Jenolite scriptures departs from the narrative structure of the preceding four in being solely composed of a series of funerary hymns. Modern scholarship holds that the first hymn in the Dirges was written explicitly pertaining the passing of the Prophet Gúlijalah, and that this first hymn may have once been located at the end of the Book of Gúlijalah. However, Dirges 1, as it is now known, was later removed from the Book of Gúlijalah and used as the beginning of a fifth separate book containing poetry touching upon the subjects of death, time, and the transient nature of the world of mortals. To this extent, Dirges 1 is thought to significantly predate the successive poems that follow it in the Book of Dirges. The later Dirges (62–113) show considerable eclecticism and speak to events across Stargalon, including in rival dynasties. Dirge 114, also called the "Song of Zurduli", is almost certainly the latest in the section, being dated to the fourth century AA due to its prophetic commenting on events of that time period.

The Book of Hammers has the pro-Zorist leanings of the hieratic school, but is evidently ignorant of the formalities and rituals of the Zorist priesthood. This suggests that the book was either made by someone less formally educated than the author of the Book of Malisons, or more likely the Book of Hammers was written in an older time period before these rituals were fully accepted. Although presenting itself as a chronicle of historical events, the Book of Hammers has a very clear theological thesis, using the last rulers of Jasur as a moral lesson against impiety. The conquest of Orat is portrayed as a divine punishment for the city's moral failures, necessitating obedience of the people to the institutional religion.

Religion

Main article: Jenolite religion

The historical Jenolite religion, also known as "Janism" by modern scholars, constitutes the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Jenolite tribes. Janism is understood to be an essentially henotheistic branch of the Stargalonian religious culture emerging in the late Nurmic period (1500–1000 AA), characterized by its elevation of Jana as the national god of the Jenolite tribes. Also venerated was a consort of Jana, who was either Qandash or Dul, and several lesser deities, including Biomi (sometimes called Jana's daughter), Nuun'ah, and Temuoyah. Also existing was a possible third tier of local and ancestral cults, many of which evolved into heavanic beings in Jenolite scripture. The Jenolite religion was originally highly decentralized, with archaeological evidence of multiple temples being discovered from the Jenolite period, despite later Jenolite texts associating worship around a primary temple at Zor. There existed a high-ranking priestly class, likely descended from the Talisan tradition, which served as attendants for the temple at Zor, as well as in the role of legal authorities, scribes, political advisors, and medical professionals. Intersecting with this group was a large number of prophets and seers, as well as "anointed" secular monarchs sometimes called "regents" (in reference to serving in the stead of a god).

Jenolite religion is typically understood as a synthesis of multiple cultural traditions, having its roots in the Stargalonian religion, which is itself a composite of the Meto-Qurian and Burvian civilizations. The Meto-Qurian migration, constituting a slow diffusion of people into the lower Qopulian Plateau (typically dated to after 2600 AA), introduced the historical Nurmic religion into the northern Methonian continent, which was practiced from c. 2000–1500 AA. From this tradition developed Talisanism in the late Nurnic period (1500–1000 AA), as well as another Meto-Qurian complex which rejected Talisanical ideology in favor of the ascetic Qorama movement, giving rise to the modern religion of Stedism alongside the Jarogula Empire. Between 1000 and 500 AA the "Stargalonian synthesis" developed, during which the decline of Talisanism gave rise to a synthesis incorporating Qoramic and Oratian influences, possibly in a response to pressure from the growth of Douism and Stedism. Also contributing to the decline of the Talisans was the reemergence of urbanization during the late Nurmic period and early Iron Age, disrupting the traditional powerbases of the Talisan class. This "new Talisanism" appealed to rulers in the Stargalon region, as it combined local religious traditions with the practical advice and power of the Talisan class. During this period, the first Talisanical texts were created, primarily preserving a form of the mythology held by the influential Veranseyah tribe. Among these writings were the Nurmas, a collection from which the Nurmic period retroactively receives its name. The oldest hymns of the Nurmas are dated to 1600–1300 AA, providing background for the historical Nurmic religion, albeit the texts represent a later, elite-centric religion not necessarily corresponding to popular practices or beliefs. Jenolite scripture emerged almost a millennium later, and it is unclear to what extent Jenolites revered the earlier Nurmic traditions. Several passages of their scripture appear to quote large sections of the Nurmas, the prophets also on occasion quote sections of the Nurmic texts, indicating some level of awareness and shared use.

The emergence of Janist worship is unknown, although evidence for a Jana cult has been discovered dated to as early as 1800 AA, alongside other Stargalonian deities. There is strong evidence to suggest that the Jenolites originally worshipped Dul as a national god, based on archaeological remains and references preserved in scripture, although how a shift in hierarchy occurred is unclear. Excavations of the temple complex at Zor reveals that the city housed idol statues for multiple iterations of Jana and other deities simultaneously, despite the later prescription against depiction of Jana. The centrality of Zor may have originated in its importance as a trade center, attracting worshippers from all across the region and importing cultic rituals and statues into a shared temple complex, which later evolved into the temple to Jana and the practice of pilgrimage. In addition to the pilgrimage ritual, the Jenolites were known to perform sacrifices and other sacred rites, many of which shared across the region and in subsequent religious movements. This includes the rites of the sacred fire, the purification lodge, the female puberty ceremony, the reburial feast, the orb toss, and the dream quest.

For a long time, it was theorized that the Nurmic religion was directly inspired by the Pre-Douist polytheistic religion of Ancient Orat, due to many similarities between the two. For example, the Ijorunn bear similarities to the predynastic demigods that are also referenced in the Kallean scriptures, and Jana himself may be a counterpart of the Ona Cult. Jana's Grove may be connected to the "Tree of Life" motif found in Predynastic Oratian tombs. This theory has lost much of its support in recent years, however. It is now believed that these connections speak to the Burvian influence in Stargalon, as well as a hypothetical Proto-Methonan religion which existed sometime before 3000 AA, from which both the Pre-Douist Oratian religion and Nurmic culture descend.

Writing System

Stargalon script is a pictographic writing system which first appears in the 14th century AA. While it is the oldest known writing system in northeast Methona, it was rarely used prior to the eighth century AA. The earliest samples of this writing system are inscribed on Seeing Stones, which are religious monuments meant to intercede with the gods or other mystical beings. Janist scriptures imply there to be over a hundred such monuments at one time or another, but so far only 38 have been uncovered. Outside of these divinatory inscriptions, much of the history and laws of the Jenolites were kept strictly by oral tradition.

Starting in the eighth century AA, there was a dramatic shift towards literacy among the elites, which is when some of the earliest books of Janist scriptures date from. Many non-religious forms of literature have also been identified from this time, such as a cache of letters found in the city of Kara. This shift is most often attributed to the influence of Orat, after part of the region was annexed by Reman the Great in 970 AA, and Douism was introduced to Stargalon over the next few centuries.