Khoraji (and all),

I would just like to draw attention to a particular section of your
post. I beg that this not be taken as an attack of any kind, or even an
entry into a debate on Evil- just an interesting religious question.

You said: "Though the governing body of Mhaldor passes legislation for
its citizens, these laws are either the direct result of command from
the city's Divinities, and therefore flawless, as the Divine are without
error..."

Frankly, I beg to differ. I may have been a bit lax in my early studies
of the Histories, and I have not been a child of these realms as long as
some. Yet in all my life I have not heard a single word to imply that
the Divine are without error and that any decree which issues from the
lips of One is flawless.

No blasphemy is this, merely a logical reality in a realm where a
multitude of Deities, each with different interests and beliefs, vie for
power and for followers. Consider Lords Pentharian and Sartan, in direct
ideological opposition on every issue. If Lord Pentharian says a thing,
and Lord Sartan directly contradicts Him, how can both completely
opposite views be correct at once? Logically it is clear that One must
be incorrect in some way, however slight. While I beg indulgence for
putting the Immortal on the same level as the mortal, history has
clearly shown the fallacy of any statement that the Divine are always
right (for sometimes They are proved wrong), are all-knowing (for while
They know Their realm, They may not know everything about everything),
or even are all-powerful (for They have been harmed or defeated in the
past). I would dare to affix such labels of perfection to Lord Sarapis
alone, for only He has dominion over every Divine and may be said to
have knowledge and power absolute.

I feel it is important to make one distinction however- while it seems
from historical evidence that Divine are not without error, it is hardly
the place of one such as I to point out which Divine have erred and in
what way. It is not a mortal's place to say "such and such a Divinity
has made a mistake," and would probably be considered rank
insubordination for any of us to do so. However, the fact that we
mortals do not have the knowledge or discernment to determine or declare
the errors of the Divine, does not mean that such errors are
nonexistent. It merely means that it takes another Divine to point out
those mistakes in the knowledge that they ARE mistakes, and not mortal
failures to grasp the majesty of the Divine.

In a sense, therefore, you might say that your statement is effectively
true...That the decrees of Mhaldor's Divine to Their city are flawless,
for mortals have no ability to discern how they might be flawed.
However, this is semantics...I would argue that despite the relative
veneration in which the mortals hold their Divine, the Divine are not
necessarily flawless in all circumstances. (Note that I am using Mhaldor
not out of some perverse attempt to insult Mhaldorian Divine...I am
speaking in general terms, but using the example of Mhaldor and its
Divine because that was the one presented to me.)

I hope that at least some have found this post interesting. I would
especially appreciate Divine feedback on this issue, if They can spare
any time, for as I said I have yet to see it discussed. (If such an
issue has been debated and concluded prior to my birth, I beg the
relevent post numbers so that I may enlighten myself without troubling
this audience further.)

With respect,

Rhakshai Silvertongue

Penned by my hand on the 6th of Chronos, in the year 329 AF.