Alliance of the Eclipse

At the far end of the Higher Lambent Flats resides the House Alliance of the Eclipse.

Underlight Current History

Opened

Beliefs: The Alliance of the Eclipse is an Opensoul, Enlightened House.

The Alliance is a house of study dedicated to better understanding the Dream. We seek to shape a brighter, safer future for the City through innovation and ingenuity.

Individual dreamers experience the Dream in different ways and through different methods, thus each connection to the City is different. A person may have a weaker or stronger connection to the city at any given time, and thus the effects the city has on an individual may vary depending upon this connection. The stronger this connection is, the more likely the dreamer will feel some effects of the City outside the dreamstate. The shard of that person, however, is not likely to be affected in any way outside of the individual.

While most houses manipulate essences as acts of faith, we cleanse essences as a form of refining. The Cleansing removes the chaotic energy, and leaves the primal components available to strengthen the Star, which then powers our equipment and our house projects.

While lesser mares may contain trapped souls, we do not believe that the soul is kept within the essence. Any soul is released upon the mare's collapse, leaving behind only the essence of the mare.

Precepts

Darkmares and Datoken are an awakened creature and sentient. Their awakening process is a mystery and is suspected to be corrupted. Be this by design, or accident is unknown. However the faction intends to research the process.

The Alliance believes that those native to their city (Lyran) have a rich and varied culture that must be preserved. Likewise, the Idoaclesians have their own culture and history. It is through realizing this that the Alliance believes strongly in understanding the variance in realities. Embracing them each as unique mysteries to be investigated, not merely brushed away. The same may be said for any other 'mysterious stranger(s)' heralding from another reality.

It is important to understand that as members of Alliance of the Eclipse we take nothing for granted. We are not a people to stop asking why or how. Question the world around you and fully explore your potential that we may understand the deepest secrets of our existence and relation to the great mysteries.

Tenets

The Alliance of the Eclipse abide by the tenets of Truth, Honor and Understanding. The three circles in our emblem symbolize these.

Should a vote of no confidence be taken with a 90% Yes vote, then the Ruler, Advisor, or Guardian in question MUST step down or be removed.

Any member, regardless of relationship to the current house management, shall be considered for promotion based on merit.

Prime Artifact: The Star of the Alliance

House Art: Peace Aura & Sacrifice.

House Roster

Advisors:

Rulers: Rafe, Drizzt Do'Urden

Guardians: Duck, Jevik Bane

Initiates: Liolira, Stormy Edwards, Zahra Haqi, Shalandra, North Wind

Map

Alliance of the Eclipse Map

Lyra Era Beliefs

The Alliance is an Opensoul house in which they put no personal weight in the beliefs of their members. They believe all dreamers and mares alike have a right to dream. They are a peaceful house and do not attack dreamers or mares with arts that causes damage to their Dreamsouls. They use non-violence arts for their defense.

The Alliance's Seneschal*, Calcum has created an art that transforms a talisman into a kind of essence token called "the Node". This is how they strengthen their Prime Artifact.

They request that dreamers do not fight or hunt on their lands.

Seneschal - A dreamer who times before The Great Loss who become an advisor to the house with the ability to initiate or demote dreamers. They main function is said to be to restore the houses to their proper beliefs and so on.

House History

Written by: Null

The Alliance was founded by a group of astronomers who wished to study the sky undisturbed by the politics and conflicts of the rest of the dream. The astronomers were illuminated though, and when the Dreamer Wars began, their brothers in the Illuminated Front demanded their aid, for many of the astronomers were high in sphere, and their research had yielded powerful arts.

Not wishing to halt their research, the astronomers started a new branch of the house, the Knights of the Star. They recruited the best warriors from among free spirits, luring them in with promises of secret knowledge and powerful new arts. These Knights would fight in the wars for the Alliance, while the astronomers continued to study in peace.

The Star Knights were very successful in the Wars. As the Dreamer Wars drew to a close, the Star Knights came to believe that they, and not the astronomers, were the true Alliance of the Eclipse. And when the battles between Illuminated Front and FreeSoul Knight reached a pause, as the enforced peace of dreamstrike settled over the city, the battles between Star Knight and astronomer within the Alliance began.

The Star Knights used blades and chakrams of great power, and the astronomers countered with their arts. Gathering together, the astronomers used a newly created art, to draw power from the sky and, channeling it (through the Power Room), they forced nearly every Star Knight dreaming to awaken. Once this was done, the astronomers demoted the Knights, and regained power over their house.

Seeing the harm wrought by the Alliance's involvement in The Dreamer Wars, Alliance Ruler Kal'Arakos was the first to swear the oaths of peace... never to do violence except in the most dire of times, to seek to avoid conflict, not encourage it. Some of the other astronomers swore these oaths as well, those who did not were encouraged to leave for other houses. And so the Alliance became a house of peace... but a far smaller, weaker house than it had once been.

Written by Taroneh Afsoon

Beliefs
This presentation is founded on current Alliance oaths and beliefs, but is also colored by a personal philosophy of what it means to be Alliance. This is to recommend that the reader view the spirit of this presentation, and direct inconsistencies or criticisms to me, rather than to others of AotE who may have differing personal philosophies of what AoE encompasses outside of oaths.

[CORE] The Alliance of the Eclipse path is, at its core, one of complete non-violence in outward deed, one that promotes and respects all life. We strive to incorporate non-violence into word and thought as well, though we sometimes may fail. It often includes sacrifices to the personal quality of our lives, that others be given a chance for a better existence. When we say promote life, we do not mean simply physically--we mean spiritually, socially and intellectually as well, to bring out the best qualities possessed in all lives.

[DEFENSE and ARTS] We are not precluded from saving ourselves, but we will do so without harming others. Use of arts not affecting Dreamsoul of another is permissible at each of our own discretion when acting to defend ourselves and safety is an issue. Thus, we are not all of us necessarily true pacifists. To stand and not lift blade in defense, though, as none of will do, is a very active choice, and we do not view this as doing nothing. "Grey areas" always arise, but an example of our consideration of arts might be denial to Restore dreamers who insist on battling each other continually, while reserving Restore as an art used to alleviate pain or suffering of those who are unwillingly victimized or hurt. Restore, then, should never be a rally point to continue hostilities between belligerents. Persistence of presence where we are not wanted, in defense, is also occasionally used. Without causing violence, we may choose to stand and fall, again and again, to show the depth of our belief that living free from harm is valued.

[MARES] We attempt to co-exist with all life in the dream, including mares. We understand that many do not consider lesser mares to be life. We are not sure, and leave well enough alone until conclusive proof is established. Co-existence with darkmares does not mean aiding them necessarily. There may be unusual circumstances where they have been victims of violence without they themselves responding violently; or ones that even exist pacifistic-ally. These would not be flatly denied aid, just as dreamers in similar circumstances would not be denied. Neither do we harm mares, recognizing that our dream is shared with them. As is case with some dreamers, we acknowledge that there exist mares whose sole intent may be to rid the dream of us. That is their path and we do not condone it, but respect it as valid to their perception as being just to them. Our lifting of harmful tools to defend ourselves by hurting them in response or retaliation is strictly forbidden. We do not see good as a product of harming another. If you say to me, "Tehthu comes, and by harming Tehthu you will be saving many lives and much suffering," then I respond by saying, no one truly knows that for fact; or, who can say when a heart will be moved or opened against the ills one does by one's own hand?; or, who can say if retaliation and punishment are going to get Tehthu to cease or if they increase his wrath, vengeance and violence against even more dreamers?

[ALTERNATIVE CHOICE] What we offer is an alternative solution to responding violently, in attempt to preserve and uplift life; whether it works or not in any given scenario is not possible to determine beforehand. We will still try. The choice then for others to continue violence, hatred, anger and ultimately even life, is placed in their hands. We have chosen to promote life, and discard hatred and anger as we can--our own choice, in hope of co-existing with a diversity of lives which only enrich our own experiences.

[AID and NEUTRALITY] Helping? Of course we wish to; our resources and we are at the disposal of the entire city in the interest of peace and unity. Our spirits, minds, resources and helping hands are here to serve, and uplift all lives for their benefit. We avoid bi-partisan activities and those that complement greed or personal aspirations to power. (To avoid misunderstandings or wrongful aid to areas affecting other families or the city, we respectfully advise that it is your responsibility to ensure that your request for Alliance resources reaches the leaders of the Alliance.) Dreamer's welfare, problem solving, health or healing--spiritually, mentally and physically--are all within the realm of our purpose. Neutrality? In a sense, yes. In other ways, no. Whoever you are, we wish your dream to come true if it promotes life and general welfare, and since this is a large commonality among dreamers, we are for all life, all house families and revel in sharing with you this city of dreams. This is hardly neutral.

[JOIN PARTY] JP'ing to hunters is frowned upon, as it is considered promoting violence, and non-AotE are respectfully asked not collapse mares while JP'ed to and AotE, or to leave party instead if they feel they must do harm. Some AotE feel very badly and are hurt spiritually when this occurs.

[RISK and RESPONSE for SACRED LIFE] It hardly needs to be said that our stand is personally risky and dangerous. We accept this, in hope that at least a portion of all living beings here live a dream knowing we are no threat, and we extol what virtues we can find in their sheer existence. Threat of destruction, or Strike, or enslavement has little bearing on our outlook of sacred life. We stand as a hope for those who choose an alternate way. When threatened by dreamstrike, for example, the natural inclination is often to respond in kind theoretically to prevent harm to innocents or preserve self. But consider: If you respond in kind, you provide no different solution to hatred than them. Save lives? Possibly, yet there are those who feel that existence extends beyond the bounds of the physical, and there is no proof that Strike truly eliminates a soul. Do not say, "Ah! How much more she could have done for others had she only saved herself!" Simply falling off a horse after celebrations killed my shard’s greatest scholar and not one of us knows how long left we have to dream.

If life is this precious to you, then live yours now and today while you yet have it, and stop killing others who value theirs as much!

[PLANES POLICIES, UNIVERSAL PEACE and REFUGE] Ideally, AotE would like to see Lower Lambent and Higher Lambent planes completely peaceful, to be enjoyed by all without fear. To envision universal citywide peace is desirable to AotE, but in practice would result in removal of others' freedoms to live lives they choose. We are not a refuge for those who do violence or hurt, nor for those who are not taking responsibility for the harmful actions they have caused. If you have intentionally harmed others, justly to you or not, do not expect entitlement to refuge.

[KNOWLEDGE, ENLIGHTENMENT AND RESEARCH] Astronomy, scholarship, seeking knowledge and enlightenment have always been at the forefront of Alliance activities, all conducted in peacefulness and respect. Teaching what we learn is shared with all, for benefit of all. Alliance teachers are permitted at their discretion to teach anyone any arts they know, in view that educating others allows students a more informed choice in their use. Spirituality and deep conviction of beliefs have also become vitally important to members, and some seek spiritual or inner enlightenment additionally or in lieu of raw technical knowledge. Enlightenment comes both inwardly and outwardly, and either or both are accepted. Some prefer leaving certain areas, items or issues alone, not out of ignorance, but out of healthy respect for unknown consequences which may arise in conflict with deep-seeded spiritual considerations. Essences are one such area in which spiritual considerations do not allow some members to explore. Nevertheless, Alliance are allowed to conduct research on essences (without asking for them) and asked to share findings, for the benefit of the entire city. Research will stop upon confirmation of detrimental effects upon any life, researcher included. To greater or lesser extent, we are all of us Illuminated, yet we consider Freesoul/Illuminated orientation to be highly personal in nature and leave it at that out of respect.

[FINAL CONDUCT] We may or may not be powerless to stop violence or the descendancy of the Chaos Eclipse. However, we are not powerless in setting example of how to conduct ourselves in a peaceful fashion when all around us is bedlam and panic. If there is a victory here for us, it will be in celebration of having lived lives of honor, peace, and good intent, not won by conventional armaments, but by reaching deeply within each of us for understanding, compassion and generosity for others different than ourselves.

History of the House

as told by Damath

The Alliance was founded by a group of astronomers who wished to study the sky undisturbed by the politics and conflicts of the rest of the dream. The astronomers were illuminated though, and when the Dreamer Wars began,their brothers in the Illuminated Front demanded their aid, for many of the astronomers were high in sphere, their research had yielded powerful arts. Not wishing to halt their research, the astronomers started a new branch in the house, the Knights of Star. They recruited the best warriors from among free spirits, luring them in with promises of secret knowledge and powerful new arts. These Knights would fight in the wars for the Alliance, while the astronomers continued to study in peace.

The Star Knights were very successful in the Wars. As the Dreamer Wars drew to a close, the Star Knights came to believe that they, and not the astronomers, were the true Alliance of the Eclipse. And when the battles between Illuminated Front and Freesoul Knight reached a pause, as the enforced peace of Dreamstrike settled over the city..the battles between Star Knights and astronomers within the Alliance began. The Star Knights used blades and chakrams of great power, and the astronomers countered with their arts. Gathering together, the astronomers used a newly created art, to draw power from the sky, and channeling it (through the Power Room), they forced nearly every Star Knight dreaming to awaken. Once this was done, the astronomers demoted the Knights, and regained power over their houses.

Seeing the harm wrought by the Alliance's involvement in The Dreamer Wars, Alliance Ruler Kal'Arakos was the first to swear the oaths of peace.. never to do violence except in the most dire of times, to seek to avoid conflict, not encourage it. Some of the other astronomers swore these oaths as well, those who did not were encouraged to leave for other houses. And so the Alliance became a house of peace.. but a far smaller, weaker house than it had once been.

When the Nightmares entered the city, scholars flocked once more to the Alliance's gates. While other houses sought to fight the mares, the Alliance sought to study them. Until the creation of the portals, the city was a dangerous place, and the many peaceful scholars needed a safe place to rest and study. Throughout the Nightmare Wars, the Alliance continued its peaceful studies, and just before The Great Loss, Kal'Arakos announced a discovery. Through a process called Chaos Infusion, a dreamer could learn to understand the mares. Unfortunately,this process inevitably drove the dreamer mad. Alliance researchers were seeking to correct this problem when the Overscanners tried to repair the walls, and the Dorsal Rift swept through the city. Those Alliance Rulers who had not been dreaming gathered, and drew straws to determine who would remain behind in Cloudsbreak in case of a second rift. Damath was chosen. The other Rulers perished, presumably in the Caudal Rift.

Reopening of Alliance of the Eclipse

as told by Nziri

After the loss, House Calenture and the Dreamers of Light were the first to reopen. Both these houses, of course,are devoted to fighting against the mare threat. The Order of the Sable Moon was next, and the Protectors of Radiance followed. Again, both devoted to fighting the mares, though some in the Order consider peace an eventual possibility. But there were a few dreamers dedicated to peace in these times as well. Some looked back on our history, and saw the unceasing violence of our past, and sought a new course. Others tried to hunt.. and found they didn't like the feeling of harming another living being (yes, I know some contest that mares are not alive). Still others, like myself, came from peoples on Cloudsbreak, whose beliefs simply forbade violence as a solution to problems. There were many reasons.. but two dreamers, Ambi and myself, sought to bring these peaceful scholars together. We formed a movement which many titled "mare-huggers" but which we named the Seekers of Enlightment. We were not as organized as a house, to be certain.. but we were there. When Damath chose to return to the dream, he found this group, the Seekers of Enlightment, holding beliefs not too far from his own and those of the Alliance. Seeing a way to restore the Alliance to its former numbers, Damath joined this group and initiated its leader, Ambi, into Alliance of the Eclipse. Many of the Seekers joined as well. I was among the last to do so.. resenting Damath's claims to Rulership over a movement my sister Ambi and I had worked so hard on (and also the perceived lack of respect which Damath gave us for our efforts). Since that time the Alliance has grown to include many new dreamers who were never members of the Seekers and also older dreamers who either changed their ways or simply chose to join once we gained a house rather than being just a movement.

Turgin Lambent's Treaty, and the Flats

as told by Nziri

During the dreamer wars, Turgin Lambent always sought peace. Eventually, he ended the wars with the enforced"peace" brought by Dreamstrike, but he made many attempts before that. One such attempt was the Treaty of Lambent Flats. Turgin Lambent called all the houses to negotiate. Over several days, he convinced them to declare Lambent Flats to be neutral ground (this was presumably pre-Star Knight) and under the guardianship of the Alliance of the Eclipse. No violence was to be brought, by any house, into the Flats. Remember, this was before sanctuaries, so peaceful places to discuss and negotiate could be hard to come by. It may be that the Flats were given Turgin Lambent's name because of his success in brining about this treat.. and it may be that the "Turgin's"rooms where the places where the treaty was forged. Lambent never joined AotE, but he did work closely with Kal'Arakos on several secret research projects later in Alliance history.

House Emblem

The circle in the middle of the emblem stands for the city, the three smaller circles stand for truth, honor, and understanding.

Also See

Star Knights

House Facts

Plane: Lambent Flats

Beliefs: Illuminate/Pacifists

Role: Scholars

Prime Artifact: Star of the Alliance

House Art: Peace Aura & Sacrifice

First Elder: Damath

Previous Elders: ?

First Rulers: Ambi, Nziri

Previous Rulers: ?

First Guardians: ?

Previous Guardians: ?

Beacon for the Alliance

Our Interviewer meets with Riatha in the Alliance, and requests information on Fre'y as well as her own story of her return to the dream. TyRyt, Kia Ravenheart, and Talin Dametraz retreat to the steps to welcome visiting dreamers and listen to Riatha's tale. Throughout this tale all were captivated by her telling.

Riatha sighs gently, her eyes turning inward to memories that seem like yesterday and ghosts that still walk at her side...

Master Dreamwright Riatha

"In the days of lore as you of the here and now no doubt say, I was the Ninth Ruler of the Alliance of the Eclipse, following my Brother Esheron Albeshon in service to this House, he - being the Seventh Ruler. I used to spend my time in what many called esoteric pursuit within the Dream, but that is another tale.

"After the mares came, then some grew concerned for the state of the Walls for the Entropy Coalition had changed our Walls in their attempt to Breach to the Deep Chaos, and some, myself included, were wary of how this change would affect the walls as time passed.

"After long study within the City itself, I decided to venture into the fringe of Chaos, just outside the City, to see what could be determined of the condition of the Walls from their outer.. The fringe of Chaos is not so very difficult to negotiate and still remain coherent in the main, so I devised with the aid of the House and my mentor, an anchor point and ventured forth for what we thought would be a fairly brief sabbatical. But even the fringes are unpredictable at best, and though I felt I had been there only a short time, I have since my return and from piecing together the changes in the City, decided the time flow was not uniform even close by the City. I am now assuming it was not a few days, but rather months, perhaps longer, that I worked by the Walls, and then... if my memory is at all to be trusted on this, a force like a great wave, roared upon me and pummeled my consciousness and severed my anchor to the City of Dreams, and I lost cohesion of any kind.

"This I believe to have been the opening of one of the Rifts, I must have been near enough on the Outer Wall for it to completely overtake me and sweep me away to the Deep Chaos.

"There, time is utterly meaningless, and yet gradually some sort of sense of being returned, and a sense that I whoever I was, was not alone there..."

Riatha seems to have difficulty finding words to explain...

"It was as if I... stood at the very nexus of all that can be and all that is and all that was... too much for the consciousness to comprehend, and not truly describable."

Riatha lifts her hands in a gesture and then drops them in futility knowing this does not make sense...

"There came a change, a sound in a soundless place full of noise, a sight in a darkness filled visions... As if the two souls closest to mine were calling, so I followed? I made some effort to respond. And as I did the link grew stronger. And my Soul grew more certain, and more determined, more whole again."

Riatha again flutters her hands, not having the words to tell this.

"And then I was here. Upon this facade, with the Alliance of the here and now surrounding me and bidding me welcome. And, the Alliance has made me very welcome indeed, but my time in the Deep Chaos has left effects of which some may be permanent and some not so. I was not unsphered when I departed the City of Dreams. I returned unsphered."

Alliance of the Eclipse Re-Opened

The Eclipse brought more changes, as the Seekers of the Enlightenment, a heavily criticized non-violent group, was at last granted a house in which to further their beliefs. The Darkmare Sagnath led Ambi to the purple house, revealing to her that the house belonged to them. Dreamers were initiated into the house, and after some time two of the original leaders of the Seekers, Ambi and Nziri, were promoted to Guardian by the Elder Damath, to eventually become the first rulers of the house since the Great Loss. Their beliefs were refined to further suit the house. This house boasted the first unsphered guardian the dream had ever seen: Guardian Druss. There was much friction between this new house and the more established houses at its conception, as the idea of coexistence with the mares was unheard of in the Dream City. Refusing to defend themselves against the aggression of fellow dreamers, these first members of the alliance faced much persecution for their beliefs.

Meanwhile, the Chaos Eclipse triggered a battle within Solister, whose being was torn by the chaos within. He evolved into a being of pure insight, unable to communicate effectively with others in the dream. In the eighth month, after joining the Alliance of the Eclipse, Erasmus of the Alliance performed a ritual to aid Solister's communication with the Dream by employing the power room of the house.