“Sallumir the Blessed, Sallumir the Wise, Sallumir the Great, Sallumir the Prophet.”
Opening of the High Salluminic
In the highest sectors of the Heights is Sallumin, a theocratic welfare state that venerates and empowers natural psionics. Sallumin is a founding signatory of the Compact, and principle author of the primary Edicts. Certain of the Priests of Sallumir are said to have clairvoyance.
History
C. -1500 to c. -1400 BCC
The Sallumin year is currently 8658, dating from the first Sermon (-1430 by the standard Array calendar).
Long before the Church would become a space-faring culture, they came up on the world of Sallan, where they had landed during the first Arrival. Sallan is a large and somwhat arid world, but around the inland seas, humanity flourished. A nearly global civilization had risen up long ago, with no clear beginning, with a unified cultural identity, and it had collapsed, leading to a Dark Age. After that, another nearly global community culture came up, but that too was to fall, and by the time of Sallumir, that ancient cohesion had been rendered almost meaningless, as balkanization and social stratification took hold over in almost fully autonomous regions. The most prominent ancient Sallanic religion, a monotheistic worship of Sal’Ru (the only remaining unifying principle for the planet), had become a mere formality, or even all but forgotten in some parts of Sallan.
Isarah Al’Mar, who would be known as Sallumir, was born to a poor farmer outside the town of Ami’il. At the age of 16, he received a vision from Sal’Ru, the ancient Sallanic creator god, whose worship had long fallen away from Sallanic society. Sallumir saw the people as divided and suffering under a system which allows the rich and powerful to live well while the common people starved.
The Paxan Accords, which ended the decades-long Psion Wars, essentially entrenched the status quo, giving the psion minority a separate-but-equal status. Over 150 years later, the psion community had dwindled through a lack of nurturing and support. Most psions went undiscovered, never even realizing they had that potential.
In Isarah’s vision, he saw the High Lords of Sallan using bio-centers to slowly eradicate the psions. He traveled to the psi ghetto of Lesser D’zral, a suburb of the capital. There he opened his mind to the High Telepath, Raviri Elazandra, who saw his vision to be true. Isarah took the name Sallumir, a variant of the Sallanic world Salrumir for ‘Voice of Sal’Ru’.
A crusade began, psions and commoners united under a wave of religious revival. The Crusade was led by the first five Pentarchs, each representing the core Virtues: Raviri (devotion), Hashah (community), Obrizzali (honesty), Isaveil (accountability) and Urso (progress). After a dozen years of war, the Crusaders stormed the high tower and captured the last of the old regime.
The new Holy Kingdom of Great Sallumin was established in the Sallumin year, combining the Church with the State, in 675 (-755 r on the Array Calendar).
The old leaders were spared, and re-educated by the newly established Church. Sallumin was proclaimed King, and then he set about establishing laws that shared the wealth among the people, and re-defining psions as “gifted” or “blessed”. A system of religious hierarchy was established, along with a new set of founding documents about the protected status of marginalized groups in the new Kingdom, the now-famous Salurian Accords, seen as the model for human rights legislation throughout the Array. People were to be equal, both high and low, and the new theocratic government was responsible not only for religious law, but for the needs of all its citizens, as well as charitable charges internationally. Elements of these would find their way eventually into the Compact’s third Edict, in secular form.
The Kingdom has endured several attempts by ambitious soms to overthrow its systems or subvert the Church. Popular support has always been key in maintaining the Church/State’s power.
Some religious scholars believe Sallumin was himself a psion, but it has not been proven. He lived to be 120 years old. This has been established as fact (the High Salluminic is always sung verbatum, and has been corroborated through several means). Upon his death, the Pentarchs declared that Sallumir is the Church, and the Church is Sallumir. Thus, the Kingdom of Sallumin keeps a variant of his name in the minds of all Outsiders.
He had 11 children, each of who established a line of noble priests, scholars and warriors. The order of Hadjan (holy warriors) was founded early in his reign.
Sallumin didn’t gain radio until a probe from a pre-jump spacefaring culture arrived, 3678 years after the first Sermon. The probe was mostly destroyed, but clues gained from what was left led to scientific insights they hadn’t pursued before, having had no need.
Since the unification of the planet as the Kingdom of Sallumin, this third try at civilization on Sallan is a tremendous success story, and the people enjoy a stable ecological and social existence. The dangers of industrialization were seen from an early time, and so the planet is very agrarian, rural, and pastoral. The society cares for not only the people, but for the environment, of the homeworld and of any worlds under their administration.
The government and Church are quite communistic, sharing the fruits of the Kingdom as equally as possible. Large private owned corporations simply do not exist, although some corporations do have consulates on Sallan itself, or unofficial offices on the fringes.
Languages: Sallumani, Salanic (old language) and High Sallumani (sung in Church and official ceremonies).
Sallumism
Sallumism is quite popular in the Array. Of those who do profess a religion, more than 20% follow Sallumism. Sallumin is the least populous of the Great Kingdoms; most adherents to the religion don’t even reside there. Even lower caste Trienese and some Almerandi practice it. Its emphasis on charity and equality have a very broad appeal, particularly among many in the working class. In some parts of Triene, Priests have even been allowed to preach and minister to thralls and bond servants (Trienese euphemisms for slave).
Sallumism teaches that the House of Sallumir (the Church) is raised up on the Five Pillars of Faith:
Devotion – Lioru (black)
Community – Tan’u (blue)
Honesty – Ri’indo (white)
Accountability – Var’u (red)
Progress – J’taru (yellow)
The deity is Salru, from the ancient Sal’Ru of Salanic tradition, who is portrayed as the Eternal Dreamer. Salru is not a conscious benefactor in day-to-day life, but with dreams, he can guide us in our attitudes and priorities, as well as inspire us with flights of the imagination. Sallumin values improvisational theater and extemporaneous art forms, as they may also give access to Reverie, which in the Faith is synonymous with dream wisdom.
The afterlife is described as a dream state, with pleasant or unpleasant dreams, depending on one’s virtue or wickedness in life. Prayers are said before sleep, and upon awakening. Dream interpretation is an important component of the Faith, a way to glimpse the spiritual. Clergy from all 5 Pillars can interpret dreams. An Interpreter will give a different kind of reading based on which Pillar they represent.
More specifically, the tenets of Sallumism include total honesty, charity, equality, fidelity, self-improvement, sacrifice, artistic expression, accountability, atonement, and fairness. For those who exemplify these qualities, the dream will be the most meaningful of all, allowing a rebirth within the Afterdream into a new form, essentially creating a new universe.
The Hajarai is the order of holy warriors
Had’jar are holy warriors, defenders of the Faith. They serve the Pentarch of Devotion.
Priests of Sallumir
All members of the clergy within the borders of Sallumin are also essentially officers of the State for certain matters, depending on their Pillar. This conveys social status at a commensurate level, if a character doesn’t have it already.
Recent/Current Events
Sallumin was a founding member of the Compact. Historically they have had several minor wars, with Morath, Shadar and even one with Triene. While they shared the Heights with the Ushanti for centuries, they weren’t as near to each other as that would suggest, and so they never fought them, even during the 13 Years War.
Overall they have maintained ever more cordial relations with most nations, and are particularly well-liked by minor kingdoms, where their relief efforts earn gratitude. They have a long-standing policy of providing humanitarian aid and medical tech to less well-developed worlds. They have an entire high-tech fleet, as large as their military fleet, devoted to disaster relief missions across the Array as well as ecological support and advice.
The Sallumini are master diplomats, key to facilitating several major events, including the Trienese/Ushanti Treaty of 5098, the entry of Shadar into the Compact, and the Osterosza ceasefire.
Relations
Almerand – cordial
Shadar – cordial
Morath – friendly
Triene – wary
Over the years, Sallumin has become closer to Morath, earning much respect for their absolute devotion in battle. The Morathi consider them the bravest (non-Morathi) culture in the Array.
Sallumini do not believe in augmentation without legitimate medical need. They don’t like being overly reliant on technology, while at the same time promoting high-tech innovation. It can be an interesting conflict at times.
Psionics
Lumins revere natural psionics, and prop them up with a state education and a career in public service.