Origins and Purpose The New Sermons of Vashi is a collection of stylized enigmatic and esoteric teachings that form the spiritual foundation of the Tel Vashi, also known as the Ashkin. These are a unique group of elves heavily inspired by the Dunmer of Morrowind, in particular those of House Telvanni. Within the homebrew land of Cairngorm I wanted to introduce a group of people who found a sort of "new testament" of the lost warrior-poet Vivec, located in a land far away from Nirn. The New Sermons serve the Tel Vashi a guide to understanding the divine, contemplating their existence, and embracing the multidimensional aspects of reality. The New Sermons are said to hold the keys to the past, present, and future of the Tel Vashi..
Teachings and Themes The New Sermons delve into abstract concepts, encouraging followers to perceive reality beyond the limitations of conventional senses. Through cryptic language, the sermons explore the interconnectedness of time, perception, and existence. Each sermon is a journey into a different facet of understanding, beckoning followers to transcend the mundane and embrace the transcendent.
Structure and Content The New Sermons comprise twentyish distinct messages, each approaching spirituality from a unique angle. While they can be read and contemplated individually, the sermons are best understood as a progressive journey toward enlightenment, without clear instruction on how or in which order to approach them. The content ranges from vivid poetry to abstract contemplations, with themes touching on everything from perception to betrayal, and from paradoxes to rituals.
In writing these sermons I tried to channel much of the same style as Vivec and Michael Kirkbride themselves, along with my own somewhat bizarre and definitively nonsensical musings on simultaneously everything and nothing.
- RAF
*All images for this manuscript were generated using Bing's AI image creator. There is no monetization of this manuscript or any of the material used to create the world of Cairngorm.