Post by lemmingtopias on Jun 5, 2019 1:23:33 GMT
The Lemming Sage is the Lemmingtopian Head of State and the Spiritual Leader of Lemmingtopians. The path to becoming the Sage is long and difficult.
Monastic Education
Upon entering a monastery, monks and nuns begin a long curriculum of education encompssing both standard educational subjects found in non-monastic schools as well as advanced religious studies. The full process usually takes 15 to 20 years, although persons who become monks in adulthood rather than as children can complete it in less time. Most monks do not complete the entire educational progam which culminates in the awarding of a degree which is equivelant to a PhD. Those that do are awarded one of four ranks.
Avanced Study
Those that achieve the highest rank of the Monastic Degree are able to go onto further study either at the Sacred College of the Lemming Mountains or the Sacred College of Lomapolis. This usually takes two years.
Early Career
Those that have completed the advanced study are able to become Priests (some priesthoods do not require this, but only those that have served in a priesthood requiring the advanced study are considered eligible for further progression).
These Priesthoods usually only last a year, upon whch the Priest either returns to a monastery or retires from religious life. Those that return to a monastery are eligible to become senior religious officials in the monastery (senior administrative officials do not have to have served as Priests) and these are usually for terms of three years, after which the monk becomes eligible to be elected as a Vice-Abbott and then an Abbott (usually three year terms).
Later Career
Those that have served as an abbott of a monastery can be elected Abbott of one of the two sacred colleges for a three year term. Upon becoming such, they are eligible for election to become one of the Sages of the Lemmingtopian religion, of which there are around 150, each being the chief-priest of a cult for a deity or a hero. These positions are for life and are elected by the monasteries which contribute to that cult. Each of these Sages becomes a Member of the College of Sages, the highest religious authority. There are other 'sages' of cults not recognised as having Sage status by the College of Sages, but these are not entiitled to further progression.
When a vacancy arises, these Sages can be elected to one of the five higher Sagedoms: the Eastern Sage, the Western Sage, the Northern Sage, the Southern Sage and the Sage for the Diaspora. Each Sage has a vote.
These Sages are eligible to become the Master of the Faith, the official head of the Lemmingtopian Faith (though the Lemming Sage is spiritual leader). This is a term of seven years. While Masters of the Faith are considered good candidates in elections for the Lemming Sage, it is not a requirement and all of the higher Sages are automatically candidates.
Ascension to the Lemming Sage
When the Lemming Sage dies, his successor is chosen from each of the higher Sages that have held the title of Master of the Faith, elected by the other Sages. On the eve of the vote, the candidates, whom are forbidden to campaign for the position, are secluded in a special chapel in the Palace of the Sages in Lomapolis where they remain until the Successor is selected. On the first day of the selection, the Sages spend the entire day, from 5am until 11pm, debating the merits of each candidate before voting. Even if a majority is reached, the candidate with the least votes is withdrawn and the process starts again the next day. This continues each day until only one candidate remains. At this point, the Sages either vote for the final Candidate or abstain. The candidates are then released from the chapel and are informed which of them has been chosen.
At this point the chosen sage returns to the chapel for a period of seclusion lasting two to three weeks, where he meditates. At the end of this process he is is presented to the Lemmingtopian Government who approve of the selection (the last time a government failed to approve of a selection was three hundred years ago and every such event has lead to civil war, always resulting in the monasteries overthrowing the government and approving the selection). Once approved, the chosen successor begins a tour of the country, lasting around six weeks where he visits monasteries, local governments, charities and civil groups as well as giving speeches and teachings. At the end of this period he returns to Lomapolis is once again secluded in the chapel while a referendum takes place, allowing the Lemmingtopian people the right to have the final say on whether he is the correct successor. This is the only vote that takes place in Lemmingtopias where only citizens can vote. It is very rare for the people not to approve of the chosen successor, though the College of the Sages has always respected their decision, starting the entire process anew if the people reject their appointment.
Once approved int he referendum, the successor travels to the Lemming Mountains, where he spends a long period of reflecting on his predeccessors (one week per predeccessor). This involves travelling to different monasteries around the mountains, as a monastery is founded there by each new Sage. During this period, no-one is able to enter the Lemming Mountains other than the monks and nuns that usually reside there and all visitors are obliged to leave the territory. Upon conclusion of his reflections, he is finally able to cimb the steps up to the Winter Palace and is enthroned. The new Lemming Sage is expected to spend some weeks at the Palace making arrangements for transition of the administration to his rule. Once these arrangements are complete, he returns to Lomapolis to be enthroned their at the Palace of the Sages. At this point, he enters into a period of negotiation with the government to determine what, if any, role he will have in political life. Technically, the Sage is able to wield full control over the government, though these negotiations limit these powers (most modern sages have no real power at all) and an agreement is put into a document which is then voted on in another referendum. At this point the Sage returns to the Lemming Mountains to found a monastery there and this often takes around a year. Once the monastery is fully operational the Lemming Sage finally begins his reign proper. Powerful Sages tend to reside in the Palace of the Sages in Lomapolis while those with no powers tend to reside at the Winter Palace in the Lemming Mountains. Some Sages have spent the remainder of their lives in their monasteries and a few have even become either hermits living in the mountains or spent the rest of their lives travelling on foot, alone through the mountains visiting remote shrines and spending vast amounts of time in meditation. Such Sages may not be heard from for months or even years at a time and, in one instance, the body of the Lemming Sage was found an estimated ten years after he died.
Monastic Education
Upon entering a monastery, monks and nuns begin a long curriculum of education encompssing both standard educational subjects found in non-monastic schools as well as advanced religious studies. The full process usually takes 15 to 20 years, although persons who become monks in adulthood rather than as children can complete it in less time. Most monks do not complete the entire educational progam which culminates in the awarding of a degree which is equivelant to a PhD. Those that do are awarded one of four ranks.
Avanced Study
Those that achieve the highest rank of the Monastic Degree are able to go onto further study either at the Sacred College of the Lemming Mountains or the Sacred College of Lomapolis. This usually takes two years.
Early Career
Those that have completed the advanced study are able to become Priests (some priesthoods do not require this, but only those that have served in a priesthood requiring the advanced study are considered eligible for further progression).
These Priesthoods usually only last a year, upon whch the Priest either returns to a monastery or retires from religious life. Those that return to a monastery are eligible to become senior religious officials in the monastery (senior administrative officials do not have to have served as Priests) and these are usually for terms of three years, after which the monk becomes eligible to be elected as a Vice-Abbott and then an Abbott (usually three year terms).
Later Career
Those that have served as an abbott of a monastery can be elected Abbott of one of the two sacred colleges for a three year term. Upon becoming such, they are eligible for election to become one of the Sages of the Lemmingtopian religion, of which there are around 150, each being the chief-priest of a cult for a deity or a hero. These positions are for life and are elected by the monasteries which contribute to that cult. Each of these Sages becomes a Member of the College of Sages, the highest religious authority. There are other 'sages' of cults not recognised as having Sage status by the College of Sages, but these are not entiitled to further progression.
When a vacancy arises, these Sages can be elected to one of the five higher Sagedoms: the Eastern Sage, the Western Sage, the Northern Sage, the Southern Sage and the Sage for the Diaspora. Each Sage has a vote.
These Sages are eligible to become the Master of the Faith, the official head of the Lemmingtopian Faith (though the Lemming Sage is spiritual leader). This is a term of seven years. While Masters of the Faith are considered good candidates in elections for the Lemming Sage, it is not a requirement and all of the higher Sages are automatically candidates.
Ascension to the Lemming Sage
When the Lemming Sage dies, his successor is chosen from each of the higher Sages that have held the title of Master of the Faith, elected by the other Sages. On the eve of the vote, the candidates, whom are forbidden to campaign for the position, are secluded in a special chapel in the Palace of the Sages in Lomapolis where they remain until the Successor is selected. On the first day of the selection, the Sages spend the entire day, from 5am until 11pm, debating the merits of each candidate before voting. Even if a majority is reached, the candidate with the least votes is withdrawn and the process starts again the next day. This continues each day until only one candidate remains. At this point, the Sages either vote for the final Candidate or abstain. The candidates are then released from the chapel and are informed which of them has been chosen.
At this point the chosen sage returns to the chapel for a period of seclusion lasting two to three weeks, where he meditates. At the end of this process he is is presented to the Lemmingtopian Government who approve of the selection (the last time a government failed to approve of a selection was three hundred years ago and every such event has lead to civil war, always resulting in the monasteries overthrowing the government and approving the selection). Once approved, the chosen successor begins a tour of the country, lasting around six weeks where he visits monasteries, local governments, charities and civil groups as well as giving speeches and teachings. At the end of this period he returns to Lomapolis is once again secluded in the chapel while a referendum takes place, allowing the Lemmingtopian people the right to have the final say on whether he is the correct successor. This is the only vote that takes place in Lemmingtopias where only citizens can vote. It is very rare for the people not to approve of the chosen successor, though the College of the Sages has always respected their decision, starting the entire process anew if the people reject their appointment.
Once approved int he referendum, the successor travels to the Lemming Mountains, where he spends a long period of reflecting on his predeccessors (one week per predeccessor). This involves travelling to different monasteries around the mountains, as a monastery is founded there by each new Sage. During this period, no-one is able to enter the Lemming Mountains other than the monks and nuns that usually reside there and all visitors are obliged to leave the territory. Upon conclusion of his reflections, he is finally able to cimb the steps up to the Winter Palace and is enthroned. The new Lemming Sage is expected to spend some weeks at the Palace making arrangements for transition of the administration to his rule. Once these arrangements are complete, he returns to Lomapolis to be enthroned their at the Palace of the Sages. At this point, he enters into a period of negotiation with the government to determine what, if any, role he will have in political life. Technically, the Sage is able to wield full control over the government, though these negotiations limit these powers (most modern sages have no real power at all) and an agreement is put into a document which is then voted on in another referendum. At this point the Sage returns to the Lemming Mountains to found a monastery there and this often takes around a year. Once the monastery is fully operational the Lemming Sage finally begins his reign proper. Powerful Sages tend to reside in the Palace of the Sages in Lomapolis while those with no powers tend to reside at the Winter Palace in the Lemming Mountains. Some Sages have spent the remainder of their lives in their monasteries and a few have even become either hermits living in the mountains or spent the rest of their lives travelling on foot, alone through the mountains visiting remote shrines and spending vast amounts of time in meditation. Such Sages may not be heard from for months or even years at a time and, in one instance, the body of the Lemming Sage was found an estimated ten years after he died.