A History of Omiism

Omi was the son of a blacksmith, born in a small village north of Oka, on the Shores of Lake Darnnock in the second month of 1050. His mother, Hera, was a hold woman who’s life had been sheltered. Darius stole her away from her parents, and fled into the countryside to avoid being separated. When it became known to her parents that she was with child, they disowned her. Darius was a skilled craftsman and did not have trouble finding enough work to support his new wife and child, whom they named Omi.

There was something special about this child, and his parents knew it from the start. On the night of his conception, a star flared brightly in the sky. Throughout her pregnancy, Hera saw many good omens, and felt strangely at peace. Omi was born in a small house, half of which was given over to a smithy. On the night of his birth, angels came to sing and worship him. Prophets and diviners forsaw Omi’s birth and wondered at this powerful force for good being born in so humble a circumstance.

As a child, Omi had few playmates. Other child found him strange and Omi seemed uninterested in their games. Still, Omi as a child seemed to radiate a feeling of vitality and goodness. Good things seemed to happen near him: a wounded dog suddenly healed, a suffering woman eased of pain, things lost suddenly found. One exception to his lack of playmates was Andrew, who met Omi as a teenager. For most of his childhood, Omi was content to ask questions, now at fifteen, he started to make statements about how people should live, about what was right and wrong, about how things are, and how they should be. Andrew was very attracted to this and became his first student, and later apostle.

Omi left home at the age of 20 and went to live in Oka, the great center of religion in the Mernian Empire. At 22 he made his first public speech, outside the Temple of Zutin. He spoke of a fatherly god who cares for his children, stern but loving. This god wanted his children to live by a few simple rules, such as loving each other, rejecting violence and war, being generous and helpful to others, etc. People who heard this speech confused the god in question with Zutin, years later though, it became more clear that Omi was speaking about himself.

For many years, the leaders of the various Nolar sects and officials of Mernia ignored Omi as just another religious nutcase. This tolerance faded as Omi’s miracles increased and as his following grew. By the time Omi was 30 years old, his cause was widely know, and he had thousands of public followers. Most of his close students (who became known as apostles) had joined him by this time. Several Nolarist sects, particularly Zutin, Mares, and Rhamon has started to persecute him and his people. Joseph was martyred during this time protecting Omi. At age 31, Omi was captured and imprisoned where he was kept and tortured for almost a year. His followers tried everything they could to free him. They petitioned the government, rallied, tried bribery, and a failed jailbreak. Omi was ultimately brought before Herot, the Govener of Goa, who tried him and sentenced him to be crucified. The charge was Heresy, for Omi had claimed to be a god, distincted a separated from all of the Nolar gods. Herot’s sentence was based on the statement that if Omi was indeed a god, he would not die. If he was not, then he deserved to die for claiming to be one.

Omi, however, had forseen all of this and had told his apostles what was to come. He explained that his life on earth was to know his people first hand, and that it was necessary to die for them. On the day of his death, soldiers came to his cell and hauled him out into the street. There he was stripped and whipped till he bled. The soldiers mocked him and hung a cheap glass bauble around his neck, and made him carry his cross-piece through the streets of Goa to the killing place. There he was tied to a cross, and hung. Omi lived for two days. On the last day, several soldiers came and stacked cords of wood around his cross and doused them with oil. A centurian mocked him a final time, telling him to fly from his cross lest he be burned. Omi replied, “I forgive you for this.” Enraged, the soldier lit the fire, and Omi was burned.

Later that night, Omi’s close friends an apostles came and gathered the final remains, parts of the cross, a few bones, and the glass pendant that hung at this neck. The followers of Omi were outraged at his death and continued to rally, meet and hold demonstrations. Preaching was taken up by Peter, John, and James. Several riots happened and the soldiers started cracking down on any claiming to worship Omi. Many were arrested and sent to prison, some showed up in the arena as objects of sport and cruelty, the violent ones were hung or crucified. Finally, Mernia could tollerate no more. Herot ordered that all Omiists be rounded up and were driven east into the Honig desert where they would presumably perish. Martin Anton volunteered to join the people being cast out. Along with several men of worth, he protected the common folk from being killed or abused by the soldiers sent to cast them out. After reaching the desert, Martin returned to the empire in secret to support those who had stayed behind.

There was a lot of panic among the people cast out. Many lost their faith and fled back into the mountains. During this time, John was a voice of reason. He explained that Omi had told him of a land which they could live in, far to the east and although the way would be hard, Omi would care for them. Living and walking through the desert was difficult. They had to travel by night, and there was constant fear of becoming lost. A group of the people, led by Jacob argued with John as to the right way to go, and broke off on their own way. These people eventually stayed in the desert and became the Omite Tribe of nomads. Many would have died in the desert if not for the wife of John, named Felicia. Felicia was a very devout follower of Omi and discovered a capacity for healing which eventually became miraculous.

Eventually, the people of Omi came out of the desert and settled into the area now known as Norberg.