Organizations of the City:
There have been a LOT of different organizations and groups formed throughout the cities history. The main dividing line between the types of groups have been whether they claimed one of the houses or not. So, that's how we've divided things up. The total list for both types are extensive, so they've been divided into separate sections of the Archive.
Please take a look and see what types of groups have been spawned in the dream. All entries are organized alphabetically and contain a header delineating which era or city they were active in.
Era's:
The era's of the cities are laid out below, along with approximate years that they were active through.
Lyran: Active from approximately 1998 until 2006
Idoaclesian: Active from approximately 2010 until 2014
(Encompases several smaller eras)
Koi-an: Active from approximately 2014 until current
Fundamental Beliefs:
There are a set of fundamental beliefs that have purvaded the city throughout much of its history. Substantially less important in the Koi-an era, but still held by many as personal beliefs. Note that during the Idoaclesian era, these beliefs were not known though most houses and organizations held to what can be best described as an Enlightened Freesoul/Draining system of core beliefs.
Illumination:
This one is particularly relevant right now, given Zaxun's presence in the city and his...conscription of dreamers to join his Illuminate Vanguard.
Basic:
At its most basic level, Illumination is the belief that the Dream has an effect on the waking world. Nothing more or less.
Common:
This commonly held view of Illumination is that the Dream has an effect on the waking world, and that the Nightmares have some level of influence over the dreams of the Unawakened humans on their shards.
Passionate (AKA:Modern Era DoL):
The dream has an effect on the waking world, and the Lesser Nightmares trap the souls of Unawakened dreamers in order to enter the city. So the lesser mares must be hunted in order to free the Unawakened. Draining the essence at least harms the unawakened soul bound to the essence.
Fanatic (AKA: Illuminate Vanguard):
Free Souls with their flagrant disregard for the souls of the Unawakened are killing and maiming thousands of innocent people and must be brought to the correct belief, by the sword if they refuse to see the rightness of the cause on their own. All unbelievers must be either slain, or converted (Please don't drain around this dreamstriking lunatic, you have been warned).
Variations:
These are some of the variations that have I have found in my research.
Enlightened:
This is the belief that there are different planes of existence, and that the Waking world is one of the lowest. The Dream being 2nd, and the next one higher being Nirvana. When a person attains a sufficient level of enlightenment, they are able to transcend to the next plane. From what I have read, this belief included the idea that the lesser mares had a corrupting influence that could block those un-enlightened from achieving the enlightenment. This was the belief of the Gathering of the Entranced from what I understand.
Direct Effect:
Though I havn't heard much about this one, I have heard it referenced. As far as I can tell, it was never held as a house belief... but instead used as a poke at Illuminates by their FreeSoul counterparts (though some truly dedicated Illuminates may well have held this belief). It is the belief that the dream has a direct effect on the waking world... so if the dreamer is cut in the dream... their body on their shard will also display a similar cut.
FreeSoulism:
This is another belief that is particularly relevant, because it is the belief that Zaxun and the Illuminate Vanguard have been waging their wars to obliterate.
Basic:
The dream has no effect on the waking world. Simple and to the point. None, period.
Common:
No actions in the dream have an affect on the waking world, the only effect is on the actual dreamer and their influence over the waking. So only mental state of the Free Soul is really affect.
Fanatic:
There is no effect on the waking world, I can't even remember my dreams when I awaken.
Variations:
These are a couple of the Variations I've heard that are insisted on as FreeSoul... violently according to some of my research.
Enlightened FreeSoul:
Same as the Common belief listed above, though makes allowances for the possibility of a soul in most cases. The belief is that if there is a soul trapped within the nightmares, it is freed upon collapse of the mare (also shared by many modern Illuminates). As I understand, this belief was held by the Lyran Era Order of the Sable Moon, and Union of the Covenant.
Timebound:
This is the belief that time spent in the dream is time spent away from the waking world. No other effect besides those implicit in that core statement occur between the Dream to the Waking world. This was the belief I have been told that the Keepers of the Eternal Shadow held.
OPENSOUL:
This is not a belief in and of itself really, though has been stated as such. The basic idea of Opensoulism is that they don't hold either Illuminate or FreeSoul belief to be the one truth, and elect to allow each individual to hold their own beliefs.
When it is stated as a belief, it usually indicates:
Either: "I don't care, I'm not making a choice... it doesn't matter now go away with your stupid philosophy"
or: "I don't know which is right, so I'm just keeping an open mind".
Essence Beliefs
There are 4 basic processes of dealing with essences and energy for house primes. Note that some individuals refuse to acknowledge the validity o any essence techniques except for Draining as they cannot directly and visibly witness the process of the others.
The beliefs are as follows.
Imprisoning
Basically consists of the essence being broken apart. The Chaotic portion being locked in a special well inside the prime, while the residual is used to power the prime artifact.
Banishing
Basically breaks the essence apart, and banishing the Chaotic energy portion from the city back into the chaos beyond the cities walls. The residual is stored to power the prime artifact.
Draining
This involves no real processing of the essence or energy. It is simply taken in and stored outright to power the prime artifact. The beliefs is that energy is energy, neither inherently chaotic nor ordered. Most Idoaclesian houses seemed to use this process, though it was not stated as such.
Cleansing
This process involves neutralizing the Chaotic energy within maren essence, balancing it and storing the remaining energy to power the prime artifact.