1206 RE-- Rise and Exodus of the Dünya Ailevi
Date: 1206 RE
Outcome: Banishment for the Dünya Ailevi
Parties: Dünya Ailevi, the Caliph of Dusk
Early in 1206, a group arose in the province of Mus in the Caliphate. Calling themselves Children of Dünya Ailevi, they dwelt in the hills above the port city of Magaza. The group, only about 30 strong at first, was centered around a leader named Hoca and his wife1. They spoke of absolute and total pacifism.
In a land constantly at war with Ghuls, this was greeted with skepticism at best and hostility at worse. Strangely however, this group began to attract a following among the young and idealistic. Their message of healing the world by avoiding corrupt acts like violence or hording wealth appealed to those who were poor and weak. Within 6 months, hundreds of people claimed to belong to the group, and they would often be seen in the city. Members could soon be found far away as Bazmel.
Despite their growth, the group overall caused little disruption. They would often provide healing to any who asked. They traded work for food and supplies. In many ways their influence was, and was considered, beneficial and benign. When some of the soldiers began to profess that they followed the teachings of Dünya Ailevi, however, that problems began.
The troubles began when a small number of soldiers in the Caliphate's forces laid down their arms and left their posts. Some of them simply quit without declaration, others taking the time to try and convince the other soldiers around them of how wrong it was to do violence. Most of these men were brought back in chains, and in some cases, executed. It is at this point that the Martaval became interested. Being a movement of mainly the poor and the weak, the Martaval had heard rumors of the Dünya Ailevi. She came to their primary camp in Magaza. She listened to Hoca teach and spent time talking with him and his wife. When she left, she was unconvinced they were a problem. She declared them to be "blessedly stubborn," to the Caliph, but she saw no harm in them. They paid taxes, did not steal, and generally obeyed the laws. Their way of life was foolish, perhaps, but as long as it stayed small, it was no threat.
Had it had remained small, all might have been well. But the group grew further into the fall on 1207. At their height, their numbers were in the thousands, and they had spread to far reaches of the Caliphate and even began to travel to the Emirate, where the war against the Marrashi yet raged. The spread of the philosophy among active soldiers was beginning to cause much consternation however, and another incident began the group's downfall in earnest.
A small unit of regular soldiers, led by a Captain2 stationed near the southern border of the Emirate, faced a sortie against a ghul force. Instead of engaging as ordered, the majority of the unit threw off their weapons and tried to pacify the Ghuls. The commander of the unit was one of only 3 in the 30 man unit that did not subscribe to the views of Dünya Ailevi. He was the only one to survive the encounter. The rest were slaughtered, even as they attempted to greet the Ghuls with open arms. The story of the unit's destruction, and the reason for it, spread widely. Angry voices began to call for the Dünya Ailevi to be abolished.
A group of pilgrims on their way to the camp of Dünya Ailevi, were attacked and killed by angry villagers. The situation, particularly around Magaza, became more and more tense. The Caliph ordered the leader of the group arrested and brought before him. It was widely assumed that the Caliph would have him killed.
Instead, they talked. The Caliph asked Hoca to explain his followers' actions. They spoke long into the night and began again the next day. The conversation between them lasted several days. When they were done many awaited to hear the Caliph's decision. The Martaval asked for some form of mercy to be shown on them, as at heart, they were not directly causing harm. The Caliph agreed, and instead of ordering Hoca and his people executed, he banished them all. If any wished to stay in the Caliphate, they were required to forswear the Dünya Ailevi and all it's teachings. Hoca, his wife, and as many of their followers as could, acquired passage on 12 ships, using the wealth and supplies donated by their followers.
Where they went is unknown. There are rumors that the ship crews overcharged for the passage and killed them at sea. Other rumors suggest that they settled in some unknown region or island. The ones that remained either left for the Sultanate or publicly declared their turning away from the teachings, in the Caliph's Name. One in particular, a close friend of Hoca's3, went so far as to become a member of the Sandspire.