Ossuary vs Milvaneth Sacrarium

[Kage]

In trying to continue my knowledge of the game and its lore...

 

What's the difference between the Ossuary and the Milvaneth Sacrarium?

 

The Prior of the Sacrarium is on the Syndicate so does the Sacrarium do more than just the end of life stuff that the Ossuary does too?

 

Or did I confuse the two? I mean I know that Mumuepo once had considerable influence in the creation of the laws and he was THM head along with the Ossuary?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

They're different organizations in Ul'dah, that make up some of the ruling power.

 

http://aetheracademy.wikia.com/wiki/Milvaneth_Sacrarium

Nald worshippers - Merchants and Traders

 

 

http://aetheracademy.wikia.com/wiki/Arrzaneth_Ossuary

 

Thal worshippers - THMs and rites for the dead.

 

*lights up the Sounsyy signals*

[DreamedReality]

A lot of what I was finding is that the Sacrarium was devoted more to the life affirming aspect of Nald'Thal. Where the Ossuary was more for the death portion. But this is all v1 info. So who knows how it changed. Or if it did.

 

This bit HERE talks about where the law gets written. I have no idea who is actually in the Order. Or who influences it. It's actually a question I posted on the official 'ask your lore questions' thread.

[Sounsyy]

/responds to Sounsyy signal!

 

 

 

 

Yes! Well!

 

So to really understand Ul'dah's culture, you've got to understand the duality which persists through all of its aspects, stemming from Ul'dah's worship of the deific twins, Nald'thal.

 

Nald, the god of commerce and wordly wealth, today is worshiped at the Milvaneth Sacrarium. Closer to Ul'dah's founding, the Sacrarium did not exist and devotees would make a pilgrimage to Nald's Reflection deep within the Red Labyrinth to receive blessings. Because Nald ensures wealth and prosperity in this world, the Milvaneth Sacrarium is mostly graced by Ul'dah's rich and elite, thankful for what they have, and they are more than happy to impart a gil or two to maintain said wealth.

 

The Milvaneth Sacrarium's director, Prior Dewlala (who currently sits on the Syndicate) has recently imposed a toll for entering the Sacrarium for worship. This has doubtless increased his wealth exponentially.

 

#58 - Nald's Reflection

Overseer of wealth and commerce upon the corporeal plane, it is believed that through fervent worship of the Trader Nald, one will reap immeasurable fortune in one's living years. Prince and pauper alike once made pilgrimages to this remote place of prayer in search of prosperity... until, that is, the Milvaneth Sacrarium opened a new (toll-based) temple within Ul'dah.

 

 

Thal, the god of the underworld and wealth in the afterlife, today is worshiped at the Arrzaneth Ossuary. Closer to Ul'dah's founding, Thal's devotees would make a pilgrimage to Thal's Respite on the Royal Allagan Sunway, the ancient highroad connecting modern day Ul'dah with Gridania. It is believed that those seeking new fortune in the afterlife or those wishing to carry their fortune into the next life offer fervent prayers to Thal's statue in Arrzaneth Ossuary.

 

#57 - Thal's Respite

Overseer of wealth in the afterlife, proper obeisance to the Trader, Thal is required for those who wish to take belongings accumulated in this world to the hereafter. Thal's Respite is oft used by stout devotees of the Order of Nald'thal as a place of fasting and prayer, but its distance from Ul'dah prevents all but the most affluent from making the journey.

 

 

When Ul'dah was first built a little over 600 years ago, the city was actually divided in two parts to reflect Nald'thal. 400 years ago, following the War of the Sisters in which Ul'dah destroyed Sil'dih over natural resources, Ul'dah was relocated and rebuilt above the ruins of her fallen sibling. I theorize that it was at this time that the Sacrarium and Ossuary were built in the new Ul'dah.

 

#17 - The Ruins of Sil'dih

The city-states of Ul'dah and Sil'dih coexisted for generations until 400 years ago when bad blood festering betwixt the two sultanates culminated in the War of the Sisters - leaving Sil'dih a smoldering pile of rubble to be claimed by the shifting desert sands. The subsequent relocation of Ul'dah placed the city-state nearly directly above her fallen sibling.

 

 

The game only ever explored the functions of the Order of Nald'thal from the view of the Ossuary through the 1.0 Ul'dah MSQ, and the 1.0 THM Class quests. The Milvaneth Sacrarium and the Arrzaneth Ossuary support the two sects of the Order of Nald'thal. We do not know which one actually writes the laws of the Sultanate, or if they both have input.

 

Director Dewlala sits on the Syndicate, and has for at least the last six years, while High Priest Mumuepo (the former head of the Arrzaneth Ossuary) never did. So an argument could be posed that because Mumuepo did not sit on the Syndicate that only the Arrzaneth Ossuary was responsible for writing laws. On the flipside, lore merely states that the Order of Nald'thal writes the laws, and can be taken to mean that this includes both sects of the Order.

 

In either case, this puts enormous power in the hands of the Syndicate, as one of the Syndicate's six members belongs to the Order of Nald'thal. If not in direct control, Dewlala could have easily bribed Mumuepo for desired changes to policy.

 

(Skip to @8:45)

 

 

What we know for sure of the Arrzaneth Ossuary is that they are responsible for the preparation of the city-state's dead, both physically and spiritually. They are the executors of Last Wills, and should said Will exact vengeance upon another, the Order of Nald'thal carries out this act. However, the Order of Nald'thal is forbidden from exacting Vengeance against one of their own. Penalty: death.

 

 

 

Now, what has changed since 1.0? Well, I asked a question regarding that for the Lore Panel coming up this month. Hopefully, we'll get an answer.

 

We do know that shortly after the Calamity, Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo banished High Priest Mumuepo from the Order of Nald'thal and replaced him with the five Coco brothers. Now, anybody who's followed my posts on the topic knows I have a great dislike for the Coco brothers and what they represent. That is to say, they are zealots of ancient, forbidden Black Magic and not a good representation of what Thaumaturgy actually is. The question I posed to Fernehalwes asked if this was an intentional direction for the Order to take. In the mean time, I maintain that the duties and responsibilities upon the Order of Nald'thal have not changed, but are merely misrepresented by a family of zealots who are just as power hungry, if not more so, than their predecessor, High Priest Mumuepo.

 

Which is saying something, considering Mumuepo had the knowledge of how to temporarily raise the dead. Like... the dead dead. Not just KO'd adventurers. (See: Golden Sacrifices) Which is an ability of Thaumaturgy not used since the War of the Sisters 400 years earlier, in which Sil'dih's thaumaturges resurrected their fallen soldiers to fight against the Ul'dahns.

 

 

 

 

Phew... I hope this helps! ^^;