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The Balanite Rebellion was a series of uprisings instigated by followers of Bala, the Zakharan goddess of music, within the Pantheist League of interior Zakhara.[1]

Location[]

Mahabba was the center of the Balanites power and the primary focus of their attacks.[1] Nearby Hudid was suspected of unknowingly harboring Balanite heretics and holy slayers who entered the city with the flood of refugees from Mahabba. Hudid's Caliph Sajah al-Munsif refused three requests from Mahabba to conduct formal investigations into this matter, adding tension between the two great Pantheist cities.[2]

Activities[]

The most recent uprising occurred in 1360 DR[note 1] when Caliph Mogan bin Ahmed of Mahabba was assassinated by suspected holy slayers of the Final Chord.[1] Caliph Mogan's assassination managed to grab the attention of the Grand Caliph in Huzuz who urged that the issue with the Balanites be dealt with by either negotiations or the sword if necessary.[3][1] Caliph Rimaq al-Nimar of I'tiraf appointed Ma'mum al-Sahnan as the interim caliph of Mahabba to gain control of the city and crush the Balanites once and for all.[4]

History[]

The League of the Pantheon formed early during the reign of the first Grand Caliph of Zakhara. The five gods worshiped in these Pantheist cities at that time became the Gods of the Pantheon and were the only gods considered to be enlightened. Mahabba joined the Pantheist League after the League had already been established, bringing with them their worship of "unenlightened" Bala, the Zakharan goddess of music. The other cities of the Pantheist League protested this sacrilege violently, sending their armies to crush the forces of Mahabba and the Balanite heresy festering within that city.[1]

This event caused the Grand Caliph to consult the Law of the Loregiver to determine what constituted an enlightened god. He eventually established the traditional eight enlightened gods, but for Bala and Mahabba the damage had already been done. Driven underground, the Balanites in Mahabba rose in rebellion several times over the next five hundred years with the hopes of ultimately ousting the Pantheist version of enlightenment from their city and the entire region.[1]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. Canon material does not provide dating for the Al-Qadim campaign setting. For the purposes of this wiki only, the current date for Al-Qadim products is assumed to be 1367 DR.

References[]

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