Amershaman Medrahov
The Amershaman Medrahov (english: Book of Motions) is a Snefaldian mystical text, considered the most important work in the medragha tradition and the central mystical text of the Aatem Nal faith.
Origin
The official Aatem Nal history is that the ascetic Kshayakan, a Dragha (mountain ascetic), came out of the Velnars in 1214 with a specific set of ederni medragha (mystical texts) that was called the "Book of Motions." Unlike the other medragha, this one claimed to hold the basic secrets to the universe and existence. Kshayakan's followers eventually grew into what is now Aatem Nal.
Other reports suggest that Kshayakan, who despite his importance is afforded no greater honors than a Master Librarian, merely discovered the book when searching for a suitable cave for meditation. Aatem Nal has always kept the purported original book occulted, hidden in the deepest secret vaults of the Serasarda Library, so no dating has ever been done.
Contents
The entire purpose of the Book has been a great source of confusion. Historically, the Dragha ascetics claimed great powers, revealed in their personal medraghas. Kshayakan claimed that the Medrahov revealed all the basic secrets that made these powers possible. The Medrahov outlines rituals, ceremonies, and basic hand motions that allow the practitioner to influence existence and the universe. To put it another way, magic.
The Medrahov and all its extant copies are composed largely of diagrams, pictures, and short texts detailing proper "Motions" for making things happen. Hand and finger movements, dances, and choreography that claim to create an effect on existence make up the majority of the Medrahov.
Magic vs. Motion
Aatem Nal scholars are always quick to say that Motions are not magic, at least not in the commonly understood sense. No practitioner has ever been known to create any overt magic (e.g. fireballs, dragons, etc.) but practitioners have never claimed to be able to do such things anyway. Motioning is more subtle, affecting personal cogitation, health, and relations- such as exhaustion, confusion, or emotions. Divination, necromancy (communing with spirits), and other unusual happenings are common Motions.
The Medrahov states explicitly that nothing in the Motions can perform creato ex nihilo. All things have to come from somewhere- a common motion is the summoning of a horse and carriage. The horse and carriage doesn't come from nothing, it simply arrives.
In Aatem Nal
The Medrahov became important in the development of Aatem Nal because of the statement that it was only the basic introduction to the secrets of the universe. The Medrahov is very explicit in saying that it is not the end-all to revealed secrets, and that only through mastering the motions and accumulating knowledge will one come to understand the true secrets. In this sense, the Medrahov is the gateway.
