Tamers of Eris

Tamers of Eris
θηριοδαμαστής Ἔρις Thēriodamastḗs Eris
Sigil utilized by the Tamers of Eris
Disbanded	1236
Country	Symmerian Empire
Allegiance	Zobethos faith
Type	Zobethian paramilitary order
Size	Uncertain, 5,000-10,000
Garrison/HQ	Parilla Adygeysk
Engagements	Hegemonic Wars Crisis of the Ninth Century Symmerian Jihad

The Tamers of Eris (Symmerian language: θηριοδαμαστής Ἔρις , Thēriodamastḗs Eris literally "beast-tamers of Eris") were a Zobethian order of militants, Predicants, and acolytes who were active during the Symmerian Empire. It was founded by the Predicant of Parilla Artemidora in the 5th Century and was based out of the city until the 8th Century when it moved to Adygeysk.

The Tamers of Eris arose primarily for the purpose of safeguarding the various temples and shrines of the Zobethos faith, and protecting pilgrims traveling Symmerian territory. While these fields were normally the responsibility of the Basileus and Ancient Symmerian army, the expansion of Symmerian holdings between the 5th and 10th centuries, coupled with the extensive demand for troops to fight the Serikese, Sabrians, and Acreans, deprived most holy sites of state-administered protection. The Tamers were not an official apparatus of the Symmerian Empire, but throughout history received funding and support from various nobles and kings in the form of patronage. Over time the mission of the Tamers grew from protection of holy sites and pilgrims to pursuit and suppression of suspected heresies, sacrilege, and in some instances open hostilities towards other religions or faiths deemed a threat to Zobethos, such as Islam. This was at times both exploited and opposed by the Symmerian state, and occasionally resulted in confrontation and conflict between the order and the empire.

Like most Zobethian orders the Tamers were open to and primarily composed of women, although men were evidently free to join and there does not appear to be any internal segregation by sex. Most of the members of the Tamers originated from the lower classes. Entry into the order required the taking of oaths and proof of devotion through trials, most of which involved arduous tasks such as sustaining physical punishment, or feats of labor. One joined members typically left their homes to reside among their comrades in temples and affiliated structures. Once part of the order, members were usually forbidden from contact with family and friends; exceptions were only made for funerals and to resolve outstanding legal matters of inheritance. Members of the order swore off marriage and child rearing, although there is debate as to how strictly this was enforced. Most of what is known in common parlance about the order stems from their more militant later years in the aftermath of the Crisis of the Ninth Century. Most tasks associated with the Tamers were relatively mundane; a journal dating from the 7th century describes common jobs as including cleaning of statues and shrines, distributing food to the poor, and assisting in the construction and repair of buildings. The order was often mobilized to assist in natural disasters; inscriptions from sites used by the order describes more than 500 Tamers being dispatched to Serikos following an earthquake in 711 CE.

The decline of the Symmerian Empire triggered a rise in the militarization of the Order. Archeological and literary evidence indicates the Tamers adopted increasingly militant methods, such as mandatory universal training with weapons. Members of the Order took part in the reclamation campaigns of Aristoxenus, but rose to prominence mostly in the Slavic-Symmerian Wars. A taxis (regiment) of Tamers assisted in the campaigns of Kallixeina the Reclaimer to end the Slavokratia and restore Symmerian rule to Syara. The Tamers subsequently became heavily associated with Zobethian vigilantism, and took an active role in suppressing suspected heretical movements. The increased hostility and militancy of the Tamers towards the end of the Empire led to confrontation with Symmerian rule; the Order had opposed the decision of Prexinos II to pass the Islamic Edict, formally authorizing the worship of Islam within Symmerian borders. The behavior of the Tamers grew more and more disruptive to Symmerian efforts to maintain their hold on Mansuriyyah, culminating in Basileus Paraskeve outlawing the Tamers in 1235 CE. The primary temple of the Tamers in Adygeysk was besieged by the Symmerian army the following year and fell after a six week siege during which many of the remaining Tamers committed suicide rather than surrender.