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Vistralism was founded by Tlastragoz, a Pliv from the Bvingdragloz caverns in southern Novalia. Considered by most Pliv to be an insane heretic, he won many converts among Slithu, Briacite, Wexivanov, Guerrothon, and a few Krinth. The religion he founded is called Tlastragoz-mling (Tlastragoz's heresy) by orthodox Pliv, but Vistralbliftarg (Vistral: Pliv for "universal"; bliftarg: theory, system, -ism) by believers and most nonbelievers of other races. The most objectionable aspect of his doctrine, to orthodox Pliv, was that he said that the last judgment (called Klangral, or "final secrecy" in the fifth book of Dlarbrandag) will not be a number of simultaneous private conferences between resurrected creatures and Dlarbrandag, but sequential and public, with both proceedings and results of each judgment known to all resurrected sentients. He also preached that all sentients would be judged by the same criteria, and that among those criteria respect for others' privacy would be the ninth and least important. (Orthodox Pliv believe that they will be judged by the Edicts of Dlarbrandag, but that other races may be judged by different criteria.)
After his third sermon, he was exiled from the public caverns of Bvingdragloz (his home in Novalia). He then travelled through Novalia, preaching in fields outside cities, and gathering many followers. Thousands of Wexivanov, Guerothon, Krinth and Slithu bound themselves in pacts to abide by the Nine Final Laws and the Twenty-Seven Preliminary Rules. King Merikt converted as well, and some years later he went so far as to make Vistralbliftarg the offical religion of Novalia. Tlastragoz told his followers to stay where they were and continue their present work, unless they were hired assassins or of a few other professions prohibited in principle, but to follow the Nine and Twenty-Seven in everything. A few dozen followed him from city to city, but he allowed only three (who were by profession travelling merchants) to go with him on his brief, remarkable missionary journey into the Cotalis Mountains.
With his three companions he went to the annual Market of Xithling, where several hundred Jhotha met at the edge of one of the Jhray forests to meet with Novalian merchants. Before he had even begun his planned sermon, the hundreds of telepaths present picked up all of his doctrine and grew angry. The Jhray lifted him into the air and held him unmoving until the ruling Pairfolk arrived a little later. Then, before the horrified eyes of his disciples and the other Novalians present, he vanished.
More than two years later, he landed on the coast of Felind in a small craft with five Slithu from the island of Smillarund. Apparently the Pairfolk had sent him to this island, where, after appearing miraculously from nowhere, he won many converts and enlisted their help to build a large boat in which to cross to the mainland. He and his five Slithu followers travelled throughout the many small city-states that existed at that time, winning many converts. It was in Ledreg that he met his doom. A Pliv assassinated him while he was preaching his first sermon.
Vistralism became stronger than ever when news of Tlastragoz's martyrdom reached Novalia, but on the eastern continent it did not become a majority religion until after the Takeover by the Jhotha pairfolk in the fifth century after Tlastragoz.
Vistralbliftarg, is, like the Bliv majority religion, monotheistic; they use the same name for the Deity, Dlarbrandag.
Votaries of Vistralbliftarg often take a name incorporating "Tla" (Bliv "God") or, if they can't pronounce that, "Ta-."
Here is Vistralbliftarg's list of the Nine Final Laws and the Twenty-Seven Temporal Rules (the latter being commentaries on the Nine Final Laws). They are the part of their compilation of books. The others are (2) a brief biography of Tlastragoz, (3) a prophecy by the early missionary Srang about the eventual conversion of the Jhotha, (4) another prophecy by the later missionary Tachamelib Welldigger, on the same topic, but of a less enthusiastic tone: the Jhotha will convert when they are without pairfolk rulers.
Tlastragoz gave several slightly different wordings in various sermons, and occasionally varied their order (and thus, presumably, their order of priority when in conflict). The order was finalized as follows by a council in the fortieth year after the first revelation of Tlastragoz.
The Nine Final Laws (commentaries signified by dashes - )
* Preserve the original nature.
- Do not engage in gratuitous transformations; do not transform others against their will.
- Do not follow a profession that does not suit you for the sake of money. Do not make your child to follow a profession that violates his nature.
- Do not kill other sentient beings.
- Do not kill nonsentients unless it is necessary to preserve the life of sentients.
- Do not avow what you know to be false.
- Do not repeat what another has said as though you know the thing directly.
- You must not tell an imaginary story about real people or places. You may make up stories, but they must be made of whole cloth.
* Do to others what you owe them because of the relation between you.
- You may do more (mercy), but you may not do less (justice).
* Do not trespass on what is your neighbor's.
- Do not trespass or vandalize.
- Do not initiate deep telepathic contact without permission.
- Do not invade your neighbor's private places, relics, records, &c; or expose your neighbor's body if it is not his people's custom to go naked.
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