The Priesthood
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Responsibilities of the Priesthood
For links to The Theocracy, The Theocracy Culture and The Divine Assembly.
Contents
Benefits of Faith(top)
Initiates and ordained priests are able to participate in and contribute to services of worship and religious rituals. Anyone who serves the gods can join them but the gods pay more attention to their dedicated followers.
The priests set up a fane for the gods when they arrive in the Vale. The principle purpose of this is to attract the attention of the gods to this place so that priests may commune with their masters. There are certain times of day which are particularly propitious for attracting the gods’ attention. These times will be calculated and known by the priesthood but vary from day to day (how the players obtain this information is a matter for them …). Characters can attempt to commune at any time but should be aware that success is significantly more likely at these times. If the referee team are unaware of the attempt it will definitely fail, so we recommend that attempts are brought to the attention of the Camp Referee or the Games Desk.
Priests and the Priesthood(top)
Attendants & Icon-Bearers(top)
“Attendant” is the name given to the lowest rank of religious assistant. Either recent converts, elves or children, attendants perform basic, menial tasks around a temple or shrine. These include: cleaning the floors, tending animals, preparing and serving food and serving the needs of the priesthood and Temple Guard. They are without official ranks and are dressed simple tabards in colour of their temple, wearing wooden a wooden pendant bearing the symbol of their deity. They eat communally with the rest of the temple and sleep together in one dormitory, where they are locked in every night.
Novices(top)
Adult attendants may take the Test of Entry, where they must state every one of the tenets of faith in order and without error. If they succeed, then they are taken in as a novice and swear the three vows of service, chastity and devotion. Novices can be recognised by the plain, undecorated robes they given to wear. Novices take a more active role in helping priests and initiates with ceremonies, rites and services.
Shannar Mehroon, Priest of the Father. Initiates(top)
Initiates function as minor clergy, often acting for a priest or high-priest in their absence. To become initiated, one must spend a whole year assisting a priest in their good works before being welcomed into the mysteries of the priesthood as an initiate. They may lead a prayer service and perform other minor priestly skills, but cannot lead great ceremonies or holy rituals. This rank is the highest level of service an elf is permitted to reach. Beast-kin have been known to be initiated, though this is rare. Whilst they remain low in rank, they are still considered part of the priesthood – therefore, any crimes perpetrated by them fall under ‘Religious Offences’ as opposed to ‘Criminal Law’.
Priests(top)
Initiates deemed to possess the talents necessary to become a Priest are sent to the nearest temple-city. This is usually Sarqand, but the teaching halls of Almitra and Tarnova train many priests due to their distance from the capital. The training usually takes between one and three years, during which time the initiate is subject to intense physical, academic and spiritual conditioning to render them worthy of the responsibility and power a temple brings with it.
When a priest is ordained, they are awarded their priestly robes, prayer-flag, mask and mantle, along with the official dispensation to lead a congregation from their Hierophant that proves their station.
High-Priests(top)
When a position of high-priest falls vacant, the arch-priest of the city or region will send their chosen replacement to the Halls of The Teacher in Sarqand to be assessed by a panel of the faithful including an Hierophant. This is largely a formality, but it is an important political step for the new high-priest in promoting themselves for future office. Upon being invested as a high-priest, they are given new robes and a hat of office. Shannar Mehroon, Priest of the Father
Arch-Priests and Viziers(top)
Those high-priests with particularly scholarly aptitudes or unique knowledge will be assigned to a teaching hall as viziers, where they will educate and train civil officials, other priests and the Temple Guard in the ways of scripture, technology and the arts. Viziers can also be called to serve on councils by the Archimandrite.
Arch-priests are appointed directly by the Archimandrite, and control the administration of a several towns or a Temple City, and are very powerful figures in Theocracy society, similar in stature to a Jarl of the Northlands (though they would not encourage such a comparison). They each have one vote in the Spiritual Conclave that elects new Hierophants to the Grand Circle of Faith.
The Hierophants(top)
The holiest of all the priesthood, Hierophants oversee the worship of a specific deity or department of The Theocracy.
A Hierophant may be removed from office by the Archimandrite or major vote in the Grand Circle. If this happens, the Hierophant is reduced in rank to priest but still accorded great respect.
The Archimandrite(top)
The living embodiment of The Divine Assembly in this world, and the spiritual successor to the Magister.
Congregation(top)
In order to succeed a service should be led by an ordained priest at the correct time before the fane of the gods. Changes to this formula make it extremely unlikely that the gods will hear regardless of other factors. If these steps are followed other factors make it more likely that the gods will look upon the service with favour:
no priest should lead more than one service each day and a priest who leads more than one service per event will significantly reduce the effectiveness;
the more priests, dedicated followers and lay worshippers involved in the service the greater the chances of a good result;
the appearance of the service and the attention of the participants, the gods will not remain to listen if they do not see interesting and interested worshippers.
Guardians of the Soul(top)
Priests are also responsible for protecting the faithful against the demons. This protection takes several forms:
- Most importantly, they create and maintain the barrier which stops those who serve the demons from entering the Duke’s camp. A key element of this process is done by ensuring that all members of the expedition have been anointed in the faith.
- They set up and maintain the Fane of the gods to act as a focal point for the gods attention upon the faithful.
- They provide advice, guidance and comfort to the faithful when the demons attack their minds; and they watch over the Mages Guild and to a lesser extent the other Guilds to prevent them falling into practices which will invite in the demons.
- Finally priests hold a position of respect in the community. People listen to them from the King and the Duchess down to the common men and women of the realm. This respect stems from the need to find protection in this life and the next and can easily be damaged if a priest is seen to be venal or self-serving.
Chosen(top)
The ultimate displays of supplication or servitude are the divine covenants that allow the physical embodiment's of these divine beings to walk in the mortal realm.
Covenants are solemn vows of the most devoted of the consecrated followers of The Divine Assembly. They are written down using sacred inks and paper and are the most holy documents of the Assembly.
Chosen begin to exhibit certain physical aspects as they grow in power and strength. These attributes vary by type but become more obvious and flamboyant as the years go by.
Currently the Circle of Faith has been ordered by the Archimandrite to send one of the rare Chosen with the Duchess's entourage to help protect against the taint of the demonic. - Loading...
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