White Church
The White Church is a major religion in the House. The White Church is one of the largest religions amongst the residents of the House, on par with the Imperial Cult, and it is the largest religion within the Union.
The main symbols of the Church are lanterns and flames. Each shrine hosts a flame supposedly taken from the latern of Whys herself, and many adherents carry small lanterns on their belts or as charms on a necklace or bracelet.
Mythology & Lore
The White Church sees Whys as a god rather than just a Caretaker within the House. Her history extends far into the past, long before even Ragnarok, and her abilities exceed those of other Caretakers.
Ragnarok, as seen by the White Church and its adherents, is not just the natural end of an age but a punishment inflicted on the Ancients for their rising depravity. The Fae were saved from the destruction of Ragnarok due to their innocence and were instructed to build an Ark to shelter in.
Divine Origins
The White Church began in the Ivory Empire around 3900 UA (around 700 years Before Imperial Age). The roots of the White Church are thought to come from the prehistoric religious traditions found in the pre-Imperial area of Catal Avestan, an area with numerous Ancient ruins that appear to be religious in nature.
Cosmological Views
What is the origin of the House? Who built it? Where did it come from? All residents were born later than its creation, so none can know where creation was made.
Rudictvi 1:1
The White Church believes that the Abyss forms the primordial foundation of existence, with the House forming from that primordial Abyss at a later date. At a further later date, Whys appeared in the House as the first Caretaker and resident of the House.Worship
Coming-of-Age Rituals
One of the most important dates in a White Church adherent's life is their coming-of-age. White Church adherents are considered adults on their 15th birthday. The year leading up to this birthday is spent learning metalcrafting, and the adherent is expected to create their lantern before their 15th birthday. This lantern is carried with them throughout their life, though it is usually unlit for safety reasons.Death Rituals
Adherants of the White Church practice a formalized funeral process. Each person is required to leave a last will and testament, which enables some control over some aspects of the funeral service, but other requirements govern the service as well. The process of a White Church funeral begins at the moment of death. The body is washed and placed in a special coffin to enable transportation. The person's lantern is ceremonially extinguished by a member of the family or, in the situation where a family member cannot be found, a shrine maiden from the nearest shrine. After a short wake, the body is buried at the family tomb. Bodies are buried with the head facing the nearest shrine. As bodies must be buried within an hour's travel from the place of death, families tend to stay in close proximity, and each family maintains a tomb. Several members of a family will be buried in the same grave, stacked on top of each other, with the headstone being updated to reflect the newest occupants.Commentaries
There is no official religious text in the White Church, but the religious ideas are discussed in a number of "commentaries". Each commentary is authored by a shrine maiden and tends to focus on a specific topic. The most famous of the commentaries is the Rudictvi, published in 498 BIV. Written by Orti Canicatti, the Rudictvi focuses on the origins of the Abyss, House, and Whys.Priesthood
The White Church's priesthood is dominated by women, and each shrine hosts a number of priestesses.
The priestesses took turns to supervise the shrine's flame to ensure that there is at least one priestess on duty at all times. Failure to protect the flame would result in the priestess being whipped in public.
Each shrine is sanctified with a sacred flame supposedly coming from Whys's lantern itself. The flames are passed from one generation to another and date back to the early history of the religion. The White Church claims that the flames are the embodiment of Whys's protection of the House and its residents and were given as the sign of that promise.
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