The Cult of Three Divines

The Cult of Three Divines is probably the largest cult in Actrein. This makes them one of the biggest enemies of The Vel Tuturi.
The members of the cult would prefer to be known as the Church of Three Divines. In all likelihood, they could be a legitimately established and recognized religion if it weren't for the Vel Tuturi's insistence that heresy is punishable by public execution. And since they're the ones who run the government, there isn't a whole lot that the Church of Three Divines can do about that.

The Three Divines

The Church of Three Divines believes in three deities: Tiny, Bufio, and Nat. The members of the Church refer to them as Mother Tiny, Father Bufio, and Lady Nat (respectively).
They believe Mother Tiny to have domain over the terrain and life itself.
They believe Father Bufio to have domain over the elements (aside from earth, naturally), the climate/weather, time, and death.
They believe Lady Nat to have domain over minds, emotions, and war.

Active Worship vs. Belief

Members of the Church are allowed to decide which combination of the three they actively worship. For example, someone may decide to actively follow only Father Bufio, while another may choose to actively worship both Father Bufio and Mother Tiny.
However, active worship should not be confused with belief. Every member of the Church of Three Divines believes in all three deities.

Structure

• Archbishop
• Bishop
• High Priests/High Priestesses
• Priests/Priestesses
• Regular members of the church

The Archbishop

The Archbishop is the head of the Church of Three Divines. There is only ever one Archbishop.
The Archbishop also has the "honor" of being at the very top of the Vel Tuturi Church's "Enemies of the Empire" list. As such, they spend most of their lives in hiding.

Bishops

Bishops are believed to have had the honor of speaking with one of the three divines, either in person or otherwise. Anyone could become a Bishop, as it's entirely based upon one of the divines talking to them.
Bishops aren't as high up on the Vel Tuturi Church's hate list, though if they catch a Bishop they'll certainly make it known.

High Priests and High Priestesses

High Priests and High Priestesses are at equal standing in the church hierarchy. They are typically the heads of individual churches, in charge mainly of keeping the church and its members safe from the Vel Tuturi Church.
If the Vel Tuturi Church catches a High Priest/High Priestess, that can effectively shut down a church for a while, until someone else gets promoted into the role.

Priests and Priestesses

Priests and Priestesses are mainly in charge of leading worship. Most churches will have at least three, one for each divine. Some of the larger churches may have more than three, while the smallest may only have one or two. Priests and Priestesses are the ones responsible for voting on the next Archbishop, either when the current one steps down or when they die.
A Priest or Priestess being caught won't do much to hurt the Church of Three Divines as a whole, though it may hurt a smaller church for a while.

Regular Faithful

These are the regular members of the church. They don't have any influence on the church as a whole, and are just the regular worshipers of the divines.
While executing a regular member of the church wouldn't have any major effects on the Church of Three Divines as a whole, the Vel Tuturi Church will definitely still execute any member they catch.

Public Agenda

In a word, survival. The Vel Tuturi is constantly hunting them down, either to kill them or to convert them.

Assets

The Church of Three Divines has pretty much nothing. The Vel Tuturi have made it effectively impossible for any other religions or cults to hold any significant power.

History

According to the Vel Tuturi history tomes, the predecessors of the Church of Three Divines were known as the Tridomatrics. The Tridomatrics were cruel tyrants who forced the Vel Tuturi's predecessors into slavery.
The Vel Tuturi believe that the Church of Three Divines is planning to revolt and throw the Vel Tuturi back into slavery.

Fear of the Vel Tuturi

Due to the Vel Tuturi's incessant campaign against all false religions and false gods, the Church of Three Divines lives in constant fear. Their churches are often in secluded areas, hidden away from the common eye. This also means that their holidays and celebrations are typically quiet, if they have any celebrations at all.
Fear of being caught unites all members of the Church of Three Divines. This is especially true for the bigger churches, as they're the most likely to be discovered. One may think that a bigger church would be unconcerned with the struggles of the smaller churches, seeing themselves as the victors of a fight to the death. However, thanks to the Vel Tuturi Church's oppressive and determined hatred of those they brand heretics, every single member of the Church of Three Divines sees other members as part of a family.

"May Lady Nat grant me the strength to defeat my enemies. May Father Bufio sway the winds to my side in battle. May Mother Tiny protect my vitality.

— A Tridomatric battle prayer

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Church of Three Divines, Tridomatrics

Demonym

Tridomatric

Divines

• Bufio
• Nat
• Tiny

Related Ranks & Titles

• Archbishop of the Church of Three Divines
• Three Divines Bishop

Notable Members

• Archbishop █████
• Meriel