Monotheism
The Faith is a monotheistic religion, although Ahiom the creator is represented through many different avatars, each with their own names and attributes, and individuated entities present themselves as individuals. Ultimately, they are all parts of Ahiom, and that secures this religion’s categorical place as monotheistic.
The Spirit World
The spirit world may be invisible to most Aorlisians, but it is chocked full of beings. It’s busy out there, with a wide range of competing interests vying for this prize or that. There is a broad range of entities, from the Creator, Ahiom, at the pinnacle, down to Watchers at the bottom, with humanity situated firmly in the middle.
Matter
Theologians assert that beings above mortal humankind are composed of subtle matter, growing more subtle and pure the higher they are stationed in the divine hierarchy. Likewise, the entities below humans are made of base matter. The lower the being’s status, the more base they are. Humanity is a mix of subtle and base matter, having both bodies and souls.
Prayer
Prayers are the Faith’s medium, the method by which believers interact with the powers that be. Prayers may be directed at saints, and this is considered a direct conduit to Ahiom. Or clerics, as professional prayer makers, and they control access to the divine. Clerics profess to be the only channel to Ahiom and his grace, and that is why lay believers desire the cleric and their ceremonial services.
The Afterlife
In a similar fashion, clerics are the gatekeepers to the afterlife. Most believers, once they have died, must endure time in Purgatorio before being admitted to Paradisio. Clerics, and their more official prayers, can reduce mortal soul’s Purgatorio sentence, getting the beloved deceased person’s soul into Heaven sooner. Consequently, priests sell pardons and remissions. These instruments supposedly can be applied to living believers, especially those with sins on their conscious; or to the dead. Sadly, it is impossible to check on a soul’s current spiritual balance.
- Creator
- Titans of Old
- The Twelve Mayors of the Zodiac
- Angels
- Cardinal Archangels
- Archangels, the Empyrean
- Angels Rand 3-7
- Planetary Entelechies
- Saints
- Founders
- Church Fathers
- Regional Saints
- Local Saints
- Humans
- Prateans
- Immortals
- Faithful
- Infidels
- Heretics
- Apostates
- Elementals
- Air
- Earth
- Fire
- Water
- Noirites/Dark Prateans
- Elioud
- Nephilim/Gibborim
- Demons
- Imp/Familiar
- Shadow People
- Succubus/Incubus
- Demon
- Chthonic
- Old Races
- Ealden
- Telfarri
- Great Old Ones
- Archdemons
- Knight/Minister
- Marquis/General
- Count/Duke
- Prince/King
- Watchers/Fallen Angels
In these listings, females are preceded by *asterisks, those without gender by a forward slash/, and all the others are considered male. See the attached sub-documents for rosters of beings in each group.
These listings cover the Faith, not other religions. Those belief systems are covered independently of this hierarchy.
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