Church of the Awakened
The Primal High Episcopate of the Faithful Awakened or, the Church of the Awakened is the church that ministers to the predominant religion of the human kingdoms of Ard Tala. It was founded in the seventh year of the Awakened Age with the discovery of the Stone Dreamer and the recording of the Stone Dream in the ruins of an ancient city that would become Triarch, the seat of the church.
Structure
The Church is organized around three so-called Pillars, each corresponding to the Gods of the faith. The Obsidian Pillar is devoted to the Weaver of Dreams and arranges, interprets, and conducts the rites of worship in the faith's temples and shrines. Its domain is mysticism, music, poetry, art, and architecture. The head of this branch of the church is the Heir to the First Dreamer, named in honor of the mysterious, slumbering prophet who spoke what would become the church's first scripture.
The Golden Pillar is devoted to the Watcher and governs the church, as well as oversees the ordination, education, and discipline of its priests and monks. Its domain is philosophy, law, geometry, and architecture, the last of which it shares with the Obsidian Pillar. The head of this Pillar is the Sacred Primarch, the official head of the church itself, seen by some as peer to the kings of Ard Tala.
The Iron Pillar is devoted to the Holy Will and oversees the pastoral and charitable work of the church, as well as charging and sending forth the church's clerics and paladins. Its domain is medicine, diplomacy, rhetoric, and war. The leader of this branch is the Grand Marshal, who directly commands the knights, diplomats, and other agents and missionaries of the church.
Mythology & Lore
The Triune Godhead
While the Church teaches that there are many lesser beings that dwell in the Empyrean realm, and many spirits and demons below; there is above them all the Three, unified in mind and purpose, there from the beginning, set at the boundaries of the universe itself. They are:- Arbitus, Watcher – Maker and Sustainer
- Somnus, Weaver – Master of the Fates
- Ayasofia, Holy Wisdom – Teacher of the Virtues
The Dream Scriptures
The Dreamers' songs are the core scriptures of the Church, each embodying a fundamental truth or principle revealed by the Dreamers in their ageless slumber. Each of the songs has been sung by a different person, each found in a magically preserved stasis where they had lain for an indeterminant age. Upon discovery, they would awake and, some time later, begin to deliver their testament, which would be recorded, canonized, and published by the Church.These songs form the backbone of the liturgical worship of Church services. They contain accounts of creation, moral instruction, and parables for cultural instruction. They are recited by the clergy and studied by the faithful, guiding the spiritual and moral direction of the Church. Within the first two hundred years of church history, four Dreamers had been found and their Songs recorded. These Songs comprise the aptly-named "Elemental Canon." In recent years, a fifth, the Deep Dream, was heard as well. It stands somewhat apart from the others as part of an evolving "New Canon." The five Dream Scriptures are:
Elemental Canon
- Song of the Stone Dreamer
- Song of the Fire Dreamer
- Song of the Wind Dreamer
- Song of the Wave Dreamer
- Song of the Deep Dreamer
