The Church of Creation
"Give praise and thanks to the Creator!
Through him all things were
All things are
And all things shall be."
Verse III of 'The One', a religious text used by many priests in the Church of Creation
The Church of Creation, or Creator's Church, is the dominant religion of Western Arkos. Founded five years after the third age began, it revolves around the worship of the Creator, the being who is said to have created the all the realms and everything residing within them at the dawn of time. Morality and the preservation of life are among the church's chief tenets. Prominent Ancients are also subject to worship and following by members of the church, though the priests of the church discourage worship to any figure besides the Creator.
While many credit the Church being the brainchild of Mythra Crescentia and her first High Priest, the Oreion Inquisition credit themselves for its establishment, proclaiming their version of the religion is 'more true.' In Crescentia, the Church's headquarters is the Imperial Cathedral in Imperia, with the High Priestess acting as the highest authority figure. In the Inquisition, the Arch Bishop alongside the Grand Inquisitor act as heads of the Church, their headquarters being the Oreion Holy See.
Still others believe that the first signs of organized religion in Western Arkos stem from the highly zealous country of the Holy Order of Paxmal , citing that structures similar to the Church of Creation existed there far before the founding of the Crescent Empire.
Being the dominant religion of Western Arkos, the Church of Creation has a widespread text called 'The One' that serves as the foundation and guide for the faith. Altering the text in any way is considered a serious crime in some nations. Most members of the church are not expected to have the entirety of the text memorized as it is quite lengthy, but they should be aware of its general teachings. Most laws and moral standards found in the modern nations of Western Arkos are based on the teachings found in The One.
One of the main goals of the Church is to ensure that all races and peoples of Arkos hear the teachings of The One, no matter how vile or misguided they appear to be. Some believe that when The One has been spread to all corners of Arkos, then the Creator shall usher in a glorious new age for all of creation, though there is nothing concrete in the text to support this.
The faith of the Church is rooted in four core principles, or as they are commonly referred to, the four cornerstones:
-There is one God: the Creator, and it is through his power that all life on Arkos exists. The Ancients are powerful stewards of creation, and while their individual teachings can be followed and adhered to, only the Creator is to be explicitly worshipped as a deity.
-The Creator loves all his creation and always will, despite the wrongdoings all may commit. Everyone is capable of redemption and should be given the chance to return to the Creator's love, though to follow the Creator must always be the choice of the individual. It must never be forced. Forcing someone to worship the Creator is considered a vile sin.
-There are many sins that the races of Arkos must ask the Creator forgiveness for, such as wrath, lust, envy, greed, gluttony, and sloth. The Church considers the sin of Pride to be the worst of all, as it is generally believed that pride is what caused the initial corruption of the Fallen Ancients and the Cataclysm.
-All are equal before the Creator, regardless of their past or abilities. Magic is a powerful tool that can be used for good and is not inherently evil; but it must be properly handled and supervised. In the wrong hands, it can do much harm. (This teaching has seen an explosion in popularity and exaggeration since the events of the Battle of the New Dawn).
Commonly cited verses of The One:
-As there is but one Creation,
One life, one death, there is
But one God, and He is our Creator.
They are sinners, who have given their love
To false gods. Verse VII
-Magic exists to serve mortals, and never to rule over them.
Foul and corrupt are they
Who have taken His gift
And turned it against His children.
Verse XII
-All mortals are the Work of our Creator's Hands,
From the lowest slaves
To the highest kings.
Those who bring harm
Without provocation to the least of His children
Invite retribution. Verse X
-Those who bear false witness
And work to deceive others, know this:
There is but one Truth.
All things are known to our Creator
And He shall judge their lies.
Verse XVIII
-All things in this world are finite.
What one gains, another has lost.
Those who steal from their brothers and sisters
Do harm to their livelihood and to their peace of mind.
Our Creator sees this with a heavy heart. Verse XVII
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
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