Temples of Terak
The churches of Terak, called temples, enjoy great popularity in many nations, and among folk who find themselves at war. Soldiers, mercenaries, and others who must rely on military prowess daily are usually worshipers of Terak, and are called the Teraketh. The faith is split is between those who see Terak’s teachings as a call to almost blind unity and order, sublimation of the self to the will of the masses, and those who see Terak’s wisdom as a reminder that strength and power must be used for the good of the many, not just the individual. Where this division of thought would cause a public and deep divide in most faiths, Terak’s laws promoting order, structure, and discipline have kept the temples united thus far.
That said, there is no world-spanning organization for the Teraketh faith. Because the religion so strongly promotes the idea all mortals are equal and that personal prominence is only worthy in pursuit of the good of the common man, temples are gravely suspicious of any oligarchic power structure. Instead, every region has a council of commanders who determine what actions the local faithful will take. In the faith, one ministerial region is defined as any area that can muster a council of seven commanders, typically across multiple temples. Those temples raise support for a region’s righteous military actions, and supply clerics to barracks and units.
The three most common functions of Terak’s faithful are military service, martial leadership, and protection of the common folk. To serve these ends, most temples also have superlative teachers who instruct in matters of warfare and weaponry. Many consider these teachers the best in the world, and their services are well worth the time—and the money they ask for in donations.
Terak is very fond of his church, sending what aid he can to the soldiers and crusaders of the temples without violating the Compact. He is particularly impressed with the laws that have arisen from the faith and thinks of them as his own inventions, though they were not. Perhaps than any other god, Terak has been as affected by the mortal races as they have by him. When first born from the tree, he was in fact the battle-hungry barbarian represented in myths. Since the mortal races were born, and even more so since the creation of the Compact, Terak has come to love them and wish for their happiness and prosperity.
He has also been influenced by the death of his mortal children, and has watched as they have faded into obscurity and myth. While they all live on at his side, history shows him that no act of individual heroism appears to have a lasting effect, but powerful societies and empires live on for generations. For this reason, he believes the unconditional unity of the mortal races is their only path to happiness.
That he is equally supportive of both sides of the schism helps to keep it going, as neither side has any reason to believe it is wrong. This is also what keeps temples together, despite their powerfully disparate philosophies—there is no clear reason for either side to believe Terak disapproves of the other. Terak is most fond of the truly pious, who carefully follow the Teraketh laws, and strive to unite people in faith. He has no tolerance for hypocrites, or those who think highly of themselves, their wisdom, or their martial prowess. He personally takes such members of his faith down a peg or two if these offensive behaviors grow too prominent.
That said, there is no world-spanning organization for the Teraketh faith. Because the religion so strongly promotes the idea all mortals are equal and that personal prominence is only worthy in pursuit of the good of the common man, temples are gravely suspicious of any oligarchic power structure. Instead, every region has a council of commanders who determine what actions the local faithful will take. In the faith, one ministerial region is defined as any area that can muster a council of seven commanders, typically across multiple temples. Those temples raise support for a region’s righteous military actions, and supply clerics to barracks and units.
The three most common functions of Terak’s faithful are military service, martial leadership, and protection of the common folk. To serve these ends, most temples also have superlative teachers who instruct in matters of warfare and weaponry. Many consider these teachers the best in the world, and their services are well worth the time—and the money they ask for in donations.
Terak is very fond of his church, sending what aid he can to the soldiers and crusaders of the temples without violating the Compact. He is particularly impressed with the laws that have arisen from the faith and thinks of them as his own inventions, though they were not. Perhaps than any other god, Terak has been as affected by the mortal races as they have by him. When first born from the tree, he was in fact the battle-hungry barbarian represented in myths. Since the mortal races were born, and even more so since the creation of the Compact, Terak has come to love them and wish for their happiness and prosperity.
He has also been influenced by the death of his mortal children, and has watched as they have faded into obscurity and myth. While they all live on at his side, history shows him that no act of individual heroism appears to have a lasting effect, but powerful societies and empires live on for generations. For this reason, he believes the unconditional unity of the mortal races is their only path to happiness.
That he is equally supportive of both sides of the schism helps to keep it going, as neither side has any reason to believe it is wrong. This is also what keeps temples together, despite their powerfully disparate philosophies—there is no clear reason for either side to believe Terak disapproves of the other. Terak is most fond of the truly pious, who carefully follow the Teraketh laws, and strive to unite people in faith. He has no tolerance for hypocrites, or those who think highly of themselves, their wisdom, or their martial prowess. He personally takes such members of his faith down a peg or two if these offensive behaviors grow too prominent.
Tenets of Faith
“There is no weakness that cannot be made strength, no frailty that cannot be made firm, save one: the weakness in our spirits that tells us we have done enough, that we may rest, that we have achieved all we can achieve. We must always strive, always improve, always struggle against weakness within,
and without.”
—From the War Chants of Lord Commander Silas Redbrook
The worship of Terak, and the schism dividing his faithful, can best be understood when one looks at the roots of the Teraketh faith. In the earliest days of the mortal races, Terak was worshiped as a god of strength and personal, physical struggle. From this religion the current church arose, and many of its oldest prayers are still common prayers in Terak’s temples. The body is rebellious. It grows old and frail. It does not always work properly. The earliest cult of Terak was based on the overcoming of that rebelliousness—the imposition of order onto the body. As the religion matured, the body came to have greater meaning. It became the body of society, of nations, of the mortal races, and so on.
Over the years, the faith of Terak has come to embody the following clear principles based on those earliest ideas, which today’s faithful try to follow:
• All people of the five races are equal. Social rank, gender, or race does not make one person better than another. While there might be status in the world for good reasons, it must be earned by strength of character, not accidents of birth.
• The faithful must show only one face to his brothers and sisters. A follower of Terak must never knowingly lie to another person of one of the five mortal races. A worshiper must also never engage in adultery (defined as pre- or extra-marital sex). These restrictions are commonly broken by the faithful, other than those who belong to a holy order.
• The faithful must be true to their bodies and, thereby, Terak. This means the faithful must never: 1. Cut their hair, except once when they reach maturity 2. Get tattoos or other permanent marks on their bodies, though they can pierce their flesh for adornment 3. Drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or use any other intoxicant (this is routinely violated by the casual worshipers of Terak, particularly membersof militias and armies) 4. Eat the meat of any unnatural creature
• The faithful must shun the trappings of social superiority or elitism. They do not accept, demand, or give wedding dowries, nor do they refuse to marry or bar the marriage of their children based on class, status, or even race (many of the faithful fail to adhere to this, barring their children from marrying outside of their race). They do not raise elaborate markers on their graves, using simple stones etched with names instead. They do not associate with those who live off the work of others without working themselves. They cannot open a business unless they work at the business.
• The faithful must tithe once a month, giving a tenth of all they own to aid the sick and invalid.
• The faithful must bear the five symbols of the faith.
• The faithful must constantly train their bodies and improve their martial skills to be prepared to defend the weak among their brethren.
Many of these beliefs come down to conquering the body’s weaknesses, and its cravings for things that make it weak. That same philosophy branches into societal beliefs, against the weakness that the body of society has in mistrusting those who are different, or worshiping wealth.
The worship of Terak, and the schism dividing his faithful, can best be understood when one looks at the roots of the Teraketh faith. In the earliest days of the mortal races, Terak was worshiped as a god of strength and personal, physical struggle. From this religion the current church arose, and many of its oldest prayers are still common prayers in Terak’s temples. The body is rebellious. It grows old and frail. It does not always work properly. The earliest cult of Terak was based on the overcoming of that rebelliousness—the imposition of order onto the body. As the religion matured, the body came to have greater meaning. It became the body of society, of nations, of the mortal races, and so on.
Over the years, the faith of Terak has come to embody the following clear principles based on those earliest ideas, which today’s faithful try to follow:
• All people of the five races are equal. Social rank, gender, or race does not make one person better than another. While there might be status in the world for good reasons, it must be earned by strength of character, not accidents of birth.
• The faithful must show only one face to his brothers and sisters. A follower of Terak must never knowingly lie to another person of one of the five mortal races. A worshiper must also never engage in adultery (defined as pre- or extra-marital sex). These restrictions are commonly broken by the faithful, other than those who belong to a holy order.
• The faithful must be true to their bodies and, thereby, Terak. This means the faithful must never: 1. Cut their hair, except once when they reach maturity 2. Get tattoos or other permanent marks on their bodies, though they can pierce their flesh for adornment 3. Drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or use any other intoxicant (this is routinely violated by the casual worshipers of Terak, particularly membersof militias and armies) 4. Eat the meat of any unnatural creature
• The faithful must shun the trappings of social superiority or elitism. They do not accept, demand, or give wedding dowries, nor do they refuse to marry or bar the marriage of their children based on class, status, or even race (many of the faithful fail to adhere to this, barring their children from marrying outside of their race). They do not raise elaborate markers on their graves, using simple stones etched with names instead. They do not associate with those who live off the work of others without working themselves. They cannot open a business unless they work at the business.
• The faithful must tithe once a month, giving a tenth of all they own to aid the sick and invalid.
• The faithful must bear the five symbols of the faith.
• The faithful must constantly train their bodies and improve their martial skills to be prepared to defend the weak among their brethren.
Many of these beliefs come down to conquering the body’s weaknesses, and its cravings for things that make it weak. That same philosophy branches into societal beliefs, against the weakness that the body of society has in mistrusting those who are different, or worshiping wealth.
Worship
Teraketh Prayers
Some of the oldest prayers to Terak are quite poetic, and still used. One prayer for soldiers before battles is so ancient that scholars are uncertain of its ultimate origin, with many maintaining that it is what Terak himself uttered before the final assault on Kador. “I am the river and the mountain. As the river, I rage in times of torrent, And decrease in times of drought. I swell to overflowing with my wrath, And my rage is dry in calmer seasons. None can control my run, None can alter it. None can stand against me. As the mountain, I am strong. I do not wax or wane. Age shall never o’ercome me. I will not be moved. I will not be shaken. I will not be broken. I am the river and the mountain, Unstoppable and unbreakable.”Priesthood
Soldiers of Terak
Soldiers are the clergy of the Teraketh temples, found in large military units serving as chaplains or leaders, in towns or cities that often face attack, or wandering in troubled areas defending the weak. Soldiers of Terak often attach themselves to adventuring groups to serve as spiritual advisers and healers, or to join quests. All soldiers of Terak are addressed by rank, followed by “a soldier of the temples of Terak,” when necessary. So, a helm named Matthius would be addressed as “Helm Matthius,” and introduced as “Helm Matthius, a soldier of the temples of Terak.”Helm
Junior soldiers are called helms. They adventure, serve in the military, or act as aides de camp to senior members of the clergy. Mortality rates among the helms are astonishing, as their only qualifications are a love for Terak and a willingness to fight. Helms serve in the front lines of combat to demonstrate their faith and strength.Lieutenant
With experience, helms might be promoted to “lieutenant,” and expected to be a little wiser in battle. They serve as healers and chaplains to the troops instead of wading in the thick of the fight. The only requirement for lieutenant is experience, and a willingness to serve.Banner
Lieutenant who distinguish themselves in many campaigns or adventures are promoted to “banner.” Banners serve with battle troops and, in some cases, act as unit commanders. Banners are fierce warriors, as their spells enable them to call upon Terak’s might to turn the tide of battle.Commander
After a banner gains a wealth of knowledge about warfare, tactics, and command, the region’s council of commanders summons him and promotes him to “commander.” Anyone in need of a chief officer or strategic advice would be hard-pressed to find a better aide than a commander of the Teraketh. If a commander lives in a region that already has seven on its council, he is expected to found or join a new council elsewhere, or leave on campaign until there is an opening in his council. Openings on a council remain vacant until the surviving commanders find an appropriate replacement. Each of the seven commanders on the council is given charge of his own temple, meaning a region cannot have more than seven Teraketh temples, and any commander wanting to control his own temple must either find an open temple in another region, or found a new region. Any Teraketh church built in a region that already has seven other temples is considered a “shrine,” no matter how big it is, and is beholden to the orders of the nearest temple. The commander of that temple assigns a soldier to run the shrine until it either replaces an existing regional temple (as may happen if the soldier in charge becomes a commander, while her predecessor’s temple, lacking one, is demoted to a shrine) or is accounted as part of a new region with room for a full temple. Because shrines and council seats remain open until a commander rises to take them, it is quite possible for a banner to be promoted to commander, given authority over the temple that was his shrine, and admitted to a council, all in the same day.Lord or Lady Commander
Commanders who win countless battles, fight more wars than they can recall, and slay more foes than they can list, eventually become the most powerful figures in the Teraketh faith. Called lord or lady commanders, they are revered, far and wide. The king of a great nation might govern many Teraketh “regions” within his borders, each with seven commanders, but might not benefit from a lord commander at all—such is their rarity. If a lord commander is available, a wise ruler would surely seek his counsel in times of war. Becoming a lord or lady commander has no effect on council membership or temple command.Joining the Soldiers of Terak
Anyone who feels called to worship and take up arms can become a soldier of Terak—no special training is required beyond learning the prayers necessary to cast divine spells and perform services. All soldiers of Terak are Battle Priest clerics. Most carry battleaxes, though all weapons are valued, and there’s nothing strange about a holy warrior of Terak using a sword.Sects
Crusaders of Terak
The crusaders of Terak are rarer than the champions of many other churches. For whatever reason, it is uncommon to hear this call, and serve the faith as champions do. The crusaders’ order exists to fight evil, stand shoulder to shoulder with common soldiers, give comrades hope in times of need, and conquer the most daunting foes. Some within the temples believe that one day, a sea of crusaders will rise to aid the mortal races against threats so dire they are too terrifying to imagine. Others believe the Teraketh faith’s rules of equality and readiness already make all adherents holy warriors.Unlike most of the Teraketh, crusaders must follow all doctrine to the letter. They can never drink or indulge in intoxicants, cannot seek personal glory, and so on. Dedicated to the brotherhood of all mortals, they do not tolerate discriminatory remarks or slurs, and certainly never make them. Furthermore, crusaders are held to a much stricter standard regarding the protection of the weak. There is no rest for them, for they must pursue a constant quest to help the downtrodden. There is no such thing as retirement; they fight evil until they die, no matter how old they become or how much they might desire to set aside their burdens. It is a miserable life, or so it would seem to most, but they are consumed by their call to duty, and do not easily shrug off their responsibilities. Crusaders associate with any who oppose evil and defend the weak. They do not associate with anyone actively prejudiced against other mortal races, no matter how well intentioned they might be. They might try to move them from the path of prejudice, but failing that, break company over what might seem like “innocent” comments. For instance, a dwarven fighter who constantly derides “pointyeared elves” might be fine company for most, but a crusader will not accept his intolerance. Crusaders generally don’t care about their companions’ leanings toward chaos or law, if they are actively good. A party that seeks to help people will find a crusader their fast ally. Parties that must have their palms greased or need convincing to offer aid will not find the crusader in their midst for long. Taking the teaching of Terak that all mortals are equal quite seriously, the crusaders put no faith in strict hierarchy or titles. They are all addressed and introduced as “crusader,” and the most senior or skilled crusader commands the others in times of need. For instance, if several crusaders band together to fight evil sorcerers, the crusader with the most knowledge of evil sorcerers takes command, even if she is the least experienced among them. Because of this (and the tenets of their faith), crusaders do not hold to honorifics and correct those who call them “sir,” “master,” or anything other than “crusader.”
