Church of the Platinum Dragon

Official Church of Bahamut, The Platinum Dragon

Mythology & Lore

In the beginning, when the world was fresh and new from its inception, Bahamut was the first-born of the three Primordial Gods. Where his brother Moradin took domain of the ground, Law, and all that lay on and beneath the earth, and the third brother took domain of the water, life, and creation itself, Bahamut took domain of the Sky, of Morality, and Justness.
As Eons passed, eventually the Primordial of Water fragmented and vanished, replaced by two married oceanic deities. Bahamut and Moradin remained, and as Moradin took control of Creation from the vanished third Primordial, Bahamut inherited dominion over life itself.
Though it was a heavy burden, the Church of the Platinum Dragon believes that Bahamut bears this burden for the sake of the mortal races out of a love for them, and an unwavering belief in them that they all have goodness in their hearts. They strive to emulate that goodness, that morality, and to live up to the faith Bahamut has placed in them, a faith that has remained over countless eons, countless tragedies, and through all the times they have faltered as a race and as a people.
They believe it their solemn duty as Bahamut's children to pay back his bottomless forgiveness, compassion, and belief in them with faith in kind, and eternally strive for goodness and law in all they do to try and live up to even a fraction of what The Platinum Dragon thinks them capable of.

Divine Origins

The teachings of the Church of the Platinum Dragon have been handed down amongst the faithful since before the dawn of recorded history.
Several of the Church's most core teachings are often said to have survived the Fall of High Humanity thousands of years ago, and date back into the lost ages of Ea.
They are said to be handed down directly from Bahamut himself in the very first age of the world, now long forgotten, to his first high priest, who has transcribed all the codes and tenets and laws that have come into being since his time.

Cosmological Views

The Church of the Platinum Dragon believes that in the beginning, as Atlas, The Ineffable gave his great life in the beginning of time, his body formed the cosmos and planescape itself, creating everything as it is in the current era.
As great angelic races, demons and devils sprang forth from the cosmic chaos, Bahamut emerged first from the corpse of his father before his Primordial Brothers, and his presence brought order and law to a chaotic and unjust planescape that was yet in its infancy.
Though his Primordial Brothers are believed to have helped bring order and life to the planescape, the Church of the Platinum Dragon believes that it was Bahamut's presence, power, and belief in the ways of law and order that helped stabilize the roiling chaos of the primordial times, and it is through his heavy burden and sacrifice that order has been thus maintained through the eons.

Tenets of Faith

Actions over words. When the time comes, do what is right decisively and without delay - waste no time on words or schemes.

Justice and Good above all. Be constantly vigilant against evil and oppose it from all fronts, with valor and righteous action.

Never Compromise your Code. Have a personal code and adhere to it. The only laws that can never truly fail are those we set for ourselves.

Shephard the lost. Guide the lost, befriend the friendless, and remember the forgotten. Life is more vibrant when shared, and none should go it alone.

Be the People's Champion. Protect the Weak, Liberate the Oppressed, and never relent in the pursuit of good. Become a hero that sparkles in the eyes of the hopeful.

True salvation comes from instruction. Instruct those in need and arm them with training and teaching that they may one day have the strength of character and body to resist evil themselves.

Ethics

There is often much debate within members of the church as to what "Good" constitutes, and who is worthy of receiving it.
Within the churches placed within areas where racism and intolerance and injustice are common, a very prevalent theme is that all races are able and deserving of goodness and worship, as a reaction to the pervasive racism and injustness that wracks the area's society, politics, and religious structure. This opinion is not the same throughout the church, however.
Members of this church universally prefer action to words. They recognize words have their place, but even the Priests who lack power within the church are men of action, instead preferring to go out themselves and help the poor or homeless as opposed to giving grandiose speeches to rouse public morale, or to simply speak of doing good.
The thing most commonly considered a sin within the church is inaction, or preferring words to actions. It's fine to talk when talk is required, but if action is possible the church always holds that to act, and to see good done with one's own hands is always preferable to simply wishing good done with words.

Worship

The Faithful of Bahamut put stock in ritual and prayers, and having a daily routine, but there is no better way in the eyes of Bahamut's faithful to worship him than to take action against the world's unjustness.
To take action and help a beggar back into a normal life, to go out and stop a crime, to purge corruption within bodies of law...these things are all preferable to kneeling before an altar and worshiping, though they recognize those things are important and have a place.
As one may expect from such faithful, the rituals and traditions the Church of the Platinum Dragon practice are often rituals based on or around preparations warriors may make going into battle and similar highly practical and easy to perform rituals and traditions to make worship as easy and unobtrusive into one's daily life as possible
It is common to go through rituals asking Bahamut to bless the gear of the faithful as they stride forward into battle, into conflict against evil, or even out into their daily routine. Additionally, when they do pray and kneel before an altar as tradition may dictate, they commonly prostrate themselves before The Platinum Dragon with the prayer that they may be blessed with his purity of will, and goodness of spirit in the days or weeks to come, and in exchange they will carry his ineffable will out into the world.

Priesthood

The leader of the entire Church of the Platinum Dragon across the entire continent is given the Rank "High Father" or "High Mother".
Below the Platinum Father the church is organized into well-structured divisions based under the three main pillars that make up the church as a whole who are each considered to be major players and political powers within it: Though they go by more formal names, these pillars are known by most as The Paladins, The Scribes, and The Clergy - each responsible for a different area of the faith's interest in the world at large, and each tasked with upholding slightly different values and tasks during their day to day lives. Each church of the faith without exception sees groups from each of these pillars, who are led by a local Elder that serves as the glue that unites them, considering each of their opinions in turn and deciding upon what is best for the faith in the area.

• The Elders: Those who hold the rank of Elder are those who, by and large, run the daily operations of the churches and parishes of the Platinum Dragon and his faithful wherever they may be found - chosen from among the other three pillars through means that vary slightly from church to church, they are most commonly of the Paladins or Clergy but are tasked with the supervisory rule of the church as a whole as well as communicating with other nearby churches and groups of the faithful. They hold a number of important duties and are ultimately responsible for its direction in times of crisis, and hold the obedience of every member of their church. Most run singular churches or parishes, but especially prolific or popular Elders can come to run entire areas and groups of churches.


• The Paladins: Those among the ranks of the Paladins are divided among the ranks of Paladin, Paladin Commander, Star Paladin, Senior Paladin, and Head Paladin - they are broadly responsible for militant actions, the defense of the faithful, the execution of any duties that might require the ranks of the faithful to take violent action, and generally are the home for any members of the faith who have sworn to serve the ideals of the Platinum Dragon on the battlefield or in dangerous areas, placing greater emphasis on skill at arms and nobility of spirit to drive back evil with blade and barrier moreso than healing the sick or injured.


• The Scribes: Those among the ranks of the Scribes are divided among the ranks of Scribe initiate, Journeyman Scribe, Senior Scribe, Proctor, and Head Scribe - they are those who for reasons that can vary from willing abstinence or a complete lack of personal power(Either divine or otherwise), have chosen to serve the Platinum Dragon in his parishes and churches rather than out and about in the world at large. They are those who run his places of faith, who care for the relics and holy sites of the faith, and who are in general tasks with research and study into any manner of prayer, device, or item that might one day aid the faith in the pursuit of their duties. Also tasked with keeping detailed records of the operations of the faith, they rarely leave the safety of their parishes or stations without escorts as they often carry important knowledge of the faith's inner workings and current research projects.


• The Clergy: Those among the ranks of the Clergy are divided into the ranks of Deacon, Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, and Cardinal - they are tasked with serving opposite the Paladins as those who carry the generosity and benevolence of the Platinum Dragon to those in need across the world. They place more emphasis on kindness, giving aid, nurturing, teaching, and bringing aid those in need moreso than on martial prowess - and in general are the home for any members of the faith who have sworn to serve the Ideals of the Platinum Dragon not merely on the battlefield but any place where the weak and wounded and in need might await them; they are concerned less with driving back the forces of evil with blade and barrier than they are with bringing healing and hope to the world to those who need it.

The ranks are distinguished through badges worn on Armor/Robes/etc, and through Holy Arms/Armor/Staff for more powerful members of the church, which are generally named items of great import to the church's history such as relics.

Granted Divine Powers

Paladin powers, cleric powers, other protective and healing-based blessings.
Many boons from The Platinum Dragon are either protective or restorative in nature. It is not uncommon for a church that has garnered the favor of the Platinum Dragon to be granted a holy basin or some other relic that can cleanse those who are dunked within it of curses, diseases, wounds, etc.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Church of the Platinum Dragon generally tries to stay out of Politics no matter where they are, but depending on where they make their home some branches of the church have no choice, while others yet are forced to actively hide from the law.
When they do take part in politics, The Church of the Platinum Dragon always makes great efforts to keep the Political Structure they are in free of corruption or evil-influence as best they can, sometimes even zealously so...they do not always recognize their efforts as futile considering the nature of politics, and some splinter branches of the church even zealously take to keeping the Politics of their home "Pure and Just"...much to the chagrin of the the governing body of that area.
Other branches of the church are more akin to monasteries in their practiced abstinence from the world of Politics, and believe that Justness and Goodness cannot come from Politics.

Sects

N/A

Judge all evenly. Punish all appropriately.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Platinum Faithful, The Scalemasters

Demonym

Bahamian

Divines

• Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon

Controlled Territories

• The Platinum Expanse

Manufactured Items

• Ioth Mitne

Related Items

• Ioth Mitne

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