The Holy Church
Founded in the Third Age, the Holy Church rose to prominence as a form of atonement to the Gods in the wake of the Dragons’ conquest of the Realms. Since then it has grown into the prominent religion of the Lower Realms and a political power that controls the City-State of Triswell. The Church’s form of worship is diverse depending on the particular needs of those who attend. The small village in the Borderlands may have more desire to worship The Elder Elemental and The Guardian than those in Triswell who may be praying more to The Devil, The Word or The Whisper. Shrines for offerings to each individual god is a staple of most church buildings, while towns with no formal church often establish shrines of their own around the town or village.
Organization & Rank
Priests
The lowest rank in the Church. Priests attend to normal services and oversee local churches and shrines. Some are granted authority by higher ranks to provide ritual spells performed using scrolls for a fee.Clerics
Ordained clerics undergo an arduous period of study, meditation and ritual in order to beseech the Gods to grant them a blessing of divine power and allow them to utilize spells and access the Flow of Magic. For each cleric that successfully ascends, there are a dozen who are either not blessed or can't endure the training. Once an ordained Cleric has been granted their blessing, they are made an officer in the Church. Clerics can be found in every department.High Clerics
For each department or group within the Holy Church, there is a High Cleric that leads it. The position is reserved for the leader and boss of each faction, and only one High Cleric exists in each. They are the highest authority in the church before entering the tier of national politics and as such are given great privileged and power over the churches, groups or departments underneath them. High Clerics act with the full blessing and word of the Grand Cleric.Arch Clerics
In the entirety of the Holy Church there are only five Arch Clerics. They serve as the inner circle and advisers for the Grand Cleric and often are the ones that implement the Grand Clerics commands across the entirety of the Holy Church. Prior to the 5th Age, there were only three Arch Clerics but with the fall of a unified kingdom, the Grand Cleric thought to add both Foreign Matters and Military Concerns positions. The current Arch Clerics are:- Gil Hasford (M Human), Arch Cleric of Military Concerns
- Vani Tosscobble (F Halfling), Arch Cleric of Domestic Matters
- Franklin Stronghill (M Halfling), Arch Cleric of Church Operations
- Tana Ironhide (F Dwarf), Arch Cleric of Foreign Matters
- Shan (M Half-Elf), Arch Cleric of Magical Oversight
Grand Cleric
At the head of the Church stands the Grand Cleric. They are in charge of all matters regarding both the city-state of Triswell as well as the direction of the Holy Church. They are treated as a direct conduit of the Gods, and their orders are treated with the authority of such. The current Grand Cleric is Elza Daelus.Paladins
The Paladins are the military arm of Triswell and the Holy Church. The name is a bit of a misnomer as not all who serve in the Paladin Orders are strictly paladins in practice, though it is typical for each order to be led by a paladin commander. Each order is charged with a different duty, for instance the Ist Order - known as the Guardian's Shield - has the task of defending the city-state of Triswell. The local city guard report to the knights of the Ist Order who in term report to the Church. In all there are twelve orders of Paladins that operate under the authority of the Church. But there are rumors of a secret XIIIth Order sometimes nicknamed The Devil's Hand that is entrusted with secret missions of a strange and exceptional nature. Some say the Grand Cleric doesn't even know the XIIIth Order exists. Others say that's all the more reason it doesn't actually exist. Paladins operate within teams or squads of 3-6 soldiers, who report to a Squad Commander. The Squad Commander reports to the Order Commander and their secretary, who in turn report to the Arch Cleric of Military Concerns.Paladin Orders
- Guardian's Shield: Defense of Triswell.
- Word's Blessing: Foreign Aid and Relief
- Blackguard's Sword: Standing army.
- Whisper's Eye: Spies.
- Spring Wind: Horse mounted cavalry.
- Void's Abyss: Stealth operations.
- Guardian's Hammer: Bodyguards for traveling officials.
- Crows: Assassins, black operations.
- Gehenna's Vice: Inquisitors and investigators.
- Springwalkers: Borderlands reconnaissance.
- Elder Chains: Anti-magic defense and capture.
- Whispers Touch: Archaeology and research.
- Devil's Hand: Secret order of elite paladins. Only rumored to exist.
Alternative Names
The Church
Leader
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
