Church of Keshush
The Church of Saint Keshush emerged as a counterpoint to the rise of the Church of the One Sun. The Church of Saint Keshush differs in that they view nonhuman races with significantly more tolerance, and believe that the One Sun is the source of the divine, but that true power arises from those who have become saints within the faith. They acknowledge first and foremost the rise of those who were once mortals to demigod status and believe that the power of clerics and paladins arises from the saints, rather than direct gifts from the One Sun. They also have a much looser church structure, which is favored by the various lords of the lands they operate in, as opposed to the constant interference and political maneuverings of the Church of the One Sun.
Saints of the Church of Keshush
The One Sun is acknowledged as the supreme deity of the Church of Keshush, as with the Church of the One Sun, but you will not find any priests or clerics who worship the sun directly. Instead, they believe in the divine work of mortals escalating them to positions of power and domains over the various elements of life on earth. The saints are those who protect these elements and are therefore the ones that most churches and temples worship, similar to polytheism. The list of saints occasionally shifts whenever a mortal accomplishes something that opens them to rising to the position, and there are only ever thirtee saints worshiped at any given time, one for each domain.| Saint | Origin | Alignment | Domain | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas | Male human artificer | N | Arcana | Lightning bolt |
| Terrance | Male human bard | LE | Death | A scythe |
| Namalri | Female elf wizard | LN | Knowledge | A wand |
| Gorly | Male dwarf barbarian | NG | Forge | A three headed axe |
| Samanara | Female elf fighter | N | Grave | A longsword |
| Keshush | Male human sorcerer | LN | Light | A burning bush |
| Clara | Female human cleric | LG | Life | A swaddled baby |
| Leifeimara | Female elf druid | NG | Nature | A quarterstaff with leaves |
| Mark | Male human fighter | CN | Tempest | A wave |
| Richard | Male human noble | NE | Trickery | A book |
| Ulfgar | Male dwarf cleric | LG | War | A winged dwarf |
| Malik | Male human monk | CG | Peace | A carved quarterstaff |
| Aldrin | male human artificer | NG | Twilight | The moon |
Structure
The Church of Keshush does have a single organized structure, but it is more decentralized than their rivals within the Church of the One Sun. Most churches, shrines, and temples are dedicated to a single saint among the faith, and matters are usually organized into sects based on the saint they attempt to emulate. The Church is therefore divided into eleven distinct sects, each of which occasionally feuds or disagrees on theology. These disagreements rarely amount to outright conflict, unlike in polytheistic pantheons, as all still agree in the supremacy of the One Sun. Leaders of each individual church are typically selected by the clergy staffed at each location whenever the prior head cleric dies or retires. Usually from there, emissaries or ambassadors are sent to elsewhere within the larger religious organization.
There is no single leader of the faith, but instead once a year the two most respected elders within each sect are sent to a council meeting at the city of Whitemarsh in the Kingdom of Recfrere. These gatherings are for more pressing decisions on theology and politics that need to be committed to by the church itself. Any agreements are typically nonbinding, but most are typically followed and respected by the majority. Every five years a larger gathering is held upon the top of Three Horse Mount in the Mersan Union. Here, a representative from every congregation and church throughout the land is gathered for discussion and the most important of matters to be brought to hand. New elders for the yearly representations are selected at this occasion, and usually there is celebratory feasting and an ample supply of the politics that is usually absent from the church's affairs.
Public Agenda
The Church of Keshush is first and foremost dedicated to defending against the ever-encroaching threat of the Church of the One Sun and their xenophobic approach to nonhumans. They have vowed to protect nonhumans from annihilation at the hands of the Church of the One Sun, and this has led to ample military conflict between the two faiths, occasionally dragging nations into their conflicts. The Church of Keshush believes that all life is sacred, and not just human life, with some congregations even extending rights to creatures such as goblins and orcs, an issue that has proven divisive, especially among the dwarven congregations.
The Church's second priority is the people of their congregations. The church takes an active role in helping in a variety of circumstances that can emerge in farming and mining towns where they are most respected. Healing of both injuries and disease are incredibly important for the church's efforts, as well as acting as impartial mediators in many disputes that can erupt throughout their congregation.
The Church of Keshush's third priority is the curation of the remains of the old world. They firmly believe in the destruction of unsafe magic and technology, and have harsh views towards those seeking to plunder the ruins of the old world for potentially unsafe artifacts. Unlike elements of the Church of the One Sun, the Church of Keshush's inquisitors and paladins seek to destroy old relics rather than to preserve them all in a single location where they may one day erupt into a catastrophic magical disaster. They are also dedicated to purging unsafe literature and writings from the old world that threaten the spiritual or physical well-being of people.
Assets
The Church of Keshush lacks any centralized funding or military force. Instead, they often rely on militias in their communities, armies in the nations that support them, and in a pinch, wandering adventurers to help solve their problems. Money is typically handled on a congregation by congregation basis, and the richer the community is, the more financial resources that a sect of Keshush can provide. The sole exception to this is a great shrine and several housing structures preserved around Three Horse Mount. Funding is kept to preserve the structures and statues there, to make sure that it remains in good condition when the time for a Gathering occurs.
History
The Church of Keshush is believed to have arisen from the preexisting monotheistic faiths of the Nameless Empire. The collapse of the Nameless Empire brought chaos and destruction across their former realms and the majority of people were killed in the Great War and everything that followed. In many towns scattered across what would one day be known as Emicara, religious groups and institutions were often the still only functioning organizations holding communities together. In the region that would eventually become the Kingdom of Recfrere and the Mersan Union, most of these religious groups ended up turning over their political influence and control to more secular leaders, who still recognized the importance of faith.
If not for the rise of the Jakonian Empire and the Church of the One Sun, these varied and independent offshoots of the old faith likely would have remained small and mostly irrelevant to day to day life. The influence and power of the Church of the One Sun could not be understated, and the political leaders of the regions which opposed Jakonia realized that they would have to protect themselves on a spiritual as well as a protective front. In the year 285, the first Gathering was held at Three Horse Mount as the leaders of the disparate congregations met for the first time to stabilize a proper doctrine. The disputes that followed with debates and arguments lasting almost exactly five years. From this messy origin, the Church of Keshush was officially formed. Elements of the Church of the One Sun which disagreed with the Jakonian political stance defected to the new movement, which gave rise to the assertion that the Church of Keshush was simply a heresy of the greater faith.
Over the hundreds of years that followed the Church of Keshush went through its ups and downs, and for a time was even recognized as an official faith of the Jakonian Empire, when a particularly ambitious emperor attempted to cull the influence and power of the Church of the One Sun. Every time they made gains, however, the old rivalry would rear its ugly head, and pogroms and riots would occur as each side sought to gain an advantage. The greatest coup for the Church of Keshush came in 523, when the hill dwarves of Kiralyno converted in mass to the Church of Keshush to avoid further persecution by the Church of the One Sun. Other representatives would be sent by high elf houses in the Mersan Union, and even from isolated dwarven holds in the Apps Mountains, all pledging allegiance to the Church of Keshush.
Today, the Church of Keshush stands as the most powerful religious force opposing the Church of the One Sun. However, a lack of over cohesion and military might often prevents Keshushites from taking a direct approach in opposing them. Instead, the church has to rely on volunteer missionaries venturing out from their homes to spread the good word. These itinerant ministers have proven successful in the recent pass, with the mass conversion of Valtkos Wingo, and the canonization of Saint Ulfgar. Efforts to spread the word to the Sypi Confederacy and the Kingdom of Alsona have been more difficult, but these fertile lands with a plethora of gods seem to be a ripe pasture for the word of Keshush.
Mythology & Lore
According to the Church's dogma, the sun itself is the representation of all that is good and bright about civilization and its trappings throughout the world. According to their scriptures, the sun sent down a manifestation of itself millennia before the Nameless Empire even existed. This avatar brought about peace and unity, teaching the human people how to live in the harshest of environs throughout the world. The avatar also looked upon the elf oppression of the world and helped humanity learn ways of power, both magic and mundane, warning them to use it with caution. This avatar, who became the Saint Keshush, passed on a message of peace and cooperation, seeking to reform the elves through negotiation and economic pressure. Unfortunately, he was executed on trumped up criminal charges, which caused the human masses to rise up in revolution, deposing the elves and sending them into hiding.
Despite the destruction of the elves, the One Sun offered its warmth and blessings upon mankind, and they thrived and expanded throughout the world. However, through the use of extravagant magic and technology, humans lost the favor of the sun. The Sun is said to have shone brighter than ever before, lighting the world aflame, and burning all of the great nations of man. Emicara survived only by the skin of its teeth and the grit and abilities of those who lived there. Impressed with the achievements of those it had sought to destroy, the Sun relented, providing mankind another chance to redeem itself.
Cosmological Views
According to the teachings of the Church, the world was a barren rock, until the light of the One Sun began shining upon it. From those humble origins, the Sun guided the creation of life, both flora and fauna, warming the world and casting aside the icy darkness. The One Sun is said to have emerged from the endless Void, acting as a solitary brightness, alongside its infinite brothers, the stars scattered throughout the Void, each bringing life and light throughout the cosmos.
From the Divinity of Man
Founding Date
290
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Demonym
Keshushite
Permeated Organizations
Location
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments