Priori of Syrus
Public Agenda
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n the early, glory days of the Priori, its public agenda was one of ensuring widespread adherence to church doctrine. This included elaborate rituals - and even, ritual sacrifices - in futile attempts to either stop the cycle of Trials, or at at least temper their duration and severity. In those ancient times of wide influence, this "public" agenda was often a thin veil for the private agenda of brokering power and controlling affairs of state. This reached its zenith in those states that eventually became full-fledged theocratic outposts entirely controlled by the church's dictates. In those times-and-places, the Priori were known to have their fingers in nearly every aspect of public, and private, life.
Conflict
When the Pontificous Rite rose to power, it was immediately evident that their gain was the Priori's loss. And this push/pull led to many centuries where the two religions were almost always in open conflict. At times, this conflict was rhetorical and spiritual in nature - "fighting" over the hearts and minds of potential followers. But given that the Pontificous Rite has never been shy about using force to achieve their objectives, these conflicts have also, at times, been quite literal - and quite deadly. During these long years of mutual antagonism, it's reasonable to say that the most pressing public agenda of the Priori was, simply, the extermination of the Pontificous Rite. Unfortunately (for followers of the Priori), this agenda ultimately ended in failure.
Survival
In more modern times, it's a bit of stretch to even claim that the Priori have a public agenda at all. In fact, there are some throughout the world who would now classify the Priori as an extinct religion. So for those who do maintain ties to this ancient faith, their "public" agenda has simply become one of maintaining some degree of membership and passing on their beliefs to everyone (anyone) who will listen - in the desperate attempt to keep the church from truly fading away.
Assets
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t's not uncommon in major cities (especially those in Isleprimoton) to encounter grand temples erected in honor of the goddess Syrus. These were once critical power centers for the Priori and their followers. However, it's rare to find any of these edifices that can still be thought of as church asset.
Relics
Some of these anachronisms are now nothing more than ruins. Others have been repurposed for other civic functions. Some have been leveled - with new buildings erected on the site. In perhaps the greatest insult to the remaining Priori faithful, many of these temples have been appropriated by the Pontificous Rite of Baldergash Sparcsylver - a religion that, for many centuries, was in violent opposition to the Priori.
History
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he Priori was one of the first religions on Excilior to enjoy widespread adoption and a large contingent of worshipers. Although Cervia Polonosa's arrival, and the continued ritual of excilation, implies a model for the solar system that is based on science and empirical evidence, this has not stopped large portions of casterway society over time from venerating the planet's star.
Trials of Syrus
That veneration has been further fueled by the Trials of Syrus and the clockwork nature of their devastating weather patterns. Although the predictability of the cycle has led some to discard a supernatural explanation, every Trial inevitably leads to an uptick in the Priori's membership.
Fading Away
The Priori's sway has steadily waned throughout casterway civilization over the last 1,500 years. In many regions and social circles, the Priori of Syrus is now viewed as an antiquated - even, primitive - faith. There are no longer any cities that can boast impressive-and-active Priori temples. The leadership of the church is now more of an informal network than an organized, bureaucratic entity. Nevertheless, it has never fallen to a point where it can be thought of as a "dead" religion. And the increasingly-esoteric underpinnings of its faith lend it some cachet with those who are enamored of "secret rites" and "ancient wisdom".
Pontificous Rite
There was a time when the Priori was in open opposition to the Pontificous Rite of Baldergash Sparcsylver. It was Kadir Ammanar's satirical response to the Priori that inspired him to write the Testament of Baldergash, which ultimately became the core religious text of the Pontificous Rite. And the Pontificous Rite ultimately gained legitimacy as a real religion when Chinto Marzin banned the Priori of Syrus from Lancia - and backed it up by murdering all of the Priori's leaders in that country.
Although it would be incorrect to imply that the relationship between these religions has improved in any way, the pattern of violence and resentment between them has mostly receded into historical lore. This didn't happen due to any reconciliation between the two adversaries. Rather, it evolved naturally because the Priori's influence has waned into fringe cult status. The Pontificous Rite, having long ago established itself as a dominant (and aggressive) force, no longer concerns itself with the petty operations of the Priori.
Divine Origins
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o some extent, Excilior's sun - Syrus - has been venerated and mythologized since the dawn of casterway civilization. Althought the First Mother was openly dismissive of all things religious, she did not take steps to punish such instincts in her contemporaries. While there was no formal church known as the "Priori of Syrus" in those early days, Auld Cervia is known to have had an information network of sun worshipers throughout its history.
Fear of the Trials
These latent religious views may have never grown to be anything more than a curiosity amongst an esoteric minority were it not for the Trials of Syrus. The first Trial was a disaster of epic proportion that shrunk the population and threatened to undermine the fledgling nation of Auld Cervia before it ever achieved greatness. The ancient citizenry had no reason to expect the looming destruction that would follow 17 years of biblical droughts and supercharged razers. And the fact the (not-yet-identified) cycle was so easily associated with Syrus only served to drive desperate, fearful souls to the religion.
Before cognoscenti had managed to measure and predict the Trials - with great accuracy - the early events sparked prolonged bouts of public pleading to the seemingly-angry disc that traverses Excilior's sky. Even with the timing of the Trials' inevitable cycle, there are always those who are unprepared for the next catastrophic event. And those individuals are always prime candidates to become the next wave of Priori recruits.
Cosmological Views
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n the Syrian worldview, Syrus is not just a star around which Excilior orbits. It is the manifestation of the goddess - and the goddess created Excilior. From this point of creation, Syrus became enamored with Excilior - moreso than any of her other creations. And this infatuation leads her to cross the planet's skies every day, gazing down upon her handiwork and monitoring all the activities of its inhabitants. The Priori's creation mythology is silent as to Syrus's role in the birth of those bodies - stars, galaxies, etc. - outside of the solar system.
Political Influence & Intrigue
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ith the establishment of the kingdom of Thigny in 699 AoE, the Priori began to take on a more formal existence. As such, they were a central part of casterway civilization - especially across the Lumidari nations of northern and central Isleprimoton. This influence took many forms. In some nations, like Ochebia, the church was a formidable - but independent - influence on official state affairs. In countries like Falet, the Priori had so much power that the reigning monarch always had to ensure that that his edicts were inline with established church teachings and the symbols of the faith were featured prominently above the secular crests and banners of the day. Completing this spectrum, countries such as Lancia and God spent centuries as official theocracies, governed by the highest of officials of the Priori.
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