Voice of the One
The central faith of Glaive, the Voice of the One rose to ascendancy under the First Empire. Eschewing "primitive" powers, it centers around an all-powerful being of infinite facets. Beyond comprehension and above depiction, the One encompasses a myriad, with its aspects spawning a plethora of clerical and liturgical specializations. Within the unified arms of the church, ecclesiastics study the many faces of the One, intoning sacraments to the Voice of Wisdom, the Voice of Mercy, the Voice of Judgment, the Voice of Wrath, the Voice of Justice and a plethora of others.
Carried across Glaive by the First Emperor, Aesir the Runelord, the Voice of the One supplanted earlier beliefs, and under the continuing power of the Empire, other religions have faded or been snuffed out. The Voice of the One asserts that its multi-faceted deity is the only being required since the infinite aspects of the One encompass all possibilities and unify them in perfect harmony.
Although most worshippers, particularly in @Elderforge follow the Church of the Runelord, that church is considered only one of the aspects of the worship of the One. Most Curates of the Voice of the One appreciate the Church of the Runelord as both an accessible avenue of worship for the masses and as a political reinforcement for the Imperial household. Its monumental statues of Aesir, its talismans bearing his rune-crowned face, and its narrative of order in a chaotic world appeal to a populace in need of a tangible object of reverence. Furthermore, in Elderforge, with the Imperial Palace looming opposite the grand central church, the connection between Aesir and his descendants is seen as a potent symbol of the peace and unity with which the Imperial family wishes to credit themselves.
For the Voice of the One, such political agendas are a part of existence, but most curates actively dislike them. Their adherence to the tenets of the One is far more spiritual, and most feel that the Imperial family would do well to remember that, as mighty as Aesir might have been, it was the Rune given by the Inchoate Celebrant, the revered first Speaker for the One, as faceless and unknown as the deity they served, that gave him the power to become the First Emperor. For the clergy, that faceless Speaker, interpreted in a million ways by a million worshippers who long to have the same communion with the One, is a far more worthy figure than the memory of Aesir.
Culture
The Voice of the One follows the tenets laid down by the first High Celebrant, the harbinger of the One who, according to sacred scripture, first endowed the Rune of the Crown upon Aesir and his descendants. Known as the Tolor, those scriptures speak of the dangers of selfishness, presenting apocalyptic visions of a world divided and at war with itself, caught in a cycle of destruction and rebirth without possibility for true progress. They also provide hope, teaching that humanity alone has the potential to reach beyond selfishness. The Tolor offers hope, suggesting that within each human lies the vision to see a path forward, to rise above the petty arguments and divisions spawned from selfishness, to understand that taking action and responsibility is the greatest path to power, not only for oneself, but for the world. But, the scriptures warn that true progress, true empowerment demands sacrifice. Those truly willing to heed the Voice of the One must be willing to put their understanding of the greater good above their friends, family, and country in order to truly reach their potential.
One in all; all within the One.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Successor Organization
Location
