Aurathean Church
The Aurathean Church is the religious organization that rules The Gold Empire and facilitates the worship of Aurathear Darastrix. As both state apparatus and religious order, the Aurathean Church fulfills many different roles within the empire, with its clerics being warriors, bureaucrats, doctors, seafarers, lawyers, judges and many, many other things. The Aurathean Church is divided into the monolithic and bureaucratic The Metal Church and the diverse and far-reaching Dragon Church.
Structure
The Pontiff of the Burning Throne
The Burning Throne of Eilcíud is the beating heart of the Aurathean Church, and marks the place where the church in its infancy began its worship of The Gold Emperor and Aurathear Darastrix. The Pontiff of the Burning Throne is often one of the decarchs, but doesn't have to be, and serves as spiritual advisor to the Gold Emperor and the link between the Gold Emperor and his church. The pontiff will often spend much of their time in Aurumis, advising the Gold Emperor on matters of state, faith and whatever other expertize the pontiff might hold. Historically pontiffs have been extremely varied in their skillset, methodology, faith and origin, but all were chosen by the Gold Emperor because he foresaw that he would need their skills during their reign.
The pontiff has little material power, reigning only over the city and bischopric of Eilcíud, and what material power they have is often relegated to lesser parts of the clergy or nobility. Their true power stems from their relationship with the Gold Emperor, as all know that the pontiff has his ear in all matters. The pontiff is therefore highly regarded at all assemblies and often has a position of honour in the Council of Ten even if they are not one of the ten themselves. An old Eilciudian saying goes: "When the burning throne speaks, God listens."
Decarchs - the Council of Ten
At the head of the Aurathean Church are the decarchs, the leaders of each of its ten branches, who have been chosen by the Gold Emperor to control each of their churches. They have their great temples all around the Gold Empire, from where they rule their disparate churches. The great temples of the metal churches stay the same between reigns of different decarchs, but the great temples of the dragon churches varies between decarchs and occasionally even move with them.
Lower Ranks
The metal church and dragon church are very different in how they are organized beneath the decarchs, as they have different purposes with the grander empire. The metal church is rigorously organized, with each layer and rank performing a distinct function and overseeing others of lesser ranks. For a more detalied look at the organization of the Metal Church, look on its page. The Dragon Church, however, is a more down-to-earth organization and thus has less need for many disparate ranks with oversight of many different aspects. The two basic ranks of the Dragon Church is sister/brother/sibling and mother/father/parent, where the former is an ordinary cleric and the latter is a cleric who leads several other clerics in a holy purpose such as mission, monster-hunting or charity.
Bishop
A rank that both the Metal Church and Dragon Church have is that of bishop. A bishop is a cleric who has responsibility for the church's material assets in a defined geographic location and is also normally in charge of ensuring that the church fulfills its charge within that region. Normally a bishop only has authority over its own branch of the church, but in certain situations, such as during wartime or crises, a bishop from one church can have authority over other churches as well. Technically, many of the fathers, mothers and parents of the Dragon Church are bishops but not many use that title.
Archbishop
A role more associated with the Metal Church, and archbishop is the leader of their church's activity in an entire province, and has responsibility to maintain the mission and integrity of the church. An archbishop will often have their seat of power in the provincial capital, though there are exceptions to this rule. Archbishops are also often bishops of a defined geographic area as well.
The Burning Throne of Eilcíud is the beating heart of the Aurathean Church, and marks the place where the church in its infancy began its worship of The Gold Emperor and Aurathear Darastrix. The Pontiff of the Burning Throne is often one of the decarchs, but doesn't have to be, and serves as spiritual advisor to the Gold Emperor and the link between the Gold Emperor and his church. The pontiff will often spend much of their time in Aurumis, advising the Gold Emperor on matters of state, faith and whatever other expertize the pontiff might hold. Historically pontiffs have been extremely varied in their skillset, methodology, faith and origin, but all were chosen by the Gold Emperor because he foresaw that he would need their skills during their reign.
The pontiff has little material power, reigning only over the city and bischopric of Eilcíud, and what material power they have is often relegated to lesser parts of the clergy or nobility. Their true power stems from their relationship with the Gold Emperor, as all know that the pontiff has his ear in all matters. The pontiff is therefore highly regarded at all assemblies and often has a position of honour in the Council of Ten even if they are not one of the ten themselves. An old Eilciudian saying goes: "When the burning throne speaks, God listens."
Decarchs - the Council of Ten
At the head of the Aurathean Church are the decarchs, the leaders of each of its ten branches, who have been chosen by the Gold Emperor to control each of their churches. They have their great temples all around the Gold Empire, from where they rule their disparate churches. The great temples of the metal churches stay the same between reigns of different decarchs, but the great temples of the dragon churches varies between decarchs and occasionally even move with them.
Lower Ranks
The metal church and dragon church are very different in how they are organized beneath the decarchs, as they have different purposes with the grander empire. The metal church is rigorously organized, with each layer and rank performing a distinct function and overseeing others of lesser ranks. For a more detalied look at the organization of the Metal Church, look on its page. The Dragon Church, however, is a more down-to-earth organization and thus has less need for many disparate ranks with oversight of many different aspects. The two basic ranks of the Dragon Church is sister/brother/sibling and mother/father/parent, where the former is an ordinary cleric and the latter is a cleric who leads several other clerics in a holy purpose such as mission, monster-hunting or charity.
Bishop
A rank that both the Metal Church and Dragon Church have is that of bishop. A bishop is a cleric who has responsibility for the church's material assets in a defined geographic location and is also normally in charge of ensuring that the church fulfills its charge within that region. Normally a bishop only has authority over its own branch of the church, but in certain situations, such as during wartime or crises, a bishop from one church can have authority over other churches as well. Technically, many of the fathers, mothers and parents of the Dragon Church are bishops but not many use that title.
Archbishop
A role more associated with the Metal Church, and archbishop is the leader of their church's activity in an entire province, and has responsibility to maintain the mission and integrity of the church. An archbishop will often have their seat of power in the provincial capital, though there are exceptions to this rule. Archbishops are also often bishops of a defined geographic area as well.
History
Pre-Ecclesiastical Church - 15 Pre-Imperial Age to 56 Imperial Age
The Aurathean Church had its early beginnings in the First Conquests era of the Gold Empire, where the Gold Emperor's miraculous deeds began developing a cult following throughout the infant empire. This religion quickly gained popularity among the elves of Eilcíud and dwarves of For Sur, both of whom had been saved by the Gold Emperor's seemingly godlike powers, and many soldiers who beheld the advance of the Gold Dragons also came to believe in their divinity. Initially this religion, often called the pre-ecclesiastical church, had little power and was not very organized, but as it grew in scope and as more and more people came to believe in its creed it very quickly organized itself. Soon there were full-fledged dragon priests walking the lands, aiding soldiers in war and healing wounded and refugees.
There were many internal schisms and conflicts in the church during this time, as there were many disagreements regarding what was to be considered true faith, what the Gold Emperor's role in the Dragon God's plan was and how one should organize the church. None of these ever escalated into violence, but the schisms did severely limit the Church's ability to spread its creed to all parts of the Empire.
The First Ecumenical Council of Eilcíud - 1st of Ioth to the 27th of Ssifisv, 56 Imperial Age
As the First Conquests came to an end, and the era of Forging began, the Gold Emperor invited all the important clerics of the Pre-Ecclesiastical Church to Eilcíud, where he intended to hold an ecumenical council to establish the theological and material authority of the Church within the empire, as well as define its role in the future.
All the clerics who could attend the meeting came, and great debates were held between the many clerics of different opinion. The Gold Emperor remained silent for much of this debate, merely looking upon his subjects and studying them, carefully and silently considering their arguments.
Clerics of many different races pointed to their gods as true manifestations of the Dragon God, while others said that these were blasphemers and no previous gods could ever hope to contend to the true glory of the Dragon God. Others said that the Gold Emperor was the Dragon God made flesh, while others scorned this opinion and claimed that the Gold Emperor was a powerful and true-sighted prophet and others again said he was a king with the divine mandate to rule the world, with priests by his side to aid him in spiritual matters.
Other clerics debated the structural doctrines, such as whether the church should have leaders in formal positions, how and if it should have material wealth and holdings and whether laypeople should have a say in the rulership of the church.
After many long weeks of discussing all these opinions, thoughts, creeds and interpretations under the heavy golden gaze of the Gold Emperor, the Emperor finally rose from his seat on the 22nd of Ssifisv with his mace Lawmaker and began a speech that lasted the better part of five full days. This speech is recorded in the holy book of Purpose.
This speech laid down the central tenets of the Aurathean Church, pointed out its core holy books and formalized it as an institution. While later ecumenical councils have changed certain parts of the faith and church, and some splinter sects and orders within the church have varying and sometimes conflicting beliefs, the tenets laid down by the Gold Emperor during the First Ecumenical Council of Eilcíud has never been overturned and are by many considered the most essential parts of the faith.
The central tenets the Gold Emperor proclaimed were the following:
The form of the Aurathean Church as an institution would be the following:
These last instructions were all elegant compromises from the side of the Gold Emperor, as he heard the arguments of all the assembled clerics and found a way to incorporate them all into one grand church that would work together to spread his dominion to the world. That way he used to most resources available to him and crafted a powerful institution to support him in the years to come.
Early Days of the Aurathean Church -- 56 Imperial Age to 75 Imperial Age
While the Aurathean Church had received the blessing of the Gold Emperor, the early days would still be difficult, especially for the Metal Churches. The project of proselytizing to the peoples of the conquered provinces, Guldfeldt and Cyneland, was quick among the humans and gnomes of those provinces, but was much slower among the elves and dwarves. As old races with old memories, these peoples had their own gods. Dragon clerics from Eilcíud and For Sur, as well as the words of Goldbrand Cyne, would be central in bringing these peoples into the fold, and the idea of Aurathear Drastrix as the God of Many Gods, showing that both Moradin and Corellon are aspects of the Dragon God, remains especially prevalent in these provinces to this day.
While the missions of the Dragon Church was difficult, the formation of the Metal Church was nearly impossible. The old High Council of Oldan had to be replaced with a new clerical administration, and the nobles, merchants, alchemists and warlords of the early Empire had to bend the knee to holy authority, whether or not they were believers. The Gold Emperor selected the first Decarchs of metal from amongst his closest advisors and believers, and gave them the authority to build their churches. Especially in the early decades, before the Metal Church's role was fully described, there were several diplomatic disasters and laymen who chafed at the leash. However, the Gold Emperor always awoved the Metal Church and made it clear that it spoke with his divine authority.
After twenty years of work with missions, bureaucracy and bringing non-believers into the fold, the Aurathean Church had become the only major religion in the Gold Empire, and had transformed the Gold Empire from the primitive feudal monarchy of Oldan into a theocracy with the Gold Emperor as the head. The people were faithful, praising Aurathear Darastrix while they work, fight, give birth and die, and the queens and kings of the provinces were firmly under the authority of the Council of Ten. The Aurathean Church was ready to play its role in the Great Conquests, driving the people forward in the great project of uniting all peoples of the world under the wings of Aurathear Drastrix.
The Aurathean Church had its early beginnings in the First Conquests era of the Gold Empire, where the Gold Emperor's miraculous deeds began developing a cult following throughout the infant empire. This religion quickly gained popularity among the elves of Eilcíud and dwarves of For Sur, both of whom had been saved by the Gold Emperor's seemingly godlike powers, and many soldiers who beheld the advance of the Gold Dragons also came to believe in their divinity. Initially this religion, often called the pre-ecclesiastical church, had little power and was not very organized, but as it grew in scope and as more and more people came to believe in its creed it very quickly organized itself. Soon there were full-fledged dragon priests walking the lands, aiding soldiers in war and healing wounded and refugees.
There were many internal schisms and conflicts in the church during this time, as there were many disagreements regarding what was to be considered true faith, what the Gold Emperor's role in the Dragon God's plan was and how one should organize the church. None of these ever escalated into violence, but the schisms did severely limit the Church's ability to spread its creed to all parts of the Empire.
The First Ecumenical Council of Eilcíud - 1st of Ioth to the 27th of Ssifisv, 56 Imperial Age
As the First Conquests came to an end, and the era of Forging began, the Gold Emperor invited all the important clerics of the Pre-Ecclesiastical Church to Eilcíud, where he intended to hold an ecumenical council to establish the theological and material authority of the Church within the empire, as well as define its role in the future.
All the clerics who could attend the meeting came, and great debates were held between the many clerics of different opinion. The Gold Emperor remained silent for much of this debate, merely looking upon his subjects and studying them, carefully and silently considering their arguments.
Clerics of many different races pointed to their gods as true manifestations of the Dragon God, while others said that these were blasphemers and no previous gods could ever hope to contend to the true glory of the Dragon God. Others said that the Gold Emperor was the Dragon God made flesh, while others scorned this opinion and claimed that the Gold Emperor was a powerful and true-sighted prophet and others again said he was a king with the divine mandate to rule the world, with priests by his side to aid him in spiritual matters.
Other clerics debated the structural doctrines, such as whether the church should have leaders in formal positions, how and if it should have material wealth and holdings and whether laypeople should have a say in the rulership of the church.
After many long weeks of discussing all these opinions, thoughts, creeds and interpretations under the heavy golden gaze of the Gold Emperor, the Emperor finally rose from his seat on the 22nd of Ssifisv with his mace Lawmaker and began a speech that lasted the better part of five full days. This speech is recorded in the holy book of Purpose.
This speech laid down the central tenets of the Aurathean Church, pointed out its core holy books and formalized it as an institution. While later ecumenical councils have changed certain parts of the faith and church, and some splinter sects and orders within the church have varying and sometimes conflicting beliefs, the tenets laid down by the Gold Emperor during the First Ecumenical Council of Eilcíud has never been overturned and are by many considered the most essential parts of the faith.
The central tenets the Gold Emperor proclaimed were the following:
- The God of Many Gods - Aurathear Darastrix is the god of gods, ruler of the cosmos, protector of goodness and a primordial god. As a primordial god, older than time itself, Aurathear Darastrix has presented itself as many different gods to many different peoples, taking a guise that would please those peoples and make them trust him so that he might care for them and protect him. As such, the gods of many races are in fact fragments of the Dragon God, and the Aurathean Church sees past their individual false names and looks upon the deeper truth of them, that they are all the very same god. Aurathear Darastrix is thus god for many peoples and god of many things, but these different gods are all part of the same greater god.
- The Dragon and the Metal - Aurathear Darastrix's different aspects can be divided into the draconic aspect and the metallic aspect. The draconic aspect is the aspect that aids individuals and fights evil on the front lines, while the metallic aspect instructs societies on how they should be organized to avoid evil and wickedness and works to maintain such societies.
- The Five Metals - Aurathear Darastrix's draconic and metallic aspects can each be divided into five metals, with their own roles in the broader empire and their own gods that build up their aspect.
- The Divine Mandate - The Gold Emperor has been given a divine mandate by Aurathear Darastrix, by virtue of dreams and the submission of the holy Gold Dragons, to conquer the world and all its peoples so he might protect them from dangers from within, without and beyond. As part of this mandate he may form holy laws to aid the people in living good and gracious lives, while aiding one another and protecting one another. Aurathear Darastrix gives the Gold Emperor direct guidance through visions and divine audiences, and the Gold Emperor is thus a prophet with supreme power over all the faithful and with complete authority in questions of true faith.
The form of the Aurathean Church as an institution would be the following:
- Division of the Draconic and Metallic Church - the Aurathean Church would be divided into the Draconic and the Metallic Church. The latter would have many bureucratic roles within the Gold Empire and functions as its highest organ of state, working across province lines to maintain the laws of the Gold Empire and the authority of their emperor. The Draconic Church would instead be charged with duties as missionaries, organizers of the lay people and spreading the faith on an individual level, and would have far less oversight from the Gold Emperor and other institutions. It would be left mostly to its own devices to spread and propagate the faith while aiding the people of the empire.
- Division of the Five Metals - both the Draconic and the Metallic Church would be divided into five branches, one for each metal. These branches would be equal in authority and creed and one should not have power over the others. The sole exception to this rule would be the Gold Metal branch, which would stand at the top of the church and control it should the need arise. Each of these metals would have their own purposes, rituals, traditions, creeds and interpretations of the faith, and thus give the Gold Emperor all the aspects it would need to thrive.
These last instructions were all elegant compromises from the side of the Gold Emperor, as he heard the arguments of all the assembled clerics and found a way to incorporate them all into one grand church that would work together to spread his dominion to the world. That way he used to most resources available to him and crafted a powerful institution to support him in the years to come.
Early Days of the Aurathean Church -- 56 Imperial Age to 75 Imperial Age
While the Aurathean Church had received the blessing of the Gold Emperor, the early days would still be difficult, especially for the Metal Churches. The project of proselytizing to the peoples of the conquered provinces, Guldfeldt and Cyneland, was quick among the humans and gnomes of those provinces, but was much slower among the elves and dwarves. As old races with old memories, these peoples had their own gods. Dragon clerics from Eilcíud and For Sur, as well as the words of Goldbrand Cyne, would be central in bringing these peoples into the fold, and the idea of Aurathear Drastrix as the God of Many Gods, showing that both Moradin and Corellon are aspects of the Dragon God, remains especially prevalent in these provinces to this day.
While the missions of the Dragon Church was difficult, the formation of the Metal Church was nearly impossible. The old High Council of Oldan had to be replaced with a new clerical administration, and the nobles, merchants, alchemists and warlords of the early Empire had to bend the knee to holy authority, whether or not they were believers. The Gold Emperor selected the first Decarchs of metal from amongst his closest advisors and believers, and gave them the authority to build their churches. Especially in the early decades, before the Metal Church's role was fully described, there were several diplomatic disasters and laymen who chafed at the leash. However, the Gold Emperor always awoved the Metal Church and made it clear that it spoke with his divine authority.
After twenty years of work with missions, bureaucracy and bringing non-believers into the fold, the Aurathean Church had become the only major religion in the Gold Empire, and had transformed the Gold Empire from the primitive feudal monarchy of Oldan into a theocracy with the Gold Emperor as the head. The people were faithful, praising Aurathear Darastrix while they work, fight, give birth and die, and the queens and kings of the provinces were firmly under the authority of the Council of Ten. The Aurathean Church was ready to play its role in the Great Conquests, driving the people forward in the great project of uniting all peoples of the world under the wings of Aurathear Drastrix.
Military
The Witchhunters
The Witchhunters are the militant arm of the Brass Metal Church.
The Witchhunters are the militant arm of the Brass Metal Church.
Cosmological Views
Afterlife
Much like how life is dedicated to Aurathear Darastrix, the afterlife in the Gold Empire revolves around service. The clerics of Aurathear Darastrix teach that, once a humanoid soul passes the veil into the outer planes, those who are pure of heart and devotion to the Dragon God will be accepted into its sanctified draconic halls.
The clerics teach that each of the heads and metals of the Dragon God have their own divine domain in the afterlife, and that silver dragons escort the departed to their assigned afterlife. Most imperial citizens expect to travel to the Silver City in the afterlife, where they will not be troubled by disease or violence, by famine or sorrow, and where they will be protected by Silver Dragons. They will join the Dragon God in this paradise with worship and song.
The artisans, smiths and miners look forward to one day joining the great Bronze City of Ysgard, where they will join the great work of the Bronze God.
However, for heretics, traitors and non-believers, there is a hell. The clerics of the Aurathean Church are hesitant to discuss hell, other than to say that humanoid souls which are unprotected by a god will be devoured in endless bloodwars waged by devils.
Much like how life is dedicated to Aurathear Darastrix, the afterlife in the Gold Empire revolves around service. The clerics of Aurathear Darastrix teach that, once a humanoid soul passes the veil into the outer planes, those who are pure of heart and devotion to the Dragon God will be accepted into its sanctified draconic halls.
The clerics teach that each of the heads and metals of the Dragon God have their own divine domain in the afterlife, and that silver dragons escort the departed to their assigned afterlife. Most imperial citizens expect to travel to the Silver City in the afterlife, where they will not be troubled by disease or violence, by famine or sorrow, and where they will be protected by Silver Dragons. They will join the Dragon God in this paradise with worship and song.
The artisans, smiths and miners look forward to one day joining the great Bronze City of Ysgard, where they will join the great work of the Bronze God.
However, for heretics, traitors and non-believers, there is a hell. The clerics of the Aurathean Church are hesitant to discuss hell, other than to say that humanoid souls which are unprotected by a god will be devoured in endless bloodwars waged by devils.
Tenets of Faith
The God of Many Gods -
Aurathear Darastrix is the god of gods, ruler of the cosmos, protector of goodness and a primordial god. As a primordial god, older than time itself, Aurathear Darastrix has presented itself as many different gods to many different peoples, taking a guise that would please those peoples and make them trust him so that he might care for them and protect him. As such, the gods of many races are in fact fragments of the Dragon God, and the Aurathean Church sees past their individual false names and looks upon the deeper truth of them, that they are all the very same god. Aurathear Darastrix is thus god for many peoples and god of many things, but these different gods are all part of the same greater god.
The Dragon and the Metal - Aurathear Darastrix's different aspects can be divided into the draconic aspect and the metallic aspect. The draconic aspect is the aspect that aids individuals and fights evil on the front lines, while the metallic aspect instructs societies on how they should be organized to avoid evil and wickedness and works to maintain such societies.
The Five Metals - Aurathear Darastrix's draconic and metallic aspects can each be divided into five metals, with their own roles in the broader empire and their own gods that build up their aspect.
The Divine Mandate - The Gold Emperor has been given a divine mandate by Aurathear Darastrix, by virtue of the submission of the holy Gold Dragons, to conquer the world and all its peoples so he might protect them from dangers from within, without and beyond. As part of this mandate he may form holy laws to aid the people in living good and gracious lives, while aiding one another and protecting one another. Aurathear Darastrix gives the Gold Emperor direct guidance through visions and divine audiences, and the Gold Emperor is thus a prophet with supreme power over all the faithful and with complete authority in questions of true faith.
Aurathear Darastrix is the god of gods, ruler of the cosmos, protector of goodness and a primordial god. As a primordial god, older than time itself, Aurathear Darastrix has presented itself as many different gods to many different peoples, taking a guise that would please those peoples and make them trust him so that he might care for them and protect him. As such, the gods of many races are in fact fragments of the Dragon God, and the Aurathean Church sees past their individual false names and looks upon the deeper truth of them, that they are all the very same god. Aurathear Darastrix is thus god for many peoples and god of many things, but these different gods are all part of the same greater god.
The Dragon and the Metal - Aurathear Darastrix's different aspects can be divided into the draconic aspect and the metallic aspect. The draconic aspect is the aspect that aids individuals and fights evil on the front lines, while the metallic aspect instructs societies on how they should be organized to avoid evil and wickedness and works to maintain such societies.
The Five Metals - Aurathear Darastrix's draconic and metallic aspects can each be divided into five metals, with their own roles in the broader empire and their own gods that build up their aspect.
The Divine Mandate - The Gold Emperor has been given a divine mandate by Aurathear Darastrix, by virtue of the submission of the holy Gold Dragons, to conquer the world and all its peoples so he might protect them from dangers from within, without and beyond. As part of this mandate he may form holy laws to aid the people in living good and gracious lives, while aiding one another and protecting one another. Aurathear Darastrix gives the Gold Emperor direct guidance through visions and divine audiences, and the Gold Emperor is thus a prophet with supreme power over all the faithful and with complete authority in questions of true faith.
Worship
Once again, the wonderful diversity of the Aurathean Church must be underlined. Each denomination and cult that together make up the Aurathean Church have their own rituals and traditions, their own ways to worship. However, some general themes can be seen:
Worship through service
Most of the churches maintain that their greatest worship is service to the Dragon God's empire, whether it be by filing tax reports, hunting monsters or protecting merchant ships from bad weather. This philosophy extends beyond the clergy and is also a potent idea in the general population of the Gold Empire. Soldiers are taught that they worship when they take new territories for the Gold Empire, smiths worship when they forge armor worn by imperial knights, laborers worship when they lay down new roads that connect the Dragon God's realm, all have their part to play.
Worship through service
Most of the churches maintain that their greatest worship is service to the Dragon God's empire, whether it be by filing tax reports, hunting monsters or protecting merchant ships from bad weather. This philosophy extends beyond the clergy and is also a potent idea in the general population of the Gold Empire. Soldiers are taught that they worship when they take new territories for the Gold Empire, smiths worship when they forge armor worn by imperial knights, laborers worship when they lay down new roads that connect the Dragon God's realm, all have their part to play.
Priesthood
The Aureathean Church is a vast and complicated organization, with each denomenation having a different approach to the role of priests and clerics. In general, to become a true priest one must first serve as a monk, performing the many and varied activities required for the churches to function and to support the priests in their spiritual work.
When a monk is deemed ready and suitable for ascension to the ranks of the clergy, they will generally go through a test of faith and ritual led by a higher-ranking priest to mark them as worthy in the eyes of the Dragon God.
For the silver metal church, the position of cleric is only reached after years of study and service as a monk working the massive bureaucracy of the Gold Empire or as an investigator, and only the best and brightest are selected. For the gold dragon church, becoming a priest requires years of apprenticeship as a sword-monk to a monster hunting gold dragon priest.
The words cleric and priest are generally understood to have the same meaning in the Gold Empire, but strictly speaking a cleric is a priest who can channel the miracles of the Dragon God, while a priest is just a religious officer.
The priests of the Dragon God are an essential part of the Gold Empire. They administrate its holdings, serve justice, protect the innocent, heal the sick, help the marginalized and connect the populace to their god. They are the representatives of the Dragon God in the world, which they reveal through fiery sermons, wonderous miracles and their benign presence in the world.
Layfolk regard priests with respect.
When a monk is deemed ready and suitable for ascension to the ranks of the clergy, they will generally go through a test of faith and ritual led by a higher-ranking priest to mark them as worthy in the eyes of the Dragon God.
For the silver metal church, the position of cleric is only reached after years of study and service as a monk working the massive bureaucracy of the Gold Empire or as an investigator, and only the best and brightest are selected. For the gold dragon church, becoming a priest requires years of apprenticeship as a sword-monk to a monster hunting gold dragon priest.
The words cleric and priest are generally understood to have the same meaning in the Gold Empire, but strictly speaking a cleric is a priest who can channel the miracles of the Dragon God, while a priest is just a religious officer.
The priests of the Dragon God are an essential part of the Gold Empire. They administrate its holdings, serve justice, protect the innocent, heal the sick, help the marginalized and connect the populace to their god. They are the representatives of the Dragon God in the world, which they reveal through fiery sermons, wonderous miracles and their benign presence in the world.
Layfolk regard priests with respect.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Capital
Founders
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Location
Notable Members
Comments