Creed of Raziel
The Creed of Raziel is the concord struck between Korvand and Raziel, that he would carry forth his torch in the mortal world, to end the torment of disorder, and bring his worship back amongst the realms of man, in return he would choose him and his people to be the inheritors of the world, it's new custodians.
It is the worship of Raziel & Valatau, and their offspring, and other of Raziel’s children, as the great patrons of civilization and that which is good and just in the world. Worship of other gods is to some degree frowned upon, with some few approved gods by the church.
The church as such as many gods in the pantheon to whom they give thanks, and its great halls are often lined with their statues and impressive murals and paintings of their deeds and the deeds of their patron saints. With each god being worshipped for different ends but all of them given great reverences and thanks with the hallow halls of the church, though it is Raziel who is held in the highest regard as the head of the Pantheon.
Though it is also quite common to find smaller churches and convents dedicated to a singular God, especially to that of Valatau, who is often held in great importance in smaller rural settlements as the god of the Harvest.
Within the church, most are dedicated to Raziel and use him to channel the power of the other gods, but some also dedicate themselves to the other gods. As such the church is split into different wings for the different lesser gods and the main house of Raziel in every major church.
The Creed is highly structured and hierarchical, the lead by the Conclave who each represent the highest-ranking member of each wing and the house. With the grand church being located at the foot of the holy mountain of the Sacrament. Here the Grand Cathedral stands, a testament to wealth and glory Raziel brings with him.
Raziel
Raziel is worshiped as the protector of the League and the adopted father of humanity, he who took King Korvand into his light gave him a sacred purpose to unite humanity under a new banner. He is the King of Gods and God of Kings, he is the writer of the first law, to him do humanity owe civilization and glory and peace of their new lands. Raziel is worshipped in two very different approaches, the common man worships to Raziel in gratitude for his bountiful gifts, for all know that the success of the league is tied to the holy covenant between Raziel and the king Korvand. He is worshipped by those who need his aid, for nothing is beyond his reach, as the King of Gods, nothing cannot be granted his magnificence. He is worshipped as the father of civilization and law, after all, thus his priest is often sought for advice on legal matters, and in many cases handles most legal aspects of the kingdoms. Whereas his priest and nobles worship him to emulate the 5 Kings or his 5 aspects as king. And the 5 aspects of authority as the priests call them. That is his priest strives to embody these different aspects to be perfect reflections of the will of the one god, it is the goal of all his followers to reach such harmony and become the perfect leader. But to embody the King of Gods is dangerous, those who cannot find harmony within all of his aspects may be possessed by it, such priests are known as the sworn, and in these times the war-sworn those who have seen so much carnage that they could. From his sense of balance is much of the League’s moral fiber made, it is seen that all acts must be balanced by a natural opposite. It is natural for a lord, for example, to adhere to the law strictly, but he most also embodies the warmth of a father to truly lead his people, thus his judgment cannot solely be derived from the cold calculation. The Clergy of Raziel wear resplendent white robes, often trimmed in gold, it is customary that they wear heavy chains across their chest and waist, the chain around the west must bear the local law and the law of the kings, while the chain across their chest symbolizes their responsibility to god and their dignity, any priest who disappoints Raziel will find the chain brand them and cannot remove it before redeeming themselves. A common garb for a priest is the many-faced icon, it comes in many forms, somewhere necklaces that can switch a face representing an aspect of Raziel, others helmets with faceplates. It is their duty to liberate the common man on matters of the law, that they may know their rights, and more importantly their boundaries.Org & Structure.
The followers of Raziel are often referred to as lawbearers, for the simple reason that they always carry the law with them. But internally the Clergy behave quite differently as it is highly stratified, with followers being divided by the chain they wear, with bronze chains being used to mark initiates, golden chains mark the brothers of the order, who in turn are subdivided into the 5 aspects who they regularly switch. And the silver chain which represents mastery of an aspect, such members become leaders of the communes and what can unite the different clergy by their understanding of the divine. Though few are able to ever master all 5 aspects, some being lost to a single or simply never able to accomplish such a goal. Those who do however are known as Sovereigns The High Sovereign is a member of the church who has mastered the most aspects of the Raziel at any given time within the church, it is rare to see one master all 5 aspects of Raziel, and these high Sovereigns are declared Saints of the Creed. Those who have mastered a single aspect are then the Sovereigns, such individuals are often appointment as leaders of local communities and churches of the great cities in the league. These individuals are revered for the mastery of their aspects, but should they refuse preators Are the personal students of a sovereign, and their way to mastery of an aspect, such promising individuals are often assigned the tasks of managing smaller communities and churches in the countryside, to hold masses to people and arrange the prober rituals for the people.The Chambers
Chamber of Law In the chamber of law, the priest must study the law to its fullest that they may prosecute any who would transgress against the will of the kings, the priest who fall too far to the will of the written law is said to harmonies, join the chamber fully to serve the will of Harkon the judge, while in service to Raziel. It is the hall of law the important part for a priest is to understand the severity of those who would betray the written law, and also to spread its the message, for without the law there would be chaos and death. Chamber of Mediation The Chamber of mediation aims to teach not only the spirit of the law, the maintenance of order, and peaceful resolution, it teaches forgiveness when one fails to do so, if the reason why stemmed from failure by the law to protect the individual in the first place. The chamber is meant to temper and softens the hand of the law, that it can still be just and fair. Chamber of Domiance The chamber of Dominance teaches the importance of force, that order cannot be maintained without being harsh at times, being understanding will not be able to solve matters of hate, and sometimes the ruler must therefore react with a harsh hand, thus the chamber teaches to scorn disrespect and disregard for the law and the ruling of it with contempt. That sometimes you must make decisions that others will despise, but if done for their long-term good you must be steadfast. Chamber of War Those who would break away from the order Raziel, will be dragged into it, and where the drums of war bring forth new land so too must the torch of Raziel be lit, it is the chamber of war that takes care of such matters. Militant men of faith, and those whose flame burns bright to bring light to foreign lands and ensure the creed of Raziel is not broken. Chamber of Temperance. The Chamber of Temperance teaches the priest that dominance must be tempered with compassion, that you cannot rule with an iron fist forever, when times are good you must be good. From plenty, you must disperse, and the hoarding of worldly good is not the work of a man of god, he must be generous when he can, he must be kind when able. The chamber often encourages that the priest go out and aid the public, organize festivities and food for the masses, to aid their fellow man, for how can one rule without understanding the people. But it's main aspect is also that of fluidity of the aspects, that to reach compassion one must be able to master their internal aspects and emotions, knowing when to heed law or war and so on.The path
Those who seek to become a Sovereign, which are most members of the church, embark on a life long personal journey to embody Raziel, many lay out their foundations when taught by the church, and often by the sovereigns who themselves are masters of specific embodiments, thus they must often travel across the League to properly fulfill their teachings.Valatau
Valatau is primarily worshipped as the god of the harvest within the league and the association of a woman’s role as reflected by the gods. To many in the central states, she is as such worshipped by farmers, and women who seek her protection and guidance. But she is to most a goddess of compassion, to become the one willing to bear burdens for others, for the good of the family, for the good of all. Many pray to her to lessen their burdens, many pray for aid, and just as many pray in thanks for compassion and harvest. Valatau is viewed as the goddess of maidenhood and her relation with Raziel is what is viewed as an ideal relation, with the man seen as the stern caretaker who guides the family infirm and thoughtful manner and the woman as the compassionate counterpart, who guides the family with matters of the heart. Though in some parts of the church this is a view held with some contempt, especially in certain regions of the League. Those who join the Wing of Valatau are often called Valatians, these clergies are known are known for their black robes and white shoulder mantles. Her church is often dedicated towards the protection of the innocent, often meaning the young , taking in many who would otherwise have no home due to the harshness of the many wars fought over the last century, and the unfortunate fate of many half children and sinborn that may end up at the convent. Many therefore ridicule the places of Valatau as seeming to be a playground outside of sermons, but to her followers, there is no greater glory than to bring compassion to the lost. In some convents she is however worshipped as the Ashen Maiden, the personification of vengeance, those who have lost loved ones may also come to her in this aspect to grieve their loose. Some even give their entire devotion to this aspect of Valatau, which is known as the Ash ConventsOrg & Structure.
The Sisterhood are those dedicated to maintaining Valatau’s churches and the leading authority of the convents. The Hierarchy of Valatau’s convents is rather loose, much more akin to a sisterhood of equal standing where all are expected to do as needed for the good of the convent and Valatau. For Valatau does not particularly care for rank between her children, they are all equal before her after all. Thus a convent is a lead by a Matron Mother, who guides the maidens, in terms of organizing individual roles for the day and events. But she also directs the wandering brothers, the male children adopted into the church, some may choose to remain menials at the church or in rare cases if blessed by Valatau become true members of the church and lead in prayer. But most choose to join the wandering brothers, an armed wing of the church tasked with protecting their sisters and church from those who would do them harm in their missions.Feniké
Feniké is often worshipped for her aspects as the nexus builder and her encouragement of industry and commerce, with many seeking her blessing or saying her name in praise at the end of a transaction, but her active worship is not seen in many of the central states. Though in some states she often worshipped but rather as her aspect of the bold for those seeking the courage to accomplish a task or those who embark on long journeys for financial gain may seek her protection. For most these would be the aspects sought after her, especially in Akelth and the Baknlands in general she is highly venerated for their boldness, and planning is greatly sought after. But she has no real major wings, with most churches merely having shrines dedicated to her. Except in Akelth where her only temple stands, here she is venerated as the mother of cities and unions, worshipped for the ability to bring people together for the common purpose of a shared prosperity. As she once united them do they hope to teach others her love, by the means she has taught by trading and traveling, by knowing the world, can you understand those that live in it, and thereby know what they want, once you know that, you can thrive together. This group of her followers refer to themselves as Fenikians The Fenikan priesthood of Akelth often wears luxurious clothes of trending fashion to show off the wealth they’ve acquired by following her teachings, and will often help organize trading caravans and bless said expedition. Wheras in the majority of the league her worshippers take on roles in administration and trading considering it their sacred charge to effectively oversee her holy sites, that of the great cities and their lifeblood, the trade between them, they refer to themselves as the Architects. A smaller sect of her followers believe it their charge to oversee specificly the integration of new cities into this system, refer to themselves as the Advents. All these groups have a conclave in Akelth to convene and discuss disagreements and assist each other in matters of theology and state, they often work together with the champer of Law & Mediation.Arvilus
The executioner, the manifestation of punishment, Arvilius is the just reaction to those who would break the law, meeting out fair punishment, not out of satisfaction but because it must be done to maintain the law. He is the hand of Harkon and his Father, but he himself is rarely worshipped actively, instead, Arvilus is associated with unwanted burdens, and he is revered for the role he performs in society, but never truly thanked, and he would have no other way, his task is a grim one, better it be thankless than glorified. For more than mere punishment, Arvilus is often associated with executions and torture, harsh punishment, retributive even. But that is not truly what he represents. Those who take up his task are the Arvilians, often they are the wardens of prisons, executioners, and torturers. Few of them actually worship him as a god, but their institutes demand that they try to emulate his emotional detachment from their professions. The Arvilians are organised into a subgroup of the Creed without a formal name, but often simple called the Headmens Quaters and directed by the chambers of Law & Dominance.Harkon
She is the Goddess of Law, the manifestation of the written word and it’s just enforcement. The judge who must preside over a case, the jury who must weigh the evidence, her priests are given unnatural sight and mind to peer truth from fiction, and are thus highly trusted by many to dersern right and wrong from the accused. She is the Goddess of Honour, for if the law is not kept by honor it is done so by integrity and deed, and long before the word of the law was brought to Korval, there was the noble spirit of man that kept together with the fabrics of the world. For many of the Korvali honor and honesty are two sides of the same coin, and the prospect of breaking a promise or betraying oath is a bitter pill, and this notion is often associated with Harkon as the goddess of Oaths and honesty to Korvali people. With her name often being invoked when making promises. Though rarely worshipped her will is often carried out, for through her the church is responsible for the judicial system of the Kingdom, the priest of Harkon being able to know truth from lie via her blessings carry out their responsibility with stoic and pious determination. Though the judges of Harkon often work on behalf of the state often blurring the line between them. It is extremely common that members of the Chamber of Law also swear alligance to Harkon and follow her teachings.History
The First recognized Saint of the church was Saint Edelgard, who oversaw the conversion and building of churches in the south and spread the gospel to staunch traditionalists of the west, so fierce and passionate where his arguments that many would convert. Most famed perhaps for his victories during the western holy wars where he personally lead armies he had anointed with Raziel blessing.
Saint Amaris of the Middenlands was recognized for his reforms in the Southlands that saw the gospel more closely aligned with original founding, and for stopping what might have resulted in a civil war if his authority and rhetoric hadn't calmed the 5 Kings. Thus he is venerated as the mediator and statesmen often invoked before diplomatic proceedings and the ideal image of a negotiator. In life he saw began the conversion and spreading of Gospel even off to Bredlam and to the great Jungles, his teachings would lay the foundation for their eventual joining of the League. Known for his great humility, as he declared Saint Knud the next High Soverign, for his accomplishments.
Saint Knud of Korvland oversaw the conversion of the northlands, and was instrumental in the unification of the north and joining in the League, without his wisdom and guidance it is doubtful the joining of the Northern states would have been as smooth and harmonious. Viewed a symbol of the Creed's truth for his hard work in rooting out heretical cults and druidic practices which he espoused as work that defied the glory of the King of the Gods, and cheaper the devotion to god, by the worship of base nature.
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