The Great Church

Members of the Great Church worship the gods equally as a family, so the organization occupies a broad and nebulous place in the world. As a group, the gods are called the Lords of Good for a reason: They are associated with all that is holy and sacred. Together they represent life, its many wonders, and its prolific disappointments. The Church recognizes three groups of gods: the old gods, the treeborn gods, and the young gods.
The old gods are associated with the fundamental elements that are everywhere, with or without the interference of the mortal hand or mind (rocks, oceans, stars). Scholars sometimes call these the “chthonic” gods. The treeborn gods represent the individual, with Terak being the body, Tinel the mind, Morwyn the spirit, Zheenkeef the emotions and dreams, and Mormekar the body’s ultimate failure, death. Finally, the young gods represent the concepts of society, or groups of individuals: nobility, forging, diplomacy, love, and woodcraft. The Great Church, therefore, ministers to everything that lives and thrives in the world as personified by the Gods of the Tree, from the smallest monetary transaction to the unfathomable workings of the heavens.
The Great Church represents the gods with icons, showing them seated in a semi-circle on thrones of gold. Each god appears in his or her most common likeness, as described in the gods’ various entries. The symbolic representation of the Lords of Heaven is a white tree with five golden fruits growing on it. A cleric of the Great Church’s holy symbol is usually a tree crafted from white gold with five yellow-gold fruits.
The tree symbol is simplified when scrawled or put on small surfaces, as an inverted pyramid containing five circles in a star pattern. This is a much less formal symbol than the tree, but it can be made quickly or crafted out of basic materials and used by a cleric of the great church as a holy symbol in times of crisis. It is the symbol used by the very poor.
The Gods of the Tree are not particularly strongly associated with any one group of people, or any one race. The Great Church certainly is, though, and its associations are explained below.
The gods are predominantly neutral good. Although the pantheon is divided quite strongly between the chaotic- tending gods and the lawful ones (necessitating the Compact), they are united in their opposition to the works of evil—slaughtering infants, slavery, making bargains with devils, and other, darker deeds. The Great Church, however, is largely lawful good, and because of this, the chaotic gods rarely bother with the organization.

Public Agenda

Advance the Principles of Good

As a family, the gods’ motives are complex. Each god seeks to further her own ends, bringing mortals to her way of thinking. As determined by the Compact, gods grow stronger with worship, so each god strives to influence the world through followers and promote those forces that lead worshipers to them. This often brings two or more gods into conflict. Furthermore, a schism divides the two families of gods. One is unruly and believes that the individual is the strongest force in the universe; the other believes that organization and societal structure are the keys to strength.
Now, while the gods have much to argue about, they are unified behind the principles of good. They oppose senseless destruction, murder, and the many other trappings of evil. The destruction that evil brings leads to fewer followers (or at the very least corrupts the mortal races away from the ways of the gods). The gods are quite fond of the mortal races and would see them thrive, and the treeborn gods were nearly destroyed by murder and mayhem in their youth, when they were moved to war against one another. They have learned the perils of the dark path. Therefore, the gods aid the mortals in their struggles against evil as a unified group.

Tenets of Faith

The Doctrine of the Great Church can most easily be described as pure good. One should strive to give, not take; to love, not hate; to befriend, never shun. It is the moral imperative of every mortal to try to do as the gods have done, offering shelter to the weak, raging against terrible wrongs, and protecting their families. Of course, the Church knows the world is filled with fallible people and believes if mortals ask for forgiveness, the gods will forgive them as they once forgave each other for great wrongs.
The Church also believes, however, there are sins that cannot be forgiven: trying to topple the gods as Kador did, making bargains with devils or demons, and giving up one’s soul for any reason. These behaviors take one outside the realm of forgiveness, and offenders become as demons in the eyes of the faithful. All else, including the most heinous crimes against another person, can be forgiven by the gods, though likely not by the law. It is in this that the Church’s lawful side is seen, for while its faith in the gods is one of pure good, the Church professes a very legalistic worship of the gods. The clergy discusses the laws and commandments of the gods that all people should obey. The Church sees itself as bringing the rule of the gods to the uninformed.
The Great Church has two great schools of thought in approaching this doctrine, and while they usually operate in harmony among church elders, they are occasionally drawn into conflict:

Gods' Work

The first philosophy, one adhered to by both the clergy and deacons, is the ministry of the gods’ work. According to this school of thought, the Great Church exists to spread the legends and worship of the gods, particularly to foreign or barbaric lands with different faiths. Part and parcel with this is the Church’s goal to consolidate its power base and make sure the lands where the gods are worshiped never lose sight of the faith. This involves making sure the Church has many chapels and cathedrals throughout the land. One of the many reasons the Church puts such a focus on secular matters is that it serves the Church’s goals to have close relations with the nobles who own the land and run the nations.
It would be easy to assume the clergy pushes for expansion because its hierarchy is made up of rank opportunists seeking to line their pockets with donations. In fact, the Church really is a good organization (as far as anyone can tell) and most of the clergy believe deeply in this idea. It began with Saint Hefasten, the first Supreme Patriarch: he whom the gods commanded to end their quarrel, and solve the riddle of the holy statue.
At the core of Hefasten’s teachings is the notion that every person’s life is bettered when she comes to pay proper homage to the gods. When Hefasten was writing his earliest screeds, most people had no idea how to pray or pay proper respect to the gods; instead, they let their priests do it for them. Hefasten believed in the democratization of faith, and it is still important to the Great Church that the ways of worship be made understandable to anyone, so everyone can pray to the gods themselves. This is clearly a good goal, even if the Church’s rate of expansion and political power threatens other churches.

Oppose Evil

The second major branch of Church philosophy states that the Church’s mission is to tirelessly oppose all forms of evil. One can see this requires a very different mindset than actively spreading the religion, and over the years, the two doctrines have led to a friendly split in the clergy.
While most focus on the strengthening of the Church and the spread of the faith, a core group of adventuring clerics seek simply to do good in the world in the name of the Gods. Supporting this group of “good works” clergy is an entire holy order dedicated to fighting the good fight: the paladins.

Worship

Most Great Church prayers invoke all the gods by referring to them as referring to them as “Holy Ones,” “Lords of Good,” or “Lords of Heaven.” An example, called “The Passage,” is from the naming ceremony where the Church recognizes a child after its birth:

“May the Lords of Heaven shine on thee,
May they lift you up in their great presence,
For thou art named in their hallowed halls,
And the Holy Ones shall know thee in the last.”

However, the most common prayer, which is used as the invocation for important events and is said by many common folk when they need a formal prayer, is the Order. The Order refers to each of the gods by name. In important ceremonies, a priest lights a candle or rings a bell when each name is read:

“Lords of Heaven, hear our prayer!
That Rontra’s earth will feed us,
And nourish those who hunger; That Urian’s skies will warm us,
And shelter those in need;
That Shalimyr’s waves will wash us clean,
And cleanse those who have failed us;
That Morwyn’s wisdom will guide us,
And her compassion aid the lost;
That Terak’s strength will embolden us,
And protect those who are weak;
That Tinel’s teachings will open our eyes,
And lift up those who are in ignorance;
That Zheenkeef’s inspiration will better us,
And her wine will bring us happiness;
That Mormekar’s hands will take us at our time,
And pass over the young and the innocent;
That Maal’s judgment will not find us lacking,
And his laws prevail over darkness;
That Naryne’s rulership will forever prevail,
And her servants share in her wisdom;
That Korak’s forge will provide for us,
And his skill will be reflected in mortal hands;
That Anwyn’s hearth fire will always burn,
And give sanctuary to the weary;
That Thellyne’s prey will be plentiful,
And that her gardens will flourish;
That Canelle’s swift feet shall carry us,
And we may all be victorious;
That Darmon’s trade will prosper,
And that we may share in his fortune;
That Aymara’s eyes will shine on us all,
And we each shall know love.
So we pray, Oh Holy Ones,
So we entreat you as your servants.”

Most of the prayers are less elaborate, and many situation- specific prayers call upon one god, though it’s usually after a quick acknowledgement of the other Holy Ones. Before a competition, a cleric might invoke Canelle. Before a birth, Rontra, Morwyn, and Anwyn are all named. At weddings, funerals, and other great life-changing ceremonies, however, all the gods are called on for blessing.
Paladins say the prayers of the Church in ceremonies, but their prayers are far less elaborate. They usually involve a quick invocation of “all that is holy” or “may the gods protect us.” It is rare for a paladin to appeal to just one of the gods, but there have been members of the order who feel closer to one god than the others. Many times, these paladins become members of the church of that god as well as the Great Church (and yet retain their status as paladins, as this in no way violates their holy mission or oaths).

Priesthood

The Great Church has three powerful holy orders: clergy, paladins, and deacons. There are also two lesser holy orders: the churchguard and the friars. Of these orders, the clergy are dominant and they decide the direction of the faith. The paladins are important and influential, but they operate almost entirely apart from the Church. The deacons, however, are the Church’s greatest strength: While they are officially referred to as “teachers,” they are dedicated to influencing the secular leaders and steering the course of history in the world. The deaconry is made up of Church members skilled in political matters, and secular leaders who’ve been given status in the Church to seal their loyalty.
The Supreme Patriarch or Matriarch, the highest-ranking member of the clergy, heads the Church. The Supreme Patriarch is seated in The Great Cathedral located in the city where Saint Hefasten founded the church.
The Great Church’s other places of worship vary wildly in size, however. Most cities and large towns have Churches, each led by a dean with the support of three or four clerics, one or two paladins, and six to ten churchguard. Deans, with consultation from those they oversee, make all decisions pertaining to the Church. The paladins can follow their own paths, but they do obey orders from the deans, and paladins certainly consult with the deans about their quests and matters requiring spiritual guidance.

Other Orders

Two other orders round out the organization of the Great Church. These are the Churchguard and the Friars, both of which are represented as backgrounds. The Churchguard is an order of devout warriors charged with protecting the clergy and the churches. Dressed in distinctive red uniforms with tabards bearing the Tree and the five fruits on their chests, they are always found standing guard at churches or in the company of deacons and higher-ranking officials.
Friars make up the second order, and all walk away from their lives to reflect on the teachings of the gods. Friars have no possessions and simply wander the land, taking what people offer them. They are fed by the Great Church and given shelter there, participating in holy services, but often make pilgrimages into distant lands. Friars do much of the spreading of the faith. Many members of this order serve only a few years, and then go back to their prior professions. Some friars are trained monks, able to fight against evil powers with their fists and their inner strength.

Known Locations of Worship:

• Paramenthia 

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Leader

Matriarch Joanna Curie

Leader Title

The Supreme Patriarch or Matriarch

Deities

• Anwyn
• Aymara
• Darmon
• Eliwyn
• Korak
• Maal
• Mormekar
• Morwyn
• Rontra
• Shalimyr
• The Nameless One
• Tinel
• Urian
• Zheenkeef

Divines

• The Nameless One

Location

The Great Cathedral

Related Ranks & Titles

• Archbishop
• Bishop
• Captain
• Dean
• Lord Protector
• The Supreme Patriarch or Matriarch

Related Professions

• Clerics of the Great Church
• Deaconry of the Great Church
• Paladins of the Great Church

Controlled Territories

• Light's Touch Cathedral
• The Great Cathedral

Related Myths

• First Thunder
• Founding The Great Church

Holy Days

The holy numbers of the mythology are three (three good elemental gods, three sisters, three tribes of div) and five (five fruits on the tree, five mortal races, five treeborn gods, five gods born of woman) and so holidays take place on third and fifth months, and days multiplied by three and five. Along with these two months of celebration, the Great Church has weekly religious services.
Three Sorrows
The third month of the year is called the “Three Sorrows.” For the deeply devout, one must fast during the day, and contemplate all of one’s misdeeds over the past year at night. Custom permits one to continue work and perform one’s secular duties during this time, including adventuring.
On the third, ninth, and 27th nights of the month are daylong services followed by solemn feasts. Each such holiday is an observance of one of the great sorrows. Those of the faithful who are not particularly devout do not fast during the month, but nearly everyone attends the three ceremonies of sorrow.

• The First Sorrow
  
On the third day of the third month, this service mourns the fall of Kador, whose name is not spoken in the service and is instead called “First Born” and “Fallen Fire.” This service reminds the faithful of the pitfalls of personal greed and pride, and all in attendance see themselves and their failings in Kador.
• The Second Sorrow
  
On the ninth day, the service recalls the first murder, brother upon brother, when Terak and Tinel killed one another and the great tree. The service reminds all in attendance to be forgiving of their neighbors and to live in harmony.
• The Third Sorrow
  
On the twenty-seventh day, the service recalls the departure of the gods from the world with the forging of the Compact. In this service, the faithful pray to be reunited with the gods in death, and hope for a time when the gods might rejoin the world of mortals in peace. The ceremony expresses the belief that the gods left the world not only for their own struggles but for mortal weaknesses, lamented in the ceremony.

Five Blessings
The fifth month of the year is called the “Five Blessings” and is a month of great celebration. If possible, the devout avoid being far from home during this month, though church business has certainly taken servants of the faith far from home even during the five blessings. Every five days of this month, there is a great festival day, including a noontime service in the local parish (which usually spills out into the streets, as these ceremonies bring so many people to the church) and an enormous feast. Even those who are not devout members of the church observe these five holy days, and it is considered wrong to work during the festivals.

• The First Blessing
   On the fifth day of the fifth month, the faithful thank the gods for the blessing of life. All the babies born during the past three months are dressed up in ceremonial costumes and given special names. Each name is whispered to the baby by the cleric performing the ceremony after reciting “The Passage,” so it’s generally unheard of for any of the faithful to know their baby name. It is said if the baby dies before it can speak, this name grants the soul an immediate audience with Lord Maal. Babies born more than three months before this ceremony have usually already had a small ceremony and received their name.
• The Second Blessing
   On the tenth day, the faithful thank the gods for the blessing of food. Everyone in the parish prepares the most sumptuous dish they can imagine, usually spending more than they can possibly afford on ingredients, and the faithful feed one another all day long in a festival that takes place in the streets.
• The Third Blessing 
  On the fifteenth day, the faithful thank the gods for the blessings of home and family. The faithful hold a great festival where the parish builds a home for anyone who needs it. In small communities, this might involve raising a barn if no one needs a new home, but often the community builds a new house for newlyweds married in the past year who, up until this time, lived with the bride’s or groom’s parents. In large communities with many beggars, the congregation builds a home for one person the church’s dean selects to be a symbol of divine generosity.
• The Fourth Blessing 
  On the twentieth day of the fifth month, the faithful celebrate the greatest festival—and the one that brings the Church its most converts. On this day, the faithful thank the gods for the blessing of joy. Also known as “Fool’s Day,” this holiday sees no poor performers. Acting troupes, jugglers, jesters, and other entertainers who can bring out a laugh are paid handsomely by the church to perform in the streets for the faithful. There is a great deal of wine consumed, and all the faithful dress up in outlandish costumes, usually in animal forms.
• The Fifth Blessing
   On the twenty-fifth day, the faithful thank the gods for the gift of death, which brings mortals into the gods’ embrace. At this festival, likenesses of all those who have died that year are placed on a dais, and those in attendance hold a great feast in their honor. Custom demands that the family of the deceased accomplish something this day that the departed left unfinished.

Saints

Saints are named only by the Supreme Patriarch. Candidates must have been dead for at least a decade before they can be named a saint, and must have accomplished a deed of tremendous importance to the Church’s work. Nearly always, this includes the most pious members of the Church who have worked great goods in their life, but it also occasionally includes secular figures who have aided the Church greatly with land grants and other gifts. 
A saint’s name is remembered with great reverence, and the holy orders often have sub-orders named after saints. For instance, there is an Order of St. Edrien among the paladins, named after Saint Edrien. Most churches are named after saints from the area.
The two most famous saints are Saint Hefasten and Saint Anne, who founded the Great Church and the order of paladins, respectively.