Concordancy

Losing Mr. Havyn was sad, but we'd seen it coming for a while now. Orderly Kellan and Guard Mavis were both present at his last moments, and they bid him welcome back to the fabric of the world. I'd never really been one for Concordancy, seemed like a bunch of picking daisies and nonsense, but seeing how relieved Mom and Da were when Kellan and Mavis told them they had completed the ceremony kinda made me think a bit. Can something that isn't real bring people that much happiness? Or does it even matter whether or not it's real at that point, if it can cause that much good in the world? I think I'm going to talk to Kellan tomorrow about how he found himself drawn into this whole Concordist business.

A journal entry written by a rural Fharyne youth, approx. 250 6c.

Structure

Concordancy is fairly well structured. It is lead by the Most Concordant, who resides in the city of Hanadhel (meaning "peaceful place" in Fharyne), which is only two days travel north of Tenimor. The Most Concordant is the keeper of Concordancy in the sense that they ensure the continued practice and expansion of the faith. They are considered to be the most attuned to the history of the Harmonious One, as they have passed each of the Dozen Trials which are used to assess attunement. While the Most Concordant traditionally has very little political power in Fharyn, they do have a strong hold over the social sphere, and have been known to inspire or even lead grassroots peoples' movements.

After the Most Concordant, there is a body of priests known as the Fair Travelers. These individuals are deemed attuned enough to act as ambassadors of the faith, and they wander from place to place attempting to bring some balance or harmony to the people they find. Many Travelers are clerics, or spirit healers, and they work hard to garner positive attitudes towards their faith. The counterparts to the travelers are known as the Fair Guard, and rather than travel the world they stay in Fharyn and offer religious and spiritual guidance who those who need it. Large cities will have many Guards, whereas small towns might share only a few Guards between them.

Guards or Travelers will often take on apprentices who wish to learn the faith, and these disciples are known as Orderlies. It is often said that even the Most Concordant typically begins their journey as an Orderly, finding themselves drawn to the harmonious nature of Concordancy. Due to one of the tenets of this faith dictating that all people are equals in the spiritual fabric of the world, a brand new Orderly is treated with the same respect as any other member of the faith: even the Most Concordant does not receive special treatment.

Public Agenda

One of the main tenets of Concordancy is that, in order to achieve ultimate peace, all the world must be united in common purpose. It was the will of the Harmonious One to create many different wholes that would one day come back together. The idea of reuse and reformation is important to Concordancy, so they ensure that almost nothing is ever wasted- whether it be resources or lives. Though the goal of this faith is peace (because that is the way that the Harmonious One will once again be created), it is understood that peace cannot be both the method and the end. Therefore, Fharyn has become focused on expansion, attempting to bring other lands into the kingdom and to convert them to Concordancy. Of course, the Kingdom also has secular reasons for doing so, as the worship of Concordancy has actually declined slightly over the years, but at the very least the reason for conquering is still said to be the path towards ultimate peace.

Assets

As the state religion of the Kingdom of Fharyn, Concordancy has some serious social and financial capital. One of the more obvious manifestations is the prevalence of worship buildings, known as rounds. True to name, these structures are circular in shape, with entrances facing all cardinal directions. Though they are fairly austere in ornamentation, the buildings are always made of fine stone and wood; a humble suggestion of wealth.

History

The beginnings of Concordancy predate the count of cycles, however the first formal worship was recorded about halfway through the first cycle. Since then, the faith has only grown in scope and power.

Mythology & Lore

The practice of Concordancy posits that there was once a Harmonious One who encompassed all of existence. This One, what some might call a god, was saddened by their solitude. Since they encompassed everything, there was nothing that wasn't simply a part of them. In a fit of loneliness, the One shattered themselves into innumerable shards which would become the various parts of the world. All things, living or inanimate, came from the One, and therefore they all must be respected equally.

Tenets of Faith

Under Concordancy, equality is key. All beings are considered equal, as they are all parts of the Harmonious One, and therefore should only exist in harmony with one another. Because of this, power structures and authority are approached very differently than in other cultures. People defer to authority because it offers a path to achieve order, yet it is accepted that power does not exist to place people above others. It is simply a convenient facet of society. Thus, even aboard Navy vessels, power structures rarely carry any meaning outside of work, and "subordinates" often have close bonds with those who technically have command over them. However, this belief has also been used as an excuse to dismiss social issues such as economic inequality by simply claiming that all are equal regardless of their secular assets, and then brushing off the actual problem.

Worship

Places of worship for Concordancy, commonly known as rounds, are present all throughout the Kingdom of Fharyn. These structures are circular, with a partial roof that leaves the center exposed. At the center of the structure there is an altar, open to the elements and bathed in sun or moonlight. It has become fashionable to make these altars out of sablestone for aesthetic purposes. The method of worship within the round is to enter the building and slowly make one's way to the central altar, moving along with any other people in the round, existing as a harmonious unit.

Most concordists only worship at a round occasionally, preferring to have a small altar set up in their home. Praying consists of a form of meditation in which one tries to feel connected to everything, living and dormant, that exists around them.

Granted Divine Powers

It is said that those who faithfully practice Concordancy increase their attunement with the world, allowing them to see Lagan more than they naturally might. Some faithful can also act as an interpreter or guide for these mystical forces, which can give them abilities in the prophetic or healing arts.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Concordancy is very entwined in the cultural fabric of the Kingdom of Fharyn, but it is not necessarily a strong political force. Indeed, over the past few decades the Fharyne royalty has leaned away from the teachings of Concordancy, or otherwise twisted the meanings to justify the nation's expansionist policies.

From one, as one.

The symbol of Concordancy is a ribbon threaded through a ring. It is often simplified to a figure-eight overlaid with a circle.

Fharyne word: Mysrahana (lit. "the state of being unified")

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Concordist

Permeated Organizations

• Kingdom of Fharyn