"To you I pray, Dear Skyfather, be wind under my wings. I was born to soar. Passerine, Soar, Molt. Passerine, Soar, Molt. Passerine, Soar, Molt"
-Prayer to Annor
The Church of Annor is the religious organization that dominates the
The Winged Woods . It's the religion of most
Birdfolk
Annor
Annor is the God of Flight, Air, Wind, and patron god of the Birdfolk. The Church of Annor considered Annor to be the parent to all Birdfolk, as they were all born of Annor's clutch in the First Verse. They believe that Annor was an equal to all the other gods of old, even Londhor, who the
The Church Of Londhor claims was Annor's master. Annor is depicted in the Church as an elderly birdfolk, what kind of birdfolk largely depends on what kind of birdfolk one is speaking to. Outside of the Church of Annor, Annor is depicted as a griffon with four wings.
Organization
Priest
Priest of the Church of Annor are called Gliders. Upon taking vows, they surrender all titles and claims and set aside their last names. They often wear simple loose leather tunics and pants. They lead worships in the many churchs that are built across the Winged Woods. There have been Gliders spotted in far off places such as Corinth.
The Soaring One
The head of the Faith is the Soaring One and is considered the voice of Annor. They typically dress in loose, yet well crafted leather clothes that are weighed down with pockets of sand. This attire is designed to be only heavy enough to be uncomfortable, especially so during flight. The Soaring One takes an oath to never fly again, as it's believed that if a Soaring One, a chosen and beloved of Annor, was to take flight, the divine strength of their wings would shatter the Winged Woods. This is believed even when the Soaring One is smaller, older or more feeble, which as elder members of the faith, they usually are.
The Groundskeepers
The Groundskeepers are a holy order of flightless birdfolk paladins. They have taken oaths to defend the Winged Woods from not only heretics and sinners, but also any of the strange and deadly plants that crawl up the trunks of the giant trees cities. They consider their being flightless to be a sign of a greater calling from Annor. Birdfolk of the Groundkeepers resemble ostritches, kiwis, and some people of Coldwall such as the penguins.
Rights & Privileges
The Church of Annor held several rights, including permission to maintain the Groundkeepers orders. In recent years, more petitions have been brought forth by the faith to create more militant holy orders. The King Godsflight wrote many rights and privileges for the Church into law when he was first crowned the Winged King. The Church has always been exempt from taxation.
The Church has, at times, been given what is called "Clipping Privileges", which allowed them to clip the wings of those who were deemed heretics by the Church. This has only been given a few times, each time to the disdain and upheavel of the common people.
Practices
The Church of Annor is the primary faith of
The Winged Woods and most
Birdfolk . The Church preaches against adultery, kinslaying, wing clipping (Both clipping ones own wings and clipping anothers), egg eating,
Witchcraft and oathbreaking.
The cycle of life is described and outlines in three parts in the Church of Annor. The first part is Passerine, where one sits, listens and perches. The second part is called Soar, where one flies higher and higher until eventually they arrive at the third and final part of life, Molt. Molt is shedding who you are to fly higher than you ever did during Soar. It's also where life ends. In reference to this, most prayers are ended with the repetition of the three parts.
Worship
Religious practices and ceremonies, along with regular worship, is done in an open air building called roost. Ideally a roost is as high into the canopy as possible, but many roost are built on lower branches to cater to the common folk who live amongst them. Roost can be found all over the Winged Woods, even in open areas such as the Meadowlands or Coldwall. These flat-area roost are sometimes looked down upon by members of the church, who refer to them negatively as "chicken runs", and claim they go against much that the Church teaches.
Meditation is often done on ones own. One would go high above the canopy of the Winged Woods, or wherever they were, and lock their wings and soar. During this soaring one should clear their mind and simply feel the wind under ones wings.
The symbol of the faith, called the Archaeopteryx, is a blue arrow pointing upward and a feather. The blue arrow pointing upward represents the desire of all birdfolk to fly as high as they can, to soar amongst the air that Annor did. The white feather is the feather of Annor. Use of a white feather in any of the nobles houses crest, or in the signs of any buisnesses, is strictly prohibited.
Holy Days
There are no holy days within the Church of Annor
Marriage Customs
Marriage takes place in a roost. The ceremony is led by a Glider, who calls upon Annor to bind the two to always fly together. The two trade feathers, which have been inscribed with their soon-to-be spouses names along the shaft. The Glider will tell the two to recite any oaths they wish to recite. After the personal oaths have been recited, the Glider will say "(name), on what do you swear this love on, to be yours till your feathers fall?" to which the one being asked will answer "I swear on the wind." The Glider will ask the same question to the other person, who will answer "I swear on the sky". The Glider will then declare "Then with this kiss, by the winds of Annor and sky above, I declare you forever bound."
Marriages are usually followed by grand feast, normally taking place at bathhouse.
Death
According to the Church of Annor, dying is only the transitionary period between this life, and being bound forever to the sky. They believe that their dead's soul ascends to such unreachable heights that they reach the domain of Annor himself. Cremation is common for this reason, as the Church believes that the ashes and essence of that person floats up to the sky and to Annor.
History
The Pecking Wars
The Church of Annor preached peace and cooperation during the Pecking Wars, but their pleas largely fell on the deaf ears of power hungry lords and barons.
House Godsflight
House Godsflight was very close with the Church at the time of the first Perching, and to this day maintains a strong relationship with the Faith.
The Battle of Lonely Woods
In the year 82 v4, two holy orders clashed in the Lonely Woods on the border of the Empire of Avarend and the Winged Woods. One of these holy orders was The Knights of The Sky, a group of Annorite Paladins. The other group was The Blessed Brave, a group of paladins of the
The Church Of Londhor that would go on to become
The Brave Brothers The Knights of the Sky would be disbanded after this battle.
Notes
