Church of Sephira

Mythology & Lore

Legendary Items Associated with Sephira

The Seven Stars of Sephira

There are said to be seven flawless diamonds associated with Sephira - The Seven Stars of Sephira, said to be created from her tears as she wept for her lost love, Nicodemus. All are currently lost to the wilds of the world.

Tenets of Faith

The Duties of the Clerics of Sephira

Sephira’s clerics have very few rules, if any, placed on them besides the mandates of their faith. They are allowed to marry, have families, live where they wish etc.
The feet that wander will find the needy: The Clerics of Sephira are largely given to wandering in their duties, at least traveling regularly through their cities and surrounding areas to help heal, bring succor, or minister to those in need. They often serve as counselors, bring aid to couples and families, and work to help those in need.
The eyes that seek will find the stars: Clerics are expected to attend temple gatherings at least monthly and, if unable, should devote themselves to an evening of worship outside where the skies and stars are visible.
The voice that rises will be heard: Most clerics of Sephira have some sort of musical talent - though the ability of that varies greatly. Clerics of Sephira are expected to help sponsor and patron music, tale-tellers, and bards when able as these endeavors are important to their Goddess.
The ears that listen will carry the words that matter: Because of their wandering nature, Sephira’s clerics are often bringers of important news from other areas. While this does not fall under their official tasks and mandates from Sephira, they take it as a mark of pride to be in the know during their travels.
Freedom above all: The most important mandate for Sephira’s clerics is freeing those trapped in bondage. That may be actual slavery, but can also mean spiritual, social or other types of entrapment. When they are aware of these situations, they are bound by oath to try and intercede - sometimes the law be damned.

Forbidden to Sephira

Sephira’s followers must never knowingly enslave another or hold them in undue bondage. (Note: This does not apply to fighting monsters or evil, but rather subjugation and slavery)

Sacred to Sephira

Singing, revelry in the night, freeing the oppressed

Typical Offerings

Song or story, branches of wood for staffs or walking sticks, packets of travel food

Worship

Major Areas of Worship

Sephira has many temples and most major cities have a temple dedicated to her along with numerous road-side shrines established by her clerics and followers. She is particularly popular in Montaigne and southern Europa.
Sephira’s temples are always open to the night sky - many feature closeable roofs that can be opened for moonlight ceremonies.

Holidays

Sephira has four “holidays'' each year - once every three months. These are always held on the full moon and in the evening. They are celebration nights for Sephira’s church. These are “high mass” evenings with speeches from Asteri, blessings, and songs and tale telling. Each of the four evenings has a different theme: January - Patience, Home, Hearth; April - New Beginnings, Adventure; July - Wealth and Plenty, Love; October - Saving for the future, community
Longest Night is also typically celebrated in honor to Sephira with revels going straight through until dawn to celebrate her dominion over the night time skies. These revels usually feature music and tale telling as part of the festivities.

Common Sayings and Blessings

“May the stars light your night.”

Priesthood

Leader of the Church

Kallista Makris has risen to prominence in Eisen as the head priestess of Sephira’s temple. Kallista lives in a small rectory adjacent to Sephira’s temple though, like many of Sephira’s clerics, she prefers to wander the city and surrounding areas so finding her at home can be rare other than during holy obligations.
The temple in Novandria is known as the Temple of the Wandering Wind

Ranks within the Church

Given Sephira’s carefree nature, most of her clerics share the same sort of wanderlust and lack of strict organization. While there are ranks, they are not rigidly followed and the clerical body serves more as a loose conglomerate than any rigid structure.
There are three ranks: Initiate of the Order, Periplanisi of the Order (literally: the wanderers - the bulk of the rank and file of the clerics of the temple), and Asteri of the Order - the high clerics that typically run a given temple in a city.
Sephira is a peace-loving goddess, though willing to fight when needed, and while many of her clerics are very capable, there is no militant arm of her temple.

Clothing

This varies greatly though most of the clerics favor sturdy traveling clothes in layers to suit any environment. Every member of the order also wears a pendant bearing Sephira’s emblem, as well as a band of purple and white somewhere upon them.

Membership Restrictions

None

Typical Types of Followers

Sephira is popular among all travelers and favored by bards and other traveling folk. Not everyone who follows her is a musician or traveler, however, and a good number of her followers are those who have found freedom thanks to the interventions of her clerics.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Interaction with Society

Messengers and news carriers, healers.

Ceremonies

Church services usually begin with a blessing from the Astari, some sort of speech or sermon revolving around Sephira’s tenets, and then music and meditation.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Leader

Kallista Makris

Divines

• Sephira, Goddess of Night & Adventure

Notable Members

• Kallista Makris

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Religions of Terranon