Church of the Awakened
The Primal High Episcopate of the Faithful Awakened or, the Church of the Awakened is the church that ministers to the dominant religion of the western human kingdoms. Its founding marked the beginning of the Awakened Age, when human explorers discovered the Dreamer's Garden in the ruins of Triarch and received from a mysterious figure there the scripture of the Song of the Stone Dreamer, which would become the founding text of the faith.
The Church recognizes and administers the ritual worship of three divine entities: the Dreamer, who is believed to have created life and the appetites that sustain it; the Watcher, who sets the boundaries for the law and teaches justice; and the Holy Wisdom, which dwells in the hearts of all people and directs them towards their ends. While the church officially acknowledges the existence of other gods, spirits, demons, and celestial beings, they do not condone their worship. At various periods, the Episcopate has actively suppressed the worship of these beings in their lands.
Structure
The Church is organized around three so-called Pillars, each corresponding to the Gods of the faith. The Obsidian Pillar is devoted to the Weaver of Dreams and arranges, interprets, and conducts the rites of worship in the faith's temples and shrines. Its domain is mysticism, music, poetry, art, and architecture. The head of this branch of the church is the Heir to the First Dreamer, named in honor of the mysterious, slumbering prophet who spoke what would become the church's first scripture.
The Golden Pillar is devoted to the Watcher and governs the church, as well as oversees the ordination, education, and discipline of its priests and monks. Its domain is philosophy, law, geometry, and architecture, the last of which it shares with the Obsidian Pillar. The head of this Pillar is the Sacred Primarch, the official head of the church itself, seen by some as peer to the kings of Ard Tala.
The Iron Pillar is devoted to the Holy Will and oversees the pastoral and charitable work of the church, as well as charging and sending forth the church's clerics and paladins. Its domain is medicine, diplomacy, rhetoric, and war. The leader of this branch is the Grand Marshal, who directly commands the knights, diplomats, and other agents and missionaries of the church.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Controlled Territories
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