The Church of the Golden Lady
The Church of the Golden Lady is the largest, most widespread religious order in the Aurelian Empire. The Church worships Waukeen, a lesser deity whose portfolio includes everything related to trade, commerce, and the accumulation of wealth through fair and illicit means. Her congregation ranges from lowly peddlers to the wealthy owners of trading companies, investors, accountants, entrepreneurs, caravan guides, warehouse owners, philanthropists, deal-makers, moneylenders, and even smugglers, fences, black marketeers, and shady "businessmen". Many who worship the Golden Lady believe the Empire's long-lived economic success to be a sign that Waukeen favors them.
Structure
Unlike many other organized religions, the hierarchy of the Church is loose. A High Priest, the Holycoin, heads each temple. The lowest rank in the church are novices who could ascend the hierarchy ladder after confirmation.
The specialty priests of the church are known as Goldeyes due to their pupils gaining a golden hue glow after being touched by Waukeen. Goldeyes are considered to be the most successful treasure seekers and are in high demand throughout the Empire for that particular ability.
The specialty priests of the church are known as Goldeyes due to their pupils gaining a golden hue glow after being touched by Waukeen. Goldeyes are considered to be the most successful treasure seekers and are in high demand throughout the Empire for that particular ability.
Assets
As one would expect, the Church of the Golden Lady is exceptionally wealthy. Its clerics and priests are usually successful businessmen or investors, and are expected to pay a tithe equal to 25% of their income to the Church. This large sum is applicable to adventuring loot, investments, bounties, rewards, and businesses. Coin collected from worshippers to pay for the casting of divine magic also belongs to the church.
Tenets of Faith
The main teaching of the Golden Lady's faith states that that the merchants' trade was the road to prosperity. The church believes that civilization prospers through mercantilism and the affluence of all members of society. Through increased wealth comes greater civilization and happiness, bringing closer a Golden Age where all prosper. Worshipers and church members are strictly forbidden to destroy or damage trade goods. Their duty is not to restrict free trade and quench rumors or slander, harmful to any mercantile activities. Worshippers are faith-bound to give money to beggars and businesses. Such acts spread the glory of Waukeen, promise prosperity to her followers, and place the free coin in everyone's hands. The church's dogma preaches that if everyone had more coins, they are less likely to hide the wealth and more likely to spend money, putting coins back into the market.
Worship
The clergy of the Golden Lady travel often, staffing busy temples in merchant cities, aiding traders or merchant firms as moneylenders, and helping businesses flourish. They are also known to covertly aid fences selling stolen goods. The church's dogma directs the clergy to invest in all businesses that have a reasonable chance of not failing, and businesses run by worshipers of Waukeen or business owners who offer a hefty tithe to the Church. On some occasions, clergy members have been known to positively manipulate trade via unsavory activities such as rumor-mongering, buy-ups, hired border brigands, etc. However, officials condemn that practice outside the church, and temples took on a public stance of denouncing such practices. Privately however, some say the Church encourages its priests to proceed with such tasks with extreme caution and subtlety to avoid any connections to the church. Priests are encouraged to grow personal wealth but only through arms-length investments and never by breaking the law. The clergy of Waukeen safe-keep contracts, bills of sale, deeds, wills of the merchants and civilians of the temple's city. This reinforced order and transparency of commerce as dictated by Waukeen's dogma.
Granted Divine Powers
Goldeneyes
Among clerics of the Golden Lady, the most notable are Goldeneyes, clerics who have been directly touched by their goddess and have access to unique magics. Goldeneyes are eloquent and understand the intricacies of etiquette, as well as several languages to aid their work. These individuals are blessed with the gift to discern precious metals from mundane metals, spot counterfeit coinage, and masterfully appraise gems and jewels.Political Influence & Intrigue
With much of its dogma relating to wealth and coin, the Church inevitably attracts seedy individuals who seek to use the Church for personal profit. Nobles, both low-ranking and high-ranking who worship the Golden Lady and have risen through its ranks might use their influence to further line their pockets or bring about the economic downfall of a rival.
"Coin kept at home is begging to be stolen"
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Leader
Location
Notable Members
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