The Melorian Faith
Mythology & Lore
Those that follow the Melorian faith believe that the world they inhabit and all things in it are simply the fruits of the trees that grow in the Darkling Glade, the home of Melor and the seat of his power. As trees grow and flower, so does the world and all things in it.
Melor, bored of his existence in darkness, sought to create something beautiful to distract himself from his inaction and planted the first seeds of his Glade which became the World Below - literally the world of caverns, tunnels and underground lakes that the mining forces of Astril explore and exploit. From there, over time, the trees and plants grew to their current stature and all living things sprang from them.
Like all things, however, portions of the Glade must always be destroyed so that new things can grow and the start of this process will signal the end of the world.
Cosmological Views
Followers of the Melorian Faith believe that there are two worlds - this one that they inhabit and the Darkling Glade. When all living things die, they go to the Darkling Glade to reside with Melor or to be used as fertiliser for the next round of growth and rebirth.
Tenets of Faith
Followers of the Melorian Faith believe that all the things below the earth were put there by Melor for the use and enrichment of those that find them. Therefore it follows that industry and the use of those materials are a form of worship. As well as this, and to aid the faithful in their labours, Melor also ensures that the harvest grows and is good.
Simply put, hard work is worship and the harder a believer works the more blessed they believe they will be.
Worship
Worship of Melor typically takes places in the temple-forges of the Lectorate, where the fires of the forge is used as a cleansing flame for the sacrifices of pigs - notably black pigs - and dark fruits such as dates, figs and blackberries. The ashes of these sacrifices are then buried and it is believed that this returns them to Melor in the Darkling Glade.
Priesthood
The priesthood of the Faith are formidable in their power, which is hardly surprising given the beliefs the religion teaches. Seeing over the faithful from their temple-forges, the Lectorate are master smiths in their own right, forging some of the most wondrous artifacts and weapons in the Five Realms.
To join the ranks of the Lectorate, an aspirant must first study for a period of no less than ten years in the arts of metallurgy and craftsmanship and then face a test of skill. Upon passing, they start on the road that could see them reach the rank of Arch Lector. At each subsequent rank, there is a further test of skill to prove the smith-priest's worthiness before Melor and the rest of the Lectorate.
Political Influence & Intrigue
By controlling the most well made arms and armour in the Realms, let alone in Astril itself, they have the power to make or break any organisation or petty lord in the kingdom, and have been known to do so rather too often for the liking of those very same petty lords.
Sects
The only sect within the Faith is that of the Akerite Heresy, which the Lectorate is at great pains to hunt out and exterminate.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Demonym
Melorian
Leader
Leader Title
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Notable Members
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