Grand Lector
To protect and preserve this most holy Pantheon for the redemption and benefit of all mortal souls who are adherents. To weed out heresy in all its forms and to bring all those who would listen into knowledge of the blessed institution Njördr and his divine brothers and sisters have created for us. To give my life in service, so that we all may flourish….Extract from the Grand Lector’s oath, delivered during the coronation of a new Grand Lector. The Grand Lector of the Pantheon of the North is the ultimate authority on Ulskandar’s Material Plane for the Pantheon. Divinely appointed by Njördr, the Pantheon’s chief deity, the position wields immense power and influence, that has the potential to drastically influence the political and theological lives of the north of Turoza, the heartland of the faith.
Qualifications
In order to be eligible for selection to the rank of Grand Lector, a potential candidate must already be a Lector to one of the Pantheon’s deities. It is not necessary for the candidate to be a Lector dedicated to Njördr himself, and in the past Lectors of all of the different deities have been selected to take up the position. However, the odds are overwhelming stacked in the favour of the Lectors of Njördr, who have provided the vast majority of Grand Lectors over the years.
The main criteria against which Njördr judges candidates for the position of Grand Lector are their character, especially judging aspects such as resilience, their willpower, determination and dedication to the Pantheon, exemplary service to their deity and the potential that the candidate has for safeguarding the temporal power of the Pantheon, enabling and encouraging the proselytising of the Pantheon and its constituent deities and ensuring that the future security of the Pantheon is secured.
Appointment
Potential candidates that have been selected and encouraged by Njördr to come forward for further scrutiny. These individuals will be summoned to the Basilica of the North, the central temple in the Pantheon’s city-state of Heilagur, where they will be locked alone within the shrine to Njördr, right at the heart of the building, for a whole night, where they will be subjected to intense, direct examination and interrogation from Njördr himself. Those who do not meet his expectations will at best be released in the morning at best mentally broken, at worst dead. The individual who enters the shrine and leaves in the morning having been accepted by Njördr will have been anointed with the symbol of Njördr’s oak leaf branded onto their forehead with divine energy.
Responsibilities
Every Grand Lector has the following responsibilities that have been conferred on them from Njördr to protect and strengthen the Pantheon of the North's presence and activities on Ulskandar’s Material Plane:
- To ensure that true and proper deference is shown to Njördr and the other Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon;
- To fairly manage and distribute Pantheon resources so that all of the deities are physically represented within the Material Plane to match as best as possible to specific will of the deities;
- To manage and chair the Council of High Lectors, overseeing matters such as processes for the training and appointment of Lectors, the pantheon’s diplomatic relations, the protection of adherents to the faith across the whole continent of Turoza and beyond, and the protection of the Pantheon through military and other means;
- To oversee the activities of the Pantheon’s Theological Court, to make the final decision in cases of extreme heresy to the Pantheon, and to lead the fight against heresy in all its forms;
- To act as the head of state for the Holy city-state of Heilagur;
- To act as the commander in chief for the Pantheon’s armed force, The Anointed;
- To enable the carrying out of Njördr’s will and to act as his earthly representative on the Material Plane.
Benefits
Those appointed to the position of Grand Lector need not worry about making ends met for the rest of their lives, or for as long as they retain Njördr’s favour. They will be lavishly fed, clothed and paid all at the expense of the Pantheon of the North’s temporal establishment and will be housed in the sumptuous surroundings of the Grand Lector’s Palace in Heilagur. In addition, the position confers onto them a substantial amount of respect and deference across the north of Turoza, from the lowliest of peasants, to Barons, Duchesses, Earls and Monarchs.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
Given that the source of authority for the Grand Lectors is the God Njördr, as long as the incumbent of the position retains Njördr’s support they cannot be removed, other than through nefarious means that would doubtless bring the wrath of Njördr and many of the Pantheon’s other deities down on the perpetrators. However, a great many Grand Lectors have lost Njördr’s trust and have been removed whilst in office at his behest. Removal from office will normally involve Njördr communicating his divine will to the unfortunate Grand Lector in question, and the High Lectors below him, so that it is clear that what is happening is divine will and not unfortunate or nefarious. Once the desire for a Grand Lector’s dismissal has been issued by Njördr, it is tradition for the current incumbent to carry out their ‘voluntary’ suicide, enacted before the collected High Lectors and often a public audience of lay folk, so that the will of Njördr is complied with.
Type
Religious, Special
Equates to
Because the position of Grand Lector not only encompasses dealing with the spiritual and temporal areas of the Pantheon of the North, Grand Lectors are treated in the broader context of Ulskandar as being the equal of any other religious head, and also on a par with the rulers of minor states. In the north of Turoza, however, the Grand Lector is not only viewed as the supreme religious representative, standing above the religious leaders of all other religious organisations, but also as being superior to the monarchs and national rulers of the Kingdom of Dazscor and Aramore, the Kingdom of Kjörnsholm and the Mountain Principalities. This drastically different view in the north is primarily down to the dominance of the Pantheon of the North as the most widespread religion, but also the fact that Grand Lectors crown monarchs in the countries that adhere to the faith, and give their blessing to the appointment of lesser rulers in the Mountain Principalities.
Source of Authority
Length of Term
The length of appointment for Grand Lectors is theoretically for life, or until such a time that Njördr decides that they are no longer fit for the position.
Related Organizations
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