The Church of Morrow
Across western Immoren, the Church of Morrow is indisputably the dominant faith, with a sizable majority in every human kingdom except the Protectorate of Menoth. Khador is the only kingdom with a substantial minority of Menites, but even there Empress Vanar is a recognized Morrowan and the church has tremendous reach and influence. Ord and Cygnar both recognize the Church of Morrow as their state religions, as did Llael when it was independent. The Morrowan faith emphasizes the individual as a potential agency of good and stresses how each person can contribute to society. Its beliefs resonate with people in many walks of life and social strata, advocating improvement through self-reflection, good works, honorable conduct, and self-sacrifice.
Core to the Morrowan faith is the idea of Volition—that every person in life makes choices that determine whether they will be a force for positive empowerment or for selfish gain. By association, pious Morrowans are seen as good and reliable citizens while those who succumb to the “dark path” of Thamar are seen as evil, self-serving, and destructive. This is a simplistic reduction of the subtleties of Morrow’s and Thamar’s respective philosophies, but clear distinctions appeal to the masses. The more nuanced aspects of the Twins are left to theologians and scholars. Before his ascension, Morrow was both a philosopher and a soldier, a thinker who endorsed the virtues of peace but who allowed that armed conflict was sometimes necessary. The Morrowan faith teaches that honor can be maintained amid violent strife if applied judiciously, such as to defend the helpless. Morrow insisted the better side of man’s nature could rise to the fore even amid the bloodiest of conflicts. This allows his message to have impact in times of both peace and war and to appeal to soldiers as well as those they protect.
The preeminent status of the Church of Morrow is a relatively recent phenomenon; before the arrival of the Orgoth this faith existed with the reluctant sufferance of, and occasional bloody clashes with, members of the Menite temples. Morrowans look back on that time as a period of religious oppression, when they were forced to pay burdensome tithes and attend Menite temples despite their true beliefs. They were quick to reverse this situation after the Orgoth were driven from Immoren. Since the Corvis Treaties were signed, the Church of Morrow has worked to unravel the hold the Menite clergy maintained over the ruling castes of the various kingdoms.
These efforts have largely succeeded, with the Morrowan church now holding primacy of religion outside the Protectorate and having tremendous sway over all walks of life, from commoner to noble and among laborer and scholar alike. The church has a hand in kingdom politics and cultivates its own formidable network of contacts and spies to keep its leaders well informed of matters abroad. The heart of the Church of Morrow, the Sancteum, is a sovereign nation with its own armory, soldiers, and warjacks dedicated to protecting the faith, its clergy, and its holy sites. Lower-ranking priests are spiritual bastions for local congregations, while the highest-ranking ones stand as trusted advisors to nobles and sovereigns.
Church Hierarchy
One of the great strengths of the Church of Morrow is its extremely cohesive and inclusive hierarchy, allowing it to function as a single body despite being spread across multiple nations and being arguably the most pervasive human organization in western Immoren. While there are many individual interpretations of Morrow’s message nearly all are welcomed into the larger hierarchy. Only a few unusually radical reinterpretations of the message of the Twins have been excluded from being recognized as official arms of the Church. Individual priests within the hierarchy are given considerable leeway in following their own paths to enlightenment and finding a personal connection to Morrow and his ascendants.
Individual churches are similarly given considerable autonomy but are supported by the larger hierarchy. Such a large organization requires a sizable bureaucracy, handled by priests with an aptitude for administration as well as pious laypersons chosen for the task. There is regular correspondence between church leaders and their superiors. In the aggregate these reports provide the Church’s hierarchy with a high degree of awareness of events occurring across the Iron Kingdoms. Ranking church officers and their clerks make decisions based on incoming reports as well as personal inspections and determine when additional support or shifts in personnel might be required. For example, a local priest who suspects a cult of Thamarites in his community would send an urgent plea to his superiors for assistance, who might in turn hand the matter over to the dedicated witch hunters of the Order of Illumination, who would then dispatch an armed investigative force.
As the center of this faith, the Sancteum in Caspia is afforded sovereign status as a state in its own right, a courtesy afforded to church grounds across the Iron Kingdoms. Although it prefers to remain neutral in ongoing wars, the Church has considerable military might and can field small armies fully equipped with modern mechanika and warjacks if need be. Most of this armed might is housed in the Sancteum, but elements of its arsenal may be sent abroad to protect cathedrals or commit to battles deemed vital to the Church’s interests. The Church’s size and scope make it difficult for the organization to act quickly or decisively to intervene in foreign matters, as any action it can take is likely to be opposed by some branch of its membership.
The current leader of the Church of Morrow is Primarch Arius, who rarely leaves the Sancteum—or even the Archcourt Cathedral, which is his ecclesiastical seat. Primarch is a lifelong position, and new primarchs are elevated only after the death of their predecessors. They are selected through a display of divine approval that includes a manifestation of archons representing the Host of Morrow. This gives the primarch a degree of authority rarely found in other faiths, but each is nonetheless a mortal who serves as best he can, making the crucial decisions for this far-flung faith. Primarch Arius has close ties to the Cygnaran government, being a mentor and personal advisor to King Leto Raelthorne. Because of this, some foreigners consider him too careful of Cygnaran interests and biased against Morrowans of other nations, especially Khador. His detractors are vocal but have been largely ineffective in changing the situation. For the moment the Church of Morrow seems strongly invested in the security and safety of Cygnar. Arius is an aged priest, and eventually mortality will claim him, necessitating another to take his place.
The primarch is aided in governing the church by the Exordeum, a governing body of thirty-six leading priests with the lifelong rank of Exarch who manage the majority of day-to-day matters. While they also convene and dwell within the Sancteum, the exarchs are drawn from across the Iron Kingdoms and include prominent members from Khador, Ord, and the Llaelese region. Exarchs are appointed by the primarch to replace those who die—or, rarely, those who withdraw from the post. The dictates and decrees of the Exordeum are passed to vicars who are the seniormost priests dwelling outside the Sancteum and who oversee sizable regions called vicarates. Most vicars are organized into Vicarate Councils, each composed of seven vicars, which are present in many major cities, including: Caspia, Ceryl, Fharin, and Mercir in Cygnar; Merywyn in Llael; Merin in Ord; and Khardov, Korsk, Ohk, and Skirov in Khador. Answering to these councils are the prelates and high prelates who oversee Church business in individual cities and towns, taking care to ensure myriad smaller churches are adequately staffed and tending to the faithful. The church also counts among its membership hundreds of battle-chaplains, members of the military in multiple nations who serve as soldiers while performing church services, tending to the injured, and providing last rites.
A number of specialized groups and orders serve the Church. Dozens of regional martial orders exist to protect holy grounds and cathedrals, one of the most prominent being the Precursor Knights of Cygnar, members of which sometimes march to war alongside the Cygnaran Army. The Order of Keeping is a monastic and reclusive branch interested in the preservation and protection of the Church’s greatest relics and secrets, and its well-armed and armored knights sometimes serve as bodyguards for high-ranking priests. The Church has sanction to root out organized Thamarite sects as well as those practicing the dark arts of necromancy and infernalism and is aided in this capacity by the Order of Illumination, a powerful and militant group of witch-hunters and pious arcanists. The Exordeum and the primarch are extremely well informed about current events abroad by their vast network of contacts and informants, including those stationed in high office. Intelligence gathering is overseen by the Llaelese Exarch Dargule, one of Primarch Arius’ most trusted confidants.
The Church within the Community
In most of western Immoren, when a person speaks of going to church or attending to prayers, it is presumed they are speaking of Morrowan services. Small churches of Morrow are numerous in most cities, excepting those few townships that are exclusively Menite. Generally there is a church or sheltered shrine for every few hundred Morrowans. In some cases the faithful may be tended by a pious lay preacher rather than a consecrated member of the clergy with formal religious training.
Larger and more established churches become centers of their communities and are among the most impressive and wellbuilt structures in their townships. These are usually assigned at least one ordained priest, along with supporting novices and pious volunteers who attend to the grounds, cooking, and other needs. Ordained priests vary widely in temperament and intelligence, depending on their natural gifts. By and large priests are literate and well educated, being versed in Morrowan philosophy, history, law, and extensive study of the Enkheiridion, the sacred text of the faith.
Priests are expected to make themselves available to their congregation to advise them on matters of spirituality and morality in addition to conducting regular services and performing significant ceremonies. Funeral rites are deemed one of the most important and essential of Morrowan services, particularly in recent years, as the evidence of the misuse of corpses through necromancy has been on the rise.
Through training and faith, priests can pray to manifest small miracles, acts of sacred magic that can be a boon to their community. This includes attending to the injured and diseased. These efforts are limited; despite the expectations of the suffering, priests cannot erase all illness or affliction with the wave of a hand. Morrowan priests following the example of Asc. Solovin are well versed in the mundane aspects of caring for the wounded, such as splinting broken bones, binding cuts, and applying alchemical salves to cleanse wounds and prevent infection. Such priests can lend their prayers to quicken the healing process, but primarily for superficial injuries. In most cases a body must heal naturally, and particularly grievous wounds require extended bed rest even when closely attended by the most capable of Morrowan healers. Truly miraculous healing requires the direct intervention of the divine, which rarely happens and can only be invoked by the most spiritually potent priests when the need is tantamount for the common good. Such great miracles usually come with unpredictable repercussions, as the raw energy of the divine does not easily manifest on Caen.
A priest does not have the time or ability to attend to every injury or complaint among his congregation and must manage expectations. In large cities major churches are inundated by those seeking assistance, requiring strict policies to maintain public order while providing charitable aid. These policies vary from church to church and priest to priest, with those emulating Asc. Rowan being the most accommodating to the masses. Overworked priests may refer petitioners to neighboring churches or recommend nearby apothecaries or physicians.
Each community is expected to donate time and funds toward the upkeep of local churches, although the clergy prefers voluntary donations and does not impose strict tithes—a point of differentiation with Menite temples. Major construction projects or commissions for significant works of sacred art, stained glass, or sculpture are supported by funds drawn from the Sancteum treasury, often augmented by sizable donations from sponsoring local nobles. Supporting the church is expected of landed nobles, who gain good will among the common people and preferential treatment for burial rites and entombment. In regions where Church leaders are actively involved in politics, having the sympathy of the clergy can be of pragmatic value.
Among the greatest works of architecture in the modern age are the massive cathedrals of the Church of Morrow, found in many major cities, with notable examples in the capitals of Cygnar, Khador, Ord, and Llael. These vary considerably in style and ornamentation, drawing on the regional cultures where they stand, but most are intricately ornamented and set with gargoyles and other statuary depicting legends from the long history of the faith. The Archcourt Cathedral in the Sancteum—which houses the primarch and the Exordeum—was built just before the arrival of the Orgoth and is counted a wonder of western Immoren. The construction of cathedrals and major abbeys are tremendous works, requiring decades of labor by hundreds of craftsmen and thousands of laborers.
These structures are major attractions for their cities, drawing an influx of pious pilgrims and other visitors, thus supporting commerce in the city. Many of these cathedrals preserve relics of the faith, items of great historical and spiritual significance, often associated with specific ascendants or notable holy priests. Only a handful of relics of Morrow himself exist, and these are preserved either in the Sancteum or in the hidden Divinium, the old seat of the Morrowan Church. The wonders of the Sancteum bring hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Caspia every year, along with donations and vows of support. Major holidays like the Ascension Feast draw additional worshipers, pilgrims, and funds.
Smaller churches in remote areas may be more modest, but the Church of Morrow as a whole is an extremely wealthy organization. Ranking priests allocate this wealth to broadening the reach of the faith through the construction of new temples, shrines, and cathedrals as well as printing and distributing religious texts and fostering charitable works. Considerable funds are also spent on special branches of the church responsible for its protection, including its own well-armed soldiers and groups like the Order of Order of Illumination. In addition to remaining ever vigilant for signs of infernalism, the Illuminated Order is also a prime reason the Church has remained free of widespread corruption despite its wealth, for it sees that senior Church officers are subjected to scrutiny and regular tests of piety. These efforts have largely eliminated selfserving pretenders, so while it is possible for priests to be lured down the wrong path of the Volition, compromised individuals rarely reach the upper ranks. Scandals over local priests corrupting Morrowan philosophies are dealt with swiftly by Illuminated agents while rumors are quashed by the church hierarchy, often with the help of pious nobles.
Most people view the Church of Morrow as a positive, benevolent organization. The criticisms it does receive are most often for simply not doing enough. There are many who clamor for the Church to exercise its power to intervene in specific kingdoms. The Church has a history of neutrality in times of war, rarely participating in the conflicts except to defend its holy sites. Regional biases are nevertheless inevitable, which has sometimes threatened the cohesiveness of the church leadership. Ranking members of the clergy are eager to avoid a schism, but the divide between the northern and southern church is expanding.
While unified by a single hierarchy, the Morrowan faith is far from homogenous, differing considerably by region and particularly by nation. These distinctions can be seen at every level, from church architecture to worship rites and holy days. Such differences can cause friction between the faithful of different sects, but they illustrate an essential part of the Morrowan philosophy.
Ascendants and Archons of Morrow
Caught up in the trials and tribulations of ordinary life, most who follow the faiths of Morrow and Thamar—even exceptionally pious priests who give their lives to worship—have no expectation of ascending themselves. In the centuries that followed the Twins’ lives, however, some exceptional few rose to prominence and paved their own paths to ascension. Those associated with Morrow are known as ascendants and are revered as saint-like paragons; those linked to Thamar are called scions, seen by outsiders as unholy beings that spread corruption to mortal minds, yet to Thamarites honored as singularly holy and proof of the myriad routes to enlightenment. These beings are not treated as gods by either faith, being subordinate to Morrow or Thamar, but are vital intermediaries with the divine.
After ascension, each individual became part of the religious canon, held as examples to demonstrate the vastly different ways in which both Morrow’s and Thamar’s teachings could be interpreted. The rise of a new ascendant or scion is a major and exceptionally rare historical and theological event. Each of the spectacular miracles by which the ascendants have transformed into divinity has demonstrated the proof of Morrow’s teachings and provided an ideal toward which the pious strive. Scions are seen by Morrowans as proof that the dark twin continues to exert her own insidious influence on the world.
The ascendants play a vital role in Morrowan worship, and many individual churches and cathedrals are dedicated to one or more of them. Most Morrowans see them as approachable and comprehensible examples of their faith. The ascendants are thought to hear prayers closely tied to their spheres of influence and on extremely rare occasions have even manifested on Caen to lend their aid through visions or more overt displays of holy power.
Each ascendant has a history, a distinct philosophy, and associated rites and prayers. The remains and possessions of each ascendant are holy relics that are preserved and displayed at various major cathedrals and monasteries. Most of these are reputed to possess miraculous properties and serve as conduits for the divine. Occasionally a revered priest will receive similar treatment after death. Each of primarchs join Morrow after death, transfigured into special messengers called archons. Their remains are preserved in the catacombs below the Archcourt Cathedral, contributing to the holiness of this most sacred ground.
Ascendants and archons are reputed to sometimes manifest before chosen faithful to deliver signs and portents from Morrow, the Prophet. These manifestations are sometimes translated into cryptic prophecies, the meaning of which is studied and interpreted by theologians. All witnessed manifestations of ascendants and archons are preserved and recorded in church records and are frequently the subject of religious art and sculpture.
The faithful sometimes feel a closer relationship with their patron ascendant or ascendants than with Morrow himself and spend much of their time in prayer addressing this patron. It is common for Morrowans to keep spiritual tokens on their person, most commonly a necklace bearing the Radiance of Morrow together with coin-like talismans representing ascendants. These vary in detail and quality. The finest of these talismans are minted in the Sancteum and sold to pilgrims who visit the holy city. Even the less pious will often superstitiously pray to or name an ascendant when engaged in a difficult task related to their areas of patronage. A physician cleansing a difficult wound might mutter a prayer to Asc. Solovin, for example.
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