The Church of Van-Hael
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This article is a draft
Currently in review
Tenets of the Church:
Titles of the Church:
Mythology & Lore
When the world began, creatures would roam forever. From birth, to death, and beyond. The spirits of the dead and gone would walk the land just as the living did.
As more and more creatures died, more and more spirits lingered, filling the world. Most of the spirits became bitter after spending centuries longing for the warmth of life once more. They began to terrorise the living.
Soon, the spirits wandering the land became too much - too bitter, too angry, too destructive. So the Creator - the world's namesake, Ma'rune - devised a way to control the spirits and separate the living from the afterlife. Ma'rune gifted godly powers to a human man: Van-Hael.
Van-Hael would wield the powers of life and death with a sense of grace, honour, and fairness. He created a veil, known as the mist, to separate the land of the living from the land of the dead. As the Creator had named the world after themselves, he too named the afterlife after his own self - Hael.
It took Van-Hael one hundred years to round up the spirits that had lingered in the world. He ferried each and every one of them to Hael, personally making sure that they were not only accounted for, but well accommodated in the afterlife as well. In order to make sure that no living mortal could pass through the mist to Hael, and that no spirit could find their way back to Ma'rune, Van-Hael created five guardians from spirits that he had befriended during his quest to round up the dead.
These guardians became known as the Aspects of Hael and they would defend the edges of the mist from any unwanted travellers.
Tenets of Faith
Time is the measure of our lifeforce
Everyone who lives is granted time to do so. It is the will of Van-Hael that some are granted more time than others. Be respectful of the time others have been given, and remain vigilant for those who would seek to steal that time.
Death is the end of our first journey
Do not fear death. Accept it. All men and women die, such is the way of fate, but our deaths allow room for the world and the people around us to grow. To fear death is to avoid it, and doing so is a great disrespect to Van-Hael
Grief is a fleeting pain
To tell a man to show no pain when facing the death of a loved one is barbaric. Allow him to mourn, but remind him that those who have passed will await us in Hael, eager to reunite with us once more.
Rage is not a resolution
Anger will resolve nothing. It will not change how fate has been woven, it will not bring back those who have long since passed. Do not allow this rage to linger, for it's growth will only lead to you quicker to your grave.
A memory is a gift to treasure
Memories are an offering from Van-Hael himself - a part of a spirit, left behind for those they loved. Treasure it and know that when you too meet your end, you shall leave a piece of yourself to your loved ones as well.
Honour is due to both the living and the dead
We honour the living, but often we forget to do the same for those departed from us. Honour their spirits, their memory, their legacy, and in doing so allow a part of them to live on.
Spirit is the form given to start a second journey
When we die, our spirits begin their journey anew. Hael becomes their haven. We do not linger on death; we look towards our our second act with hope and pride instead.
To be lost is to forgo your second chance
If we do not follow the teachings of Van-Hael then we are lost. To be lost is to forgo our acceptance into Hael, forgo our second life, all in favour of chasing a hopeless dream.
Worship
Convocation of the Faithful
Bi-monthly meetings between members of the Church.
Priesthood
Patriarch / Matriarch
His Holiness / Her Holiness / Your Holiness
Patriarch (Surname) of Van-Hael / Matriarch (Surname) of Van-Hael
The Patriarch or Matriarch, depending on whether they are a man or a woman, is the head of the Church of Van-Hael. They oversee all decisions made by the church and lead the acolytes of Van-Hael in participating in the Church's rituals and religious holidays.
Patriarchs / Matriarchs are chosen by members of the Church. Only an Archbishop can be nominated for the position of Patriarch or Matriarch and an Archbishop cannot nominate themselves. They must also meet the following prerequisites:
- they must have been a member of the Church for over a decade
- they are not blood related to the member who nominated them for the position
- they must have been an Archbishop for at least three years
- they must be willing to forgo / give up any current relationships in order to focus solely on the Church - that is:
- if they are currently in a relationship, they must be willing to call it off
- if they are married, they must be willing to go through the process with the Church to 'postpone' the marriage
- they must swear that they will not enter into a relationship if they are granted the title of Patriarch / Matriarch
They will hold the position until one of the following prerequisites is met:
- the Patriarch or Matriarch steps down voluntarily
- the Patriarch or Matriarch is killed or dies of natural causes
- the Patriarch or Matriarch is found to have abused their powers and is stripped of their rank through a Holy Tribunal
Archbishop
His Eminence / Her Eminence / Your Eminence
Archbishop (Surname) of Van-Hael
Description here...
Bishop
Bishop (First name or Surname)
Description here...
Priest
Father / Mother
Priest (Surname)
Description here...
Deacon
Deacon (First name)
Description here...
Monk
Monk (First name)
Description here...
Acolyte
Brother (First name) / Sister (First name)
Description here...
May The Eternal Watch Over You
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