The Church of the One

Binding together the fractured remnants of the once mighty Meldenheim Empire, sits The Church of the One. Having firmly taking root throughout the central successor kingdoms of Rhienfell, Orsiette and Falrenland, the church's influence has grown far and wide throughout the human realms. The highest echelons of the clergy being intertwined with the secular courts, ensuring to imprint the churches own agendas into the sovereign nations in a passive indirect capacity, acting as courtly advisors and confidants. Their role in larger society is the religious wellbeing and spiritual guidance of the masses toward the true faith and the one and only god, Folurne.
The Churches structure revolves around the fervent and blindly dogmatic belief in the one god, the all-maker. The holy father whom will, one day return to them and harken in the end of days and the rebirth of a new world, ending the bloodshed and barbarity of these dark days. They vehemently believe he left the world in the care of his faithful disciples, the followers of the true faith. Whilst he stuck down the false gods and their heresies in a righteous war that still rages in the heavens above. As such, they reflect their lord, and wage endless crusade against the enemies of the faith and the false religions of heretics and heathens alike.
Though they preach peace and temperance, the church does not shy away from what needs to be done to spread the word and consolidate the faith. Violence and bloodshed are seen as necessary tools of the one when preaching and sermons fail.

The Rule of the One

The church of the One is rooted in its core principles passed down by the Angel Tamiel.

• To speak the true name of the one god is strictly prohibited, to even mention the name of Flourne outside of a sermon or ceremony is deemed a sin, and must be repented.
• The servants of the one must act toward the betterment of mankind, and toward the glory of the One God.
• It is the responsibility of every devoted servants to the one to vehemently stand against evil, whether one may find it.
• It as a holy duty of the faithful to slay those that spout heresy and the worship the demon gods or their accursed ilk.
• Use and acquisition of Dark Magic is prohibited. Anyone who is found to be a practices will be placed under the management of the church or executed by Canon laws. (It has been rumoured that the church stockpiles a number of dark magic artifacts secretly for the purpose of interrogating the enemies of the faith. This was seen in particular with the churches treatment of Druids.)
• Though there is to be only the one true god, the faith concedes the Seven divines and the daughter of Flourne, Aushurie, princess of sunlight act as Apostles of the faith. (This is believed to have been used as a token of respect to the Sunburst Sepulchre).

Repercussions of the Rule

Though the Rule of the One has galvanised and instilled principles within those that follow it's word. Causing a period of upheaval and considerable struggle within homes communities for almost two hundred years it sparked conflict within society between the faithful of the One and the Pagans that they lived with side by side for generations. After periods of violence the faith would become prolific and widespread in all echelons of society, pushing the old religions away. As the Church of the One became the centralised religion wars between secular rulers that had accepted the One Faith and Druidic paganism began to characterise many bloody chapters of human history, particularly between the Kingdoms of Falrenand and Lochlainn.

The Holy Order of the One Church.

The holy order refers to the hierarchical system that exercises authority through the Church of the One. Chief authority lies with the Pontiff in Rounesse and the bishops.
The Pontiff of the one is the head of the Church, over the last four centuries the Pontiffs power and influences has grown considerably to match that of a secular ruler.
[In progress]

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Deities

• Folurne

History

Before the coming of the holy church, humanity had been a fickle people when it came to their faith. Only truly concerned about it when it seemed convenient to them, unconcerned about what god or deity is considered the true faith. What matters to them is their own self-preservation in this life and the assurances they will get in the next. The numerous religious societies and rival cults of the Meldenheim Empire varied from region to region, a testament to this fickleness and inconsistently. When the Empire collapsed, so did their faith. Besieged by paganism and druidism in the centuries that followed, many of the remaining faiths crumbled and disappeared before the old religions. Only a small sect remained that formed out of the cult to the creator god Folurne, the precursor to The Church of the One.
The Church of the one meant to rectify this flaw, It's founder Saint Jourdain De Villepin, and first Pontiff of the Church (A disputed title, scholars of the faith never fail to point out that Saint Jourdain never referred to himself as such, and was a title invented by his successor.) wished to bring discipline and order back to the lands of men and drag it out of to the chaos that now reigned. In many respects the church of the one is similar to the Sunburst Sepulchre, this is by no means a coincidence. It’s founder Saint Jourdain De Villepin, had encountered a number of missionaries from Lorthwyn, and listened to its teachings. In particular, it was the Paladins of Folurne who had the greatest impact upon the saint. Understanding the rhetoric and fundamental principles, he introduced these elements and drew up the Rule of the One, the foundations to which the church's core attitudes and values would be modelled upon.
The first significant instance of the Church becoming a notable presence appeared in the year 4087TW upon the completion of the faiths first Cathedral in Leondres. Here, the Pontiff of the Church performed the coronation of Princess Eléonore D'Auvergne, as Empress of Orsiétte, ordaining her right to rule by the grace of the One God Folurne. The significance of which was monumental, for the coronation of the Empress by the Pontiff made a statement, of her divine right and the position and alignment of the Church of the One as a major faith in Orsiétte. Shortly after the Orsiéttian people began to convert on mass, and new churches and cathedrals would spring up across Imperial Orsiétte. Over the course of the next ten years, the Kingdoms of Rhienfell and Falrenland would beseech the favour of the Pontiff, offering land to build new monasteries and cathedrals in their Kingdoms, and petitioning him to personally re-coronate them, as he had the Orsiéttian empress to validate their right to rule. Over the next century, the expansion of the Church and influence it gained would be unprecedented, spreading from its centre in Leondres across the breadth of three Kingdoms, becoming their principle religion.
In later years, the church would use a large area of land bequeathed to it by a lord Rolet Thibodeau For indulgences for his sins. Here they would lay down the foundations and construct the holy city of Rounesse. Moving the Pontiff and the churches officials from the cathedral in Leondres, Rouness become the heart of the holy see can centre of the church.