Worship of Rillifane Rallathil

Credit to: Wizard's of the Coast and Forgottenrealms.fandom.com

Temples of Rillifane are often huge oak trees with platforms and vine bridges built bwteeen their boughs, often incorporating a number of such trees into an arboreal complex. When no such oak exists in a city or town a stone temple is built and a great oak is planted within the grounds. Shrines of Rillifane are often single oak trees, which while grand in size were too small to form a full temple. They are marked with the carving of a small canary about two feet from the ground and chosen by dream visions which guided the priest to a given oak.

Structure

Priests Ranks

Weirwood
Shadowtop
Duskwood
Phandar
Blueleaf
Hiexal
Laspar
Silverbark
Felsul
Oakhearts
Acorns

Tenets of Faith

The Great Oak draws energy from all the living creatures of the world and nourishes, sustains and protects them from outside threats. Live in harmony with the natural world, allowing each living being the opportunity to serve out its natural purpose in life. As the Leaflord's countless branches, his faithful are to serve as mortal agents in the natural world. Defend the great forests from those who seek to ravage their riches, leaving only destruction in their path. Contest the quick and slow death of Rillifane's bounty and hold strong like the great oaks in the face of those who can see only their own immediate needs.

Worship

The priests of Rillifane prayed for their spells at dawn, when the first light of the life giving sun spring over the horizon to nourish the woodlands.
Those members of the faithful who are making their way to temples or shrines to pay reverence to Rillifane outside of the holy days will often try to bring a small token of nature. Praying before the great oak, they go through the dogma of the Leaflord. Upon gaining the blessing of the priest, the follower must take an acorn from the temple or shrine and plant it at the edge of nature to help it grow. Rillifane has three significant holy days throughout the year, being Great Oaks Watch, which falls on the 1st of Winterfell (Feb), The Budding, which falls on the 20th of Thawing (Mar), and finally, The Transformation which is observed on the 22nd of Collection (Sep).

Priesthood

The Church of the Leaflord is generally isolationist, extending itself only to help fellow elves or other sylvan beings. The hierarchy was organized regionally and split into branches, with different types of priests serving different roles. Druids make up the largest numbers of the clergy and tend to the health of the forests and their inhabitants, fiercely fighting against any attempt to further diminish the woodlands. Clerics often serve as representatives of the faith, working across the world of Phrelle to educate the various races on how to better dwell in harmony with nature. In times of war, however, the leaders of reach region unite the branches of the faith with the other warriors of nature into a single force. The Chruch of the Leaflord appoints their priests under a singular hierarchy regardless if they are from the druidic or clerical line. New recruits into the priesthood are referred to as Acorns, while a full priest gains the title of Oakheart. Those few Oakhearts who move up the hierarchy of the church gain the following titles in ascending order: Felsul, Silverbark, Laspar, Hiexal, Blueleaf, Phandar, Duskwood, Shadowtop, and finally Weirwood. High-ranking priests who ascend above the regional rankings often gain individual titles that reflect their position within that branch of faith. The ceremonial garb of Rillifane's clergy includes a laurel wreath worn on the head and armor fashioned from tree bark. The latter is rubbed with green dyes, the hue showing rank within the church, and the darkest are reserved for the most senior priests. When in non-ceremonial situations, priests preferred armor and weapons made from natural materials such as wood or animals. The holy symbols of Rillifane is an acorn enclosed in amber.

Sects

Within the official church of Rillifane there are a few sects which have their motivations and purposes:

Skinwalkers . A group of druids who follow a particular path of Rillifane.
Order of the Oakstaff . A group of Rangers and Druids who serve as the militant arm of the faith.