Church of the Merciful Angel

The Church of Grace was the dominant religious institution in post-Upheaval society, following the departure of the Lord of Light (Pelior). The church preached redemption through repentance, divine miracles, and strict adherence to moral conduct as revealed by the Angel of Grace, Araton.

Dogma and Belief

The Dejection of Light

The church of the Merciful Angel was teaching that during the Age of Tales, mandkind lost their way, abandoning the teachings of Lord of Light and his Old Saints. They fell to depravity, corruption and unmorality, waged frivolous wars and worst of all; delved into deprived usage of sorcery, consorting fiends of the Pit, false gods and other dark beings. All of this led to the many catastrophies of the Upheaval and caused the Lord of Light to turn in disgust from his fallen children and their corrupt world, closing the gates to Paradise behind him.

The Angel of Mercy

When the Lord of Light and his angels left, the archangel Araton still saw hope for the humanoid races of the world and could not force himself to abandon the world. Araton beleived that there was still hope, that mortals could abandon their evil way and in time appease the Lord of Light to once more open the gates of Paradise. The angel appered to four horrible sinners, showing them the errors of their way and filling them with his light. These four became the Penitent Saints, envoys and prophet, proclaming the gospel of mercy.

Sins and Blasphemies

The concept of sin and repentance were central to the church. Only by by overcoming

Profane Sins

These were common or everyday sins, typically confessed and atoned for through penance. The Book of Holy Liberation listed many, though its definitions were vague, leaving much to priestly interpretation. To purge yourself from profane sins, you were expected to confess them to a priest and performed ordained acts of penance. Typical profane sins included:

• Disrespect
• Infidelity
• Lying
• Drunkenness
• Inter-species sex
• Masturbation
• Laziness
• Gluttony
• Impure thoughts
• Shameful conduct
• Cowardice
• Associating with improper company
• Sleeping in church
• Clumsiness

The Seven Blasphemous Sins

These were considered grievous offenses against the divine order:

1. Denial – Denying the Angel or the Angel’s revelation.
2. Sacrilege – Stealing from or defiling the Angel’s church.
3. Witchcraft – Formerly any magic, but later specifically necromancy, demonology, and similar arts.
4. Heresy – Worship of false gods.
5. Blasphemy – Profaning the Angel’s name.
6. Complicity – Associating with demonic beings.
7. Violence – Raising a hand against a priest of the Angel.

Views on Magic

Following the Lord of Light's departure, sorcery (arcane and primal magic) was seen as a cause of his wrath. Only divine power channeled through the Church was considered pure—referred to not as "magic" but as miracles and mysteries.

The Vespertine Compromise

Despite this dogma, realpolitik interfered. The Midnight Ministry, seeking endorsement from the Regent of Calantor to become the state religion, faced opposition from noble houses with sorcerers in their ranks. The Vespertine Accord granted exemptions to these houses, allowing them to continue practicing magic without persecution.

Key Figures and Concepts

• Lord of Light (Pelior): The one true god who turned his back on the world during the Upheaval.
• Angel of Mercy (Araton): The archangel who remained to guide mortals back to righteousness.
• The Lost Seven: Archangels who departed alongside Pelior.
• The Old Saints: Saints revered in the Age of Legends, gone with Pelior. Their names were remembered, but they were no longer worshipped.
• The Penitent Saints: Four prophets redeemed by Araton, central to the faith’s doctrine.

The Penitent Saints

After the their revaltion the four penitent saints were given new names by the angel. They were:

• Saul of the Golden Hand, a cruel pirate king that became Aratons first disciple and leader of the Penitent Saints.
• Amariah of the Weeping Heart a lustful and decadent queen that gave up hur rule to follow the angels words.
• Jerimoth of the Clear Sight a war mage and assassin that gave up the dark arts.
• Saphana a sorceress and high priestess of demon whorshippers.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Predecessor Organization

• Church of Pelior

Leader Title

Pontifex Lucis

Subsidiary Organizations

• Midnight Ministry

Related Species

• Human

Related Ethnicities

• Gelfarian