Church of the Four

Structure

The lay believers of the Faith are called the Credentes, while the "enlightened" priestly class are called the Perfecti.

The Perfecti

The Perfects The lowest level of ordained clergy are the Perfects, who preach the church's message and oversee its followers, administering to their spiritual needs. Perfects can either be assigned to local parishes within a community or travel as itinerant preachers. All ordained Perfects are expected to travel on missionary work for a period of years depending on local needs and customs. Perfects always operate in pairs and they are typically devoted to one of the Four avatars, as well as the unified Divine. Archperfects/Episcopi Regional leaders in the Church are called "Archperfects" or "Episcopi". They serve as spiritual authorities and administrators over the clergy of a region, interacting more directly with Rocher des Doms to establish uniform orthodoxy. The Archperfects are aided by two designated assistants, the "Elder Son" and the "Younger Son". These positions are always referred to by male nomenclature, but there is no gender requirement to hold the actual position. The "Elder Son" is typically the chosen successor of an Archperfect. The High Perfects The Faith is overseen by the High Perfects of the Council Solarium in Rocher des Doms. A four person council, each High Perfect represents an aspect of the Divine, and typically oversees administration of their respective domains. (High Perfect of the Labourer oversees construction and logistics, High Perfect of Ahurani oversees charitable work, etc.) The High Perfect of Elouan is typically the most senior of the Council and is most commonly its de facto leader.

Religious Orders

In addition to the Perfecti, religious orders are found within the organization of the Faith typically living in monastic communities dedicated to prayer, contemplation or charity. Orders are commonly divided by gender for most, but there are some exceptions. Some orders include:

The Black Order of Ahurani: A Military Order, focusing on defense and medical care. The Sister organization to the secular Urzh Kroashent. Both men and women can join the order.

The Order of Albi - An ultra-orthodox Reclaimer Order, formed from the remains of the Tolosan Inquisition during the Heresy of Albi.

The Silent Sisters of Llydaw: An ultra-Orthodox Reclaimer Order, dedicated to the purging of magic from the world.

Culture

-A traditional blessing/greeting within the Church is to make a circle sunwise over one's heart, symbolizing the path of Samzun, the Great Day Star.

A golden sun is often used as the symbol of the Church.

Oaths

By Elouan's Light - A Blessing

Elouan's Beard - A curse/epithet

Mythology & Lore

The Divine

The Divine is represented by four aspects/Avatars

Elouan the Lightbringer

Elouan the Lightbringer, bearer of the holy flame. The Patron of scholars and Kings. He is represented in the Hours by a crystal bell and his symbol is the flame. A blessed flame burns near the altar of every church.

Mithras the Warrior

Mithras the warrior, patron of soldiers, athletes and hunters. He is represented in the Hours by a bronze bell and his symbol is the sword or the Olifant. A blessed sword or olifant hangs over the altar of every church. Perfects of Mithras wear white robes with red trim.

Ahurani the Maiden

Ahurani the Maiden, the waterbearer, Mother of Rivers. Patron of sailors, skilled tradesmen, and mothers. She is represented in the Hours by a silver bell and her symbol is the spindle. In every church, a bowl of blessed water is left by the door. Her priests wear deep colours like Dark Greys and Blues, with silver trim.

The Labourer

The Labourer is Nameless, representing those who toil without recognition. The patron of craftsmen, farmers, and labourers, he is especially revered by the peasantry of many countries. He is represented in the Hours by a tin bell and his symbol is the hammer, though other tools may be used depending on local custom. In every church, a bowl of blessed ash is left by the door. His priests wear dark, somber colours like blacks, browns and greys.

The Demiurge

The Dark counterpoint to the Divine, Rex Mundi. Originally, the Tuath (or the Bediz) were originally pure spiritual beings, but they were brought low by the manipulations of the Demiurge, who created the physical world, tainted by sin and corruption. In mythology, it is often personified as Azhi Dahāka, the Lord of Serpents. He is represented in the Hours by a heavy leaden bell.

The Dark Hour

An important aspect of the Faith surrounds the Dark Hour. Having stolen Samzun, the Great Daystar, Azhi Dahāka secreted it away, plunging the world into darkness. The Hero Mithra, guided by Elouan, supported by Ahurani and the Labourer, quested through the underworld to return it to the sky.

Other Beliefis

The Gargan feature in the mythology of the Faith as the offsping of the gods and demons, but they were washed away in the flood of magic during the Tear. Gargan are sometimes viewed as ancestral saints, while others view them as corrupted predecessors.

Cosmological Views

The Faith is a dualistic gnostic religion, believing in two opposing powers. The Divine, a singular God of good, who represented a true, spiritual world, and the Demiurge, who created a false world of death, lies and suffering. The mythological origins of the Demiurge vary by locale, with some traditions placing it as an equally powerful opposing force to the Divine, while others place it as a rebellious former subservient.

Tenets of Faith

Anoan

The Faith teaches that their is an inner spiritual shard of the divine within all individuals. Known by many names, it is called Anoan in the Duchy of Letha. This "soul" is trapped within a "garment" of flesh by the Demiurge, forgetting its pure spiritual origin and suffering the privations of the world. The Anoan is caught in a cycle of reincarnation, repeating the process until finally breaking free through spiritual growth and purification, returning to the Divine across the White Plain. Unlike the Path of the Forest, which holds a belief in an infinite cycle, the Faith believes that perfection can or must be obtained over the course of seven lifetimes. Lives that are cut short continue to exist in a limbo state as Envorad

Ethics

Dissimulation - Some in the Faith hold that the "False World", often interpreted as Faerie, is an illusion created by the lord of evil Azhi Dahāka. By extension, concealing one's true nature is often considered a sin. This tenet is subject to furious debate, ranging from a positions as varied as a prohibition of bearing false witness or active subterfuge, to the Fae use of glamour to alter or accentuate their appearance, to a condemnation of even physical alteration, such as the use of makeup. Aggressive enforcement of these harsher, ultraconservative interpretations has led to oppression and violence, typically against women and the Fae, to whom glamour clings naturally. More moderate and progressive factions more actively associate the tenet with bearing false witness under sworn testimony or outright fraud.

Worship

Consolamentum

The most important role of the Perfecti is the Consolamentum, a purification of the dying. The Consolamentum requires a formal request for the ritual, and therefore can only be administered to those capable of sentient communication. A traditional greeting to a perfect, the Convanenza, makes this request in case communication is not available as the greeter nears death. Those who die with the blessing become one step closer to obtaining spiritual release.

Priesthood

The Perfecti are expected to live lives of aestheticism, adopting a pescatarian diet, forswearing meat, cheese and eggs and taking vows of poverty and celibacy. In practice, these guidelines are often ignored by large numbers of the perfecti. Perfects typically operate in pairs, both when traveling as itinerant preachers or when settled in a specific parish. Both men and women can become Perfecti.

Vestments

Perfecti always operate in pairs, with one wearing dark, somber colours, the other white with red accents. The White Perfect wears a pointed mitre, while the Black Perfect wears a more simple rounded mitre.

Initation

To become a Perfect, an initiate must undergo a rigorous training of three years, often living in an isolated monastery, nunnery or as a hermit in a remote area. At the initiation, a ritual known as Manisola, a laying of hands while scriptures are read aloud, is performed by an Archperfect or similar spiritual authority. The perfect takes vows of austerity, poverty and celibacy, becoming purified vessels for the spirit.

Sects

On the Nature of the False World

The nature of the "False World" is a point of major contention for the Faith, falling into three camps. While it is taught that the Faith predates The Tear in some form, the emergence of extant Otherworlds has complicated the issue and led to factions appearing among the Faithful. The Purists - The largest of the factions, the Purists believe that all of Alvez is representative of the False World, and that a paradise awaits beyond the White Plain. The Reclaimers - Commonly affiliated with anti-fae and human supremacist idealogies like the Staunchist movement, the Reclaimer factions believe that the Fair Worlds, Old Elfriche, Dindan and others, are the "False Worlds" of dogma, corrupting a previously pure paradise of Bedouar. Only be rejecting and expelling magic can the world return to its former glory. The Dreamers - The smallest of the factions, the Dreamers believe that Bedouar is the false world, while Old Elfriche is the true world. They seek to explore the Faewyldes to reach Far Faerie, as well as create more Bleed. Sidhe and Milliget are common in their number. in 1062 SI, the Dreamers were declared heretical by the High Perfects, and subjected to brutal inquisition during the Heresy of Albi. The Dreamers numbers were dramatically reduced, but some sects remain in Arle and Letha.

On the Anoan and the Cycles of Reincarnation

Notable spiritual debates concerning the Anoan include:

There is some contention whether an Anoan can be purified over the course of seven lifetimes, or if it must be purified over the course of seven lifetimes.

The concept of envorad as those living out the remaining of their "natural lifetime" is a subject of some debate.

There is a spirited debate as to whether plants, animals or even other Tuath are included in the cycles of reincarnation. The Reclaimers omit nonhuman tuath and milliget from their beliefs, while the Purists and Dreamers accept these groups, with the latter arguing these are closer to achieving spiritual purity.

On the Perfecti

Some factions believe that the Perfecti pairs must be made up of the same sex (to avoid sexual temptation) or opposite sexes (to embody duality). The roles of the Light and Dark Perfecti are carried somewhat equally by different genders, but some factions have attempted, unsuccessfully, to formalize these roles.

May Elouan's Light Guide You

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Church, the Faith, The Faithful, Lightbringers, Elouan's Light, Mithras's Sword

Demonym

The Faithful/Credentes

Subsidiary Organizations

Permeated Organizations

Deities

Azhi Dahāka

Location

Rocher des Doms

Related Traditions

Controlled Territories

Related Species

Bediz

Related Ethnicities

Related Myths

The Battle of Keremma Dunes (V)