Church of Elmúlús

Consisting of independent shrines the Church of Elmúlásis one of the least organized religions in Arda. While many will patronize her shrines seeking answers and advice, few directly worship her.

Structure

Each shrine (Elmúlás has very few temples) has one high priest known as the augur who spends most of her time communing with Elmúlás in a cloud of incense. The acolytes, known as seers, handle the day to day running of the shrine, including accepting donations and ushering supplicants in to see the Augur and ask their questions. The church has no organization or hierarchy beyond each shrine.

Public Agenda

If the church has an agenda, it is not known. They offer advice and prophecy for small donations and hold worship services on the new moon.

Assets

The church is not wealthy, but they get by. Since they offer their services in return for donations (usually a silver piece) they have a source of income, but most of that meager income is spent on upkeep and support. Consequently, the church has little in store. Often in leu of monetary donations they will accept donations in the form of goods or services. Usually farm goods or crafts.

History

The worship of Elmúlás first began in the Old Kingdoms, back before recorded history. As the worship spread, it was not long before every city and most towns could boast a shrine to Elmúlás. On especially holy sites, adherents would build temples, but these were rare. It is said that the church encouraged the exploration that led to the colonization of the New Kingdoms. It spread with the colonists, establishing shrines as communities grew up. Rare among faiths the worship of Elmúlás was unknown among the elves, dwarves, gnomes and other races, until introduced by the Mangen. Even the Manneskor were unfamiliar with the church. When colonization of the frontier Lands began the church went there too.

Tenets of Faith

The church is opposed to directly intervening in events preferring to advise and give a nudge her and there to produce desired results. Usually these results are for the benefit of the community so people heed the advice of the clergy even inf it is usually cryptic and allegorical. This is because like their deity the priesthood of Elmúlás doesn’t speak directly instead giving advice in the form of riddles and allusions.

Worship

Worship services occur once a month at the new moon and take place starting at sunset. Service are subdued affairs with the worshippers sitting in clouds of incense sometimes taking psychotropic drugs in an attempt to commune with their goddess. The services ends for each worshipper when they achieve their goal and awaken from their trance.

Priesthood

The seers of Elmúlás don’tjust serve under the augur, they also practice various forms of divination, including abocomancy, aeromancy, arithmancy & numerology, astrology, augury, belomancy, capnomancy, cartomancy, casting, haruspicy, nephomancy, oneiromancy, pyromancy, and especially libanomancy. For a small donation they will use their preferred method of divinations to make readings for the requester. In addition they arrange and conduct the monthly worship services.