Church of Kello
As the patron of sentries and watchmen Kello’s church is a fairly militant order whose temples and shrines resemble fortresses more than places of worship and which there are always sentries on duty.
Structure
Lay Brethren—Not actually a part of the official hierarchy the lay brethren are those worshipers who are particularly devout and often give of their time and resources to the local citadel or bailey.
Sentries—Students of the faith who seek to one day become full members of the church. Sentries spend their time studying the teachings of Kello, standing watch and doing menial work.
Watchmen/Watchwomen—A watchman (or watchwoman) is a sentry who has proven his devotion to his vows, his loyalty to the church, and a working grasp of the teachings of Kello. Watchmen are generally given slightly more interesting tasks than sentries and are often put in charge of the sentries of a local citadel.
Pickets—The priests of Kello are called pickets and there is generally one to a citadel. Priests are responsible for all that goes on within the citadel as including seeing to the guidance and education of the sentries and watchmen (watchwomen). They are chosen from the ranks of the watchmen when a new citadel is to be established or an existing picket must be replaced for some reason.
Captains—Recognized as the head of all church activity in a town or city, a captain will generally have several pickets under him as well as an assortment of watchmen and sentries. Depending on the size of a community there can be one or more citadels to Kello, and in some cases a captain will be placed over several small communities that have only a single citadel (or bailey) each.
Colonels—Colonels are the next rung in the hierarchy with a colonel in charge of several captains and by virtue several towns or cities. They serve as the intermediaries between the higher ups of the church hierarchy and the local citadels. In the absence of clear guidance from their superiors they are allowed and expected to make especially important decisions regarding the practice of the faith. As such most colonels are very conservative and not given to radical changes.
Generals—Second only to the marshals in power generals are charged with overseeing all the citadels in a given region (a kingdom is usually divided into up to a dozen regions, though usually only half that many) by the leaders of the church. They have great say in the running of the church in a given kingdom and as such weld a great deal of temporal power in addition to their influence within the church.
Marshals—The head of the church in a given kingdom, marshals are the top of the heap. They spend most of their time making decisions that affect all the citadels in a kingdom. Many serve as advisors to rulers and so wield a great deal of influence within a kingdom. Marshals are expected to make a visit to every citadel in their kingdom each year, so during the late spring and summer are usually on the road.
Marshal General—The top of the church hierarchy is the marshal general. Selected from the ranks of the marshals the marshal general makes decisions that affect all the citadels of Kello in Arda. The current marshal general of Kello is Wassa Voll who resides in the city of Azen in the kingdom of Ozudlim (in the New Kingdoms). Like most of her predecessors Wassa is highly conservative and not given to change, though she is more open to new ideas than most who have held her title, something that many of the other marshals are uncomfortable with.
Sentries—Students of the faith who seek to one day become full members of the church. Sentries spend their time studying the teachings of Kello, standing watch and doing menial work.
Watchmen/Watchwomen—A watchman (or watchwoman) is a sentry who has proven his devotion to his vows, his loyalty to the church, and a working grasp of the teachings of Kello. Watchmen are generally given slightly more interesting tasks than sentries and are often put in charge of the sentries of a local citadel.
Pickets—The priests of Kello are called pickets and there is generally one to a citadel. Priests are responsible for all that goes on within the citadel as including seeing to the guidance and education of the sentries and watchmen (watchwomen). They are chosen from the ranks of the watchmen when a new citadel is to be established or an existing picket must be replaced for some reason.
Captains—Recognized as the head of all church activity in a town or city, a captain will generally have several pickets under him as well as an assortment of watchmen and sentries. Depending on the size of a community there can be one or more citadels to Kello, and in some cases a captain will be placed over several small communities that have only a single citadel (or bailey) each.
Colonels—Colonels are the next rung in the hierarchy with a colonel in charge of several captains and by virtue several towns or cities. They serve as the intermediaries between the higher ups of the church hierarchy and the local citadels. In the absence of clear guidance from their superiors they are allowed and expected to make especially important decisions regarding the practice of the faith. As such most colonels are very conservative and not given to radical changes.
Generals—Second only to the marshals in power generals are charged with overseeing all the citadels in a given region (a kingdom is usually divided into up to a dozen regions, though usually only half that many) by the leaders of the church. They have great say in the running of the church in a given kingdom and as such weld a great deal of temporal power in addition to their influence within the church.
Marshals—The head of the church in a given kingdom, marshals are the top of the heap. They spend most of their time making decisions that affect all the citadels in a kingdom. Many serve as advisors to rulers and so wield a great deal of influence within a kingdom. Marshals are expected to make a visit to every citadel in their kingdom each year, so during the late spring and summer are usually on the road.
Marshal General—The top of the church hierarchy is the marshal general. Selected from the ranks of the marshals the marshal general makes decisions that affect all the citadels of Kello in Arda. The current marshal general of Kello is Wassa Voll who resides in the city of Azen in the kingdom of Ozudlim (in the New Kingdoms). Like most of her predecessors Wassa is highly conservative and not given to change, though she is more open to new ideas than most who have held her title, something that many of the other marshals are uncomfortable with.
Culture
Unlike many religions on Arda, the church of Kello refers to its temples as citadels and its shrines as baileys. While it is by no means a requirement, every worshiper of Kello hopes to make a pilgrimage to the central citadel in Azen sometime in their life.
Public Agenda
The agenda of the church is to promote the tenets of Kello’s faith. Such tenets as remain ever vigilant, never fail to help a friend in need, personal conduct reflects on family and god; conscientiously maintain your reputation for the sake of theirs, and loyalty is life, are the ones most often preached to the common people. The church also seek to build and train militias to fight in defense of their communities, providing weapons and training to the common folk.
Assets
Kello is a popular deity, especially in the more rural communities that cannot afford a professional watch. As such they have a lot of followers in the smaller communities, followers who donate what they can. It is not a lot individually, but cumulatively the church pulls in quite a bit. In addition, many adventurers make regular offerings to the church, less frequent but larger sums then the common folk. While the church pulls in quite a bit, most of the money is spent maintaining the citadels and baileys and the arsenals contained therein with the captain getting a small salary. So, while the individual citadels may not have a wealth of money, they are usually well fortified and possessing of quite a few weapons. The weapons being to train the local folk and arm them in the event of an attack. Of the money the church takes in a fraction is sent to the higher ups, who disperse the money as needed to help poorer citadels, and in turn send a fraction to their superiors who do likewise. The head citadel collects quite a bit of money, much of which is dispersed to the citadels that do not take in so much, some of which is used to run a school for warriors including some who go on to become paladins, and the rest is saved for a rainy day. Only the grand marshal and a few accountants knows how much money the church has stored as a whole.
History
The church has existed since time immemorial, that is to say, there are no records of a time when Kello wasn’t worshipped by intelligent races of a good bent. The formal church started in the Old Kingdoms for humans though when they arrived in the New Kingdoms, they discovered elven and particularly dwarven temples to Kello. In fact, is almost unheard of for a dwarven community to not have at least a bailey of Kello. The human followers of Kello, after arriving in the New Kingdoms set to work unifying the individual citadels into a structured and coordinated organization. After some debate the head citadel was moved to the New Kingdoms to make access to it easier for the elven and dwarven brothers. A vote was taken, and the head citadel was located in the city of Azen in the kingdom of Ozudlim. As time progressed the citadel there has grown into a sprawling complex including stables and rooms for visiting dignitaries, a school for warriors complete with training grounds, barracks, classrooms, and a cafeteria, as well as the citadel itself, a grand edifice. When the humans and elves began moving into the frontier lands, the church of Kello moved with them establishing shrines in almost every community that sprang up. The rulers welcomed the church for the work they did, particularly organizing the common folks into well-trained militias.
Mythology & Lore
The church teaches the story of Kello, an angel who did his duty and saved the celestial realms from an invasion of infernal forces and was then elevated to godhood by Utu. Beyond that the mythology of Kello’s church follows the standard tale told by all the other churches.
Cosmological Views
In Arda the cosmos is divided into the inner planes and the outer planes. The inner planes consist of the prime material plane, which coexists with the First World and the Plane of Shadow. They are surrounded by the four elemental planes or air, earth, fire, and water, as well as the positive and negative material planes. All these planes “float” within the ethereal plane, the plane of ghosts and other incorporeal beings.
Surrounding and encompassing the inner planes is the astral plane which connects the inner planes with the outer planes. There are seventeen outer planes, nine each aligned with the cardinal alignments as well as eight that sit on the borders between alignments. Sixteen sit in a sort of metaphysical “ring” round the seventeenth. These planes are Mechanus the plane of Law, next is Arcadia, then Mount Celestia the plane of Law and Good, followed by Bytopia then Elysium the plane of Good, then comes The Beastlands and Olympus the plane of Good and Chaos after which is Ysgard then Limbo the plane of Chaos, after which comes Pandemonium then the bottomless Abyss plane of Evil and Chaos, followed by Carceri then Hades the plane of Evil, next is Gehenna followed by the Nine Hells plane of Evil and Law, then Acheron which brings things back to Mechanus. In the center of the ring lies the Outlands plane of Neutrality.
Surrounding and encompassing the inner planes is the astral plane which connects the inner planes with the outer planes. There are seventeen outer planes, nine each aligned with the cardinal alignments as well as eight that sit on the borders between alignments. Sixteen sit in a sort of metaphysical “ring” round the seventeenth. These planes are Mechanus the plane of Law, next is Arcadia, then Mount Celestia the plane of Law and Good, followed by Bytopia then Elysium the plane of Good, then comes The Beastlands and Olympus the plane of Good and Chaos after which is Ysgard then Limbo the plane of Chaos, after which comes Pandemonium then the bottomless Abyss plane of Evil and Chaos, followed by Carceri then Hades the plane of Evil, next is Gehenna followed by the Nine Hells plane of Evil and Law, then Acheron which brings things back to Mechanus. In the center of the ring lies the Outlands plane of Neutrality.
Tenets of Faith
- Remain ever vigilant
- Do not hesitate to fight against those who oppress or attack the innocent
- Never fail to help a friend in need
- Conquest is destruction. Always fight to defend others from violent subjugation
- Personal conduct reflects on family and god; conscientiously maintain your reputation for the sake of theirs, even on the battlefield
- Accept no negotiations from those who have attacked a foe under the pretense of arbitration or truce for their own gain
- Death before dishonor
- Loyalty is life
Ethics
A follower of Kello must always be alert to their surroundings. They must not allow themselves to be lost in thought or otherwise distracted to the point that they lose sight of their surroundings. Obviously, they must sleep sometime, but, if possible, someone should always be awake and on watch.
The innocent should always be defended. Unskilled followers are not expected to fight against trained warriors, except en masse, but if they see the innocent being attacked or oppressed, they should call for help and offer whatever assistance they can. One of the worst things a follower of Kello can do is to turn a blind eye to the suffering or persecution of the innocent. Of course, fighting does not have to be physical either, standing up for the innocent in other ways is expected too, such as by opposing a corrupt regime in any way possible.
Followers of Kello are expected to offer aid to their friends whenever it is needed, without hesitation, or expectation of repayment. This aid should be offered cheerfully with a spirit of generosity. Followers can accept expressions of thanks and repayment if offered freely but should not expect them. Turning a blind eye to a friend in need is considered a serious transgression of Kello’s teachings.
Kello teaches that conquest is tantamount to the destruction of what is conquered. His followers are expected to resist violent subjugation, and aid anyone else who faces violent subjugation. As with protecting the innocent this does not call for untrained followers to go up against trained warriors. However, Kello’s followers are expected to oppose conquest with any and all means at their disposal. Turning one’s back on those who face violent subjugation or making excuses for violent conquest is immoral and wrong. Many a militia of commoners who follow Kello have turned up to aid in opposition to those who would impose their will on others through force.
Followers of Kello are expected to maintain a good reputation, especially when it comes to following Kello’s other teachings. Since one’s comportment reflects not just on the individual, but their family and their deity disciples are expected to remain vigilant in monitoring their own behavior. This holds true even on the battlefield. While many of Kello’s adherents may never see battle, many do, and they are expected to always fight with honor and uphold and obey Kello’s teachings.
Kello’s devotees are expected to honor truces, and to enter arbitration freely, except when dealing with those who have attacked during a truce or arbitration. Such individuals have demonstrated that they have no honor and cannot be trusted, so calls for truce and arbitration by them can and should be freely ignored. Conversely Kello’s followers are expressly forbidden from using pretense of truce or arbitration to attack themselves.
It is told that someone once said o Kello, “One cannot take anything from this life into the next.” Kello is said to have replied, “Not so, one takes one’s honor with him.” Since honor is the only thing a person can take into the next world, adherents are expected to always conduct themselves honorably. It is better to die with honor than to live in dishonor is a maxim that all should follow. Honor of course is found by following the precepts of Kello. Of course, this is not a suicide pact. Followers are allowed to retreat honorably and withdraw honorably should the situation warrant it. The key point being honorably. It is no dishonor to retreat from a superior foe, unless doing so would mean abandoning the innocent.
Next to honor the most important trait of a follower of Kello is loyalty. If one swears and oath, one should never betray it. Of course, an oath taken under duress is an exception, as is an oath to someone who misrepresents themselves. This means that peasants should always obey their lords and those whom their lords appoint over them so long as doing so does not violate other tenets of Kello’s teachings. This is not a one-way street. Nobles owe protection, amongst other things, to the commoners who serve them. For a noble to violate that covenant is as much a transgression as a peasant betraying their lord.
The innocent should always be defended. Unskilled followers are not expected to fight against trained warriors, except en masse, but if they see the innocent being attacked or oppressed, they should call for help and offer whatever assistance they can. One of the worst things a follower of Kello can do is to turn a blind eye to the suffering or persecution of the innocent. Of course, fighting does not have to be physical either, standing up for the innocent in other ways is expected too, such as by opposing a corrupt regime in any way possible.
Followers of Kello are expected to offer aid to their friends whenever it is needed, without hesitation, or expectation of repayment. This aid should be offered cheerfully with a spirit of generosity. Followers can accept expressions of thanks and repayment if offered freely but should not expect them. Turning a blind eye to a friend in need is considered a serious transgression of Kello’s teachings.
Kello teaches that conquest is tantamount to the destruction of what is conquered. His followers are expected to resist violent subjugation, and aid anyone else who faces violent subjugation. As with protecting the innocent this does not call for untrained followers to go up against trained warriors. However, Kello’s followers are expected to oppose conquest with any and all means at their disposal. Turning one’s back on those who face violent subjugation or making excuses for violent conquest is immoral and wrong. Many a militia of commoners who follow Kello have turned up to aid in opposition to those who would impose their will on others through force.
Followers of Kello are expected to maintain a good reputation, especially when it comes to following Kello’s other teachings. Since one’s comportment reflects not just on the individual, but their family and their deity disciples are expected to remain vigilant in monitoring their own behavior. This holds true even on the battlefield. While many of Kello’s adherents may never see battle, many do, and they are expected to always fight with honor and uphold and obey Kello’s teachings.
Kello’s devotees are expected to honor truces, and to enter arbitration freely, except when dealing with those who have attacked during a truce or arbitration. Such individuals have demonstrated that they have no honor and cannot be trusted, so calls for truce and arbitration by them can and should be freely ignored. Conversely Kello’s followers are expressly forbidden from using pretense of truce or arbitration to attack themselves.
It is told that someone once said o Kello, “One cannot take anything from this life into the next.” Kello is said to have replied, “Not so, one takes one’s honor with him.” Since honor is the only thing a person can take into the next world, adherents are expected to always conduct themselves honorably. It is better to die with honor than to live in dishonor is a maxim that all should follow. Honor of course is found by following the precepts of Kello. Of course, this is not a suicide pact. Followers are allowed to retreat honorably and withdraw honorably should the situation warrant it. The key point being honorably. It is no dishonor to retreat from a superior foe, unless doing so would mean abandoning the innocent.
Next to honor the most important trait of a follower of Kello is loyalty. If one swears and oath, one should never betray it. Of course, an oath taken under duress is an exception, as is an oath to someone who misrepresents themselves. This means that peasants should always obey their lords and those whom their lords appoint over them so long as doing so does not violate other tenets of Kello’s teachings. This is not a one-way street. Nobles owe protection, amongst other things, to the commoners who serve them. For a noble to violate that covenant is as much a transgression as a peasant betraying their lord.
Worship
The church of Kello does not hold worship services in the standard sense. Rather the church holds regular training classes where the followers are taught the use of weapons, how to fight singly and in a group, and the basics of tactics and strategy. These classes are divided base on ability and are available both to adults and to children. The classes are held eight times a month and followers are expected to attend unless there is a good reason not to. Non followers are welcome but are expected to make an offering and will be subject to mild proselytization. The classes usually end with a recitation of the tenets of the faith. In addition followers are expected to take a shift on watch at the local citadel or bailey at least four times a month, more frequently if they can manage.
Political Influence & Intrigue
As mentioned, many Marshals serve as advisors to rulers, and those lower in the church hierarchy are often advisors to lesser nobles, the church of Kello has a lot of sway in many regions. They attempt to guide rulers into following the teachings of Kello, especially the teachings about loyalty, protecting the innocent and the use of force to impose their will on others. Many rulers have embraced Kello’s teachings in whole or in part without swearing allegiance to the church. Nor does Kello’s priesthood attempt to sway rulers into swearing allegiance to the church. If the rulers act honorably the priests see their work as accomplished. Since they are known for their strict adherence to honor, they are often called in as mediators, especially between kingdoms and have prevented several wars through their wisdom and counsel. While not every ruler has a Marshal for an advisor, many do. Nor are Marshals usually the sole advisors. They recognize that the other priesthoods of good deities can offer valuable advice as well, and encourage rulers to seek the advice of the disciples of all good deities.
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