The Great Rebirth
In desperate times, those in need of comfort or purpose will always turn to the supernatural. 33 years after the fall of The Usurper Trinity, a suspected miracle was discovered in the city of Strauset. A great tree, grown from stone, was found which after blessing a child with unexplained healing, became the symbol of the Order of the Great Rebirth. Popular belief was that the tree was a blessing from an unknown God who would grant the pure and righteous salvation.
Structure
The main body of the Order follows this hierarchy:
- The head of the order is the Patriarch, chosen by The Great Tree of Rebirth itself to speak its wisdom.
- Below the Patriarch were the Archbishops. They handle most of the actual command as the Patriarch is deemed too holy to show their face regularly and spends most of their time in prayer and worship. The Patriarch is chosen from among the current Archbishops.
- Next are the Bishops who carry out the commands of the Archbishops and are in charge of specific church buildings. They are in charge of organising the ceremonies of the churches.
- Priests belong to a church, working on a more personal level with the lower members of the clergy and carrying out ceremonies.
- Every other member of the clergy is a Monk and spend their time in worship and prayer, partaking in communal tradition and ceremony.
- 1 of the 5 Archbishops holds the role of Master of Vindication who is in charge of the Inquisition and gives orders to the High Inquisitors.
- The High Inquisitor is in charge of the bulk of the Inquisition, giving out orders to those lower in rank as to the current focus of the inquisitors. While the Master of Vindication is technically above, the High Inquisitor is primarily the leading force.
- The Inquisitors are the highest ranking active force in the Order, sent on the highest level of mission such as eliminating an armed and dangerous uprising against the church.
- Rebirth Guardians are protectors of the faithful and often work as guards and peacekeepers.
- Church Enforcer is the first active duty role an Order member may perform, often sent on missions to capture rebelling individuals deemed as no significant danger. Occasionally they join Inquisitors on raids as backup infantry.
- Squires assisted Inquisitors in their duties, looking after their gear and hanging back from battle, ready to recuperate their appointed master.
Culture
Most members have been indoctrinated with the beliefs of the Order. Any who refuse to follow their tenets and actively goes against them is viewed as sinful and villainous, and while the opportunity to repent is supposedly provided to captured rebels, in reality this is simply told to the public to hide the darkness hidden beneath the veil.
Public Agenda
The goals of the organisation are to gather as many followers as possible and remove any potential threats to their progress, all in the name of The Great Tree of Rebirth.
Assets
The Order is a dominant presence in Strauset, working with The New Human's Alliance to keep relative peace in Human civilisation. With such a huge following, powerful connections and massive influence, the Great Rebirth are a powerful force in the face of their obstacles and as such, these obstacles are low in number, demoralised by the sheer control and terror the believers wield.
History
In 54 EOM, 33 years after the Humanity's reign had ended, Strauset remained the only city of mankind left intact. Lost and confused, the people were desperate for something to believe. One day, without warning, a tree was discovered within the walls of the city, grown form stone paving. While it was seen as odd, nothing sprouted as of this time. That changed when a young boy was miraculously healed of a fatal injury under the leaves of the tree. From this, those in need of something to believe in gravitated towards this natural phenomena. What begun as a small cult of believers grew into a fully organised state of affairs, all based around The Great Tree of Rebirth, as it came to be known. The first Patriarch was officially recognised in 62 EOM when the 5 Archbishops knelt before the The Great Tree. The first in long line of Patriarchs was a man named Bolun Sharm. From then on, the religion had a stable leader role to rally behind for a common cause. The current Patriarch is Mildon Poral, the 7th head since its formation.
Mythology & Lore
The Great Tree of Rebirth is believed to be sent by a mysterious and godly entity known as The Great Creator. When the world of Arton eventually comes to an end, The Great Creator will summon the faithful, living and dead, to be reborn into a better world. Depending on a person's dedication, they will be granted a perfect life after Arton is reborn.
Cosmological Views
The Great Creator is believed to have brought the Gods, such as Odar, into existence to rule over Arton on their behalf. However, according to the Order, these so called Gods were punished with death for succumbing to humanly desires and the humans who took up the roles of Gods, they too were punished.
Tenets of Faith
- Always stay faithful to The Great Creator
- Preach to the ignorant on the wisdom of our Lord
- Any heathens who refuse to listen must be cleansed
- If you are to stray from the true path, seek guidance from the apostles of the Lord
Worship
Daily worship of The Great Creator is mandatory in church services. Members gather in front of the altar of the church while the priests conduct the ritual before the Bishop conducts the second half.
Priesthood
To become a senior member of the clergy, training of the mind and physical discipline must be undertook, there are no shortcuts to the top and it takes many years to reach a senior position such as Bishop.
Progressing from Monk to Priest requires being ordained in a test once deemed worthy by the Bishop of the corresponding church. They must deprive themselves of food and water while chanting and reciting holy passages until completion. Priests have their heads shaved and wear dark blue robes as opposed to the dark brown of the Monks.
From Priest to Bishop, there must be a vacancy of a Bishop of a church, whether they pass on, ascend to Archbishop or are removed for unfaithfulness. A priest from the church in need of a Bishop is chosen by one of the 5 Archbishops with the role of Master of Divine Appointment after tests of their choosing. A Bishop wears dark green robes.
Becoming an Archbishop is a ceremonious and rare occurrence as only 5 hold the role at a time. Once there becomes a vacancy for an Archbishop, the remaining 4 summon any prospective candidates from among the regular Bishops and 1 is chosen after more vigorous tests. Archbishops wear similar dark green robes but they have wooden amulets carved from The Great Tree of Rebirth.
To become a Patriarch, the 5 Archbishops kneel before the Tree. 1 of them is chosen by the Tree itself to become the spokesman of The Great Creator. They wear heavy and layered robes of white and green with their wooden amulet.
To acquire a role in the Inquisition, the process is much more militaristic; rising through the ranks is based on skill and achievement and their uniforms are usually concealed beneath armour.
Brought forth from the ground, the Great Tree shall save us
Founding Date
54 EOM
Type
Religious, Inquisitorial
Alternative Names
The Order
Leader
Leader Title
Deities
Location
Related Species
Allied
The power and influence of both organisations is utilised by the opposite group.
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