Anointed Order of Adar

"By The Light of Adar, we will win this battle, we will win this war, and we WILL take back our city!" - Abbot-Commander Maximain, during the final battle of the War of the Bowlsea.

The Anointed Order of Adar, usually referred to as the Order, is the predominant Adarian church, claiming tens of millions of followers within the Adar's Bowl region alone. The Order is the oldest and most expansive international organization in the known world, and has been instrumental in the development of civilization. The head of the church is currently Highest Father Lord Ludwig. The administration of the Order is handled by the School Of The Holy Fire.
The tenets of the Order's faith are found within the Enlightened Holy Doctrine of the Anointed Order of Adar, a sacred document originally started by Saint Bartelam, and expanded upon by every Highest Father since. The Order teaches that they are the following and continuing the mission that was given to Saint Bartelam from Adar himself; to establish and propagate a church that will, in purpose, spread the truth of Adar's glory and the salvation that will come to those who believe, that the Highest Father is the successor to Saint Bartlelam and his mission, and that the will of Adar is delivered through the Highest Father to the Order as a whole.
While generally accepting of other religions, though not supportive of them, there is a concerted effort being put forth from the church to recruit as many faithful followers as possible. This is usually done through the assimilation of other, smaller religions, especially those who hold Adar as their chief deity. The most common method of this is the drawn-out process of convincing the followers of a different religion that their own god or goddess is simply an aspect of Adar given form or, if the belief system is too estranged from their own, that this deity is actually a false idol, and must be cast away lest they be damned and their souls sent to the Pit Below, where Sabris awaits to judge them.
The Anointed Order of Adar has greatly influenced Oscanan cultures, arts, and sciences throughout the centuries of its existence. Members of the Order live all over Oscana and the surrounding areas, and continue to spread their influence through missions, the work of footpriests, and the conversions of non-believers. However, as hostilities and discrimination have recently been increasing in the south, particularly due to increased Strigian military presence, there has been an increase in believers uprooting their families and moving northward.
Currently, the Order is gearing up to defend these threats along the border of the The Scalding Expanse, refusing to let the Strige exert their will over the free folk of Adar's Bowl. Small encounters have occurred throughout the past few months, but nothing like what is about to occur. The Order is planning on sending forth a host of thousands to push back the Strige, and to make it known that the people of the Bowl will not bow down to their onslaught.

Structure

The internal structure within the Order is very well defined, with a strict sense of seniority clearly established. The ranks and titles are listed below in order of seniority.

Adar

The Ascended One. The Flaming Sun. He may have many names, but Adar is primarily called "Allfather" by the Order's faithful. Above all others, Adar is the chief power of the Order. Directives for the faithful primarily come from him through his representative on Ashua, the Highest Father.

Upper Echelons

The members of the Order in the upper echelons are among the most revered individuals in Oscana. While they make up less of the order as a whole than the lower echelons, they also have the bulk of the responsibility. As such, there are some requirements of them that are not expected of all the members of the lower echelon, namely celibacy and the forfeiting of personal material possessions.

Highest Father

The most senior and prestigious title within the Order, the rank of Highest Father is a lifetime appointment. The will of the Highest Father is seen as the will of Adar himself, and that comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. He is also the Lord-Commander of the School Of The Administers. He resides in the city of Palan, specifically in the Ordenarium, alongside the Grand Pontiff and a number of other individuals who help him with his daily tasks.
The special requirements for the rank are as follows:
A Sunmark
A minimum of twenty-five years of service in the Order

Grand Pontiff

The Grand Pontiff is the Highest Father's most trusted adviser and confidant. They are second in seniority within the Order, with only the Highest Father ranking above them. If the Highest Father takes ill or is indisposed for any reason, the Grand Pontiff can act as de facto Highest Father, with their word having the same weight as the Highest Father's. However, when the Highest Father returns to duty, they have the right to rescind any and all orders given by the Grand Pontiff. They are also the Grand Judge within the School Of The Forge, with their word being the final say when adjudicating any issues within the Order, and is the one who finalizes all important decisions in the Holy Court of Saint Bartelam.
The requirements for the rank are as follows:
A minimum of five years as a Pontiff
A minimum of twenty years of service in the Order

Pontiff

Pontiffs make up the bulk of the upper echelons of the Order. They are also the ones who are most commonly sent out when a sacred site or artifact needs to be consecrated, and they are also the members who are sent for when a Convention of the Light is called in Palan.
The requirements for the rank are as follows:
A minimum of fifteen years of service in the Order

Lower Echelon

Abbot/Abbess

An abbot [fem. abbess] is a title that is given to a priest, but also occasionally a pontiff that has been given the head position at an abbey. While they are in charge of the abbey, they are also expected to perform the duties of their formal station as needed, unless a priest has been specifically allocated to the abbey to work beneath them. In their abbey the abbot's word is absolute, but any member of the Upper Echelon can come through and supersede any statements or commands given by them.\

Priest/Priestess

A priest [fem. priestess] is a rank given to a member of the Order who has been given the head position at a church or chapel. They tend to reside either in the church proper in a side room or in a parsonage nearby owned by the church. They are allowed, if they choose, to own their own house instead, but it must be on their own land and bought with their own wealth. Priests are the members of the order who most regularly interact with the laity, living out their lives right alongside them in the villages and towns across the land. Aside from holding regular services for their communities, they also travel about helping and blessing the sick, preside over funerals, and in some smaller communities even double as gravedigger.

Footpriest

Footpriests are of a rank nearly equivalent to that of stationed priests, but they are generally looked upon to be of a lesser rank than for their requirement to be wanderers, traveling around the land planting churches and converting communities. Unlike a the role of priest, only male acolytes are raised to the rank of footpriest. The female rank of equivalent seniority is vestal. Footpriests are the boots on the ground of the Order, both literally and figuratively. Generally, they're missionaries; Holy men who go from town to town preaching the words of Adar, establishing and seeing over the building of new churches and church buildings, and overall just being a shining example of the Order's doctrines. Footpriest is also the rank given to the newly indoctrinated soldiers within the School Of The Administers,, though the roles are largely unrelated.

Vestal

The vestals are an all female rank within the Order, and are also the only members of the lower echelon of which celibacy is a requirement. Vestals fill a wide variety of roles within the church, generally doing any of the tasks that a priest or priestess requires of them, from cooking and cleaning to delivering medicines and foods to helping prepare a body for burial. The requirement of celibacy is intended to keep them focused on their various duties, and is not seen as an enforcement of purity, as celibacy is not enforced while they were acolytes nor when they potentially advance to the priesthood.

Acolyte

The rank of acolyte is given to individuals who are training to become footpriest and vestals, especially those who are being schooled within the Ordenarium. Occasionally a priest may take an acolyte under their wing, but they are still typically sent to Palan to undergo formal training from the School Of The Forge. This training typically lasts two years, and the vast majority of that time is spent in study and prayer. After the schooling is complete, the acolytes are given a single night to revel and celebrate in any way they see fit, with no restrictions or retributions for the night's events, so long as they stay within legal boundaries. The regular outcome of this is a large number of parties throughout the city involving drinking and dancing, occasionally even widespread drug use and orgies. The caveat to this celebratory time is that if an individual doesn't show up to the graduation celebration in the morning, they must repeat the entire schooling process over again, taking up another two years of their lives.

Deacon

Deacons are lay members within individual churches or communities that have been elected to serve the church, with the services a given deacon performs generally being chosen overseen by the priest they are under. Deacons are often asked to perform a wide variety of services, similar to that of the vestal, but without being an officially trained and sanctioned member of the Order. The most common task asked of them is to assist with the running of services, whether that be the directing of people who the passing out of the sacrament.

Laity

The lay folk, the believers and worshipers within the Order by and far make up the bulk of the Order's faithful. Anyone who claims to follow the Order's tenets but does not serve the church directly in any way falls under this category. Most typically this is the commoners and minor nobles who attend the service but do not contribute physically or financially in any substantial way to the church.

Public Agenda

The primary function of The Order is to further Adar's will and spread his light and influence to any and all people's willing to hear of it. The Order also has devoted a large portion of its time and effort to charity, whether that be establishing homes for the homeless, running orphanages and homes for the elderly, or food kitchens to help those less fortunate. Acts of charity is one of the prime tenets of the faith established within the doctrine, and even the smallest of parishes with an Order presence have some sort of support line set up to help anyone in the community that might be in need.
In the case of natural disasters, the Order will send out large forces to help, both to rebuild and to make sure any who need care are taken care of, and to handle the dead.

Assets

"Do not worry yourself about how you will make it through the winter, brother, but continue to tithe faithfully and, by Adar's will, all your needs will be met! Come now, walk with me to the kitchen and we'll see what can be done. There is plenty within Adar's bounty." - A priest to a farmer who came seeking guidance over a food shortage.

While a large amount of wealth has made its way into the hands of the Order, and they have a flair for the extravagant in their presentation, the majority of Order faithful are anything but greedy. They own hundreds of cathedrals, churches, and chapels, but also as many orphanages, shelters for the homeless, and other buildings dedicated to helping those in need. They have vast amounts of draenen stored inside the vaults of the Bank of the Order, as well as countless priceless artifacts and works of art both within the vaults and displayed in the various churches and offices the Order occupies.
The Order is also a very active participant and benefactor for the arts, using a system of patronage to produce the immense amount of sacred imagery that decorates their buildings and churches. As such, a large majority of artists will also claim to be faithful to the Order, though whether they hold up the tenets in their daily life is a different story entirely.

History

The Anointed Order of Adar has quickly become the most influential Adarian religion, spreading through the Bowlre-purposingSchool Of The Holy Fire.
Established in the year 257 AS by Saint Bartelam in the city of Palan, the Order's original church was a small barn owned by of one of the early members Saint Bartelam had converted.

Military

The School Of The Administers handles the military end of the Order's operations, from the producing of weapons and armor to the training of soldiers and invention of new siege weaponry. All military operations within the order are justified from the angle of defending the faith and the faithful.

"Through his light, cleansed; By his hand, remade."

Procession In The Old Catholic Church In The Hague - Isaac Israels (edited)

Founding Date

257 AS

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Capital

Palan

Alternative Names

The Order

Leader

Ludwig Kitcher

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Currency

Draenen

Legislative Body

School Of The Holy Fire

Judicial Body

School Of The Forge

Subsidiary Organizations

• School Of The Holy Fire

Deities

• Adar

Location

Palan

Official Languages

• Perelish
• Truespeak

Notable Members

• Adar
• Ludwig Kitcher