The Church of Eidolon

The Eidolonian faith is a complex system of beliefs and magical practices intended to protect the denizens of Aurelimoore from the realm's monsters. Over the centuries, layers of belief and ritual have accredited to this basic core, but as long as Eidolon remained present in the world, the wards of the church remained strong, granting its followers their abilities and skills needed to protect the realm.

Structure

The church is headed by the Lunarch Council. Consisting of bishops and cathars of the highest ranks, the council continues to struggle to come to terms with the chaos brought by The Fall of Shards. Bishops are the leaders of the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church. Elders govern the parishes that make up each province, combining the administrative responsibilities of a mayor with the religious authority of a minor bishop. Priests attend to the needs of the people at parish churches, village chapels, and crossway altars. All priests have the ability to perform some magic, though some are more powerful than others. Most of them focus on the protective blessings which make up the rituals of the church. Monks are wandering priests, not connected to a specific location. Some feel called to minister to those isolated people living beyond the reach of a parish priest, but others take up the life of a monk because they disagree with their superiors in the hierarchy. Some are wild-eyed fanatics or heretical teachers, but many are quiet, peaceful souls with firm convictions that set them apart from the church.

Priesthood

Cathars are the soldiers of the Eidolonian church, but “soldiers” is a broad term encompassing everything from crime-solving investigators to mounted paladins. Some cathar orders are so independent as to be virtually separate sects of the church, while others are tightly bound to the hierarchy of the faith:

The elite cavalry of Witha, the Whetmoore Riders, are extensively trained in mounted combat with swords and lances.
The Torch Bearers are the rank-and-file soldiers of the cathars, wielding little magic but making up for it with their numbers.
Midnight Brothers often work with The Order of the Silver Sun patrol the streets, particularly at night, on the lookout for thieves, Vampires, and corpse traders.
Moor Chaplains are battlefield faithful who wield magic and weapons with equal skill. Their magic focuses on healing and protection, so they don’t usually fight on the front lines.
Cathars of the Lightblades serve as escorts along the crossways and protect the cathedral in Eros. They are an elite military force that assembles at the bishops’ command.
The Bright Quiver is an order recently split off from the Lightblades. Its members specialize in archery and long-range defense, and often guard town walls and church roofs against spirits, vampires, specters, demons, and other flying attackers.

Eidolonian Archmages The Eidolonian archmages are gifted spellcasters with the inborn ability to channel some of the divine power of Eidolon. Each lineage of the archmages practices unique techniques passed down from master to student for generations, ultimately tracing back to the archangels and Eidolon herself.

Spearsages, the archmages of Light, use powerful and aggressive spells associated with the sun, channeling blinding rays of holy light and powerful prayers to bolster their allies’ speed and courage.
Moonsages, the archmages of Graves, are concerned with preserving the Eternal Sleep, preventing denizens from returning as undead. They use preventative and warding spells, banishing the undead to the void and making sure graves remain sealed.
Springsages, the archmages of Cranes, are healers who use their magic to aid individuals, whole villages, and even the land itself. They act much like wandering priests or monks, traveling the remote reaches to minister to the people and heal the sick.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Deities